No! No! Please don't! Ah! I don't wanna go in!
Help! Somebody help! No! No!
(additional indiscernible screaming)
(Jimmy) My name is Jimmy Mitchell and Pm fourteen years old.
Hive in Piney Grove, Georgia
right next to the Alabama state line.
Daddy says that when people cross into Alabama
they should set their watches back one hundred years.
I tried that once but, it didn't work on my watch.
That's my dog, Buster.
I know he likes his name
because he comes running every time I call it.
He can fall asleep as fast as he can run.
[music]
I can't.
(Lee) Jimmy!
Where are ya?!
Down here!
What are you doing down here?
I missed the catch. I can't get my ball.
Who you throwing with?
A Watcher.
Is that so?
Well then why doesn't he get the ball out for you'?
'Cuz, he said he wanted me to get it for myself.
Jimmy, that's barely three inches of water.
You're in high school now.
When are you gonna grow up and get over this?
Can you get the ball for me?
No. Now grab Buster. It's time to go.
Come on! Let's go!
Well, thank you once again for a great breakfast, Ellen.
Mmm hmm.
Oatmeal.
(laughs) My pleasure, Jim.
Bye, Dad.
Bye bye.
Come on, Buster.
Come here, buddy.
How's it sound?
Thump. Thump. Thump.
You let me know if it quits. Alright?
Okay, I will.
Good deal.
Who's this guy you're going to meet?
A new client named Jake Garner.
Mmm hmm.
Brought up on drug charges.
I don't like you representing those guys, Lee.
They're dangerous.
I know hon. I know you don't.
Jimmy! Let's go!
You gonna ride your bike to the station?
Yeah.
Alright.
Bye bye!
I love you.
Love you, mama.
(kissing sound) Give me a hug.
Come on, son.
Give me your glove. Okay, got it?
Yeah.
Alright. Don't go fast, okay?
Okay.
Alright.
Bye Mama.
Bye.
I love you!
Love you too, Mama!
(Jimmy) Mama always smells like the flowers in our from yard.
I like ﬂowers but, grandpa says that you gotta be careful
when you put your nose in one,
because it could have a bee in it,
and then that could sting you.
Good spray, Jimmy.
Yeah, yeah you can't get something clean without soap.
Here you go.
Wipe the hubcaps clean with this.
Thank you. (laughs)
You enjoy coming here every week?
Yes sir. Especially when you let me
turn on all the lights and sirens.
Sheriff Brinson says it's against regulations,
but I don't think it hurts anyone.
Yeah. (laughs)
You thirsty?
A little.
Why don't I go get us something.
You want like, uh, Mountain Dew, or Cheerwine?
Mama says that I'm not allowed
to drink any cola without asking her first.
Okay. I'll tell you “mat...
Yeah.
I'll give her a call when I get inside the station.
If she says yes, what do you want?
Okay. Umm... then, a cheerwine.
Me mo.
Yeah. (laughs)
I'll be right back.
Okay. Bye.
(Jimmy) Deputy askew is my Mama's first cousin, once removed...
but I don't know what he was removed from
since he's still in the family.
Oh hey, Garret.
Hows Jimmy doing out there?
I hope he's not slowing you down.
Oh no, he's a real help.
I gotta go to the office for just a few-
Jimmy will be fine with me.
Thanks.
Oh, listen Lee, is it alright if he has a cola?
Uhhh, yeah. Sure.
We don't have anything on Garner.
We got the goods on Lenny.
Drugs couldn't have belonged to Lenny.
And why not'?
Because he's Georgia Bureau.
Lenny's undercover with the G.B.l.?
You need to turn in an inventory
saying that you found the drugs at Garner's place.
Do you realize what would happen to me if I get caught?
Look. Just do it. I'll sign.
Garner's scum and I aim to protect the people
of this county from his ways.
More prison time for that boy, the better. I'll sign.
Alright.
(Mama) Do you think he was telling you the truth?
Well, Garner's rough lookin'.
Dropped out of high school early.
He's probably a user, but I don't think he's a dealer.
He claims the drugs belonged to this guy named Lenny.
Oh yeah, did you know that Lenny's an undercover G.B.l.?
6.51.?
Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
What's that son?
Yeah. Sheriff Brinson said
that the drugs couldn't have belonged to Lenny
because he's an undercover GEL.
And then he told Detective Milligan to turn in
an inventory saying that he found the drugs
in Jake Garner's house
so that Jake Garner would go to prison
for a really longtime.
(Jimmy) Mashed potatoes look like warm snow.
It doesn't snow here in Piney Grove much.
Well one time it did
and Buster and I went outside and tasted it.
I like mashed potatoes better.
I just, I don't feel good about it.
Ellen. I cannot run my law practice
based on your fear and feelings.
Now Jimmy's gonna be fine.
I know that the Sheriff didn't follow proper procedure.
I get it. I do.
But how do you let a guy like that walk free?
Come on.
That is the price we pay for the Bill of Rights.
If the rules don't protect everyone,
they don't protect anyone.
Mmm hmm.
So, Counselor... did you happen to promise Jimmy anything
for coming here today?
Oh yeah, that Buster could sleep in my room
for one whole week. (laughs)
I'll bet he did. Lee...
It's okay, Mama.
There's nothing wrong with telling the truth.
You're absolutely right, Jimmy.
Come on. It's time to go.
Give me your arm.
Yeah.
The defense would like to call
James Lee Mitchell III as a witness your honor.
Yer, your honor, not only is Jimmy a minor,
but he is as everybody knows... slow.
Am I in trouble, Mama?
No honey. Of course not.
Mr. Mitchell, do you have a response for this?
Why yes, I will call Dr. Susan Paris
to provide evidence establishing Jimmy's competency
in testifying in this courtroom today.
The school psychologist?
(Judge) Well I'll hear what she has to say.
(Lee) The Defense calls Dr. Susan Paris to the stand.
Please.
(Jimmy) I saw a real snake in the woods once with Grandpa.
But he told me not to pet it or pick it up.
Does that snake drawing on Jake Garner's arm
wash off in the shower?
Uh, no honey, that's a tattoo. It's permanent.
Can I get one of Buster on my arm?
No, absolutely not. Pay attention.
Dr. Susan Elaine Paris.
I work part time as a school psychologist
for the Cabarrus County Board of Education.
Have you ever had the opportunity
to examine my son, Jimmy Mitchell?
Yes. It's part of my regular duties with the school board.
Well could you summarize for the court, please,
Jimmy's mental status?
An IQ score of less than 59
indicates severe mental deficiency.
Above 70 is dull-normal.
Jimmy is in between the two categories.
So, do you have an opinion as to whether or not
Jimmy is capable of understanding
the importance of telling the truth?
Yes. He has always been forthright and honest,
even if telling the truth casts him in a negative light.
What is she saying about me Mama?
That you're a very good boy.
If it's explained to him in the right way.
He believes in God and that it is a sin to lie.
He recently discussed this concept with me
when his step-mother, Mrs. Mitchell,
was teaching him about the 10 commandments.
So, if Jimmy told you about a conversation
that he had overheard, would you believe him?
Generally, yes.
Thank you Dr. Paris. That's all, Your Honor.
Mr. Laney?
So, apart from a lowlQ,
are there any other mental or psychological abnormalities
that you've identified in Jimmy?
Jimmy has a persistent, irrational fear of water.
He will not swim in a swimming pool, or go near a boat.
He will take a shower,
but he will not go near a bathtub full of water.
(attorney) Why does he have this fear?
Mrs. Mitchell believes it's due to a childhood trauma,
involving his biological mother.
What kind of childhood trauma are we talking about?
Objection! Irrelevant.
I agree. Sustained.
Any other abnormalities then?
Jimmy has infrequent hallucinations and delusions.
Jimmy sees people who are not there.
He calls them, Watchers.
Watchers? Please do tell the Court about these, Watchers.
The first time he mentioned it was during a testing session.
I noticed him looking up from his testing booklet
and staring to a spot in the corner of the room.
What is it Jimmy?
He, he's in the room.
Did he describe this person?
He said it was a man that it is at the school from time to time.
He called him the School Watcher.
Does he communicate with these Watchers?
He claims that sometimes
he can hear the thoughts they are thinking in their head.
Which makes this a much more complex delusion.
So we have a young man who lives in a fantasy world,
inhabited by imaginary people,
who tell him things the rest of us can't hear?
Are there any other abnormalities
we should know about?
Not to my knowledge.
That's more than enough.
Thank you, Dr. Paris. You may have a seat.
The defense would like to call
James Lee Mitchell III to the stand.
Come on son.
Put your left hand on the Bible,
and your right hand in the air.
No, son, you're other right hand.
There you go.
Now, do you swear that the testimony you're about to give
in the matter pending before this court is the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Yes sir.
Good boy.
Now Jimmy, you know who Judge Robinson is now, right'?
Yeah, but I thought her name was Jill though,
since that's what you always call her in church.
If Judge Robinson asked you to tell the truth,
you would do it.
Yes sir.
Good boy.
Jimmy, how old are you?
I'm 14-years-old.
When's your birthday?
My birthday is May 6th,1997.
When's your Mama's birthday?
My Mama's birthday is the day before Christmas,
which makes her the best present in the whole world.
(attorney) Your Honor, we're not planning birthday parties.
I'm failing to see the relevance in this line of questioning.
Your Honor, I'm merely demonstrating Jimmy's ability
to truthfully tell concrete pieces of information.
Very well, you may continue.
Jimmy, do you know what a lie is?
A lie is a sin.
And people who tell lies get thrown into a lake of fire.
And is it a bad thing to tell a lie?
I think he's made that point more clearly
than anyone “who's ever appeared in this courtroom.
(laughter)
That's all Your Honor.
(Judge) Mr- Laney?
Jimmy are you going to tell the truth today?
Or are you going to say what your father wants you to say?
Objection! Irrelevant.
Overruled.
I'll ask you again, Jimmy.
Are you going to tell the truth?
Or what your father wants you to say?
Both.
Why do you say both?
Because the truth is what my Daddy wants me to say.
Mr. Laney, that's enough.
I'm going to rule that he can testify.
What about these imaginary people
and his inability to distinguish between-
(Judge) I think that Jimmy understands
that he is to tell the truth, the best he can.
Bailiff? Please bring the jury back in.
Now Jimmy, I'm gonna ask you a few questions
about what you heard Sheriff Brinson
say in the parking lot. Alright?
Yes sir.
Sorry I wasn't in there today, Jimmy.
I just don't have the patience
for what goes on in those court rooms.
That's okay.
So is Daddy gonna be eating supper with all those people
that were sitting together in the court room?
Honey, they don't let the lawyers
spend time with the jury outside the court room.
Is Jake Garner a bad man?
Oh, well, he's your daddy's client.
We should invite him over for supper one night.
Lets ask your father.
Okay. Yeah, what's gonna happen to Jake?
I don't know.
You sure are asking a lot of questions, Jimmy.
Case dismissed. (laughs)
Congratulations!
Yaw.!
I called two alibi witnesses,
and then I put Garner on the stand.
Laney practically caused a mistrial
during his cross-examination.
He tried to introduce completely unrelated criminal charges
as similar acts.
I don't know what he was thinking.
Yeah, did he show everybody the snake on his arm?
Because I could never see its head though.
No son, he put his jacket on before the jury came in.
But the coup de grace was when Laney had to inform the Judge
that Sheriff Brinson didn't even bother to show up.
I didn't even say a word.
I just took a copy of the subpoena
and I put it on the bench.
The Judge instructed the Deputy to bring the Sheriff in,
even if he had to handcuff him.
Wow...
Still makes me sad. Bringing down the Sheriff.
Dad... The chance to ambush the prosecution
is something that happens once, maybe twice,
in a lawyer's entire career.
Yeah, okay, so are you gonna take me
to wash cars with Deputy Askewtomorrow?
Well I don't think that's such a good idea, son.
Why?
Well, Jimmy.
Sheriff Brinson isn't very happy with what you told the court
about Detective Milligan.
Yeah, but I told the truth though.
And you did right, by doing so, Jimmy.
Absolutely the right thing.
Hey, um, instead of going to the station tomorrow,
why don't you come over to my house, we'll hang out.
What do you say?
Okay. Yeah.
Atta boy. We'll have a good time.
'Thanks, Dad.
Sure.
(Mama) You ready for bed?
Get your covers up.
Good.
Love you, Mama.
I love you too, Jimmy.
Hey, do you remember the first time I met you?
No, but I pretend that I can though.
Yeah? Okay, well... you were four years old,
and at the time I was working in the Clerk's office
in the courthouse and I met your Daddy
because he's a lawyer.
So one day he decided to bring you in,
and I remember looking up from over my desk
and there you were,
you were just standing there, staring, not saying a word.
What was I doing that for?
I don't know,
but I'd like to believe that maybe you thought that one day
I was gonna be your Mama.
Where was Daddy?
He was there, he was watching.
You know at the time, your Daddy and I,
we had been eating dinner together for several months,
and I was so excited because he decided
it was time for me to meet you.
What'd you think about me?
Jimmy, I loved you from the very first second I sawyou.
And you know, seeing the world through your eyes
has changed my life forever. And I thank you for that.
Goodnight, Mama.
Goodnight baby. Get cozy.
Give me a kiss.
I'm gonna turn your light off, okay?
There you go. Good night.
Sweet dreams. Night Buster.
Wow. It looks really good, Jimmy.
It's not the same though.
I think it looks great.
Hey, why don't you take Buster over to your Grandpa's house
by yourself this time.
By myself?
Yeah, I'll watch you from the front yard
til I can't see you anymore.
Thank you, Mama.
You're welcome.
Come on, Buster.
Hey, make sure you have your Grandpa call me
on your way home though.
Okay!
(Jimmy) Mama once showed me a picture of grandpa
in from of my high school.
He wore old-fashioned clothes and looked a lot younger.
My school looked the same though,
except for the trees out front.
They were smaller.
That's Grandpa's house.
This way.
Hey Buster. Get on in the house.
Go get it! Go get it!
Go get the football!
Where's your Mama?
Mama said that me and Buster
could go by ourselves this time.
Good.
Can I listen?
Yep.
Thump. Thump.
Sounding pretty good?
Yeah sounds pretty good.
Come on in.
(Jimmy) Hike the way Grandpa': voice sounds.
Sometimes when I lay in bed at night,
I try to repeat big words in my head
that I have heard him say.
You're about full grown now aren't you.
Yes sir.
So, you ready?
For mat?
Yeah, Grandpa I thought you can't climb the pole
after your heart stopped beating that one time.
Never you mind.
I'm not going up the pole today Jimmy.
I'm gonna start teaching you.
Grandpa if I get to the top of that pole
can I get a job at the power company too?
Jimmy I can't promise you a job,
but you're gonna be able to do something
most other boys won't be able to do.
Can any of your friends climb a pole like a monkey?
No sir.
Alright.
Okay.
Take off your shoes.
Alright. Uh... grab ahold of my hands.
There you go.
Now put your feet right at the base of the pole.
Just put your feet right there.
Now lean back.
Lean back.
Alright... I'm not gonna let you fall.
Lean back. Grab ahold of the pole, but lean back.
Grab ahold with both hands. Grab ahold of the pole.
What are you doing with that?
That's your safety strap.
Alright. Lean back. Let go.
(laughs) No hands. Yeah...
Lean back.
Alright. Now, I want you to take this leg and pick it up
and I want you to stick that spike right in at about there.
Right there.
Right here.
Okay.
That's good, that's alright, that's ah- go ahead.
Take that spike, that spike here- there you go!
Whup! There you go! Alright, alright.
Lean back. Lean back.
Lean back. Let go of your hands... no hands!
Yeah, no hands!
No hands! That's good!
Now, we gotta move your safety strap up.
So, um... you know when you're riding your bike
and you stand up on the pedals-
Yeah.
And you pull yourself up on the handlebars?
That's what you're gonna do here.
You're gonna pull yourself up and you're gonna slide this up,
because this needs to go up higher.
You got it?
Yeah!! I got it!
Alright... you gotta go a little higher now.
How you gonna do that?
You wanna go up there. You wanna go up.
How you gonna go?
Lift that leg right here.
Put your weight on here.
Straighten this leg.
Lock it out. Lock out that knee.
Take that spike out and stick it up here.
Okay.
Stick it up here. Right here in the front.
Stick it up. Yeah, there you go.
Whoa-
You're alright.
Climb the pole.
You got it. There you go. There you go.
Okay.
There you go! Go on!
Look how high I am!
Yeah!
Yeah! You're getting on up there. There you go.
WHOM).
You're alright! You're alright!
(wimpering from Jimmy)
Jimmy! Jimmy!
I wanna come down now!
No!
I wanna come down.
No. No...
Lean back.
You're gonna take two more steps.
No, I can't.
You're gonna take two more steps Jimmy.
Two more steps. One, two.
Just like that...
One... Two... (laughs)
Alright, you can come down now.
Okay, yeah one more.
Alright.
Let me get one more.
Ready?
Yeah!
There you go.
Yeah, I did it. I got it.
Come on down.
I got it.
I think we should keep your climbing lessons to ourselves.
We won't tell anyone, that will it will be a surprise
to everyone when you make it to the top.
Yeah, can I tell Mama though?
No.
Okay, yeah, but I tell Mama everything.
Look, I know it's hard for your to keep quiet,
but let me mention it to her first, alright?
Can you keep a secret?
Can you keep a secret til then?
Yes sir.
Atta boy.
Sorry I couldn't come help you wash cars this morning.
Mama and Daddy wouldn't let me.
Hop in the car Jimmy. Buster too.
Okay. Come on Buster.
(grunts) Good boy.
Sol had no idea you could remember everything you hear.
No, I can't remember everything.
If I could do that,
then I'd be in all the smart classes in school.
Well I think you're smart, Jimmy.
I also think what you did was a brave thing.
I'm proud of you for it.
Then can I come back and help you wash cars then?
Well it's best you wait 'till
things settle down a bit at the station.
Sheriff Brinson still has a lot of friends
in the police force.
You wanna turn on the siren?
Really?
Yeah. Go on ahead.
It's my way of showing you I'm not mad at you.
Yeah, okay. That one?
That's the one.
[sirens on]
(Jimmy) Daddy said Sheriff Brinson
had to stop driving a police car and wearing a uniform.
If I had a police uniform I wouldn't ever take it off...
Pd ask mama is if I could wear it every day.
[singing]
Come on honey,
the Methodists are gonna beat us to the restaurant.
I'm coming. You can't mess with God's work.
Yeah, I like it when Brother Fitzgerald preaches,
especially when we can see all his teeth
when he smiles so big. (laughs)
Hey Jimmy!
Hey Max.
Hey guys.
Hey Max.
Hey, how you doin' Max?
Max, what happened to your eye?
Tried to catch a pass.
Does it hurt?
Not as bad as it did yesterday.
My dad put some raw steak on it,
then he cooked it for me and I ate it.
(laughing)
Football practice starts next week.
You gonna be there to help me out on the sidelines?
Yeah... uh... am I gonna have to try and catch a pass though?
No. I only got this from messing around.
Okay, now l'm not okay with this.
Honey, what did I say?
You said that Coach Cochran would take care of him...
but look at his-
Yeah, we'll both take care of him.
There you go.
Alright...
See you next week Jimmy.
Okay, yeah bye Max. See you later!
(Jimmy) Max is my friend.
He's still in junior high
but since his daddy coaches the high schoo footballl team,
he gets to help out every season.
I've never seen a game up close from the field before.
[ambient police radio messages]
Tell me about this pole you're going to climb.
It's a 25-foot, class 5 pole,
and it's made out of South Georgia pinewood.
And what's class 5 mean?
Means that it's thicker than class 6,
but thinner than class 4.
Good. Now what are you gonna do next?
I'm gonna tighten my new safety strap.
And what's new about you strap?
It'll help me so I won't fall.
It's not gonna let you fall.
Yeah.
Alright. You see that mark up there?
That one?
Yeah, I want you to climb to that mark.
I can't, that's too high.
It's not too high.
Yeah, it's too high, I can't do it.
Jimmy... I want you to try.
That's good.
That's good spacing.
What's wrong?... What?
I can't. It's too high.
Yes you can.
No.
What?...
What are you looking at?
If I make it to the top of the mark,
will you come to church with us tomorrow?
You know Jimmy, God makes me nervous
when you get him indoors...
why do you want me to go to church?
Because a Watcher told me to ask you.
Well... yeah, alright, I'll go, I'll go with you tomorrow
if you go up and climb to that mark.
Okay.
But climb right.
Yeah. I got it.
Yeah, you do.
Good spacing.
I got it! I got it, look! See, I--
Yeah. Climb a little bit higher.
Just a couple more steps.
Okay.
That's it. Now that's good. Right there.
Nowthere's a can of paint in your bag,
I want you to make a little mark of your own right there.
I got it.
Hey, is your Watcher friend still there?
No. He's gone.
What are you boys doing?!
Nothing... come on down.
I can't believe you had him lie to me, Jim.
You, you could've gotten him killed!
He wasn't in any danger.
He was up like 15 feet!
Yeah, and the reason he got there
is because I told him I'd go to church with him
if he reached a certain point on the pole.
That is unfair pressure to put on a young kid.
He wasn't in any danger!
It's okay Mama. A Watcher told me to-
Jimmy! Stop it with the Watcher nonsense!
Lee, you stop it!
I knew that Jimmy was eventually
was going to climb beyond my reach.
Alright? So, I stopped at the power company
and talked to a buddy of mine who still works there
and he gave me this.
Now this hitch has a safety catch in it.
He can't fall. He can't cut out.
It's O.S.H.A. approved.
Now with this thing, he could...
it's safer than climbing a wall at summer camp
if I'm there coaching him.
Each time he gets a little higher he marks a spot
with a can of spray paint.
Ellen you should see how proud he looks
when he reaches those spots.
If you could see that, I think you'd reconsider.
But what about your heart, Jim?
Let me check...
Thump. Thump. Thump.
No problem.
I know how much he loves you Jim,
and I would never dream
of hurting your relationship with him.
But just the two of you
out on that pole is not a good idea.
Daddy could help.
What?
Yeah, you could help us climb the pole.
Because if Daddy was there,
then that would mean that there's three of us.
No, no, Jimmy I can't,
I can't be expected just to drop work every time
you want to take a climbing lesson.
Mmm hmm, and why not, Lee?...
You know, the thought of you three Mitchell boys
actually spending some time together for once...
that's the best idea I've heard all day.
So, what does the story of the workers
in the vineyard tell us today?
Whether you're thirteen or ninety-three,
God is not going to give up on you.
The reward is the same
whether you've known Him your whole life,
or you meet him with your last breath on this earth.
And I want to urge you...
if you hear the inner voice of the Holy Spirit calling
you forward today to accept Jesus, don't ignore it.
Come forward.
Mama, I think I wanna go down to the front.
(Lee) What's he saying?
He wants to go down front.
No, no. Jimmy, you don't have to do this.
I have a sense in my heart that there's at least two people
today that need to respond to the message.
If you feel that tug on your heart, don't resist it.
Jimmy-
Jimmy... get back here!
Excuse me.
What can I do for you son?
I feel that tug.
Okay. Let's pray-m
Father God, we just come before you right now
and thank you for calling this young man forward.
And Lord,
we pray that your Holy Spirit will rest on him now...
I know, I'm sorry he missed it too honey,
but he was starting to have chest pains
and needed to go home.
Well he should've come to the front
and have Brother Fitzgerald pray for him like he did for me.
Jimmy, did you know
that after people make altar calls in our church
that they have to be baptized soon thereafter?
Wait, do you mean...
do you mean like going underwater at the pond
like everybody else?
Yeah, that's what they do.
Yeah, okay, but I don't wanna do that though.
I don't wanna go under water.
Well why don't we talk to Brother Fitzgerald about it.
Does that sound good?
Yeah. That sounds good.
Okay.
(voice Jimmy hears as a whisper) Behold, I make all things new.
[music]
Jimmy?! [gasps] Jimmy!
Wha, what are you doing?
I was going to try and get into the tub.
Mama, what's behold mean?
Did you write this?
Yeah, just now.
Did you copy it from somewhere?
No Mama, I just heard it in my head.
Okay.
What's behold mean?
Um, behold is another way of saying 'look'.
Kind of like, you know,
when your teacher says to the classroom
'Look at what's written up on the board.'
Okay.
But honey, what does that have to do with the water in the tub?
I wanted to see if I was still afraid of the water.
You do? Are you sure?
Yeah.
Okay, alright.
Well let me help you, alright?
Okay, look... you just stay real calm, it's not a big deal.
Okay? Lets start with your right foot, okay?
L got ya.
That's good! Alright.
Okay. Let's try the other one.
Yes you can. Yes you can.
Okay, just go slow. Find your balance. You got it.
You got it. There you go. There you go.
Take a deep breath.
Oh no, no, no, no, no, no!!
Okay, okay!
Okay, It's not a big deal It's not a big deal.
I'm gonna get it off.
Just sit here.
Here. Give me your foot.
There you go. Is that better?
Okay. Are you okay?
Yeah... yeah...
You wanna go in the other room?
Lets go in the other room.
Alright.
You did good though. That's a good job.
Well, uh I've worked with people
who don't even like to get their hair wet, so I'm flexible.
I understand.
Well, Brother Fitzgerald,
this certainly isn't a case of dislike.
Jimmy experiences full blown panic attacks
when faced with the possibility
of being around any kind of water.
- Really? - Yeah.
(Brother Fitzgerald) Well, what do you think started it?
Well...
When Jimmy was a baby,
my first wife, Vera, was giving him a bath.
And she slipped and fell, and hit her head.
By the time she came to,
Jimmy was submerged for God knows how long...
the doctors said it was a miracle that he was even alive.
(Brother Fitzgerald) So that's why he's slow?
(Dad) We're not certain.
[music]
I'm sorry to hear that.
We'll figure something out.
Excuse me just one second...
Hey honey"-
What are you looking at?
A Watcher.
He stays here at the church.
Jimmy... I want you to ask the Watcher
if he can help you get over your fear of being baptized.
I can't. He's gone.
[music]
Carter. Now, he's a junior.
I know he doesn't have Hal's heart, but-
He's also not really that smart-
Yeah, excuse me.
Hi. Yeah, uh is Coach Cochran here?
Coach Cochran's down at his office.
Are you the new boy “who's gonna help us out'?
Yes sir. My name's Jimmy Mitchell.
Well Mitchell, you just hang tight
until we give you a job to do.
Okay, yes sir.
Okay... so who else we got?
Johns?
Johns is a bit small...
Could we work with Johns?
Mitchell? What you looking at?
I'm talking to you son. Answer me.
Remember he's slow.
No sir, I'm a really fast runner.
Fast? Okay.
Well why don't you show me how fast you are
and go tell Coach Cochran I found the defensive playbook
behind the seat of my truck.
Okay, yeah. Yes sir.
Alright, now repeat that back to me.
I wanna make sure you understand.
Come on coach, this is the boy that testified in court
against Sheriff Brinson.
He's got a photographic memory.
Alright. What did I just say to you?
You said that you found the defensive playbook
behind the back seat of your truck.
He's already smarter than the defensive line.
(laughs)
Alright, Mitchell, get to it.
Okay.
(laughs)
Oh boy, oh boy. Ain't that somethin'.
That's funny.
Oh, here he is.
Jimmy!
Oh hey Max! Hey Coach Cochran!
Um, tha... Coach, Coach, I can't remember his name,
but he said that he found the defensive playbook
in the back seat of his truck.
That would be Coach Sellers.
Yeah, Coach Sellers.
Good, I won't have to make him do those wind sprints.
Wait, what's what's a wind sprint?
It's basically what you just did,
but you just do it in shorter distances
and over and over to build endurance.
Wait, well am I gonna need to run any wind sprints?
No, no not as long as you do your job.
Dad, don't tease him.
He's just kidding.
Oh, okay.
Alright, you two are gonna be our water boys today, okay?
Max will fill you in on all the details.
Okay.
Hey Jimmy, you wanna run our own wind sprints?
Yeah! Wind prints...
Go!
Okay go! (laughs)
Down! Set! Hut!
Come on Hal, hit it!
Hustle, hustle, hit it! Hit it! Hustle!!...
[Crash!]
Whoo!
Good job!
Are you okay?
Yeah I'm fine.
Hey boys!!
I thought we ran Garner off for good last time.
I'll take care of it.
(Grandpa) Come on Jimmy, you can do it!
(Lee on phone) Yeah, yeah I know. I know, I know.
Hey uh, it's not gonna kill you to join in a little, is it Lee?
Well it looks like you got it covered dad...
What's that? Sorry about that.
That's my boy!
Yeah, I think I'm done now.
Alright, great work today!
You'll reach the top another day!
Yeah.
[music]
Put the balls in the equipment room bins,
and then stack the water coolers on top of the other ones, okay?
Stay right there, I'll be back.
Yeah.
How much does this guy pay?
Look, shut up man.
We shouldn't be talking about this here, alright.
Go see if anybody's down there.
We're good.
So when do you get the money?
We get half before the game,
and then the rest will be delivered after it's done.
How do you know it's legit?
Nobody makes this much in high school football.
Look, Jake Garner's been doing this a long time.
Alright? He always pays.
Now Pete and I were in on it last year.
You remember the uh Drake County game?
Yeah.
Where I fumbled the handoff in the fourth quarter?
Pete and I each made a thousand bucks off that game.
Yeah, my Daddy knows Jake Garner too!
What are you doing here?
Huh?
Yeah, I'm gonna go now.
You're not goin' anywhere.
Not until we have a little chat, alright?
Yeah, I don't understand.
Well, don't worry,
because I'm gonna make this real simple for ya, okay?
Whatever you think you heard, you didn't. You hear me?!
Huh?! You're gonna tell me exactly what you heard,
and I'm gonna tell you how much trouble you're in!
Got it?! Huh?! You got it?!
Hey!
Get outta here.
Beat it Daddy's boy!
[dramatic music]
Max! Max!
(Lee) Nobody can get a straight answer out of him.
Jimmy, you wanna tell me what happened?
Can we cook this now?
I think he's gonna be alright.
Here's your lunch, Jim.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
You sure you're feeling alright enough to take him?
Always, for a fishing tournament.
Yeah, besides the boy could use a break
from all the pole climbing and the football...
Hey, but Jim,
don't let him get too far ahead of you on the bike, alright?
Don't worry about it.
Bye mom.
By honey, you have fun.
Bye Daddy.
You be safe.
Catch a fish.
Bye. yeah!
[squeals tire in driveway]
Come on, Dad.
[Honk! Honk!]
(Jimmy) Grandpa's the best fisherman in Piney Grove.
He's got a lot of dead fish
hanging on the wall in his garage.
Most of those fish came from ponds in Georgia,
but a few of them he caught all the way out in the ocean too.
I wouldn't wanna go near all that water;
but my Grandpa likes it. He': not scared of anything.
[music]
Hey Freddie.
Hey Gary-
Twenty five.
You got it.
- Alrighty. Good luck! - Appreciate it.
Hey there, Jim
Gary.
Am I putting both of you on the list today?
Yes sir. What do we owe ya?
That'll be fifty dollars total.
You uh, have any idea uh, what the pot's gonna be?
Oh, I wouldn't be surprised if it pushes 500 bucks.
We're gonna have to limit the number of fisherman,
otherwise the popular spots are gonna get too crowded.
If you've got a favorite spot,
I suggest you hurry and get there.
Yeah, yeah, come on!
Bye bye!
Bye bye, good luck!
(Jimmy) - Grandpa's been teaching me how to fish
ever since I could tell people how old I was
the fingers on one hand.
Hike fishing from land
Jesus's friends liked to go fishing too.
I know that because I saw pictures of it in my Bible.
They used nets instead of hooks though.
It's hard enough to convince a fish to get into
one of my Grandpa's special hooks
so I don't know how Jesus's friends
convinced any fish to jump into their nets,
but I know they did.
I found this spot a couple of weeks ago.
There's a steep drop off right here by the shore.
That's the deepest spot of this pond.
You sit here on this cooler.
I don't want anybody to find out
what my secret bait recipe is.
What is it?
These are the best grits any carp has ever tasted,
and it's seasoned with
my special fresh water mussel recipe.
Wait... “what's mussels? What do you...
Mussel's like a little clam.
It's like a muscle, but spelled different.
Okay, yeah.
You sit there until I get back.
I'm gonna go get the rain gear.
The carp, they're gonna swim right over ever else's bait
and grab ahold of ours.
(laughs) Okay! Mussels!
You sit there until I get back!
Okay!
[music]
Oh, yeah there son,
I didn't mean to startle ya there.
I'm new to this pond and I haven't fished it much,
and uh... I was kinda wondering where the weigh-in is.
You reckon this weather will make em' bite today?
Getting' kinda cloudy today.
You know where that weigh in is?
Yeah, you'll have to ask my Grandpa when he comes back.
I see, I see... I'm Alfred Walker by the way.
I, I came up from Bartow County.
And of course, I fish for carp all over the state.
I'm Jimmy Mitchell and I'm from Piney Grove.
And my Grandpa fishes here a lot.
- He does? - Yeah.
I see...
What uh... what you got in the cooler there?
I got bait.
- Bait? - Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah...
well uh, you mind sharing your recipe with a fellow fisherman?
Uh...
Yeah, you'll have to ask my Grandpa
when he comes back.
Well I reckon he's probably got you
guarding it then there, doesn't he?
Uh, you, you you mind giving me a hint?
K... yeah, wait, mat... what's a hint?
What do you mean?
Hint's like a clue. Kind of a helper.
Kind of an idea to help you guess it.
Course, now if you don't want to tell me that's alright,
we can make a guessing game out of it.
Okay, yeah-
Okay, lets do that. Give me a clue, I'll guess it.
Okay... you ready?
Ready.
Okay, ready!
What are you doing?
Arm?... Arm?... Arm bait?
No, no.
It's strong, it's got an odor to it.
No. (laughs) No. That.
It's mussels ain't it? It's mussels.
Yeah, yeah that's what it is! It's mussels!
Fresh water mussels.
But my Grandpa says that it's spelled differently
than the muscles in your arm though,
because it's not spelled the same.
Yeah, yeah. That's different.
That's different alright.
Well alright Jimmy, you take care buddy, I'll see ya later!
Bye!
Bye bye!
[music]
That was a red-tail. Red tail hawk.
Oh, yeah?
I'm glad you came with me, Jimmy.
Yeah, me too.
I can't think of anybody else in the whole world
I'd rather go fishing with.
Yeah?... With me?
I love you with my whole heart.
You have a lot of determination.
That means that you, uh, you're not a quitter.
Okay, yeah. Oh yeah, because I climbed...
I'm learning to climb the pole.
Yeah, and I rode my bike all the way here
from our house to the pond. (laughs)
Yes you did.
And you're in high school now
And you're working for a football team.
Yeah, the Panthers.
Go Panthers.
Yeah, go Panthers.
I believe you're gonna surprise a lot of people
with what you can do in life.
Oh! Oh! I got one!
You got one! Yeah!
Alright, alright, relax, relax, relax, relax-
Okay'
Set the drag a little bit. Okay?
Yeah.
There we go. There we go. Okay.
Alright. Alright. Now let him run.
Let him run if he wants to-
Let him run! He's running!
Okay.
No wait I don't wanna... I don't.
Alright, okay, okay, okay, I got it.
Go get that bucket, put some water in the bucket.
We can't take the fish to the weigh station in a dry bucket.
No, wait, I can't do it.
Yeah you can, just get some water in the bucket Jimmy.
No, I can't put any water in the-
Here, take the pole for a second.
Just take this for a second.
Give me the bucket. Give me the bucket.
Take the pole. Take the pole.
Step back from the water.
No, no wit!
It's okay, it's alright. I got it. I got it. I got it.
He's tired now.
(laughs) We got him! We got him!
Yeah, we're not gonna eat him. We're just gonna let him go.
Yeah, we're gonna let him go home, so he can go to bed.
Hi fishey...
yeah, that's a big one. (laughs)
You wanna hold him?
Yeah, okay. Ahh!
Don't drop him! Don't drop him!
In the bucket- (laughs)
I got him. Here you go buddy.
Alright. Lets go weigh this sucker in.
Yeah, lets go get it! We got it. Good job.
Now, I'm not gonna stand up here and tell a joke.
Of course, if I had a fresh cup of coffee I'd-
Who caught the biggest fish?!
Yeah, I want my money!
Freddie, that minnow you brought up here
would be bait fish for the winners.
Okay... third place,
and the check for $150 goes to... Bill Owenby!
For his fish, 19 pounds, 12 ounces.
[applause]
Congratulations.
Second place, and the $300 check goes to Jim Mitchell
and his grandson Jimmy for their fish at 22 pounds, 4 ounces!
There you go. Congratulations. Way to go.
Jimmy caught the fish.
And the grand prize winner... a Webb's Pond newcomer,
who cashed in on beginner's luck to land a giant carp!...
27 pounds, 14 ounces... Alfred Walker!
Come on up here and get your $450 prize!
Hey buddy! What's your recipe?!
Well, I best not tell you that.
But, uh, tell you what I will do though...
I'll give you a hint.
[chuckles]
You wanna lead the way on your bike again?
I'm too tired.
Wait, can I ride in the back this time?
Nope, you're gonna ride in the cab with me.
Okay.
[whew.!..out of breath]
[music]
“Has screeching“
Grandpa? Grandpa?! Grandpa?!
Wake up! Wake UP!
[CRASH]
[music]
So, Grandpa's been sleeping
ever since his heart attack, okay?
And I just want to let you know
that he's probably gonna have a little needle in his hand,
which is good, because that's for his medicine.
And he's gonna have a tube in his nose,
and that's just so that he can breathe. Okay?
But we all have to promise not to touch those things. Okay?
Yeah.
Alright? We're just gonna stay for a little while
so that we can get Grandpa better.
Okay, yeah.
You ready?
Yeah.
Okay. Let's go.
[beep, beep, beep]
Can I listen to his heart?
Yeah, just be careful. Alright son?
Okay, yeah I can't hear anything!
Honey, honey, it's just because of the machines.
They make it harder to hear. Try again, you'll hear it.
Thump, thump, thump...
I heard it that time.
Grandpa, you don't have to go to the front of church
to ask Jesus in your heart.
You can pray right here.
This is what Brother Fitzgerald told me to say
when I went up to the front of the church.
Dear God, thank you for sending your son Jesus...
and thank you for the promise of Heaven, and a new beginning...
[car approaching]
I wanted to bring this back to ya.
It was still sitting in the rear of your Grandpa's truck.
Thanks so much Garret, that wasn't necessary.
Aww, it's no problem.
Thank you.
Listen Jimmy, if it's alright with your parents,
I want you to come back and help me wash cars again.
'Things have settled down back at the station.
Would you like that?
Yes sir.
Okay, so maybe next week then? Is that good?
Whenever he's ready.
Okay. Thanks again for bringing the bike back.
You bet.
Buster! Hi honey, how are ya?
Go see Jimmy.
[cell phone rings]
Hey, Lee...
(Lee) Ellen, he': gone.
Okay... okay, yeah...
Mama, mm...
Okay, I'll talk to ya later... thank you.
[crying]
Come here, honey.
It's okay!
[music]
[marching band music]
Can we get some water over here?!
Mitchell! Bring us some water!
[marching band music continues]
Here we go.
You okay?...
Yeah...
Fumble!
Uh oh.
That's the last time
this boy's gonna mess up one of my games!
Get him off nay field! Howl'!
Dad's not gonna be happy tonight.
Come on!
Defense, come on lets go!
That's a good fumble, Hal. I bought it.
Totally believed it.
You boys did a good job. Make me proud.
It's all there, Brian. Don't insult me.
Right. Of course.
You boys ready to make some real money?
This isn't?
It's milk money, son.
Alright, we're listening.
I got a shipment of blow coming into town next week.
I wanna move it through your school.
See, I figure ya'll got some rich townie kids
looking for some excitement on the weekend...
and little old Jake here can help them with that.
Uh, look man...
fixing a few games is one thing, but coke?...
Sorry man, we're not dealers.
What about you Hal? Is that how you feel about it?
Yeah.
I can understand that... alright, fair enough.
Let me explain something to you, Brian.
You're criminals now.
Fixing games is illegal, just like dealing.
Except dealing...
dealing's gonna make you a whole lot more money.
Right, Brian?
Yeah, right.
Yeah... you better wipe that looks off your face boy.
Jimmy! Come on! Let's go!
Come on, let's get going!
Now what are we gonna do about this?
Why don't you boys run along. Run along!
(on the phone) This is Deputy Askew.
Hey Garret, it's Ellen.
I just wanted to let you know that Jimmy is on his way over.
Great, I got the cars ready for him.
Thank you so much.
You bet.
Bye Jimmy! I'll be here when you get back!
Bye Mama, I love you!
I love you too!
Hey, stop at the stop signs alright!
And look both ways!
Yeah, okay!
[music]
Got something wrong with my tire!
Could use a little help!...
Is that you, Jimmy? Hi buddy.
Hi Jake.
Wanna have a look there and tell me what ya,
what ya see wrong?...
What do ya think, huh?
I don't see anything...
Yeah, yeah I couldn't figure it out either.
No, wait, I don't, I don't wanna ride in the truck.
I manna ride my bike.
Shhh, shhh, get in the truck Jimmy.
Get in the truck.
[Jimmy whimpering]
Quiet down, Jimmy.
Hey Jimmy. It's alright.
Just a quiet cabin in the woods.
You and me.
Now, if I take that gag out of your mouth,
you gotta promise me,
you ain't gonna make no words,
you ain't gonna say nothin', unless I tell ya.
(mufﬂed) Okay.
[Riel-u]
You're not listening, Jimmy.
You ain't gonna say nothin', unless I tell you.
Alright.
You listening to me?...
Yes sir.
Yes sir... I like that Jimmy.
That's how it's gonna be between you and me.
Yes, sir...
Hey Ellen, it's Garret,
I thought you said Jimmy “was coming over a while ago.
Do you want some?
Ye... Yes.
That lady in court said you's scared of water.
You scared of water?
Well, yeah... that's okay.
Tell you what, I'm gonna give you a little bit,
if you can answer some questions for me.
Alright? How'd that be?
Okay.
Who are Hal Shanks and Brian Brown?
Brian is the quarterback for the football team,
and Hal is the running back.
You ever hear them say my name?
Yes, sir.
When?
When I was in the locker room.
They said that you would give them $1,000
to fix the football game.
But, I didn't know that it was broken though.
Right, right.
You tell anybody about that?
No, sir.
No?...
What about last night after the game?
Was that you outside the can listening to us?
Yes, sir.
Yeah, I thought so.
So, you heard me then.
You tell anybody about that?
No, sir.
Listen carefully now, Jimmy, because I don't like liars.
I don't like liars no ways.
You understand me?...
You know where liars go?
Lake of fire...
That's right, Jimmy. Liars burn in hell.
Hey... it's okay.
Okay.
Because I believe ya. I sure do.
We're gonna keep it between you and me.
Just like that.
Okay.
Okay?
Yeah.
Okay... let me fix those for ya.
Can you take me home now?
Now Jimmy... that is the wrong question.
Okay,“-
'Cause you ain't never going home again, Jimmy.
But I just want my Mama!
What did I say about talking out of turn boy?!
Shut your mouth.
Shhh... Alright, alright, alright.
Shut your mouth.
Who's is it?
Sounds like there's somebody listening outside.
Maybe we should go find out who that is, don't you think?
You just stay right here.
Shhhl!
Hello?
Shhh, not another word. Shhh.
Hello?
I should not have let him bike there on his own.
It's not your fault, honey.
Ellen I promise you,
every squad car in the area's out looking for him.
(radio dispatcher) We just received a call
reporting suspicious activity behind Webb's Pond.
A silver Dodge Ram with Georgia plates is parked outside
a cabin with a child's bicycle in the bed of the truck.
The plate's are registered to a Jake Garner.
10-4. En route.
Whoa, I can't let you come, Lee.
He's my son, you have no choice.
This is Deputy Askew. Be advised.
I'm en route to Webb's Pond. Emergency traffic.
In reference to the silver Dodge truck in the back entrance.
Leaving from Georgia Street.
[music]
Come on, Jimmy!
Lets go son!
[Jimmy crying]
All clear!
Hey Lee?!...
Come on, lets go!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, look it's Garner's truck.
Lee promise me, when we get out, you stay behind me.
What do you think?
Gotta be this way!
[music]
You know l heard about you and your granddaddy down here
winning second prize in that fishing contest.
That was a real shame he died on you the next day, huh?
So, I guess it makes sense though,
so that you decided to take a sentimental
kinda ride on your bike... come on back down here...
but unfortunately, you just weren't too careful, were you?
And you lost your balance, and you and your bike...
you fell in the water... yeah...
Jimmy, shhh, I hate to tell you this, but... you drowned.
No! No!! No! No! Noooo!! [screaming]
Garner! Drop him Garner!
Hang“
Jimmy!!
Hang“
Gamer“
[bang, bang, bang]
[empty gun chamber]
Garner! Get down!
Daddy!!
Get down boy!
Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!...
[music]
You're almost there, Jimmy!
Yeah!...
How's that leg doing?
Ah, it's getting better all the time.
You know, you done good up there.
Here you go, Sheriff.
'Thanks, Lee.
You should be proud of your boy, Lee.
He's done a good thing for this town.
Yeah, for me too.
Lee, for a boy who doesn't swim,
how did he find you at the bottom of that pond so quickly?
That's true, that water was so murky,
I couldn't see past my hand when I pulled Jimmy out.
Well, he said a Watcher led him to me.
Did you see this Watcher?
No. But if Jimmy says that's what happened...
that's good enough for me.
That's great son!
(Mama) Good job, Jimmy!
[music]
Captions and Subtitles by: Caption and Subtitle Services