And he is testing us.
Every, every day, our Lord is testing us.
If he wasn't testing us, how would you account
for the sorry state of our society,
for the crimes
that plague the big cities of this country,
when he could sweep this pestilence from the face of the earth
with one mighty gesture of His hand.
If our Lord wasn't testing us,
how would you account for the proliferation these days
of this obscene rock 'n' roll music,
with its gospel of easy sexuality
and relaxed morality?
If our Lord wasn't testing us, why, he could take all these
pornographic books
and albums,
and turn them into one big fiery cinder like that!
But how would that make us stronger for Him?
One of these days, my Lord is gonna come to me
and ask me for an explanation
for the lives of each and every one of you.
And what am I gonna tell him on that day?
That I was busy?
That I was tired?
That I was bored?
No! I can never let up.
I welcome His test.
I welcome this challenge from my Lord,
so that one day I can deliver all of you unto His hands.
And when that day dawns,
I don't want to have to do any explaining.
I don't want to be missing from your lives.
Praise the Lord in singing
hymn number 397,
"What a Friend We Have in Jesus."
What a friend we have in Jesus.
All our sins and griefs to bear
I will. You have a good week, now.
- We'll see you. - Bye-bye, Elroy.
Mrs. McCormack, your sister has us so excited about you coming.
Thank you.
- Did you meet my wife, Vi? - No.
- How do you do? - How nice to meet you.
- Welcome. - This is my son, Ren.
- Hello, Ren. - Hi.
Would you excuse me for a minute?
Daddy.
Ariel, will you come and meet the McCormacks?
The stunning new gentleman.
This is Mrs. McCormack and her son... Is it Ren?
Ren.
Ren's gonna be new at the high school tomorrow.
- Hi. - Hi.
Daddy, me, Edna, Wendy Jo and Rusty are going for a soda at the Hi-Spot, okay?
- How you doing? - Okay.
- Bye. - See you.
Ariel, remember you have school tomorrow.
I'll be home for supper.
God, is he excellent!
What? The new kid? He's all right.
What are you, blind? He's gorgeous.
- So, have you seen the new high school? - No, I haven't had the chance.
My God, I almost forgot! Cindy Addis had her baby.
My God. What was it?
Who told you?
Yesterday, my mother spoke to her mother.
Is she coming back?
I don't feel a bit sorry for her.
You can't buy a diaphragm through the mail. I'm serious. Right?
Well, did she decide who the father was?
There's no question it was Duane Capps.
No, wait a minute!
I'd been going with Duane Capps. He never had the time.
Well, how long does it take, Wendy Jo?
Ladies and gentlemen, moving up behind us,
you'll notice the incredible Barf-mobile. Crap.
Hey, Chuck.
Come on. Come on.
Hi, girls. Going my way?
You lonely tonight?
You want a race? You got a race.
What, that piece of junk?
Step on it!
I am stepping on it.
Come on.
Come on, no guts?
In back of us, buddy.
- Take this, Rusty. - Hey.
- Come on. - You chicken.
- Hey, Chuck! - Come on, I'll take you all on, girls.
Hey! Come on.
- Come on, Chuck! - Ariel, what are you doing?
- Come on! - Edna, slow down, okay, please?
- Throw it, honey. Throw it. - Are you ready?
Come on. I'll get closer.
Come on, you can do it, honey.
Yeah.
Ariel, will you stop it? Now.
Ariel, get in the car and stop showing off.
It's not funny. You're gonna kill yourself!
Chuck, please be careful!
He's testing us! He's testing us!
Ariel, watch out. There's a truck!
Get in the car now!
Shit.
- Get in the truck, Ariel. - Ariel, get into the car!
Ariel, be careful!
Come on! Get in!
Get in!
Jesus, we should never have let her done that.
My God!
So, have you met any of your teachers?
No, I haven't had a chance.
Reverend, they've only been here eight hours.
Now, I took care of all that last week. Registered him...
Vi, I made you some of those Tollhouse squares I promised.
Lulu, you taste one of these, you'll burn your recipe.
Reverend, we have a little problem.
I heard that the English teacher over at the school
- is planning to teach that book. - "Slaughterhouse-Five."
- Isn't that an awful name? - Yeah, it's a great book.
"Slaughterhouse-Five."
Yeah, it's... It's a classic.
Do you read much?
Maybe in another town, it's a classic.
In any town.
Tom Sawyer is a classic.
- No, that's fine, Ethel. - Ethel, honey, here,
- have some more ham. - No.
You sure Ren doesn't want something?
No, I don't think so. We're both a little tired from the move.
I think I'm gonna take Ren a potato.
Amy, come back and sit down.
I'm sure your cousin's fine.
It's a shock to the system, moving out here from the big city.
- But what if he's starving? - Amy, you are so lame.
Sarah, Amy, eat.
I can't sit still! I'm so excited you're both here!
Ethel, you sure you're not too tired?
No, Ren did most of the driving.
If you ask me, Ren is a total fox.
- Amy. - Where did you hear that?
Ethel, you see how television and those kinds of books
influence children? You see?
What the hell is your problem?
Chuck Cranston, are you crazy? You're sick!
Hey, Ariel, here's your sweater.
Ariel, are you out of your mind? I could kill you!
You almost did, Edna.
That's what you get for sniffing spray starch.
After he graduated, they drained his brain.
Hey, Edna, you getting fries?
If I am, you can't have any.
Wendy Jo. Wendy Jo!
- Yes? - Bring me Edna's fries.
Sure.
Hey, where you going?
What are you doing?
- Smuggled tapes. - Hey, you be careful with that.
Your daddy hears you playing it, he'll bust your butt.
Then he put his hands all over her.
Hey, man, it's the Reverend.
Man, we're all gonna get it.
Your mother didn't think you had any money with you.
- Ren. - Yeah, Mom.
You about ready to go?
Are you gonna wear that tie?
Yeah.
I think you might wanna dress down for now.
I like the tie.
September, when you go off to college, you can dress like David Bowie.
Come on, let's go.
Do you want the assignment or what?
Yeah, right.
Why don't you comb your hair?
Shit, mister, where you going?
Son of a bitch, you're supposed to look.
- I'm sorry. - Hey.
Where'd you learn how to drive anyway? You're supposed to stay on the right side.
Hey, I like that hat, man.
They sell men's clothes where you got that?
Willard, come on.
What's your name?
- Ren. - Yeah?
My name's Willard. Hewitt.
- Good to meet you. - How you doing?
- All right. I'll see you around. - All right.
Willard, I swear, one of these days...
Hey, that tie is fabulous.
I mean it. It's fabulous. Don't let anyone tell you any different.
Ariel.
Right?
Very good.
Girl, you are on.
Chicago, wow, man. Must be wild, like The Naked City.
- Can I have the fish? - I'll tell you, man,
you're gonna bounce off the goddamn walls here.
What do you do there?
I don't know. Same thing you do here. What do you do?
- Lot of this. - Yeah, that too.
I'll tell you, man. There was this place
called the Blue Heaven.
- Yeah? - It was great.
You had to steal IDs to get in this place,
but it was incredible.
It's like... It was like a huge, underground circus, you know?
Hot-pink neon climbing up the walls
and astral music. And girls, millions of girls.
Like, from the university, mostly.
If we could get one of them to dance, just one, then that was it.
We get out on the floor and really start to smoke, cutting in on each other
and these girls would just stop whatever they were doing.
- And they'd look. - They'd look? They'd look how?
You know, they start to warm up a little. Right?
Pretty soon, they start buying us beers.
- They're buying you guys beers? - Yeah.
- Shit. - Yeah.
Wait, there was this one.
This was the best. Ginger.
Now, listen, we started dancing, right?
Slow dancing, like we're stuck to each other.
Now, eventually, it's obvious to me
that she wants to do more than dance, right?
So we left the place.
On the way to the car, she's already got her tongue in my ear. Okay?
We get to the car,
and she says we can't go back to her place
because of her roommate, right?
But she says, "Hey, that's no problem."
She's got these seats in the car that recline back.
All the way back.
- If you know what I'm saying. - All the way?
Would I shit you? Right?
She rips my shirt open. She's clawing my chest.
She's biting my neck, and I'm trying to get over the stick shift
because we're going like a freaking freight train now.
All of a sudden, she starts screaming at the top of her lungs,
"God! God!
"Don't stop! Don't stop! Make Ginger pop!"
- Shit, really? - No.
Yeah, but we did dance, so...
- We danced our asses off. - Willard.
Willard, how could you let our new student eat this food?
You don't eat this.
No, we have some delicious homemade food over there.
- Come on over. - It's so good. Yeah, come on.
- Come on, Willard. - Hi.
Chicken.
Come on. Come on. Good boy.
- Good boy, bring your friend. - You won't get any of that here.
What's that?
Dancing, there's no dancing, Ren.
- That's right. - Why?
It's illegal.
Jump back.
It's true.
Has been for about five or six years.
- Why? - Go ahead, tell him.
Started when a bunch of kids got killed in a car wreck.
Whole town went bananas,
blaming it on the music and the liquor and dancing.
Now they're just convinced it's all a sin.
Who's convinced?
Whole damn town.
So, you really can't dance here, man?
- I can't believe that. - It's true.
This isn't the only place either. You'd be surprised.
Places upstate you can't dance.
Places in Kansas and Arkansas. All over the place.
My cousin lives in Montana, and you can't dance where she lives either.
Yeah, she ever get busted for bopping?
I don't know. Never asked her.
You rich?
No. No, why?
Because I don't think I ever bought a tape before.
Get serious.
This place is too weird. Don't you ever listen to the radio?
No. We got one radio at home, but it's never on.
- You like Men at Work? - Which men?
- Men at Work. - Where do they work?
- They don't. They're a music group. - What do they call themselves?
No. Well, what about The Police?
What about them?
- You heard them? - No, but I've seen them.
- What, in concert? - No, behind you.
What?
Shit.
Wanna step out of the car?
Could you tell me what the problem is?
Will you just step out of the car, please?
Hey, Jim, these plates are Illinois state.
- So? - So, you got a license?
Jim, catch.
- Hey, I just bought that. - Hey.
- Playing it kind of loud, weren't you? - Is there a law against loud music?
Let's watch that attitude, boy.
This way, I don't take you in.
$25. They wouldn't even let me off with a warning.
You can't talk to our police the way you talk to those big-city police.
But I wasn't doing anything.
- Yeah, sure. - Sarah, hush.
Ren, there was this bunch of kids snuck over the state line
a year or so ago to see some rock 'n' roll group,
and they were stopped on their way back into town by the police.
They were on church and school probation for weeks.
So you'd better watch your step around here, young man.
Daddy?
I'm sorry about the other night at the drive-in. I mean, about the music.
I was surprised.
Yeah.
Daddy?
I don't know what came over me.
You know, I can't always be with you, Ariel.
I can't always look out for you.
What's the music?
It's... I think it's Haydn. Chamber pieces.
And that kind of music's okay?
It's uplifting.
It doesn't confuse people's minds and bodies.
I don't...
What?
I see.
Could you tell your mother to go on to bed?
I still have a lot of work to do.
Yeah, I will.
- Daddy? - What is it?
- Good night. - Good night, hon.
- Hey, Chuck. - I'll catch you later.
Here, grab my books.
Let me in.
How you doing? What a...
Hey, you the new kid?
I'm talking to you.
Where'd your tie go?
I thought only pansies wore neckties.
Yeah, I can see that.
I thought only assholes used the word "pansy".
- He got you on that one, Chas. - Shut up!
Son of a bitch is gonna pay for that.
Either you got jumbo coconut balls, or you're really pretty stupid.
Who is that douche bag?
He's just a little weasel, but you gotta watch your back.
Can you operate a pallet jack?
How about a bag closer?
- Where you from? - Chicago.
You're not stupid, are you?
You trying to piss me off?
Well, boy, a lot of folks are gonna give you problems right off
because, you see, you're an outsider.
You're dangerous.
They're always gonna worry about you.
Screw them.
And this is only one little corner of the world.
Start Thursday?
Sounds okay.
Yes.
Yeah, old man's been...
It's hard work, but you'll get used to it.
Hi, Ariel.
Chuck Cranston wants to see you.
Meet him over out the back of his daddy's field tomorrow, 5:30.
So, what happens tomorrow at 5:30?
You're gonna have to show up to find out.
And if I don't?
People will know you're scared.
Anyway, Chuck will find you.
You want that?
Hey, Ren, you're backing up in here. Where are you?
Hey, hey. Yo, yo!
How come he sent you?
I volunteered.
Hey, McCormack, where the hell are you?
You know her?
And so she tells me that I...
That I pissed Chuck off, right?
So he wants to see me.
- And she walks away. - He's betting you're gonna chicken
and never... Impressive.
No.
Kind of out of it.
I had to go to work last year.
Well, you still move it.
You better watch that. Ariel's gonna tell her pop, and you're gonna burn.
Yeah, what's her story?
Is she really tough or what?
No, she's just trying to make people forget she's a preacher's kid.
- Is that why she hangs out with Chuck? - Maybe.
People think she's a hell-raiser.
- Is she? - I think she's been kissed a lot.
Chuck! You'd never guess your daddy's a fire chief.
You'd never guess your daddy's a minister, red boots.
My daddy hates me wearing these boots.
And you love that, don't you?
What are you gonna do when I go to college?
Why you wanna do that, honey?
Just 'cause.
I'm cut out for more than this small town.
You're as small-town as they come.
A chicken race with tractors?
- How hard could it be, right? - Just like a car. It's easy.
Just like driving a sports car.
Nothing could be simpler.
Hell, Ren, just remember to stay calm.
Calm. "Calm," he says. I've never driven a tractor before.
It's easy. Look, this is your clutch.
You got your clutch down here. Your gas and your brake.
You start off, you wanna shift it into high.
Don't worry about that. Stick it in third. Once you get going, put it into fourth.
That's your emergency brake. These operate your bucket.
Don't mess with the buckets.
Yeah, I'll bet he's scared shitless, and he turns out in 10 seconds.
Chuck, you sure you're up to this?
Whose side are you on anyway, honey?
You had a lot to smoke.
Don't tell me I had enough to smoke.
I didn't say that. I said, you had a lot to smoke.
Don't tell me that either.
You go tell dogface we're ready to go?
- Yeah! Let's go. - All right. Let's do it.
- Okay, I'll catch you later. - Go on, man.
This race is already won.
Ren, he's chickenshit. Hang in there. You're gonna be great.
Hope to God he pulls out.
Yeah, 'cause I don't wanna split his face open.
- Cool it, Tarzan. - Give him hell, Ren.
- Get him, Ren. - Come on, Ren. We're with you.
How did I get myself into this?
Hey, Woody. Woody, come here.
Listen.
Has anybody ever died doing this?
Just once.
Hey, Ren! Hey, sport.
When this hat flies in the air,
you better have your butt in gear.
- Forget her. - I got my fingers crossed, buddy.
- Come on! - Go on, Ren!
Go!
Come on, Ren!
Go! Go!
Come on, let's see what you're made of.
Come on, you sucker!
Come on, Chuck, move it!
You wanna go up?
There you go.
You wanna go down. Go down, man.
Kick his ass! Come on!
You ain't gonna talk back to Chuck Cranston again.
That's it, jump, you chicken!
Sit back down!
What are you doing?
You trying to kill me?
You stupid idiot!
Get off!
Turn out!
Shit!
All right!
Help!
Guy tried to kill me.
Get out of there.
All right!
Excuse me. Thank you.
- I don't believe this town. - Get rid of them.
Hello.
- Tell me. - Okay.
He has team practice every day until 4:00.
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays,
he works at the Beamis Mill till 6:00.
You already knew that, right?
Okay. He hasn't dated since he's been in town.
And late Friday nights...
- Yeah? - ...by the light of the full moon,
he breaks into churchyards and bites the heads off live chickens.
Come on, Ariel. What is it? Chuck?
Look, I never did think he had all his dogs barking anyway.
Besides, what is wrong about getting a little psyched over Ren?
He's cute.
He's from out of town. And don't tell me that doesn't curl your toes, Ariel.
I know you too well.
You want out of here so bad you probably memorized bus schedules.
And you don't?
Hey, asshole.
Interested in some really good shit?
My God, Rich. You sly little shit.
- You just made a whole sentence. - Don't get smart-ass.
I been watching you these past couple of weeks. I know you're not stupid.
And I got a friend here who can help you out from time to time.
No. Thanks a lot, man. Thank you, but I got my own sources.
- I been getting into hog tranquilizers. - What do you say we call this
a sample, and you know where you can get some more.
Rich, hold up, man. Look, I don't want your shit.
Why don't I just take it. You're taking chances being new in this school.
Mr. Gurntz, I gotta show you something. This is tea.
- Come back here. - What are you doing?
You think I'd do that with a real joint?
Do you know what an ounce is going for these days?
I'm gonna get you.
You wait.
The Reverend was right about you.
Seems that a bunch of kids was raising some hell
out at Burlington Cranston's property
a few days back. Tore up the fields, turned over a tractor and everything.
Today, someone suggested to me there's been some trouble
up at the high school.
I think it was drugs.
- You wouldn't know anything about that? - No.
- What'd you say? I can't hear you. - He said, "No."
Amy.
I said, "No, sir."
Well, Ren, whenever we used to call up to your folks there in Chicago,
I don't think there was any trouble back there, was there?
And I don't know what to make of it.
But it seems a lot of people are pointing a finger
in your direction lately.
And what are they saying?
What I have been telling you about the trouble and the drugs and...
You just seem to be having a lot of trouble since you moved here.
- And I figured... - You figured where there's smoke,
there's fire, right?
Usually works like that.
Now, look, Ren,
you know that I would never try to take the place of your father.
Yeah, well, there's no chance of that.
Ren.
He's taking the car.
Big time!
What are you doing here?
Watching.
I thought I was alone.
Not in this town. There's eyes everywhere.
- How come you don't like me? - What makes you think
- I don't like you? - Look, you never talk to me at school.
You never look at me.
Maybe that's because if I did,
your boyfriend would remove my lungs with a spoon.
Chuck Cranston doesn't own me.
Sure, he likes to act like he does, but he doesn't.
Do you wanna kiss me?
Someday.
Hey, what is this "someday" shit?
Well, I get the feeling you've been kissed a lot.
I'm afraid I'd suffer by comparison.
You don't think much of me, do you?
You think I'm small-town?
I think Bomont's a small town.
I'm going away.
I've already applied to colleges.
You know, I applied to colleges my father doesn't even know I applied to.
He's gonna come after me, but I'm gonna be gone.
Wanna see something?
Sure.
Well, we call it the yearbook.
It started four or five years ago, I guess.
It's stuff we're not supposed to read.
This is all out of books?
Well, most of it. Some songs, magazines.
Some is poems that get made up.
"I'll sing to you of silver swans
of kingdoms and carillons."
"I'll sing of bodies intertwined Underneath an innocent sky"
You wrote that?
It's not even one of my best.
It's all right.
Wait a minute.
You hear that?
- What? - The train, you hear it?
Sometimes after football games, we come out here.
Just a few of us, and we stand here.
Then when the train comes, we make out like crazy.
Yeah?
Most of the time, we just stand and scream.
Scream?
Yeah, saw it in a movie once. Real loud. From here.
Hey, come on, don't screw around?
Come on.
Come on, I'll take you home.
It's late.
Yeah.
It's kind of hard to impose a curfew on the young people in my congregation
that I can't even enforce in my own home.
Have you been drinking?
No.
You smoking something?
No!
I wasn't stealing, I wasn't gambling, I wasn't dancing.
I wasn't reading books I'm not supposed to.
I am late.
Well, who were you with?
Ren McCormack.
I don't want you to see him anymore.
- Why? - Because I've heard
he's a troublemaker.
Just 'cause he hasn't lived in this town for 20 years
doesn't make him a troublemaker!
Ariel, I don't know what I'm gonna do with you.
There ain't nothing to do with me, Daddy.
You like it or not, this is it.
It doesn't get much better.
Hey, what the hell happened?
Why'd you get kicked off the team?
Because somebody's got it in for me.
Now, somehow Coach finds out that I brought Ariel home late last night,
so I'm a troublemaker, right?
Yeah, but that's not why I'm off the team, see. No, no.
I'm off because they just don't have the funds
for one more gymnast this year, but thank you anyway.
I'm busting my balls trying to fit in here,
and every door is getting slammed in my face.
Hey, McCormack. Sorry to hear you got cut.
Don't fool around with the preacher's daughter.
How does anybody live in this town?
You know what it is, partner? You got an attitude problem.
- I got an attitude problem? - Yes.
And I'm not the only one who's noticed it, Ren.
We're not living in the goddamn Middle Ages here.
We got TV. We got Family Feud.
We're not stuck in Leave It to Beaver land here.
Yeah, well, I haven't noticed a wet T-shirt contest in town yet.
Yeah, well, I haven't either, but I'm waiting. Patiently.
I tell you what I'd like to do, man.
I'd like to glue a Playboy centerfold
inside of every one of Reverend Moore's hymnals.
You know what else we could do.
We could start one of your nightclubs, right there in the church?
Hey, that's it.
That's it, man.
What? What's it?
A dance.
- What? - A dance!
We could have a dance! You know, a dance? You know, dance?
- Hey, come on. - You know what I mean, dance!
You're gonna get me angry, man.
We're gonna turn this town upside down!
Stop it.
You know, I was down in Denver last year
for about a week, at a Bible convention there.
And the whole time I was there, people would come and
ask me, "Reverend, how can you live in such a small town?
So far away from the hustle and bustle of the 20th century?"
I'd say to them, "You'd never ask me that
if you could just once, just for one minute,
experience the feeling of family
that comes from knowing that all of our lives are tied up
with each other's.
That we feel all the same joys,
same sorrows,
and that we care.
Each and every one of us cares for the other."
I told them,
"I just feel closer to my Lord out there,
and I feel closer and safer with my people,
and I think they feel closer to me.
The Lord smiles on us out there.
And that's where I'm staying."
Why don't you have some cake?
Roger, the Town Council has no intention of bowing
to the wishes of a small group of students.
Reverend, Eleanor and I are absolutely certain
that we know for a fact that this boy is organizing a dance.
We're not gonna have any dance.
Let some young punk push us around now, it won't be long
before every standard in the community is violated.
- Come on. - Boy, are they in a tizzy.
- Ariel, get in the car. - Got the whole council going.
There's a town meeting I ain't gonna miss.
- Ren, where you taking us? - We're going over the state line.
I want you guys to see what you've been missing.
Ren, I know you're not gonna let Willard fight?
- I don't fight. - Right, and I don't breathe.
Are you gonna dance, man?
I drink better than I dance.
- Come on. - Come on.
I'll watch you guys, see if you can show me something new.
Come on, we didn't come all this way just to sit it out, man.
I'll be out there. Don't worry about it.
I'm just gonna grab a beer.
Hey, come on, man.
Don't be an asshole. They're waiting to dance with us.
I can't dance.
- You what? - I... I can't dance.
At all.
All right. All right.
Buy him a beer.
Hey, Rusty, take my jacket.
What's the matter?
My feet have been hurting all since this morning, and I...
They weren't hurting in the car.
-I wanna dance -I wanna get a beer.
Waitress, let me get another beer.
Hey!
I can't help myself, Willard!
Hey. I came with that girl.
Doesn't look like you're leaving with her.
Hey, I guess you didn't hear me the first time.
Willard, no fights. You don't even know this guy.
Why don't you just flake off?
Hey!
Willard, no fights.
When's the last time you seen your dick, partner?
Hey!
Hey, break it up.
You know, Rusty, he was fighting to save your honor.
It's too late.
I don't fight.
Ren, is your dance gonna be like this one?
Everything but the fight.
Well, forget it.
Come on.
Up on the roof, oh, yeah One hundred proof, oh, yeah
Oh, ain't that fine, oh, yeah You cherry slime, oh, yeah
Oh, yay. Oh, yay.
I hate this bridge. It gives me the creeps.
How come?
You've heard this one.
The infamous Crosby Bridge accident, right?
You've heard it.
No.
You're missing out.
About five years ago,
these kids were playing highway tag, and they were drunk.
So one car hits the other one,
and they both go over the edge of the bridge.
Dead.
That's when they started passing the laws against booze,
against dancing and drinking and... I don't know.
My father had a field day.
Your father, why?
My older brother was the one that got killed.
God, you should've seen Bobby.
He was like Warren Beatty, only taller, wasn't he?
My father went off the deep end.
He decided we all needed saving, no matter what.
He's gonna personally
save this little pissant town, and he's gonna deliver it up to heaven,
with his daughter sitting like a cherry on top of it.
I called over to Rusty's last night.
I don't understand why you feel it necessary to lie to me.
I don't know why you check up on me.
I'm concerned about your well-being, that's all.
How come when I'm here at home you're never as interested
in what I'm doing or saying as you are when I walk out that door?
Suddenly you wanna know everything.
I don't know what's provoked this outburst, but I don't like it
any more than I like not knowing where you were for six hours last night.
Shaw. Don't you think we could wait on...
No, I don't think this can wait.
I'm sick and tired of you coming in on her side.
She's gonna have to start answering for herself.
I don't know what good that will do.
You don't listen to me any more than you listen to her.
I've never hit anyone in my life.
No.
We're losing her, Vi.
Don't you see that?
No.
I see you chasing after her, and I see her running from you.
She's become so willful
and obstinate.
She's like her father.
The two of you were so wonderful once.
And you had so much to talk about.
I was almost jealous.
Well, it's not as if we don't talk.
It's just that
sometimes people run out of things to say.
Shaw...
It's 20 years now I've been a minister's wife.
And I've been quiet, supportive, unobtrusive, and...
after 20 years, I still think you're a wonderful...
You're a wonderful preacher.
You can lift a congregation up so high they have to look down to see heaven.
But it's the one-to-one where you need a little work.
- We could use your support... - I don't think my mother would approve.
Yeah, but we're not talking about a free-for-all.
It won't be a drunken brawl. It's just a dance.
Well, just give it some thought, okay? Sleep on it, okay?
Just think about it. Okay, thanks.
- Senior prom, sounds great to me. - See you later.
How you doing, boy? You need any help you just let me know.
- Okay, you got it. - Don't forget.
Now, Chuck has heard something that's upset him real good,
and I want you to tell me it ain't so, Mr. Chicago-Big-Shot.
See, he's been hearing you're gonna try and throw a dance at school.
A senior dance. And he figured
only a dumb, son-of-a-bitch faggot would try that.
- Is that what you're trying? - He sure the hell is!
Excuse me, girls. Come on out, Ren. You guys stay right there.
- Is he really gonna get us the dance? - Yep. Ain't you?
- It's about time, McCormack. - I'll be there.
Thanks.
Don't you have any better manners than that?
Didn't your mama teach you better?
You treat animals like that? How's it feel?
Don't feel too good now does it?
- What are you talking about? - You're gonna have to fight city hall.
What do you mean, I gotta fight city hall?
Because, Mr. McCormack, there's a town council.
It's made up of about seven people.
Shaw Moore's one of them.
Burlington Cranston is another one.
Personally, I don't like that lousy son of a bitch.
They meet every third Thursday of the month.
If there's something you want in this town,
you're gonna have to go talk to them.
- You're gonna get really creamed. - Jeez.
I'm not so good with words.
Keep thinking like that, Ren, and you are gonna get creamed.
So? I mean, Woody over here doesn't know a dance from a dipstick.
And you do? You do? Which way is your left?
Willard, which way is your left?
He don't know his left foot from his right foot.
I'll tell you something, man.
If I gotta get up in front of that council,
then you are gonna learn how to dance.
What is this, Roger? I don't know this book.
I would hope you wouldn't.
Reverend Moore, Mrs. Evans is calling about that dance over at the school.
Would you tell her I'll call her back right after Junior Bible?
All right, now, what were you saying?
This was found in one of the athletic lockers over at the school.
A book like this should be burned.
We should go to the library
and remove this corruption from the shelves.
Well, there's no sense blowing it up into something that it isn't.
Hello! Careful.
Come on, Max.
I'll set up, Vi.
Well, I think it's quite obvious what it is.
Well, it's not quite so obvious how I should handle it.
Reverend, if you'll excuse my saying so,
when we got rid of that young English teacher at the school
we didn't get any support from you.
That's because I didn't think we had any grounds for his dismissal.
Well, Reverend, around here, it caused a lot of folks some worry.
Well, a lot of folks worry a little too much.
Doesn't take much time for corruption to take root, Reverend.
How long is that, Roger?
About as long as it takes compassion to die?
- Say, do I get a cookie? - No!
How about some milk? Did you drink all the milk?
Yeah!
- I wanted to talk to... - You don't have to tell me nothing!
I know why you don't call me up.
I wanted to tell you myself.
Well, I know why you don't wanna see me anymore.
Hey, I'm not stupid!
I'm not blind.
It's McCormack, ain't it?
You're just dying to screw McCormack, aren't you?
- Aren't you? - You're so stupid!
Stupid? You think I don't see you looking at him like some bitch in heat?
You'd wrap those skinny legs around anybody.
Shut up!
Is that what I get?
I treated you decent!
Shit.
Hey! Hey, put that down!
Don't even think about that!
- Jesus! - You think about it!
Do you like it!
Stop it, Chuck!
You!
About through with you anyway!
I'm sorry you have to see me like this.
I'll be okay. I'll just sneak in at home. I'll be fine.
- Do I look okay? - Yeah, I think you'll pull through.
Thanks for coming for me.
I don't understand.
I mean, there's nothing to understand. It's...
It's for taking on my father.
No, no, no, wait a minute.
Wait, I got no beef with him.
Wait, no, wait.
This is my fight. It's with the town. It's not with one guy.
You don't get to turn my fight into some, "screw you" to your old man.
Hey, look...
Maybe...
Maybe... Maybe you shouldn't try so hard to forget your brother,
or to try to make your father forget him, you know?
It's not that easy.
I know. I know.
Do I still get the box? Give me the box.
That's nice.
Think you might ever kiss me?
Harvey and Bernie were here for a long time.
- They still talking about that dance? - Yeah.
What did you decide to do?
It's not gonna happen.
That's one more thing that Ariel's not gonna forgive me for, but...
Can you step out of the way long enough to realize
- that she's doing all of this for you? - Me?
I don't see that.
I just know that when kids dance together,
they become sexually irresponsible.
I can't take the chance of...
Well, what's so funny?
You talk like that's the only thing that gets them excited.
Don't you remember when we used to look at each other and get excited?
Well, it's just the same with them.
You're not gonna put their eyes out.
No.
None of this is gonna undo one stupid accident.
I'm responsible for the spiritual life of this community.
Shaw, you can't be a father to everybody.
You can't do that.
I thought that at least you believed in me.
I never stopped.
It's the town council meeting. Tomorrow night.
Only fairies dance.
Hey, I'll lay you flat, Ariel!
Support Ren McCormack at the council meeting tomorrow night.
- You're bringing me down. - You can make a difference!
I'm calling to remind you to come
to the town council meeting tomorrow night
and to show your support in favor of...
Hi.
Still hurt?
- No. - Good.
- Nervous? - No.
Look, I...
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm nervous.
Look, I don't know what I'm going to say to the council.
There's only the seven of them though, right?
Who else is gonna be there?
Everybody.
Take a deep breath.
You ready?
What is it?
Holy Bible?
What?
This is great.
This is great!
How'd you know where to find all this?
Are you kidding?
Come here, I wanna tell you something.
Thanks.
Come on.
What the hell is that?
- My God. - Amy? What is it?
What's going on?
"Burn in hell"? This says, "Burn in hell."
- Jesus. - Ren, what the hell is going on?
Somebody's trying to make a point.
Do you see? Now do you see?
You don't go waving your flags around here without people taking shots...
Now, this is not the first time!
My business was off, but people are taking business away from me!
And your Aunt Lulu's been getting some ugly phone calls.
- And today, your mother lost her job! - Wes!
Mom, is that true?
Mr. Collins said he'd been hearing some things about you.
Thought I ought to stay home and be a proper mother.
- And what did you say? - I told him to shove it.
- Now, damn it, Ethel, this is serious. - Wes,
- there's other jobs! - Where?
Wes, shouldn't you call the police?
I don't know how much good it'll do.
I'll get Jim Earlhaus over here.
Will you stop? Now will you stop?
I don't understand this town.
It's like something's choking everybody.
Only they don't know they're choking.
Let me ask you something. Why this dance in this town?
It's not just about a dance.
- Not anymore. - I know. That's what I mean.
I watch you. I see.
You're not gonna understand this.
Try me.
When Dad first threatened to leave, I thought it was because of me.
I thought it was something that I wasn't doing right.
And I figured there was something that I could do to make it like it was.
And then he'd wanna stay, you know.
But when he left, just like that,
and I realized that
everything that I'd done, hoping that he'd stay...
Everything I'd done, it...
It didn't mean shit, you know.
Didn't matter.
And I felt like, "What difference does it make?"
But now...
Now I'm thinking,
I could really do something, you know?
Like, I could really do something for me this time.
You know?
I don't know, otherwise I'm just gonna disappear.
All right, Virginia. I guess that ends the discussion on this issue.
"And so the price of a dog license will go from $3.50 to $4.50.
A licensed pet is a happy one."
And that takes care of old business. Burlington?
Thank you, Virginia. It was real good.
All right, now we can consider any new business.
Excuse me.
Before we begin, I just wanna remind all you kids
we're conducting an official meeting.
We're not gonna tolerate any disturbances.
Okay, the floor is now open for any new business.
My name is Ren McCormack, and I would like to move on behalf
of most of the senior class of Bomont High School
that the law against public dancing
within the town limits of Bomont be abolished.
Mr. Chairman, could I address myself to this?
You bet.
Even if this was not a law,
which it is,
I'm afraid I would have a lot of difficulty endorsing an enterprise
which is as fraught with genuine peril as I believe this one to be.
Besides the liquor and the drugs,
which always seem to accompany such an event,
the thing that distresses me even more, Ren,
is the spiritual corruption
that can be involved.
These dances and this kind of music can be destructive.
And, Ren, I'm afraid you're gonna find that
most of the people in our community are gonna agree with me on this.
- I do. - I agree.
- That's all I have to say on that. - A vote is in order on the motion.
- All those opposed... - Excuse me, I... I...
I would just like to say something, if I could.
- Young man, sit down. - It is outrageous!
- If you think that... - Eleanor, sit down.
I think Mr. McCormack has a right to be heard.
Well, I just... I just wanted to say a few words about this motion,
so that
you wouldn't think that we were encouraging destruction
with this idea.
"From the oldest of times,
people danced for a number of reasons.
They danced in prayer,
"or so that their crops would be plentiful,
or so their hunt would be good.
And they danced to stay physically fit
and show their community spirit.
And they danced to celebrate."
And that... That is the dancing that we're talking about.
Aren't we told in...
In Psalm 149?
"Praise ye the Lord.
Sing unto the Lord a new song.
Let them praise his name in the dance."
- Amen. - Amen.
It was King David...
King David, who we read about in Samuel.
And what did David do?
What did David do? What did David do?
"David danced before the Lord with all his might,
leaping...
Leaping and dancing before the Lord."
Leaping and dancing.
Ecclesiastes assures us
that there is a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to laugh,
and a time to weep.
A time to mourn,
and there is a time to dance.
And there was a time for this law, but not anymore.
See, this is our time to dance.
It is our way of celebrating life.
That's the way it was in the beginning.
It's the way it's always been.
It's the way it should be now.
You know you were railroaded, don't you?
Boy, when are you gonna wake up and smell the coffee?
Shaw Moore walked into that meeting with them votes already in his pocket.
You didn't have a prayer.
Bad pun, Andy.
Well, what are you gonna do now?
It's over.
What if it ain't?
What if you have your dance in Bayson?
No, the whole point was to do something here in Bomont.
Bayson's what, 30 miles away?
Not where it runs up to these tracks it ain't.
Now, I figure if the Bomont fire trucks can't cross these tracks,
well, neither can the long arm of the law.
Yeah, what about the long arm of Reverend Moore?
Remember he said if you could find a way to convince him
it wouldn't be a spiritual corruption, he'd think about it.
- So? - Make him think about it.
"And I beheld and heard an angel
flying through the midst of heaven, saying
with a loud voice, 'Woe, woe,
woe to the inhabitants of the earth.'
And I saw a star fall
from heaven unto the earth,
and to the angel was given the key
to the bottomless pit. And he
opened the bottomless pit,
and there arose a smoke out of the pit,
as the smoke of a great furnace.
And the sun and the air were darkened
"by reason of the smoke of the pit."
Yes?
I used to get such a kick out of watching you work up your sermons.
And now?
It's different.
I see the stage. I see costumes.
It's show business, isn't it?
Well,
it's the only way I know to
reach people's emotions.
I haven't heard from you for a while.
When was it, Thursday?
I was angry, and you were angry.
- I was not. - Yes, you were.
If you weren't, you would've asked me what was wrong.
You knew!
Ariel, I cannot let this dance happen.
Ren McCormack made a lot of people stop and think.
I object to that kind of music, and I think you know why.
- Because people fornicate to it. - I never said that!
- That's what you told the church board! - That was not meant for your ears!
When do my ears get old enough, Daddy? When do you stop protecting me?
I'm no saint, you know.
It is my duty to look after the spiritual growth of you...
I'm not even a virgin.
- Don't you talk like that in here! - Why not?
Isn't this where I'm supposed to confess my sins to my preacher?
In church!
I ask to be forgiven! Am I?
Forgive me! Deliver me...
Don't not do that in here!
You know better than...
Reverend Moore! Thank heavens you're here. People are calling!
They're over at the library.
Roger! Eleanor! What are you doing?
We decided these books are influences our children just don't need.
Whose authority do you have?
Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Everybody listen to me!
When did you all decide to sit in judgment?
Who elected all of you
to be the saviors of everybody's souls in Bomont?
We have a perfect right to determine what our children...
Roger!
When you've burned all of these,
what are you gonna do then?
Chris, take these out of here.
Satan is not in these books!
He's in here.
He's in your hearts.
Go on home, all of you.
Go and sit in judgment on yourselves.
Roger.
- Go home. - Reverend...
Eleanor, come on.
Go home, now. Come on, both of you.
Sometimes things don't make any sense.
If you could explain to me about my father,
maybe I could explain to you about your son.
But it doesn't make any sense.
Look, I gotta go.
Listen, I know you're gonna do what you gotta do, but...
but thanks for listening.
Ren.
Thank you for...
Well...
Thank you.
That was your friend Ren.
He came here to ask me if he could take you to a senior prom.
I'm running out of answers, Ariel.
I know how hard it is for you.
I know I'm not making it easier.
I just don't know that I believe in everything you believe in.
But I believe in you.
I'm standing up here before you today
with a very troubled heart.
You see, my friends,
I've always insisted on
taking responsibility for your lives.
But...
I'm really
like a first-time parent
who makes mistakes
and tries to learn from them.
And like that parent,
I find myself at that moment when
I have to decide,
do I hold on,
or do I trust you to yourselves
and let go
and hope that you
understood and at least some of my lessons?
If we don't start trusting our children,
how will they ever become trustworthy?
I'm told that the senior class at the high school
has got use of a warehouse in Bayson
for the purpose of putting on a senior dance.
Please,
join me to pray
to the Lord
to guide them in their endeavors.
Lights!
- You look very nice. - No.
- Yes, you do! - No.
- Yes, you look very nice. - No.
- Yes, you do. You look wonderful. - No. You think?
Yeah.
No.
You can't very well go to a prom without a corsage.
This is gorgeous!
- Where do you think I... - It has a wrist thing.
- Mom, you really didn't have to. - I didn't.
Now, don't go on to him about it, because he'll only deny it.
I was gonna come up and...
I was...
gonna come up and get you.
What's the matter?
You're beautiful.
What?
I mean it.
You are beautiful.
Come on.
Thank you.
Well, let's take a closer look.
No, she'll think I'm checking up again.
No, she won't even know we're here. Come on.
You're the last folks I expected to see around here tonight.
- Evening, Andy. - Hi, Andy.
Vi. Reverend, you done a good thing here.
Well, I'm still not sure it was the right thing.
Comes close.
Shaw.
Shaw?
Shaw.
What is it?
It's just the two of us again.
Shaw.
What?
We're almost dancing.
- Hi, Rusty. - Hi.
Hello, Willard.
Willard, you promised you won't fight.
Don't you look sweet.
- What do you want, Chuck? - I got a little business
- with your friend McCormack. - Chuck, cool it, all right?
No fights tonight, okay?
Hey, no fights, fellows.
Sure, Willard.
All right.
Cute. No fights, Willard.
Damn, man! I told you, all right?
I promised Rusty no fights tonight, okay?
Let go of me. Let go, God damn it. Get off of me!
- Willard. - What do you want me to do, Rusty?
Kill the son of a bitch!
Help, somebody!
Chuck!
Hey, it's Mr. Dance-Fever.
Yeah, you're a goddamn hero when it's five to one!
- Come on, Ren, get him! - Beat the shit out of him.
Bastard!
You're gonna dance now, McCormack.
Yeah! All right!
- Hey, handsome. - Great dance, man.
- Our heroes! - Ren.
I thought you guys were gonna actually, fight or something.
You're great.
Hey, hey, what's this I see?
I thought this was a party! Let's dance!
Just watch, all right?