10-86, possible 4- 17. Baker, Henry.
3000 block ofBagley, 4- 17, 10-30.
Get back!
-I'II shoot her! -Oh, my God!
3-L-90. I repeat:
3-L-90, request you notify hostage negotiation team.
Have them respond to my Iocation.
-See anything? -Get those cars out of here!
Suspect is a maIe Caucasian, approximateIy--
I'm a reporter. How Iong have you been here?
Domestic or drugs? Is that his girIfriend?
-Get out of here. -Who is it?
-TaIk to me. -Get him out of here.
-Go on! -I got my passes.
-Shit. -I have every right to be here.
Where'd he go?
Suspect has withdrawn into the interior of the room.
We no Ionger have visuaI contact.
That was my car.
HoIy--
Having a IittIe car troubIe?
That's a keen observation.
I can heIp you.
It's the Jag.
You want me to drive home in your car?
I want you to take my car.
I've had a Iot of Iuck IateIy. I don't need it.
You're giving me a new Jaguar and you don't want anything?
I can prove it. Give me your card.
I'II be in touch.
What, you want me to kiII your wife or something?
No.
Tempting, but, no.
CaII it generosity between two strangers.
Generosity? It's a Jaguar.
You expect me to drive home in a new Jaguar?
-That's right. -You're a freak!
You are a freak.
You want me to get in this car? No way! It'II probabIy bIow up.
That's reaI funny, bits and pieces of me raining down in the street!
You think I'm going near that thing, you're nuts!
Besides, I got a car.
Sort of.
What? You Iike it?
CooI bIade, huh?
-You want to see it? -IKeep it in your pants.
Fag.
-He's gonna kiII you. -I've got pepper spray.
ApparentIy, none of you have ever seen a new teacher before.
I'm Mr. Simonet.
WeIcome to the seventh grade.
MiddIe schooI, that heIIish, shaky bridge you aII must cross...
...before you become members of that undyingIy enviabIe high schooI eIite.
You may think you can't cross this bridge fast enough.
You'd rather cIose your eyes and not think about it untiI it's aII over.
WeII, I'm here to teII you...
...that is not an option in this cIass.
Lateness.
Tardiness.
To be Iate for your first cIass on your first day of schooI.
What does that indicate?
I'm having a bad hair day?
Perhaps what it indicates is a Iack of respect.
You see, I'm going to be here every day for you.
And so I expect you to be here for me.
On time, no excuses.
Put that down.
Wait.
Now...
...this cIass is sociaI studies.
That is you and the worId. Yes.
There is a worId out there and even if you don't want to meet it...
...it's stiII going to hit you right in the face.
BeIieve me.
Best start thinking about the worId now and what it means to you.
What does the worId mean to you?
Come on! A IittIe cIass participation.
Is it just this cIass you want to get out of?
Your house, your street?
Any further any of you want to go than that? Yes?
The maII. That's onIy two miIes away from me.
Let me ask you another question.
How often do you think about things that happen outside of this town?
Do you watch the news? Yes? No?
AII right, so we're not gIobaI thinkers yet, but why aren't we?
Because we're 1 1 .
Good point. What's your name?
Trevor.
Maybe Trevor's right. Why shouId we think about the worId?
After aII, what does the worId expect of us?
Expect?
Of you.
What does the worId expect of you?
Nothing.
My God, boys and girIs, he's right.
Nothing.
Here you are. You can't drive. You can't vote.
You can't go to the bathroom without a pass. You're stuck...
...right here in the seventh grade.
But not forever...
...because one day you'II be free.
But what if on that day you're free...
...you haven't prepared, you're not ready...
...and yet you Iook around you and you don't Iike what the worId is.
What if the worId...
...is just a big disappointment?
We're screwed.
UnIess....
UnIess you take the things that you don't Iike about this worId...
...and you fIip them upside down right on their ass.
Don't teII your parents I used that word.
And you can start that...
...today.
This is your assignment.
Extra credit.
It goes on aII year Iong.
Wait a minute. What's wrong with this?
What's the matter? Yes?
It's, Iike, so....
There must be a word to finish that sentence.
-Someone heIp her. -Weird.
Weird. Crazy.
Hard.
-Bummer. -Bummer.
Hard.
How about possibIe?
It's possibIe.
The reaIm of possibiIity...
...exists where? In each of you.
Here.
So you can do it.
You can surprise us. It's up to you.
Or you can just sit back and Iet it atrophy.
Atrophy.
If there is a word you hear that you don't understand, there's a dictionary.
Look it up.
And there are these dictionaries which you wiII carry at aII times...
...because in this cIass, we're going to Iearn to Iove words...
...and their meanings. Any questions?
Yeah.
So, you'II Iike, fIunk us if we don't change the worId?
No, I wouIdn't do that.
But you might just squeak by with a ''C''.
What'd you ever do to change the worId?
WeII, Trevor, I get a good night's sIeep.
I eat a hearty breakfast.
I show up on time...
...and then I pass the buck to you.
Now, I want you aII to write your names in these books and--
What's your name?
MoIIy, aII right. I want MoIIy to Iook up the word atrophy...
...and teII the cIass what it means.
No, we're not in MiIwaukee.
Straight to heII. Straight to heII.
Four tequiIas. Who's having the fourth one?
-You are. -Not for me, thank you.
-We bought it for you. -Thank you so much. No thanks.
-Why not? -I promised my kid.
I know, it's horribIe. You guys have fun.
Wait, wait, wait. Here.
Thank you.
What are you doing, Junior?
What are your doing, Jun? What are you doing?
You got her now. You got her now.
You got him now. You got him now.
What time do you get off?
If onIy I weren't married.
He's married!
I'm singIe! I'm singIe!
-HeIIo? -Hey.
How'd it go?
Are you there? -Yeah.
How'd it go?
What?
How'd it go? How was your first day?
Okay.
Trev, you got to speak up. I can't hear you.
Sorry I wasn't home. I had a chance to pick up another shift.
You mad at me?
Trev, what are you doing?
Nothing.
You find the spaghetti?
I'm eating it.
Good.
Come on, tell me what happened.
I got to go.
Spoon?
Spoon.
Mom?
Mom!
My friend's coming in to take a shower, okay?
Okay.
That's not reaIIy breakfast.
You don't eat breakfast.
WeII, Iet's have some.
I'II make some eggs. I'II have some too.
You sure you won't throw up?
-What's that mean? -What do you think?
TeII me what it means.
-You're sneaking it. -I'm not sneaking anything.
Okay.
Wait, I'm sorry. You're right.
-I want to taIk. -You want to Iie to me.
I don't want to Iie, I want to taIk.
-Do what you want. -I want us to get aIong.
I'm sorry.
I can't find the toiIet paper.
-Who are you? -It's Jerry.
Get out! Get out of my house!
-Thanks a Iot. -Get out!
-Do you need money for the bus? -No, I got it.
You said he couId take a shower.
-I never said that! -You did.
I said to Iet a strange man into my bathroom?
He's my friend.
You can't have a friend Iike that.
-It's for my assignment. -What assignment?
You won't get it. Mr. Simonet wiII get it.
Who's Mr. Simonet? Hey, I'm taIking--
He's my teacher.
Mr. Simonet?
Yes, I'm Eugene...
...Simonet.
-HeIIo. -HeIIo.
-What is this assignment? -Excuse me?
What did you say for my son to Iet a homeIess man in my house?
I have two probIems.
One, I've no idea what you're taIking about...
...and two, I don't know who you are.
ArIene McIKinney. My boy is in your sociaI studies cIass? Trevor?
Trevor.
Yes, he's very attentive. He's very exigent, which I Iike.
-Exigent. ChaIIenging, testing. -I know what it means.
Why did my kid bring a bum home?
-I have no idea. -BuIIshit!
I don't know how he interpreted the assignment.
How do you think he interpreted it?
I don't know.
If you want to know, why don't you taIk to your son?
I taIk to him.
ReaIIy?
Then why did you come down here to ask me what the assignment is?
It's not a state secret.
Yeah? And?
It's an assignment I give out at the beginning of every year to inspire.
I don't expect them to change the worId.
-You don't expect them to change-- -Excuse me.
It's to get them to think, not waIk on water.
An assignment they can't do? What kind of teacher are you?
I didn't say that. They make attempts.
Now and then they cIean up graffiti--
This is my kid. You don't know him.
TeII him he can do something, he'II beIieve you.
And when he can't, it'II wipe him out.
They ought to fire your ass out of here right now.
They probabIy won't do that because I fiIIed a very exceIIent quota.
I'm just this side of parking in the bIue zone.
You think you can do whatever you want because your face is messed up?
Why don't you put down in writing your IittIe and Ioud compIaints...
...and I'II make sure they get put in the suggestion box.
Jesus.
You are reaIIy something.
Thanks. I appreciate the euphemism.
I've aIways wanted to be something.
Can I heIp you with something, miss?
No.
Mr. Thorsen. HoId up, man! I've been waiting aII day for you.
-Why won't you return my caIIs? -We're not friends.
I got the pink sIip for the car. Quite a stocking stuffer.
-You can't accept it? -No, that wouId make me a moron.
I just want to know about these instructions.
Do what they say. Pay it forward.
-Why? -Because you've accepted the car.
-You're obIigated. -What if I don't feeI obIigated?
What if I take my new car, get some hookers and drive to Mexico?
I'II never know.
What is this? Come on, for reaI.
An attack of totaI aItruism from a Iitigator.
I've got a meeting.
I've got a story. Okay?
A partner at Channing and Moss is giving away cars?
TeII me a reason or I'II make one up. Mine wiII be more interesting.
You've gone dotty, you're wearing crystaIs, keeping too many cats at home?
Look. Listen, pIease!
My ex-wife has everything. Okay?
PIus, she's in a Iesbian reIationship just to piss me off.
HeIp me out, pIease.
My daughter has asthma.
One night it was very bad, the worst I'd ever seen it.
It was the middle of the night, emergency room.
We were waiting forever. Couldn't get anyone to pay attention.
Her inhaIer doesn't seem to be working.
Mr. Parker, what happened?
My sister, she stabbed me.
-We were here first. -Stab wounds first.
-She can't breathe. She's scared. -I wiII Iet you know.
Somebody has to see her.
It's never been this bad. Do something.
WouId you just sit down?
I'm sorry. We've been here 4 hours. You need to get a doctor.
No. Wait.
That's buIIshit. HeIp her right now.
-Excuse me? -Why you giving me shit?
Ain't you got some oxygen?
Let me get the supervisor.
You don't need a supervisor. You the supervisor today.
You are the supervisor today. You feeI me on that?
Take your ass down the haII, put the girI on the tray and supervise her...
...and get her some goddamn air.
I got your back, sis. Bitch, you're stiII here. Shit!
Let go of my arm, man. This ain't fair, man!
Come on! Come on, man. Damn!
I thanked him...
...and there were specifiic orifiices in which I was told to shove my thanks.
He toId me, ''Just pay it forward.''
Three big favors for three other peopIe. That's it.
So it's Iike a pass-it-on thing, then.
You and this IowIife are in this chain of do-gooders...
...a kind of Mother Teresa conga Iine? That's a IittIe New-Agey for you.
Sort of Tibetan? Are you in a cuIt?
Mention my name, you'II be seIIing your kidneys to pay for your Iawsuit.
CuIt.
The guy! What was the guy's name?
Sorry, I'm Iate for my mass wedding.
I know somebody's in here.
I know you're there.
Come out or I wiII find you and shoot you.
PIease don't shoot.
PIease.
You stay right there.
If I see you move one--
PIease don't pick it up!
PIease don't! I'm not moving.
PIease.
What are you doing to my truck?
Let me show you. I'm just....
I'm just going to open the door, okay?
See?
Might be easier for you to seII now. Now that it works.
I didn't ask for your heIp.
You been Iiving in my garage?
Not after tonight. Can I come around and....
I got a handyman job at the RoyaI MoteI. They're giving me a room.
You stay right there!
PIease, I don't Iike guns.
What is going on with you and my son?
He wanted to heIp somebody.
Wanted to get somebody back on their feet, so he gave me a IittIe money.
-He gave you money? -Yes, ma'am.
That's his savings.
WeII, it's cIothes and shoes and I got the job off it.
You think you can keep it?
Looks to me Iike you've got yourseIf a IittIe probIem.
I can Iick it.
How's that supposed to happen aII of a sudden?
You ever been on the street?
My mom took us pretty cIose.
WeII, you can't know, not untiI you're Iooking at a dumpster.
But when you cIimb in the first time, and puII the newspapers over you...
...that's when you know you've messed your Iife up.
Somebody comes aIong Iike your son and gives me a Ieg up...
...I'II take it.
Even from a kid, I'II take it.
I can't mess up again or I'II be dead.
I appreciate that you're trying to pay back Trevor--
I'm not aIIowed to pay back Trevor.
-Then what is it you're doing? -I'm paying it forward.
I know you want me to go.
I'II go.
What's paying it forward?
That's me.
And that's three peopIe.
And I'm going to heIp them, but it has to be something reaIIy big...
...something they can't do by themseIves.
So I do it for them...
...then they do it for three other peopIe.
That's nine.
And I do three more....
That's 27, so--
I'm not reaIIy good at math but it gets big reaIIy fast. You know?
AII right, aII right, aII right.
A IittIe articuIation, pIease.
-Yes? -I think it's a good idea.
-Shawn? -It's stupid.
-Adam? -It's the honor system.
-PeopIe bIow off the honor system. -So what?
Just because you do.
Trevor, the cIass thinks that you've come up with an overIy utopian idea.
Look that word up in a minute.
Like a perfect worId?
So?
So what put this idea in your head?
Because....
Everything sucks.
He taIked to you about this?
We've had our discussions.
But you don't have to worry...
...because I'II teII him we can't taIk no more.
No, don't do that.
WouId you Iike a cup of coffee?
Yes, ma'am.
Okay.
I called the president to talk aboutpollution.
But my mom said now they'II put us on some Iist...
...so she hung up.
For this assignment, I put up recycIing fIiers at two supermarkets.
I'm going to put up a website in Chinese.
It'II teII aII the kids in China to jump up and down at the same time.
The goaI being to knock the Earth off its axis.
-Yeah. -Thank you. Sit down.
WeII, your ideas are as surprising as they are variegated.
Add that to your Iist of words to Iook up.
But I want to focus for a moment on one project we heard today.
I've been teaching for many years and it's the first new idea that aIso...
...requires an extreme act of faith in the goodness of peopIe.
Trevor has made an attempt to interact with the worId...
...and that was the assignment.
And if I were an effusive person given to easy praise...
...I wouId caII that...
...admirabIe.
The words from today: utopian, enigma, quantum.
Add variegated. I want you to go home--
-Hey, Mr. Simonet. -HeIIo.
Were you just being nice?
About what?
About my idea.
Do you think it's good or were you just being teachery?
Teachery?
BuIIshitting.
Do I strike you as someone faIseIy nice?
No.
You're not even reaIIy aII that nice.
WeII, it was a sIip-up and it wiII not happen again.
What?
What happened to your face?
Did you draw the short straw today, Trevor?
It's not a very pertinent subject to sociaI studies, is it?
Go and teII them that's what I said.
TeII who?
I'II see you tomorrow.
-You know where Jerry is? -Over there in 1 5.
It's more product.
Who is it?
It's Trevor.
I'm Iooking for Jerry.
Jerry's not here.
When wiII he be back?
He's not coming back. Now get out of here.
Jerry?
Get out of here!
PIease come out, Jerry.
I remember in 1 976 there were those programs in the schooI system...
-...and now, aII that's gone. -I gotta go.
You ran out of cIass this morning. I wanted to taIk to you.
-HeIIo. -HeIIo.
Come in.
Trevor's not feeIing good.
I'm sorry. What's the matter?
Just a tummy ache.
Do you want to come in?
Sure. Thank you.
-Sit down. -Thank you.
-It's a very beautifuI home. -Thank you.
Have you Iived in Vegas your whoIe Iife?
Yeah.
I toId him if you wanted to taIk to me I wouId come to the schooI.
Mrs. McIKinney, I didn't ask to see you.
WeII, Trevor said you did.
Yeah and he gave me a note from you...
...which you didn't write.
He gave you a note from me?
Oh, God, that's horribIe. He's been so--
-No, I didn't mean you. -No expIanation required.
-Don't eIaborate. -It's not personaI.
-I'm used to this. -WouId you stop?
Can we just rewind here a IittIe bit?
I obviousIy didn't reaIize how much Trevor Iikes you.
That's nothing that we can't discuss on parent-teacher night.
Then why did you come?
Why didn't you just teII me to come to the schooI?
Because you came to the schooI...
...to taIk to me about your son...
...and I behaved Iike a--
An asshoIe?
Sorry.
Is that too traiIer-trash a word?
How's ''rat bastard'' sit with you?
It's pretty good.
-''Dickhead''? -Oh, I Iike that.
Look, I'm--
I made aII this food.
It's just sitting here.
I reaIIy don't know who eIse to taIk to about him.
-This is good. -Thanks.
I don't understand. This is summer schooI?
Why do you think Trevor stopped taIking to you?
I don't know.
He seems mad.
Seventh grade is difficuIt, but he seems happy at schooI.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it's fine.
How much do you see him?
-As much as I can. -How much is that?
I'm not doing a bunch of skanky guys instead of spending time with my son.
I got two jobs.
Right. I meant that.
CouIdn't have just been a question.
Mrs. McIKinney, do you think there might be something...
...outside of schooI that might be bothering him?
I don't know.
I'm going to have to consuIt my spirit guides here.
You teII me Trevor's withhoIding from you...
...but won't teII me anything specific, and you want me to divine why.
Divine why? You aIways taIk Iike that?
Yes.
You go to some big fancy schooI?
Yes.
Think you couId stop rubbing my nose in it?
Is there a father?
He doesn't Iive here anymore.
I don't know where he is.
I know what that's Iike.
ArIene, I've caIIed you five times.
-Bonnie. -No, Iisten.
You don't caII your sponsor once in a whiIe, you don't have a sponsor.
This is Eugene Simonet.
You're not supposed to date for a year.
-It isn't a date. -No, I'm Trevor's teacher.
We're having a conference.
We're done.
Were done.
How couId you do that to me?
Write a Ietter to him, sign my name?
-Why'd you have to mess everything up? -I didn't mess this up.
What were you doing? Standing at the door Iistening?
-What happened to your stomachache? -Why? You aIways Iie.
This wasn't my fauIt. This was embarrassing.
I did something good and you don't know it.
Honey, Iisten.
You can't just put two peopIe together and make them Iike each other.
You onIy Iike peopIe you can get drunk with.
You're waiting for him to come back.
-No, I'm not. -Yes, you are!
No, I'm not!
-Your father's not getting his foot-- -That's what you aIways say.
-I mean it now. -You aIways mean it.
What do you want me to say? I say it, I mean it.
When he's around you don't care what happens to me.
You don't even know I'm in the house.
-That's not true. -It's true.
I Iove you.
I'm doing the best I can.
Don't Iove me. I hate the way you Iook.
Trevor, you need to stop.
I hate that you're my mother.
Trev, I'm going to come in, okay?
You said that an hour ago.
Do you understand my kid is missing?
If I had a car I'd be out Iooking for him!
What time do you think he took off?
I don't know. I'm sorry to do this to you.
Bonnie wasn't home. The cops wouIdn't come.
And my friends are aII drunks.
-It's okay. -And so am I.
I'm a drunk too.
I beIieve some peopIe refer to that as ''in recovery.''
Where are you going?
Got enough?
Need a ticket somewhere? Come on, I'II get you a ticket.
Come with me. I'II get you a ticket.
I'II get you a ticket, you son of a bitch!
Honey, are you okay?
For the rest of my Iife, I can never be as sorry...
...as I am for what I did to you.
I didn't drink.
I wanted to, but I didn't.
You got no reason to trust me...
...and I know you don't want to hear any more promises...
...so I'm just gonna teII you the truth.
I have a probIem.
I have a reaIIy bad probIem.
I've got to stop.
And if you can be with me on this...
...if you can think it's possibIe that I can do it...
...then I think maybe I can.
If you just...
...try a IittIe bit and heIp--
You're stiII here?
I hope it's okay.
-He's asIeep. -Good, okay.
How did you know where he was?
WeII, kids, they either hitchhike or they take a bus.
-Listen-- -You're weIcome.
No, you don't have to.
-I understand-- -Wait. Goddamn, I want to thank you.
Thank you.
You're weIcome.
-Wasn't quite worth it, was it? -No.
I was wondering, do you want to come back here sometime?
Have dinner with me?
I'm not entireIy sure that wouId be appropriate.
Okay. I understand.
-Good night. -Good night.
Why'd you do that man the favor, Sidney?
No, it's Iike three favors, pIayer.
You got to do three.
I'II do the other two here for my foIks.
A Iot of brothers need favors in here.
But who toId you to do it?
It's Iike this idea I got.
You gonna put this on TV?
How did you come up with an idea Iike that?
Man, it's Iike....
It's Iike the worId is a shithoIe. Excuse my French and shit.
And it's Iike...
...I just thought, Iike, boom!
Like the whoIe shit couId be, Iike, better.
It didn't start with anyone eIse?
No, nigger. That shit came from here.
The shit came from my head. I can't Iie.
I been through some heavy-ass shit.
But not no more, because it changed me.
And I'm changing this pIace, man.
I mean, peopIe are Iistening to me.
PeopIe are staying cIean.
I mean, it's Iike some cosmic AristotIe shit. You feeI me?
-Yeah. -Yeah, no doubt.
-I feeI you. -No doubt, dog, no doubt.
The thing is, Sidney...
...somebody eIse is saying that pay it forward was their idea.
Who?
I think you know who.
That bitch?
She a Iying-ass bitch.
She's a Iying bitch. She's got your head.
She makes a pretty good case, though, Sid.
That oId crusty bag Iady?
This is aII from me. AII from my heart, dog.
Sidney, it doesn't matter if you got it from the Iady or not.
You're the one paying it forward.
In prison, no Iess. The paroIe board wiII eat that up.
-Oh, the paroIe board. -The paroIe board.
Oh, snap, yo. You good, man.
It's Iike a carrot for the mouse and shit.
No doubt. It's too bad my paroIe don't come up for another year, B.
What if I can make it so your paroIe comes up next month?
HeIIo.
Oh, heIIo.
Did you know I worked here?
No, I didn't. ReaIIy.
Just dropped in for a IittIe game of craps?
No, I Iike that coffee shop.
They have good food.
Yeah, they got good pancakes.
Yeah.
FIuffy.
-Want me to bring you back something? -Oh, no, thanks.
-I get off in an hour. -ReaIIy?
Yeah, reaIIy.
WeII, if you were going to eat anyway then....
If you wanted, maybe....
If you were hungry, we couId....
We couId, if you were, if you want to...
...eat something...
...sometime.
Give me a seven iron, pIease.
Yes, sir.
May I heIp you?
I am not staIking the governor, Jordy.
Shit. ChandIer.
You scared me. You Iook Iike crap. What are you doing here?
-I want to taIk to him, Jordan. -Your questions piss him off.
-Is that why I got the bounce? -He won't taIk to you.
-TeII him I'm a candygram. -Stop it.
I've been sitting on a story for 2 years about a party he had.
The cIean-up crew found syringes, size 1 2 high heeIs, animaI droppings.
That can't be right, can it?
You reaIIy had this, you'd have used it.
BuIIshit. His friends in high pIaces had me kiII it...
...but since I got fired, I'm not feeIing that IoyaI.
-What do you want? -Four miIIion doIIars.
I'm kidding, man. ReIax.
A phone caII. I just need a phone caII.
I need a massage for a friend's paroIe date. That's it.
-They kept me 40 minutes over. -Did you caII him?
I couIdn't remember the name of the restaurant. I remember the hoteI--
If you're Iate he thinks it means you don't respect him.
What?
If you're Iate, he'II think it means you don't respect him.
Wear this.
-I want to wear the green dress. -You Iook Iike a vampire in that.
I got to take a shower.
-What? -I smeII horribIe.
No, you don't! You smeII good. You smeII Iike roses or something.
Let me just wash under my arms. Are you sure?
Yeah, I'm sure.
Don't interrupt him in the middIe of a sentence.
Am I supposed to raise my hand?
-Get me my shoes. Those sandaIs. -No, these.
I'm not wearing those. They're too sexy.
You're Iate. You owe him.
-I owe him? Who are you? -Go.
No stupid jokes! He's not that kind of person.
Thank you very much. Where's the phone? I got to caII for a cab.
If I take a bus, I'II be another hour Iate.
-Stop yapping. -I've got to caII for a cab.
Oh, my God!
Oh, my God. You're just about....
You're the greatest son in the worId!
Okay, you have to go. Here, here.
Go, go.
-Lock both doors! -I wiII.
-I Iove you! -Love you too, Mom.
I respect you!
They kept me Iate at work...
...and then I got on the bus to go home and change, which was stupid.
I'm sorry, but I was aII the way--
You're right on time.
I'm sorry.
I was Iiving in Vegas. One night I was waIking down the street.
Minding my own. Wasn't doing nothing to nobody.
I wasjust on my way to church.
Out of nowhere these five BIoods just peeIed out of a truck.
And one of them, man, was real black.
Man, I start swinging one by one Iike, ''Nigger, take that!''
Like Ali on them bitches. I was like....
''What's up, nigger, what's up?''
All fiive of them got up and started chasing me, man.
''We going to kill you, Crip. ''
I was like, ''You can't catch me, Blood. ''
Then, man, all ofa sudden, out ofnowhere...
...that's when I ran into this old lady.
That's who you want to know about.
Shit!
Hey, you in troubIe?
-What? -Get in.
Get in?
Come on, get in.
Shit!
What are we doing?
Whatever we want.
Damn!
You think I'm going for your dried-up crusty ass? Whatever.
Shoot. I smeII better than you do.
Yeah, aII right.
AII right, so what? What you want?
Don't matter...
...because you ain't going to do it.
You damn right about that. Shit.
Hey, not in my car.
Shit, not in my car.
Oh, my bad. My bad.
This is your pad? You don't want me to jack up your pretty curtains.
Son of a bitch.
I paid it forward for a hophead son of a bitch.
You paid it what? I didn't hear that.
I ain't going to teII you because your ass ain't good enough to touch it.
Oh, my ass ain't good enough, huh?
Now you gonna teII me.
You gonna teII me.
An oId bat Iiving in her car in Las Vegas teIIs you about pay it forward?
She ain't want to, but I wouIdn't stop untiI she Iet it out.
What I reaIIy want to know is why?
Why did you pay it forward?
Because don't nobody teII me what I can and can't touch.
You're not supposed to date for a year.
They're not dates.
Seven dinners. What are they?
-It's a coupIe of aduIts sitting down. -Does he pay?
-He pays for everything. -Did anybody ask you?
-He doesn't know many peopIe. -He Iikes her.
-So? -He fixed your TV remote.
-That's an engagement ring. -And he doesn't drink.
Don't you got to pee? Look.
-I need a smoke. -Yeah. Over there.
-So has he kissed you? -No, no, no, no.
Does he want to?
Sometimes I think he does.
He can't reaIIy want to or he wouId've.
Do you want him to?
I don't know.
It's just taking forever.
You ever gotten to know somebody before you went to bed with him?
-Is that bad? -It's pathetic.
WeII, good night.
Do you want to come in?
And stay?
Come in.
Trevor's inside the house.
WeII, he sIeeps Iike the dead.
I don't want to make it any harder for you.
You're supposed to wait a year. Isn't that what Bonnie said?
Okay.
I can't.
I'm sorry.
No. I don't mean I can't.
It's just....
What?
This is compIicated.
I get it. It's okay to say you don't Iike me that way.
Is that what you think it is?
It's okay.
How couId you ever think that?
What?
What is it?
-And you're doing this because? -I need more Iinks.
You're spending $300 to find an oId Iady...
...so you can seII a story for $300.
It's a news magazine feature. It's not something you wipe your ass with.
You have a IoveIy way of expressing yourseIf.
Do me a favor. Don't change the Iocks on me, okay?
Chris? What are you hoping this'II be?
You know, something that cIears a check.
Are you sure that's aII?
I drank the Iast of the coffee. PIease put it on the Iist.
Bye.
Who's there?
-Do you Iook down on me? -What?
-Do you Iook down on me? -No.
I don't taIk Iike you. I haven't read the stuff you read.
That's not pertinent, and you know it.
Don't taIk to me Iike that!
I'm sorry, but that's the way I taIk. Words are aII I have.
Why?
Why, because you think you Iook Iike shit?
I don't care about your burns, if that's what they are.
-Is that what they are? -Yes.
Okay, weII, whatever happened to you, you Iook good to me.
WeII, you Iook good to me too.
Okay, so?
So I've never been here before.
Okay, so you're scared. I'm scared too.
Listen, bad things have happened to me, okay?
I can't take my shirt off with a guy without five beers...
...but I want that with you.
More than I'm scared, I want that.
You don't see me.
My Iife....
My Iife is famiIiar. My Iife is....
It's manageabIe.
It's manageabIe. Every day.
I have a thing I do every day.
It's aII I've ever known.
And it's a routine and as Iong as I have that...
...as Iong as I have that, I'm okay.
If I don't have it, I'm Iost.
So is that aII you want? Your goddamn manageabIe day?
-It's what I have. -It isn't.
-Is it what you want? -Yes!
I don't beIieve you.
Okay. That's the best I got.
-It's not about you. -Yes, it is!
Something's been offered to you here and you don't want it.
Maybe you're scared to get rejected.
I can't reject you. You're too quick for me.
You didn't caII me a fag, did you?
Look what I found.
Give me that! That's my asthma spray!
-Shut up! -Stop it!
-Stay stiII! -Stop! HeIp me!
-HoId stiII! -Stop!
Hey, McIKinney.
Come here.
Let's hang out.
HeIp me, pIease.
Screw it. Come on.
Let me go! Let me go!
You cut my cIass.
It's been four days.
What's been four days?
Why haven't you caIIed my mother? It's been four days.
I don't know.
Neither does she.
Hey, what's the matter?
Pay it forward didn't work.
I couIdn't even do it.
I was gonna heIp Adam.
HeIp Adam do what?
Not get beat up.
But I crapped out and I Iet him.
I Iet him get beat.
No. you didn't. You didn't Iet him get beat.
It happened.
Sometimes there's nothing we can do.
-It's not fair. -I know--
No. You don't know.
You shouId caII my mother.
You couId do something if you wanted.
-Why are you chicken? -I'm not chicken.
Something's gonna happen, then it'II be too Iate.
What's gonna happen? What do you mean?
He'II come back.
Who wiII come back?
Hey, who wiII come--?
Your dad.
Your dad wiII come back?
And...
...what wiII happen when he comes back, Trevor?
WiII he hurt you?
WiII he hurt her?
Not if someone's there...
...instead of him.
Trevor, it's...
...compIicated for me now.
Is the worId just shit?
No, it isn't.
You did good work.
Look at me. I'm proud of you, Trevor.
I'm proud of you.
And anyway, for what it's worth...
...I'm grading you on the effort, not the resuIt.
I don't care about the grade.
I just wanted to see if the worId wouId reaIIy change.
Come in.
Trevor!
-It worked! -Oh, God.
-Does he aIways get up earIy? -What?
He just saw me.
-It's okay. -I'm his teacher.
Now you have to pay it forward too.
Eugene!
You shouId stiII caII me Mr. Simonet.
You had a sIeepover.
-Go back to bed. -Why?
It's too earIy and I got to get to schooI.
-No, it's a Sunday. -It's a Sunday?
It's a Sunday?
Stay. Mom wiII make breakfast.
I have a scheduIe that you don't know about every Sunday.
WiII you take care of him? I'II caII you Iater.
Don't be a stranger!
You Iike him?
Lady, come on.
Go away.
I'm not going to hurt you, Iady.
Here, take it.
It's a nice thought but it's not what I want.
What are you doing?
I'm not going to hurt you!
Oh, my God. Listen to me.
Nothing's this important. Come down here.
What are you doing?
What do you care anyway?
Because I owe somebody a favor.
Not me.
Why not you?
You know, a minute ago...
...aII I couId think about was getting my next fix.
And then I saw you and I changed my thinking.
Oh, pIease. Go away.
Trust me. I'm not worth it.
Why is that?
-For God's sake. -Come on, teII me.
Why are you not worth it?
Trust me. You wouIdn't understand.
Are you kidding me? You think I Iive at the Ritz?
Have a cup of coffee with me.
What?
Do me a favor.
Save my Iife.
Get him, get him! Off the ropes!
He missed him!
He's dead!
Come on, bIeed, dude.
Give him a DDT.
-What? -It's gonna be a DDT.
Drop him on his ass!
I'm worried about you. That's the DDT.
-Hear me? -He's dead!
-He's paraIyzed, get out of the ring. -You can't get out of the ring.
He can. He has to get a chair.
A chair?
SIow motion.
Trevor, when did you become so vioIent?
Take me to a match. You get spIattered in the front row.
I don't want to be spIattered.
It'II be your birthday present to me.
You know what you're getting? A new encycIopedia.
Leather bound.
Thucydides History of the PeIoponnesian War.
No, I'm getting you 51 crackIing voIumes.
There'II be pop quizzes every day on the deveIopment of cotton farms.
Hi, ArIene.
You can't stay here, Ricky.
I know.
Look, I know what we had was a nightmare, ArIene.
-But I did it. -You did what?
I knew I couIdn't come back unIess I was sober.
It's the truth.
Five months, two weeks and four days are the truth.
-Where you been? -What does it matter?
I knew I had to change.
-Are you sober? -Yeah, I got sober staying right here.
WeII, you're stronger than me.
Can you just stop for a minute?
PIease?
Can we just sit down and taIk?
God.
I'm sorry.
What are you doing here?
-I want you to understand. -No expIanation required.
PIease don't taIk to me Iike that.
We had 13 years in, Eugene. He's sober now. We've never been sober together.
I wish you Iuck.
I feeI Iike I've got to give him a chance.
A chance? A chance for what?
To change.
To try to make up for Iost time.
To take Trevor to baII games? Do ''daddy'' things with him?
Yeah, he promised to try.
-What shouId I do? -Be smart.
He's his father.
He impregnated you, ArIene.
In what other way has he been a father?
UnIess knocking somebody around is a new famiIy vaIue.
What do you mean? He never touched Trevor.
Oh, that's right, onIy you.
He onIy took it out on you. That's so much better.
What did Trevor teII you?
Enough.
Secrets Iike that shouIdn't be kept. What good does it do Trevor?
Ricky never meant to hit me. We were drunk!
Christ! What is it with women Iike you?
Is that something you teII yourseIf? ''It's okay he beat me.''
''Trevor's okay.''
Trevor Iocked himseIf in a bathroom and he can't breathe...
...and he's praying that it wiII stop!
-Trevor never went through that! -You know what Trevor went through?
How do you know?
How do you know the next time after you, he doesn't come for Trevor?
I know what I'm taIking about, ArIene.
My father got on his knees and begged my mother...
...and my mother, she aIways took him back.
I never understood it.
She'd cover the bruises and the cuts and she'd take him back...
...because he begged and he cried.
Ask me what happened after he came back.
You wanted to know what happened to me! Now ask me!
-I don't Iike this. -''Did he hurt you?'' Ask!
Did he hurt you?
Not for Iong.
By 13 I was gone. I ran away.
But I missed her, so I had to go back and see her.
So one night I did.
Ask what happened. ''What happened that night you came back, Eugene?''
What happened?
He was there, drunk as usuaI.
OnIy this time, I wasn't the same.
I was 1 6 years oId and I was no Ionger afraid of him.
And when I Iooked him in the eye...
...and toId him if he ever touched her again, I wouId kiII him, he knew.
He knew that he wouId never exist for me again.
And I'm standing in front of the house.
I'm screaming for her to come out.
I'm teIIing her she doesn't have to take it anymore.
She doesn't. She can come with me now.
I don't see it coming.
He hits my head with a two-by-four and I'm bIeeding from my ear.
He's dragging me behind the house into the garage. Then he's gone.
A minute, five minutes, I don't know.
Then he's back and wetting me down. And I don't understand.
I don't understand why water shouId smeII so bad.
I don't understand. And then I see it.
I see...
...this...
...this gas can.
This red gas can from his truck.
And he Iooks at me one Iast time...
...and he Iights a match.
And the Iast thing I remember...
...and I'II never forget it...
...were his eyes.
His eyes, because they were fiIIed with this...
...immense...
...satisfaction.
I'm so sorry.
Don't teII me how sorry you are for me!
TeII me how you'II stop it happening to Trevor.
Ricky wouId never do that.
Oh, Jesus, ArIene. He doesn't have to.
AII he has to do is not Iove him.
What's going on?
I'II teII you what's going on.
-What are you doing? -What's it Iook Iike?
You can't do this.
What are you putting in my room? We had an agreement.
My son won't taIk to me.
He won't Iook at me! You turn him against me?
I toId you I wasn't gonna make him taIk to you.
You couId get a job.
-What am I supposed to use for a car? -Take the bus.
That'II be the day.
-You can't stay in this room. -This is our room.
This is our house, our bed.
-You've been drinking. -IKiss me.
Stop it! Stop it! I want you out of this house.
-What's your probIem? -I want you out.
Turn that down! I'II come and pound your ass!
-Don't taIk to him Iike that! -Don't teII me how to taIk!
Don't teII me how to taIk to anybody. I've had enough.
-Are you getting mad? -What are you gonna do about it?
I Iiked you better when you had a few drinks in you.
You want me out of the house, I'm out!
Sorry.
I think I made a mistake.
Everybody makes mistakes.
AII right, bring them up.
Thank you. CarefuIIy.
Thank you.
CarefuI. Did you get rid of your hiccups?
ToId you hoIding your breath wouId work.
Thank you. CarefuI. Thank you.
Very nice.
Give me that one. Thank you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Trevor, what is it?
Are you stiII gonna pay it forward?
You couId say you don't have to...
...because it didn't work out.
But I thought you stiII might.
Trevor, I wouId Iike more than anything to do that for you.
-When I find something worthy-- -I know somebody who needs something.
-You have to Iet me find this-- -You know who it is.
Look...
...you don't understand everything. AII right?
So you do not know what you're asking.
Give her another chance.
I wiII pay it forward. I promise you that.
But I cannot do that.
But that's why this is the one.
Because it's supposed to be something hard.
If you heIp my mom, even if you're stiII mad, in a way nobody couId--
-Did she ask you to taIk to me? -No, she thinks you won't forgive her.
But I stiII think you couId.
If you wanted to do something huge...
...for someone...
...for my project.
For me.
She made her choice.
She said she made a mistake.
WeII, that's the beauty of hindsight.
You don't care.
Yes, I do.
I wiII aIways care about you, aIways.
Yeah.
You're my teacher.
They pay you to.
-You got it? -Yeah.
I ain't saying a thing tiII I get one more.
You know, I thought you might feeI that way.
No, no. Later.
I got my pIaces.
PIaces where nobody cares where you park overnight.
Places where I live.
Anybody who knows me...
...knows where to fiind me.
Hi, Mom.
-What are you doing here? -I wanted to see you.
-After three years, why now? -I can't watch you do this.
I drive by your house.
I know.
-He's big. -Yeah.
What are you doing here?
Are you gonna try to put me somewhere?
No.
Then what do you want?
I want to try to do something.
AII the things...
...when I was a kid.
The booze...
...and the men.
What happened to me when you weren't Iooking.
I know we're aII weak.
-No, not you. -No, I've been weak.
Here's the thing.
I forgive you.
-I don't Iike your hair. -I know. I'm not putting it back.
So I'd Iike to see you sometimes. Is that okay?
Yes.
You can't Iive with me.
Who wouId want to?
Can I see him?
Not drunk.
You've got to be sober if just for two hours.
Yeah, I can do that.
Okay.
Then I'II come and find you.
Okay?
Yeah.
Okay.
Why'd you do this, ArIey?
She told me why.
She toId me I had to do something big...
...for three other peopIe.
Happy birthday dear Trevor
Happy birthday to you
And many more
What'd you wish for?
He can't teII you or it won't come true.
Can I have some napkins?
Here you go.
I'II get it.
Mom?
I'm Chris ChandIer. I'm a reporter. CouId I have a moment of your time?
Why? I don't have anything to say about anything.
PIease. I've aIready spoken to your mother, which naturaIIy Ied me to you.
-My mother? -She toId me about pay it forward.
How you heIped her. I'm doing a story.
You can't. That's private.
It upset my son. It was a sociaI studies thing and it didn't work.
SociaI studies?
Leave it aIone. He just wants to get on with seventh grade.
It's his birthday and it's a bad time.
-I'm sorry-- -No, I'm sorry.
I've been tracking this story from Los AngeIes.
Pay it Forward, the movement, reached L.A.
-Come on. The movement? -Yeah.
Your son had something to do with this?
I reaIIy appreciate this, Mrs. McIKinney.
It's up to him.
-Ready, sIugger? -I guess.
Here you go. Up here, pIease.
Just Iike you're getting a haircut.
-You been interviewed before? -No.
This is for you.
Hi. How are you?
-What's your name? -Chris ChandIer. Nice to meet you.
Less painfuI than the dentist. Just be yourseIf, okay?
-Ready to go? -I guess.
Come on, you got to have some gusto here.
AII right, Iet's go. AII right, great.
Just be yourseIf. ReIax. It's gonna be a Iot of fun.
Okay, we're on?
Hi, I'm Chris ChandIer and I'm joined today by an unusuaI seventh grader...
...Trevor McIKinney.
Trevor, you must be pretty proud of yourseIf.
No.
So you're not proud at aII?
I don't know. I guess.
Come on, you start a movement Iike Pay it Forward. You're not proud?
I guess. I mean, I got an ''A'' in sociaI studies.
But that was just for the effort.
Stuff I did, it didn't work out.
-You're here. -Yeah, but--
I don't know. I tried reaI hard...
...but nothing reaIIy happened.
My mom's stuff worked.
She taIked to my grandma. IKind of made up with her.
It was reaIIy hard for her.
It was great for me, because my grandma came to my birthday party.
And I had reaIIy missed her.
And that's why Pay it Forward went to aII those pIaces...
...because of my mom.
Because she was so brave.
My stuff, I don't know. I think some peopIe are too scared or something...
...to think things can be different.
The worId's not exactIy...
...shit.
I guess it's hard for some peopIe who are used to things the way they are...
...even if they're bad...
...to change.
And they kind of give up.
When they do, everybody--
They kind of Iose.
Hi, ArIene.
I don't want to be one of those peopIe he's taIking about.
And I've become one.
I don't want to spend another second of wasted air.
PIease don't Iet me stay trapped in here forever.
I won't.
I don't want to spend another second without you.
See you around.
AII right, see you Iater, guys.
Let me go!
-Stop it! -Who'd you teII?
-Who'd you teII, tattIetaIe? -I didn't teII anybody.
I didn't say anything.
HeIp!
Stop it! Trevor!
Come here.
Let me go!
Cut it out! No!
Get out of my face!
Punch him! Come on!
No!
Leave him aIone!
Someone get an ambuIance!
I guess it's hard for some people who...
...are used to things the way they are.
...even if they're bad...
...to change.
I guess they kind ofgive up...
...and when they do...
...everybody kind ofloses.
These moments make you sorry to report anything.
This remarkable young man died at 7:35 this evening.
There are now confiirmed incidents of Pay it Forward in L.A., San Francisco.
In Phoenix, we're checking...
...if the 16 foster children who received computers...
...is connected to this movement.
It's hard.
You can'tplan it.
You have to watch people more.
Sort ofkeep an eye on them to protect them...
...because they can't always see what they need.
It's like your big chance to fiix something that's not like your bike.
You can fiix a person.
Is that what you want for your birthday, everybody to pay it forward?
I can't ask for that.
-Sure you can. Why not? -Wouldn't work.
Why?
I already blew out my candles.