Original subtitles

Oh, this is great.

I got a TV guide that lists 59 channels

and a TV that only picks up two-and-a-half.

- I don't want to. - Oh, come on, Eleanor.

- I wanna find out. - Roc.

I don't wanna know the sex of the baby before its born.

I wanna be surprised.

It's the way my mother did it

and the way my mother's mother did it.

Oh, you two arguing about that again?

Yeah, pop, I wanna know the baby's sex, you know?

I mean, the technology to find out is there, so let's use it.

No, you don't need all that hi-tech nonsense

to find out if it's a boy or a girl.

I'll tell you the old-fashioned way.

Eleanor, you're carrying high.

It's definitely a boy.

Except, your belly's kinda round.

Nah, I think it's a girl.

Uh, but you've been saying that the baby's been kicking a lot.

Mm-hmm.

Oh, Lord! You having twins.

Roc, I just don't wanna know the sex of the baby till it's born.

- Hmm, yeah, yeah. Oh, man. - Now...

You know, I-I, I hate surprises, pop.

Yeah, I know.

It all started with that jack-in-the-box you had

when you were little.

That head popped up and scared you to death.

It was weeks before you even went near a toaster.

Uh, look.

If you really wanna know, just call the doctor.

It's your baby, too, you got a right to know.

That's right, pop. I'mma do it right now.

Dr. Mathews? Yeah, yeah, I'll hold.

On the other hand, if you go behind Eleanor's back

and she finds out, you'll never have another baby.

In fact, she probably won't even let you practice.

Uh, Dr. Mathews? Uh, yes, sir.

Mm-hmm. Wrong number, yeah. Mm-hmm.

♪ Baby ♪

♪ There's a man ♪

♪ With no future so it seems ♪

♪ Can't live out his dreams ♪

♪ Now he's trapped into thinkin' he won't succeed ♪

♪ And he can't believe ♪

♪ Live your life today ♪

♪ Oh yeah ♪ Not for tomorrow ♪

♪ Not for tomorrow oh oh oh ♪ Ha ♪

♪ Live your life today ♪

Now, look at this. The Baby Emporium has a sale.

Now, see, if I knew what sex our baby was

you know, I could go on down and buy out the whole store

for our boy or girl.

If, you know, if I knew what sex it is.

- Roc! - Well...

I wonder if they have a it department.

- Give it up, Roc. - What should he give up?

Oh, Joey, you know, man, I wanna know the baby's sex in advance

and Eleanor doesn't, you know? Come on, Joey, get in here.

As the uncle, don't you wanna know

whether you're having a niece or a nephew?

Well, as the uncle, I think we should be pleasantly surprised

the way God intended.

Well, thank you, Uncle Joey.

And as Joey, I'm running a pool down at Charlaine's, see. Yeah.

Uh, by the way, sister, smart money says you having a girl.

A fool, Joey, didn't I tell you if you wanna live in this house

you've got to stop gambling?

Roc, how can you call that gambling?

This is a harmless pool

like they got in any office.

What the hell do you know about an office?

You've never worked in an office in your life!

Well, that was smart of me, I got him off of gambling

and onto this job thing.

Jo-Joey, look, I told you, man.

You livin' in this house on borrowed time.

Listen, Roc, why should I stop gambling?

I just won a $100 at the racetrack today.

I can buy Sheila a birthday gift.

I think the perfect birthday present for Sheila would be

to take her to see her daddy.

Oh, great, take her to prison for her birthday.

Who needs clowns and ponies when you can frolic with felons?

Joey, do you realize that Sheila hasn't been to visit her father

once since he went away?

Yeah, but she never wants to go, sweetheart.

You know, every time we try to get her to go visit Calvin

she makes excuses, you know? I think she's still mad at him.

Well, then, her birthday is a perfect time to go see him

and talk this thing out.

- Well, yeah, you're right. - Yeah.

I-I think we, I think we should get her to go.

Ah, great, we're gonna take her to prison for her birthday.

Where are we gonna take her for Christmas? Pet cemetery?

- 'Hey, sweetie pie.' - 'Hey, hey.'

- Hey. - 'Oh, hey, Sheila.'

Uh, Sheila.

I don't believe we've met your friend.

Hey, I thought we were just hanging out.

I didn't know I had to get in some kinda conversation.

Shh.

Well, hi there. I'm, you know, I'm Mr. Emerson.

- Uh, wha-what's your name? - Carolita.

You want my Social Security Number, too?

I think I hear your mother calling you.

And I think you trippin'.

Look, I don't know who you are, little girl.

- But I'm gonna tell you this-- - Look, Sheila.

I don't need this drama.

I will talk to you later, girl.

Later.

Thank you very much, do you plan

on driving all of my friends away?

Oh, this little girl's not your friend.

She's disrespectful. She has no home training.

Maybe that's 'cause she doesn't have a home.

Her parents died, so she moves from aunt to aunt.

Well, I am very sorry to hear that, Sheila

but if she's gonna be rude

she's not gonna make things any easier on herself.

Well, you don't have to kick her out.

I think we're dealing with the "Children Of The Damned" here.

I don't know what's getting into her, she's been

acting real strange lately.

Yeah, something's going on, 'cause every time

I mentioned her birthday, she's either not interested

or she starts giving us all that attitude.

And maybe she's starting to hang out

with little sassy fast-behind little girls.

You know what? Mm-hmm.

You know, I didn't know

it was gonna be this hard

handling little girls, you know?

I'm beginning to think we'd be

better off having a boy.

Oh, come on, Roc.

Whether we have a little boy or a little girl

you know we gonna raise it right.

Mm, you know, but, see, if I had a little boy, you know

I could teach him how to box, you know?

I mean, I could teach him to see perks

where all others just see garbage, you know?

I can, I can teach him his first words, you know?

Like tight and cheap and scrimp and miser and Scrooge, you know?

- All those good things. - Yeah, yeah.

And I could teach him how to get money out of you

until he's well into his 30s.

Man, you gotta have some bank to shop at this store.

Let's go somewhere else.

Well, you know I get a discount

up in here, girl.

The five-finger discount.

No, no, no, I'm not down with shoplifters.

So you can forget that, alright?

Will you stop? I was just talking, alright?

The next thing you'd be telling me is to take a bite

out of crime or something.

Hey, hey, bebop. Carolita.

What you doing? What y'all doing here?

- Just browsing. - Oh, what a coincidence.

I happened to be shopping for your birthday present.

Joey, save your money, it's just another day, that's all.

Oh, yeah? Well, look here, Sheila.

I got a $100 I wanna spend on you.

Now, there's gotta be something in this store

that'll bring a smile on that face, huh?

- I don't know. - How about that hat?

Like the scarf?

How about, uh, how about one of these watches?

No? Uh...

Hey, hey, hey.

How about this nice little pair of earrings?

Oh! Oh! Oh! Hold it now!

The corners of that mouth are turning more.

The dimples are starting to emerge.

Yes, folks, we're approaching a smile.

Let's go to mission control for the countdown.

Three, two, one.

Come on. Yay! We have achieved a smile.

Come on, come on. Let's go talk to the sales lady.

You guys just go on. I'mma do some browsing, alright?

- Yeah. - Alright.

- You like those? Great. - Yeah.

Excuse me, we're interested in these earrings.

Oh, well, maybe I can help you.

Yeah, maybe you can.

Yes, well...

I like the green, but do you have them

maybe in a, um, brown color?

Yes. I love the deep brown.

Hm, I bet it's not as lovely and deepest brown

as those brown eyes.

Well, you should see 'em under candlelight.

I'd rather see them at sunset.

- Actually, moonlight is best. - Ah, yes.

With the waves crashing against the shore

and the stars forming a halo around your pretty--

Hello! I am still here. May I see the other earrings, please?

Sheila. Sheila, I'm working here.

- But-- - Joe.

- Excuse me. - Excuse me.

I'm not smiling anymore. In fact, I'm approaching frown.

Cool. Alright.

Excuse me.

Empty your pockets, please.

I'm on Payson Street. Number 2-9-0-6.

- You can just ring the bottom-- - Excuse me.

I caught this one stealing a watch.

These two were working with her. They were distracting you.

I'm taking them to the security office.

Mm, whoa, whoa. What the hell are you talking about, man?

Well, you are one slick operator.

- Carolita, I told you not to. - Hey.

You know, y-you never gonna see these eyes

by moonlight, candlelight or any other light.

Wait a minute, baby, I'm innocent. Wait, wait...

Uh, look, wait, I've been framed about this.

Hey, hey. W-will you wait for me?

- What the hell's going on here? - Okay, Roc, look.

Uh, this isn't what it looks like, alright?

Uh, uh, Carolita comes into the store

starts stuffing stuff in her pockets, right?

And then Columbo here starts arresting everybody in sight.

I have videotaped evidence from the store security camera.

- To prove their involvement. - Oh, you do?

Okay, well, then, come on, let's roll the tape, man.

It'll-it'll prove that I'm innocent.

And don't erase it when you're finished.

My producer may want it for

the opening titles of the movie.

Alright, now look. There-there, look.

There's Carolita in the background, right

'doing her thing. And, look.'

Sheila and I are at the sales counter

having a friendly conversation with the sales lady.

Obvi.. Clearly, we got nothing to do with that.

Whoa, look at me. Damn, I was smooth there. What?

Okay, I'm looking, I'm looking a little apprehensive here, man.

You know what? This is, this is good. This is really helpful.

You know, I-I see why football players watch their game films.

Man, this is.. Hey, hey, can I, can I take this home?

You know, Joey, if your brain wasn't below your belt

you would have seen what was happening

and put a stop to it.

Sheila.

Did you know she was stealing?

No, I didn't. I swear.

Oh, look, sir, I'm responsible for these two

and I guarantee you this will never ever happen again.

Alright. I'll let them off with a warning this time.

- Mm-hmm. - Now, for you.

I have to hold you in the store manager's office

till your folks come to get you.

Well, you've got a long wait, brotherman.

I've got time, sister.

Sheila.

That girl is nothing but trouble.

I don't want you hanging out with her anymore.

Now, look, I'm not down with shoplifting

but I'm not about to drop her, she's my friend.

Well, no, you have to drop her, now, we've been real easy on you

with this girl up until now, but this is the last straw.

And I'm not asking you, I'm telling you.

Hey, you're not my parents.

Hey, your parents are not here, okay?

Yeah, my mom ran away and my dad's in jail.

Thanks for brightening my day by reminding me.

I'm gonna go see how Carolita is doing.

I mean, you know, thin-things were going so good for her.

What happened?

I think it's time I go talk to Calvin.

Think he needs to get in on this.

- Yeah, alright. Yeah, alright. - Yeah.

Hey, Sheila, Sheila, wait a minute.

Hey, Celina, baby, you, you came back for me, huh?

Yes, yes, I did. I just couldn't stop thinking about you.

Listen, you still have that piece of paper

with my address on it?

Baby, sure, I do.

I got it right here next to my heart.

- Oh, good. - Mm-hmm.

Now who's the slick operator?

Hey, hey. Uh, Celina, wait a minute. I'm innocent, babe.

Uh, hey, look. Okay, alright, alright.

You, you... I-I'll buy something from you.

You work on a commission, right?

I can still see the number.

Dr. Mathews? Yeah, this is Roc Emerson.

Listen, I can't talk long, right?

I just need to know one thing.

Am I having a boy or a girl?

Yes! Yes, I knew it!

Thank you. Yeah. Okay.

Oh, yes, sir, I'll pay that bill in the morning.

Don't you worry about a thing. Mm-hmm.

You know, I've never seen you so happy to pay a bill.

Oh, yeah, well, pop, you know, I'm paying early

so they're giving me a potholder.

- Ah. - 'Heh-heh.'

Well, what you in such a good mood about?

He just found out the sex of the baby.

- Roc, you didn't! - I didn't say I did.

I said I was getting a potholder!

That's not what I heard when I was coming down the stairs.

Well, pop, if you was listening to me

why'd you let me go on?

I wanted to hear what you'd come up with.

And that potholder thing was pretty weak.

Roc, how could you go behind my back

when we decided to wait?

Oh, what do you care if I know, sweetheart?

I'm not gonna tell you.

If you don't wanna know, you don't have to know.

- Well, I don't wanna know. - Well, I'm not gonna tell you.

- By the way... - Hm?

I was thinking about some baby names.

- Mm-hmm. - Benjamin if it's a boy.

- Mm-hmm. - Cassandra if it's a girl.

What you think?

Well, I was thinking, you know

maybe, uh, Chris.

- Roc! - Uh-uh, uh-uh.

I thought you didn't wanna know.

- I don't! - Oh, okay.

I was thinking about buying some curtains for the baby's room.

Pink or blue? What you think?

Yellow. Hm, yeah, yeah, this is fun.

- Yeah. - Oh, Roc!

Nah, you said you didn't wanna know.

Well, I didn't wanna know when we both didn't know

but now you know and I don't, and I wanna know.

So you gotta tell me!

Oh, okay, I'll tell you.

- It's a boy. - Oh, Lord.

Daddy!

- It's a boy? - It's a boy, baby!

- It's a boy! - It's a boy!

Mwah! Mm-hmm. A boy, a boy, too!

Yeah, a little roughneck like his daddy.

- Mm... - Oh, Joey.

- Hey. - We got some wonderful news.

- Yeah. - Yeah, they're having a boy.

And I've got some other wonderful news for you.

Pop is finally going to a home.

So y'all gonna have a boy? Alright, that's good.

- That's great. - What's wrong with you?

I just got back from seeing Calvin.

Ah, now I know why Sheila's acting the way she is.

- 'Why?' - You remember Sheila's mother?

How strung out she was and everything?

Everything Calvin tried to do for her didn't work.

You know, she, she wouldn't get off the drugs, right?

So finally, she left.

It was on Sheila's birthday that she left home.

Oh...

So Sheila's mother walked out on her birthday?

- That's right. - Oh, man, that's tough.

Yeah, yeah, Calvin said that every year since then

the closer it gets to her birthday

the harder she is to deal with.

I think that poor girl feels like

both of her parents abandoned her.

Maybe that's why she's starting to hang out

with that little fast Carolita

'cause she thinks she done found someone who's just like her.

- No family. - Well, Sheila's got a family.

She's got a father, she just don't wanna see him, that's all.

Well, you know something, this thing has gone far enough now.

You know what I mean? We've got to get Sheila to go see Calvin.

You know what I mean? He has got to become a part of her life.

Hey, Sheila. Come down here for a minute.

Now, Sheila

tomorrow we're taking you to see your father.

- But tomorrow's my birthday. - That's right, honey.

And he wants to celebrate it with you.

Now, Sheila, honey, your father cares about you

and it's time you went to go see him.

- I don't want to. - Look, bebop.

- You gotta understand, okay? - Alright, I've heard enough.

Now, I can't believe that you all

are trying to reason with someone who was born in 1981.

Sheila, get over here.

You in for it now.

Now, you going to see your father tomorrow

and that's that.

- Are you saying I have to go? - Yes, you have to go.

Absolutely.

Great.

That poor girl is so mixed up.

Well, hey, let's not let it ruin the day.

I mean, come on, we did get some good news, huh?

I mean, you all have found out that you're gonna be blessed

with a baby boy.

Yeah, so wonderful, isn't it?

Yeah, it sure is. But I can't ta...

Hey, hey, Charlaine, yeah.

Hey, congratulations, it's a boy.

Yeah, if it had been a girl, I'd have lost my shirt in this pool.

Yeah.

Hey, hey, hey, hey! Ha-ha-ha...

How you doing? How you doing?

Hey-hey! Hey, you got my money?

Oh, man.

- What's up? Hey. - What's up, Joey?

Hey, Sheila. Well, say hello to your father.

- Hello. - Happy birthday, baby.

Well, we're all caught up. Let's go home.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, Sheila.

Now, come on and sit down.

So what's going on? I've missed you.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, she missed you, too.

You haven't answered any of my letters.

How's school?

Sheila, if you're angry with your father, that's okay.

But at least, he has a right to know why.

You really wanna know why I'm mad?

Yeah, I do, baby.

You made my mama leave home.

What?

It was 'cause of you she ran away.

I heard those fights you had with her.

She wanted money and you wouldn't give her any.

Sheila, I had to stop giving her money.

The drugs were killing her.

But she was trying to quit. I know she was gonna stop.

Oh, no, she wasn't, sweetheart, she was just saying that.

Look, I did everything I could to keep your mom at home.

I worked two jobs, I tried to get her into a program.

But she wouldn't go.

Sheila, the reason your mother left

was because she couldn't handle her problems.

Look, bebop, don't you understand

what your father's saying?

He was trying to force your mother to clean herself up

and get herself together so she could be a real mother to you.

Sweetheart, I did what I did because I love you.

I miss her so much.

I miss her, too, baby, but...

I just want you to know that you are the most important thing

in the world to me right now.

I love you, daddy.

Love you, too, baby.

- Uh, Joey. - Hey.

What kinda ignorant name is bebop?

- That was Roc, he-- - Hey, don't you.. I wish I-I...

Alright, alright, alright, it's just a nice name. She likes it.

They feed me.

Yeah, bebop is cool. I mean, bebop.

Right.

Come on, Eleanor, listen to me.

I want our son to have a strong name.

You know, Marcus is a strong name.

Hm, Roc, my grandfather's name was Earl.

I like that name.

I knew a kid in school named Earl.

He used to eat crayons.

My son's not gonna be named Earl.

Oh.

Hey, pop. Can you believe this?

Eleanor wants to name our son Earl.

After that little crayon-eating boy?

- Oh, that's ridiculous. - 'Mm-hmm.'

I think you should name him Shaka

after the great Zulu warrior.

Yeah. Shaka Emerson. I like that name!

Mm-hmm. Marcus Emerson, I like that name.

Oh, come on, Roc, Shaka's a won.. Ow!

- Ooh! - Wh-what's wrong? What's wrong?

What's wrong?

Roc, I didn't wanna say anything

because we'd had false alarms before

but I've been timing the contractions

and they've been coming closer for the last three hours.

- The baby on his way. - T-t-the baby's coming?

The baby's coming! Hey, baby, the baby's coming!

The baby's coming! Uh...

Don't panic.

Roc, don't panic. Don't. Do not panic.

- Don't panic. Pop. - Uh-huh?

- Pop? - Yeah.

Go tell Joey and Sheila

we're taking Eleanor to the hospital.

Uh, right away.

And just relax, sweetheart, just relax.

Just relax. We just wanna get you to the hospital.

We gonna take you and little Marcus to the hospital.

- Shaka. - Marcus.

- Shaka. - Marcus.

- Shaka! - Alright, alright, don't, alr...

It's okay. It's just no time to argue.

We just wanna get you to the hospital safely, okay?

- Okay, Roc. - Okay.

We just need to be thinking

about you and little Marcus ri--

Eleanor, do you wanna go to the hospital alone?

Shaka.