Original subtitles

Father, I did an awful thing.

And I'm sorry.

Excuse me, Mr. Trask. It's awful not to be loved.

It's the worst thing in the world.

Makes you mean and violent and cruel.

And that's the way Cal has always felt all his life.

You never gave him your love.

You never asked him for his.

Cal's going away, Mr. Trask.

But before he goes, woman, you have to give him some sign that you love him.

Or else he'll never be a man.

He'll just keep on feeling guilty and alone unless you release him.

Please help him.

Please try.

Before it's too late, please try.

Please try.

Please.

There's coffee around here.

I'll get you something to drink.

Is there anything to read around here?

I couldn't help it.

Believe it was born in me. I couldn't help it, but that's not so.

Man has a choice.

You used to say that was where you differ from an animal.

I remember.

Man has a choice, and the choice is what makes him a man.

See, I do remember.

Look, I can't find any coffee.

What did he say?

He said, don't get anybody else.

He said, you stay with me.

You take care of me.

Wide straddle hops.

Ready? Exercise.

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

How you feeling? Oh, I feel pretty good. What time do you think you're going to

be through today?

Be set in a couple more hours. I don't know why it takes him so long every

time. Well, aren't you supposed to be out there?

Good. I thought you said he was killed late yesterday afternoon.

Who'd he say?

What? Who'd he say died?

I wasn't listening.

Something about some movie star.

Give me a dime. Come on, I need a dime. What's the matter?

I just heard something on the radio. I can't believe it. What?

They're saying Jimmy Dean's been killed.

James, Jimmy... Come on, give me a dime, will you? I don't think I got any

change, Jimmy.

Eugene!

Eugene, you got a dime!

Come here, darling.

What is it?

Jimmy!

Eugene, get back in line!

Billy Jean. The line's big.

You promised me you wouldn't see her anymore.

I wasn't seeing her, Charlotte. I was just calling her.

Where are you going?

The radio station.

Hey, Jimmy.

What's going on?

Hey, Charlotte, what's the matter?

James Dean is dead.

This is KCON in the heart of ASTC. And here's Tom with the morning news.

New York. The French delegation walked out of the United Nations General

Assembly last night.

The walkout came after the UN decided by a one-vote margin to take up the highly

controversial issue of Algerian independence.

France bitterly opposed the move.

Denver. James Haggerty, White House press secretary, says President

Eisenhower had a restful night last night, and his progress after his heart

attack continues to be satisfactory without complications.

Hollywood. Rising young film star James Dean was killed last night when his

sports car collided almost head-on with another car at an intersection near Paso

Robles, California.

He was 24 years old.

Turning to sports, the Dodgers won the third game of the World Series

yesterday, making it Yankees two games, Dodgers one.

We're supposed to have partly cloudy weather through tomorrow, with a high

this afternoon near 58.

No rain is forecast.

This is Tom Bonner, and we'll get back to the music now of Campus Capers.

Got two phone calls back at the door. I don't want to hear about any phone calls

right now, all right, Hammy? Yeah, well, one was from your mama.

She said to tell you that she's coming down here this afternoon with your aunt

and your little brother on their way to see a show in Little Rock, and they want

you to go and to be sure and wear a tie.

Another call's from Billie Jean Turner.

Billie Jean?

I was trying to get a hold of you.

No, this isn't Billie Jean. It's Mel Ballou.

Who's this?

Oh, hello, Jimmy J.

I don't know if she can come to the phone. She can't talk for crying.

Billie Jean!

Huh?

Oh, uh-huh. She knows all about it. Her uncle, who's just as crazy for movies as

she is, called up from Bakersfield, woke us up first thing this morning.

You know, I never did see that movie.

What was it called? Something about Eden?

Oh, uh-huh.

Well, I've seen a lot of pictures of them, though.

Yeah, she must have over 200.

He's just as cute as a button.

Oh, I know. The phone's been busy. I've been talking to some friends.

Oh, okay. All right.

Billie Jean!

What? I got Jimmy J. here on the phone. Now, do you or do you not want to talk

to him?

Oh, I want to.

Jimmy, we haven't seen you in a long time. You deserted us?

Oh, here she is.

Okay.

Oh, my God, my... My God, my beans are boiling over.

Hello, Jimmy.

Did you hear what happened?

Yeah, you were the first one I tried to call when I found out.

The only one in this whole town.

Don't you talk forever.

I'm expecting a call.

What?

No, I'm not all right at all.

Really, I'm about to fall to pieces.

Well, I've just been looking at pictures of him and thinking about him.

And I'm trying to contact his spirit.

What?

Yeah.

Oh, yes.

Oh, Jimmy, please come and get me.

This is Monitor, and now from Hollywood, a special report on the death of James

Dean. Jimmy J., more news.

Charlotte, switch it to NBC.

920 on the dial.

There's more news.

Here's some napkins.

They didn't have grape head, honey, so I got you orange.

That's okay.

Turn it up, will you, Charlotte?

Come on, you turn it up, damn it.

Barbecued beef, extra sauce, coleslaw.

Coleslaw, I like coleslaw.

Caramel cream and ham.

It's tough to understand. I can't tell which one of these is a Coke and which

one of these is a movie.

No one will argue that his talent is not outstanding.

Hollywood will be talking about anything and what he was and what he could have

been for a long time to come.

You are on the monitor. I got to go pick up Billie Jean, Charlotte. Billie Jean?

Yes, Pat, Billie Jean. Is that all right with you?

It's all right with me, but it's all right with Charlotte.

Is it? Do you have to?

Charlotte, she admired him every bit as much as I did, and you know that.

Jimmy, he was only a movie star. Why am I... What the hell did you say?

Wasn't like he knew him or anything. There's ice everywhere. Oh, what the

hell? Goddamn barbecued ham all over the car.

Shit, look at that.

Shoot, I just washed my hair last night.

That's just the kind of thing Jimmy Dean would have done.

You sure made a mess of the interior of my car, roomie. I did?

Well, I guess I just couldn't help myself. You figure out why I did it. You

let me know, all right?

Did you promise Billie Jean you'd come by and pick her up? Charlotte, she's

over there. She's got nobody to talk to. She's all upset. She's crying. Well, I

don't care if you don't care, because I don't consider her the least bit of

competition. I feel sorry for her with a reputation like that and a mama like

that.

Sorry about your car, Henley.

It's okay.

around and keep on going she's not going anywhere she is not going anywhere till

she cleans up her room and vacuums that house from top to bottom she was out

last night to all hours with some boy i never even heard of took a brand new

dress of mine without even asking and she comes home looking like she's been

mauled to death she's not going out when she can help me i don't care who died

i've locked the door and i've got the key you let me out of here oh you hush

up i'll call you after a while

stars that's not me she had her when she's 13 years old how do you know i was

out to glitter in jesus one night and heard her telling some truckers about it

they didn't believe she had a daughter 17 years old where to now jimmy jay yeah

let's go to palarm i feel like getting drunk

What's happening?

Sick Paul filing pledges for having a beer-drinking contest this afternoon

over at Doyne Hall. How about selling us a couple six-packs?

You don't have I.D.? Nope.

Okay. I don't want beer. I want Old Crow.

Jimmy J., did Eugene ever find you? He was looking for you down at the

bookstore. Eugene? No.

Coach was looking for you, too.

Hey, Jim, will you get me some cigarettes?

Charlotte, I don't see how you can put up with him. Sweet as he is, I couldn't

do it.

I'm always nervous around him. You never know what he's gonna do.

He'll outgrow that.

But that's what I don't like about Billie Jean.

She just eggs that on.

Can I help you?

Yeah, I got to get some Coke colas.

Give me about a half dozen Cokes, all right? Some paper cups.

The Cokes are real cold, yeah? They sure are.

Okay, then give me about a half dozen Cokes and some paper cups and a log

cabin Democrat and a pint of Old Crow.

And one pint of Old Crow.

My son-in-law stays parked out there on that highway about 70% of the time

trying to catch my ass selling liquor to adolescents.

I'm not an adolescent.

Show me the ID that says you're a man.

I left it at school.

Then I can't let you have the old crow.

You still want the cokes and the paper cups and the log cabin?

Yeah, and give me two packs of Marlboros.

I shouldn't even let you have the cigarettes.

But you'll just get them somewhere else.

How much I owe you?

$2.25.

That's $2.

And 25 cents right there.

Now, midnight, don't y'all come in here unless you got some cash. I ain't giving

you any more credit. I got some cash, Mr. Thomas. Midnight, there's rolling in

money. I got a job at the rendering plant driving around picking up dead

animals. Is that what I smell? Get that rendering plant truck out in front of my

store. What in the world do you mean?

Good grief, bring that thing in here. Smell it like that.

Start the car, Henry.

Come on, open the door, Frank.

Come on, Hanley, let's go. Let's get out of here. Come on.

Open your hands up.

Open your hands up.

You stole that.

Come on, Hanley, can't you go any faster?

I'm driving as fast as I can.

You're a fake, Frank. You're a fake.

Get down, Pat. I don't want anybody to see us.

Little rummy tommy there.

It's not enough. All right, you get some.

Jimmy. Thank you, Hanley.

There it is. Put it on the second page.

Actor James Dean meets death in automobile crash.

A lot of people say he was just an imitation Marlon Brando.

A lot of people are jealous and full of shit, Pat.

Everybody got a drink?

Yeah? Yeah.

How many movies did he make?

East of Eden's the only one been released.

And then I read in the paper where Rebel Without a Cause is gonna be out in

Memphis in about a month.

And then they just finished making Giant.

Yeah, you sure are making a big fuss about a neurotic movie star.

You ever see the movie?

No. You saw it, didn't you, Pat?

Yeah, I liked it. I loved it.

Me too.

I've seen it four times.

Changed my life, Frank.

Billie Jean's seen it 22 times.

Jimmy, I don't see how a movie can change your life.

Well, it did.

Well, what's it about?

Well, it comes from a book.

And it's about two brothers.

One of them's good and one of them's bad.

Except the bad one isn't really bad. They just don't understand him at all.

And while I was watching the picture, I realized that the whole thing is really

about Cain and Abel.

You know, being your brother's keeper and all that.

Because the title comes from the Bible.

From the part where after Cain kills his brother, the Lord sends him away.

Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, dwelt in the land of Nod on the

east of Eden.

What does all that have to do with him?

Crazy. I feel like someone I've known all my life has died, and I never even

met the man.

So dumb.

I don't think so.

You don't?

No.

I remember how my father behaved when President Roosevelt died.

Oh, I must have been about nine years old.

He went into his room, closed the door, and threw a chair against the wall.

Over and over, he just kept throwing this chair against the wall.

He never cried.

He just kept throwing this chair. Oh, I know. Believe me, I could throw

something, too, right now.

Because you know how I feel?

I feel cheated.

I just feel cheated of all the great things he would have done and that I'm

never going to see.

You know, everything I've ever read about that man, we were so much alike in

so many ways, it's incredible.

He was a basketball player.

Grew up on a farm.

I never knew his mother. I never knew my father.

I'll tell you how dumb it is.

I was even thinking about going out for a play this year. That's how dumb it is.

I don't think that's... And I wish that they'd just stop laughing.

Because it's not nice to laugh at people.

Jimmy, they're not laughing. Yes, they are. They're laughing. And why don't you

just stop laughing?

Huh? Why don't you just stop laughing?

Hey,

what you kids doing down there?

Have a little picnic.

Just have a little weenie roast.

Looks to me like you're trespassing.

Mr. Phillips?

Who knows my name down there?

I'm Frank Martin, Mr. Phillips.

Pete Martin's boy.

Yeah, Frank, I didn't recognize you. My old eyes are gone. How's your mother and

dad? Oh, they're fine. They're both just real fine.

You want a cold beer, Mr. Phillips?

Sound mighty good, Frank. Sound mighty good.

We got some cold beer down here.

Get this out.

There you are.

I'll let you whistle.

It's good stuff. We were just down here having a little picnic.

We're not trespassing anymore.

I wish we had some wings.

I got one, Pat.

Big, nice, fat one. Did you buy some?

Where'd you get some?

Very nasty.

That's not nasty. You know that's nasty.

Frank, Hanley's being nasty again.

Hey, Frank sure made old man Phillips happy with a single can of beer.

Don't you wish it took so little to make... Are you laughing at me? Hey, he

wasn't laughing at you, were you, Frank?

You weren't laughing at Jimmy J., were you? No, I wasn't laughing at you.

Let's make a fire.

Pass me the church key, Frank.

Shit.

You gonna mix rum and coke and beer?

Yep.

If you're gonna get sick, I'm gonna have a good time doing it.

Shit, the fire's hot.

What's he doing?

I can't tell. Can you see what he's doing?

Hey, Jimmy J!

Jimmy J, what are you making?

Something out of mud.

Mud? We gotta watch the time.

Too rough to get ready for tonight.

Now, what in the world is that?

What's it look like?

It looks like a man to me.

I know.

I did, too.

It's Oscar.

I knew it.

It's Academy Award.

This isn't Hollywood, Jimmy. This is a sandbar on Toadstuck Ferry at the

Arkansas River.

I think you've gone crazy.

God, I'm so drunk, I can't even feel my lips anymore.

Billie Jean says we ought to try and get in touch with him.

What?

Just as soon as this here dries, we're gonna have ourselves a ceremony.

I wish you had brought those weenies, Jimmy. Just look at that fire going to

waste and not a weenie inside.

I told you, Pat.

You want to see mine? No!

I don't want to see that thing!

Mine could be inside the jiffy.

He beats the shit out of me.

I think he's turning himself into one of those mud natives we saw in the National

Geographic. Has to do with funerals and grief.

He's just doing it to be different.

It's time.

I've got to get back to the dorm.

Shh, Pat. Come on, please.

All right, everybody, let's join hands.

Form a circle of prayer.

Prayer. We're going to say some prayer.

Yeah.

The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive

those who trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Dear God, be with the loved ones.

And the friends and the relatives of James Dean, give them strength and

courage in this hour of need.

He will never die.

He is immortal.

Jimmy?

Jimmy, if you're with us, give us a sign now.

Give us a sign, Jimmy.

Give us a sign, Jimmy.

That's it.

That old dog. I swear to God, that's it. You are wrong. I swear he heard me. He

was chasing a rabbit. That was a sign. We got to get back to town. I got to

tell Billie Jean. Oh, my God. Look.

Oh, that's real trouble.

Grab this stuff.

Here, quick. Stop. Stop.

Come on. Move.

Come on.

Wait for him to see us.

I hope you're sitting at something so you don't have to see through my car.

Shut up, shut up. Just drive slow. Don't be getting dust.

Okay, where can we go now?

For what?

For what? We gotta keep going and give me a sign I can't stop now. Well, I

can...

i think you're sick and i think you're affected and i think you're weird and i

think charlotte ought to have her head examined for going with you and i think

exactly the same thing you got that ditto you got that

it's

always a shock when you find out that somebody you think understands doesn't

really understand anything at all

How about your house, Charlotte?

Your mom and dad are still in Russellville. We could hold the rest of

the wake there.

We can't come in looking like that.

Well, we'll just drop you off and go take a shower, all right?

Come on, Hanny. Let's get out of here.

Y'all come back

just as soon as you can.

I think we ought to go back up the lawn before, don't you, Jimmy? Don't you want

some more to drink?

We can't go back there or you'll get the police.

My folks got a cabinet full, and I know where they hide the key.

So just get cleaned up and get back here.

I'm gonna invite Billie Jean, Charlotte.

Jimmy, I can't have Billie Jean in my mama's house.

Oh, all right, if she has to.

I guess she has to.

Well, just hurry back and I'll make some supper. Great, I'm starving. Let's go.

Do you think I'm sick and affected and weird?

A little bit.

Everybody is a little bit.

Jimmy J?

Howdy, Mama.

What on earth have you been doing? Is that Jimmy J?

Howdy, Aunt Ethel.

Howdy.

Is that you?

What have you been doing? You look like a pig.

Have you been taking classes to look like a pig? Don't put your old hands on

your white suit.

I'm not going to put my hands on your new white suit. You better not.

What are you all doing down here?

I told Handy to tell you.

To be ready to go with us.

We're driving over to Little Rock to see a show at the Robinson Auditorium. If we

don't leave now, we're going to be... Stop that.

Jimmy, just go on. Get cleaned up. Mama, I can't go anywhere. Not tonight.

What's the matter?

Jimmy J., have you been drinking?

Have you? Have you been drinking?

Just a little bit, that's all. Drunk pig!

Drunk pig! Drunk pig! Drunk pig! Shut up, Dickie!

Shut up, Dickie!

Is that what we send you to college to learn? How to drink? No, ma'am, it's

not. You had to be a drunken mud pie. Come on, shut up, Dickie.

Oh, stop. Now, just calm down, Dickie. Calm down.

I am very disappointed.

That hurts me, Jimmy J., that you've been drinking.

It doesn't surprise me.

It just disappoints me.

Well, somebody very close to me died last night, Mama.

Who? Do I know them?

No, ma'am, you don't.

Well, who died?

Who? Do you? Do you?

James Dean died, Mama.

Did I know him? No, ma'am, you didn't know him.

You don't mean that actor James Dean, do you?

We heard about that. Heard it on the radio driving down here. That's exactly

who I mean.

I'm very sorry when anybody dies, but I don't understand for the life of me what

that death clear across the country has to do with you.

No, ma'am, I know you don't.

Son of a... Boys!

Come back here! Boys!

Oh, pinch your damn head off, you little son of a bitch!

Jimmy, don't you touch him!

Catch him now, you little son of a bitch! Get over here!

Jimmy,

you put him down!

We're gonna have to stop at the filling station, get you cleaned up.

Sister, see what you can do with him, will you?

Just look at you.

I'm just gonna pretend like this never happened.

I hope you're not starting to take after your father.

I look at you and I see him written all over you.

This is your allowance for this month.

I didn't mail it because I knew we were coming down here.

I spent the whole morning baking a pound cake and making a batch of cookies.

And I put the leather patches on the sleeves of this jacket.

I'll just lay it on the bench.

In the bottom of this sack is a jar of chili sauce from your grandmama.

I am not going to tell her I caught you like this.

Oh, Jimmy J., why can't you be good?

Good?

Why can't I be good?

That's right, good.

What do you mean by good? Little Dicky, is that what you mean by good? I have

always taught you the difference between right and wrong. Oh, look at my new

white suit. Oh, shush, Dicky. Wait a minute, right and wrong? What the hell's

that got to do with good, Mama?

You are just being perverse, Jimmy J.

I want to know what you mean by good.

If I can't be it, I want to know what that is. Now, Mom, I want you to talk to

me right now.

Shut up!

Now, that is enough!

I think you better go get yourself some coffee.

Let's go, Ethel.

You go to church in the morning.

And you ask the Lord to forgive you.

Move, Jimmy.

Jimmy?

You need some help?

Jimmy, I was looking for you all morning long right after band.

I even looked down in the bookstore. Oh, yeah, darling. Some old dime, I don't

care. What'd you fall into, a mud hole?

You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, because I really understand.

He was my favorite movie star, too. I was listening to the radio this

afternoon, and people all over the country are just going crazy because

he's dead. They just can't believe it. Somebody even tried to kill themselves

because of him. Is there anything I could do? Have some cookies, Eugene.

Gee, thanks, Jimmy.

What the hell's going on here?

The Sigtaws and the Fineland Pleasures are having a beer-drinking contest.

I think it's disgusting.

The Sigtaws are winning. Kid from Breezy Valley's drunk 43 so far, and no sign of

letting up.

I crave it. What the hell happened to you? Here, put these in my room, will

you, please? I gotta call Billie Jean. Billie Jean?

Yeah, Billie Jean.

Now, bring me something to drink. What do you need, Billie Jean? You don't need

coke. You need drink drink. I need a drink break, and I'm not talking about

beer. I don't approve of alcohol, Jamie. Come on, Eugene.

There's not a good bottle of Zerber with Benz tonight.

See what I can do.

Hi, it's me. Can you talk now?

Yes, she's taking a bath. Where'd you go?

I wanted to go so bad.

We went down to the river, and I got drunk.

I got so drunk, I just acted crazy.

I did whatever I felt like, whatever come into my head.

Billie Jean, you give me a sign.

Well, what kind of sign?

I made an Academy Award out of mud.

Oh, how wonderful.

And I said, give me a sign, Jimmy. Give me a sign, Jimmy.

And at that very same moment, a dog started to bark.

Oh, my God.

I'm getting all goosebumps.

Listen, we got to get together.

Because I said, give me a sign, give me a sign, too.

And a dog started barking outside my window.

Now, where are you?

I'm at the dorm. Listen, Charlotte Smith is having a wake at her house just as

soon as we can get there.

We? You said we? Am I invited?

Can you get out?

Yeah, she gets her call.

I'll see you in a half hour. Jimmy. What?

This has to be a very special night.

I have to think.

and give myself up to my own imagination.

See you later.

Bye for now.

Bye.

This Jimmy James down the shower. Oh, B.O.'s got a bottle of gin. Jimmy asked

me to find him something to drink. I brought you a Coke. Uh, we need a couple

of Cokes. Go get us another one, Eugene.

Come on in, B.O.

I can't drink anymore.

Willie, you all right, Billy Bob?

No. Oh, hi, Coach.

Oh, my God, there's Cochaine.

Cochaine, Cochaine, push in. Push in. Yeah,

who is it?

Cochaine. Do you hear me? Damn.

You'll bust my face if you catch me in this gym.

Damn.

Jimmy J's down in the shower, coach.

I'll wait.

Jimmy. What?

Here, hurry, drink.

What's that?

It's hot black coffee. You don't need no more than that. I didn't want that. You

need something to sober you up. Now hold out your hand or open your mouth. What

is this?

It's San San. Coach Haynes is in your room.

Hi, Coach.

Jimmy. See you later, Jimmy. I'll be down in my room. Thanks for the coffee,

Eugene.

Andrew was telling me about this guy, this movie star.

What's his name? James what? Dean.

Yeah.

He's terrible.

Remember seeing this spread in life?

That still doesn't excuse the way you behaved this morning, running off the

field like that without any explanation.

Now, what if everybody felt like they could just run off the field like that?

We wouldn't have any team, would we?

You know what I'm saying?

Yes, sir, I think I do.

Now, you know I can't tolerate... I can't permit that kind of behavior,

particularly from somebody with leadership ability like you.

You know, it gives the other...

Well, not ideas, but what gives the others the attitude that, well, if he

can act that way, I can act that way, and that's not good for team spirit.

Now, on a team, everybody has a job, and they do that job for the team, and the

team wins together.

Not one man, Jim, but the team.

That's the way we won the war, and that's the way we keep the peace.

I'm going to put you on probation.

You'll apologize to me in front of the team in the morning.

You'll run five extra laps for the next two weeks.

Oh, shit.

Pat and Frank are down there talking to the police. That's another thing. The

boys on my team don't cuss. They don't cuss, they don't drink, and they go to

church. State law, Hanley. Jesus Christ.

What?

Jim! Holy shit, I'm still looking for you. Frank, don't lose your... Son of a

bitch, come on, head into that.

Where y'all going?

Can I come too?

Is that you, Jimmy J?

Yes, ma'am.

Oh, Billie Jean expecting you? Yes, ma'am.

Okay, come on in. I want you to meet Mr. Brown.

Jimmy J and Billie Jean are just exactly alike.

All they do is talk about movies and movie stars.

Do you think there's nothing else?

They go off to the movies, they come back and act out the movies.

Life imitates art around here, let me tell you.

And today, this Jimmy Dean, this sweet little thing you just want to hold and

cuddle, dying so tragic like that.

I thought Billie Jean was going to follow suit.

She sure gave one of her better performances.

When her uncle called from Bakersfield, she's standing right here on that phone.

She starts gasping for air like she's a fish out of water. I was in the kitchen

preparing the hors d'oeuvres for this evening, and I hear this, I said, Billie

Jean. What on earth? What on earth?

I thought her uncle was dead.

So she drops the phone, leaves the receiver dangling, runs up the stairs,

gets to the top step, drops, kicks her feet, lays there a minute. I threatened

to call a doctor. She gets up, makes an awful kind of noise, runs into her room,

slams the door, won't talk to anybody unless the phone rings.

Where are you going tonight?

I'm going to Charlotte Smith's house for supper.

Charlotte Smith?

Yeah. I didn't know she knew Charlotte Smith. Oh, yeah.

The girl was football queen last year. Yeah, and this year, too. Two years in a

row, some kind of record.

When's homecoming this year?

About three weeks, I think.

Isn't that nice?

This man, isn't he the state senator? Yeah, that's right. That's the one.

Isn't this nice? Wow.

All right, well, now this pleases me to death. You go right up there. Go get her

now.

Isn't that nice?

He's a real fine boy.

I always told Billie Jean to run with the bass.

So what? They imitate the movies.

I did, didn't you? Heck, half the time I thought I was Betty Grable.

You remind me more of Jane Russell. Whoa!

Mr. Brown.

Betty Jean?

It's Jimmy J.

I don't know if I could stand it.

I just can't imagine living in a world without him.

When did you do all this?

Since the last time we talked.

I just couldn't stand my regular old room after he died.

My regular old room with a regular old me.

So I just let my imagination run wild.

And I read in a magazine how much Vampyra loved him.

So I just did this.

They're waiting for us down in the car.

Better, Jane.

I haven't let my imagination go so far as to think maybe they'd just go on

waiting.

Before we get to Charlotte's, what happened between us, what she suspects

has happened already.

Better not.

Up above, you say you better not.

But down below, you're contradicting yourself.

Really, Jean?

Your mama's downstairs.

You're scared.

I'm not scared. They're waiting for us.

Well, I don't think James Dean would have pulled away.

But you never know.

No. No, he wouldn't.

Because he was bad, too. Like me.

He said that you have to experience everything in life.

Because when you start saying no to life, life starts saying no right back.

If you're really serious, I'll leave that window open all night, and you can

come to me just like James Dean come to Julie Harris in East of Eden.

We can get down to brass tacks.

Pretty Jean, we better go now.

Okay, turn on the lights.

Your mama's gonna have a fit when she sees what you've done to this room.

And don't forget those bongo drums.

Act like nothing's unusual.

Bye, Mama.

Have a good time, honey.

Don't you misbehave with Charlotte Smith.

She didn't even look.

It's turning into Halloween.

It's not funny, Hanley. You know these two, don't you?

Well, who's that back there?

Oh, hi, Eugene.

Hi. What's he doing here? He's all right. He wanted to come. He understands

about it. Take one frankfurter and hollow it out, and what have you got?

Halloweenies.

Where's that coke bottle? I think you look divine.

Thank you. Thank you very much. You could be more welcome. Here you go. What

is this? Gin and coke.

Fabulous. Didn't taste just like perfume smells.

Maybe I better drive. Nobody drives this car but me.

You park the car, fellas.

Hey, Gene.

Jimmy, wait for us.

Haley, come on. Hurry up now.

I'm coming.

I hope she made some supper.

What'd y'all do that for?

Why'd you turn out all the lights?

Shh. Don't worry about it, Charlotte. It's all right. We're going to have to

have some night. I'm going to...

to have something to eat.

Why don't you light some candles?

Are candles all right? Candles are okay, aren't they, Billie Jean?

Is that Billie Jean?

Candles are not only okay, but candles are beautiful.

There should not be any electric light tonight.

I think electric lights disturb the spirits.

I think since the invention of electricity, we've had less

communication with the other world.

Now turn out the lights.

Did you find the key?

What key?

The key to the liquor cabinet.

Oh, I made this bowl of punch.

Punch? I made exactly those things. Oh, I can't remember their names. That my

sister served three weeks ago at her wedding.

There was champagne and cognac or brandy or something.

And you just pour it out again and you flip fruit on top.

Are you supposed to be somebody?

Don't you recognize her?

She's Vampyra.

Isn't that good?

But be careful, it's insidious.

Aren't you gonna have some, Eugene?

Friends 75 is what it's called. Come on, Eugene, wet your whistle. I don't

approve of alcohol.

Put hair on your chest.

I already have hair on my chest. Turn them red.

No, thank you.

It'll lower your voice. My voice is just fine.

Come on, Eugene, have a sip right here. Just a sip. Jimmy, I don't... Come on,

Eugene, it's not gonna hurt you. Just take one little sip there.

That's pretty good, isn't it?

Well, I'll just have half a drink. Yeah, I thought you would. Now, that's what I

call punch.

You know what I'd like to do?

I'd like to go to his funeral.

Yeah, so would I.

And maybe in the morning we can find out where it is and when it is and how we

might possibly get there. Hey, Haley, we could use your car. I'd help you pay for

the gas.

I'd have to call home and ask. Now, Haley, you just help yourself. I made

more than enough.

You know what I'd like to do? I'd like to watch a television set.

Have y'all got one of those? Yeah, we got one just last week.

But I'm not supposed to touch it, because Daddy's the only one who knows

what knives to turn.

Where is it?

In the den.

Well, I've watched it.

And it's not nearly as good as the movies.

It's just this little box with all this snow on it.

I wouldn't have one in the house.

We're going to have to move all this furniture out of this living room.

What?

Well, if we're going to try and communicate with them, we've got to

simplify this room.

There are just too many things in it.

There should be only one chair in here.

One chair for him.

You're absolutely right, Billie Jean.

We can't do that. My mom will die.

Charlotte, don't worry about it. I'll take the blame for it.

Well, just as long as we put everything back exactly like it was before.

Oh, come on, fellas. Give me a hand with this, will you?

When are we gonna get something to eat? We haven't had any supper.

Don't you have any hot dogs in this house? Making peanut butter and bacon

sandwiches on the broiler. We don't have time for peanut butter and bacon

sandwiches.

We don't have time for food.

When someone dies, their spirit is only earthbound for a very little while.

You know what you need, Billie Jean? Is one of those Ouija boards. You can

contact spirits real fast with one of those.

We got one.

Brand new. South ain't still around it.

As much as I hate to admit that you had a good idea, that is a good idea.

Well, go get it, Charlotte.

What's the matter, Charlotte?

It's in the closet. I can't reach and hold the candelabra, too.

All right.

She sure is putting on a big show.

I wish she had broader.

Stop that.

Stop what?

Looking at her like that.

Like what?

Like there was something between you, or about to be, and you know what something

I mean.

Charlotte?

What is it?

I'm no good, Charlotte.

Have you?

I just can't help it.

I'm bad.

My mama says I'm just like my daddy was.

You have, haven't you?

But you're so good, so fine, so sweet.

Just everything a girl ought to be.

Have you done it with Billie Jean?

Cross your heart and hope to die you never did it with her?

I crossed my heart and hope to die I never did it with Billie Jean,

Charlotte.

I believe you.

You can kiss me if you want to, then.

What?

Am I scary?

I bet I am sometimes, because sometimes I scare myself.

The things I think of.

The things I want to do.

You don't scare me at all.

I don't.

No. You're just a normal boy who's going through a phase.

Yeah.

Stop that.

I'm not Billie Jean.

Come on, give me a kiss.

No.

Jimmy, the room is ready.

We must begin.

James Dean, are you in this room?

James Dean, are you in this room?

Together.

James Dean Are you in this room?

James Dean Are you in this room?

James

Yes. You were pushing it. I was not.

Someone was pushing it. No one was pushing it, Hanley.

It's the second sign today.

The first sign was the dog barking down by the river.

Now he's in the room with us.

He's sitting right there, right there in that chair. Oh, you're just trying to

scare us. There's nothing to be afraid of. What is it? What do you feel?

It's colder right here.

Here. My God, you're right. It is colder. Charlotte, give me your hand.

It's colder right there. Not me.

What did you feel at first? Tell me. I felt his eyes.

I felt him burning a hole in the back of my head.

And then I began to get goosebumps all around my shoulders.

And then I turned.

And as I turned real fast, I thought I saw those eyes.

No face, just eyes for one mad second, and they faded away.

Well, what are you doing? I thought these candles were dripless candles, but

just look at the carpet.

My mama's gonna snatch me bald-headed. This is a Christmas present she'd been

begging for for years.

Just come off, Charlotte. Get some of these ice cubes.

Oh, that ice is all melting. Never mind them.

Describe it to me again. What did you see?

Well, you know how cats' eyes go in the dark.

but like his eyes in the last scene from East of Eden when he begs his father to

forgive him for all the bad things he's done.

I can't wait to see Rebel without a cause, to see his eyes in that.

Don't worry.

We're gonna be the first ones in line, just like before.

Hey, Billie Jean.

Why don't we do something else?

Something a lot more fun, you know what I mean?

While Charlotte isn't looking or go somewhere else.

Hanley, you're not man enough for me.

We could all take turns.

Hey, Hanley, watch your step. You're gross.

Maybe Eugene would like to put my dangness in his mouth.

Come on, have a picnic, Eugene. Come on, Hanley. Leave me alone.

I got a hot dog for you, Eugene. Hey, cut it out! God damn it, cut it out!

What's the matter with you anyway?

What the hell you think you're doing, huh?

Why didn't you act that way tonight? Don't you know what's going on here?

You're acting just like Pat and Frank.

I don't think you understand any more than they understand.

And I think you ought to just go on down to the Phi Sig dance with them.

They're all down there having a good time.

Just going on with it.

Just acting like nothing ever happened. Acting like this was like any other

night.

Boy, I'd like to let them know what's going on.

I'll bet you the dance is over by now.

I'll bet you they're already parking down by Crisscross Meadow over by the

cemetery, necking, petting, carrying on.

You want to do something fun?

I know what let's do.

Let's go down there and shake them up.

And I mean shake them up.

It's just the kind of thing James Dean would have done.

Well, if he was in the room, maybe he'd give me the idea.

Charlotte, where's your makeup kit?

Which makeup kit?

Your makeup kit. The one you use for your theater arts classes. Where is it?

What do you want with my makeup kit, Jimmy?

I want to scare him. I want to scare him good.

I only found three flashlights.

Is that enough?

You got another one in your car, don't you, Hanley?

Yep.

Y'all, this is just like the makeup they use on Broadway.

Did you find the spirit gum and there's clown white?

Could I have the white?

There's all kinds of hair in just everything.

I'm perfect.

I'm exactly who I want to be.

Don't you want these vampire teeth?

Don't you want these fangs? Well, they just tie it all together.

No, I don't want any fangs.

I want it, Charlotte.

Hey, Hanley.

I'll put your dingus in my mouth now.

No, thank you very much.

You look like Oedipus.

Let me see.

I know who you are.

So do I.

Oh, my goodness. Someone's here.

Doesn't look like Charlotte's home, Mama.

That's a strange car, too.

Oh, my goodness, it's my mom and my daddy. We haven't put the furniture back

yet. What are we gonna do?

There's something wrong.

No, now calm down, Mama. There's nothing wrong. You be careful. You stay here,

and I'll go turn the lights on. Be careful, Daddy.

Just stay right there and just calm down. Nothing wrong.

See what's wrong.

We scared the living daylights out of my mama. I was real proud of you,

Charlotte. You proud of me?

What are you doing with my mama's silver candelabra?

Well, this is part of my getup.

Jimmy told me to take them. I'll bring them back.

Oh, my goodness. I'll call the police. They'll think they've been robbed,

Jimmy.

I don't care.

This is the darkest night of my life. I might as well die, too.

Oh, my goodness.

Jimmy.

Stop it. Stop it, Jimmy Jane. Come on. That's not funny.

Come on. Dim those lights.

Dim them.

Come on. Dim them.

Our headlights are too bright, Dad.

Them folks want us to dim our lights, so dim them. I can't. The damn thing's

still broke.

Jesus Christ Almighty.

There wasn't nobody at all in that car, Dad.

That car was just as empty as it could be.

Now, give me some of that, will you, Hanley?

Where'd you get that thermos? In the kitchen.

This is even better. It's not so sweet.

It's aconia.

Good. Where'd you get that?

Did you take that out the bar? My daddy will skin me alive. Now, give that back

to me. Charlie, quiet. Hey!

Quiet, everybody. We're almost there.

Hey, Hanley, I got an idea.

Listen. When we get there, let's park on this side of the cemetery, all right?

And walk through the graveyard?

Why not?

I've never seen so many cars at Criss Cross Meadow in my whole life.

Okay, look.

I think we ought to split up and then attack all at once and then get back

here quick before they know what hit them, all right? Okay.

Okay? Jimmy, I'm scared.

Well, then you come with me, all right?

Okay. Okay, everybody know what they're gonna do? I know what I'm gonna do.

Okay, let's go. Stay low.

Oh, this is spooky.

Shut up, Charlotte.

Hey, get off my cape.

Oh, you shut up. I want on your cape.

Shh, come on.

I'm so proud of my little patty cakes.

We did a fast egg sweetheart just like that, huh? You did all the time, Tim. I

did not. You did, Tim.

Yes, you did.

I just told those boys if they didn't choose you, I was gonna beat the shit

out of them.

Frank!

I love you. Oh, baby.

Hey, stay here.

Hanley.

Hanley.

Stay real low on the screen, all right? Real low.

Okay, let's go.

Give me that other candelabra.

I'm gonna stay right here.

Shh.

Hanlon, keep going.

I think my Uncle Jack

is buried here.

Ooh, that's not fun.

Death for Jeff, Joy, Jason, and Julianne. This is Make and Believe by

Miss Kitty Wills. Family visit from your old friend, Netto.

Watch that barbed wire on the fence.

Look at my skirt. Shh.

Look out. Oh, shit. Raise up. Ow.

Be careful.

You're crushing my corsage.

Much further can I go.

You've gone as far as you can go. Oh, come on.

It's okay.

It's all right. I got protection. Yeah, protection for me was what I need.

Now sit down. It feels good, doesn't it?

My body says go, but my daddy says no.

Thank you.

Charlotte, you sure look pretty up there. Don't tear the float, Jimmy.

I got your letter.

My mama made me write that letter, Jimmy.

Didn't sound like you at all.

Jimmy, get off the float. People are looking.

Please get off the float, Jimmy.

Hey, where are you going to be after the parade?

We're going to be out at the game.

Can I see you there?

Hey, please, Charlotte, can I see you there?

What are you looking at?

Don't look at me that way, Jimmy. You're gonna make me cry.

Jimmy Jane?

Jimmy Jane.

I thought that was you. Yeah.

Hey, I thought you got kicked out of school.

Serves you right.

Hey, Pat.

Pat, did you see that?

Howdy. Howdy.

Is that your motorcycle?

Yeah. You wanna see it? I sure do.

Come on.

Sold my war bonds to buy it.

It's a beauty. Yep.

Aren't you gonna see the rest of the parade?

No, I got to go see Billie Jean. They're bringing her home today.

How is she?

Well, she got different degrees of burns all over her body.

The problem is she won't talk. She hasn't said a word for three weeks since

the night it happened. That's what I heard. I tried to go in to see her

twice. They wouldn't let me.

They said it'd be better to wait.

Look, how's everything been with you, okay?

Pretty good. Good. I'm on foot, though. My folks took my car away, at least till

the rest of the year.

You still living at home?

Nope. Not since last night.

You coming to the game?

I don't know.

Why don't you come by the room right before the game? I got a bottle of gin.

I'm not gonna get a new roommate till I find out what's happening to you.

I'll see you later, Hanning.

Okay.

Look at that. Isn't that something?

It's getting clear.

It's getting better.

Will you adjust it with this knob right here?

Oh, I'm so excited I can't stand it.

Jimmy J?

Did I see her today?

We're getting her situated in her room.

Got her television set.

First one on the block.

Thanks to Mr. Brown, it's Christmas in October.

Mr. Brown, will you take charge down here?

Has she said anything yet? No, she's just the same.

She won't talk.

Call up the preacher. He's coming over this afternoon. See what he can do.

We may have to resort to shock treatments.

It just makes me sick.

Jimmy, see if you can get her to talk. See if you can get her to say something.

Billie Jean.

Look who's here.

It's Jimmy J.

He's come to visit you.

Guess what's come downstairs, honey?

A television set. First one on the block.

Is that a band I hear? Is that a band out there?

Yes, ma'am. It's a homecoming parade.

Oh.

Miss Turner?

Mm-hmm?

Could I visit with Billie Jean for just a minute?

Oh, surely.

I'll go downstairs.

I'm expecting a call from the preacher.

So weird It's just like the last scene from East of Eden

Expected that nurse out there to start looking around asking for something to

read I

Brought you every magazine I could find on him About

his life and about his death

Everything they're saying about him.

Some of them are even saying he's not dead, that he's just hiding out

somewhere.

Well, a lot happened in the last three weeks, I tell you.

See, my mother and my stepfather had to come down to jail that night to bail me

out for stealing the rum.

And then they took me home with them, and that's where I've been most of the

time.

Oh, I went down to Little Rock to see you twice, you know, but they wouldn't

let me in. They said it would be better to wait till you got home.

But I picked you some flowers.

You must have got the flowers.

You know what I did?

I sold my war bonds, bought myself a motorcycle.

It's right there, right under the tree, right up there.

I

went

to Memphis last night, Billie Jean.

I saw a rebel without a cause last night.

Look, Gene, he's even better than we ever thought he was.

I mean, I mean, I'm just getting, look, I'm just getting chill bumps just

thinking about it.

I won't tell you about it, all right?

Could I tell you about it?

Okay, I'm gonna tell you about it.

But first, there's something, I got something for you. I wanna show you

something, all right?

Right here.

You know what?

I stole it for you.

I waited till everybody was gone from the front of the show and then I broke

the glass and I stole it for you.

Can you see it pretty good?

See, that's him right there.

And the jacket and the... Pants and the boots, just like these here. The red

jacket and the boots. And they're just like the ones he wears in the movie.

Just exactly the same.

Now, the movie is about juvenile delinquents.

Now, to start out with, his name in the movie is Jim.

Just like mine.

Just like his in real life.

You think there's any meaning to that?

Well, the picture starts out with him drunk.

He's just as drunk as I can be sometimes.

And he's lying in the middle of the street, and he's playing with a little

toy monkey.

Curling up around it like a baby. He's covering it with a piece of paper like

he's trying to keep it warm.

So they pick him up, and they take him down to the police station.

And they search him.

But he's ticklish, so he starts to laugh right there in the police station.

And then his parents come down to get him.

And right away you see what his problem is.

I mean, it's just like the night at Crisscross Meadow when my mother and my

stepfather come down to get me.

Billie Jean, so much of this movie is like my life. It's incredible.

I mean, his parents acted exactly the way mine acted.

And I felt like saying just like what he says in the movie. He says, you're

tearing me apart.

I know you felt that way, haven't you?

There's a scene with a juvenile officer where he says something that I've said a

hundred times if I've said it once.

He says that sometimes he just feels like hitting something.

He says how he doesn't want to be like his father. And I saw it three times,

Billie Jean, just so I could memorize certain parts of it to tell you.

He says, if only I could have one day when I wasn't all confused and when I

wasn't ashamed of everything and when I felt like I belonged someplace.

Now, that was exactly word for word what I said to you that first night that we

met. When we hitchhiked to Marlton to see East of Eden, you remember that?

But word for word, and Billie Jean, that's just the beginning.

I mean, scene after scene hit home.

There's a scene in the movie with a girl named Judy, and he says to her that he

never thought he'd live to see 18.

Now, how many times have I said to you that I never thought I'd live to see 21?

I just understood so much by just looking at it.

There's a guy in the movie named Plato.

Now, Plato's kind of...

well he's kind of in love with james dean you know but he's not really in

love with him he just he likes him you know he's uh he likes him kind of the

way eugene likes me and kind of the way i like james dean you know and the movie

ends with plato getting killed and it's kind of james dean's fault see because

james dean talks him into giving up because he's got this gun

Let the police just shoot him down without asking any questions about it

And so At the end of the picture

James Dean is kind of responsible for Plato like the way I'm responsible for

what happened to you

I don't have to tell you how sorry I am about it.

But I want to.

And I have to.

I mean, I can't even sleep nights for thinking how it was my idea to go down

the crisscross meadow.

And it was my idea, Billie Jean.

Billie Jean, if...

You blame me for this I Mean if you're harboring anything against me about this

and I want you to tell me all right And I want you to communicate it to me

Because I wouldn't hurt you for anything in the whole world

Because you were the only person in this whole town who understood me

Who understood anything?

So if you blame me for this you got to forgive me right now Because

my plan is to go directly from this room to California I Have to go

cause you see I got to be where he was and I got to talk to his friends about

him And I got to find out about him because you see I never had a hero

before I mean, I never had anybody I looked up to, somebody I admired like I

admired him, someone who changed my life the way he changed my life, someone I

never even met before.

So I got to go there, and I got to be there where he was, and I got to get it

all right in my mind.

Don't you see that?

Billie Jean, I wish you'd talk to me. I wish if you'd blame me for it that you'd

forgive me for it and that you'd tell me this.

That you would just tell me this because if you don't talk, they're going to

bring a preacher here and they're going to send you down for shock treatments.

And I mean, that's what your mama said. That's according to what she said.

Billie Jean, please talk to me. Please just don't keep accusing me with your

eyes like that. I can't stand it. I'm not going to forget about you.

I'm gonna write you letters.

I'm gonna send you postcards. I'm gonna tell you everything I find out about

him. Stop it.

I don't want to know anymore.

Oh, yes, you do. I don't want to hear anymore.

Yes, you do now.

No.

Billie Jean, no, you're not.

Yes, I am. I'm scarred.

No, you're not. Now, I know how much you like to look at yourself. They can do

wonders with that kind of thing.

You better get out of here before they send you down to Little Rock for shock

treatments.

What's going on in here?

Jimmy J., what have you done to her? I got her to talk. Look at that. She's

talking, Ms. Turner.

Right now, she's talking.

Mama, I'm scarred.

I'm scarred for life.

Baby, don't cry. I can't stand it when...

for shock treatments.

Did he tell you?

Did you tell her that?

Billie Jean, Billie Jean, I got to go now.

This whole thing is starting to feel like a movie.

I mean, you know my life does that to me sometimes.

Sometimes I feel like I'm moving in a big, big movie.

This ain't no movie, Jimmy J.

Oh, yeah?

Well, you're the first person who ever told me that. You're the first one who

said that you feel like that half the time. Just like you're in a movie, like

nothing is real, but it's more real than anything else in the whole world.

That's exactly what I mean. It's like the last scene of a movie, Billie Jean.

Will you stop?

Dream big!

Thank you.