All language subtitles for G.T.S05E23.Write.on.Thelma.540p.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-squalor_track3_[eng]

* Good times *

* Any time
You meet a payment *

* Good times *

* Any time
You need a friend *

* Good times *

*
Any time
You're out from under *

* Not gettin' hassled
Not gettin' hustled *

* Keepin' your head
Above water *

* Makin' a wave
When you can *

* Temporary layoffs *

* Good times *

* Easy credit
Ripoffs *

* Good times *

* Scratchin'
And survivin' *

* Good times *

* Hangin'
In a chow line *

* Good times *

* Ain't we lucky
We got 'em *

* Good times *

* Let me love you
Oh, sweet baby *

* Baby, baby, baby *

* Let's give our love
A fairer try *

Michael, would you please
be quiet now? Come on.

Sorry, Thelma.

[MOUTHS WORDS]

Jack be nimble,
Jack be fast,

Brother J
is home at last.

Hey, Michael.

You look like one of those
Motown Martians

with a bad case
of Saturday Night Fever.

Hey, Michael,
take off those headphones.

Can't you see your eminent
big brother's talking to you?

And stop shakin'
your booty like that.

Will you calm down, J.J.?

Hey, Michael,
you mean to tell me

Thelma ain't finished
writing that play yet?

No, she still has got
some extra work to do on it,

so be quiet.

Michael, I'm quieter

than a mouse skating across
a bowl of Jell-O.

Oh, yeah?

Well, I'm more quieter

than the guest of honor
at Ferguson's Funeral Parlor.

Michael, we all know
that I am the quietest.

No, no, no, Brother J.

I am the quietest.
I am the quietest!

I am the quietest!
I am!

I am!

I'm quieter than--

I'm quieter than
a feather--

Can I say something, please?

Yeah.
Hold on there.

Thelma ain't finished writing
her play yet. Anyway...

[ARGUING CONTINUES]

Hey. Thelma,
Thelma, Thelma.

Were we quiet enough
for you?

Oh, yes.

If it got any quieter,

we'll have a rock concert
in here.

Hey, Thelma, you just about
finished over here?

Yeah, almost. I gave
the first draft

to Mrs. Flicker, my teacher.
Yeah?

I'm just waiting
to hear from her.

Don't worry, Thelma.
From now on,

we won't give you nothing
but peace and quiet around here.

[LOUD VOICE]
Peace and quiet!

Oh, thanks so much.

Hey, y'all.
Have I got news for you.

Guess what.
J.J.
What?

Shh. Thelma's
still writin'.

Okay, listen.
But you got to hear this.

My daughter, Penny,

has been selected to play
in the Easter pageant!

Congratulations, Penny.
Very happy to hear that.

And not only that, the costume
will be styled and designed

by the one and only,
her mother, the star's mother.

Hey, Penny.

Whoo!

What part are you playing,
Penny?

I'm a tree.

I wanted to be a bunny,
but they ran out of ears.

Oh, a tree, huh?

So now when
you trace your roots,

all you gotta do
is take off your shoes.

[BOTH LAUGHING]

Oh, come on. Please be quiet.
Come on, J.J., now.

I have to finish
this one part.

It's the most important part
in the whole play.

It's where the heroine
talks about her dream.

You know, it's...

And I can't even
hear myself think

with The Gong Showgoing on
in here.

Thelma, honey,

don't you think you're going
a little bit overboard?

After all, you've just been
writing a very short time.

Willona, I have been writing
for at least a dozen years.

Let me show you.

Thelma...

Thelma, writing
on the elevator walls

doesn't qualify you
to be Alex Haley.

Leave the child alone.
She needs encouragement.

Twelve years.

Gosh, Thelma started writing
before I was a kid.

Me too.

Oh, oh!
What are those?

Those are my private diaries.

Private?
Wow!

Get your hands off.

Don't you dare
touch her books.

Come on, now.

You know, Willona...
What?

Every night for the last 12
years, I've been writing about

everything that's
happened to me.

Oh.
My good times, my bad times...

my secret desires.

Oh.

My boyfriends.

My family.

All right,
let me see that book.

Hey! Hey!
Give me that book.

Wait, wait.
Give me my book.

"Dear Diary.

Last night, me and--" Ooh!

Give me this diary.
What is wrong with you?

This is Thelma's
personal thoughts,

her innermost feelings.

You have no right
to read her stuff.

Willona!

I just wanted
to make sure

you spelled my name
right, honey.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Oh, boy.

That's all I need,
another interruption.

Take it easy there,
my little Shakespearess.

I'll hand this,

so you can keep scripting
your scribe.

Hello, is this the--
We don't want any.

Well, Thelma, how you like
the way I handled it?

You stupid fool.
That was Mrs. Flicker.

Evans' apartment?

Come on in,
Mrs. Flicker.

I am so sorry
that happened.

Um, everybody,

this is my drama teacher,
Mrs. Flicker.

And this is Penny

and her mother,
Willona Woods.

[EXAGGERATED STAGE VOICE]
How do you do?

And this is my little brother,
Michael.

[DEEP VOICE]
What it is?

And this is my...
My stupid brother, J.J.

"Unpredicated."

Thelma, I must tell you
the wonderful news,

or I think I'll die...

or at least
get sick.

What is it?

What is it?
Oh, oh.

I got a phone call.

I got a phone call
from Mr. Nicholson,

head of
the community theater.

Uh-huh.

He has decided
to put on your play!

Whoa! Thelma!

[ALL SHRIEKING AND CHEERING]

Did you hear that?

My play. My very own play.

I mean, actresses on stage,

saying the words
I wanna say.

Oh, girl.
I can't believe it.

Hey, I tell you, this
is the greatest thing

that's happened
to the ghetto

since the Colonel got ribs.

Out of 83 entries,

yours was the play chosen
to be produced.

My dear, Thelma,

you are going
to be paid $250.

[SHRIEKS]

Whoa! That's money.

Thelma,
I'm so proud of you.

Whoo.

Oh, Mrs. Flicker,

I've been in there
making some changes--

Oh, don't touch a word.

Child, I'm so proud.

Whoo, child,
if she gets any prouder,

Thelma gonna be
too bent to boogie!

Oh, it's like a dream come--
I just can't believe it.

All my life,
I've wanted to write a play.

All of my life.

This is like a dream come true.
You know that, Willona.

All right,
a $250 dream at that.

I like that.

Well, this calls for
a celebration.

Hey, what's your pleasure,
Flicker?

Burt Reynolds.

I've got some goodies
in my place.

Come on, Gramps, give me a hand.
Some coffee...

Thelma, I just love the way
you painted New Orleans.

And your insight
into human nature

is remarkable.

This is only the beginning
for you, Thelma.

Today, one small script
for Chicago.

Tomorrow,
it's Broadway.

Whoo!

I'm so excited.

I'm so excited
I don't know what to do.

Hey, when do we start
rehearsals?

Oh, we haven't even chosen
the cast yet.

And I think we ought to have
a reading of the play first,

just so we can hear
how it sounds.

Oh, yeah? Well, we can
have it right here.

Oh, if I may be
so inconspicuous...

I'd like to volunteer
my services

in some small,
menial part...

such as leading man.

You're an actor?

Oh, my good God.

How do you feel
about Stanislavsky?

They should have
never traded him

to the Rams.

Well, it's all set.

They traded Stanislavsky
to the Rams?

For Beethoven.

Oh, well, anyways.

Thelma, there are just
a few minor changes

that Mr. Nicholson
suggests.

But I thought you said

that not even a word
should be changed--

It doesn't amount
to a thing.

They're just the normal,
ordinary changes

every playwright
is asked to make.

Well--

Well, hold on there.

If I may be so humble
and vanishing...

speaking as
the artistic director,

I'll just handle this.

All right there.

Look here, Thelma.

You ain't had a play published,
written, or nothing yet.

They're gonna offer you $250.
You gonna turn that down?

You better not turn that down.

[CHUCKLES]

Okay, Mrs. Flicker,
make any changes you want.

Just go ahead
and juxtaposition,

change pages,
do whatever is necessary.

Um, well,
what are the changes?

Well, now,

Mr. Nicholson wondered

if you would mind changing
the name of your heroine

from Pauline
to something else.

But, uh, what's the matter
with "Pauline"?

Oh, well, that's the name
of Mr. Nicholson's ex-wife.

It was a very messy divorce.

How about changing
it to Boom-Boom?

Mr. Nicholson
suggests Yvonne.

That's the name
of his present...

uh, friend.

Uh, Yvonne's fine with us.

Just fine. Right on.

Yes, "Yvonne" is very--
A nice name.

We'll change Pauline to Yvonne.
It's nice.

All right, dear. There's one
other tiny thing on page 16.

Oh, okay.

It says that Loretta is a...

Well, I'd say
a lady of the evening.

Now, Mr. Nicholson feels
that it would be better

if you referred to her
as a dance hall girl.

She is what she is.

Well, Mr. Nicholson

doesn't want to offend
the audience.

Besides, there was some question
about his ex-wife, Pauline.

Well, okay, she can become
a dance hall girl.

That's nice too.

Oh, Thelma, you've been
an angel about this.

WILLONA:
Here we are,

ready to celebrate
Thelma's hit play.

Come on.

Oh, Thelma, Thelma.

Just a minute.

If you don't mind,

there are just
a few more changes.

Just a few more, dear.

Now, you know,
throughout the play,

you use a lot of
street language.

Now, Mr. Nicholson knows
that people talk that way,

but he feels

that there are some people
in the audience

who might take offense
to it,

like his friends.

His friends are gonna be there.

So, now, on page 23
if you just change...

Hey, hey, hey.

Are you ready for the creation?

MICHAEL:
Yeah.

Alrighty.

[IMITATES DRUM ROLL]

Come on, baby.

Any bird that doesn't
wanna nest in that tree

ought to have
his feathers plucked.

Can you dig
what I'm sayin'?

Yeah.

Penny, you look
sensational.

I think you got a bad case
of black oak disease.

Oh, Penny, you look so sharp.

Doesn't she look beautiful?

My own tree, honey.

Oh. Come on.
Look at this place.

It's all messed up.

J.J., you promised
to help me clean up.

Mrs. Flicker and Mr. Nicholson
will be here in a moment.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Will you please
help me clean up?

Oh, my goodness, that's them.

Willona, how's my suit?
My hair?

You look good. You look fine.
You look great.

I'll handle this.

Here we go.
I'm calm...

Yeah, Bookman, what
can we do you for?

Remember when I told you
I'd get a plumber up here

to fix the valve
on your flusher?

Oh, Bookman,
you cannot change a valve now.

We're getting ready
to read my play.

No kidding. You wrote a play?
Yeah.

Hey, you got
any small parts

to fit me?

I beg your pardon.

Small parts
to fit you, Booger?

There ain't no part
gon' fit you.

Well, I guess
I'll get the plumber

so we can go to work.

In here, Shorty.

Ooh. Good golly,
Miss Molly.

You sure look good
to me.

What do you think
you doing, plumber?

Oh, about eight dollars
an hour.

Hey, come on, man.

I'll show you, Shorty,
where it is.

Hey. Bookman can handle
Huh?

the little things.
But when you want to

hit a home run...
Uh-huh...

I am the Reggie Jackson
of the lavatory.

Oh, I see.

You the Reggie Jackson
of the lavatory.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Willona? Okay?

Thelma, my love. I'm so excited.

I can't wait

to get your brilliant play
up on its feet,

as we say in the theater.

Uh, what happened
to Mr. Nicholson?

Isn't he coming?

Oh, dear, he was held up
at the last minute.

But, um, I wanted to meet him

so we can talk over
the changes.

Perhaps later, dear.
Perhaps later.

Now, shall we start the play?

Hey, folks,
can Shorty use the phone?

Yeah, I wanted to call
my old lady.

Hey, how come
you didn't call her

before you came
from work?

Man, are you kiddin'?

My wife would kill me.

When we start the play,
our heroine, Yvonne,

has left Chicago

following her Creole boyfriend,
Eugene,

who is a low-down, dirty,
conniving, despicable gambler.

Well, I'm gonna have
a tough time

acting that part.

Now, unknown to Yvonne,
Madame LaFitte...

Oh, that's me.
Yes.

Starring role.
Yes.

Has her eye on Eugene.

Eye on Eugene. Got that.

Now, nobody knows about this
except Loretta,

a dance hall girl

in Madame LaFitte's
sleazy bar.

Now, as the play starts,

we are at
the Bourbon Street Café,

where Geoffrey,
the Jamaican bartender...

[RASTA VOICE]
* All day, all night *

* Mixin' drinks *

* All day, all-- *

Is listening to Chops,
the trumpet player

wailing away
on his horn.

Can I play Chops? Please?

Can I? Can I play Chops?

Oh, Bookman.

Here's an extra script.
Here. You play Chops.

Well, golly.

Everybody, imagine yourself

at Madame LaFitte's
dimly--

You're over here, dear--
Oh, I see.

At Madame LaFitte's
dimly lit Bourbon Street Café.

Geoffrey, the bar is over here.

Loretta, you come over here.

Yvonne, you make your entrance
up center, please.

Up center, okay.

Now, remember
this is New Orleans, 1955.

There are a lot of people around
gambling, drinking...

And dancing.

Yes, dancing,
having a lot of fun.

Now, Loretta speaks first.

[MAE WEST VOICE]
Whaddya wanna order,

gambling man?

[CLEARS THROAT]

Bring me a Ragin' Cajun.

What's a Ragin' Cajun?

That's a jigger of gin,
a jigger of vodka,

a shot of yak juice,

and something
to hold onto!

Coming right up,
big boy.

Thelma, Mr. Nicholson
has a note here

about alcoholic beverages.

He's afraid that some people
will find it objectionable.

Well--

What is Eugene suppose to order,
a root beer float?

Perfect.
Perfect.

Hey, yo, mon,

I'd rather make
a Ragin' Cajun.

Okay, all right.
I'll change it.

Good.
I'll change that.

Read on, Willona.
Okay, okay.

Eugene, mon cheri,
amour!

Where is
your little girlfriend

from Chicago, huh?

Look here,
Madame LaFoot...

Oh!

That is Madame LaFitte.

That's right.
She do have two feets.

Well, look here,
Madame "LaFootses,"

just because I works for you,

that doesn't mean
I'm your love slave.

I am my own man,
and I plays the field.

But, monsieur,
you must understand

that if you do not give me
your whole heart...

[LAUGHS]

...your little Creole butt
will be tossed into the bayou.

N'est-ce pas?

Hold it. Hold it.

Again?
Yes.

There is another note.
Thanks.

Yes.

Now, Mr. Nicholson suggests
that "your little Creole butt"

is suggestive.

And I must admit that, uh...

Oh, come on,
that too?

Yes, dear. Yes.
But I--

Now, we must not argue
with Mr. Nicholson.

Read on.
Yes.

Well, in that case,

I better go break the bad news
to Yvonne.

My bigshot gambler, Eugene,

is gonna break
poor Yvonne's heat.

Hey, he can't help it
if he's loved by two women.

I know what
he's going through.

Thelma,
it's your line.

Your line.

[CLEARS THROAT]

Uh, Eugene,
I have to talk to you.

[CLEARS THROAT]

Not now, baby,
I wanna hear Chops sing.

[IMITATES LOUIS ARMSTRONG]
* Hello, Dolly *

* Yes, hello, Dolly *

* It's so nice to have you
Back where you belong *

[BOTH SCATTING]

* Oh, yeah *

* Oh, yeah *

You can always tell

when Chops has had
one too many...

root beer floats?

Eugene, I have
to talk to you now.

I'm tired of being
your doormat.

I left my family
all the way in Chicago

to come out here
to see you,

and I never see you.

C'est la vie,baby.

Well, I'm tired of it.

And I'm going
back home.

I'm tired of your
phony dreams too,

'cause I have dreams
of my own.

Very funny.

Eugene, tell her
the truth.

Tell her now.

Get away from me, Frenchie.

But Yvonne, baby,
this is our dream,

right here
in New Orleans.

It's gonna come true.

It's right here
in the palm of our hands.

Holding on to dreams
that you can touch, Eugene,

are not the best kind
of dreams to have.

You know,
my daddy once told me

that sometimes,

you have to reach for dreams
that nobody can see but you.

And those are the kind of dreams

that will give you more

than just a pat on your back
from your friends.

Yeah.

Those are the kind of dreams
that'll give you your future.

And they're out there.
They're out there.

And this is one black woman
that's gonna reach her dream.

Hey, all right.
Hey, Thelma, nice play.

Girl...

Hey, did you
write that?

Yeah.

Those are words
to live by, Thelma.

It is beautiful, Thelma,

but all Mr. Nicholson wants
is just one word change.

What word change?

Well, you know, he feels that
your play should be

for everybody,
just not a few people.

It's not universal enough the
way you've written it.

It's too heavy. Too black.

Oh. Oh, so that's
the little word change?

"Black"?

Well, yes. Yes.

All you have to do
is take it out and put in--

Look. Change it to this.
Look, right here, dear.

"This is one woman
that's gonna reach her dreams."

What's wrong with that?

Everything,

because the play is not about
being black.

It's about being a woman.

And the woman
happens to be black.

So you can tell Mr. Nicholson

he can go butcher up
somebody else's play.

Thelma,
you know what this means?

Mm-hmm.

It means forget
about Mr. Nicholson,

and forget about doing my play!

Somebody talk to her.

Tell her what
she's passing up.

I'm sorry, honey,

this is between Thelma
and herself.

Thelma, I think
you're making a mistake.

Sometimes compromises
are necessary.

I've had to make them
all my life.

Do you think I like
playing errand girl

to Mr. Nicholson?

I've gotta keep my job.

I need it.

So what's wrong
with a little compromise

if it puts $250 in your pocket
and gets your play done?

I understand about compromise,
Mrs. Flicker.

But compromise
to a certain point

becomes surrender,

and I'm not changing
another word.

All right, Thelma.

I'll tell Mr. Nicholson.

Thelma, I wish I had your guts.

Hey, Thelma.
Thelma.

Sis, I'm so proud of you.

The words just--
Thelma, honey, I'm proud.

Girl, you have done it.
You have done it.

Yeah, but the play won't go on,
you know.

I won the battle,
but I lost the war.

Thelma,
listen to me, now.

You just keep on trying.
You keep on writing.

You understand me?

J.J.:
That's right.

Hey, sometimes you win,
and sometimes you lose.

Yeah.

WILLONA:
All right.

And one day,
I'm gonna win them all!

WILLONA:
Right on, honey!

Sis...

[CHATTING INDISTINCTLY]

[***]

* Just lookin'
Out of the window *

* Watchin' the asphalt grow *

* Thinkin' how
It all looks hand-me-down *

* Good times *
* Hey, yeah *

* Good times *

* Keepin' your head
Above water *

* Makin' a wave
When you can *

* Temporary layoffs *

* Good times *

* Easy credit
Ripoffs *

* Good times *

ANNOUNCER:
Good Times was videotaped
in front of a studio audience.

* Good times *