Original subtitles

Grandma! Grandma, fire!

We're going to get them out of our neighborhood.

People hate us.

They think my grandson is a rabid dog.

It's the little boy. He's just so brave.

And that little boy has AIDS.

Fire! The only one who can save us is the Equalizer.

I would like you to help me tonight.

It might be rather daring.

We're going to try to help somebody.

I warned you.

Been in the hotel far too long, Harley Gage.

You are coming out to dinner and that's that. Stop complaining.

I was thinking of buying you a gift this Christmas.

Oh, don't do that. You know, waste the time and money.

Oh, I don't know what it's going to be yet.

But I'll know it when I see it.

Why does that sound so ominous?

Where are we going?

Oh, we're nearly there.

Been going to this restaurant for Christmas the last few years.

It's run by a couple of friends of...

But mine.

But it can't be closed.

This is my Christmas restaurant.

He's in a greeting from your old friend Pete.

So, how are we going on our little problem?

They turned our petition down. The kid's been accepted into the school. He

starts after the holidays.

What's so funny, Sidman?

You are.

I told you from the start this petition stuff was garbage.

We want him out, right?

It's easy.

Your way is always easy.

Except people get hurt.

I told you before, nobody's going to get hurt.

But if you've got a better plan, go for it. There's no other plan. Look.

We asked and believed.

They wouldn't listen.

We signed a petition. It meant nothing. I'm scared.

I don't want to go on like this.

All right. You guys are serious?

The problem's over.

What exactly have you got in mind?

Nothing much. No surprise.

Maybe you'll send it tonight.

What can I do for you, sir?

Oh, nothing.

Really?

I want to talk to that lady over there.

Hello, Pete.

Robert.

Well, it has been a long time.

Can we speak privately somewhere?

What can I do for you, sir?

So,

what

brings you here?

Well, I... I thought to myself, it must be about eight or nine months now since

I was at one of my favorite restaurants.

I decided to go to dinner, only to find that it had been closed down.

I'm sorry you were disappointed.

You didn't tell me or any of your old friends from the company that Mark had

died?

We were in Florida.

It was just easier.

Look, Robert, I don't know why you've come here, but I don't want to talk

any of these things, especially not with you.

You're still angry with me?

Anger doesn't go away, Robert.

You never believed in my husband. You didn't want me to marry him in the first

place. Pete, that was years ago.

You've been carrying this close to your heart all this time.

All right, I didn't think that Mark was the kind of man that could change, but

he did. He did change. I was wrong about him.

I was wrong about lots of things in my life.

Mark was a fine man.

Yes, he was.

Only you could have said that five years ago.

Look, he's... Well, I'm saying it now.

Am I forgiven?

Forgiveness isn't one of my strong points.

We left the company we tried so hard to succeed.

Didn't want anyone to know how badly we'd failed.

But you didn't fail. The restaurant was a great success, surely.

The past caught up with us.

We had debt.

We couldn't pay. Then Mark got sick.

So why didn't you come to me?

If the situation was reversed, would you have called me?

No.

No.

You always said we were exactly alike.

I have to get back to work.

Thank you, Far.

Caring enough to find me.

Mickey, it's time to go to bed.

Oh, Grandma, you said I could have five more minutes. That was 15 minutes ago.

Turn off the Christmas tree lights and go now.

Take it. On my petition.

Why is that?

What did they say?

They're going to try to find the people that wanted to hurt us. They won't. The

only one who can save us is Mr. Manhattan.

Mickey.

There are some things that even Mr. Manhattan can't do.

Then you'll see.

That's a good idea.

I'll bet the play phone in your room is hooked up to his office.

Grandma, you just leave everything to me.

McCall, picking the lock to get into a bar that's closed down? I mean, really.

You didn't know Peter Phelan, did you?

No.

Wasn't she director of research for the company for a while?

Ten years.

Her husband, he was in personnel.

I heard she got fired.

No.

She resigned.

So did he.

Something to do with the employee marriage regulations.

What did they have to do with this place?

Well, they owned it. I just discovered that about six months ago, they went

bankrupt. And then her husband took ill and died.

Hey, your briefcase is ringing.

It's just an experiment, that's all.

Just trying it out.

It's called keeping up with the times. Oh, that's cool.

Really so glad you're through, Farley.

Hello?

Hello. Is this me, Gleiser?

Yes. My name is Mickey.

Mickey Burton.

And what can I do for you, Mickey Burton?

I have a problem, and I need to talk to you right away.

Uh, how old are you, son? I just turned six.

You've just turned six?

Why don't you tell me about this big problem, hmm?

Well,

you know, Christmas time, it's a very, very busy time for equalizers.

No, no, I didn't say that. I didn't say I wouldn't come. I said...

Hello?

Hello?

You find this amusing, Harley, do you?

Well, what are you going to do now?

Go out and slay his imaginary dragons for him?

You think that what I do is a joke, don't you?

No, I don't, McCall. Yes, you do.

Maybe you're right. Maybe most of it is.

Oh, come on. Listen, it's your business. Whatever turns you on.

Harley Gage, you spend most of your time...

with your head well and truly buried in the sand, don't you? Why don't you just

take it out for five minutes and look at the world around you, hmm?

I'll tell you what.

You go and meet this boy.

McCall, I'm not a babysitter.

Just go and talk to him, just for a few minutes.

It might do you the world of good.

Why do you think you're doing me such a favor?

Well, maybe I am, huh?

Hey!

Maybe I'm giving you that gift we were talking about.

Okay, stop.

Don't come any closer.

I got you covered.

Hey, I'm looking for somebody named Mickey. You know where he is?

Put your hands up.

Listen, old man.

If you don't mind, I don't have a lot of time for playing games.

Cut that out.

I said put your hands up.

I can't believe I'm doing this.

You don't look like the equalizer to me.

All right, so I'm not the equalizer.

You know, I mean, I work with them.

You're tricking me.

You'll be sorry.

Hey.

Would you mind pointing that lethal weapon someplace else?

That's better.

All right, now.

What's your problem?

They want to make us leave, and we have no place to go.

Well, if you go around shooting them with that thing, I don't blame them.

They threw a bomb in our apartment last night.

Hey, come on, old man.

Is this for real?

I'm not for real. pretending.

Who do you live with? My grandma.

Did she call the police?

Yeah, but they're not going to do anything.

Wait a minute, I don't understand.

Why would these guys want you out of your place so bad that they're going to

to kill you?

People hate us.

Who hates you?

The men who run the bar across the street.

Where do you live?

Over there Okay, well

You go on home and I'm gonna go across the street to the bar and check it

out

So I bet you're Kelly, huh?

Mr. Stigman to you.

Now, what do you want?

Interesting question.

What, are you a cop?

No, I'm not a cop.

I'm a friend of that little kid who lives across the street named Mickey.

He says that a bunch of guys threw a bomb into his apartment last night.

Is that true?

How would I know? I go to bed early.

How do you do?

He also said this was a very unfriendly neighborhood.

Oh, yeah?

I think it'd be a good idea if you left.

Oh, is that right?

Well, I got a suggestion to make.

Who's ever bugging that little kid and his grandma? I better knock it off.

Hey, look, I don't know who you are, but you're not going to help your lousy

friends one bit.

Listen, we're working men here. We got wives and children. There's nobody going

to make us just stand around and watch them die.

What?

That's right. I don't care how many weirdos like you they bring in here.

going to get them out of our neighborhood.

What are we talking about?

It's an old lady and a little boy.

An old woman and a little boy.

And that little boy has AIDS.

Was not part of the deal, McCall.

I'm not a doctor, nor a social worker.

Oh, I agree. Absolutely agree.

So, uh, what do you think we should do? Call in the authorities and just walk

away from it?

The authorities? What are you talking about?

Somebody's got to take care of that little kid and his ma 'am -mother.

Those guys in the pool hall mean business.

I thought you said there was nothing you could do. I didn't say anything.

Fine. Don't put words in my mouth. Charlie, you are confusing me. Can you

something or can't you?

And don't try to push me into a corner, either.

I wonder what's holding you here, Harley. Could it be a faint breath of

commitment?

What are you talking about?

Well, I mean, I know what a master you are at commanding your own... your own

destiny, your own freedom.

So, what do you want? Another tactical withdrawal with honour? Is that it?

Do me a favor, McCall.

Next year, leave me off your gift list.

So when am I going to meet the equalizer?

You told me I was going to see him.

Will you get off this equalizer kick? I mean, it's all you ever talk about.

What's he got that I haven't got? A trench coat.

You seem a little disappointed, Doctor.

Well, I thought you might be Mickey's father.

His father's still alive?

Last I heard.

I figured both his parents were dead.

I'm afraid I don't know all the details.

Listen, if his father's alive, he ought to be here.

You know, some parents can't take care of their children because they have AIDS

themselves.

Ah, I thought they all got it.

From blood transfusions.

Actually, that's a common misconception.

The reality is that almost all of them catch the disease in their mother's

Hey, wait a minute.

You mean Mickey's mother gave it to him?

She was an intravenous drug user.

But didn't she know she had it? Not until it was too late.

Some women are only carriers and never come down with the disease themselves.

Others are like Mickey's mother.

He passed away 18 months after he was born.

Oh, God.

I don't know how you do it emotionally.

Just walking around.

Aren't you afraid you're going to catch it yourself?

We take precautions.

Look, if you could get AIDS from casual contact, my staff and I would have

tested positive long ago.

That's not the problem.

What is?

Knowing that no matter what we do, how much love and therapy we give,

eventually we lose nearly every single one.

Only one side of me who knows it all.

You won't tell anyone, will you?

No, I promise.

What, this is it? Yeah.

Oh, that's nice.

Here we go.

Ta -da!

My high note. Like it?

Let's go in.

I'm made for being clunky, guys.

Clunky?

Hey, listen, kid, you're lucky I like you.

I thought to find you, I said I was pretty sick, didn't I?

Yeah.

I don't think I know anything, but I do.

What do you know, Mickey?

Different things.

I listen to them talk.

I want to plan a special Christmas.

For my grandma.

Would you help me?

Yeah, yeah, sure.

I'll help. What would you like to do for her?

What would she like?

This stuff.

Can you read it?

Uh -huh.

Flowers.

Some pink ones.

She loves pink.

And a book?

Yeah. You have anything special in mind?

No, not really.

She loves to read.

I'll take care of it.

And... A cat?

Yeah. I tried to get her in the alley.

But they're too fast.

Hey, Mickey.

Are you sure she wants a cat?

We'll get the greatest cat in the world.

So now, what about you, Mickey? What would you like?

Well, I'd like to meet the Equalizer.

Done.

That's about all.

Oh, come on. There must be something else.

Maybe there's something.

But you can't do it.

So don't worry.

Hey, listen.

I worked for the Equalizer, and you said to me yourself that he could do

anything.

Okay. If I could have anything, I'd like to see my dad.

I don't think anybody could do that.

Dave Burton.

I'm Harley Gage.

I'd like to talk to you for a minute, if you don't mind.

About what?

About your son.

I don't know who you think you are, but you got no right coming here.

I just thought you ought to know what your son wants for Christmas.

You really think you're something, don't you?

I'm in here playing Santa Claus.

You people are all alike. You make me sick.

Hey, Santa Claus. Who the hell are you talking to?

Don't give me the Santa Claus garbage.

Because you don't know who I am or where I'm coming from.

Why aren't you with your son?

I didn't want to walk away, man.

You don't know what she put me through.

Whatever it was, it wasn't Mickey's fault.

After she found out she had it, she didn't tell me for over a month.

There's so much hate she had in her, man.

She loved one thing, the needle. She went to bed with it at night and she got

with it in the morning.

You know what it's like to be in love with someone who's in love with smack?

Yeah, but she's not Mickey.

And I'll tell you something else.

He'll love you any way you come.

I understand what you're saying, man.

I can't see him. I got nothing to give him.

Look at me!

Look.

What?

Just come.

Why don't you tell him I died?

Look at this.

Okay, let's get out of here.

Calm yourself, Harley.

I'm going to kill him.

I don't care if I have to do hard time for the rest of my life. They are going

to pay for this. Are you sure it was the man from the pool hall?

I know it was Stigman's license plate. I mean, they had it all dirtied up, but I

could read it.

All right, it's all my fault.

I'm not cut out for this kind of work, McCall. I just can't handle it. Of

you can.

Of course you can.

You are most definitely the man for the job.

How can you say that?

Look what I did.

I left them all alone in that apartment while I went off on some stupid,

worthless trip. So it was a reasonable risk?

It was the middle of the day, you only left them for a couple of hours, and you

made sure that they were in a locked apartment. Come on.

No excuse.

Tomorrow, we're going to do a little undercover work.

What are we going to do? We've got to find out everything we can about Mr.

Thickman. There is nothing to find out. The man is an idiot.

Harley, if we can neutralize that man, the rest of the pack will follow, right?

Great.

Who's going to look after Mickey and his grandma while we're running around?

Well, tomorrow now, I'm going to arrange for a little delivery and help. We'll

be with it.

I hope this help is carrying a .357 Magnum.

Harley Gage.

It is almost Christmas time.

Let us try and get through this season without hurting anybody, shall we? Just

for once.

How's it going in here?

Fine.

I just talked with the equalizer and I'm glad I did because otherwise I would

have had to go over to Kelly's and kill somebody.

He doesn't have to come anymore.

Who? What do you mean?

Nothing.

The equalizer?

Hey. Hey, he's coming.

And listen, he's working for you.

Right now. Believe me.

Believe me.

What are you feeling, Vicki?

Come on, tell me. What are you thinking about?

We need to kill those men so they won't hurt my grandma again.

You know something?

You and me, we're a lot alike.

You're strong. You wouldn't let anybody tear up your room.

Mickey, once some people tore up my life.

There wasn't anything I could do about it.

I mean, how'd you like to go to jail for two whole years and you hadn't done

anything wrong?

Did it happen to you?

But you never tried?

No. Why not?

Well, I guess I knew it wouldn't help.

You know, I mean, those two years were gone.

Just like your poster.

And killing them wouldn't bring it back.

I know what you mean.

It's just the only poster I ever had.

All right, you better see this.

All right.

All right, I'll take care of this.

Come on.

Hey, where's all this stuff going? First floor.

What, you mean that piece of flour over there? You might shoot the breeze later,

buddy. Like, my arms are kind of full, all right?

We'll see about this.

Get up, big man.

You gotta come to these bare spots.

You

Holly

Gage?

Yeah. I'm Peter Phelan. Robert McCall sent me to back you up.

You must be Mrs.

Robertson? Uh -huh. You're Mickey?

Uh -huh. I heard all about you.

I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to be staying here for a while.

Mr. Gage has other work to do.

I'll be just fine.

I believe you ordered this.

What?

Oh, yeah.

For you.

Open it up.

Let's see what it is.

Beautiful.

Come on, Mickey. Put it up on your wall. Yeah.

Okay?

Wow. That's really neat.

You want to know what's going on? Use your heads. It's real clear.

They got one of those civil rights groups working for them. And they got

They got lawyers. They got everything.

What are we going to do?

We got to get help.

But you said there wasn't any help.

I'm not talking about your kind of help, Bishop.

I'm talking about the real thing.

Like that guy over on 3rd Street.

He could get anything done with one damn phone call.

What are you saying?

He's a mob.

Everybody knows that. You got a better idea?

Oh, you can't be serious. Stigman, you bring the mob in, what are they going to

do to the kid?

Hey, that's not our problem.

Well, that's it.

I am out.

You guys have kids. So do I. And we all want to protect him. But does that

actually mean that we want to see that little boy die?

He's not the one that's diseased. It's us.

Look, Bishop's right.

Breaking up furniture is one thing. Fine.

All is just pull out.

You're all a bunch of cowards anyway.

Leave.

Dead. Dead.

Leave.

Dead.

Get out of my building.

really losing it. Go to hell.

See if I care.

Hello, Mickey.

You really came.

Yes, I really came.

Oh, he's been telling me all about you.

He said that you are very, very brave.

Now, I am working on a very difficult assignment at the moment.

I would like help from someone.

Just like you.

I have been talking to your grandmother.

And she says she will give her permission if you're willing to do it.

I would like you to work with me tonight.

You would?

Uh -huh.

Now, mind you, it's not going to be very easy.

And it might be rather scary.

Mind you, you will be safe at all times. I promise you that.

Although sometimes it may appear as though you're not.

Yeah, I know all about this stuff.

So, what do you think?

Will you do it?

Yeah, I will.

Good, good.

Now you get up, get dressed, and I'll tell you exactly what we're going to do.

You.

What are you doing in here?

Get out of here.

You're in a rut now, huh?

This time you're not going to get away.

I want, I want you and that old woman to get out of this neighborhood.

Take people like you,

people like you.

Hold on, put the stick on.

Put down the stick.

What?

Where are they?

All your friends.

Robert McCall is my name.

I'm somebody who knows about your past.

All of it.

Tell me, what were you intending to do with the stick?

I teach him a lesson.

He's going to kill us all.

You really do believe that people like this little boy shouldn't even be alive,

don't you?

That's right, damn it.

They ought to die.

Strange, because that's exactly what your wife said to you last Christmas,

she walked out on you, taking your little son with her.

You are thick, and you ought to die, is what she said.

Isn't that right, Mr. Thick?

The little boy you want to hurt?

Or is it really your wife, son?

Oh, God.

You see, Mickey, Mr. Figman here has a thick... He can't talk

to anybody about it because he is ashamed of it.

Mr. Figman takes alcohol.

An awful lot of alcohol.

Because of this drinking, you see...

He lost the only people that he's ever really loved.

That is the worst thing that can happen to any human being.

All I am saying is it's Christmas Eve and I am introducing you to a new

restaurant. That's all.

Robert, what is this?

Come on, come inside. I'll show you.

How are you?

Well, I don't understand. Who owns this place now?

Well, why don't you just take a look behind you?

Well, let's put it this way.

I own half of it, and the other half is owned by my manager, who I hope is going

to be you.

I don't know what to say. You say anything.

Just don't say no.

All right.

Hello. Hello. Hello.

Everybody here?

Yes.

Harley's not.

Where's Harley?

Ah, no.

Harley can't be here at the moment.

He's going to be a bit late. He said, would we go on without him?

All right, everybody.

Let me tell you something. When I was a little boy, we used to have what we call

a tradition. That's something that you do regularly over the years. And that

tradition was that just before we had Christmas dinner, and we're just about

have it now, just before Christmas dinner, somebody would read a Christmas

story. And that is what we are going to do now.

Now?

And come on, everybody up here.

All come by the fire.

You are going to read this story from the book that you gave your grandmother

for Christmas.

Me? You, my young nun.

All right, quiet, everybody. Listen to Mickey. He's going to tell this story.

This is the Christmas story.

Stop him.

And he's frightened.

What? What he said. What?

But he said, don't be afraid.

He said, don't be afraid.

I bring you wonderful news of great joy today.

A savior has been born. Savior.

Today, a savior has been born.

He is Christ the Lord.

Mickey.