And other stuff.
You think l'm small town, huh?
l think Bomont is a small town.
You think? Try living here your whole life.
But that's all gonna change.
l've applied to colleges.
Hell, l've applied to colleges my daddy don't even know about.
Nobody wants to see Bomont in their rearview more than me.
You want to kiss me?
Someday.
What's this ''someday'' shit?
You want to drop down and tumble right here? OK.
You know that sweat's gonna dry and you're still gonna feel like shit.
That's for Chuck.
Not me.
Did you hear that?
Come on, hurry!
Where are you going?
Sometimes, after football games...
...we all come out here and when the train passes,
we iust make out like crazy.
Or...
...we iust play chicken.
So, you're iust going to let the train hit you?
Maybe.
All right, stop fooling around.
OK, get off the track.
Ariel! Get off the track!
How can l impose a cu_ew on the young people of my congregation
if l can't enforce it in my own home?
Have you been drinking?
l haven't been smoking, drinking, dancing,
reading books l'm not supposed to. l'm just late.
Who brought you home iust now?
Ren MacCormack.
l don't want you to see that boy again.
- Why? - Because l've heard he's trouble.
Trouble? Well, man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.
Job 14:1. You know, from the Bible?
Your behavior has been atrocious, young lady,
and it seems to have started when Ren MacCormack came to town.
Trust me, Daddy. Ren's the least of your worries.
Let's get some city life in you.
Good night! This place is gigantic!
Yeah. It's bigger than Bomont.
Hey. l'm gonna get something to drink. You go out there and shake it.
- Let go! - l wanna shake it with you.
- Dance with me. - Nah, l'm good. l'll watch you guys.
- You do this to me every time. - l'm fine. l'm gonna drink.
Go out there and dance. Have fun.
- Hey. Just go dance with her. - Willard!
What's the matter with you, huh?
We drove two hours to get here. You're just gonna stand around and mope?
l don't dance. All right? l don't dance.
l can't dance.
At all.
But it's country line dancing. It's a white man's wet dream.
Come on.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
- Excuse me, miss? - Y'all need to learn some new moves?
Shit-howdy! You drop me at day care while you go dance with them girls!
Just learn a box step or two and meet us out there.
- l got faith in you. - Yeah.
- Just fall on in. - All right.
Maybe l should get my drink on first.
You got girls walking around with Jäger shots between their boobies?
No sir, we don't have that here.
Well, you should.
One, two, three. Good, guys.
- One, two, three... - Stupid.
- Come on, Willard! It's fun! - l don't drink and dance.
So you're gonna stand around like a dork the whole night?
l'd rather be a dork than a dancing dork. Yeah.
Whoa.
Hey, l got hat hair. Come on.
Hey!
She likes to dance.
Yeah!
Hey, shitkicker, that's my girl you're groping!
Willard, we're iust dancing.
Why are you dancing with another man when you're wearing my hat?
OK, that is disrespectful.
Look, nelly, why don't you go babysit this girl's purse and fetch me a beer.
Got a better idea. Why don't l kick your teeth in and grin while l'm doing it?
Willard, no fighting. You don't even know this guy.
l'll tell you what. If he can count this high,
l'll give you to the count of three to get out of my face, man! One!
Willard!
Come on, darlin'. Party with a real man and ditch this hayseed.
Animal!
- It iust happened so fast... - You got knocked out.
l iust remember politely asking him, ''Hey, get off of my girl.''
This bridge gives me the creeps.
- Willard! - Sorry.
- What? - This is Crosby Bridge.
You know that photo in school?
The one with the teenagers that all got killed.
This is where it happened.
My brother was driving them home.
They lost control and they went head on into a truck.
They were seniors. Two of them were all-state, Ronnie Jamison and...
And my brother. Bobby.
You would've liked him.
l looked up to him.
He was my hero.
But now every time l think about him, l just think about this bridge.
Four doors, you got a Mazda, a Nissan, a Cadillac.
Low mileage, really good shape. Excuse me for one moment.
Hey, Reverend!
Good afternoon.
Hey, you need your oil changed on that Crown Vic?
No, Wes. l'm not here about my car. l'm here about my daughter.
OK.
Charlie, l need you to show Katelin the Cadillac, buddy.
- All right. - All right?
- Right this way. - You want to sit down?
Wes, l know your nephew is new in town.
Now l understand that everybody needs a friend,
but l am not comfortable with Ren pursuing Ariel.
Pursuing?
Yeah. You have two little girls of your own,
and l think you should understand where l'm coming from here, Wes.
- l mean, as a father. - No, l don't believe that l do.
Why don't you tell me what Ren did exactly?
Well, l hear he's been having trouble at school.
Trouble with drugs.
Drugs.
Where'd you hear that? From Roger? That guy's a bully.
And l'm not iust saying that 'cause he wants me to take down my sign.
lt doesn't matter where l heard it, Wes.
l don't want that kind of influence around my daughter.
lnfluence, huh?
Reverend, have you ever seen anybody die from leukemia?
lt's slow and ugly,
and that boy had to watch his momma go all the way through it. Alone.
His daddy was a deadbeat. Never lifted a finger to help.
When she got sick, he bolted. It was Ren who took care of her.
Now, you may think that Ren isn't good enough for your daughter,
but, Reverend, l could argue it's the other way around.
Well...
l iust wanted to make myself clear.
See you in church.
l don't believe this town.
l bring Ariel home past her cu_ew,
and Reverend Moore is all up in my uncle's grill, making threats.
Yeah. Well, you know what it is? You got an attitude problem.
- l got an attitude problem? - Yeah, you got an attitude problem.
Every chance you get, you're bad-mouthing this town.
We're small-time, but we got satellites and cell phones like everyone else.
- We're making some progress. - Don't talk to me about progress.
l've been here two months and haven't seen one wet T-shirt contest.
Oh, l know. l don't know what's up with that.
- That's not me. - Probably some stupid law against it.
l tell you what. You get a petition for that, l'd sign it.
Because if we can't have braless, wet women here in Bomont,
- the terrorists win. - That's not a bad idea.
We could start our own petition.
Challenge the law against public dancing.
Why not? Then we can iust organize our own dance.
l'm not talking about some drunken kegger or free-for-all orgy.
That right there? That's an idea!
l'm talking about a formal, respectable dance.
One that's not held in the church, with everyone's eyes on you.
You could have it in the Bomont lockup.
'Cause what you're talking about is against the law.
Let me tell you something about the law. It's meant to be challenged.
- Nothing's set in stone. - Ten Commandments were.
- What's your smart-aleck reply to that? - My smart-aleck reply?
Hey! C'mon, man! Hey!
Stop! You want that wet T-shirt contest, come and get it!
The price of a dog license will go from 10 dollars to 15 dollars.
A licensed pet is a happy one.
All right. Well, they iust finished.
lf you was gonna make your move, this is when you do it.
lt is at this time we will take any new business or concerns.
Come down to the podium, state your name and address. Anyone?
This meeting is adiourned!
So anyway, Elinor was saying we hadn't had you and Vi over
for Sunday brunch in quite a while.
- If you wanna get together... - That'd be great.
Reverend Moore! It's Ren MacCormack. Wesley's nephew?
Yes, Ren. l know who you are.
Yeah, well l figured you did. Wes told me you two had a talk.
There was a conversation between your uncle and myself,
but it wasn't meant for your ears.
There's a lot of that going on in this town. It's like that saying.
- The one about children? How's it go? - That they're better seen than heard?
Yeah. Well, l iust wanted to Iet you know l'm starting a petition
to challenge the ordinance prohibiting public dancing.
l iust wanted to make sure my intentions were clear.
Well... Good day, Ren.
- Showdown with the preacher man! - You got balls the size of coconuts.
Listen to me, you corn-fed hick.
lf l got to stand up in front of the city council and make my case,
y'all gonna learn how to dance.
You're not gonna tell anyone about this?
No, l'm not gonna tell.
- l'm serious. - l promise. Just follow the girls.
They know what they're doing, and you don't.
- Woody, anyone on the football team? - Nobody will know.
Everybody will know.
...three, four. One, two, three, four.
My baby He don"t talk sweet
Come on, man, you got to commit.
He ain't got much to say
- Come on, commit to the move. - Don't mess around. Focus.
- Just do it. - Shake it.
There you go, there you go.
- Feel it. - Show me what you got.
Good, good. More hips.
But l don't really mind
- Less hips. Less hips. - A little less.
Evey time he pulls me near l just wanna cheer!
Let's hear it for the boy
And we're iumping. And we're iumping.
Let's give the boy a hand
Let's hear it for my baby
You know you gotta understand
He's getting it a little bit.
Maybe he's no Romeo
But he's my lovin' one man show
Jump, iump.
Let's hear it for the boy
C'mon, iust bounce, Willard.
Get gangsta with it. Just bounce. Gangsters don't dance, we bounce.
Come on, Willard, get gangsta.
Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey.
Hey! What's up, man? You want some?! Come get some!
Hey, we were iust dancing, man.
- Can l help you with something? - You guys got city records down here?
Like local ordinances? Anything like that?
What do you want with those?
l wanna read them. Isn't that what you do in libraries other than get stoned?
Let's move that ball down the field! Now!
Two! Forty-two!
Willard! What the hell are you doing, boy?
Give me two laps right now. You move it! Now!
Yeah! C'mon!
Go, Willard! Go, Willard!
Go, Willard! Go Willard!
Nice.
Hey. Was that a three-pointer or a two?
That was a no-pointer.
Getting names on this petition is one thing,
but trying to write this speech...
l'm iust having a hard time with it.
l saw you enlisted my daughters in your campaign.
- l'm sorry about that. - No. No need to apologize.
l think this family could use a little activism.
What about Uncky Wes? He seems a little worried.
Well...
Wesley, he is a car salesman trying to sell cars in the middle of a recession.
So he's all about worry.
Why is this dance so important?
When my dad left... l wasn't really surprised. You know?
l never really felt like l could depend on the guy anyways.
lt was iust me and Mom, you know?
She was the strong one.
And then she got sick, and it was my turn to be strong.
l thought if l worked really hard, and listened to the doctors
and did everything they told me to do, maybe we could turn it around.
Maybe she'd get better.
But she didn't.
All that hard work, l couldn't change anything.
But with this... l'm thinking l could do something.
l could do something for myself this time,
and maybe have a shot at making a change.
You know? That's all l want... is a shot.
Otherwise, l'm iust going to disappear, like everyone else.
Can l see that petition, please?
You got my vote, Ren MacCormack.
Your momma would be proud.
Aren't you gonna say anything?
Well, you ain't telling me anything l don't already know.
l got eyes and ears. Yeah.
Well, l thought l should tell you myself.
Yeah.
First you're into racecar drivers, now you're into dancing gymnasts?
You crack me up.
You know, l seen the way you've been looking at him.
Just waiting for the right moment to dumb down,
and wrap those skinny little Iegs around him.
l'm so sick of you treating me like dirt!
Hey.
ls that what l've been doing?
Just treating you like another pit-row hussy, we screw on the weekends?
l thought that's what you came here to be.
You know what?
Being a preacher's daughter don't give you a free pass on acting like a slut.
Ariel...
You walk your ass back home to Daddy!
l treated you decent! Better than you deserve!
l don't need this shit.
l was about done with you anyway!
You son of a bitch!
Stop! Stop! What are...
Crazy bitch!
Don't touch me!
Vi's in there with her.
You're OK, baby. Just don't worry, my angel.
That son of a bitch.
Careful, Daddy, you're in church.
Look at me. Look at me.
Look at me.
Did Ren MacCormack do this to you?
- Answer me! - Let's keep calm.
- We don't even know what happened. - Our daughter has been assaulted, Vi.
l'm calling the police. l want him in handcuffs.
l can see how that works for you, just blame everything on Ren.
Just like you blamed everything on Bobby.
What?
Bobby spent his whole life trying to make you proud.
He made good grades.
He went to church every Sunday,
and God help him because he made one mistake?
Now nobody remembers the good things about Bobby,
all they remember is that damn accident!
Why don't we have a school dance? It's because of Bobby!
Why do we have this stupid cu_ew? Because of Bobby!
Bobby's to blame for all this bullshit!
Lower your voice, talk in a civil tone.
- Let's not do this here. - Why? Isn't this my church? Isn't it?!
lsn't this where we're supposed to talk about our problems?
lt's been three damn years, so why don't we start talking?!
l have been so lost.
l've been losing my mind.
And you don't even see it! You don't even care.
Of course l care.
Of course we care.
We don't expect you to understand everything we do
that's intended to keep you safe.
Stop it! l hate it when you treat me like l'm a child.
Well, whether you like it or not, you are my child!
l'm not even a virgin!
Please... Please don't talk like that in here.
What are you going to do? Pass another law?
'Cause that sure as hell didn't keep him out of my panties!
Shaw!
Well, let's go get that guy that blackened my eye,
'cause we don't hit girls in Bomont, do we Daddy?
Ariel, please.
- Please, l didn't mean to! - No, you stay here.
You've done enough.
- Where is she? - She's staying at Rusty's.
l don't know what came over me. l've never hit anybody in my life...
That's where you two are alike.
You deal with your pain in extremes.
l understand what you were trying to do.
You were trying to hold this town together and protect our children.
But these laws, they were too much, too soon.
There were other kids who lost their lives.
- l felt like l had an obligation to... - Your obligation was to our daughter.
l have been a minister's wife for 21 years now.
l have been supportive.
l've been silent.
l still think you are a wonde_ul preacher.
But it is the one-on-one where you could use a little work.
Your old man's wrong about a lot, but tossing Chuck in jail sounds good to me.
l iust want this whole thing behind me.
l got you something.
A Bible?
lt's not iust any Bible. It's mine. l've had it since l was seven.
l marked a few pages. Thought it might help going up against the city council.
This is great.
Really.
You said that you might kiss me someday.
l did.
You think that someday could be today?
Hey. What's your secret plan? Get up there and boogie?
Yeah, l wish it were that easy.
This meeting will now come to order. But, before we begin,
l would like to remind all you kids that we are conducting an official meeting.
Official town business. That means no disturbances will be tolerated.
The floor is now open.
My name is Ren MacCormack.
And l want to move, on behalf of most of the senior class of Bomont High,
that the law against public dancing within the town limits of Bomont
- be abolished. - Yeah!
You will not be warned again.
Roger, if l may address Mr. MacCormack on this matter.
Please do.
Ren, besides the liquor, and the drugs
and the lewd behavior that seems to always accompany
these types of unsupervised events, the thing that really
distresses me the most, more than any of that,
is the spiritual corruption.
These dances, this music,
it does distort young people's attitudes.
You might find it funny, but l firmly believe that
dancing can be destructive.
And celebrating certain types of music can be destructive.
And l think you're going to find that
most of the people in this community are going to agree with me.
l believe a vote is in order on this motion.
- All those opposed, please... - Excuse me.
l still got something to say on this issue...
- l thought Ren had the floor here. - This meeting will come to order.
- That's not right! - Mr. MacCormack.
l have been more than patient with your intrusions.
l would like to remind you that we speak for this town because we are from here.
Excuse me, Mr. Dunbar.
For you to come into this council chamber and question our motives...
Roger! Stop it!
l think Mr. MacCormack has a right to be heard.
l wasn't here three years ago, when tragedy struck this town.
And l know it's not my place to mourn the lives that were lost
because l didn't know them.
But it doesn't mean that l don't think about them every day.
Like a lot of students at Bomont,
l see those pictures every day at school.
And each time l see their faces, l think of how precious life is
and how quickly it can be taken from us.
l know this firsthand... in my own way.
And three years ago, nearly a dozen laws were introduced
to this council in order to protect the children of Bomont.
And most of these laws, l can see, as a parent, how they make sense to you.
But my right to dance...
...when l want, where l want,
and how l want is a right that you cannot take away.
lt is mine.
See, we don't have that much time left.
All us teenagers, pretty soon we're gonna be just like you.
We're gonna have iobs and bills and families.
And we're gonna have to worry about our own children
because that is the iob of a parent.
To worry. l get that.
But ours, as teenagers, is to live.
To play our music way too loud and to act like idiots.
And to make mistakes.
Aren't we told in Psalm 149...
...''Praise the Lord.
Sing unto the Lord a new song.
And let them praise His name in the dance.''
Now if anybody else brought their Bible, like l did,
will you please turn it to the Book of Samuel, 6:14.
''David... David danced before the Lord
with all his might, leaping and dancing before the Lord.''
Celebrating his love of God and celebrating his love of life.
With what? With dancing!
That's all we're doing here.
Ecclesiastes assures us, ''There is a time for each purpose under heaven.
There's a time to weep.
There's a time to mourn.
And there is a time to dance.''
And this is our time.
There was once a time for that law, but not anymore.
Thank you.
Thanks, Chris.
You know you was railroaded.
Shaw Moore walked into that meeting with those votes already in his pocket.
You didn't have a prayer.
- So what happens now? - Nothing. It's over.
What if it's not?
What if you had your dance in Bayson?
The point was to have it in Bomont. What's Bayson, like 30 miles away?
No. You're standing in it. Come here.
You see that water tower? That's in Bomont. Everything east is in Bayson.
That means the cotton gin.
Now, l figure that if the Bomont fire trucks can't come
this far east, neither can the long arm of the law.
What about the long arm of Reverend Moore?
Well, try to convince him it won't be a spiritual corruption.
Maybe he'll think about it.
And the disciples came to Jesus and said,
''Master, why is it that we can't do such things?''
And Jesus said, ''lt's because you have little faith.
lf you even had the faith of a tiny mustard seed,
you can say to the tallest mountain, 'Move from here to there'
and it will move. For with faith, anything...''
Who's there?
lt's me. It's Ren MacCormack.
Ren.
l thought you were someone else.
My son used to sit there when l would practice my sermons,
- and l... - Yeah, with me it's grocery stores.
Excuse me?
There's always so many mothers at grocery stores.
You get enough of them calling after their kids and pretty soon,
you know, one of them starts to sound like your own mom.
Sometimes l think l can really hear her.
Sit down.
My boy, Bobby, was taken from us so suddenly, and...
l can't remember the last thing l said to him.
Well, it ain't so easy with time, either.
With my mother, l always thought there'd be this day where we got to
say our good-byes.
But, you know, death...
...death is on its own clock.
Yes... it is.
Look, l know you and the council voted against us having this dance,
but it's not gonna stop it from happening.
Andy Beamis gave us permission to use his place.
And with your permission...
...sir.
l would like to take Ariel to the dance.
Now l promise you,
l would never, ever do anything to hurt her or disrespect her.
And l sure as hell won't let anybody else.
l didn't mean to swear in your church. l'm sorry.
Wouldn't be the first time.
The dance means a lot to me. l mean, you know that.
But your daughter... she means more.
And if you don't let her go, l'm not gonna go.
l know you got to do what you got to do.
Well, thank you for...
Thank you.
l'm standing before you today with a troubled heart.
l've insisted on taking responsibility for your lives.
But l'm really...
...iust like a first-time parent
who makes mistakes, and learns as he goes along.
And, like that parent,
l find myself at that moment when l have to decide...
...do l hold on or do l trust you to yourselves?
Do l let go and hope that you've understood my lessons?
lf we don't start trusting our children...
...how will they ever become trustworthy?
l'm told that the senior class at Bomont High School
has secured the use of a warehouse in nearby Bayson for a senior dance.
Please ioin me in keeping them in our prayers...
...that our Lord will guide them in their endeavors.
Now, if you will turn to your hymnals...
- ...page 472. - See? Who said there's no miracles?
''Just As l Am Thine Own To Be.''
- Willard, look in there. - What is this?
- Grab hold. - Grab hold. All right, let's lift!
C'mon, c'mon...
You look stunning!
Really? Is it OK, though? l mean, it's not too simple, right?
Oh, baby, simple elegance is something to strive for.
Well, you can't go to a prom without a corsage.
Oh, my gosh. Mom! It's beautiful.
- You didn't have to do that. - l didn't.
No red boots?
Not tonight.
- Can you help me pin this? - Sure.
lt's not that kind of corsage. It goes on your wrist.
You have no idea how hard it is for me to let you walk out that door.
l iust want what every parent wants. l want my kids to come home safe.
l know it's been hard on you.
And l know l haven't made it any easier.
l iust don't want you to be disappointed in me anymore.
No. You are my angel.
And l will always love you.
Hey, Daddy, guess what?
We're dancing.
l was going to come up and...
What? What's the matter?
You look beautiful.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
Come here.
Shaw, come over here. You've got to see them. They look wonde_ul!
- They're gonna think that we're spying. - We are spying. Come here!
Let me get the door for you.
Ren, it's OK. l can go through your door.
Hold on, l gotta kick it from the other side.
Ren, stop.
Come here.
- Won't you give me a hand? - Yes.
- You OK? - l'm good.
OK.
That was smooth.
Good job, Ariel.
Hey. C'mon.
Hey, Woody. By the looks of it, l'd say our offensive line has no backbone.
You should move your team down the field, captain. Come on.
Come on.
Huddle up. Come on. Y'all see them women over there?
They ain't looking for a first down, or a touchdown.
They're looking for some men to take charge and ask them to dance.
Y'all gonna ride the bench or are you gonna man up?
Come on, now. Hands in.
- Break! - Straighten up, boy!
- Here you go, my lady. - Thank you.
When you said you were gonna wear a cowboy hat,
l didn't know how l'd feel about it.
Now that you've seen me in it, what's the verdict?
You're sexier than socks on a rooster.
That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me.
l mean it, stud.
Cute.
Remember, you promised.
No fighting.
- Willard. Don't you look pretty. - What can l do for you tonight, Chuck?
We got some business to take care of with our friend MacCormack.
Let's be cool, no fights tonight, all right?
l get it. No fighting.
Willard! Are you OK? Let go of me!
Shut him up.
- MacCormack! Get on out here, boy! - Willard!
What do you want me to do? They started this!
Then kill the sons of bitches!
Russell, handle that now! Come on!
Hey, Chuck!
Hey, Yankee Doodle. Why don't you come on down and get your ass kicked.
You're real tough when it's four to one.
Rusty! Get your hands off of her!
You freak, don't you ever touch her like that! Ever!
You like that?
You want some more!
Yeah! Go, Dogs!
You want to take me?
Yeah, run away like a little bitch!
You wanna dance, boy?
The race is over, Chuck.
- Ren, Ren, watch out! - Play fair, punk!
Thanks to Mr. Beamis.
How about a little less boxing and a little more boogie?
- It feels like a morgue in there! - l'm on it.
- You OK? - Yeah. Are you OK?
Yeah. My little brawler. You look beautiful, come on!
Thank you. l kicked his ass!
Hey! l thought this was a party!
Let's dance!
- l need you to hold my iacket. - What are you doing?
Back up, sweetheart.
l don't know how big this is going to get.