1
00:01:16,305 --> 00:01:18,535
My name is Claireece ''Precious'' Jones.
2
00:01:21,077 --> 00:01:25,241
l wish l had a light-skinned boyfriend
with real nice hair.
3
00:01:25,348 --> 00:01:27,839
And l wanna be on the cover of a magazine.
4
00:01:27,950 --> 00:01:31,317
But first, l wanna be
in one of them BET videos.
5
00:01:31,421 --> 00:01:33,753
Momma said l can't dance.
6
00:01:33,856 --> 00:01:37,314
Plus, she said, who wants
to see my big ass dancing, anyhow?
7
00:01:37,427 --> 00:01:41,056
Well, if there's no volunteers,
then l'm going to have to call people.
8
00:01:41,164 --> 00:01:44,998
Okay, Leticia, you got number one. Leticia!
9
00:01:45,101 --> 00:01:46,466
Jess Wesley, number two.
10
00:01:46,569 --> 00:01:49,663
l like math. l don't say nothing.
11
00:01:50,506 --> 00:01:53,942
l don't open my book, even. l just sit there.
12
00:01:54,043 --> 00:01:55,533
-You down?
-Number six.
13
00:01:55,645 --> 00:01:59,581
Every day l tell myself
something's gonna happen.
14
00:01:59,682 --> 00:02:00,808
l'm.. . l'm dead serious.
15
00:02:00,917 --> 00:02:03,215
Like, l'm gonna break through.
16
00:02:03,786 --> 00:02:06,482
Or somebody's gonna break through to me.
17
00:02:06,956 --> 00:02:09,220
l'm gonna be normal
18
00:02:09,325 --> 00:02:12,226
and pay attention,
and sit in the front of the class.
19
00:02:12,328 --> 00:02:14,523
Distributive principles.. .
20
00:02:14,630 --> 00:02:15,688
Someday.
21
00:02:15,798 --> 00:02:18,028
...are principles that
you can do in your head.
22
00:02:18,134 --> 00:02:20,159
l like Mr. Wicher.
23
00:02:21,170 --> 00:02:25,504
l pretend he my husband
and we live someplace like Westchester.
24
00:02:26,642 --> 00:02:30,237
Look at him. He like me, too, l know it.
25
00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:35,779
l can tell by his eyes.
He always looking at me and smiling at me.
26
00:02:35,885 --> 00:02:37,944
Boys! Boys! Boys!
27
00:02:38,054 --> 00:02:39,248
l'm not your fucking boy!
28
00:02:39,355 --> 00:02:40,447
You're disrupting the class.
29
00:02:40,556 --> 00:02:42,956
Yeah, well, l'm talking now,
so you listen.
30
00:02:43,893 --> 00:02:46,623
Shut the fuck up! l'm trying to listen!
31
00:02:49,899 --> 00:02:52,197
Mr. Wicher know l got his back.
32
00:02:52,668 --> 00:02:54,158
One twenty-two.
33
00:02:55,838 --> 00:02:57,829
Why are we barking, Jess?
34
00:02:58,407 --> 00:03:02,810
Monday's assignment.
l'm assuming everybody did it.
35
00:03:03,246 --> 00:03:05,214
-No.
-No.
36
00:03:08,618 --> 00:03:13,282
Please.. . Quiet. Precious, get your things.
37
00:03:13,389 --> 00:03:15,448
l have.. . Come here for a second.
38
00:03:15,558 --> 00:03:16,650
Now this shit.
39
00:03:16,759 --> 00:03:19,751
ls there anybody
who didn't do their homework?
40
00:03:22,265 --> 00:03:27,032
Why? These aren't requests.
These are requirements. Okay?
41
00:03:30,740 --> 00:03:33,641
You have to go to the principal's office.
42
00:03:44,487 --> 00:03:45,647
Go to the principal's office!
43
00:03:45,755 --> 00:03:48,656
All right, that's enough. That's enough.
44
00:03:49,058 --> 00:03:52,118
No, he's not allowed on campus.
Where was he seen?
45
00:03:52,261 --> 00:03:54,126
Could you get Mr. Tork from Room 25,
46
00:03:54,230 --> 00:03:56,630
tell him to go to Room 16 right away?
Thank you.
47
00:03:56,732 --> 00:03:59,462
No. He was seen on the second floor.
48
00:04:00,770 --> 00:04:02,294
Yes. Thank you.
49
00:04:02,471 --> 00:04:04,530
Send Claireece in here!
50
00:04:07,844 --> 00:04:09,778
She's ready for you now.
51
00:04:13,516 --> 00:04:15,746
Mr. Taylor? Ms. Lichenstein.
52
00:04:16,285 --> 00:04:17,547
Come in.
53
00:04:17,987 --> 00:04:20,319
Matthew Williams, second floor.
54
00:04:21,157 --> 00:04:24,422
ln front of his locker.
Yes. Suspended last week.
55
00:04:27,230 --> 00:04:28,356
Yeah.
56
00:04:28,998 --> 00:04:31,091
Yes, absolutely. Thank you.
57
00:04:32,368 --> 00:04:34,063
Hello, Claireece.
58
00:04:39,208 --> 00:04:40,869
Are you pregnant?
59
00:04:48,217 --> 00:04:52,210
You're 16. You're still in junior high school,
60
00:04:54,056 --> 00:04:56,957
and you're pregnant with your second child.
61
00:04:57,059 --> 00:04:59,186
ls that correct, Claireece?
62
00:05:01,964 --> 00:05:03,898
Are you pregnant again?
63
00:05:11,274 --> 00:05:13,572
What happened, Claireece?
64
00:05:13,676 --> 00:05:16,372
l had sex, Ms. Lichenstein.
65
00:05:21,817 --> 00:05:25,810
Do you have any other thoughts
about your situation, Claireece?
66
00:05:31,093 --> 00:05:32,424
Claireece?
67
00:05:32,828 --> 00:05:34,557
Am l in trouble?
68
00:05:36,399 --> 00:05:39,163
Thank you. l gotta get back to math.
69
00:05:39,268 --> 00:05:42,294
Sit down, Claireece. Sit down right now.
70
00:05:44,540 --> 00:05:48,306
We should have a parent-teacher's
conference with you, me and your mother.
71
00:05:48,411 --> 00:05:50,470
My mother's busy.
72
00:05:50,579 --> 00:05:52,911
All right. Well then,
how about if l come to your house?
73
00:05:53,015 --> 00:05:54,949
lf l were you, l wouldn't.
74
00:05:55,051 --> 00:05:57,713
l.. . l'm going to have to suspend you.
75
00:05:58,921 --> 00:06:01,913
That ain't fair! l didn't do nothing!
l do my work!
76
00:06:02,024 --> 00:06:03,082
My grades is good!
77
00:06:03,192 --> 00:06:05,092
ls something going on at home?
78
00:06:05,194 --> 00:06:09,290
lf something's going on at home,
l want you to tell me right now.
79
00:06:21,143 --> 00:06:23,077
You get my cigarettes?
80
00:06:23,546 --> 00:06:25,377
No, they didn't have it.
81
00:06:25,481 --> 00:06:28,678
l played the number, though.
l couldn't box it.
82
00:06:56,245 --> 00:06:58,179
Yes. Yeah.
83
00:07:00,082 --> 00:07:02,846
Right there. Yeah. Daddy loves you.
84
00:07:12,028 --> 00:07:13,928
Precious, what did you think of the film?
85
00:07:14,030 --> 00:07:15,156
l thought it was fabulous.
86
00:07:15,264 --> 00:07:17,732
-What's next for you?
-What?
87
00:07:17,833 --> 00:07:20,393
-How are you feeling?
-l feel great!
88
00:07:22,405 --> 00:07:23,895
Just one more, just one more, quick!
89
00:07:24,006 --> 00:07:25,598
l love you, too!
90
00:07:28,044 --> 00:07:29,204
You know l love you!
91
00:07:29,311 --> 00:07:30,869
Hey, boo!
92
00:07:39,188 --> 00:07:41,383
l ain't gonna say it no more.
93
00:07:46,629 --> 00:07:48,722
The door was open, so l let myself in.
94
00:07:48,831 --> 00:07:52,164
Well, there goes my chance
to tell you l'm not home.
95
00:07:52,768 --> 00:07:54,463
Now, Mary, this is important.
96
00:07:59,475 --> 00:08:01,033
Now, come on, Mary,
she'll have a great time.
97
00:08:01,143 --> 00:08:04,510
l'd enroll myself, but l became ineligible
for teen pageants a few days ago.
98
00:08:05,548 --> 00:08:08,415
Yeah, l see your acne's cleared up.
99
00:08:09,418 --> 00:08:11,682
You know, this pageant can do Brenda
a world of good, Mary.
100
00:08:11,787 --> 00:08:15,416
And the man in charge, he's tops
in his field. A brilliant promoter.
101
00:08:15,758 --> 00:08:17,589
How long have you two been dating?
102
00:08:19,095 --> 00:08:21,120
A dance teacher.
103
00:08:23,065 --> 00:08:26,000
Tell them assholes to stop ringing my bell.
104
00:08:26,735 --> 00:08:28,760
l hate crackheads.
105
00:08:29,605 --> 00:08:32,335
No one ever ring this bell
except for crackheads.
106
00:08:32,475 --> 00:08:34,568
Why they fucking with us?
107
00:08:39,115 --> 00:08:42,448
Stop ringing the goddamn buzzers,
motherfuckers!
108
00:08:42,551 --> 00:08:44,678
Give the ghetto a bad name.
109
00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:52,925
Stop ringing the goddamn buzzer!
110
00:09:02,538 --> 00:09:03,732
Stop it!
111
00:09:04,406 --> 00:09:05,634
Stop it!
112
00:09:06,108 --> 00:09:08,076
Press ''listen,'' stupid.
113
00:09:13,482 --> 00:09:17,282
lt's Sandra Lichenstein
for Claireece and Ms. Mary Johnston.
114
00:09:20,389 --> 00:09:22,254
Who is that, Precious?
115
00:09:22,892 --> 00:09:24,860
White bitch from school.
116
00:09:32,268 --> 00:09:33,963
What do you want?
117
00:09:34,470 --> 00:09:37,962
Claireece, l want to talk to you
about your education.
118
00:09:41,810 --> 00:09:43,710
Eighty-six that bitch.
119
00:09:44,580 --> 00:09:46,571
My mother don't wanna get cut off welfare.
120
00:09:46,682 --> 00:09:49,173
And that's just what this visit
gonna result in.
121
00:09:52,087 --> 00:09:55,215
Ms. Lichenstein, get out of here
before l kick your ass.
122
00:09:55,324 --> 00:09:57,554
All right, Claireece, l spoke to Mr. Wicher,
123
00:09:57,660 --> 00:10:00,493
and he told me
that you're one of his best math students.
124
00:10:00,596 --> 00:10:03,531
lf your fat ass don't get
that bitch away from here.. .
125
00:10:03,632 --> 00:10:06,260
...like a, like a potential for math.
126
00:10:06,368 --> 00:10:07,858
So l called Mrs. McKnight
127
00:10:07,970 --> 00:10:12,066
from Higher Education Alternative
Each One Teach One.
128
00:10:12,942 --> 00:10:15,069
lt's an alternative school.
129
00:10:15,878 --> 00:10:18,176
Claireece, are you listening to me?
130
00:10:18,847 --> 00:10:19,814
Yeah.
131
00:10:19,915 --> 00:10:23,749
Okay. Mrs. McKnight. Each One Teach One.
132
00:10:23,986 --> 00:10:29,856
lt's located at the 1 1th floor,
Hotel Theresa, 1 25th Street.
133
00:10:30,426 --> 00:10:32,826
-Get rid of that bitch.
-The semester started a few days ago,
134
00:10:32,928 --> 00:10:33,917
so you're not too late.
135
00:10:34,029 --> 00:10:35,553
Eleventh floor.
136
00:10:35,998 --> 00:10:37,625
l heard you the first time.
137
00:10:38,534 --> 00:10:39,762
Okay.
138
00:10:41,237 --> 00:10:45,503
l don't know what an alternative school is,
but l feel l wanna know.
139
00:10:47,509 --> 00:10:49,739
My heart is all warm inside.
140
00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:53,239
Mr. Wicher think l'm a good student.
141
00:10:54,817 --> 00:10:56,751
l knew that he liked me.
142
00:11:16,872 --> 00:11:19,272
School ain't gonna help none!
143
00:11:19,375 --> 00:11:21,900
Take your ass down to the welfare.
144
00:11:22,011 --> 00:11:24,241
Who the fuck she think she is?
145
00:11:25,180 --> 00:11:29,981
So l guess you think you cute now, right?
Uppity bitch.
146
00:11:30,085 --> 00:11:33,054
You should have kept
your fucking mouth shut.
147
00:11:34,990 --> 00:11:36,958
Just 'cause he gonna give you
more children than he give me,
148
00:11:37,059 --> 00:11:39,289
you think you something fucking special?
149
00:11:39,395 --> 00:11:41,363
Fuck you and fuck him!
150
00:11:45,868 --> 00:11:47,130
Precious!
151
00:11:49,305 --> 00:11:51,535
Precious! Precious!
152
00:11:52,641 --> 00:11:54,165
Get down here, bitch!
153
00:11:54,276 --> 00:11:56,642
You brought that white bitch up
in my house!
154
00:11:57,579 --> 00:11:59,479
You.. .
Why would you bring that bitch up in here?
155
00:11:59,581 --> 00:12:00,605
l didn't bring her here.
156
00:12:00,716 --> 00:12:03,549
Well, why the fuck did she ring my buzzer?
157
00:12:05,187 --> 00:12:06,415
l can't hear you, Precious.
158
00:12:06,522 --> 00:12:08,513
Since you got
so much motherfucking mouth,
159
00:12:08,624 --> 00:12:10,285
and you gonna bring a bitch up
in my house,
160
00:12:10,392 --> 00:12:12,417
why would that bitch ring
my goddamn buzzer?
161
00:12:12,528 --> 00:12:14,189
l didn't tell her to come here.
162
00:12:14,296 --> 00:12:17,993
See, l think right now, you feeling
like you're becoming a grown woman.
163
00:12:18,100 --> 00:12:19,931
'Cause of that shit you pulled
in the kitchen.
164
00:12:20,035 --> 00:12:23,368
l should've fucked you up,
but l let you walk away,
165
00:12:23,472 --> 00:12:25,372
and l let you come get yourself together.
166
00:12:25,474 --> 00:12:28,500
But, bitch, l'm gonna let you know
if you ever pull that shit on me again,
167
00:12:28,610 --> 00:12:31,135
that will be your last
motherfucking day standing,
168
00:12:31,246 --> 00:12:32,235
l promise you that.
169
00:12:32,348 --> 00:12:34,839
You gonna send a white bitch
to my motherfucking buzzer?
170
00:12:34,950 --> 00:12:36,542
Talking about some higher education?
171
00:12:36,652 --> 00:12:39,883
You're a dummy, bitch,
you will never know shit.
172
00:12:39,988 --> 00:12:42,286
Don't nobody want you.
Don't nobody need you.
173
00:12:42,391 --> 00:12:44,985
You done fucked around
and fucked my motherfucking man
174
00:12:45,094 --> 00:12:46,994
and had two motherfucking children,
175
00:12:47,096 --> 00:12:48,757
and one of them is a goddamn animal,
176
00:12:48,864 --> 00:12:51,890
running around,
looking crazy as a motherfucker.
177
00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:55,993
Bitch, you know what?
See, l think you.. . l think you're trying me.
178
00:12:56,672 --> 00:13:00,574
l think you're really trying to fuck with me.
You're fucking with my money.
179
00:13:00,676 --> 00:13:02,735
And you're gonna stand up there
and look down at me
180
00:13:02,845 --> 00:13:04,403
like you're a motherfucking woman.
181
00:13:04,513 --> 00:13:06,481
l'm gonna show you
what real women do, bitch.
182
00:13:06,582 --> 00:13:09,016
See, you don't know
what real motherfucking women do.
183
00:13:09,118 --> 00:13:11,052
Real motherfucking women sacrifice.
184
00:13:11,153 --> 00:13:14,520
l should've aborted your motherfucking ass.
'Cause you ain't shit.
185
00:13:14,623 --> 00:13:17,183
l knew it the day the doctors put you
in my goddamn hand
186
00:13:17,292 --> 00:13:18,782
you wasn't a goddamn thing,
187
00:13:18,894 --> 00:13:21,158
and you have that smirk
on your face, bitch?
188
00:13:21,263 --> 00:13:22,958
Get it off your fucking face!
189
00:13:23,065 --> 00:13:26,592
Now smile about that!
Smile about that, you fat bitch.
190
00:13:30,239 --> 00:13:32,298
l'm gonna kill you, bitch!
191
00:13:42,251 --> 00:13:43,946
Get off me, bitch!
192
00:13:46,255 --> 00:13:47,620
And ''blank'' and eggs?
193
00:13:47,723 --> 00:13:49,054
-Bacon?
-Right.
194
00:13:49,158 --> 00:13:51,683
-And ''What's up, Doc?'' He eats these.
-Carrots.
195
00:13:51,794 --> 00:13:55,161
-Right. And ice, it comes in a tray.
-lce cubes.
196
00:13:55,264 --> 00:13:58,165
Right. And the best part of the steak. The...
197
00:13:58,267 --> 00:13:59,700
-The T-bone. The...
-No.
198
00:13:59,802 --> 00:14:01,099
-Filet mignon.
-Right!
199
00:14:01,203 --> 00:14:04,661
-And an English... Thomas' English...
-Muffin!
200
00:14:04,773 --> 00:14:06,502
-Right.
-That's it!
201
00:14:15,184 --> 00:14:17,618
You really need to get some rest.
202
00:14:17,719 --> 00:14:20,517
You have such a big day
ahead of you tomorrow.
203
00:14:20,622 --> 00:14:23,750
And remember, Mommy loves you.
204
00:14:27,095 --> 00:14:32,431
Describe these things that are planned.
Things that are planned. Ready? Go!
205
00:14:35,637 --> 00:14:38,731
Precious, you know l love you.
206
00:14:38,841 --> 00:14:41,810
l'm gonna kick that white lady
out of my house,
207
00:14:41,910 --> 00:14:43,741
move you in with me.
208
00:14:43,846 --> 00:14:45,905
Wanna live in Westchester?
209
00:14:47,783 --> 00:14:49,114
-Commit a...
-Crime.
210
00:14:49,218 --> 00:14:51,152
And this is you get back together again.
211
00:14:51,253 --> 00:14:52,277
-A class...
-Reunion.
212
00:14:52,387 --> 00:14:53,854
And this is when you're like this,
213
00:14:53,956 --> 00:14:55,218
-you're expecting...
-Pregnant.
214
00:14:55,324 --> 00:14:57,758
-Yeah. And this is you make a fast...
-Escape.
215
00:14:57,860 --> 00:14:59,555
-Right.
-That's it!
216
00:15:32,127 --> 00:15:33,719
Where you going?
217
00:15:34,396 --> 00:15:36,057
Where you going?
218
00:15:36,365 --> 00:15:40,301
Make sure you play my 852
and tell them to box it.
219
00:15:43,906 --> 00:15:45,965
And get some kitty litter.
220
00:15:50,412 --> 00:15:52,243
Ethel, where you at?
221
00:15:56,251 --> 00:15:57,411
Precious, what are we gonna play?
222
00:15:57,519 --> 00:15:58,508
Girl, get the fuck out of here.
223
00:15:58,620 --> 00:16:00,053
Ain't you supposed to be
at school or something?
224
00:16:00,155 --> 00:16:01,782
You said we was gonna play.
225
00:16:01,890 --> 00:16:03,983
That's exactly why
we ain't gonna be playing.
226
00:16:04,092 --> 00:16:05,616
l never said nothing like that.
227
00:17:07,823 --> 00:17:11,486
You would say some shit like that to me,
and you don't even mean it?
228
00:17:11,593 --> 00:17:15,757
No, l'm not playing with you.
No, and she call.. . Hold on.
229
00:17:16,765 --> 00:17:19,199
Each One Teach One, hold, please.
230
00:17:19,768 --> 00:17:23,204
Yes. She called my house.
l know it wasn't your sister, Trey.
231
00:17:23,905 --> 00:17:25,839
Because it wasn't her.
232
00:17:29,578 --> 00:17:31,307
What this is here?
233
00:17:31,980 --> 00:17:33,242
Each One Teach One.
234
00:17:34,182 --> 00:17:36,207
l'm looking for an alternative school.
235
00:17:36,318 --> 00:17:38,081
This is an alternative.
236
00:17:38,186 --> 00:17:40,279
What alternative is?
237
00:17:40,389 --> 00:17:42,823
What exactly are you asking me?
238
00:17:42,924 --> 00:17:44,949
Lady at my other school
told me to come here.
239
00:17:45,060 --> 00:17:48,359
Hotel Theresa.
Said it's an alternative school.
240
00:17:48,463 --> 00:17:54,493
An alternative school, it's like a choice.
lt's a different way of doing things.
241
00:17:54,603 --> 00:17:58,266
So, l need your discharge papers
saying that they discharged you.
242
00:17:58,373 --> 00:18:01,274
l got kicked out of school
'cause l was pregnant.
243
00:18:01,376 --> 00:18:04,209
Well, l still need your discharge papers,
otherwise we can't let you in.
244
00:18:04,312 --> 00:18:06,337
Ms. Lichenstein didn't say all that.
245
00:18:06,448 --> 00:18:08,746
You the one she called about.
246
00:18:10,585 --> 00:18:12,314
Claireece P. Jones?
247
00:18:12,821 --> 00:18:16,154
They already sent over
your discharge papers and stuff.
248
00:18:16,258 --> 00:18:17,850
l could start today?
249
00:18:17,959 --> 00:18:21,292
Yeah. Are you currently receiving AFDC?
250
00:18:21,396 --> 00:18:24,422
My mother get AFDC
for me and my daughter.
251
00:18:24,533 --> 00:18:27,696
So your mother has custody of you and
your daughter, and you're on her budget?
252
00:18:27,803 --> 00:18:30,738
Okay, well, l'm gonna need a copy
of your mother's budget,
253
00:18:30,839 --> 00:18:33,831
and a copy of your phone bill
and your utility bill.
254
00:18:33,942 --> 00:18:37,207
We gotta give you a few tests,
test your reading and your math level,
255
00:18:37,312 --> 00:18:38,939
see where to place you.
256
00:18:39,614 --> 00:18:42,447
Hold on, baby. Each One Teach One, hold.
257
00:18:43,418 --> 00:18:47,912
To enter into the GED classes,
you gotta get an 8.0 or better on the TABE.
258
00:19:19,387 --> 00:19:22,515
There's always something wrong
with these tests.
259
00:19:24,659 --> 00:19:26,752
These tests paint a picture of me
with no brain.
260
00:19:28,096 --> 00:19:30,155
These tests paint a picture
of me and my mother,
261
00:19:30,265 --> 00:19:32,699
my whole family, as less than dumb.
262
00:19:32,801 --> 00:19:36,828
Just ugly, black grease to be wiped away,
find another job for.
263
00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:40,835
Sometimes l wish l was dead.
264
00:19:42,544 --> 00:19:46,241
l'll be okay, l guess, 'cause l'm looking up.
265
00:19:48,483 --> 00:19:51,008
l'm looking up for a piano to fall.
266
00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:55,021
Or a desk, couch, TV... Momma, maybe.
267
00:19:56,057 --> 00:19:58,218
Always something in my way.
268
00:19:59,594 --> 00:20:00,583
Yeah, man.
269
00:20:00,695 --> 00:20:02,925
Yo, make sure you get that
for me, too, man.
270
00:20:03,031 --> 00:20:04,521
Alternative.
271
00:20:04,633 --> 00:20:06,601
Man, you gotta stop smoking
them shits, man.
272
00:20:06,701 --> 00:20:08,965
That ain't the only thing
that's gonna fucking kill you.
273
00:20:09,070 --> 00:20:10,935
Hustling in these streets gonna kill you.
274
00:20:11,740 --> 00:20:12,968
lt is what it is.
275
00:20:13,074 --> 00:20:15,133
Then my mind come back down to Earth.
276
00:20:16,011 --> 00:20:18,741
Let me get some of that sweet ass, orca!
277
00:20:19,314 --> 00:20:20,281
What up, mama?
278
00:20:20,382 --> 00:20:22,407
Why boys always grabbing on themselves?
279
00:20:22,517 --> 00:20:26,317
You heard what the fuck l said?
l said give me some fucking ass.
280
00:20:26,421 --> 00:20:29,185
l'm serious!
When you gonna let me hit that?
281
00:20:29,291 --> 00:20:30,315
That bitch is laughing.. .
282
00:20:30,425 --> 00:20:31,790
l wish they'd leave me alone.
283
00:20:31,893 --> 00:20:33,861
-She's stupid.
-Yeah.
284
00:20:36,565 --> 00:20:38,396
Yo, that's not even funny.
285
00:20:38,967 --> 00:20:41,265
That's what she'd get anyway, no.
286
00:20:44,039 --> 00:20:45,267
Precious!
287
00:22:45,093 --> 00:22:48,028
Ma, l need some money!
288
00:22:52,367 --> 00:22:53,959
Ma, l'm hungry!
289
00:22:56,071 --> 00:22:58,562
Come take care of Mommy, Precious.
290
00:23:03,678 --> 00:23:05,873
l wish she'd stop this shit.
291
00:23:12,921 --> 00:23:14,889
The other day l cried.
292
00:23:15,957 --> 00:23:19,654
l felt stupid. But you know what?
293
00:23:20,228 --> 00:23:21,855
Fuck that day.
294
00:23:23,198 --> 00:23:26,998
That's why God, or whoever,
makes new days.
295
00:23:27,769 --> 00:23:29,430
Still hungry, though.
296
00:23:35,276 --> 00:23:37,608
Nigger wants me to leave my kids.
297
00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:40,347
They're my kids.
298
00:23:43,585 --> 00:23:46,383
-What d'you want, baby?
-Give me a basket, please.
299
00:23:46,488 --> 00:23:48,319
-Sides?
-l don't know yet.
300
00:23:48,423 --> 00:23:52,018
Still thinking about it.
Trying to watch my figure.
301
00:23:55,897 --> 00:23:58,866
Butchie, you got a 10-piece ready?
302
00:24:20,655 --> 00:24:22,179
Potato salad.
303
00:24:22,690 --> 00:24:23,816
Thank you.
304
00:24:29,864 --> 00:24:31,695
Hell, no, she didn't!
305
00:24:32,300 --> 00:24:34,734
Get her ass! Get that big bitch!
306
00:25:08,269 --> 00:25:10,829
No, l am not the one.
307
00:26:17,672 --> 00:26:19,071
You in ABE?
308
00:26:21,176 --> 00:26:22,268
Yeah.
309
00:26:23,945 --> 00:26:25,640
Time's a-wasting.
310
00:26:49,003 --> 00:26:50,664
What's your name?
311
00:26:51,539 --> 00:26:52,972
Claireece.
312
00:26:54,209 --> 00:26:55,904
Are you coming in?
313
00:27:02,383 --> 00:27:04,817
That door closes in 20 seconds.
314
00:27:10,225 --> 00:27:12,455
How are you guys doing today?
315
00:27:13,995 --> 00:27:16,555
Would you like to join us, Consuelo?
316
00:27:17,732 --> 00:27:20,223
Consuelo, class is beginning.
317
00:27:23,404 --> 00:27:26,532
You guys know
that you are in the ABE class.
318
00:27:27,075 --> 00:27:30,533
This is not GED.
This is to get you ready for your GED.
319
00:27:51,733 --> 00:27:55,169
These journals are very important
to this class, so do not forget them.
320
00:27:55,270 --> 00:27:57,636
You will need to use them every day
that you are here.
321
00:27:57,739 --> 00:27:59,172
They are the key to this class.
322
00:27:59,274 --> 00:28:00,571
lt's 9:07, Joann. You're late.
323
00:28:00,675 --> 00:28:03,303
You're the one who said breakfast is
the most important meal of the day.
324
00:28:03,411 --> 00:28:06,312
Tomorrow, that door will be locked at 9:00.
325
00:28:09,517 --> 00:28:13,317
l want you to state your name,
where you were born,
326
00:28:13,421 --> 00:28:18,017
your favorite color, something you do well
and why you're here.
327
00:28:19,294 --> 00:28:20,921
l'll go first.
328
00:28:21,029 --> 00:28:22,519
When you due?
329
00:28:23,464 --> 00:28:25,591
-My name.. .
-What you mean, you don't know?
330
00:28:25,700 --> 00:28:27,361
...is Blu Rain.
331
00:28:27,468 --> 00:28:29,698
-That's your real name?
-Yes, it is.
332
00:28:29,804 --> 00:28:32,204
Your first name's Blu?
333
00:28:35,476 --> 00:28:39,708
My favorite color is purple. l sing well.
334
00:28:41,015 --> 00:28:42,642
And l'm here
335
00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:47,579
because l love to teach.
336
00:28:47,689 --> 00:28:49,122
She like to sing.
337
00:28:49,223 --> 00:28:50,656
Rhonda?
338
00:28:50,758 --> 00:28:54,717
l wish l could sing.
Go to church and sing in the choir.
339
00:28:55,663 --> 00:28:57,028
Show them how it's done.
340
00:28:57,131 --> 00:29:01,795
All right.
My name is Rhonda Patrice Johnson.
341
00:29:03,705 --> 00:29:05,002
Problem?
342
00:29:06,407 --> 00:29:08,307
-l should smack her.
-What?
343
00:29:08,409 --> 00:29:13,938
l was born in Kingston, Jamaica,
and my favorite color is blue.
344
00:29:14,482 --> 00:29:16,006
And l cook good.
345
00:29:16,117 --> 00:29:18,745
My mother, she used to have a restaurant
over on 7th Avenue.
346
00:29:18,853 --> 00:29:21,413
Before she get sick,
she teach me everything.
347
00:29:21,522 --> 00:29:25,322
So l'm here to get my reading up,
so l can get my GED.
348
00:29:30,565 --> 00:29:34,126
My name is Rita Romero.
l was born here in Harlem.
349
00:29:35,570 --> 00:29:39,438
l'm here 'cause l was an addict
and l dropped out of school.
350
00:29:40,341 --> 00:29:43,401
So l never got
my reading and writing together.
351
00:29:44,011 --> 00:29:45,774
My favorite color's black.
352
00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:47,245
What do you do good?
353
00:29:47,348 --> 00:29:50,078
''Well,'' Joann. ''What do you do well?''
354
00:29:50,184 --> 00:29:53,051
-What do l do well?
-No. Rita?
355
00:29:53,721 --> 00:29:56,383
l'm a good mother. Very good mother.
356
00:29:59,861 --> 00:30:02,853
My name's Jermaine.
My favorite color is red.
357
00:30:02,964 --> 00:30:05,091
Tell us where you were born first.
358
00:30:05,199 --> 00:30:08,327
l was born in the Bronx. Still live there.
359
00:30:08,436 --> 00:30:12,304
My favorite color is red. Used to be blue.
360
00:30:13,741 --> 00:30:15,936
l can dance real good.
361
00:30:16,043 --> 00:30:18,204
Homie of mine told me
about Each One Teach One,
362
00:30:18,312 --> 00:30:21,042
so l came here to stay out of trouble.
363
00:30:21,149 --> 00:30:23,947
So you came here to Harlem
to stay out of trouble? ls that right?
364
00:30:24,051 --> 00:30:25,382
Yeah.
365
00:30:25,486 --> 00:30:28,148
-Consuelo?
-This is bullshit.
366
00:30:28,256 --> 00:30:29,746
You think so?
367
00:30:34,529 --> 00:30:35,894
Claireece?
368
00:30:38,533 --> 00:30:40,160
Can l skip, too?
369
00:30:42,236 --> 00:30:43,669
Joann?
370
00:30:43,771 --> 00:30:47,207
Okay. l'm Joann. Hey.
371
00:30:49,844 --> 00:30:52,039
My favorite color is fluorescent beige
372
00:30:52,146 --> 00:30:55,013
and my ambition is to have
my own record layer.
373
00:30:55,116 --> 00:30:56,105
What's a record layer?
374
00:30:56,217 --> 00:30:59,118
Tell us where you come from
and why you come to this school.
375
00:30:59,220 --> 00:31:01,188
l was born in Kings County Hospital,
376
00:31:01,289 --> 00:31:03,689
but my mother moved us to Harlem
when l was nine.
377
00:31:03,791 --> 00:31:08,819
l'm here to get my GED, and then.. .
Well, l'm already into the music industry.
378
00:31:08,930 --> 00:31:12,491
l'm just trying to take care of
this little education thing so l can move up.
379
00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:17,594
Let's begin. This is ABE.
380
00:31:17,705 --> 00:31:19,002
Can l go?
381
00:31:24,645 --> 00:31:27,910
l wish l could sit
in the back of the class again.
382
00:31:36,457 --> 00:31:40,450
My name Claireece ''Precious'' Jones.
383
00:31:41,629 --> 00:31:43,324
l go by Precious.
384
00:31:45,099 --> 00:31:48,466
l live in Harlem. l like yellow.
385
00:31:49,570 --> 00:31:55,600
And l had problems at my other school,
so l come here.
386
00:31:57,945 --> 00:31:59,845
Something you do well?
387
00:32:02,383 --> 00:32:03,714
Nothing.
388
00:32:04,485 --> 00:32:06,783
Everybody's good at something.
389
00:32:09,857 --> 00:32:11,222
Come on.
390
00:32:14,862 --> 00:32:18,559
Well, l can cook. And.. .
391
00:32:21,068 --> 00:32:23,832
l never really talked in class before.
392
00:32:27,742 --> 00:32:29,937
How does that make you feel?
393
00:32:37,385 --> 00:32:38,511
Here.
394
00:32:42,356 --> 00:32:44,290
lt makes me feel here.
395
00:32:46,761 --> 00:32:48,786
Everybody open their journal.
396
00:32:48,896 --> 00:32:52,889
Write the date at the top of the page,
and write.
397
00:32:54,468 --> 00:32:56,698
l don't care if you spell everything wrong.
398
00:32:56,804 --> 00:32:58,897
l don't care if it's grammatically incorrect.
But just write.
399
00:32:59,006 --> 00:33:00,701
Write anything that you're feeling.
400
00:33:00,808 --> 00:33:03,140
This class will be a revolving door.
401
00:33:03,244 --> 00:33:06,372
Some of you will make it
and some of you won't.
402
00:33:08,115 --> 00:33:09,810
Fifteen minutes. Go.
403
00:33:12,653 --> 00:33:17,852
Before, l got a A-minus at English,
and l didn't have to say nothing.
404
00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:23,290
Ms. Rain said we gonna read
and write in our notebooks every day.
405
00:33:23,397 --> 00:33:25,490
How we supposed to do that?
406
00:33:28,202 --> 00:33:31,137
But then she see the worry on my face
and she say,
407
00:33:31,238 --> 00:33:34,332
''The longest journey
begin with a single step."
408
00:33:36,777 --> 00:33:39,644
Whatever the fuck that's supposed to mean.
409
00:33:40,815 --> 00:33:42,282
Come on, come on, do the work.
410
00:33:42,383 --> 00:33:45,784
You love it, love it, learn it.
411
00:33:46,854 --> 00:33:48,253
Consuelo?
412
00:33:48,990 --> 00:33:50,855
''C'' for Consuelo.
413
00:33:51,359 --> 00:33:53,088
''C'' for kick your ass.
414
00:33:53,194 --> 00:33:55,526
lt's ''K'' for kick your ass, stupid.
415
00:33:55,630 --> 00:33:57,598
l got the ''D,'' Ms. Rain.
416
00:34:01,969 --> 00:34:03,436
''D'' for dick.
417
00:34:04,305 --> 00:34:06,398
Ms. Rain, tell this little-ass bitch
that she don't know me.
418
00:34:06,507 --> 00:34:08,441
Which you wish you had.
419
00:34:16,550 --> 00:34:17,881
-Help her.
-''E.' '
420
00:34:17,985 --> 00:34:19,043
''E.' '
421
00:34:21,489 --> 00:34:22,547
''E.' '
422
00:34:49,150 --> 00:34:50,640
''F'' for fat.
423
00:34:52,153 --> 00:34:53,313
What?
424
00:34:53,821 --> 00:34:54,947
Good.
425
00:34:58,559 --> 00:35:01,585
Hey! Hey! Hey! Quit it! Hey!
426
00:35:02,763 --> 00:35:04,628
-What?
-Hey, you stop it right now!
427
00:35:04,732 --> 00:35:06,256
-You fucking.. .
-Quit it!
428
00:35:06,367 --> 00:35:07,459
-She just hit me!
-Drop it!
429
00:35:07,568 --> 00:35:08,660
Shut the fuck up!
430
00:35:09,937 --> 00:35:10,995
She just slapped me!
431
00:35:11,105 --> 00:35:12,402
Get out.
432
00:35:13,140 --> 00:35:15,734
We don't fight in my class. Sit down.
433
00:35:20,648 --> 00:35:22,445
''C'' for cold.
434
00:35:32,059 --> 00:35:34,027
Do you live with anybody?
435
00:35:35,396 --> 00:35:36,761
My mother.
436
00:35:37,498 --> 00:35:39,159
What does she do?
437
00:35:41,335 --> 00:35:43,200
She don't do nothing.
438
00:35:46,807 --> 00:35:49,674
l want you to read a page from this book.
439
00:35:57,952 --> 00:35:59,078
Try.
440
00:36:00,888 --> 00:36:04,688
All l need you to do is sound out
these words for me.
441
00:36:04,792 --> 00:36:06,316
You don't have to know every word.
442
00:36:06,427 --> 00:36:10,090
You just have to.. . lt doesn't matter
if you stumble or.. . Try for me.. .
443
00:36:10,197 --> 00:36:14,327
...or trip up on it.
You just need to say what you know.
444
00:36:14,435 --> 00:36:17,996
Come on. You can do this.
Try. Take it word by word.
445
00:36:19,106 --> 00:36:20,698
-Are you listening to me?
-Precious!
446
00:36:20,808 --> 00:36:23,800
l just wanna know where you are
in your reading skills.
447
00:36:23,911 --> 00:36:25,173
'Cause l'm looking at your test scores.. .
448
00:36:25,279 --> 00:36:27,747
Some higher fucking learning.
You're a dumb bitch!
449
00:36:27,848 --> 00:36:29,475
Try to read, okay?
450
00:36:29,583 --> 00:36:31,847
Just help me and then l can help you.
451
00:36:32,486 --> 00:36:34,386
We'll start from scratch. Word for word.
452
00:36:34,488 --> 00:36:36,979
l want you better than your mother.
453
00:36:38,092 --> 00:36:40,458
-l'm gonna call the nurse.
-No.
454
00:36:45,533 --> 00:36:47,865
lt all look the same to me.
455
00:36:51,605 --> 00:36:53,129
What's this?
456
00:36:55,543 --> 00:36:57,875
l can't do that, Ms. Rain.
457
00:36:58,979 --> 00:37:00,606
Push yourself.
458
00:37:03,217 --> 00:37:04,377
A.
459
00:37:06,287 --> 00:37:07,652
What's this word?
460
00:37:12,893 --> 00:37:15,691
Do you know the letters? Come on.
461
00:37:17,331 --> 00:37:18,389
''D.' '
462
00:37:21,702 --> 00:37:23,033
''A.' '
463
00:37:24,672 --> 00:37:26,003
''Y.' '
464
00:37:26,807 --> 00:37:28,741
Do you know that word?
465
00:37:31,278 --> 00:37:32,472
''Day.' '
466
00:37:34,615 --> 00:37:36,378
What word is that?
467
00:37:38,485 --> 00:37:40,282
Ate. Ate.
468
00:37:40,387 --> 00:37:42,753
Good. Almost. The word is ''At.' '
469
00:37:44,658 --> 00:37:45,818
''At.' '
470
00:37:48,495 --> 00:37:49,689
''The.' '
471
00:37:52,433 --> 00:37:53,491
Sound it out.
472
00:37:53,601 --> 00:37:55,091
''Beach.' '
473
00:37:55,202 --> 00:37:58,262
The word is ''Shore.' '
lt's almost like ''Beach.' '
474
00:37:59,039 --> 00:38:00,438
Very good.
475
00:38:01,108 --> 00:38:03,599
Now, read the whole thing for me.
476
00:38:05,646 --> 00:38:06,772
''A
477
00:38:08,382 --> 00:38:09,747
''Day
478
00:38:12,386 --> 00:38:14,513
''At The
479
00:38:15,589 --> 00:38:16,954
''Shore.' '
480
00:38:24,765 --> 00:38:26,790
Get your big ass in here.
481
00:38:39,513 --> 00:38:41,777
Where was you at this morning?
482
00:38:48,489 --> 00:38:50,980
You hear me talking to you?
Where was you at this morning?
483
00:38:51,091 --> 00:38:53,457
School. l was at school.
484
00:38:53,560 --> 00:38:54,925
You a lying whore.
485
00:38:55,029 --> 00:38:56,997
-l'm not lying.
-You is.
486
00:38:57,631 --> 00:39:00,122
The welfare done called here saying
they gonna remove you from my budget
487
00:39:00,234 --> 00:39:02,065
'cause you ain't been
attending school regularly.
488
00:39:02,169 --> 00:39:03,864
l told you l got kicked out.
489
00:39:03,971 --> 00:39:05,996
l been home nearly every day
for two weeks now.
490
00:39:06,106 --> 00:39:09,439
You ain't told me nothing
about no damn school today.
491
00:39:09,543 --> 00:39:12,535
l told you l was going
to school this morning.
492
00:39:14,214 --> 00:39:17,411
You plan on putting some food
in that frying pan?
493
00:39:22,957 --> 00:39:25,255
Precious, you got something
you wanna say?
494
00:39:25,359 --> 00:39:27,486
-No.
-Then don't be slamming shit down in here.
495
00:39:27,594 --> 00:39:29,118
You understand?
496
00:39:30,097 --> 00:39:31,496
Yes, ma'am.
497
00:39:33,233 --> 00:39:36,669
You need to forget about that school shit
and take your ass down to the welfare.
498
00:39:36,770 --> 00:39:38,567
l'm getting a stipend from school.
499
00:39:38,672 --> 00:39:40,867
Fool, what the fuck is a stipend?
What is that?
500
00:39:40,975 --> 00:39:44,536
Fuck a stipend.
l said take your ass down to the welfare.
501
00:39:44,645 --> 00:39:45,737
Right now?
502
00:39:45,846 --> 00:39:49,509
Why in the fuck would you go right now?
lt's at nighttime. Shit is closed.
503
00:39:49,616 --> 00:39:50,844
You gotta be there by 7:00 a.m .
504
00:39:50,951 --> 00:39:53,511
in the morning
if you wanna talk to somebody.
505
00:39:53,620 --> 00:39:55,178
Fucking stupid.
506
00:39:58,892 --> 00:40:02,521
You think you're too good now?
ls that what it is?
507
00:40:03,364 --> 00:40:06,265
You think you is too good for the welfare?
508
00:40:09,536 --> 00:40:13,870
There's more white folk getting assistance
than it is niggers, Ms. Onassis.
509
00:40:15,743 --> 00:40:17,301
l think l said therapy...
510
00:40:17,411 --> 00:40:21,142
Hurry your ass up.
l am in here fucking starving.
511
00:40:21,915 --> 00:40:23,507
Now what you gonna do
if l die of starvation?
512
00:40:23,617 --> 00:40:25,778
Where you gonna go after that?
513
00:40:26,954 --> 00:40:28,888
l forgot. School.
514
00:40:30,391 --> 00:40:33,224
Each.. . What that bitch say?
Each one do what?
515
00:40:33,327 --> 00:40:35,386
Each one teach one?
516
00:40:35,496 --> 00:40:36,929
Well, they don't know
who the fuck they teaching,
517
00:40:37,031 --> 00:40:39,158
'cause you can't learn shit.
518
00:40:39,733 --> 00:40:42,600
Keep on listening to them white people.
519
00:40:42,703 --> 00:40:45,331
That's what's gonna get you fucked up.
520
00:40:47,908 --> 00:40:50,172
Precious, l'm hungry.
521
00:41:16,203 --> 00:41:20,003
You ain't cooked no collard greens
with the fucking pigs' feet?
522
00:41:20,541 --> 00:41:23,510
Like, how am l supposed to eat pigs' feet
with no collard greens?
523
00:41:23,610 --> 00:41:27,444
And why in the fuck does that pigs' feet
have so much hair in it?
524
00:41:27,548 --> 00:41:30,813
You eat it. You come eat this shit.
525
00:41:30,918 --> 00:41:33,182
-l'm not hungry, though.
-Yes, you is.
526
00:41:33,287 --> 00:41:36,415
Precious, if you don't get
this goddamn plate.. .
527
00:41:41,895 --> 00:41:46,355
You just fix mine when you get done.
Since you fucked it up, you gonna eat it up.
528
00:41:46,867 --> 00:41:49,768
Hurry up and eat, Precious.
l'm fucking hungry, too.
529
00:41:51,872 --> 00:41:56,241
And don't let it get cold,
'cause cold-ass pigs' feet is nasty as shit.
530
00:44:04,938 --> 00:44:08,101
So, tell me about.. .
Tell me about your home life.
531
00:44:11,178 --> 00:44:13,669
Ain't nothing to really talk about.
532
00:44:14,181 --> 00:44:16,649
You're in a safe place. Just talk.
533
00:44:17,050 --> 00:44:18,017
What's going on?
534
00:44:18,118 --> 00:44:19,415
What's the first thing
that comes to your mind
535
00:44:19,519 --> 00:44:21,646
when you think about home?
536
00:44:21,755 --> 00:44:25,418
l just wish l had my own TV,
so l could watch it in my room.
537
00:44:26,226 --> 00:44:29,718
lf l had my own TV,
l wouldn't have to watch it with my mother.
538
00:44:29,830 --> 00:44:32,628
And what's it like,
watching TV with your mother?
539
00:44:32,733 --> 00:44:35,429
You enjoy watching TV with your mother?
540
00:44:35,535 --> 00:44:40,495
l need to know about your home life.
l need to know what it's like where you live.
541
00:44:41,541 --> 00:44:43,668
My mother's like a whale on the couch.
542
00:44:43,777 --> 00:44:47,736
She say l eat all the time,
but she always making me eat.
543
00:44:47,848 --> 00:44:50,043
Then she call me a fat mess.
544
00:44:50,150 --> 00:44:53,244
She say the apartment
is little 'cause of me.
545
00:44:53,353 --> 00:44:56,117
Only time she ever leaves
is to play her numbers.
546
00:44:56,223 --> 00:44:59,124
l feel like l could just sit in the house
with her every day,
547
00:44:59,226 --> 00:45:00,659
the shades drawn,
548
00:45:00,761 --> 00:45:04,925
watch TV, eat, watch TV, eat again.
549
00:45:05,832 --> 00:45:08,027
Can you help out with that?
550
00:45:09,303 --> 00:45:11,931
Can we talk about something else now?
551
00:45:18,278 --> 00:45:20,178
How about your firstborn?
552
00:45:20,280 --> 00:45:21,577
Mongo?
553
00:45:23,417 --> 00:45:25,476
Mongo is her.. . ls that.. .
554
00:45:26,186 --> 00:45:28,814
Mongo. That's short for ''mongoloid.' '
555
00:45:29,723 --> 00:45:34,023
ls that what you call her? Or that's.. .
What is that? A nickname?
556
00:45:34,761 --> 00:45:36,661
She got Down's syndrome.
557
00:45:44,905 --> 00:45:45,872
How you doing, Precious?
558
00:45:45,972 --> 00:45:48,497
My grandmother Toosie
bring little Mongo over to our house
559
00:45:48,608 --> 00:45:52,942
on days when the social worker come,
so it look like she live with us.
560
00:45:54,448 --> 00:45:56,473
Answer the fucking door.
561
00:45:58,185 --> 00:46:00,415
Do you see what you did? God damn it.
562
00:46:00,520 --> 00:46:03,785
Then my mother gets money
and the food stamps for me and Mongo.
563
00:46:03,890 --> 00:46:05,255
Who is it?
564
00:46:05,892 --> 00:46:07,484
lt's Ms. Turner.
565
00:46:08,562 --> 00:46:09,586
Social worker's here.
566
00:46:09,696 --> 00:46:13,393
Why didn't you tell me that bitch
was coming so fucking early?
567
00:46:13,500 --> 00:46:16,128
My fucking wig. Come get my wig!
568
00:46:16,236 --> 00:46:17,533
Come up!
569
00:46:22,342 --> 00:46:24,139
Where's my lipstick?
570
00:46:27,914 --> 00:46:30,508
Thank you, thank you.
571
00:46:40,460 --> 00:46:43,691
-Get off of me.
-Leave that child alone, please.
572
00:46:43,797 --> 00:46:45,958
Mind your goddamn business.
573
00:46:47,901 --> 00:46:49,869
-Hi, Precious.
-Hey.
574
00:46:50,303 --> 00:46:53,067
-Hello, Ms. Turner. How you doing?
-Hi, Mary. How are you?
575
00:46:53,173 --> 00:46:56,404
Please excuse that.
My sweet grandbaby just knocked it over.
576
00:46:56,510 --> 00:46:58,808
Please, have a seat. Excuse the mess.
577
00:46:58,912 --> 00:47:00,436
-Thank you.
-Thanks.
578
00:47:00,547 --> 00:47:01,775
How are you, Mary?
579
00:47:01,882 --> 00:47:04,851
l'm doing really good, Ms. Turner.
Thank you.
580
00:47:05,719 --> 00:47:08,210
When was the last time
you've taken her to the doctor?
581
00:47:09,356 --> 00:47:11,688
Precious, when.. .
When did we take her? The baby?
582
00:47:11,792 --> 00:47:12,816
Last month.
583
00:47:12,926 --> 00:47:16,293
Yeah.. . On the 16th.
On the 16th. Yes, yes, ma'am.
584
00:47:16,930 --> 00:47:19,455
Okay, and what did the doctor say?
585
00:47:22,102 --> 00:47:25,037
They said
that she's progressing really good.
586
00:47:25,138 --> 00:47:26,901
She's doing really good.
587
00:47:27,007 --> 00:47:29,168
-That's good.
-Yes, ma'am.
588
00:47:29,276 --> 00:47:31,005
And have you been looking for a job?
589
00:47:31,111 --> 00:47:35,377
l have, Ms. Turner. l am.
But they've all been saying the same thing.
590
00:47:35,482 --> 00:47:38,940
You know, they'll call me back.
They'll get back to me.
591
00:47:41,354 --> 00:47:43,481
When did you go looking for the job?
592
00:47:43,590 --> 00:47:47,720
l went last week
and l filled out several applications.
593
00:47:47,828 --> 00:47:51,491
And they all said the same thing,
that they would call me.
594
00:47:53,633 --> 00:47:54,861
Mommy!
595
00:47:55,302 --> 00:47:57,770
No! No!
596
00:47:59,072 --> 00:48:01,302
ls that a new microwave oven?
597
00:48:01,775 --> 00:48:03,675
A.. . A microwave?
598
00:48:04,744 --> 00:48:08,373
No, ma'am.
We warm our things up in the oven.
599
00:48:09,749 --> 00:48:12,217
-l see. lt's a toaster oven.
-Yes. Yes, ma'am.
600
00:48:12,319 --> 00:48:16,585
Okay.
l will be seeing and speaking with you
601
00:48:17,891 --> 00:48:18,880
in a week or so.
602
00:48:18,992 --> 00:48:20,016
-ln a week or so?
-Yes.
603
00:48:20,126 --> 00:48:23,584
Okay, do you know what time you'll be.. .
You'll be coming?
604
00:48:23,697 --> 00:48:24,925
-l'll let you know.
-Okay.
605
00:48:25,031 --> 00:48:26,396
-l'll let you know.
-Thank you so much.
606
00:48:26,500 --> 00:48:29,264
Precious, any questions for me?
607
00:48:31,671 --> 00:48:33,434
How are you, Precious?
608
00:48:33,540 --> 00:48:36,566
l'm doing good. How you doing?
609
00:48:37,377 --> 00:48:39,345
l'm good, thank you.
610
00:48:40,514 --> 00:48:42,505
Ladies, thank you for your time.
611
00:48:42,616 --> 00:48:44,516
Thank you so much, Ms. Turner.
Have a great day.
612
00:48:44,618 --> 00:48:46,745
-And you. Bye, Sheila.
-Bye.
613
00:48:51,892 --> 00:48:54,326
Come get this motherfucking.. . Get her.
614
00:48:54,427 --> 00:48:57,294
Moving all around and shit
while l'm trying to talk to this bitch.
615
00:48:57,397 --> 00:48:59,262
Makes me fucking itch.
616
00:49:00,567 --> 00:49:03,331
She done threw her fucking candy
on the floor.
617
00:49:03,436 --> 00:49:04,960
Goddamn animal.
618
00:49:06,606 --> 00:49:09,734
And now you gonna give it to her?
Put the fucking candy back on the floor!
619
00:49:09,843 --> 00:49:11,333
Then you go and pick it up
and let her have it.
620
00:49:11,444 --> 00:49:14,641
You're so fucking stupid.
Just like her dumb ass.
621
00:49:14,748 --> 00:49:18,445
That bitch gonna come up in here
and l gotta fucking make pretend?
622
00:49:18,552 --> 00:49:19,849
l'm so sick of it.
623
00:49:19,953 --> 00:49:22,387
l don't know what the fuck
you shaking your head for.
624
00:49:22,489 --> 00:49:23,888
You didn't do no goddamn better.
625
00:49:24,057 --> 00:49:26,116
You know what?
Let's talk about your father.
626
00:49:26,226 --> 00:49:28,660
Tell me about your relationship with him.
627
00:49:28,762 --> 00:49:31,196
l don't know much more
than you do, Ms. White.
628
00:49:31,298 --> 00:49:32,959
lt's Ms. Weiss.
629
00:49:33,066 --> 00:49:35,694
Talk to me about
the little you do know about your father,
630
00:49:35,802 --> 00:49:39,033
'cause it is important,
whether you know it or not.
631
00:49:39,873 --> 00:49:42,433
He give me this baby
and my one before it, but l.. .
632
00:49:42,542 --> 00:49:45,067
What did you say he gave you?
633
00:49:45,178 --> 00:49:46,577
-Nothing.
-No, Claireece, you just said
634
00:49:46,680 --> 00:49:47,840
your father gave you something.
635
00:49:47,948 --> 00:49:49,939
-l heard you just say.. .
-You didn't hear shit.
636
00:49:50,050 --> 00:49:52,814
-l heard you say your father.. .
-l ain't say nothing. l ain't say shit like it.
637
00:49:52,919 --> 00:49:54,716
-l don't care, honey.
-l didn't say nothing like that.
638
00:49:54,821 --> 00:49:56,379
-l need to know this.
-Let's move on.
639
00:49:56,489 --> 00:49:57,854
l need to know this to help you.
640
00:49:57,958 --> 00:50:00,950
-Bitch, can we change the subject?
-Okay.
641
00:50:01,061 --> 00:50:04,189
Well, l'll see you next time, then.
Or maybe you'll see someone else.
642
00:50:04,297 --> 00:50:08,859
But you're gonna have to talk to somebody
if you want your check, sweetie.
643
00:50:19,112 --> 00:50:21,103
l see vampires, too.
644
00:50:23,984 --> 00:50:27,283
They come at night.
They tell me l'm one of them.
645
00:50:28,688 --> 00:50:31,782
They say, ''Precious, you belong with us.' '
646
00:50:34,260 --> 00:50:36,728
And then they go downstairs
through the floor.
647
00:50:36,830 --> 00:50:39,663
The people that live under us,
they is vampires,
648
00:50:39,766 --> 00:50:42,030
so that's where they should go.
649
00:50:42,636 --> 00:50:44,763
They be so nasty, though,
650
00:50:44,871 --> 00:50:47,237
leaving their dirty tampons and shit
in the garbage.
651
00:50:47,340 --> 00:50:49,740
Don't even offer to take it out.
652
00:50:49,843 --> 00:50:52,334
They got no fucking home training.
653
00:50:55,448 --> 00:50:59,145
l been going to the doctor, too. lt's nice.
654
00:51:00,620 --> 00:51:04,920
Ms. Rain fall out when she found out
l ain't never been to no doctor before.
655
00:51:08,094 --> 00:51:10,460
Don't know how l had my first baby
on the kitchen floor
656
00:51:10,563 --> 00:51:13,464
with my momma kicking me
upside my head.
657
00:51:16,169 --> 00:51:17,534
Them the kind of things
you're talking about
658
00:51:17,637 --> 00:51:20,435
when you say,
say whatever come to my mind?
659
00:51:25,011 --> 00:51:27,741
That's the end of them welfare checks.
660
00:51:27,847 --> 00:51:31,840
l just couldn't lie no more.
l shouldn't have said none of that.
661
00:51:35,422 --> 00:51:37,185
Momma gonna kill me.
662
00:51:46,066 --> 00:51:47,590
Motherfuckers!
663
00:51:51,271 --> 00:51:52,863
Are we done?
664
00:51:52,972 --> 00:51:54,701
l'm not doing this with you today.
665
00:51:54,808 --> 00:51:57,436
At night, we went out on a field trip.
666
00:52:02,649 --> 00:52:04,549
These girls is crazy.
667
00:52:05,018 --> 00:52:08,283
Ain't nobody ever grabbed my hand
like that before.
668
00:52:25,071 --> 00:52:27,505
...as a candidate
for the Democratic nomination
669
00:52:27,607 --> 00:52:30,576
for the presidency
of the United States of America.
670
00:52:31,277 --> 00:52:35,008
...and by having destroyed it,
now we don't know...
671
00:52:37,417 --> 00:52:42,354
...and the testimony you're about to give
will be the truth, the whole truth...
672
00:52:42,455 --> 00:52:44,286
l still have a dream.
673
00:52:46,159 --> 00:52:49,754
lt is a dream deeply rooted
in the American dream.
674
00:52:51,030 --> 00:52:54,761
l have a dream that one day
675
00:52:56,302 --> 00:53:01,467
this nation will rise up
and live out the true meaning of...
676
00:53:01,574 --> 00:53:03,667
l'm gonna teach my baby all of this.
677
00:53:03,777 --> 00:53:06,769
''We hold these truths to be self-evident,
678
00:53:06,880 --> 00:53:08,939
''that all men are created equal."
679
00:53:09,048 --> 00:53:11,312
No fear. That's bullshit. That's bullshit.
680
00:53:11,417 --> 00:53:12,441
You mean, write a whole new one?
681
00:53:12,552 --> 00:53:15,419
No, girl, if l need to explain myself to you.. .
682
00:53:15,522 --> 00:53:17,251
-You'll figure it out.
-You think that l'm stupid?
683
00:53:17,357 --> 00:53:20,349
Oh, my God. That l believe in you?
684
00:53:22,395 --> 00:53:23,919
That l think you're incredible?
685
00:53:24,030 --> 00:53:25,725
Yes, but l don't know what to do.
686
00:53:25,832 --> 00:53:28,824
All right, pull it together. Okay.
Who's next?
687
00:53:29,836 --> 00:53:31,133
l'm happy to be writing.
688
00:53:31,237 --> 00:53:34,229
-Go ahead, Rhonda.
-l'm happy to be in school, too.
689
00:53:34,340 --> 00:53:37,673
Ms. Rain say we gonna write
every day in our notebook.
690
00:53:37,777 --> 00:53:39,711
She gonna write back to us every day, too.
691
00:53:39,813 --> 00:53:43,579
''Yesterday l went to church for
the first time since l come to this country.
692
00:53:43,683 --> 00:53:44,945
''l got all the way to Brooklyn.
693
00:53:45,051 --> 00:53:47,815
''The church was up the block and around
the corner upon the 3 train.
694
00:53:47,921 --> 00:53:49,582
''The preacher preached
two and a half hours
695
00:53:49,689 --> 00:53:52,157
-''about Jehovah.
-Rhonda! Rhonda!
696
00:53:52,258 --> 00:53:55,694
''And how Lord Jesus, Son of God, Messiah,
Jehovah delivers.' '
697
00:53:55,795 --> 00:53:57,763
ls that a fairytale?
698
00:53:59,332 --> 00:54:00,629
Sit down.
699
00:54:00,733 --> 00:54:01,995
Did anybody do this assignment?
700
00:54:02,101 --> 00:54:04,592
Momma say this school ain't shit.
701
00:54:04,704 --> 00:54:07,138
She say you can't learn nothing
writing in no book.
702
00:54:07,240 --> 00:54:12,405
-This is a fairytale called ''Enchanted.' '
-She wrong about that. l is learning.
703
00:54:15,215 --> 00:54:18,651
''Once upon a time, in a faraway land,
704
00:54:19,085 --> 00:54:23,181
''there lived a beautiful princess
named Joann-a.
705
00:54:23,823 --> 00:54:28,055
''She was very, very fly and extra, extra tall,
706
00:54:28,695 --> 00:54:32,153
''and every single boy loved her,
big and small.
707
00:54:32,999 --> 00:54:37,026
''Except for one idiot boy
who was so stupid and dumb.
708
00:54:37,136 --> 00:54:41,334
''And out of all the cute boys who loved her,
he was the cutest one.' '
709
00:54:42,475 --> 00:54:45,774
-That's all l got so far.
-That's a good beginning.
710
00:54:45,879 --> 00:54:49,371
Thinking about little Mongo, too. l miss her.
711
00:54:49,782 --> 00:54:51,215
That's how you start a fairytale.
712
00:54:51,317 --> 00:54:53,581
l'm happy my baby coming up.
713
00:54:54,754 --> 00:54:58,554
l'm gonna read to this baby, too,
and hang colors on its wall.
714
00:54:59,492 --> 00:55:02,393
Listen, baby. Mother not dumb.
715
00:55:02,495 --> 00:55:04,759
Mother love you. Listen.
716
00:55:05,298 --> 00:55:08,961
''Once upon a time,
there was a magical princess
717
00:55:09,068 --> 00:55:12,196
''who lived in a magical bubble
under the sea.
718
00:55:12,772 --> 00:55:14,797
''And she was from land.' '
719
00:55:30,089 --> 00:55:31,716
Stop screaming.
720
00:55:52,712 --> 00:55:56,512
His name's Abdul Jamal Lewis Jones.
721
00:55:57,550 --> 00:56:00,348
He healthy. His mother love him.
722
00:56:16,536 --> 00:56:18,731
The food in this hospital's nasty.
723
00:56:19,405 --> 00:56:20,531
lt's not from here.
724
00:56:20,640 --> 00:56:22,198
Where it from?
725
00:56:22,308 --> 00:56:24,799
A little shop by my house where
726
00:56:24,911 --> 00:56:27,311
l get my organic food,
so l don't have to eat that
727
00:56:27,413 --> 00:56:30,007
nasty mystery-meat stuff
they got downstairs.
728
00:56:30,116 --> 00:56:33,085
Can you bring me something?
l don't like fruit. l like McDonald's.
729
00:56:33,186 --> 00:56:35,381
First of all, l don't eat McDonald's.
730
00:56:35,488 --> 00:56:38,116
Second of all, you don't need
to be eating McDonald's, either.
731
00:56:38,224 --> 00:56:39,248
lt's not healthy.
732
00:56:39,359 --> 00:56:41,554
But l like McDonald's.
We all like McDonald's, right?
733
00:56:41,661 --> 00:56:44,255
We like McDonald's, too, over here.
734
00:56:44,364 --> 00:56:45,854
l don't like no damn McDonald's.
735
00:56:45,965 --> 00:56:48,991
l want some of that organic shit
like you got.
736
00:56:49,469 --> 00:56:50,902
Well, l tell you what,
737
00:56:51,004 --> 00:56:53,495
when you get up out of here,
you go with all your little friends,
738
00:56:53,606 --> 00:56:54,573
and you go to McDonald's,
739
00:56:54,674 --> 00:56:56,505
and you get as much
McDonald's as you want.
740
00:56:56,609 --> 00:56:59,077
But right now,
you're gonna take care of your health.
741
00:56:59,178 --> 00:57:00,839
Are you a doctor?
742
00:57:01,981 --> 00:57:03,915
-Are you her doctor?
-Am l a doctor?
743
00:57:04,017 --> 00:57:06,645
-Yeah.
-l am a nurse's aide.
744
00:57:06,753 --> 00:57:08,516
Nurse John-John.
745
00:57:08,621 --> 00:57:10,282
Oh, that's funny?
746
00:57:10,790 --> 00:57:12,519
Well, you're a man.
747
00:57:13,292 --> 00:57:15,954
-You've never seen a male nurse?
-No.
748
00:57:16,162 --> 00:57:18,187
Not looking like you do.
749
00:57:19,032 --> 00:57:23,128
l am a male nurse.
l am Nurse John McFadden.
750
00:57:23,236 --> 00:57:25,796
So was you up in the room
when she popped the baby out?
751
00:57:25,905 --> 00:57:26,929
You was like, all up in between her.. .
752
00:57:27,040 --> 00:57:29,031
Joann, don't be nasty!
753
00:57:29,142 --> 00:57:30,734
How was it? Was he screaming?
754
00:57:30,843 --> 00:57:31,901
lt hurt.
755
00:57:32,011 --> 00:57:33,535
Tough gal like you had to scream?
756
00:57:33,646 --> 00:57:37,878
Not so tough with a baby coming out of me.
lt hurt. And it burned.
757
00:57:37,984 --> 00:57:39,212
-Are you married?
-Shut up!
758
00:57:39,318 --> 00:57:40,979
You got a girlfriend?
759
00:57:41,087 --> 00:57:43,487
-Why you asking? He don't want you.
-How would you know?
760
00:57:43,589 --> 00:57:45,216
Why don't you stop being a ho
for 10 minutes?
761
00:57:45,324 --> 00:57:46,484
What's wrong with these people?
762
00:57:46,592 --> 00:57:47,957
You don't want her, right?
763
00:57:48,061 --> 00:57:50,825
l wish l was a cantaloupe in that cup.
764
00:57:50,930 --> 00:57:52,420
So he could eat you?
765
00:57:52,532 --> 00:57:56,093
Okay, no. l gotta go. l gotta go.
766
00:57:56,569 --> 00:57:59,299
No, that's all right. That's all right.
767
00:58:02,608 --> 00:58:04,542
Can l get a kiss, too, Nurse John?
768
00:58:04,644 --> 00:58:07,374
-Good afternoon, ladies.
-Bye, Nurse John.
769
00:58:07,480 --> 00:58:10,313
-Bye!
-Good night, Nurse John-John!
770
00:58:11,784 --> 00:58:14,048
Precious and John-John
771
00:58:14,153 --> 00:58:16,087
Sitting in a tree
772
00:58:16,189 --> 00:58:19,955
-F-U-C-K-l-N-G
-Shut up! Y'all are nasty.
773
00:58:23,729 --> 00:58:26,357
You think he's spending the night
up in here?
774
00:58:28,534 --> 00:58:31,230
Now she gonna write
about Nurse John in her book!
775
00:58:33,039 --> 00:58:34,666
''Dear Ms. Rain,
776
00:58:35,208 --> 00:58:38,371
''All the years l sit in class, l never learned.
777
00:58:38,678 --> 00:58:41,511
''Now l got a baby again by my father.
778
00:58:42,315 --> 00:58:44,909
''l wish l had a boyfriend like other girls.
779
00:58:45,017 --> 00:58:48,180
''Then l'll feel right
that l have to quit school.
780
00:58:48,287 --> 00:58:51,745
''l love my baby, but l want school, too.
781
00:58:51,858 --> 00:58:54,224
''Social worker ask me
if l wanna give little Mongo
782
00:58:54,327 --> 00:58:57,819
''and Abdul up for adoption.
l could kill her.
783
00:58:58,297 --> 00:59:01,994
''She never helped before.
Now she wanna take my kids away?
784
00:59:02,735 --> 00:59:06,000
''lf she takes Abdul,
l won't have nothing no more."
785
00:59:06,105 --> 00:59:08,039
''Dear Precious,
786
00:59:08,141 --> 00:59:11,372
''l think your first responsibility
has to be to yourself.
787
00:59:11,644 --> 00:59:14,135
''lf you keep Abdul, you might have nothing.
788
00:59:14,247 --> 00:59:16,715
''You're learning to read and write.
That's everything.
789
00:59:16,816 --> 00:59:19,444
''You come back to school
when you get out of the hospital.
790
00:59:19,552 --> 00:59:20,644
''You're only 17."
791
00:59:20,753 --> 00:59:23,153
This looks like a big-ass condom.
792
00:59:25,057 --> 00:59:27,116
Use that for Nurse John.
793
00:59:27,660 --> 00:59:29,787
Not looking like that.
Your hair looks a mess.
794
00:59:29,896 --> 00:59:32,592
-l'm giving you banjee.
-Shut up!
795
00:59:32,698 --> 00:59:34,165
l got your journal.
796
00:59:34,267 --> 00:59:35,734
Thank you.
797
00:59:41,040 --> 00:59:42,564
What's wrong?
798
00:59:42,675 --> 00:59:43,972
Nothing.
799
00:59:44,076 --> 00:59:45,634
Are you sure?
800
00:59:45,745 --> 00:59:46,769
Yeah, l'm sure.
801
00:59:46,879 --> 00:59:51,282
All right. l'm bored. l'm about to leave. Bye.
802
00:59:52,985 --> 00:59:54,612
Bye, Ms. Toosie.
803
00:59:55,121 --> 00:59:56,679
You got a nasty-ass mouth.
804
00:59:56,789 --> 00:59:58,848
You got a nasty-ass hat.
805
01:00:01,294 --> 01:00:04,092
That's what's wrong,
you hanging out with bitches like that.
806
01:00:04,197 --> 01:00:05,755
Here's your baby.
807
01:00:05,865 --> 01:00:08,197
lt's probably the last time
you're gonna ever see him.
808
01:00:08,301 --> 01:00:09,734
Grandmother come and visit and say,
809
01:00:09,835 --> 01:00:12,360
''Only a dog would drop a baby
and walk off."
810
01:00:12,471 --> 01:00:13,733
Not even a dog.
811
01:00:14,073 --> 01:00:16,473
Say later, ''Not even a dog."
812
01:00:16,576 --> 01:00:19,636
l'm proud of you.
Ain't nothing like your mother.
813
01:00:19,745 --> 01:00:23,044
''Where was your grandmother
when your father was abusing you?
814
01:00:23,149 --> 01:00:25,208
''Where is little Mongo now?
815
01:00:26,018 --> 01:00:28,748
''What is going to be the best thing for you
in this situation?''
816
01:00:28,854 --> 01:00:31,118
''Ms. Rain, you ask too many questions.
817
01:00:31,224 --> 01:00:33,715
''Sometimes l wish l could stop breathing.
818
01:00:33,826 --> 01:00:36,192
''l just wanna be a good mother."
819
01:00:37,263 --> 01:00:39,424
''Being a good mother might mean
letting Abdul be raised
820
01:00:39,532 --> 01:00:43,127
''by someone who's better able than you
to meet his needs."
821
01:00:43,903 --> 01:00:47,361
''Ms. Rain, l is the best
to meet my child's needs."
822
01:00:56,782 --> 01:00:58,579
''Who's gonna help you?
823
01:00:59,151 --> 01:01:01,415
''How will you support yourself?
824
01:01:02,655 --> 01:01:05,681
''How will you keep learning
to read and write?''
825
01:01:06,759 --> 01:01:08,784
''The welfare helped Momma."
826
01:01:09,629 --> 01:01:13,190
''You look and see
how much welfare has helped your mom.
827
01:01:15,501 --> 01:01:17,093
''You could get your GED,
828
01:01:17,203 --> 01:01:19,865
''and go to college.
You can do anything, Precious."
829
01:02:42,021 --> 01:02:43,386
You back?
830
01:02:44,023 --> 01:02:45,354
What's his name?
831
01:02:45,891 --> 01:02:47,449
Can l hold it?
832
01:03:51,290 --> 01:03:52,814
Hey, Precious.
833
01:03:56,629 --> 01:03:57,823
Hey.
834
01:04:01,333 --> 01:04:03,028
You had the baby?
835
01:04:03,636 --> 01:04:04,898
A boy.
836
01:04:06,172 --> 01:04:08,402
Where you been all this time?
837
01:04:15,080 --> 01:04:16,707
Let me see him.
838
01:04:23,956 --> 01:04:25,651
Can l hold him?
839
01:04:45,211 --> 01:04:47,179
He look like his daddy.
840
01:04:52,751 --> 01:04:54,241
He named Abdul.
841
01:04:55,354 --> 01:04:58,414
Put all this shit down
and go get me something to drink.
842
01:05:17,643 --> 01:05:19,042
You bitch!
843
01:05:19,678 --> 01:05:21,873
-You fucking bitch!
-You crazy, Momma?
844
01:05:21,981 --> 01:05:24,415
Am l crazy? Bitch, if l was to.. .
845
01:05:25,484 --> 01:05:27,145
You ruined my fucking life!
846
01:05:27,253 --> 01:05:29,915
You done took my man,
you had those fucking babies,
847
01:05:30,022 --> 01:05:31,250
and you got me put off the welfare
848
01:05:31,357 --> 01:05:33,621
for running your goddamned
stupid-ass mouth!
849
01:05:33,759 --> 01:05:37,593
l ain't stupid and l didn't take your man.
Your husband raped me!
850
01:05:37,696 --> 01:05:39,163
Didn't no-fucking-body rape you!
851
01:05:39,265 --> 01:05:41,563
Bitch, don't you put
your fucking hands on me!
852
01:06:02,221 --> 01:06:04,485
Mary, leave that girl alone!
853
01:06:43,095 --> 01:06:44,995
Can l see the baby now?
854
01:08:56,628 --> 01:08:59,722
B.. . C.. . D.. .
855
01:09:00,666 --> 01:09:05,069
E.. . F.. . G.. . H.. .
856
01:09:05,771 --> 01:09:08,433
l.. . J.. . K.. .
857
01:09:15,514 --> 01:09:17,072
l'm tired of shopping.
858
01:09:17,182 --> 01:09:19,150
Yes, because they all trying
to take your money.
859
01:09:19,251 --> 01:09:21,082
They don't.. .
860
01:09:31,764 --> 01:09:33,629
l'm calling the cops.
861
01:09:38,904 --> 01:09:41,338
Tell me what you see back there.
862
01:09:53,786 --> 01:09:58,246
l could tell by Ms. Rain's face
l ain't gonna be homeless no more.
863
01:09:58,357 --> 01:10:00,382
l just don't know
where l'm gonna end up, though.
864
01:10:00,492 --> 01:10:02,050
l'll hold.
865
01:10:03,996 --> 01:10:05,725
l feel bad for her.
866
01:10:05,831 --> 01:10:09,528
She just an ABC teacher.
She ain't no social worker.
867
01:10:11,203 --> 01:10:12,431
What's going on?
868
01:10:12,538 --> 01:10:13,698
But she all l could think of.
869
01:10:13,806 --> 01:10:16,240
Look, when the others get here,
tell them to start writing.
870
01:10:16,341 --> 01:10:18,502
And whichever one of you is older
is in charge, okay?
871
01:10:18,610 --> 01:10:20,237
Consuelo, l know that's not you.
Come here.
872
01:10:20,345 --> 01:10:22,438
Ms. Rain, l can't stay. l'm serious.
l've tried to talk.. .
873
01:10:22,548 --> 01:10:25,108
Consuelo, you're not leaving class
and l'm not dealing with this right now.
874
01:10:25,217 --> 01:10:27,549
Take this money.
Go get something for Precious to wear.
875
01:10:27,653 --> 01:10:30,087
Quick. And bring back my change.
876
01:10:30,189 --> 01:10:33,852
Sixteen years old. A three-day-old infant.
877
01:10:34,526 --> 01:10:36,619
The baby not bleeding.
l think this is Precious' blood.
878
01:10:36,728 --> 01:10:39,561
Well, why didn't you tell me that before?
879
01:10:40,966 --> 01:10:43,366
We'll find you a place to live.
880
01:10:46,638 --> 01:10:48,299
Joann, you're late.
881
01:10:48,407 --> 01:10:50,568
Rhonda, you ain't the teacher.
882
01:10:50,742 --> 01:10:53,074
Joann, Ms. Rain is busy
with Precious today,
883
01:10:53,178 --> 01:10:55,271
so l am the teacher today.
884
01:10:55,380 --> 01:10:57,211
Okay. Why?
885
01:10:57,716 --> 01:10:59,445
-Where's Precious?
-Just sit. Pull out your notebook.
886
01:10:59,551 --> 01:11:01,951
Joann, you wanna say one of your raps
to the baby?
887
01:11:02,054 --> 01:11:03,453
What's the baby doing here?
888
01:11:03,555 --> 01:11:05,216
-Joann's gonna rap for you.
-Let me see.
889
01:11:05,457 --> 01:11:07,721
She all right. She's doing good.
890
01:11:08,493 --> 01:11:11,428
Why is the baby wrapped up
in a blood-covered blanket?
891
01:11:11,530 --> 01:11:14,260
-Joann, what's so funny?
-For real. What happened?
892
01:11:14,366 --> 01:11:15,765
You don't wanna know is
how it got on the blanket.
893
01:11:15,868 --> 01:11:16,926
You know what your problem is, Joann?
894
01:11:17,035 --> 01:11:18,798
That you can't take anything
serious enough.
895
01:11:18,904 --> 01:11:21,304
-Jermaine, me expect better from you.
-Okay, Rhonda.
896
01:11:21,406 --> 01:11:23,897
Joann, stop laughing at this baby.
897
01:11:25,611 --> 01:11:26,873
Queens.
898
01:11:29,248 --> 01:11:30,977
Let me call you back.
899
01:11:31,083 --> 01:11:32,345
Just tell me what happened!
900
01:11:32,451 --> 01:11:33,782
No, it's not funny.
901
01:11:33,886 --> 01:11:36,684
But Joann, there's nothing funny
about a baby with blood on it.
902
01:11:36,788 --> 01:11:38,551
l got a West lndian friend
who's a Council member.
903
01:11:38,657 --> 01:11:40,784
Let me see what she can do.
Hold on a second.
904
01:11:40,893 --> 01:11:44,158
l found a lesson plan in our notebooks.
We're gonna.. .
905
01:11:45,731 --> 01:11:47,392
Claireece Jones.
906
01:11:47,499 --> 01:11:49,763
Hey, Ms. Lisa. How you been?
907
01:11:50,636 --> 01:11:51,830
l don't know.
908
01:11:51,937 --> 01:11:55,805
l went to see that movie, Barfly, last night.
Piece of shit.
909
01:11:56,875 --> 01:11:59,969
-l'm sorry.
-lt's on my desk. Can you hold?
910
01:12:00,078 --> 01:12:02,342
Something's wrong with you, Precious.
911
01:12:02,447 --> 01:12:03,971
This baby stink.
912
01:12:04,082 --> 01:12:06,346
Well, we don't have a Pamper,
so have a seat with the baby.
913
01:12:06,451 --> 01:12:09,079
-l am sitting.
-ln your seat, please.
914
01:12:09,187 --> 01:12:11,246
The first thing
915
01:12:11,356 --> 01:12:16,988
is shut the bumba-ros-clot.. .
916
01:12:17,930 --> 01:12:20,398
Ms. Rain, why did you let Rhonda
teach the class?
917
01:12:20,499 --> 01:12:22,126
She don't even know how to speak English.
918
01:12:22,234 --> 01:12:23,223
Let Rhonda take over.
919
01:12:23,335 --> 01:12:26,964
-Shut the bumba-ros-clot up.
-What the fuck is a ''ros clot''?
920
01:12:27,072 --> 01:12:28,972
Yeah, Brenda, you there?
921
01:12:29,074 --> 01:12:31,599
The last four of the Social are.. .
922
01:12:31,710 --> 01:12:34,304
2-4-2-1 .
923
01:12:34,413 --> 01:12:36,506
-Rita?
-l just wanna know how to spell ''Aquarius.' '
924
01:12:36,615 --> 01:12:39,482
-Anybody know how to spell ''Aquarius''?
-lt's A-Q-U-A-R-l-U-S.
925
01:12:39,584 --> 01:12:40,744
Can you spell ''boy'' then?
926
01:12:40,852 --> 01:12:42,080
Can you spell ''slut'' then?
927
01:12:42,187 --> 01:12:43,779
Let's explore that.
928
01:12:43,889 --> 01:12:47,222
You wanna spell ''slut,'' Consuelo,
l'll give you the first letter.
929
01:12:47,326 --> 01:12:49,419
Can you spell ''illegal immigrant,'' then?
930
01:12:49,528 --> 01:12:51,553
Great, thank you.
931
01:12:53,165 --> 01:12:55,656
Can you please use ''slut'' in a sentence?
932
01:12:55,767 --> 01:12:57,098
Consuelo is a slut.. .
933
01:12:57,202 --> 01:13:00,000
-You the one who's the ho up in here.. .
-Joann is not a slut.
934
01:13:00,105 --> 01:13:02,437
Perfect. You get a gold star.
935
01:13:04,309 --> 01:13:06,004
But you know she likes that.
936
01:13:06,111 --> 01:13:08,375
Well, she's just insecure.
937
01:13:08,480 --> 01:13:10,038
-You think?
-Yeah.
938
01:13:10,582 --> 01:13:14,177
-That chicken was good.
-Really good. Did you have enough?
939
01:13:14,286 --> 01:13:16,151
There ain't more, is there?
940
01:13:16,254 --> 01:13:17,881
-ls there more?
-Yeah.
941
01:13:18,256 --> 01:13:20,554
Maybe later. Not now.
942
01:13:20,659 --> 01:13:22,593
l don't want you to think l'm greedy.
943
01:13:22,694 --> 01:13:25,026
You're not greedy.
lf you're hungry, let's get you some more.
944
01:13:25,130 --> 01:13:28,258
l guess l kind of eat
too much sometimes, though.
945
01:13:28,367 --> 01:13:29,595
No, you don't.
946
01:13:29,701 --> 01:13:31,566
-Blu, is that you?
-Not always.
947
01:13:31,670 --> 01:13:33,695
What are you doing here?
948
01:13:34,206 --> 01:13:36,834
l live here. Why didn't you tell me?
949
01:13:36,942 --> 01:13:39,706
-Hey, sweetie.
-ls this.. . ls this.. .
950
01:13:41,346 --> 01:13:43,541
This is Katherine, Precious.
951
01:13:43,648 --> 01:13:45,639
-Are you okay?
-lt's so nice to meet you, finally.
952
01:13:45,751 --> 01:13:49,152
Oh, my God. These straight-up lesbians.
953
01:13:49,254 --> 01:13:52,815
-This is Abdul.
-He's gorgeous. He looks just like you.
954
01:13:53,892 --> 01:13:55,223
Precious, can l hold him?
955
01:13:55,327 --> 01:13:57,022
You know how to?
956
01:13:57,129 --> 01:13:59,120
They still nice enough
to let us stay in their home
957
01:13:59,231 --> 01:14:01,563
until l get situated, though.
958
01:14:01,666 --> 01:14:05,693
-He's heavy. Oh, my God!
-You wanna hold him?
959
01:14:05,804 --> 01:14:08,295
l guess this is how the peoples
on TV feel at Christmastime.
960
01:14:08,407 --> 01:14:10,967
-Don't drop him.
-Come on. l only work with children.
961
01:14:11,076 --> 01:14:12,100
You know how you are. l saw you.. .
962
01:14:12,210 --> 01:14:14,235
When we were putting up the tree,
you dropped half the top of it.
963
01:14:14,346 --> 01:14:15,870
They're so nice to me and Abdul.
964
01:14:15,981 --> 01:14:18,074
-Be careful. Hold him with both hands.
-Please.
965
01:14:18,183 --> 01:14:19,844
Oh, Abdul.
966
01:14:21,853 --> 01:14:23,946
Merry Christmas, Precious.
967
01:14:24,823 --> 01:14:25,949
Thank you.
968
01:14:26,058 --> 01:14:27,355
Why peoples that barely know me
969
01:14:27,459 --> 01:14:30,758
should be nicer to me
than my mother and my father?
970
01:14:31,430 --> 01:14:32,829
l felt warm.
971
01:14:33,165 --> 01:14:34,359
-What?
-l'm just.. .
972
01:14:34,466 --> 01:14:37,629
l'm just concerned about the baby
and the cats upstairs.
973
01:14:37,736 --> 01:14:38,862
They're fine.
974
01:14:38,970 --> 01:14:40,961
Grandmother's scared of Momma.
975
01:14:41,073 --> 01:14:43,473
l know that's why
she ain't letting me stay with her.
976
01:14:43,575 --> 01:14:45,440
lf Ronald McDonald were running things.. .
977
01:14:45,577 --> 01:14:48,341
Ms. Rain say don't be afraid of nothing.
978
01:14:49,014 --> 01:14:51,482
l bet she ain't scared of Momma.
979
01:14:51,583 --> 01:14:54,177
Wouldn't you be a little bit suspicious?
980
01:14:54,286 --> 01:14:55,514
Just write the book.
981
01:14:55,620 --> 01:14:58,817
-Well, who's gonna read it?
-Nobody, if you don't write it.
982
01:14:58,957 --> 01:15:02,484
You know, Precious writes every day.
You should try it.
983
01:15:02,594 --> 01:15:05,791
ls that right?
What do you write about, Precious?
984
01:15:06,631 --> 01:15:07,825
Stuff.
985
01:15:08,967 --> 01:15:11,367
My life. Abdul.
986
01:15:13,805 --> 01:15:15,966
How come y'all don't like McDonald's?
987
01:15:16,074 --> 01:15:17,871
Katherine was just drawing a comparison
988
01:15:18,009 --> 01:15:20,034
so that her point could be
more easily understood.
989
01:15:20,145 --> 01:15:21,112
Yes.
990
01:15:21,213 --> 01:15:23,704
They talk like TV channels l don't watch.
991
01:15:23,815 --> 01:15:25,180
My Uncle Clayton.
992
01:15:25,283 --> 01:15:28,684
l'm glad Abdul here to listen in on them,
though, 'cause l know they're smart.
993
01:15:28,820 --> 01:15:30,219
Before he got saved,
994
01:15:30,322 --> 01:15:32,984
he used to smoke like a chimney
and drink like a fish.
995
01:15:33,091 --> 01:15:35,082
l don't understand a word they're saying.
996
01:15:35,193 --> 01:15:36,751
You understand?
997
01:15:40,365 --> 01:15:41,798
Y'all be watching Oprah?
998
01:15:41,900 --> 01:15:44,801
No. l don't, actually.
You know what time l get home from work.
999
01:15:44,903 --> 01:15:47,997
-l watch it.
-Momma say homos is bad peoples.
1000
01:15:48,740 --> 01:15:51,140
But Momma,
homos not ones who raped me.
1001
01:15:51,243 --> 01:15:53,541
And what do that make you?
1002
01:15:53,645 --> 01:15:57,741
Homos not ones who let me sit in class
all them years and never learn nothing.
1003
01:15:57,849 --> 01:16:00,716
The homos not ones who sell crack
to peoples in Harlem.
1004
01:16:00,819 --> 01:16:02,787
-.. .that l have ever seen. Tell her!
-That doesn't work.
1005
01:16:02,888 --> 01:16:05,448
l wonder what Oprah got to say about that.
1006
01:16:05,557 --> 01:16:07,923
Ms. Rain is the one
who put the chalk in my hand,
1007
01:16:08,026 --> 01:16:10,460
made me queen of the ABC's.
1008
01:16:13,431 --> 01:16:15,365
After l settled at the halfway house,
1009
01:16:15,467 --> 01:16:17,833
l worked my hardest
to memorize letter sounds,
1010
01:16:17,936 --> 01:16:20,928
writing in the journal,
and reading smaller and fatter books.
1011
01:16:21,072 --> 01:16:24,269
Then l found out the Mayor's office
give me a literacy award
1012
01:16:24,376 --> 01:16:26,105
and a check for progress.
1013
01:16:28,547 --> 01:16:30,276
One, two, three.
1014
01:16:30,382 --> 01:16:32,077
The party is on.
1015
01:16:32,417 --> 01:16:33,782
Go, Joann!
1016
01:16:37,088 --> 01:16:39,147
Let me see what you got!
1017
01:16:39,257 --> 01:16:44,320
Everybody come. Nurse John, Cornrows,
all the staff was out there.
1018
01:16:44,896 --> 01:16:47,126
Even Ms. Katherine showed up.
1019
01:16:47,499 --> 01:16:48,727
Precious.
1020
01:16:52,003 --> 01:16:53,368
What's up?
1021
01:16:53,905 --> 01:16:55,372
What's that?
1022
01:16:56,007 --> 01:16:57,634
What does it look like?
1023
01:16:57,742 --> 01:16:59,607
Plastic stupid apple.
1024
01:17:02,814 --> 01:17:04,475
A little something for you.
1025
01:17:04,583 --> 01:17:07,279
-ls there more money in it?
-You're so greedy.
1026
01:17:07,385 --> 01:17:10,081
Yo, who's that?
1027
01:17:13,058 --> 01:17:14,252
What?
1028
01:17:17,195 --> 01:17:19,163
-What?
-Come on.
1029
01:17:19,664 --> 01:17:22,098
Precious, where are you taking me?
1030
01:17:23,568 --> 01:17:27,265
What am l supposed to do, diva? Yeah?
Wait a minute. Hold on, girl.
1031
01:17:27,372 --> 01:17:28,862
Yeah.. .
1032
01:17:33,078 --> 01:17:35,171
My mom called last night.
1033
01:17:37,882 --> 01:17:41,113
And we don't really have a relationship.
1034
01:17:41,620 --> 01:17:44,453
We don't talk,
because she really has a problem with.. .
1035
01:17:44,556 --> 01:17:48,253
Some folks got a light around them
that shine for other peoples.
1036
01:17:48,360 --> 01:17:51,420
l think maybe some of them was in tunnels,
1037
01:17:51,529 --> 01:17:54,225
and in that tunnel,
maybe the only light they had
1038
01:17:54,332 --> 01:17:55,856
was inside of them.
1039
01:17:55,967 --> 01:17:59,164
Then l thought about how strong
you've had to be.
1040
01:18:01,806 --> 01:18:05,537
And then,
even long after they escaped that tunnel...
1041
01:18:06,911 --> 01:18:09,675
-l'll help you clean up.
-Okay.
1042
01:18:10,415 --> 01:18:13,350
...they still be shining for everybody else.
1043
01:18:17,622 --> 01:18:19,613
That's Ms. Rain to me.
1044
01:18:22,627 --> 01:18:24,117
''Award for Outstanding Achievement.' '
1045
01:18:24,229 --> 01:18:27,858
ln a book l read,
this lady escaped to a halfway house.
1046
01:18:27,966 --> 01:18:29,126
And when she was there,
1047
01:18:29,234 --> 01:18:32,169
she asked the people there
what a halfway house was.
1048
01:18:32,270 --> 01:18:36,570
They told her it was halfway between
her old life and where she wanna be.
1049
01:18:36,675 --> 01:18:38,575
That's kind of nice.
1050
01:18:40,278 --> 01:18:43,338
That also mean l can't stay here forever.
1051
01:18:43,448 --> 01:18:45,541
There's still a way to go.
1052
01:18:46,318 --> 01:18:49,253
lt'd be something to get my own apartment.
1053
01:18:50,121 --> 01:18:53,557
Abdul nine months and almost walking.
He's smart, too.
1054
01:18:54,292 --> 01:18:57,318
l've been reading to him
since the day he was born.
1055
01:18:57,429 --> 01:19:00,455
He's barely talking,
but he's already counting.
1056
01:19:01,466 --> 01:19:03,229
Momma, Daddy,
1057
01:19:04,035 --> 01:19:08,404
lS 1 1 1, 444 Lenox all seem
like some old, bad dream.
1058
01:19:10,608 --> 01:19:14,601
l wish l could've just started out here,
but still with Abdul.
1059
01:19:16,047 --> 01:19:20,177
l'm gonna get Mongo, too.
l gotta get Mongo back.
1060
01:19:22,287 --> 01:19:23,379
Hey, Miss Cassidy.
1061
01:19:23,488 --> 01:19:25,649
Hey, Precious,
somebody downstairs for you.
1062
01:19:25,757 --> 01:19:27,486
-Who is it?
-l didn't ask who it was.
1063
01:19:27,592 --> 01:19:28,786
You want me to watch the baby?
1064
01:19:28,893 --> 01:19:31,726
No, l gotta go down and get him anyway.
1065
01:20:06,197 --> 01:20:07,789
Your daddy dead.
1066
01:20:09,768 --> 01:20:11,201
That's all?
1067
01:20:16,307 --> 01:20:18,172
He had that AlDS virus.
1068
01:20:33,725 --> 01:20:34,919
There you go, dreaming again!
1069
01:20:35,026 --> 01:20:37,654
Precious, do you hear me talking to you?
1070
01:20:39,130 --> 01:20:40,222
Did you hear what l said?
1071
01:20:45,203 --> 01:20:46,602
You got it?
1072
01:20:47,906 --> 01:20:49,498
Got what?
1073
01:20:49,607 --> 01:20:51,507
-The AlDS virus.
-No.
1074
01:20:52,544 --> 01:20:54,205
How do you know?
1075
01:20:54,312 --> 01:20:57,145
We never did it up in the ass, so l know.
1076
01:21:01,553 --> 01:21:03,987
You better get to a doctor, Mom.
1077
01:21:06,724 --> 01:21:08,419
You coming home?
1078
01:21:25,443 --> 01:21:26,910
Yo, Precious!
1079
01:21:45,563 --> 01:21:48,555
Rita, what do l mean when l say the author
1080
01:21:48,666 --> 01:21:53,296
describes her protagonist's circumstances
as ''unrelenting''?
1081
01:21:54,339 --> 01:21:56,637
l don't know. l don't know.
1082
01:21:59,043 --> 01:22:02,604
lt's like, say, like if Rita,
she tries to do something,
1083
01:22:02,714 --> 01:22:05,148
and she's going and she's going,
and me, l try to stop her
1084
01:22:05,250 --> 01:22:07,844
and she no stop, she keep on going.
1085
01:22:08,520 --> 01:22:10,249
Relentless-un.
1086
01:23:03,041 --> 01:23:05,441
l'll see you tonight. Bye.
1087
01:23:54,559 --> 01:23:56,049
Come with me.
1088
01:23:57,495 --> 01:23:58,860
Precious?
1089
01:24:00,732 --> 01:24:02,165
Excuse me?
1090
01:24:04,135 --> 01:24:06,228
Nurse say l'm HlV positive.
1091
01:24:12,877 --> 01:24:15,368
l ain't got nothing to write today.
1092
01:24:17,248 --> 01:24:18,875
ls your baby okay?
1093
01:24:19,984 --> 01:24:23,317
He all right.
l just got to stop breastfeeding him.
1094
01:24:27,058 --> 01:24:29,185
Remember, you once told me
1095
01:24:29,727 --> 01:24:32,560
you never really got to tell your story.
1096
01:24:34,065 --> 01:24:36,056
-Write.
-Fuck you!
1097
01:24:36,634 --> 01:24:39,569
You know nothing
of what l've been through.
1098
01:24:40,772 --> 01:24:43,104
l ain't never had no boyfriend.
1099
01:24:45,810 --> 01:24:48,335
My daddy said he gonna marry me.
1100
01:24:49,047 --> 01:24:52,312
How he gonna do that?
lt would fucking be illegal!
1101
01:25:08,599 --> 01:25:09,793
Write.
1102
01:25:11,936 --> 01:25:14,427
l'm tired, Ms. Rain.
1103
01:25:15,373 --> 01:25:18,501
lf not for yourself,
then for the people who love you.
1104
01:25:18,609 --> 01:25:20,406
Nobody loves me.
1105
01:25:20,511 --> 01:25:22,706
People do love you, Precious.
1106
01:25:23,214 --> 01:25:25,614
Please don't lie to me, Ms. Rain.
1107
01:25:26,517 --> 01:25:28,849
Love ain't done nothing for me.
1108
01:25:29,921 --> 01:25:33,288
Love beat me, raped me,
1109
01:25:34,759 --> 01:25:38,718
called me an animal,
make me feel worthless.
1110
01:25:39,430 --> 01:25:40,988
Make me sick.
1111
01:25:43,334 --> 01:25:45,393
That wasn't love, Precious.
1112
01:25:47,505 --> 01:25:49,302
Your baby loves you.
1113
01:25:52,643 --> 01:25:54,042
l love you.
1114
01:26:01,385 --> 01:26:02,579
Write.
1115
01:26:11,562 --> 01:26:13,496
What are you thinking?
1116
01:26:15,700 --> 01:26:19,864
You never told me about
your relationship with your mother.
1117
01:26:22,640 --> 01:26:24,267
l didn't, did l?
1118
01:26:25,009 --> 01:26:27,603
Really, l'm here to help you.
1119
01:26:27,712 --> 01:26:30,806
You can talk to me.
This is a safe environment.
1120
01:26:32,216 --> 01:26:33,547
You're right.
1121
01:26:33,651 --> 01:26:36,176
We could talk about your daddy instead.
1122
01:26:36,287 --> 01:26:39,120
We could talk about my mother, my father,
1123
01:26:39,223 --> 01:26:43,557
my aunts or my sister or my brother,
but none of it's gonna help you.
1124
01:26:44,262 --> 01:26:45,729
You don't even like me.
1125
01:26:45,830 --> 01:26:48,856
Have we not been in this room together
1126
01:26:48,966 --> 01:26:52,197
for, like, a year, discussing your life?
1127
01:26:52,303 --> 01:26:55,272
Does that mean we like each other,
because we discuss my life?
1128
01:26:55,373 --> 01:26:56,840
l can't speak for you.
1129
01:26:56,941 --> 01:27:01,344
l can only speak for me,
and l do like you. l do.
1130
01:27:02,046 --> 01:27:03,877
So, are you ltalian, or.. .
1131
01:27:03,981 --> 01:27:05,243
What color are you, anyway?
1132
01:27:05,349 --> 01:27:07,408
Are you some type of black or Spanish?
1133
01:27:07,518 --> 01:27:09,713
What color do you think l am?
1134
01:27:11,689 --> 01:27:14,988
No, l'd like to know.
What color do you think l am?
1135
01:27:15,860 --> 01:27:17,555
My throat is dry.
1136
01:27:18,429 --> 01:27:20,124
Your throat is dry?
1137
01:27:20,598 --> 01:27:22,259
lt's really hot in here.
1138
01:27:22,366 --> 01:27:24,425
lt is kind of hot in here.
1139
01:27:25,002 --> 01:27:27,835
l'm gonna go get a soda.
What do you want?
1140
01:27:28,239 --> 01:27:30,070
Soda sounds fine.
1141
01:27:30,174 --> 01:27:31,539
All right.
1142
01:28:02,139 --> 01:28:03,572
Thank you.
1143
01:28:04,208 --> 01:28:05,641
No problem.
1144
01:28:09,380 --> 01:28:12,543
So, l have to talk to you about your mother,
1145
01:28:13,117 --> 01:28:15,449
and l don't know
how you're gonna feel about this,
1146
01:28:15,553 --> 01:28:18,283
but she says she wants to see you
1147
01:28:18,389 --> 01:28:22,985
and she wants to be reunited
with you and her grandchildren.
1148
01:28:23,594 --> 01:28:26,529
She wants to come
and have a session here with you.
1149
01:28:26,631 --> 01:28:28,189
What did you tell her?
1150
01:28:28,299 --> 01:28:31,097
l said l had to speak to you about it.
1151
01:28:33,771 --> 01:28:35,170
lt's up to you.
1152
01:28:35,273 --> 01:28:38,208
l don't know.
l never thought about it before.
1153
01:28:39,777 --> 01:28:42,268
Ms. Weiss said in that file l got HlV.
1154
01:28:42,380 --> 01:28:44,780
She said l was supposed to die from it.
1155
01:28:44,882 --> 01:28:46,907
l ain't worried about dying.
1156
01:28:47,018 --> 01:28:50,920
Shit, l gotta worry about
how l'm supposed to raise these kids.
1157
01:28:51,956 --> 01:28:54,424
l was just writing, like, about.. .
1158
01:28:55,159 --> 01:28:57,218
l wanna open up this clinic
1159
01:28:57,328 --> 01:29:00,525
about, like, mothers and their children.
1160
01:29:01,399 --> 01:29:04,425
You know, just,
if they're sick or something like that.
1161
01:29:04,535 --> 01:29:08,164
l always wanted to do that,
give back to the community.
1162
01:29:08,272 --> 01:29:11,139
Because l know my mom would be
proud of me if l did that,
1163
01:29:11,242 --> 01:29:12,869
and my children, too.
1164
01:29:12,977 --> 01:29:16,640
l want my children to be proud
of their mother, you know?
1165
01:29:17,815 --> 01:29:22,343
-That's always what l wanted to do, so.. .
-That's good. That's really nice.
1166
01:29:25,957 --> 01:29:30,394
l don't really want to read the whole thing,
l kind of just wanna say what it's about.
1167
01:29:31,662 --> 01:29:35,257
Okay, the counselors
at Advancement House,
1168
01:29:37,134 --> 01:29:39,625
they were quizzing me
about my mother and my father, right?
1169
01:29:39,737 --> 01:29:41,466
But it's not really about them.
1170
01:29:41,572 --> 01:29:43,631
They're trying to get me to do workfare.
1171
01:29:43,741 --> 01:29:46,073
-They want me to be a home attendant.
-How do you know?
1172
01:29:46,177 --> 01:29:48,475
Because l stole my file and l read it.
1173
01:29:48,579 --> 01:29:50,444
All they want me to do is work.
1174
01:29:50,548 --> 01:29:53,779
Now, l do wanna work,
but not for no welfare check.
1175
01:29:53,884 --> 01:29:55,283
What kind of sense that make,
1176
01:29:55,386 --> 01:29:58,287
for somebody like Precious to quit school
before she got her GED
1177
01:29:58,389 --> 01:30:01,017
and go work
for some old white people somewhere?
1178
01:30:01,125 --> 01:30:04,185
She ain't never gonna be nothing
if she gets stuck in some shit like that.
1179
01:30:04,295 --> 01:30:05,762
Rhonda used to home attend.
1180
01:30:05,863 --> 01:30:08,855
She used to have to go all the way out
to Brighton Beach.
1181
01:30:08,966 --> 01:30:12,265
Yeah, okay, Rhonda would be
working there all day and night.
1182
01:30:12,370 --> 01:30:14,361
She'd be on call, right?
1183
01:30:14,839 --> 01:30:19,003
She made $6.37 an hour,
but for only eight hours.
1184
01:30:19,643 --> 01:30:21,736
That equal out to $50.96.
1185
01:30:22,780 --> 01:30:24,179
But that's not a whole lot of money,
1186
01:30:24,281 --> 01:30:27,375
especially 'cause,
for real, she there for 24 hours.
1187
01:30:27,485 --> 01:30:32,149
So, $50.96 divided by 24
1188
01:30:32,256 --> 01:30:36,158
is $2.1 2 an hour. That's not a lot of money.
1189
01:30:36,260 --> 01:30:40,629
She said that old bitch would ring a bell,
like, a real-life, actual bell
1190
01:30:40,731 --> 01:30:42,562
when she wanted something from her
in the middle of the night.
1191
01:30:42,666 --> 01:30:45,328
-You don't want to do that shit.
-Rhonda, is that true? Rhonda!
1192
01:30:45,436 --> 01:30:48,462
Them home attendants be working for, like,
six days a week.
1193
01:30:48,572 --> 01:30:52,406
l'd only see Abdul on Sunday.
Plus, l'd have to leave class.
1194
01:30:52,777 --> 01:30:56,076
Well, that's not an option.
You're not leaving class.
1195
01:30:56,180 --> 01:30:59,274
Plus, l'm gonna start going to
insect survivor meetings.
1196
01:30:59,383 --> 01:31:00,850
lt's ''incest.' '
1197
01:31:02,653 --> 01:31:05,747
-That ain't what l said?
-No, you said ''insect.' '
1198
01:31:06,390 --> 01:31:07,652
What's the difference?
1199
01:31:07,758 --> 01:31:09,521
Well, one's where your family molests you,
1200
01:31:09,627 --> 01:31:12,289
the other's like a roach or bugs.
1201
01:31:14,965 --> 01:31:17,593
-So, you a scientist now?
-l'm just saying.
1202
01:31:17,701 --> 01:31:20,431
No, that's cool. Thank you. Thank you.
1203
01:31:26,644 --> 01:31:30,205
lt was hard telling them strangers there
what my father did.
1204
01:31:30,347 --> 01:31:32,315
Sometimes it felt good.
1205
01:31:37,588 --> 01:31:41,752
Last week, Ms. Rain asked us
to write down what we wanna be like.
1206
01:31:42,226 --> 01:31:45,718
l wrote that l be real skinny,
1207
01:31:46,497 --> 01:31:48,692
with light skin and long hair.
1208
01:31:50,201 --> 01:31:51,828
Loretha Holloway?
1209
01:31:53,070 --> 01:31:54,162
Go on back there.
1210
01:31:54,271 --> 01:31:56,068
She read it and said l'm beautiful like l am.
1211
01:31:56,173 --> 01:31:59,631
But, there's no kids back there
for me to play with.
1212
01:32:01,879 --> 01:32:03,813
Just shut up and sit there, then.
1213
01:32:03,914 --> 01:32:07,281
Gonna talk to this lady
before my shit gets cut off.
1214
01:32:07,384 --> 01:32:08,783
But somehow,
1215
01:32:09,954 --> 01:32:13,185
right now... And l don't know why, but...
1216
01:32:15,326 --> 01:32:17,055
l think she right.
1217
01:32:23,467 --> 01:32:24,525
Here.
1218
01:32:33,210 --> 01:32:34,802
Claireece Jones?
1219
01:32:40,818 --> 01:32:42,786
l think she right.
1220
01:32:48,092 --> 01:32:50,151
Okay, Mrs. Johnston,
let's talk about the abuse.
1221
01:32:50,261 --> 01:32:52,422
There were no drugs in my house.
1222
01:32:52,530 --> 01:32:54,464
l didn't play that.
There weren't no drugs in my house.
1223
01:32:54,565 --> 01:32:56,226
Precious knew l would whup her ass
1224
01:32:56,333 --> 01:32:57,823
if she gonna bring some drugs
up in my house.
1225
01:32:57,935 --> 01:33:00,267
You know what l'm talking about.
1226
01:33:01,438 --> 01:33:06,535
l'm referring to specific
sexual and physical acts
1227
01:33:07,144 --> 01:33:08,873
involving Precious.
1228
01:33:09,613 --> 01:33:11,547
Why you ain't say that?
1229
01:33:12,316 --> 01:33:13,874
Yes, that.
1230
01:33:15,986 --> 01:33:17,886
What do you wanna know?
1231
01:33:17,988 --> 01:33:19,956
According to Precious' files,
1232
01:33:20,057 --> 01:33:24,084
she has now had two children
by your boyfriend,
1233
01:33:24,195 --> 01:33:28,427
the late Carl Kenwood Jones,
who was also her father.
1234
01:33:34,738 --> 01:33:36,706
-Yeah.
-This is accurate?
1235
01:33:39,176 --> 01:33:40,939
Yes, Ms. Weiss.
1236
01:33:41,445 --> 01:33:44,539
l need to know why you're here.
You've been calling this office
1237
01:33:44,648 --> 01:33:48,516
saying you want to be reunited
with Precious and your grandchild.
1238
01:33:48,619 --> 01:33:52,111
Now, l really need to know
what's gone on in that home.
1239
01:33:52,223 --> 01:33:54,316
Ms. Weiss,
l understand we need to discuss it,
1240
01:33:54,425 --> 01:33:55,756
but l'm just telling you.
1241
01:33:55,859 --> 01:33:58,589
You said l've been calling here
and l've been wanting to see
1242
01:33:58,696 --> 01:34:00,129
Precious and my grandson.
1243
01:34:00,231 --> 01:34:04,725
You're goddamn right l wanna see them.
Because they belong to me. Okay?
1244
01:34:04,835 --> 01:34:07,827
Now, there was a time
Precious had everything,
1245
01:34:07,938 --> 01:34:09,701
and l done told her that.
1246
01:34:09,807 --> 01:34:13,436
And me and Carl, we loved Precious.
And you need to know that.
1247
01:34:13,544 --> 01:34:16,206
We loved Precious and we had dreams.
1248
01:34:16,313 --> 01:34:21,012
Precious was born around the same time
Ms. West's son got killed.
1249
01:34:22,553 --> 01:34:26,489
The summertime.
She was born in the summertime.
1250
01:34:26,590 --> 01:34:28,558
Remember? Remember that?
1251
01:34:28,892 --> 01:34:30,792
l was born in November.
1252
01:34:31,328 --> 01:34:32,852
November.
1253
01:34:33,764 --> 01:34:36,198
Yeah, that's right.
1254
01:34:37,534 --> 01:34:39,365
My Scorpio child.
1255
01:34:41,572 --> 01:34:42,971
You know.. .
1256
01:34:43,741 --> 01:34:47,734
Scorpios, they can be tricky.
1257
01:34:48,979 --> 01:34:53,507
And, l'm not saying that they lie.
l'm not saying that.
1258
01:34:54,084 --> 01:34:56,382
But you just gotta watch them.
1259
01:35:00,391 --> 01:35:04,157
Can we talk about the actual acts
1260
01:35:04,261 --> 01:35:06,923
of physical and sexual abuse
1261
01:35:07,031 --> 01:35:09,465
that occurred in your household?
1262
01:35:10,100 --> 01:35:11,590
When it first began,
1263
01:35:11,702 --> 01:35:14,671
where it happened
and how did you respond?
1264
01:35:21,111 --> 01:35:23,238
Precious was a little girl.
1265
01:35:24,748 --> 01:35:27,717
Try and remember
how old you think she was.
1266
01:35:32,022 --> 01:35:33,512
She was three.
1267
01:35:35,526 --> 01:35:38,962
And l had been giving her the bottle
1268
01:35:40,931 --> 01:35:43,331
and l was giving Carl the tittie
1269
01:35:43,734 --> 01:35:47,761
because my milk hadn't dried up
in my breasts
1270
01:35:48,906 --> 01:35:52,239
but not from her, but because Carl was.. .
1271
01:35:53,444 --> 01:35:55,344
Because Carl was sucking on them
1272
01:35:55,446 --> 01:35:59,246
and that's what kept my milk in my breasts.
1273
01:36:01,985 --> 01:36:04,749
And l thought that that was for hygiene.
1274
01:36:05,689 --> 01:36:08,419
l did what my mother told me
1275
01:36:09,026 --> 01:36:12,860
that l was supposed to do with my child,
so that's what l did.
1276
01:36:13,364 --> 01:36:16,026
And you're sitting up there
and you're trying to judge me.. .
1277
01:36:16,133 --> 01:36:18,931
l'm not judging you,
but you're asking me for money
1278
01:36:19,036 --> 01:36:21,436
and you're asking me
to be reunited with your grandson.
1279
01:36:21,538 --> 01:36:23,904
But, Ms. Weiss,
l don't like you looking at me like that.
1280
01:36:24,141 --> 01:36:27,577
You got this bitch looking at me
like l'm some kind of fucking monster.
1281
01:36:27,678 --> 01:36:29,578
We don't talk like this in my office, okay?
1282
01:36:29,680 --> 01:36:33,172
l didn't want her sucking behind him,
because that was nasty.
1283
01:36:33,283 --> 01:36:36,980
And things that he was.. .
lt was just nasty, Ms. Weiss.
1284
01:36:42,659 --> 01:36:46,220
l had a man, and l have a child
1285
01:36:48,065 --> 01:36:51,865
and l had to take care of both of them.
Okay?
1286
01:36:53,570 --> 01:36:58,530
Did l want Carl to touch my baby?
1287
01:37:00,644 --> 01:37:02,976
Because l would lay my baby.
1288
01:37:03,080 --> 01:37:07,676
l would lay her on the side of me,
on this pillow
1289
01:37:09,453 --> 01:37:11,580
and it was pink
1290
01:37:12,356 --> 01:37:15,348
and it had this little white writing on it
1291
01:37:15,459 --> 01:37:19,555
and it had her name,
because she was precious.
1292
01:37:20,497 --> 01:37:22,829
And l would lay my baby on that pillow
1293
01:37:22,933 --> 01:37:26,266
and Carl would be laying on the other side
1294
01:37:27,738 --> 01:37:31,606
and then we would.. .
We would start doing it
1295
01:37:31,708 --> 01:37:33,767
and he reached over
1296
01:37:36,113 --> 01:37:38,081
and he touched my baby.
1297
01:37:38,182 --> 01:37:39,706
And l asked him,
1298
01:37:40,551 --> 01:37:43,076
l said, ''Carl, what are you doing?''
1299
01:37:43,187 --> 01:37:45,621
And he told me to shut.. .
1300
01:37:45,722 --> 01:37:48,691
To shut my fat ass up,
and it was good for her.
1301
01:37:48,792 --> 01:37:52,023
-And what did you do then?
-l shut my fat ass up.
1302
01:37:52,563 --> 01:37:55,862
And l don't want you to sit there
and judge me, Ms. Weiss.
1303
01:37:55,966 --> 01:37:57,695
You shut up
and you let him abuse your daughter?
1304
01:37:57,801 --> 01:37:59,735
l did not want him to abuse my daughter.
1305
01:37:59,870 --> 01:38:01,337
-l did not want him to hurt her.
-But you allowed him
1306
01:38:01,438 --> 01:38:03,303
-to hurt her.
-l did not want him to do nothing to her.
1307
01:38:03,407 --> 01:38:05,307
l wanted him to make love to me.
1308
01:38:05,409 --> 01:38:08,378
That was my man.
That was my fucking man.
1309
01:38:08,545 --> 01:38:11,343
That was my man
and he wanted my daughter.
1310
01:38:12,683 --> 01:38:14,981
And that's why l hated her.
1311
01:38:15,085 --> 01:38:18,020
Because my man,
who was supposed to be loving me,
1312
01:38:18,155 --> 01:38:20,953
who was supposed
to be making love to me,
1313
01:38:22,059 --> 01:38:24,289
was fucking my baby.
1314
01:38:24,394 --> 01:38:27,989
She made him leave.
She made him go away.
1315
01:38:28,565 --> 01:38:29,691
So, whose fault was it, then?
1316
01:38:29,800 --> 01:38:32,928
lt's this bitch's fault
because she let my man have her
1317
01:38:33,036 --> 01:38:34,594
and she didn't say nothing.
1318
01:38:34,705 --> 01:38:36,696
She didn't scream. She didn't do nothing.
1319
01:38:36,807 --> 01:38:40,334
So, those things she told you l did to her,
1320
01:38:40,444 --> 01:38:43,572
who else was gonna love me?
1321
01:38:46,583 --> 01:38:50,212
Since you got your degree
and you know every-fucking-thing,
1322
01:38:50,320 --> 01:38:54,347
who was gonna love me,
who was gonna make me feel good?
1323
01:38:54,458 --> 01:38:58,087
Who was gonna touch me
and make me feel good late at night?
1324
01:38:58,195 --> 01:39:00,686
And she made him go away, so.. .
1325
01:39:01,498 --> 01:39:04,956
When you sit there and you write
them fucking notes on your pad
1326
01:39:05,068 --> 01:39:09,095
about who you think l am,
and why l did it, all of that.
1327
01:39:10,474 --> 01:39:12,635
Because l didn't have nobody.
1328
01:39:21,485 --> 01:39:24,613
The people from
1329
01:39:26,256 --> 01:39:28,247
Each One Teach One,
1330
01:39:29,026 --> 01:39:31,927
they had.. . They called me
1331
01:39:34,932 --> 01:39:37,992
and they told me that my baby
was writing poems.
1332
01:39:38,101 --> 01:39:39,591
ln fact, you know what, l got.. .
1333
01:39:39,703 --> 01:39:41,227
Wait a minute.
1334
01:40:07,264 --> 01:40:08,697
l'm sorry.
1335
01:40:09,733 --> 01:40:13,066
l'm sorry.
And, Ms. Weiss, l don't want no checks.
1336
01:40:13,170 --> 01:40:17,368
l don't need no more money. Please.
l'm so sorry.
1337
01:40:18,308 --> 01:40:20,435
l took that TABE test again.
1338
01:40:21,712 --> 01:40:22,804
And what happened?
1339
01:40:22,913 --> 01:40:24,540
l scored a 7.8 .
1340
01:40:26,283 --> 01:40:28,148
Last time it was 2.8 .
1341
01:40:30,587 --> 01:40:31,918
According to that test,
1342
01:40:32,022 --> 01:40:34,718
l'm reading at
a seventh- and eighth-grade level.
1343
01:40:36,026 --> 01:40:39,189
Next year, high school. After that, college.
1344
01:40:45,769 --> 01:40:47,532
Well, l like you, too.
1345
01:40:49,906 --> 01:40:51,897
But you can't handle me.
1346
01:40:53,744 --> 01:40:56,008
You can't handle none of this.
1347
01:41:03,987 --> 01:41:07,388
You know, l never knew what you was
until this day.
1348
01:41:07,491 --> 01:41:10,221
Not even after all them things you did.
1349
01:41:11,762 --> 01:41:15,198
Maybe l was too stupid, or
maybe l just didn't want to.
1350
01:41:17,701 --> 01:41:19,999
You ain't gonna see me no more.
1351
01:41:23,640 --> 01:41:24,868
Bye!
1352
01:41:28,645 --> 01:41:30,510
l didn't want him to hurt my baby.
1353
01:41:30,614 --> 01:41:32,980
Please, God,
l didn't want him to hurt my baby.
1354
01:41:33,083 --> 01:41:35,950
Ms. Weiss,
l didn't want him to hurt my baby.
1355
01:41:36,053 --> 01:41:37,850
l would say to him, l would say.. .
1356
01:41:37,954 --> 01:41:41,151
''Carl, what are you doing?
What are you doing? What are you doing?''
1357
01:41:50,267 --> 01:41:51,825
Can you go get her back?
1358
01:41:51,968 --> 01:41:54,528
You can do that,
because that's what you do.
1359
01:41:54,638 --> 01:41:56,401
That's what you do.
1360
01:41:56,873 --> 01:42:00,570
l need you to go
and l need you to get my baby back.
1361
01:42:00,677 --> 01:42:04,238
You told me that l could come in here
and you could get.. .
1362
01:42:04,748 --> 01:42:06,215
You could get Precious to say.. .
1363
01:42:06,316 --> 01:42:08,784
Ms. Weiss? Ms. Weiss? Ms. Weiss?