Original subtitles

What makes somebody a grown -up?

Well, I used to think it would happen when I reached five feet.

Then I figured maybe I'd be grown when I lost all my baby teeth.

I've since passed a few more milestones on the road to womanhood.

I suffered through my first period, celebrated my first love, And I even

out of my daddy's house.

Okay, okay, so I moved back.

The bottom line is, I'm not a child.

But when can I say with certainty that Moesha Denise Mitchell is truly, without

doubt, a woman?

I realize my reason to feel like this is me.

My best friend's always on my mind. You're gonna be down, come on.

Gotta do it.

One, two, three. One, two, three.

One, two, three. Yeah.

Yeah.

Oh, Ann, it's bad enough you lack class.

Must you also lack rhythm?

Must you speak to me?

Ignore her, Francois. My debut is far too important, and I will not have it

tainted by her.

Dang, I thought I left that social climate back at Bridgewood.

Why are we doing this stupid walk thing?

Come on, we're trying to count.

lovelier group of debutantes.

Oh, indeed, Deidre.

Oh.

Can't waltz worth two cents.

But they're lovely.

Say, Anna, I found this wonderful passage on womanhood. I think it will

beautiful benediction.

Well, I don't doubt it. But the ladies of Eminence already have a benediction.

Yeah, but, you know, I just thought that this would... Kevin, I'm glad you

agreed to be my escort.

Me too. You're still paying for my tux, right?

Can we talk?

Practice the processional. Places, please.

Now, remember, you are going to be presented in the grand ballroom of the

Beverly Hilton, not the den.

First couple.

Shoulders back.

This whole debutante thing. I shouldn't have never let Daddy and Dee talk me

into this curtsy crap. You know me. I like to keep it real.

Must you be so ghetto?

Who you calling ghetto?

Anyone who'd form a sentence without a verb.

Oh, I got your verb.

Mrs.

Mitchell, if your attention is too much to ask for, then perhaps you're not

ready to enter into polite society.

Perhaps.

Come

in.

Dee told me you had a bad day at rehearsal.

Day? More like a bad week.

Daddy, look, I know that you really want me to be a debutante, and Mom did too,

but I'm just not feeling it, Daddy.

Well, what are you feeling, Mom?

I feel like I'm wasting my time.

I mean, who cares about all the waltzing and the curtsies and all that high

society junk?

I mean, Daddy, we're on the brink of a new millennium, but they're living in

past. Well, baby, some of the traditions might feel a bit outdated, but... A

bit? Daddy, that stuff went out with powdered wigs and wooden teeth.

All right, sit down.

Baby, there is a bigger picture here, you know.

You girls are about to cross over into womanhood.

Look, Daddy, I know that you spent a lot of money on this. Oh, no, no, no, no,

Mo. Baby, it's not about the money.

I just don't want you to miss out, that's all.

I mean, think about it, baby.

You did all the community service.

You were at all the rehearsals, right?

Well, you paid your dues.

Now's the time for you to step up and get your props.

Daddy, you've been watching Rhapsody on the sneak, too.

Well, you know how we do it.

Oh, baby.

Mom, you ever heard the saying, it takes a whole village... To raise a child. I

know, I know.

Well, baby, now's the time that you get to show that village, your family, our

friends, all the people who watched you grow up, that the work is done.

And this is the chance that we get to acknowledge that it's time to see you in

whole new light.

It is time, isn't it? It's been time.

Well, that's why people have these rites of passage, baby.

To celebrate the beautiful child that you were and to watch you become the

confident and capable woman that we all want you to be.

That's sweet, Daddy.

You know what will make it even sweeter?

Patty, that's Mama's gown, the one in the picture. You kept it? She was saving

it for you, baby.

Really? Well, don't you remember?

You remember her always talking about the ladies of eminence.

How she was going to sponsor you one day, and how you were going to become

belle of the ball.

I remember.

It's yours, pumpkin.

Go ahead, try it on.

And then make up your mind.

Well, it's your call, pumpkin.

But I'm ready for a celebration.

That's it.

Ladies and gentlemen, beautiful.

Finally. You look like debutantes.

Oh, Moesha.

If only your mother could see you now, Marguerite would have been so proud.

Aw, thank you.

See? You happy now?

I'd be even happier if I didn't have you stepping all over my toes.

Mrs. Laveau!

Mrs. Laveau! Oh, uh... I'm so sorry I'm late. Miss Hobbs, may I speak with you?

Uh, and Miss Jackson, not so close. It's a waltz, not the lombada.

Like your girl Mary Ellen is in trouble.

Oh, pity.

How come she gets to leave early?

Because Miss Hobbs is no longer in this year's debutante ball.

Dang, just for being late.

She's later than you think.

She's pregnant.

What?

Ooh, she went half on her baby?

Pregnant? Who's the daddy?

So that's why she been wearing all those baggy clothes. And we all know Mary

Ellen doesn't take her fashion cues from the breast.

Hi, ladies.

Hi.

So, what's going on?

Dee, we just heard that Mary Ellen got kicked out of the ball because she's

pregnant. Is it true, Mrs. Mitchell?

Well, it's not for me to say.

Well, can't you say who the daddy is?

Dee, look.

We already know that Mary Ellen's pregnant.

But we think she should be allowed to participate.

Look, ladies, I'm sorry, but perhaps the ladies of eminence feel that would be

sending the wrong message.

Well, I thought this was a celebration of womanhood.

Womanhood, yes.

Motherhood, no.

Well, what are we gonna do?

Plan a baby shower?

So Mary Ellen can't be in the ball because she got knocked up. What's that

to do with us?

Look, y 'all, Mary Ellen did her community service just like the rest of

mean, she paid her fees on time, sold her act base, and she never missed a

rehearsal.

Wait a minute. Why are you worried about Mary Ellen? I thought you two couldn't

stand each other. Come on, Niecy, this is bigger than that.

I mean, if we're becoming women, why are they still treating us like children?

I mean, shouldn't we have some kind of say -so?

You know? I mean, we are the debutantes, not Anna LaVoe.

Ooh, true that, all that.

And, you know, I didn't see anything in the bylaws that said a girl couldn't

participate if she's pregnant. Mm -hmm.

So whose ball is this, ladies? Hers or ours?

Ours. Okay, then, cool. You know, I say after rehearsal tomorrow, we go up to

her and tell her how we feel. Because you know Mary Ellen is one of us. And we

want her back, right? Right. All right, then, that is that. See y 'all tomorrow.

this schedule. We don't want any misunderstandings tomorrow night.

must be perfect, including you, and you will be. Why?

Because you represent the ladies of Eminem.

Uh, Mrs. Laveau?

Yes, Miss Mitchell.

We want to know why Mary Ellen was dismissed.

We?

The girls and I.

Right, girls?

Girls? Uh -huh.

Yeah. Uh -huh.

Well, that decision was made by the executive board and is not open to

discussion.

Okay.

Now, if there's nothing else... Well, don't you care how we feel about it?

Not really, because it makes no difference.

Miss Hobbs will not be participating.

Good night, lady.

She was tripping. She lucky she was talking to you because I would have had

Oh, so now y 'all have my back.

We lost.

No, we didn't. I mean, we're the ones who hold the power.

All right. They can't have the ball without us.

You know what?

I say we boycott.

Look, we'll tell him.

To bring Mary Ellen back?

Or we'll have our own rite of passage ceremony here at this den?

Hold on, uh -uh. If you start talking rites of passage, they're going to think

instigated the whole thing.

Well, can we at least tell them we'll be waiting here for the answer?

Okay, on one condition.

Y 'all have to buy something.

So what do you say we show Miss Fang whose ball this really is?

It's Mrs.

LeBeau's.

Hi.

Anybody else?

No, we got your back. We got your back. We got your back.

Hey, Mariela. Hi, Mr. Mitchell. Is M... I mean... Come on in. I'll go get her.

Who is... Mary Ellen.

What's up?

Daddy, will you please excuse us? Oh, sure.

Well, he might as well know.

Everyone else does because you told them.

I'm... I'm pregnant, Mr. Mitchell.

Yeah, I heard.

Then you must have also heard about Moesha's plan to boycott the ball.

Boycott?

What's going on, Mo?

Look, Daddy, I was trying to find the right time to tell you, but we're

threatening to boycott if Mary only can be a debutante.

Why are you trying to embarrass me?

What?

Mary Ellen, look, I'm trying to support you, at least in principle.

I mean, if I was trying to embarrass you, would I jeopardize my place in the

ball?

Well, let's suppose, for a second, that you're telling the truth.

Do you really think this would work?

It can't fail.

Mary Ellen, the Debs are united.

And if I were you, I would worry about fitting into my gown.

Mind if I find him?

The question is, does yours?

She's bad.

Excuse me, Mary Ellen. I need to talk to Moesha. Sure, Mr. Mitchell. I have to

run anyway.

All right. See you tomorrow. Bring your gal. We're meeting at the den.

Bye. Take care.

Mo, what happened?

I don't understand. I thought we talked about this, baby.

Daddy, didn't you always teach me to stand up for what I believe in?

Well, I believe in this.

Hey, Angel.

Tonight's the night. I mean, at this very moment, Miss Anna Laveau is

sweating bullets. Cool girl. Hello, nice to meet you.

Are you crying?

Moe, it's been three hours.

Nobody's coming. I'm sorry.

And now they went down on me.

I should have just kept my big mouth shut.

Oh, well, you know, if you still want to go to your ball, it's all right to be

fast and to be late.

No, I can't go there after this.

And I can't believe Kim and Niecy didn't show up.

I mean, at least Mary Ellen did call with her phony excuse.

Hey! Whoa!

Look who just stepped out of GQ.

Oh, what, this old thing?

I believe she was referring to me.

Oh, that old thing.

Oh, and look at Miles.

Somewhere there's a wedding cake with a little naked groom on top.

Marisha, you look beautiful.

Thank you, Dee. You look nice, too, but I'm not going to go to the ball.

Well, who said anything about going to the ball?

And Del called us over here to lead you across the threshold of womanhood.

What are you talking about?

Moesha Denise Mitchell, your hour has come. Please rise.

What? Get up, girl.

This is your rite of passage.

Deep.

So are you ready to cross over?

Let's do this.

First, purification.

Oh, no, no, not on my mama's dress.

Symbolic purification.

When a child is born, the village is renewed.

When a child becomes an adult, the village is strengthened.

We celebrate the passage of this child, Moesha Denise Mitchell,

into womanhood.

Okay, everybody now offers a gift that symbolizes a quality of being an adult.

I'll go first.

A compass?

Moesha, there are so many distractions and temptations in this world that it

is only a strong sense of direction that'll keep you on course.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You're welcome, honey.

It's Kando.

It symbolizes the light within.

Don't tolerate anyone who would seek to extinguish it.

In other words, girl, don't let any of these men walk over you.

Mo, first of all, I give you this corsage because it's paid for.

No, seriously.

Mo, I give you my basketball jersey because to me, an adult is a team

I know there's been plenty of times when my mom would probably prefer to rest or

to quit one of her jobs, but she's not only thinking about herself.

She's thinking about the family.

The team.

Thank you.

And, Mom, I'd like to give you these cotton swabs.

Because, you know, if you're going to be a grown -up, you're going to need to

clean your ears so you can listen better.

Thank you.

Oh, boy.

Moesha, my daddy used to say, you'll never know where you're going if you

know where you've been.

Congratulations, baby.

Mom's debutante picture, Daddy. Yeah, just a piece of your history.

Mo, I'm proud of you, baby.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you.

Dee, gird those hips.

Woman.

Your center is the center of the universe.

The birthplace of mankind.

We adorn you for your dance.

My dance? Yes, dance.

So that all will plainly see that you are a child no more.

Drums? I hear.

There's power in the hips.

Oh, Mo.

Sorry about that boycott thing.

Oh, girl, forget about that. I understand. I'm just glad you're here.

Did something magical happen tonight?

I think so.

Did I learn anything?

No doubt.

I learned that the center of the universe is within me.

And I learned my peeps, my fam, and my true blues will always have my back.