( foreboding theme playing )
( coughing )
( switches to playful theme )
What in blazes are you doing, angel girl?
I'm researching my next assignment.
They've been researching this little, nasty thing for years.
They know all they need to know about it,
except how to not need it.
Of course, some people think they need a lot of things
they don't really need.
You grab a smoke, man. We gonna be a minute.
( Sighs )
Well, it seemed a little smaller from what you've said about it.
MAN: Yeah.
It used to seem so big.
Well, sweetheart, everything seems bigger when you're little.
We better get going, honey. Your mama's expecting us.
Okay?
( Engine starts )
( coughing )
He doesn't seem too happy to be back in his hometown, Tess.
Marc is a man that needs to come home to himself,
and it is gonna to take a few angels to teach him how.
Are you all right, baby?
( Coughing )
This little human body of yours
may not be up to this assignment.
No, Tess, it's okay. Really, I can do this.
No, I think we should make some changes, angel girl.
Oh. Just breathe out of your nose, baby.
Breathe.
( Breathes deeply )
( both breathe deeply )
( Della Reese & The Verity All-Stars' "Walk With You" playing )
REESE: ♫ When you walk ♫
♫ Down the road ♫
♫ Heavy burden ♫
♫ Hea-ea-eavy load ♫
♫ I will rise ♫
♫ And I will walk with you ♫
REESE: ♫ I'll walk with you ♫ CHORUS: ♫ I'll walk with you ♫
♫ Till the sun Don't even shine ♫
♫ Walk with you ♫ ♫ Walk with you ♫
♫ Every time ♫
♫ I tell ya I'll walk with you ♫
♫ Walk with you ♫
♫ Believe me I'll walk with you ♫
( siren wails in distance )
What do you remember most about this neighbourhood, Marc?
That your old man going to work, Hamilton?
Yeah.
You're gonna look dumb in that chauffeur's uniform.
I won't be any chauffeur when I grow up.
I'll be sitting in the back seat.
Fat chance.
What I remember most is wanting to get out.
( laughter )
WOMAN: Here, buddy.
MARC: Thank you, Ma.
VANESSA: You know, I always wanted to see the house where Marc grew up.
MRS. HAMILTON: Oh, Harold and I bought this house before Marc was born.
Yeah, my pop was a smart man.
You know, a lot of... A lot of chauffeurs would just sit in the limo,
listen to the radio, wastin' the day.
But not Pop.
He would always be readin' something.
Always... Always studying up on something.
Mm-hm. Yeah.
I'm just sorry I never got to meet him.
He was a good, God-fearing man.
He would have been so proud of his son.
You know, he used to drive a limousine for Fairchild,
and now his son is riding in it.
Not yet, but we close. We close.
What's this?
Oh, Vanessa.
You should have seen Charlie's face when I asked him,
"Do you still carry this fantastic
architectural magazine?"
And then you should have seen his face when I showed him
the article that you wrote.
Ooh! ( Giggles )
( chuckles )
MRS. HAMILTON: Ahh.
I don't allow any smoking in the house anymore.
Since when?
Since I got my new sofa off the layaway plan from Sears.
Ma, that's in the living room. Come on.
I said I don't allow smoking in the house.
VANESSA: Those drapes in there, they're lovely.
Are they new too?
Please, those old things?
( Chuckles )
Ma, if you need new drapes, we can afford 'em now.
Mm. Well, if we can afford new drapes,
we can afford for you to come and see your mama more often.
That's what you should be doing with your money.
( Chuckles ) Yes, Mother.
You know, uh...
the Webber house is for sale.
Well, that's nice.
But if I ever move back here, I'll be up on the hill.
I won't be in this old neighbourhood, no.
You know, I went back to my old neighbourhood a couple years ago.
It was very moving.
It's always good to remember where you came from.
Yeah, well, sometimes it's even better to forget it.
Honey, why don't you tell your mother more about the job.
Okay. Mom, in the case of Fairchild Tobacco
v. A bunch of greedy ex-employees,
we have, in this corner, Marcus Hamilton, representing Fairchild.
And in this corner,
some soon-to-be loser representing the plaintiff.
They're floating some flimsy "secondhand smoke
"made our workplace unsafe" suit.
That's easy so far, right?
So how do you help Fairchild?
Come... Come watch me work, and you'll see.
Yeah, I'll get you a front row seat.
You can watch me put my motions in motion.
What?
Back at his old firm, Marc was known
as the "King of Delays."
He's very good at finding reasons to keep things
out of court... which is what Fairchild wants.
So that means your job is to keep the employees
from telling the truth in court.
Exactly.
Fairchild's in big trouble on this one.
That's our ticket to the big time.
They're gonna back up the money truck,
and we gonna take delivery.
Yeah. I'll take care of y'all.
( Chuckles )
Oh, girl.
Mm.
( Murmuring )
MAN: Glad to have you on the team, Hamilton.
MARC: Thank you.
One thing you need to know:
I only hire winners because I like to win.
And we are gonna win.
Now, what's our angle on this?
Well, just because the plaintiffs are ill
doesn't mean they have a case.
Fairchild Tobacco's position on this is that a lot of things
cause cancer: Genetics, sun exposure...
Absolutely. Don't forget insecticides.
These are sick people looking to blame someone.
Most of them have one,
maybe two years at the most, to live.
Well, yeah, so...
we'll just make sure this case takes three.
We're gonna get along just fine.
I think so, sir.
WOMAN: Good morning. Is this the table for the plaintiff?
Yes. But lawyers only.
Secretaries sit in the row behind.
Secretaries, huh?
( Chuckling ): That's good.
That's real good.
( Chuckles ) No problem.
Oh, my.
MARC: Taking all of this into consideration, Your Honor,
I feel it's in the best interest of the court
to delay these proceedings, allowing me sufficient time
to familiarize myself with the details of the case.
How does counsel for the plaintiff respond?
What did you do, sell tickets?
ANDREW: We just wanted to be here
for moral support.
MONICA: There's no smoking allowed
in the courtroom, you know.
And I thought you could use some help.
You'll cramp my style. Shush!
Counselor, are you addressing this court?
Uh, no, Your Honor.
Pardon me. Your Honor, we all know that these gentlemen
are using another delaying tactic in their arsenal
of delaying tactics to bleed these good citizens
of their hard-earned money
and to prevent this case
from ever coming to light.
In my practice, I prefer that the truth be told.
JUDGE: While this court recognizes
a delaying tactic when it sees one,
I must also recognize
defence counsel's right to discovery.
Therefore, I grant defendant's motion for delay.
Court will reconvene in three weeks.
( Bangs gavel )
Congratulations, counselor.
Oh, thank you.
I'm sorry about that misunderstanding this morning.
Which one?
The one where you thought that a female, a woman of colour,
couldn't possibly be leading the legal team?
Or the misunderstanding that makes you believe
that you can postpone this thing until the plaintiffs die off
and go away?
Counselor, delays and continuances
are the American way.
You would do the same thing if you were in my position.
I wouldn't be in your position.
Don't give me that holier-than-thou crap.
Come on. We both know that the longer this case goes on,
the more money you make too.
Well, supposing I told you I wasn't being paid?
Oh, well, then that would make me the one who's buying the drinks.
Please.
Can we get one for the lady, please?
A Shirley Temple, please.
So... why are you defending this company?
Uh, simple.
They needed the best... so the big guy called me.
Funny, that's how I got here myself.
Here you go.
You know, it's a funny thing.
People think by holding something pretty
over their heads, it'll keep them safe and dry.
And then it rains.
And they realize that they've been
putting their faith in a little, itty-bitty
piece of paper that's gonna fall apart
when they need it the most.
You're one of those colourful, folksy attorneys, right? Right?
Lots of... metaphors for your closing arguments?
I like people, Mr. Hamilton.
And I like to remind them about what matters.
Sometimes you have to take them back to the simple things,
the true things.
You gotta make 'em remember how life was before they started
picking out all the wrong umbrellas for themselves.
Like you, for instance.
What do you mean, me?
Well, that cigarette is a little paper umbrella.
I bet... one day you picked up your first one thinking
it was just what you needed
to make you feel like somebody.
What you needed to hold between you and all the bad weather
in your life.
You know what, that sounds good,
but I don't know what you're talking about.
Sure you do.
No. No, I don't.
( People chattering )
BOY: Wanna try one?
Sure.
WOMAN: David, you get in this house right now.
Coming!
Nope. I smoke because I like the way it makes me feel.
Well, how does it make you feel to defend
a giant conglomerate against a bunch of regular people
who can't afford a hotshot lawyer like you?
Feels great.
Like your first cigarette.
I bet that you smoked that so it would make you feel
like you belonged.
Let me ask you something.
How many do you have to light up before it starts to work?
You know what...
MAN: Hamilton! After your performance this morning,
I'm putting you on retainer for the duration of this hearing
and for the trial, if it comes to that.
Oh, it won't. I promise you that, sir.
( Chuckles )
You call me J.D.
J.D. Mm-hm.
Now, just remember, Hamilton.
When we win,
you win.
You could have a real future in this town.
What's your hourly fee?
Oh, never mind.
I'll double it.
( Chuckles )
Ah.
Does that sound like bad weather to you, counselor?
Hey, you know what?
Let me get a round for all my fellow barristers.
Yeah.
And may the best man win.
Oh, he will. He always does.
( Slow piano theme playing )
( car door closes )
Wha...? What's he doing, Tess?
He doesn't have enough money for a house like this yet.
No, he doesn't.
But when he gets hooked on something,
he doesn't care about the cost.
Well, what can we do to help him... and you?
ANDREW: Yeah. Looks like you're
the only one having fun around here.
You got a problem with that, angel boy?
No! No, no, no. I...
( talking over each other )
Order! Order in the court.
Now, things have been set in motion that will soon require your services.
But until then, stay out of my courtroom.
( Engine starts )
Good news! Good news.
You bought the Webber house?
No, Ma, there is nothing exclusive
about this neighbourhood.
I bought the old mansion.
The one on Magnolia.
You bought the Sinclair place?
Why?
J.D. just put me on retainer for double my hourly fee.
And I didn't even have to ask the man, Ma.
( Scoffs )
Aren't you proud?
Have you read the paper today?
Didn't you hear me, Ma?
From now on I don't read the news.
I make it.
See what I told you?
Hometown boy makes good, huh?
This is a story about a hotshot lawyer
that Fairchild brought in from St. Louis
who just happened to be born in the very neighbourhood
that's filing suit against them.
You are stepping on the backs of your own neighbours
just to get to your new one, Son.
( Sniffs )
( melancholy theme playing )
( door opens )
MARC: Okay. VANESSA: Okay.
Step up, baby. Step up. Okay.
Okay.
First, your surprise, then mine, right?
That's right. Mine first.
Okay, where am I going?
You're going straight. You're going all right.
Step down, step down. Step down.
Are we there yet? Well...
Honey, are we there yet?
Sweetheart, we are most definitely there.
How did all of our furniture get here?
I bought this place for you.
Fairchild is paying to relocate us,
although most of this won't fit our new lifestyle.
I can't believe you would go buy a place without consulting me.
Sweetheart, I wanted to surprise you.
Listen to me. Baby.
This is where we belong.
I've known it my entire life.
We'll put a sofa down here.
And, uh...
maybe a matching love seat somewhere.
We already have a love seat.
( Sighs )
Do you remember this old thing?
We bought it at the swap meet.
It was all torn and scratched.
I restuffed it and you refinished it.
We did it together, Marc.
Do you remember that?
We'll find a place for this... somewhere.
Come on, Vanessa, this is everything
we've been working for.
No, Marc, this is everything
you've worked for.
You're just a little upset because you've been sick, sweetie.
I'm not sick, Marc.
I'm pregnant.
For... You're pregnant?
Yeah. You've been so wrapped up in your case...
I wasn't even sure how you'd react.
Baby, I'm thrilled!
This is wonderful. Oh, baby.
A new house. Now, a new baby.
Marc, it means you'll have to quit smoking around me.
Oh, please. Done.
We gotta have a party. We gotta celebrate. We gotta...
We'll have a... A "Baby Shower, Housewarming",
"Welcome to Fairchild, Things Are Great" party.
And you won't have to do a thing but be little mama.
Hey, Andrew, Monica!
( Footsteps )
Hello.
A butler and a maid?
Hey, we have arrived.
( Melancholy theme playing )
Thank you for coming.
I knew you wouldn't judge me without a fair trial.
Come on and watch.
( Sighs )
TESS: This man has delayed this case
for weeks, and there are people here who deserve to have
their stories told.
JUDGE: Without a legal basis for your objection, counselor,
I'm going to grant defense's motion for delay.
Good work. Keep them running.
I will.
So my wife tells me we're invited to your party.
Yep.
So you bought my daddy's old place, huh?
Yes, I did.
Isn't it... a little big for you?
Well, Vanessa and I are expecting.
Ah.
Hey, Mama. I want you to meet J.D.
Mrs. Hamilton?
J.D. Sinclair. My, have you grown.
Still sneaking to the refrigerator
in the middle of the night, stealing cookies?
Huh. Marc is your son?
You didn't know that?
He's the same little boy who used to play with you
when your daddy gave all the parties, and I had to work late.
I had no idea.
TESS: Excuse me, counselor.
Did I hear someone say that your mother was here?
Excuse me, please.
Yes. Mom, this is,
uh, Tess.
Mrs. Hamilton, so nice to meet you.
My name is Tess.
Hi.
Your son is a fine attorney.
I know you're proud of him.
I am.
But you're on opposite sides.
Oh, we're not so different at heart.
And I do respect a challenge.
Thank you.
Come on, Ma. Party to throw.
Uh. Uh. Marc... I'm sure you're gonna invite Tess to the party.
Uh, yeah. That was, ahem, my intention.
I, uh... My assistant should call you, and,
you know...
Well, I'd love to come.
See you then.
All right.
Come on, baby.
( Clears throat )
MARC: Come on in.
Look at you. You guys look good together. Wow.
Hey, there he is.
Hello, Marc.
How ya doin', J.D.?
This is my wife, Lisa.
Nice to meet you. This is my wife, Vanessa.
Hello. How are you?
Hi. Hi.
Come on in. Enjoy yourself. Yeah.
Andrew... would you please take these in for me?
I can't breathe with all the smoke in there.
Like I can?
Well, the Angel of Death should be right at home
in all that cigarette smoke.
Tess, is that why I'm really here?
Or is it because I look so good in this uniform?
Oh, please.
Tess, how can working as a servant in this house
be of any help?
Now, don't you go questioning what God asked for you to do.
I heard a famous man say once: "If a man is called to be
"a street sweeper, he should sweep the streets so well
that the angels will look down out of heaven and be proud."
I wish more people could quote Dr. King like that.
They're out of shrimp.
Coming up.
Let me give you a hand.
Thank you.
Do I know you?
You look so familiar.
Wait a minute, wait a minute.
Give me some of that.
Mm-hm. Mm.
Yeah.
( Crowd chattering, laughing )
Told ya I'd be back. Here you go.
So far, so good, huh? Yeah.
MRS. HAMILTON: You care for something?
Excuse me one second.
MRS. HAMILTON: Are you having a good time?
That's good.
Ma. Hey, Ma.
Yes? Yeah.
Give me that.
Thank you.
( Clears throat )
Andrew... Hey, J.D.
( clears throat )
( quietly ): I'm not paying you to let my mother serve.
Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Hamilton.
She just offered to help, so I...
We'll discuss this later.
Ma, I got to talk to you. Come on.
MRS. HAMILTON: Excuse me.
MARC: Just come on. Come on, please.
Monica, excuse us for a second, please.
Please. Thank you.
Do you know who that man is, Ma?
That is the president of Fairchild Tobacco.
He does not need to see my mother serving shrimp.
I wasn't serving, I was offering.
There's a big difference.
No, no, not to these people, Ma.
Son, no one can embarrass you unless you let them.
I tried to tell that to your father a long time ago,
but he wouldn't listen to me.
But I hope to God you do.
What's happening to you, Son?
You told your wife this was a party for her
and the baby she's about to have.
Yeah, it is. It is not.
It's a party for J.D. Sinclair,
a man who deserves nothing more from this family.
Ma...
All you think about lately is what they can give you.
Things are not who you are.
I tried my best to give you the important things in life
like a high school education, a college degree.
I gave you everything in the world that I could,
except the one thing that you wanted most of all.
I couldn't make you like them.
No. I do not want to be like them!
I just don't want to feel like they're better than us anymore!
And I don't want my child to feel that ever.
You gave me all the things that you never had,
and I love you for that.
And now I want to get the rest of it for my family.
Isn't that what a father's supposed to do, Ma?
At what price? Your soul?
What are you talking about, my soul?
I'm talking about doing the right thing
before it's too late.
What, too late for what?
I've got lung cancer.
( Slow, sad theme playing )
Lung cancer?
No, no, no.
Ma, you got bronchitis.
Ma, remember? That's what you said.
You have bronchitis.
That's what the doctor said before he took an x-ray.
I have the lungs of a lifetime smoker.
No, no. That can't...
Ma, you never smoked a day in your life.
No.
But they did.
( Sobs quietly )
It's okay, Ma.
( Sobbing ) It's okay. It's okay, Ma.
It's okay, Ma. It's okay.
What are you doing up here?
I needed to be with my things.
This house is full of your things.
No, Marc, they're your things.
I don't recognize anything around here anymore.
I'm sorry.
( Sighs )
Everything is happening all at once, you know?
The house, the baby
and Mama.
All of it...
right in the middle of the biggest case of my life.
You know? The timing couldn't be worse.
( Scoffs )
You know, Marc. I swear...
I mean, our life is like... It's like this...
Like this chair, Marc.
We're sitting in the same place...
but we're looking in completely different directions.
What's that supposed to mean?
It means your life isn't interfering
with your case, Marc.
Your case is interfering with your life.
Baby, I want you to quit.
You know I can't do that, Vanessa.
You know how much this means to me.
No, I don't know what anything means to you anymore.
I'm trying to build a life for us here.
This isn't a life, Marc.
This is a lifestyle.
This big house, servants, big parties.
Who... Who are you trying to impress?
I just want my family to have the best of everything.
The best is what we used to have.
You're twisting my words, Vanessa.
Well, that's what lawyers do, Marc.
They twist words.
They twist the truth.
That's why people hate them.
( Melancholy theme playing )
Wait. Vanessa. Van...
Andrew, wait here for me.
( Clearing throat )
( chuckles )
Ready to slaughter the lambs?
I have a problem.
I don't think I can continue as your counsel.
Oh. We need you, Marc.
( Sighs )
So does my family. Uh...
I just found out that my mother has lung cancer.
( Sighs )
( whispers ): Wow.
That's a tough one.
( Exhales )
( whispers ): Yeah.
I'm sorry to hear that.
But it's all the more reason
to keep working, Marc.
I feel like I should be there for her.
That doesn't mean you can't be there for us too.
Your family is our family.
We take care of our own.
We'll make sure she gets the finest care.
Really?
Of course.
I'll take care of everything, personally.
You just go in there and do your stuff.
( Sighs )
Thank you.
Never mind. I'll meet you later.
Thank you.
ESTHER: Vanessa!
Hello, Esther. I didn't hear you come in.
Oh, I came in through the kitchen.
Old habits are hard to break.
( laughs )
Where's my baby boy?
Andrew took him to the courthouse about an hour ago.
Good morning.
Oh, hi, baby. Hi.
Good morning. Morning.
( Doorbell rings )
Oops. Excuse me.
Hello, Mr. Sinclair. Would you like to come in?
Yes, thank you.
Would you like some help with those lovely flowers?
A-actually, I was hoping to deliver them personally.
I just wanted to stop by
and congratulate you on the baby.
Thank you very much, but that really wasn't necessary.
Of course it was.
And these are for you, Mrs. Hamilton.
I'm deeply sorry to hear about your illness.
I want you to know that we will be arranging
the best possible medical care.
Thank you.
But why are you doing this?
Well, because we're family.
Family?
Your husband and my father spent many long days together.
My husband drove, your father sat in the back.
I wouldn't exactly call that together.
You husband was a very valued employee of my father's,
and now your son is my employee.
That makes all of you part of the Fairchild family.
You're no family of mine, Mr. Sinclair.
My father trusted your husband with everything.
I know we can count on the same from you.
Good day.
( Melancholy theme playing )
I wish Harold was here.
He always knew how to handle them.
Nobody can handle them. Not anymore.
They're too powerful.
Harold always said... if I ever got in trouble,
there was a way for me to protect myself.
Maybe now is the time.
Yeah.
Come with me.
Get your coat, baby.
( Melancholy theme playing )
MARC: This witness list presented by the plaintiffs' counsel
is completely outrageous.
TESS: Your Honor, with all due respect to Mr. Hamilton's legal mind,
this is a class-action suit.
There are many voices to be heard from in this matter.
People with the truth on their side.
JUDGE: I'm well aware that this is a class-action suit, counselor.
Bailiff, please hand me a copy of the updated witness list.
Thank you. I know who you are.
You were there the day my Harold died.
Yes, I was.
How...
How much time do I have?
You have enough time to make a difference.
JUDGE: Mr. Hamilton... I'm going to rule against your motion
to exclude the witness list.
We'll take a 20-minute recess.
And then we'll proceed with plaintiffs' first witness.
( Murmuring )
Excuse me.
I was wondering. Could I talk to you?
Of course.
What was that?
Just a minor setback.
Hello, gentlemen. It's a beautiful day, isn't it?
What do you want, Tess?
Well, I thought you'd like to take a closer look
at this new witness list I gave to the judge.
We can continue whenever you're ready.
What is this? What are you trying to pull?
I'm not trying to pull anything.
It's just time that the truth came out.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Oh, you will.
Counsel, call your first witness.
Thank you, Your Honor.
We call Mrs. Esther Hamilton to the stand.
Your Honor, I object to this witness.
Her name was not included in the original documents
provided by the plaintiffs' counsel.
Overruled. Proceed.
Your Honor...
What is it now, Mr. Hamilton?
This witness... is my mother.
I can't...
I would like to request a recess until tomorrow morning
to discuss these new developments with my... client.
Granted.
But you will be ready tomorrow morning at 10 a.in...
sharp.
( Gavel bangs )
( sighs )
I thought you were gonna quit.
I can't, Vanessa.
I'm in a in...
Why would your mother be on this list?
I don't know.
Meeting in my office... now.
MONICA: Good evening, Mr. Hamilton.
Where's Vanessa?
Um, she's at your mother's.
Oh. When is she coming home?
ANDREW: Actually, sir,
we helped her move her things
to your mother's house about two hours ago.
( Melancholy theme playing )
Will you state your name for the record, please?
Esther Hamilton.
And were you ever an employee
of the Fairchild Tobacco Company?
Yes.
My husband and I both worked for the Sinclairs.
I was their maid, and Harold was Mr. Sinclair's driver.
I have documents
that my husband sent to me by certified mail,
so that if anything happened to him, I wouldn't be harmed
by these people.
I object, Your Honor.
Overruled.
Proceed.
These documents say that in 1964,
Fairchild Tobacco tried
to bribe the government not to release its report
linking cigarette smoking with cancer.
Your Honor, we've never seen these documents.
ESTHER: Your father found these letters in the back seat
of Mr. Sinclair's car.
I'm sorry to say that...
when he confronted Mr. Sinclair,
rather than take a stand against the company...
A battle he knew he couldn't win...
Your father took a bribe of his own.
The house you grew up in
was bought by Fairchild Tobacco...
to silence your father.
He told me he did it for you.
He wanted you to have a better life...
and a roof over your head.
Even if it wasn't a fancy one.
Why haven't you come forward with this before?
I've always been afraid of what was in that envelope.
Maybe because deep inside I knew that what it had to say
might hurt you... more than it would help you.
But not opening it would hurt a lot of other people worse.
And I can't live with that.
And I hope you can't either, Son.
You have a whole life ahead of you.
Don't let them take it away from you.
( Melancholy theme playing )
I have no further questions, Your Honor.
Your witness, counselor.
JUDGE: So you have no objection to counsel cross-examining
his own mother?
Oh, no. I've been waiting on that all day.
Mr. Hamilton, you may proceed.
Mr. Hamilton?
( Sighs )
I would like to request a recess... Your Honor.
( Sighs )
You're running out of recesses, Mr. Hamilton.
This court will reconvene in 20 minutes.
( Bangs gavel )
( chattering excitedly )
You got to pull yourself together.
You can't afford to screw up now.
I don't think I can do this, J.D.
What?
Now you get an attack of morality?
You listen to me, pal.
You want to do the right thing, you go ahead and hang yourself.
But I know that you are in debt up to your eyeballs.
Now, I can make it so you don't lose that house or that car,
or that future you've been planning on.
Or I can make sure you do.
Now, what do you think the right thing is?
( Sniffs )
Okay. I'll be in.
I know.
TESS: It must be hard working in a nonsmoking building.
Uh...
You must be proud of yourself, counselor.
You, uh...
You showed me up pretty good in there.
It's not about what happened in there.
It's about what happens in here.
That's why God sent me.
He wants you to know that before you go back in that room.
God? Yes.
I'm an angel. And God has a message for you, baby.
He wants you to know that he loves you.
And he's the only one
that can fill that emptiness inside.
But you've got to let his truth in.
The truth?
The truth doesn't win.
Okay? Whoever's left standing,
that's who wins.
And it's gonna be me. I will take care of what's mine.
Marc Hamilton,
you've got your eyes on the wrong prize.
Whatever it is you think you've got to win,
he's won it for you already, if you'll just take hold of it.
The real prize is God and his love.
Set your eyes on that.
It's the only thing worth winning.
Let me get this straight.
I'm in an alley with an angel
who's telling me that God wants me to go back in that courtroom
and throw my future away?
No. God wants you to go back in there
and take your future back
while you still got a chance.
You remember that little paper umbrella?
Well, it's raining, Marc.
And your umbrella just broke, baby.
But God has you covered, if you let him.
However, you will have to give your dreams to him.
And you'll have to trust somebody other than yourself
for the first time in your life.
Stop looking at yourself through your eyes
and start seeing yourself through God's eyes.
What does God see?
A little boy with a cigarette in his hand
trying to act real grown-up.
You've been trying for a long time, haven't you, baby?
It's hard trying to be someone you're not...
especially when you can't see how beautiful you already are.
All I ever wanted was to belong.
Oh, Marc, you've always belonged.
You've always been a child of God.
And that should've been enough.
But instead you wanted something more.
And at what price?
You can win in there today.
But if you do,
you'll lose everything else.
And what will it matter
if you gain the whole world
and lose your soul?
May I remind you, Mrs. Hamilton,
you're still under oath.
Your witness to cross-examine, counselor.
( Clears throat )
So, Mrs. Hamilton, you worked for the CEO
of Fairchild Tobacco, right?
Yes.
And you worked for him at his home?
Yes.
Then you worked for him personally,
and not as an employee of Fairchild Tobacco, correct?
No.
I was an employee.
All my paychecks came from the company.
These men never pay for anything themselves, Son.
( Spectator coughs )
You know something, Ma?
You're right.
Other people pay.
People like you.
People like Dad.
And the people who filed this lawsuit.
What are you doing?
Would you like me to put you on the witness stand,
so you could tell the court how you've always known
that cigarettes are deadly?
Tell them how you hire scientists and lawyers like me,
and pay 'em huge sums of money to confuse the issue?
Would you like to tell them how you tried to bribe
the government... so that no one would know the truth?
You're insane.
No...
No, I was a little lost.
But I'm not insane, man.
All-consuming greed
of Mr. Sinclair and his family
is a death sentence to my mother.
My mother...
and the thousands of people just like her.
( Sighs )
( sniffs )
This is the murder weapon,
and I will not let you use it
on the next generation.
If that is all I ever do
right in this life, it's enough now.
That's what I want to pass on to my children.
Truth. Not a... certified letter.
Your Honor...
defence moves for a recess, so that we may
discuss... settlement with the plaintiffs.
Granted.
( Bangs gavel )
( everyone murmuring )
I'll have you disbarred for this.
( Exhales )
Oh, Son.
I'm so proud of you.
MARC: I love you, Mom. I'm sorry.
( Mrs. Hamilton sobbing )
VANESSA: Let's go home.
Let's pack.
I had my dream house for a minute, though.
And how did it feel?
Lonely... without you.
( Slow, sweet theme playing )
I'm gonna take care of you, Mama, don't worry.
With the right medical treatment,
I'll be able to spend some time with my grandchild.
So I've been told.
This is the law firm that I was working for.
My work is done there.
I'm sure they could use a fine young lawyer
to fill the void.
Thank you, Tess. That's nice.
I wish I had something I could give to you.
Oh, there is something.
What?
Give.
This is the best gift I've gotten in a long time.
( Fluttering )
I wish I could have been of more help,
but... I'm allergic to cigarette smoke.
Nevertheless, I get
the best part of this assignment,
because I'm the one who gets to tell you the news.
What news? What assignment?
Well, let me put it this way.
I think that "Monica" would be
an excellent name choice
for one of your wee triplets.
Triplets?
( Giggles )
ANDREW: Now, we were thinking "Monica"
and "Tess."
And, of course, "Esther."
But it's up to you.
Are you coming?
Coming.
"Mo-ni-ca."
( coos )
( bright, up-tempo theme playing )