Original subtitles

It's so good to have you back in case we're...

So quiet without you.

Hey, Tess, tell me something. Are these the best seats we could get? I mean,

come on. We've got connections.

Who's that player, Tess?

Which one, baby?

The saint who just put the ball in the back.

Eric Money? If he's a saint, I'm a frog.

But, then again, miracles do happen.

And that's what we're here for. Hey, ref, that whistle's not for decoration!

Yeah? What's it to ya?

Uh, Ruth, don't you think you're being a little rough on the ref?

Yes, truth, really. He's probably feeling bad enough about being so much

than everybody else.

I'm a fan.

That's what fans do.

Darling, sweetheart, sit down and watch the game.

Your assignment is to observe.

So sit back, relax, and observe.

Nobody can just jump back into casework after an eternity behind a desk. I

wouldn't say eternity.

Baby, you were doing paperwork before there was paper.

That's right.

That's right.

Goodbye. Where are you going? I was a little hard on the referee. I'm going to

apologize.

Well, I've got to go to work.

Eric Zachariah Money, or E .V. for short.

He is the Saints' best player. And he's a man with a lot of problems.

And he's our assignment.

Yeah. He's a superstar. He's a truly great player.

And a very angry man.

He's very rebellious.

Breaks any rules.

he can get away with, and he ridicules anything and anyone who tries to play

fair. And?

And every kid wants to be just like him.

They worship him.

But he hates kids, so fortunately, no kid's really ever gotten close enough to

see the real E .V.

I can see why he needs an angel.

He's an angry man.

He's always trying to fight the whole world at once.

Oh, for heaven's sake.

Excuse me.

Pardon me.

Let me guess.

The jersey he just threw? Went to the wrong fan. I mean, the absolutely

fan.

Well, I'll speak to the... I'll just speak to the ref later.

No harm, no... Oh, Sam.

I'll just... I'll go somewhere and observe.

down the road heavy burden heavy

load I will rise and I

will walk with you I'll walk with you till the sun don't

even shine walk with you every time I

tell you I'll walk

Believe me, I'll walk with you

His name is Darnell Thomas.

A minute ago, he was just a fan.

Now, thanks to Ruth, he is an assignment.

He's 14 years old. He lives at the poverty level in the projects with his

grandmother.

Now he's Eric Money's number one fan.

Oh, dear.

Sam... What makes this a special forces case?

It wasn't supposed to be. The moment that Darnell caught that jersey,

changed. This assignment is not just about easy anymore. It's... Well, it's

complicated. And that's why you're here.

In a very real way, a bond has been formed between that little boy and that

Hmm. If you want to call him a man.

Well, if you're a little boy that has no father, No stable home, no dreams that

he can ever imagine coming true. That jersey isn't just a simple souvenir.

It's a talisman. It's something that tells him that he is something special.

Sam, every child is special.

Well, of course they are, to God.

But this little boy thinks he's special to someone named Easy Money?

I mean, this is the man this little boy is going to worship from now on.

Unless we do something.

Hey, yo, Mr. Money, man, can I get you on the bus?

I'm sorry, kid, I got a date. Hey, man, please, I mean it a lot to me. I caught

you on Jersey and I understand, yo.

Hey,

Mr. Money.

Hey, son, he just tried to blow you off like that. It's all good, man. He says

he has a date. The man's busy.

One day I'm going to be that busy, too, yo.

And drive me a fat ride.

Just like that.

Yo.

out of showboat.

Let's go talk and come back.

All in good time.

Hey, everybody.

Gather around. There's some people over here I'd like you to meet. Come on.

Hello.

Guys, this is Monica and her friend Ruth. Ruth was just observing today, so

won't be here very long.

You've got to slide your feet on defense.

The minute you cross over, you're done for.

What the heck is she talking about?

What did she just do? Thank you.

Gentlemen, gentlemen, Monica is going to be your new tutor.

Now, you all know you can only belong to this boys' club if you keep your grades

up. Now, some of you have, but some of you have not.

Stop.

And please, don't think of me as just someone who's going to make you study,

because I'll be helping Sam out on the court as well. What can you possibly do

on the basketball court, besides mop it?

Sam, may I have the ball, please?

Thank you.

Hi.

I'm going to take this ball, and I'm going to throw it over my shoulder like

this, and it's going to bounce once on the foul line and go into the basket.

How do you say it?

Swoosh.

That's Swiss.

Yeah. All

right.

Nothing but neat.

Net.

Aren't you supposed to be observing Andrew?

I'm on my way.

Thank you.

Guys, on the TV. Come on.

win over Seattle may have been a costly one.

EZ?

EZ, there's a lot of speculation around the league today that today may be your

final practice for a while. Any comment about the possibility of a suspension?

I've been needing a vacation, and now I'll be getting one.

Now, you actually grabbed the official. What kind of message does that send your

fan, especially EZ, the kids?

I don't have kids.

Their parents should be an example to them.

I play ball.

That's all.

EZ says he's no role model.

Back to you, Bob.

The man is always trying to pick on my boy EZ, dude. Bunch of chumps.

I think it's because he won't pick up the garbage, you know?

You know what's true, dude? You know what's so true?

Hey, fellas, come back and check this out. The all -star goalie has been

for five days, and local authorities have not ruled out foul play.

Del Camillo is rumored to have sizable gambling debt.

What? Hey, that nigga got blowed over.

And that's life for you, pay up or die.

You know it. Not a nice game.

Basketball is not a nice game.

Bowling is a nice game.

Croquet is a nice game.

Badminton is a nice game.

But I don't play nice games.

One says thee, the other says thee.

He doesn't seem like the kind of man worthy of someone's worship.

This has been going on for centuries.

The bad guy is the good guy. In the old west, the outlaws were the heroes.

During the roaring 20s, it was the gangsters.

Being bad means having fun.

Being good means being boring.

That's not true.

Well, you know that, and I know that. Now, all we have to do is make one

boy truly believe it.

Sam, what really happened to Winstondale, Camilla?

Monica, just focus on what you can change.

How you doing? No comment.

No, wait. No, what part of no comment don't you understand?

Let's try this again.

I'm your ghostwriter.

Your publisher sent me.

I'm Andrew.

Hey, why don't you say something?

Are you writing my book?

Hey, I apologize about that. I thought you were somebody... Just someone who

wasn't making you money.

Exactly. Exactly.

Now listen up.

I've been thinking about some titles.

How's this?

To know me is to hate me.

Tell you what.

Let's think about titles later.

Right now what I need from you is I need for your life to be an open book.

I need my life to be a best -selling book.

You know what I'm saying?

Give me the loot. Give me the loot.

Ruth. Hi.

Don't worry.

I've been in ancient Rome.

Nothing shocks me.

Ruth. What are you doing here? I'm observing.

Ruth, there are some things that don't need to be observed.

Let me see.

I'm a very big fan.

You need to work on your cross over.

Dribble.

Dribble. Otherwise, a quick point guard will pick your pocket.

Who are you?

Ruth. I'm observing.

Actually, you know, Ruth was observing. And now what Ruth is doing is leaving.

I'm leaving. That's right. Here we go.

Bye, Izzy.

Bye, guys.

Bye -bye.

Are you

okay? Is anything wrong?

Yeah.

I'm not doing anything.

You are doing something. You're observing.

That's what observing means.

You stand around and watch everybody else do things.

I wanted to make a difference.

All they do is make a mistake.

Everyone makes mistakes, Ruth.

But you will get your chance to make a difference.

I promise.

Shouldn't put the ball behind your head when you shoot.

It's bad mechanics.

Works for easy.

Well, just because it works for easy doesn't mean it's going to work for you.

You have to make sure if you copy somebody, there's somebody worth

Otherwise, you just learn bad habits.

Easy? What are you talking about? He's cool.

Well, just because he's cool doesn't mean there's somebody you want to be

Oh, yeah?

Why not?

But when he says he's no role model, he's not kidding.

He's not nice to people.

Table manners leave something to be desired.

You know what else?

He can't read.

Can't read?

Ever heard that about easy?

Because it's a secret.

Well, if it's a secret, how come you know?

Well,

I used to be in files and records.

Things like that get into people's records.

He walks around terrified somebody's going to find out.

Is that how you want to live?

No, ma 'am.

Very good.

You're a smart person.

Well, I'm glad we had this little chat.

Yeah. So

then

I'll

talk to some of your friends so I can get some background for the book. I

have friends.

Easy, hang on.

Hi, Ted Bender.

Thanks for listening.

Hi, I'm Andrew. I'm working with Easy on his book.

Well, let's start referring to it as his bestseller, okay?

Easy. Can I talk to you for a minute? Andrew, go ahead. Whatever you have to

say. It's one of them tell -all books.

I don't have nothing to hide.

It's about your trip to Manhattan.

Andrew, hang on.

Listen,

do us both a favor. Stay away from the gambling, all right?

At least until this, uh, Winston Del Camillo thing blows over.

Why isn't that guy anyway?

Who knows?

But it can't be anything good, all right?

Nice meeting you. Thank you.

Trip to Manhattan?

Yeah.

He's also my travel agent.

How easy!

Hey, isn't that the kid that caught your jersey?

Come over here, kid.

Remember, kids buy shoes and their parents buy tickets.

Be nice.

Yeah, easy.

What's your name, son?

Darnell.

Darnell Thomas.

Darnell, I guess you know who this is.

How you doing, kid?

Doing fine, man.

Real fine.

Easy was just telling me he was hoping we could find you so he could sign the

jersey.

Oh, what's up, man?

I am in. Here it is.

So here you go.

Let's give them a little space.

I think I'll stay here.

What for? Let the boy meet his hero.

Besides, I got something to talk to you about.

Here you go.

E -Z.

Number 31.

Could, uh, you put to my man, Donnell, across the top?

Can't. Shoot, people say I gotta sign everything E, Z.

That's all.

That all they let you write?

Or is that all you can write?

You know, Mr. Money, uh, I know you got a secret.

I know you can't read or write.

I'm not sure this is okay.

What, you worried because Easy doesn't have a child -friendly reputation?

Yes. Yeah, I am.

And another thing, Easy.

I got the hardest of time keeping secrets.

So what is it you want?

What you got, man.

I want to live a night in the life of Easy Money.

You told him what? Ruth, you're only supposed to observe.

No, I know.

But I thought I could make up for my mistake.

And then I saw him out there alone on the court, and I thought... Sorry, Sam.

Just slipped.

You're an angel. You don't just slip.

I know.

And this is no excuse.

But I think I got through to him.

He has absolutely no interest anymore in a fellow like Easy Money.

Hey, yo, Sam, I'm leaving early tonight.

I'm going out on the town with my road dog.

He's in money.

Well,

it's waning.

Oh,

Mr. Money, sorry. No minors allowed in the club. He's allowed because he's with

me. Yes, sir, Mr. Money.

The Manhattan Club.

I didn't know there were places like this in this town.

Not supposed to.

You know, most kids just want to go one -on -one with you.

Yeah, but that's for future basketball players, not future superstars.

That's what the kid, Mr. Money, kind of want to contest.

So a big date with easy money, huh?

Bet you were never here. You got that, kid?

You want to play craps, you do what you want.

All right, place your bets now. Place your bets. New shooter.

How you doing?

One roll for 25K.

$25 ,000.

About to be 50.

Come on, give it to me, baby.

Whoa, crap. Line away. Pay the field.

You lost, man.

Why aren't you bumming? Pocket change.

No joke, huh?

I'm going to make it back right now.

Another 25 on pass.

You're the man, Easy. You're the man. Come on.

Got that right.

Three, wrap.

My marker's good.

I guess that's life in a big city, huh, man?

Mr. Money, may we have a word? No, man, I'm busy. So are we.

You got one minute.

Thanks.

Yeah, so talk.

Marker's no good. You're over your limit.

You're gonna get your money. You always do.

We don't want the money.

Look, your first game back is Saturday night. The Saints are ten and a half

point favorites.

I think you're going to be a little rusty.

Maybe you'll only win by five.

You want me to shave points?

Man, get out of my face.

Maybe you forget you're on suspension.

One call to the commissioner could be your career.

We don't even want to mention the name Winston Del Camillo.

The hockey guy?

What does he have to do with this?

Hockey's an individual kind of game, you know.

Basketball stars are more team players.

What in the hell are you talking about?

Man, I don't even know why I'm wasting my time talking to you two clowns.

Clowns?

You know, maybe we belong in the circus.

Circus?

That's all right.

You read the paper tomorrow, Mr. Money.

Have a good evening.

saving points.

It's when your team is favored by a lot that you win by a little so the gamblers

can win their bets.

That's right.

Team wins, nobody gets hurt.

You know, it ain't nothing but a thing.

Lose it on Monday, win it back on Tuesday.

Lose it, win it, lose it.

There's always more where that came from.

I got more money than the president.

And I can't read nothing.

Word, man.

You know you're my road dog, right?

Road dogs.

Yeah, man.

I have a red back.

Now, for whatever reason, this assignment has gotten way out of hand.

I'm sorry.

Shh.

So I've decided to make a change in the lineup.

What? Now? In the middle of everything?

Well, it was my idea, angel boy.

It's all right to change horses midstream when the river decides to flow

different direction.

But, Sam, we already have five angels working on this.

Well, meet number six.

Hey. Man, back on up, back on up. All you space fans, put your money where

mouth is.

I'm taking all bets on the game tonight. Got you for five, ten.

Yo, what's up, kid?

Who are you?

Well, I'm your mother. What do you care? What's going down, man?

Taking care of some business on the Saints game tonight.

I bet the Monarchs keep it close.

It's not going to happen.

I can't believe you're going against your man, D .Z.

What can I say, man? Business is business.

Besides, it spreads ten and a half.

Well, that's a lot of money there.

What did you say your name was again?

Raphael. Well, uh, Raphael.

You want to get some action?

Nah, kid.

Gambling is a sign of an emotional void.

It's like your life's missing something. And if you bet and get something for

nothing, you know, make it whole again.

Whatever you say.

There you are.

Well,

I just came to say goodbye because either of today you boys will have a new

tutor. But looks like you already met him.

Hello, Raphael. Hey.

Wait a minute.

You're the new tutor?

Yeah.

I don't look as good as Monica, but that's all right.

I'm not as nice either.

Okay, so I know the big game is tonight, and surely no one will want to miss it,

but I also know there's still a lot of studying to be done today. So come on,

let's go.

Oh, no.

I don't want to ever see that around here again.

All right?

All right.

You caught him red -handed, but you just let him walk away.

I have a different way of handling things.

Well, I hope your plan works.

I wouldn't have handled it that way.

This arena is buzzing, anticipating the return of Easy Money. His first game

back from suspension since pushing a referee.

Now, I talked to Easy before tonight's game. He's excited to get back on the

basketball court. And from my perspective, look for Easy to have a big

against Las Vegas, a last -place team, and a team with a lot of defensive

problems.

Yes, E .B. is going to light it up tonight, man.

Yeah. We'll see. Filling out the front court will be Craig Ostertag, Alonzo

Mourning, and a point guard, E .Z. Money.

And we're close to tip -off.

Well, Ryan, it should be a one -sided game tonight against last place Las

with E .Z. Money back in the lineup. Did you read the paper today?

Come on, I don't got time to read the paper. I got a game.

Winston Del Camillo is dead.

What? He was shot a few days ago.

He dumped his body last night after the third.

Sir.

We don't care.

Might be a little bit rusty, but he looks like he's right back on track.

He's answered the question early.

He has not lost a thing since his suspension.

I'm still going by.

All right, brother.

You better hope EZ has an off night.

No, don't worry.

He will.

EZ dribbles across midcourt. He spins off it and throws up a wild shot.

Yeah!

EZ is on fire.

Yes. That's right. This is what we're going to take, baby.

Go.

That's my boy. And look, dude, it's only halftime, okay?

EZ Money has set an all -time scoring record for the first half for the

And they've been some of the wildest shots I've ever seen. He just throws

up and they go in. Here's another one. Three points for Easy Money.

He sets up again at 30 -footer. It goes in.

Four incredible shots from Easy Money.

I can't believe this, Ryan. He's not even looking at these. And they go in.

30 -footer, it goes in as well. Three more points.

Easy Money is on fire.

What an incredible night. I can't even believe it.

What a night for the Saints and easy 52 points for the money man. He could miss

a shot if he tried.

Saints by 30. And what do you bet? He has one shot left. Let's see.

Unbelievable.

Yo,

Darnell, we want our money, man.

No,

we got to get here, man. Come on, let's go. Let's bounce right now.

No time to wait.

That wraps it up from here. A big Saints win here tonight.

Easy. Great game.

Hey, listen. A couple of your friends are out there looking for you. I didn't

catch their names. You want me to send them back here?

No.

I don't want to see anyone.

Okay.

Clowns.

You know, now we belong in the circus.

You play

me, man.

You were supposed to shave and you didn't.

Cost me everything.

Well, you don't know what everything is.

Man, you're supposed to be missing all night.

I know, don't you think I know?

I tried to miss them, but they weren't in anyway.

I shot looking the other way, it went in. I shot with my eyes closed, it went

in.

I got with my left hand.

I can't shoot with my left hand.

Went in.

I don't know how. I don't know why.

But I do know what happens to me now.

Yeah, you're going to be paying me back my money.

I don't care about your money.

And I don't care about you.

You nobody. You just a kid.

You nothing.

You ain't never going to be like me.

You ain't never going to have a limo, a woman, or nothing.

You live in poor, and you're going to die poor.

And there's nothing you can do about it.

Now get out of my face before I throw you out.

Thought you were my road dog, man.

Well, that's your own damn fault, ain't it?

Big man on the court, aren't you?

Well, Winston didn't learn.

Looks like you didn't either.

Please, God, help me.

Please, Lord, dear God.

Please, dear God, help me.

Please, Lord.

Please, dear God.

God wants you to walk away right now.

You will be hearing from him soon, and you will pay for what you've done.

There are other angels handling those two men. They won't be back.

You got this covered, Andrew? I gotta go get the kit.

You want to tell me what's going on here?

Yes, I do.

And you're going to listen.

I'm an angel.

Sent by God.

God.

As in the Alpha and the Omega.

The great I am, the creator of the universe.

God. God has given you this life, Eric.

And he's the one who saved it, just now.

And the only thing that's going to save you in the future is him.

And your faith in him.

You know, so far, the only thing that you've managed to have faith in is you.

And it almost got you killed.

Didn't it?

Eric, you have to learn to worship something higher than you.

God says that you have a lot to learn.

And one of the things you're going to learn is how to read.

You see, I'm coming back.

And when I do, I'm going to bring you a book.

It's a book that you're going to love.

And I'm going to tell you how it ends.

You live, Eric.

Nobody knows how you feel, right?

That's what you're thinking, right?

Yeah.

You know, there's a lot of power in knowing somebody's secret.

It's like you're holding a little piece of their soul.

You have a secret of your own, though, don't you?

No.

No, huh?

I know you don't know.

I know you sit and you stare at a box of cereal every morning with some

millionaire sports superstar on the front.

And all you got to put on that cereal is water.

You sit in your bed at night and you turn up the game on the TV real loud so

maybe, just maybe, you won't hear those gunshots out on the street and the

sirens and somebody's mama crying on the corner. And you just hope that it's not

your best friend. And you don't know nothing about me, okay?

I do know, don't know. No, you don't.

You go without.

You learn to live without.

You know,

it's not time.

I can't take it anymore.

I don't know what to do.

You ever see those crazy looking people out on the corner, they got the signs

that say, repent, repent, the end of the world is near, right?

Truth is, the world is beginning, brother.

You are the future of the world.

And your sun is just rising.

Don't go hanging your dreams on their lies.

You go ahead and you dream, little brother. You dream as big as you can.

And then you hand it to somebody who really cares about what you're doing.

God has sent me to tell you this, Darnell.

I'm an angel.

And my name is Raphael.

That means healing.

That's the name that he gave me.

And that's what I'm bringing to you today.

You know what Darnell means?

If you look it up in a dictionary, it tells you that Darnell means a weed in a

field of grain.

You know what a weed is?

Oh, you think it's some annoying little thing that nobody wants lying around.

It's really something beautiful, because it's a living thing, and it refuses to

die.

It says, forget that.

I'm going to live, no matter how hard the world makes it for me. I'm going to

live, and I'm going to grow.

That's what Darnell means.

God loves you.

He loves you, kid.

He wants to give you another name today.

So from now on, your name means victory, too.

True victory.

Not the kind that wins basketball games.

The kind that wins the game of life.

Right?

You want a role model?

You look a lot higher than some guy who can knock down a three -pointer.

You look up.

You look all the way up.

I know you can do it.

Question it.

Will you?

One of my favorite psalms, number 31.

Same as easy, Jersey.

In thee, O Lord, do I take refuge.

Let me never be put to shame.

Guess I blew that one.

I've been looking for you everywhere. You missed the game.

Well, I didn't want to cause any more trouble.

Ah, Ruth.

No, I messed up.

Big time.

I know it, you know it, God knows it.

Yes, but... But nothing.

The Father gave me chance after chance after chance. What did I do?

I turned every one of the chances into a big fat banana peel.

Flat on my keister.

We're messengers of God, Ruth.

All he asks is that we do our best.

He knows.

What's inside your heart? Come on, Monica.

I wasn't created yesterday. I know the score.

Are you sure, Ruth?

If I were you...

I love the way he works.

What's gonna be, man?

You're never going to believe this.

You'd be surprised.

You know what that says, man?

What?

God loves you.

I think it's time I start learning how to read.

Looks like they're finally ready to play ball.