Original subtitles

Clear.

Well... Why?

Why?

Duncan.

Oh, no, the disposal just tried to eat my broom.

Yeah, yeah.

Have you got a blind date over there or something for me?

No, I liked her.

What was her name?

Alice? Yeah, yeah.

Clara's Aunt Alice. Yeah, I liked her fine. I liked 14 of her 15 cats.

But there was fur all over everything, including Alice.

She kissed me goodnight, and I looked like the Wolfman.

Well, all right, I'll be there at 6 o 'clock. Bye.

Good afternoon, sir. How are you today? My name is Carl M. Fuqua. I'm here on

behalf of the Willow Springs Boys Club.

Oh, wonderful, Carl.

I gave it the office.

Isn't this your office?

Oh, it's one of them. I'm a chain like Kmart.

I'm late for an appointment.

Are you all right?

I think I'm all here.

I'm called off.

No, no. No, I'm fine, really. Are you sure? I think so.

Nothing seems to be broken.

Thanks.

Benjamin,

it is so good to see you. Don't you look well?

Thank you.

Why am I here?

Still expecting your questions to be answered the minute you ask them, aren't

you, Ben?

Set in my ways.

Before we get down to business, I have a young, impetuous Montrachet I have been

waiting for a chance to craft. Benjamin,

this

isn't just wine. This is nectar of the gods.

Oh.

You collect the glasses and Duncan collects the wine. Aren't you the

couple?

Like all perfect couples, we have come to the same conclusion at precisely the

same moment.

We want a divorce. And we'd like you to help us.

How's that?

Well, you see, Ben, Duncan and I care about each other deeply.

And we always will. But our marriage, well, it's... It's like a tree. Though

roots go deep, the branches have been diverging for quite some time.

A tree?

What are you talking... No, never mind. Just settle your differences.

We're psychiatrists, Ben. We're relationship experts.

Ours is in a state of transition from perfect to over.

Well, I'm not a divorce lawyer.

Oh, but we want this to be amiable.

There are no children to consider.

Yeah, we just need help with the paperwork.

You have to understand. The thing is, the last thing we want are legal sharks

blooding our tranquil divorce waters with greed and vindictiveness.

Please help us, Ben.

As friends.

Why are they getting a divorce?

Well... The way they put it to me, their marriage is like a tree.

The roots go deep, but the limbs are either rotten or growing every which

can't remember.

Sounds like they used the wrong fertilizer.

Yeah. Not yet.

Hi.

Benjamin Matlock? Front and center. I have a registered letter for you, signed

right there. Oh, okay.

Have a good one.

You have a better one.

What's that from?

That's from some lawyer here in Atlanta.

He's got to be kidding.

Just to inform you that my client, Carl M. Fuqua, is bringing suit against you

for the dangerous condition of your property.

Dangerous? You see anything dangerous? You resulted in serious injury to my

client. There was no injury.

We suggest you turn this matter over to your insurance company. You want to tell

me what this is all about?

This guy, Fuqua, comes here collecting for some boy's cloth.

And you showed him the door.

Well, yeah.

Yeah, and the next thing I know, he's in a heap at the bottom of the stairs.

Did he seem hurt?

No.

No, he looked woozy when he first got up. I asked him if he wanted to see a

doctor. He said he was fine, and he walked away under his own power.

It's just insurance fraud, that's all.

Sounds like it to me. Oh, wait.

Insurance fraud or not, you've got to respond. Let me handle this for you.

Once I finish with him, he won't know what hit him.

And you folks got a problem?

Nothing we can't handle, Billy.

I figured something must be going on, otherwise you'd have given my boy Cliff

job by now, like you promised. I said I'd try, Billy.

Leanne and I just started up a new practice here, and there's not enough

for three people.

You better not be backing out of our deal, Ben. You owe me. I don't owe you,

Billy. He got your son out from under a murder rap. Isn't that worth something?

You just don't understand, Leanne.

Ben got out, got away from home, went to law school.

He's a rich lawyer now.

I'd stay home. I'm just a poor working man.

My sister Lucy loved him in high school. He cast her aside like an old sock.

She never got over it. Dad?

I never cast her aside. I just started dating. Old man Ignite's girl said you

liked the dimple on her chin.

Lucy cried and cried.

I wound up having to take care of Lucy all these years, and you got to law

school. How work, Leanne.

I scraped and I sent my boy Cliff to law school, and he owes me.

I don't owe you, Billy. You can't move here to Willow Springs and bring that

of yours with you and hold your sister over my head like this. The least you

do is give my boy a job, Ben.

Ben?

Ben?

What about the place in Aspen?

Oh, Duncan should have it. He's the one who skis.

Not since I broke my leg two years ago.

You take it, darling.

Aspen's always been your place of psychic renewal.

You're right.

But you must take the timeshare on Hilton Head.

Looking forward to working on my golf game. You know, I found my father's old

golf clubs in the garage.

Look at this, Ben.

Solid persimmon.

Oh, that's beautiful.

Yeah, yeah. Well, I wish you could work things out, but...

If you'll give me your financial statements, I can wrap this up in a

days. I'll have everything ready for you tomorrow morning.

Thanks again for helping, Ben. Oh, well.

If everybody's like you, divorce lawyers starve to death.

I love you.

I know.

Be right there, darling.

You are really something.

So are you, darling.

Now, sit down before your coffee gets cold.

You know, this is fascinating. Before we decided to get divorced, I doubt you

would have done anything like this for me.

And if you had, I probably wouldn't have noticed.

What's that, sweetheart?

I'm saying that now that we're getting divorced, we're finally able to

appreciate each other. I mean, not as husband and wife, but as individuals,

unique and special people we really are.

I know my eyes have been opened.

I'm real sorry about my dad. I know he can be a pain.

Yeah.

Well... Simple, uncontested divorce like this is good to cut your teeth on. Not

much money. No. But good experience.

That's what I'm here for.

Now, who are the Farmingtons? Oh, they're the nicest people.

They've done real well for themselves.

Psychiatrists. Oh.

Friendly, nice.

Clara, my God!

Snakes for a snake, you worm!

Clara!

You haven't been to Aspen in over two years, my foot!

It's not like you to overreact, Clara.

Overreact? If anything, I am underreacting, considering the fact that

husband, who was supposed to be at a professional conference in Chicago,

actually spent last February 1st through 10th in Aspen, charging champagne

dinners and massages and ladies' ski clothes for some bimbo he was romancing

my house!

Not a bimbo!

It ended a long time ago, and it has nothing to do with our divorce.

That's what you think.

Oh, okay. Now what are we doing?

Me! Clara!

What are you doing?

Renegotiating our property settlement.

Clara!

Clara! Oh, you darling, me!

See? That's overreacting. You aren't even giving me a chance to explain. And

Clara, this is not very adult behavior.

That's my jewelry. This is mine.

That line.

Give me that.

Okay.

Regressing, are we?

Okay.

One infantile.

Duncan. You got it. Duncan, don't!

This is a nice house. Oh, yeah.

Probably television.

What the hell do you want?

Lander, and creep!

That friggin' shrew!

Wait a minute!

Yesterday, you were acting like you were planning a wedding, not a divorce.

Now you're ready to kill one another. What happened? He had an affair.

She's overreacting! I'm going home.

Wait, you can't go.

You're a lawyer.

Was your lawyer. I agreed to sign on to do paperwork, not referee some

demolition derby. Get yourself another lawyer. Get two!

Come on, Cliff!

You want infantile?

You got it. This means I'm out of a job. We both are.

Mr. Boswick, my name is Leanne McIntyre.

Dixieland Insurance authorized me to represent them in your client's personal

injury suit against Mr. Benjamin Matlock.

The same Benjamin Matlock who just happens to be your father.

I, um... I checked you out.

Good. And I can lay my cards on the table.

Your client has no case. Now we could go to court, trade witnesses, waste a lot

of time and money, or we could settle right now.

I'm listening.

Granting that your client sustained any injuries at all, which, from Mr.

Matlock's description of the accident, seems highly unlikely, we feel that the

sum of $25 ,000 is more than adequate compensation.

Well, Mr. Bostwick.

This must be a joke. I'm just waiting on the punchline.

I didn't come here to play games, Mr. Bostwick.

You're no fun at all, are you?

Okay.

Let's get serious.

Do you have a medical degree, Leanne?

May I call you Leanne?

No, Mr. Bostwick, you may not.

Cute. Real cute.

All right.

The insurance adjuster's already found loose boards on your father's porch.

The doctors I talk to tell me that Carl Fuqua sustained serious, permanent

damage to his neck and spine.

Your 25 grand wouldn't even take care of the treatment he's had so far, much

less what he's going to need for the rest of his life.

I assume you have a figure in mind.

Let's hear it.

A million dollars? Is he kidding?

Well, he said if we don't come up with something in the high six figures, he'll

see us in court.

I can't wait.

A million dollars.

Shyster. You still want to take his case?

You betcha.

Go get him.

Excuse us.

Ben, we are chagrined.

Mortified. Truly ashamed.

Can we please come in?

And all our repressed pain, anger, and resentment came flooding forth in one

massive catharsis. Very liberating, actually.

And now that we've worked through it, we can move on.

And we really want you to help us.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Each of you needs a separate lawyer.

What a good idea.

Miss McIntyre can represent me.

Oh, well, I... Ben can represent me. Clara, my darling, that's brilliant.

would keep it all in the family.

Oh, the last thing we want are strangers coming in and making problems where

none exist.

Sharks bludgeoning in the water.

Oh, no, we acknowledge those negative feelings, Ben, but believe me, this time

we really mean it. Oh, with you on board, this divorce can be the positive,

-affirming process we know it can be.

I'm not sure this is the right way to go about this.

Oh, but...

You've already done most of the work. Are you sure you won't see it through?

What do you think, Dad?

I don't know. What do you think?

No, you fired my boy.

I didn't fire him. The case changed. He's not right for it. Said you'd give

a job and then you fired him. I didn't fire him.

He's not right for the case.

Not smart enough for you?

I'll have you know he graduated from law school.

This has nothing to do with his law school.

Maybe to you it don't. But I paid a lot of money for that degree. And with your

help, Clifford's going to pay me back.

And then some.

We have a deal, Ben.

Why do you keep saying we have a deal?

I'm doing the best I can. What more do you want?

Dinner would be nice.

I am so glad you and Ben are doing this.

Duncan is a dear, but can I tell you something?

I am looking forward to not doing someone else's laundry.

There is that.

I understand you're divorced?

Separated.

Any chance of reconciling?

Oh, no.

You know, to be honest, I hate to admit that I failed at marriage.

Exactly.

You expect the perfect relationship, then you're disappointed.

I don't know if I was expecting that.

Of course, I wasn't expecting him to run off with a 25 -year -old aerobics

instructor either.

Oh.

Well, if your husband acted out his negative feelings instead of working

through with you, perhaps you're better off without him.

Will you look at this?

Glow in the dark pink.

He lied to me.

He's still having an affair.

Well, Clara, maybe he got it at work. Maybe one of his patients was crying on

his shoulder.

Bull.

The SOB is having an affair.

Duncan and I... have come up with a document that we think reflects both the

spirit and the letter of what was discussed earlier.

That spirit has changed, Dad. Now, all we have to do now... How's that?

A certain behavior has come to light which substantially has changed my

predisposition. From now on, you can have your girlfriends do your laundry.

Now what?

Clara thinks that Duncan is still having an affair.

Oh, you are delusional. Don't try to gaslight me, Duncan. That is not my

lipstick. Oh, so now you're going to stick it to me. Oh, in spades.

Just what is it, Clara, exactly that you think you're going to get? What is the

matter with you? One little piece of lipstick. One little piece of lipstick.

We've got the papers right here, Leanne. Let's just get them to sign in a few

places. Oh, Clara feels that Duncan can't be trusted. I don't care if she

him or not. Let's just sign and get them out of here. She thinks that if he lied

about this woman, he might be lying about their joint assets, too. You're

overreacting. She smells a rat, Dad.

I don't care if she smells the skunk. Maybe that's why her nose sticks up the

way it does. They wanted a simple divorce, and now everything's gone to

because she found a little lipstick on his shirt.

She feels he's not the trusted man she thought he was. Who cares? Let's just

him to sign.

Dad, I'm her lawyer, and you're Duncan's lawyer.

Yeah, what happened to that?

Shut up, Duncan.

That's very hostile of you, Beth. Dad, your blood pressure. Who damned my blood

pressure? I never wanted anything to do with this divorce.

And now my blood pressure's gone sky high and my very own daughter's turning

against me.

Dad, I am just trying to do my job. I am not turning against you. Turning

against me, turning against me, turning against me.

I think we'd better bring this meeting to a close.

But the papers.

Yeah, we have to reevaluate things.

I'll see you later.

Well, now you're mad.

Oh, I'm not mad.

Yes, you are. You're mad.

All right, I'm mad. I'll see you later.

Well, aren't you going to stay and have something to eat?

I'll fix something good.

Maybe some eggs and grits.

Maybe some sardines.

Oh, my God.

That's my book!

Runs like a bandit, doesn't it?

It's back.

On my side, and I am prepared to defend it.

Chateau Pouillac, 1976.

Chateau Lasserre, 1958.

Cute name.

Cute? Those wines are priceless.

God!

That design would make a lovely wallpaper.

We're going to have to get going here, Mr. Matlock.

Yes, sir.

She should be here any minute, Your Honor. I'm sorry.

I'm dead.

Sorry to bother you, Ben.

What are you doing here?

I'm here to see Leanne.

Oh, there she is.

Nice of you to join us, Ms.

McIntyre. I hope this isn't a preview of how you plan to conduct this case.

My sincere apologies, Your Honor.

If you could just grant me a minute's more grace.

One minute.

No more.

We're not even up to bat and there's two strikes against us. My car wouldn't

start. Dad, I need to speak to Cliff alone.

Alone? Please.

Dad.

Dad, please.

She said you had a job for me.

Yeah, um, all the details are in here.

Don't open it until you get outside.

And don't tell my father about it either.

You're working for me on this one, okay?

Are you sure this is all right with Ben?

Time's up, Ms. McIntyre.

Ready, Your Honor.

I'm sure.

You should have settled while you had a chance.

Court is now in session.

You're recently married, aren't you, Mr. Fuqua?

Yes, sir.

About six months ago.

And how would you characterize your relationship with your wife?

since the accident?

I'm not so good.

Could you be a little more specific?

I can't make love to Suzanne like I used to.

What else?

She's got to do a lot of stuff for me that a man wants to do for himself.

At this point, I'd like to show the court...

A videotape shot by an independent filmmaker who is prepared to testify

its veracity.

This is a typical day in the life of Carl Fuqua.

Will you tell us about your life, Mr. Fuqua?

Sure.

Ah, here I am, in bed.

I used to be a real early riser, but now with all the pain pills I gotta take,

Suzanne has to take care of me.

It's like I'm her kid, not her husband.

She's even got to help me.

Got to the bathroom.

Objection, Your Honor. How can we be sure that this whole tape wasn't staged

the benefit of camera?

Future witnesses will testify as to the serious nature of my client's injury.

His wife and a filmmaker will corroborate as to this being a typical

life of Carl Fuqua.

This is nothing but a... A shameful display to influence the jury, and you

it. Mr. Matlock.

But, Your Honor, this whole tape business is just made up of lies.

You have an attorney, Mr. Matlock. Please speak through her. But, Your

Speak through her.

Objection overruled.

You may proceed, Mr. Fuqua.

Every morning, Suzanne helps me get dressed.

I mean, not that I go anywhere, but, well, man does what he can to keep his

dignity, you know?

I mean, she's my wife, and I know she loves me, but I'd ask somebody to

sacrifice like that.

I look into her eyes, and I see the pain.

It hurts so much.

Speak.

Say something.

Object. I did. Object again.

Dad, believe it or not, I know what I'm doing.

You're letting this tearjerker bury me, Mr.

Matlock. My sincere apologies, Your Honor. It won't happen again.

I know a daughter is not supposed to speak to her father this way, but you

me no choice.

Shut up!

What have we done?

We have acted out all the hostility we repressed for years.

I feel so free.

You know, come to think of it, I feel like a great weight has been lifted off

shoulders.

I think.

We are going to be better people, better therapists.

I may take a younger lover.

Start cleaning up this mess.

Oh, Duncan.

Look, the crystal vase we bought in London on our honeymoon.

That was the first time I thought rain was romantic. You look so great in that

oil skin and galoshes. My Dinsmore mobile?

You bent it.

that way.

Before you bent it, it was worth $28 ,000.

Now it's not worth a zip.

Well, bend it back.

That is ridiculous, Clara. I can't begin to bend it.

Oh.

We have done hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage here. Our

homeowner's policy isn't going to cover this. Oh, don't panic, Duncan. We'll

tell them that...

We had burglars. Burglars don't break things. They steal them.

No, well, tell them you did it. What?

Listen to me, darling. Everyone knows that women your age often suffer from

hormonal imbalance.

I'm going to tell them that your hormones suddenly went crazy and you

berserk. Women my age? I'm a doctor. They'll believe me. You're a rotten

You're a rotten husband.

And as a matter of fact, I have never seen anything so stupid or ugly as you

London in your oil skin and glasses!

Yes, it's me

Hey, hey, hey, have we got some kind of a problem here? I am, I... Why are you

some kind of a pervert?

I'm a lawyer.

Oh, yeah.

Don't allow none of that around here.

Oh, yeah.

Dad, can I help you?

I'm looking for a book.

No,

that's not the one.

But it's... Oh.

Oh, I'm disturbing you.

That's all right. You know what? I'm going to take a break. No, no, no. You

here first. I really want to leave, Dad.

Am I interrupting something?

No. Would you mind, Dad? I need to speak to Cliff alone.

Well, now you're asking me to leave. You said you wanted to leave.

Well, that's when you wanted to leave.

Now that I want to stay, you want to stay?

Well, it's my house.

Please, Dad, just for a minute.

Please.

Thank you.

Did you get anything?

Well, yes and no.

Well, let's start with a yes. Okay.

Dad, are you listening?

Dr. Harrison, you've testified, and I quote, Mr.

Fuqua will be severely physically challenged for the rest of his life. He

almost certainly never be free from pain and most certainly confined to a

wheelchair.

Just like that.

No hope.

Despite all the advances in medical knowledge.

That is your expert opinion?

It is.

You couldn't be mistaken.

Ms. McIntyre, I've been a practicing physician for 40 years.

and have probably published more articles on spinal and neck injuries

anyone in this state, I don't think I'm mistaken.

Dr. Harrison, how many times have you testified as an expert witness in

injury cases tried by Mr. Bostwick?

Several. I don't recall the exact figure.

Isn't it true that in the last year alone you testified about 23 times?

That sounds about right.

How much money has Mr. Bostwick paid you this year?

I'd have to check my records. I don't recall the exact figure. We don't need a

home run, Doctor. Just get us into the ballpark.

Approximately $150 ,000.

You've retired from your regular practice. Isn't that true, Doctor? With

exception of some occasional consulting, yes.

Aside from the fees paid to you by Mr. Bostwick, how much additional money have

you made from consulting fees?

Approximately?

About $20 ,000.

I see. So out of approximately $170 ,000, all but

$20 ,000 came from your work as an expert witness for Mr. Bostwick.

That's correct.

I guess keeping Mr. Bostwick happy keeps you employed.

Objection!

Withdraw the question.

Nothing further, Your Honor.

This court stands in recess until 10 a .m. Monday morning.

Nice work.

Don't surprise.

Well, no, it's... Just doing my job, Dad.

Same as I would for anyone.

Where'd you get these pictures?

I took them.

You sent Cliff to take pictures of Duncan fooling around with some woman?

I told her to. I knew the louts were seeing someone.

Clara! Coming home at midnight with that stupid, guilty grin on his face. You

hired someone who works for me to follow Duncan.

Dad, he works for us.

I never wanted any part of this divorce.

You talked me into it. Now my blood pressure's high, my daughter and I are

one another's throats, and I'm gonna kill Cliff.

Will you excuse Clara and me for a moment?

You sent him

to the file and dump.

I didn't do anything wrong. Shut up, Cliff.

Dad, I didn't want a divorce case either, but I took it. Now I am trying

protect my client the same way you are trying to protect yours. You're

protecting her. Now with this stuff, how are we going to settle this thing?

We've decided to go back to the original agreement.

What are you talking about?

No, they deserve to know the truth about this, Clara. The woman I'm seeing now

isn't a lover.

She's a sex therapist.

Sex therapist?

Sex therapist?

Mm -hmm.

Oh, and she helped you with...

Is it all right with Clara?

Oh, we were definitely having sexual problems.

At least Duncan was. I think he's very courageous to do something about it.

Why didn't you just tell her to start with?

At first I was embarrassed.

And then before I knew it, things got completely out of hand.

Come, Duncan.

I'll take you to lunch.

Thank you. Thank you for being so understanding.

This has been a catharsis for me.

Oh, a personal breakthrough for me.

You've all been wonderful.

Goodbye.

Did you get something to eat? Dad, I'm trying to work.

Oh.

Where we went wrong with the

Farmington case?

What could we have done differently, Dad?

Well, I wasn't talking about the case. I was talking about you and me.

You've come to a conclusion, Counselor?

Yeah.

I have a problem recognizing

that you're a grown woman with your own way of doing things.

I know that, Dad.

So if you want to drop my case... You want me to drop the case? No, I need

Good, I'm glad.

Because one piece of advice I did listen to.

Always finish what you start.

Wait a second.

See that?

What?

How has the pain been since last we spoke, Mr. Fuqua?

Not so good.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Have you ever been in pain like this before?

Never.

Not even close.

And until you've felt it, there's no way of imagining how bad it is.

How it controls your life.

So you've never had any other accidents before you tripped and fell off my

client's porch?

No, ma 'am.

You're sure?

Uh, not that I know of.

I'd like to show you something that may refresh your memory.

I call it a day in the life, the early years.

I am amazed at how little you've changed, Mr. Fuqua.

There's no doubt that is you.

But I thought you said you'd never been in an accident before.

Was this done as some sort of joke, Mr. Fuqua?

A costume party, perhaps?

I don't remember.

Well, it was a few years ago in Boston.

And, of course, you had a different name then.

Fred Logan.

Does any of this ring a bell?

Come on now.

I was watching your tape the other night, and I saw an old cane in the

It got me to thinking, maybe you have been in an accident before.

Uh, I don't recall.

Seeing that cane prompted me to do a little detective work, so I called a lot

insurance companies, and that's how I found your tape.

Your fall on my client's property wasn't your first accident, was it, Mr. Fuqua?

Or do you prefer Logan?

As a matter of fact, you staged so many accidents in Boston, you were known as

Fall Down Freddy.

Hold on.

They never proved nothing.

No. But after a while, they stopped paying, and that's why you came down

and changed your name. And for a year or two, you even tried to make it

legitimately. But after a while, you got the urge to try for another big score.

Maybe your lovely new wife encouraged you.

Uh... Oh, no.

Oh, I'm not saying your wife had anything to do with it. I mean, a woman

have to be crazy to let her husband go out and deliberately disable himself for

money.

But that's what you did, isn't it, Mr. Fuqua?

You deliberately fell down my client's stairs, hoping you would at least appear

to be injured badly enough to be set for life.

At my client's expense.

Well, then, if you will.

We, the jury, in the above entitled action, return the following special

on the questions presented to us.

One, was the defendant, Benjamin Matlock, negligent in the maintenance of

front porch?

Yes.

Two,

Was the defendant's negligence a proximate cause of the injury to Mr.

No.

That being the case, Mr. Matlock is not liable for any damages.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. You are excused. This court is adjourned.

That was some work, Leanne.

That poor guy came up against the wrong family, that's for sure.

Thanks, Cliff.

Okay.

And congratulations to you, too, Ben.

I'm sorry. I hope that there's no hard feelings about my taking those pictures.

Oh, no, no, no, no. As a matter of fact, they helped clear the air that

Farmington's had never been happier.

They got back together.

No, they're divorced.

They went to Hawaii to celebrate.

Psychiatrist. Yeah.

You're a... You're a fine lawyer.

I know.

I guess I had a pretty good role model.