(choir singing)
( laughing )
Man: Where are you?
Here.
Is this your house? What, are you crazy?
What about your folks? What about your dad?
- He's at work. - And your ma?
Hey, what about your mother?
My mother's dead.
Do you like that?
Yes.
- Woman: Hala? - Who's that?
Hala: Mama.
I thought you said your mother was dead.
She was.
(laughs)
Got a smoke?
- Man: Halcia! - Shit.
Jadwiga! I don't bake all night so that you sleep all day.
Okay, you go first.
( Coughs» )
Jadzia! Halcia!
(sighs)
Where is everybody?
Witek!
Come on, step on it, Sofie.
You know Mama hates to be late.
Don't dangle him like that, Ziggy.
(baby crying)
Mama!
Kaz!
Witek!
Where is my breakfast?
Ziggy: Mama.
Ziggy; Mama.
Hold your horses, Ziggy.
Don't hang me out to dry, Ma. You've gotta take this kid off my hands.
Close that door.
(crying )
Mama, Mama, Mama.
And your wife, where is she? I'm hot the only mama round here.
Poor child. What kind of parents you have.
And a gypsy for a mother.
( Burps )
(baby crying)
This is your job. Good morning, husband.
Wife.
How was your meeting last night?
What meeting?
Your ladies' meeting.
Like always.
Mother of God, you're blowing smoke in the baby's face.
Mama, can't Ziggy for once take care of his little bundle of joy'?
No, Ziggy can't. You heard Mama. That's your job.
Even high school dropouts don't have a right to sleep all day.
And who would have taken care of your brat if I hadn't dropped out, huh?
"Huh?" That's what high-school dropouts talk like.
Good morning, Sofie.
You look pale. Maybe baby?
Oh, my God, I hope not. Isn't one enough?
Why no more babies, Ziggy?
What's the matter with your wife? I want some grandchildren.
- You've got one, Mama. - One.
( laughs ) One.
Hey can't you get him to quit crying?
He can't stop crying. He just realized you're his father.
( Whistle blows )
Come on, you guys. Let's go.
- Hey, what? - Just leave me alone.
Bye, Mama.
Come on, you guys. What is this?
We'll be taking all day now.
Jesus. I'm tired already.
( Whistle blows )
Hey, Bolciu, when do you get your beauty sleep?
Wouldn't you like to know, Kaszia, dear?
How I love this place. What a coffee shop.
A man can really breathe here.
Sitting at the counter, enjoying a good cup of coffee.
Sometimes, Halcia. at home I feel...
I feel so...
( both laugh )
Halcia, when one day you go look for a man, you look for a man like me.
Hey, Piotrusz, have you eyer seen such a beauty?
She is her mother's daughter.
I look at my wife. and I look at myself,
and I say to myself
"How did two such ugly trolls give birth to such a Venus?"
And Venus's mother, how is she?
How is she?
Good question. Smart question.
How is she?
She's okay.
Nothing special. You know? A woman.
She certainly is.
And a woman is born to be both more and less than a man.
She must be above him and beneath him.
I'm a good baker.
I bake good bread.
She makes babies. I make bread.
That's no small thing, you know.
Excuse us, ladies.
We don't exist for them,
like they're something special, something better.
We exist for them. We exist to clean their toilets.
You and I are sensitive creatures, my lamb.
Yes, Daddy. We're sensitive creatures.
Yes.
And sensitive creatures need to be protected.
(groans)
What are they doing in there?
- Be patient. - ( toilet flushes )
That's where they cut their really big deals.
It's getting late. You go home to your baby.
- I'll finish up here. - Thanks, Mama.
Where did I put...7
(whistling )
- ( humming ) - ( door opens» )
You know I don't smoke.
I envy your willpower.
You are a queen, [Miss Jadwiga.
I know.
Everything about you is dark, Roman.
Dark eyes and dark soul.
You're a gypsy-
I'm not a gypsy, [Miss Jadwiga, but a Jew.
Mrs. Jadwiga.
As you like. Now off. before you break my back.
I'll break your back.
Jadwiga?
[Mama's working late.
- Hard day at work, Mama? - Why do you ask'?
It's late.
So it is.
Where is Hala?
Taking a bath.
( laughing )
(siren wails)
- Looking for trouble? - Shouldn't you be in bed, Sohusterl?
Don't think you're gonna burn any beer off us either.
Yeah, get your own.
Break it up, or I'm gonna card every one of youse.
What the hell is going oh around here?
Why is everybody trying to foul up my good mood today?
- Who's fouling you up? - Everybody.
( Knocks )
- Morning, Mr. P. - This is the pinnacle.
Is someone under arrest?
Not exactly, Mrs. P.
I wondered if I might catch one of your sons.
Is Witek or Kaz around?
Around? They're fast asleep.
Yeah, I guess it is kind of early.
I just finished a double shift. I'm still a little wired.
You should be on your last legs.
I got a second wind.
Can I come in?
You should be on your last legs.
He had a second wind.
God damn it!
Pass me that hose, Kaz.
When you're finished out there.
I've got a few other little things I need done.
She's got a few other little things she needs done.
Witek, watch what you're doing out there.
Last time you cleaned the gutters your dead leaves killed my garden.
Who's going to help me fluke the dumplings?
"Not me," said the fox.
Witek?
- Mamusha - Kaz: Said the skunk.
Later, Mama, I promise.
Baloney. I need some hands here now.
( Speaks Polish )
You're a bad egg, Witek.
Still need help, Mrs. P'?
I do.
Come in and clean up.
And put some clothes on, all of you.
- "Need help, Mrs. P?" - Hey!
Why don't you go home and fluke your own dumplings?
- Have you any brothers and sisters? - I got a brother.
One brother?
There's just two of you?
- Yeah, just us two. - Two children.
What's the point of that?
You wouldn't bake just two cookies, would you?
Hmm.
- What's that stuff, Mrs. P'? - Czernina soup.
- Buck's-blood soup. - Buck's blood?
Only our mother and sister eat it. They lap it up like milk.
- You don't want any. - Hala: Maybe he does.
Have some.
Mmm
( laughter )
Last Sunday the priest was taking names for the Virgin's Festival.
I gave him Hala's name.
Maybe you'll lead the procession this year.
What I don't get is. how does the priest know?
Know what?
If a girl's...
you know.
How does he know if she's a virgin?
He can tell.
How?
Same way you can tell if anyone's a virgin.
By looking.
- Where? - In the eyes.
It's in the eyes.
Virgin!
- Without a doubt. - Fuck you, man. I'm not a virgin.
Freeze. You're a very bad girl.
What are you doing creeping through the alley?
Are you crazy? You scared the death out of me.
I'll protect you.
- I thought you'd never come out. - Scram, jerk.
Walk with me.
Why'?
Let's go before they see us.
Where are we going?
Wherever our legs take us.
I'm only walking with you because I can trust you.
I can trust you, can't I?
I'm your guard.
And the one to guard against.
Oh, Mama.
Mama can't help you.
If you run, I'll chase you.
I'll have to.
Be bold.
I'm not unbold.
How bold are you?
Bold.
Show me.
Be bolder.
Bolder.
Now, how bold are you?
Why'd you stop?
Get going-
Go on, go home.
( Door opens )
Hala?
Halina?
Is that you?
Not smoking in there, I hope.
Oh, Ma.
Have a pickle.
Ziggy: It's not the end of the world, Sofie.
Sofie: No, not for you.
No, you're right. It'll give you nightmares.
(Sofie crying )
( rain pattering )
Before concluding [Mass today,
I have the pleasure of announcing the name of the girl
chosen to lead the procession in this year's Festival of the Virgin.
This year's procession of the Virgin will be led by...
Stanley Mislinski
- ( Boys laughing) - It can't be!
The procession will be led by Hala Pszoniak.
Of course, we all know that to lead the Virgin's procession
is a high and solemn privilege,
reserved for one who embodies all that we prize in womanly virtue--
innocence, chastity.
And purity.
- The Lord be with you. - And also with you.
May Almighty God bless you.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
- All: Amen. - ( organ playing)
Priest: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Come to me.
Kiss my hand.
Don't hate me.
My foot. Kiss it.
( laughs ) Stop!
No. Not unless I say.
Now you may kiss me.
Don't stop.
Oh, Hala, I can't stop.
- ( Horn honks) - Man: Schuster!
Come on, we're late. Let's go.
( Door closes )
Mama.
Why is everything spinning around and around?
Childbirth is a straightforward thing.
Well, I'm glad it was just a false alarm.
Don't be like that, Mama.
You know what a hard time Sofie had with our last one.
I never had any trouble,
except when I brought Halcia into this world.
Jesus and Mary, did I suffer then.
I gave birth right there on that couch. My sons and husband were eating dinner.
I said, "Don't bother yourselves about me. How are the pierogi?"
Then I screamed and had my baby.
After little Ziggy was born.
I couldn't walk for two whole months.
They cut me open.
I still have the scar.
I have given birth seven times.
Five of my babies lived. Four of them are boys.
Men.
My boys will all have families
and one day I'll have more grandchildren than I can count.
This is my house. These are my sons.
This is my husband, my bread, my table, my kitchen. Mine.
Sofie knows what's best for her and me.
Sofie. What does that gypsy know?
- I'm Syrian. - Same difference.
Certain things are not even for you to decide.
You cannot come between a husband and wife.
Between man and God.
To hell with man and God.
Halcia, it's positive.
And who are you supposed to be? The angel Gabriel?
(sighs)
(baby crying)
Ziggy, the baby's crying.
Ziggy: Let him cry.
Shh. Please stop crying.
Please. Please.
Please, stop crying.
Shh.
Please, be quiet.
Looking for this?
Let's see. It's my night off.
And we know what that means.
Another glorious meeting of the Polish Ladies' Auxiliary League.
Only I'd like to know what these meetings are auxiliary to.
Jesus and Mary. It's stuffy in here.
I can't breathe.
For God's sake, Bole-k, help me.
I need you.
- Do you mean that? - Mean what?
- That you need me. - Bole-k!
Jadwiga.
Where are you going tonight?
Do you really wanna know?
If you do, I'll tell you.
Shh.
Your husband might hear you.
Nothing in the world would induce me
to put any part of my body in that disgusting substance.
It's just water.
Theoretically.
Hey.
Is the lady in one of her moods?
How are your children?
Each one a worse egg than the last.
But one thing I can say--
I made them.
What do you think he would look like,
our son?
Don't laugh. I'm serious.
( laughs)
I'll be giving you no babies, Roman.
That's not why I've come here.
Yeah.
Children ravaged my body.
No wonder my husband stopped looking at me.
How did you meet him?
I was 15 years old.
15 years?
My God. A woman like you.
It was your mistake to marry him.
- Mistake? - Mm-hmm.
Oh, no.
[Marrying my husband was no mistake.
I had my reason for marrying him.
Oh, yes, there was a reason.
Only I can't remember what it is.
Okay '
Shall we, [Miss Jadwiga?
Mrs. Jadwiga.
Daddy?
Alone in the dark?
Isn't this your night off? Wanna watch TV?
Good God, no.
I'm keeping busy right here. Thank you.
You're waiting for her, aren't you?
You wait for her like a dog.
Don't we all wait
like dogs
for someone?
That's what we do. We wait.
Anyway
where should I go
if I were free?
Who would feed me?
( Door opens )
( snores )
( snoring )
(screams)
What is it, Bolek? Did you have a bad dream?
You speared me with your toenails. They're like daggers.
One dozen, Bole-k. at this time of year?
You Polacks are extravagant ones.
Yes, my wife adores peaches.
Cheating on her, are you?
$6.75.
I have to stop at the butcher's.
You'd better take a few off.
They're juicy.
She won't be disappointed.
$1.25.
I'll take it.
Be good, Bole-k.
Where's my ham?
Can you imagine, my love?
The butcher closed just as I got there.
You can't be serious.
Halcia.
One of these days
you are going to get us both in hot water.
(sighs)
In the beginning. there was a lump of dough.
You and I-- dough.
Until the master bread maker himself,
with his own two hands, gave us shape.
First, he made man and, out of man's body, woman.
After man? Why after?
She was an improvement.
Man was simple, basic. A pumpernickel.
But woman was like
a light and airy Easter chalka.
How could a woman come out of a man?
It had to be the other way around.
In the beginning there was a woman.
- A woman who... - Hey.
Hey.
What is all this?
Is there something wrong. my little lamb?
My clock stopped.
Your what stopped?
My clock stopped.
Your clock stopped?
Can't you get a new one?
No.
Not that kind of clock.
Every woman has a...
kind of clock
that she tells her time by, Daddy.
What are you saying, Halcia?
Are you--
are you in trouble?
No.
You're not crying, are you?
I never cry.
That's my girl.
Whatever it is.
Push it down.
Push it right back down
to where it came from.
That's what I do.
(sighs)
You see?
I feel better already.
(thunder rumbling )
Thank you.
Just what do you mean by sneaking out of the house at night?
And you, you let her do whatever she wants, run the streets, why not?
Jadwiga, not here. It's embarrassing.
Embarrassing? For who? I'm not embarrassed.
- For Halcia. - You mean for yourself.
(sighs)
Gypsy!
Don't hit me, Mama. You'll hurt me. You'll hurt my baby.
Your baby?
I'm gonna have a baby.
She'll be beautiful.
(baby crying)
How could this happen to my daughter?
Our daughter.
That boy will never marry her.
He'll marry her.
( Knocks )
Mama, I have to get up in a few hours and I can't put him to sleep.
Give him to me. You go on to bed.
(crying )
Why didn't you wanna marry me, Bolek'?
I was scared.
I was just a scared kid.
What were you scared of?
Life.
Especially the life that came spilling out of you.
I didn't want to make a mistake.
I didn't want my whole life to be built upon a mistake.
And besides.
You never really loved me.
Seeds fly to where the wind blows them.
Once that happened, we needed each other to be complete.
Here.
This is what married us.
Don't you believe
in anything more important than yourself?
Your religion?
God?
Nothing oh Earth is more sacred to me than this.
[Waking life.
And love.
That's my religion.
Already?
Why is your sister taking so long?
Mama, aren't you gonna make a confession too?
We haven't got all year.
Someday, Mama, you're gonna go.
What makes you so sure I'm not going?
(Hala laughing)
Now, you be here early Sunday. Don't let me down, Halina.
- I won't, Father. - Okay.
Did you tell him?
You didn't tell him.
Hala. Hala.
You are the disgrace of this family.
You know you can't march in the Virgin's procession.
But I want to. I was chosen.
Would you give this up?
Don't ask stupid questions. You're not a child any more.
- Everythings changed. - No!
I look like a corpse.
That's my wedding dress. you little ingrate.
There's no turning back now, gypsy.
Sofie's doing you a big favour.
This is the dress she married your brother Ziggy in.
I only hope it brings you the luck it brought me.
Oh, Christ. It's cursed.
Come look at yourself.
Look at her. The bride.
It's your wedding.
Sofie: Yeah, drink it. You're gonna need it.
Oh, Hala.
You poor, wild little thing.
You didn't know a man would come along and tame you.
Don't make me laugh. Men don't tame women.
Plature is what tarnes women.
Women don't really need men.
It's just that wherever there's a woman, by God, there's a family.
And a family without a man is usually a catastrophe.
Speak for yourself, Mama,
- because I need my Ziggy. - ( laughs )
Your Ziggy.
I wanna propose a toast.
To my first-born baby.
Because without him Ziggy never would have married me.
- Cheers. - Cheers.
Jadzia: And here's to Ziggy himself.
My first-born.
And God knows, without him, Bolek never would have married me.
( Iaughing )
- Cheers. - Cheers.
To your first baby, Halina.
May God bless it.
But don't come back until you're married.
Or as good as.
(bells tolling)
( people murmuring )
Russell!
Who are you?
- Who are you? - Who am I?
You think you can just prance in here
with that white dress of yours?
This is my house, skinny,
and I'm asking who are you what do you want?
- I got business with Russell. - Oh, a tough girl, huh?
- What kind of business? - None of your beeswax.
What's going on here'? What's all the shouting about?
Oh, look, Bob. It's a girl in a white dress.
Well, aren't you smart?
(engine starts)
There he is. That's him.
Hey!
Russell.
Hala.
I'm gonna have a baby.
Yeah.
I figured as much.
"All you gotta do is blow in their ear."
That's what they say about you Polack girls.
But with you, Hala...
Jesus.
All I had to do was look at you.
Will you marry me?
- Yes! - Yes?
No. Not a chance.
But you loved me. And you said so.
Hala, quit playing with my head, man.
Look at me. I'm not ready for a family.
Am I?
Girls are always ready. ready and waiting.
Waiting, yes. Like dogs.
Look, there's still so much that I gotta do.
Right now I'm trying to save money to buy a car so that some guys and--
What's the matter?
In my head I can just see all those dirty diapers.
Piles and piles. [Mountains of 'em.
You see what I mean?
It's a life term.
Wouldn't you rather be free?
Free?
You're so pretty, Hala.
There's just something about you.
You're so dang pretty.
What is it you want me to do for you?
Whatever it is.
I'll do it.
Is this what you came for in that white dress?
- This is what you want from me? - Yes.
This is all I want from you.
Just don't stop.
Don't ever stop.
(trash cans rattle )
(dog barking )
Jadnai Ham'?
Hala?
It's almost midnight. Where were you?
- With a boy. - What boy?
- A bad boy. - What were you doing?
Sc: rewing.
Cigarette.
Now that you know with who,
you wanna know how?
Like there's no tomorrow.
Because there is no tomorrow.
Not for me.
(rapping )
Uh-oh. Now we've had it. It's Daddy.
- Don't just stand there. Help me. - Fuck.
What's going oh down there? Is that you, Hala?
Nothing, Mom. Just me.
( Door opens )
My queen.
Like it?
Oh, yes.
( Sobbing )
You have kicked sand in my face.
You've kicked sand in my face.
Oh, my love.
( Music playing )
( laughs» )
My Jadwiga.
How did all this happen?
Don't blame me. You put on the gypsy music.
You know what I mean.
Wait. I have a surprise for you.
Give me your hands.
- Paris? - France, my queen.
I'm taking you away with me for a little while.
On business.
But I have no business in France.
( laughs ) Good God!
I'm talking about France, my queen.
Don't you want to see the Eiffel Tower?
Stroll along the Champs Elysées?
Is it so much better than Detroit?
For God's sake!
Roman Krél wants you to go with him to Paris.
But I don't want to go to Paris.
You don't want to go with me'?
What do you want?
Do you want to stay a cleaning woman?
Yes.
You are a cleaning woman.
I'm a queen.
I have five children.
Four of them are boys. Men.
I have my own house. I have a husband.
What do you have?
I'm a queen.
If you are a queen,
then why are you here?
I'm sorry. Okay?
I didn't mean it.
- Take some blinis. - No. Don't be sorry.
I am a cleaning woman.
That's what I am.
My stockings.
[Mother in heaven, why am I here?
Muniu! Witusiu! Kaziu! Everybody!
Muniu, on the double. Your mama needs you.
What is it, Mama? What's wrong?
Your sister is in trouble and that rascal who did it to her
- thinks he's getting off soot-free. - No, soot-free?
Nobody gets off scat-free in this house.
Who is it, Mama? Who did it to her'?
The Schuster boy.
Schuster?!
Oh, I am gonna kill that bastard.
( Grunts ) Aw, shit.
- What's this? - Come oh out here, Schuster.
Oh, my God. It's some kind of posse.
Send your good-for-nothing son of yours out here.
My son's an upstanding citizen.
- A policeman. - Upstanding?
There's only one thing on that boy's body that's upstanding.
- Yeah, but we'll take care of that. - Yeah!
My daughter's in the family way and he's responsible.
So your daughter...
the skinny little tough one, huh?
Now we're getting to the bottom of this.
Like mother, like daughter.
You've got the face of a rascal and you've given birth to a rascal.
Muniu, break down that door.
Oh, no, you don't!
(woman screams)
Daddy, come quick. Mama needs you.
Your mama can take care of herself.
She doesn't need me.
I'm telling you, Daddy. she needs you.
She needs you bad.
I don't know about Polish people
but this is hot the way we do things around here.
We'll see about that! We'll see about that!
- He's got a rolling pin. - Mr. P!
I'll give you Mr. P, you usurper.
You destroyer of men's families.
Do it, Daddy. Please, let go of him.
Never! You can't force me.
- Let go of him! - Halcia.
Halcia, let me go. Let go.
You... you...
You!
You shameless...
Shameless!
Come back here.
( Panting )
What have you done to me?
(lock clicks)
Looking for some of this?
(sighs)
What?
Jadwiga.
What?
Tell me.
Fine. Big, tough lady.
Be on your own.
You drive me crazy.
You drive me crazy too.
You've been driving me crazy for years.
I hate you.
I hate you too.
- ( Children shouting ) - ( sighs)
(bells tolling)
Bole-k, I was looking for you.
Have a seat, Ma.
- Pierogi are up. - Oh, Witek.
Those are beautiful.
What? No pickles?
I really love your pickles, Ma, but, pass.
What about you, Bolek?
Actually, Jadwiga,
I despise pickles.
Oh, well. I'll have some.
All these pickles.
So many.
All of a sudden, just to look at them
fills me with sadness.
(chuckles)
Maybe we don't need so many pickles.
Halcia.
Go to the church with your brothers.
Your mother and I will meet you later on at the procession.
(bells tolling)
I'm leaving.
I said I'm leaving.
It's probably a good idea.
- My farnily'd eventually kill you. - Hey.
I want you to come with me.
Come with you?
How can I come with you?
Things are different. Everythings changed.
Hey. Don't tell me you're gonna keep this kid.
Don't worry. You're still free.
Hala, what is going oh in that crazy little head of yours?
I can't explain it to you.
Hala, what do you want from me?
Everything.
Hala.
Halal
(polka playing)
Bole-k.
Boleczek.
Yoo-hoo.
Over here!
Whoa, whoa.
( Music slows )
(bell tolling)
(choir singing)
Priest: Blessed are you, our Mother, among women.
You are blessed and full of grace.
You are the tender giver of life.
The innocent bearer of holy fruit.
We are your children.
Intercede for us.
What a joke. Pszoniak crowning the Virgin.
She's pregnant. A pregnant virgin.
(crowd murmuring )
What?
Is this true?
No, this can't be true.
[Mother in heaven. please tell me what to do.
Man: Get down from there.
- I'm all alone up here. Help me. - Woman: Sinner!
( Crowd shouting )
Put this in your pipe and smoke it.
Jesus. Maria.
Holy [Mother of God. Somebody get her down.
You.
- Get your hands off of me. - Bad girl! Get down from there.
I will not.
It's mine. It's my crown.
How dare you?
Don't hit me.
(bell tolling)
Halcia.
Water's ready.
Hala, your ma's calling you.
I heard ya.
Just ain't easy carting this sack of potatoes around.
Yeah, you.
( Baby cooing )
Yoo-hoo.
Baby.
Look, baby. There's Grandma.
Yoo-hoo.
Isn't she beautiful?
(choir singing)