Original subtitles

"Heh, heh, heh, heh. Curtis?

It's a funny name for a colored

Boy from atlanta, georgia.

What do they call you down

There?"

"Hmm. They call me 'mr. Payne.'"

"Ah! Boy, what's wrong with

You?"

Curtis!

"Boy, don't you worry -- it's

'mr. Payne.' it's 'mister.'"

Ha ha! It's "Mister."

Baby, come on. You play too

Much, baby.

Help me. Help.

Curtis.

What?

You have been doing this for

Over half an hour.

No, I just did that. I just

Started.

Ooh, baby, my study group is

Coming.

I need this place cleaned up,

Okay?

Oh, baby, they're college

Kids.

They don't nothing about clean,

Ella.

I'm gonna throw some beer cans

Around so they can feel at home.

No, no, no.

Not these kids, baby.

These kids are serious and

Smart.

Oh.

I'm struggling just to keep

Up with them.

So what are you gonna do

About your bible study class?

What?

Baby, is that today?

All I know is, you woke up

Last night in the middle of the

Night, 2:00 this morning -- "I

Need someone to teach my bible

Study class."

Curtis, I don't remember

That.

I don't remember that.

I know you don't because I

Said to you, "Baby, since

You're up, why don't you make

Me a sandwich?"

And you rolled over and went

Back to sleep.

Curtis, I don't have a

Replacement for that class, and

They're coming over here, too.

Baby, what am I gonna do,

Curtis?

I don't know.

What am I gonna do?

What are you gonna do?

Baby, come on. This is not --

Hey, baby, don't even worry

About it. I got it.

Let me do it.

I can host your little bible

Study thingy-thingy.

Baby, you'd do that for me?

Baby, I got you, okay?

All you got to do is study and

Graduate.

You heard me?

Okay.

So you can go get a good job

And make that money.

Make that money.

Ha ha ha!

Baby, if I have to put you back

Out there and --

Curtis!

Come on, josh.

I mean, lobotomies -- are you

Serious?

Josh, one moment, please.

Could you just hold that

Thought?

I-I don't know what's going on.

I don't have my notebook right

Here.

I think it's in the back.

Could you please just give me a

Moment?

I'll be right back, guys.

I need to take these notes.

One moment. Really.

I mean, do you really

Believe that a lobotomy is a

Legitimate form of treatment?

No. I'm just saying,

Relative to the time, people

Thought it was a viable option.

Whoo! I am so sorry I'm

Late.

I am so sorry.

Forgiveth thou me in his name.

Oh, my goodness.

Uh, he's in my chair.

You know what? He's in my chair.

Thou art healed!

Yeah, you don't want to sit

There.

Oh. Okay.

So, uh, praise the lord and

Saints.

Praise the lord and saints.

Um, excuse me, but, uh...

Who -- who are you?

I'm here to help ella.

Who are you?

Now, what did I miss?

We were just debating

Lobotomies.

That is like, you know, god

Set that up.

Because that's old testament,

Isn't it?

I'm a expert at the old

Testament.

That's what I read first -- a

Page in the old testament.

What?

Okay.

So, uh, I guess, get your bibles

Out.

Everyone get your bible out.

Our what?

Your bible, your "Bi-bull."

Actually, I think it's

"Bible."

Ooh, okay, we got some smart

Heathens in here today.

Did you pray?

Did you do that, smarty?

I'll bet you didn't.

Didn't pray, did you?

Everybody get up and grab hands.

Uh, I'm really not

Comfortable with this.

You're not comfortable?

And how long have you not been

Comfortable?

Has it been a while?

Since you walked in the room.

Since I walked in.

Well, guess what.

If you believe, you're healed of

It!

Oh!

So thou art comfortable now.

Come on, grab hands.

Everybody, get over here.

We're gonna pray, and we're

Gonna spread the love of god as

We do it.

This is so warming right here.

[ grunting ]

Curtis.

Curtis.

Father, I'm coming for you

Right now with these wayward

Sheep, these unclean pieces of

Laundry.

What? What, baby?

What are you doing?

Baby, I'm letting my light

Shine.

I'm being used as a vessel.

I can feel it in me.

And you're a bushel.

Don't be a bushel...

Curtis.

Covering up the light.

Would you listen to me?

My hand.

Shut up.

This is my psychology class

Study group.

Ooh.

Okay, and the all the heathens

Say, "Amen."

Amen.

Amen.

Okay, listen, curtis.

That was nice, though.

It felt good. I felt good.

Curtis! The bible study

Group is in the backyard.

Okay.

Get out!

And the waters parted.

Excuse me. Please.

You know, it's funny.

I feel so biblical now.

Curtis, get your --

Uh, I'm beginning to rethink

My position on lobotomies.

Does that stuff really work?

Get the --

Well, how was I supposed to

Know?

Ooh, snacks.

Curtis, no.

Those are for my group.

Curtis.

What?

And those are for your group.

Animal cookies?

Yes. Yes, yes, yes.

Baby --

Ta-da.

What, kids!

Shh. Don't be --

Well, I can't teach the

Bible to those kids!

Curtis, yes, you promised.

Baby, get out there.

How you get me into this

Mess all the time?

I love you, baby, really.

Yeah, right.

No, really.

Everybody, y'all ready to

Learn about love?

Here.

So, where were we?

Maybe we should just study

Somewhere else.

Yeah, we were kind of on a

Roll before I was --

No, no. No, no. Please,

Please, guys. I made snacks.

Please.

All right. Fine.

Thank you.

Let's continue.

Okay, good.

Okay, everybody just grab a

Hold.

Dig in.

Okay, so, we were discussing

The paper that professor

Schwartz assigned us.

Oh. He assigned us a paper?

Mm-hmm.

See, I had to leave class

Early, so I didn't know.

Well, didn't you get my text?

Oh, josh, I don't text.

It's too confusing.

You know, like those little

Buttons -- those little, tiny

Buttons -- my finger's under the

3 --

Oh, okay.

Anyway, the group has to create

A fictional patient with a

Problem, then write a report

Based on our evaluation.

Well, great.

Okay, well, let's just jump

Right in.

Everybody, let's just jump right

In.

Well, we don't have a lot of

Time.

Okay, well, maybe we could

Just -- I don't know -- just,

Um...What about we just divide

The group, and it might go

Quicker?

I'm thinking we should

Divide the work into areas of

Our perceived strengths.

I think it might go faster.

That's a great idea, josh.

Oh, well, thanks a lot.

Didn't I just say that?

I've got an idea for a

Patient.

She's got an idea for a

Patient.

18-year-old female.

18.

Subject to bouts of

Depression.

Ooh.

Acts out by cutting herself

And scarring her body.

Oh, that's wonderful.

I mean -- well, I mean...I mean,

It's terrible that she, you

Know -- but as a case study,

This is good.

Just -- could you go on?

Just go on.

I'll write up the history.

Josh, you and ann pull up some

Anecdotal research.

Maya, you and sam offer up some

Possible treatment strategies.

And then natalie, greg, and eric

Can come on over here and we can

Work on an outline.

Uh, trina?

Yeah?

What should I do?

Oh, I'm...

With them? I knew it.

How about more snacks?

Yeah.

Thank you.

All right, so, what I'm thinking

Is we come up with the

Structure.

"And they smote all the

Souls that were therein with

The edge of the sword."

"Of the sword."

You're really getting on my

Nerves, okay?

Gordon, be nice.

This was probably the way it was

Taught when my uncle curtis was

A kid.

When he was a kid, this

Stuff wasn't written down.

He was there.

He watched it happen.

Do not blaspheme the

Teacher.

Don't blaspheme the teacher,

Because the teacher might turn

Into joshua and smote thy little

Behind.

Go ahead and smote me.

I welcome it.

Just stop reading to us.

Look here, you little

Pharisee.

You're gonna be on the

Internet.

Jesus loves the little

Children.

Look here.

One day you're gonna grow up and

You're gonna remember this

Lesson, okay?

You're gonna need this stuff.

[ sighs ]

The children of jebeniah

95...

Auntie ella, uncle curtis is

Killing us out there.

What? What are you talking

About, jazzy? What?

Behold, we've been smote to

Sleep.

[ snoring ]

Can you do something?

Jazmine, not right now, okay?

I've got a lot on my mind. Okay?

But, auntie ella, please.

We need somebody to teach the

Bible to us, not just read it.

I can't, jazzy. I can't.

But uncle curtis does not

Know what he's doing.

Apparently, neither do I.

I can't text.

I can't say the right things.

I can't keep up with those

College students.

I just give up.

What?

Who am I kidding, thinking

That I could go back to school?

Jazzy...

I quit.

It's just too late for me

Now.

I just -- ooh.

How can you say that?

You've always told me never to

Give up.

Jazmine, you would not

Understand this.

This is grown folks stuff, okay?

Things have changed.

Everything's just moving way too

Fast nowadays.

I guess you're right, and I

Guess it would be a little

Harder for older folks to keep

Up nowadays.

Right.

The technology...And the

Studying.

I'm not used to it.

I'm just not used to that.

But you know what?

You should be happy because

You've had a good life.

You've been a good wife and

Mother.

You tried to be a good student,

But of course, you quit.

Yeah, well, wait, wait,

Wait.

I've also had jobs.

And I did social work at the

Help center.

Yeah, but, you know, that

Doesn't count.

What do you mean, it does not

Count?

You see, those students in

There are learning real social

Work.

Do you know what I do at the

Help center?

Do you know what I see?

I could show those little

College students what real

Social work is.

Huh. I have made more

Contributions to this whole

Community than...

Wait a minute.

What did you just do?

I don't even know what

You mean, auntie ella.

What did they teach you at

That little gifted school?

Maybe you should take this

Psychology class, baby.

Do you know what, auntie

Ella?

Maybe you should be teaching it.

I better get back.

Wait.

But what am I gonna do about

Uncle curtis?

Oh.

Tell uncle curtis to use his

Creative process -- sock

Puppets.

Sock puppets?

Oh, he'll know what I'm

Talking about.

Jazzy? Thank you.

You go get them, auntie ella.

Mm.

And jesus came unto a lady

Who had broken the law.

See, jazzy?

I told you! He was there.

He saw.

Well, what did she do?

She had, um...

Did she kill somebody?

No, she didn't kill anybody.

She -- she stole gordon's music

Player.

It's an mp3 player.

She was in the hallway at

Your school, and she was

Walking through the hallway.

"How everybody doing?

Y'all good? Y'all good?"

And she looked, and all of a

Sudden -- whoo!

"Gordon left his locker open,

Okay?

Is that his music player --

Mp3 player -- sitting in the

Locker?

Okay?

Nobody around the corner.

Nobody's over there.

Nobody's over there.

Got it."

Hey, that's stealing!

Right.

But she got caught because right

Around the corner, the vice

Principal saw her and said,

"Hey! Hold it right there."

"Hmm? Hmm?"

"I caught you. You are busted.

You busted, and jesus wants to

Talk to you in the principal's

Office."

[ mumbles ]

"Yeah, he want to talk to you.

So you follow me."

[ mumbles ]

Well, what did jesus do?

Well, you see, the

Punishment back then for

Stealing a mp3 player was death

By stoning.

So the people gathered around.

All the people gathered around.

They gathered around, okay?

And the principal went unto

Jesus and said, "Jesus, this

Lady here -- she has stolen,

Which is breaking the law, and

The law says that we've got to

Stone her.

What do thou say, o, thy great

One?"

And the people wanted action.

They were, "Stone her, stone

Her."

Stone her, stone her, stone

Her, stone her, stone her,

Stone her, stone her.

Jesus said, "Shh. Shh.

Husheth, people.

Are all of you innocent?"

She was holding the evidence,

Too.

"Have you never sinned, none of

You?

Hmm?"

Uncle curtis, everybody has

Sinned at least once.

Exactly.

And that's why jesus told them,

"Let him who is without sin, let

Him casteth the first rocketh."

And they looked at him just like

Y'all looking right now.

They couldn't even look at each

Other.

And they all turned around and

Went back home.

So go on home. Go home.

Go home.

Ella -- miss ella.

Hmm?

Would it be all right if we

Came down to the help center

Sometime?

Oh, yeah. See you in action.

I would love it.

All right. Well, I guess

We're done here, everybody.

Good work.

Oh, thank you guys for

Coming, everybody.

Oh, trina?

Yes?

Could I see you for just a

Minute?

I'm sorry.

I'm kind of late, miss ella.

No, no, no, no, no.

It won't take that long.

You guys have a great evening.

It won't take that long. Please?

Okay.

Thank you, josh.

Thank you.

Okay.

I'll get your notes tomorrow.

All right.

Okay.

All the work you do at that

Church, and all the people you

See -- you need to speak up more

In this group.

I'm gonna try to do that.

But, trina, the case-study

Girl -- that's you, isn't it?

What?

The one who cuts herself.

No. No, it was completely --

Trina, I'm a people watcher.

When I saw you roll up your

Sleeve, I saw the scars, and I

Know that those are

Self-inflicted, aren't they?

Look. I really don't think

It's --

Baby, sometimes when the

Pain just gets too hard for us

To bear, and we just become

Numb, you know?

And then our little brain goes,

"I just need something to feel.

I just need something --

Something to feel."

I know I need to stop, but

I --

Okay, well, you just need

Help, sweetheart.

The books have all the answers,

But you are looking for --

Physician, heal thyself, huh?

No. In this case, physician,

Or, rather, trina, go get

Yourself some help.

Those people at the help

Center are very lucky to have

You.

And I am lucky to have you,

Working and learning more about

This stuff.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I got to go.

Okay. Um...

Can we talk later?

Yes, please.

Thanks.

Call me any time, trina.

I will.

I mean it.

Thank you, miss ella.

Thank you, trina.

Bye.

Bye.

Ella, I'm so proud of you.

Curtis, I'm so proud of you.

Well, it's time to get your

Lesson.

What are you gonna teach me?

The birds and the bees, baby.

The birds and the bees.

Oh! Is there any homework?

Oh, I'm gonna take you home,

And we will be working.

Wait, mr. Curtis.

Sock it to me, curtis.

Sock it to me, curtis.

Let's go.

Wait! Ah!

Curtis, wait a minute. Wait.

Pull my dress down.

Oh, come on, now.

Don't you pull my dress up

Like that.

Okay, come here. Come on.

Okay, flip-flop, flip-flop,

Flip-flop.

Flip-flop, flip-flop. Oh.

Curtis, wait.

Okay, all right, all right.

That's enough.

I'm tired of this.

I'm tired of playing puppets.

Whoo.

Hello there.

Hello there.

Whoo, baby, my puppet got a

Headache.

Mine do, too.

Flip-flop.

Flip-flop.