Original subtitles

Ugh, rapist.

Baby killer.

- Britney, please. - Jack. Stop.

- I need to talk to her. - Don't make my job any harder.

Believe me, it's hard enough.

- All rise.

The Lubbock County Court is now in session,

the Honourable Judge Bodman presiding.

- And curtain!

Guys, take your bow off of Hamlet.

Wooo-hooo! Okay great.

And now, orchestra. Applause, applause, applause.

Milk it, but don't overstay your welcome.

Especially you, Richie.

And I think that's it. Thanks everyone, good work.

Now listen, we have Monday, Wednesday.

Thursday dress, and then Friday we go, so please, get off book.

Please. And drive safe, speed racer.

- Oh whatever, it wasn't even that bad.

- It was pretty bad.

- Hey, Fletch! Can you please tell Clara to finish up?

Coach'll be pissed if I'm late for practice again.

- Just tell Coach you're busy saving the arts.

Stud like you? People might actually come and see this play.

- I'm good. You can go. - Cool.

Thanks, babe. Let's get goin'.

- It's tough being a visionary in a small town, huh?

- Yo, Fletch, uh, you coming to the game tomorrow?

- No sorry, I can't. - Why not?

- Well, believe it or not, I actually have a social life

that doesn't involve teenagers. So...

- Yeah, buddy. I bet you do. Yeah.

- No. I'm not. Stop. I'm not doing that.

- Come on, man. - No, no, no, no.

- Come on, Fletch. - Okay, that's enough for today.

- Later, Fletch. - Later.

- I have some cleaning up to do so I'll just be a minute.

- Is everything okay?

- Yeah.

- Really? Because you've seemed a little...

like off lately.

- I'm fine.

- Then why haven't you handed in your Hamlet paper?

- Because I haven't written it yet.

- Well, see? That's what I'm talking about.

You're never late before, not even once.

- I'm good, Fletch.

Really.

- Okay.

I'm here, you know. If you ever need to talk.

- Ready to go?

Hey, Clara. - Hey.

Oh, I'll get you that paper after the weekend. Okay?

- Thank you.

- They're meeting us at the bar. - Oh, great.

A drink is needed.

- Casting the quarterback may not have been the genius move

I thought it was. He's barely off book and we go up next week.

- What's up with Clara? It looked like you two

were having a pretty intimate conversation.

- Oh yeah, I'm just worried about her.

Something's going on and she won't talk about it, so...

- Jack, we're their teachers, not their friends,

not their therapists. - I know. I know.

- But... do you?

- She's a good kid.

- Uh-huh.

- What? What's the look?

- As much as you care, there's a line.

Especially these days.

- Yeah. - You get that right?

- Of course. - Okay.

- You're right and thank you.

I love you.

Oh, shoot. I forgot my bag. I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry. I'll be right back.

- Go get it. I owe my mom a call.

- Alright!

- Clara! No! No!

No!

Let me go!

- Clara, what's going on? What's going on?

I can't.

- What? - I can't.

- Clara, please just talk to me.

I'm... I'm calling Principal Gilroy. Okay?

- No. No! Please! No. - We need to get you some help.

I don't have a choice. Hey! Hey! Hey!

No.

- It's okay, Clara, please. - No.

- Just give me my phone. I'm trying to help you.

- You can't help. You can't help me!

- Will you give me a chance.

- If you tell anyone, I'll do it again, I swear to God.

I'll do it again the next chance I get

and you won't be able to stop me.

- Clara, but why?

It's my only way out.

- Okay. That's Ms. Thoms. She's waiting for me outside.

I have to answer. If I don't pick up,

she'll be here in two minutes. - Please. Please don't tell her.

Please. Please.

- Okay, okay, I won't. But I have to answer. Okay?

Hey.

- Do you need help finding your bag?

- Yeah, no I... no I found it. Uh, I'm sorry.

Uh, I'm on with Dustin and he's spiralling.

- Again? - Yeah.

Um, so why don't you go ahead without me, okay?

And I'll just get a car and meet you there.

Buy everyone a round on me.

- Alright. - Love you.

- Love you, too.

- Clara. Please. Just uh...

just talk to me.

Please.

- I haven't told anyone.

I'm pregnant.

- Okay.

- And I... I can't be. I can't. My parents...

- Look. Look, look. - They would disown me,

and they'd rather... they'd rather disown me

than be embarrassed at church. - No.

Better disowned than dead.

- Look, I don't...

I don't expect you to understand my situation,

but my parents cannot find out.

- Okay, well, um, what about whoever got you pregnant?

Do you know... - Of course I know who it is.

- Okay.

- I can't tell him either.

- Uh, did someone hurt you?

- No. It wasn't like that.

- Okay. - It... it was Richie.

- Richie?

It was twice.

What's he gonna do about it?

Shelly already hates me enough,

so what's the point in telling him?

- Well, look, um...

I know that it doesn't seem like it,

but you have options.

- Adoption?

I would still have to have the baby,

which means my parents finding out.

- Yeah, well, there are other options.

- You mean abortion.

You're not against that?

- It... it doesn't matter what I am.

Is that what you want?

- I mean...

sure, but Texas is a no go, so is Oklahoma.

I tried to find the pills you can order in the mail

but you need an address they can mail them to

and obviously I don't have that.

Even if I could get myself to New Mexico

and find a way to pay for it,

I'd have to find someone with a license to drive me back,

and I can't ask anybody to do that

because then everyone would know.

I'm not an idiot, okay?

But what am I supposed to do? I can't be pregnant.

I can't. I can't.

- Listen. Here, listen. Listen to me.

We'll figure it out. Okay?

I promise.

I promise.

- Jack Fletcher wasn't content

simply to teach his students the curriculum.

He insinuated himself into their personal lives.

He groomed them to see him as a peer

so that he could get close to them.

Many of these relationships were inappropriate

and constituted an abuse of power.

But his relationship with sixteen-year-old Clara Palmer

went even further.

Mr. Fletcher would like the world to see him

as a caring educator.

An enthusiastic teacher.

But that's not what this man is.

This man right here?

This man is a predator.

- Clara?

- Yeah? - Can I come in?

Yep.

- Sorry, Sweetie. Did you take my mascara?

- I don't wear mascara.

- I thought you might have borrowed it

for your school play. - No, I didn't.

- Are you alright? We're leaving in five to pick up my new car.

- I just, I have to sew a bunch of costumes

for the play and go thrifting. It's gonna take all weekend.

- But you have to come, you picked the colour.

- Can you please tell your mother that she doesn't need

to impress the car salesman? I've already bought the car.

- Clara says she can't come.

- Oh. Why not? Come on, it'll be fun.

- I can't go. I'm sorry.

- Alright then, we should get goin'.

- We got our phones, you can call.

- See you later.

Coffee?

- Coffee.

- There you go

and here comes the Jack Fletcher hangover special.

- Never abandon me at happy hour again.

- I'm sorry I didn't make it last night.

- And I'm sorry I don't remember

whatever you told me about Dustin and his wife.

Are they separating again?

- Um, uh, yeah we'll see. I um...

I told him I'd drive down to Odessa today to see him.

- Oh, we have the barbeque with my family.

- Yes, I know, I um...

I just feel like I have to be there for him.

- That's okay.

It's just gonna be my brothers watching the game

and my mom naming every girl I went to high school with

who's married with kids.

- Well, maybe you two should set a date.

- Oh yeah? You're gonna lock this down?

You know it.

- Hi.

- Hi.

- It's okay if you want to change your mind.

- Do you?

- No.

- How long have I been asleep for?

- Uh, about an hour. A little more.

- I'm sorry it's such a long drive.

- I don't mind.

Stop abortion!

Stop killing God's baby!

- I did that once.

With my mom when I was little.

Spent a long time braiding my hair like we were supposed

to show them what they were missing or something.

- Checking in. Clara Palmer.

- Your appointment was at one.

- I know, I'm sorry, we... we had a really long drive.

- It's okay. We're always behind these days.

Fill out these forms here.

The green one is for insurance.

If you're going to need help with payment,

there are organizations that can...

- Can I pay with cash?

- Yes. It's $750. - Okay.

- But you will need to fill out the section marked

"emergency contact." - Thank you.

- We'll confirm how far along you are with an ultrasound.

You don't have to look at the monitor, okay?

If you're further than you think,

you may need a medical procedure to end the pregnancy.

If that's the case, is someone here with you?

- Yeah.

- Okay, good.

This won't hurt, but you'll feel some pressure.

- Okay.

- You're measuring just over seven weeks,

which means you don't need surgery.

We'll be able to give you some pills

which will end the pregnancy over the next few days.

- Can I just do the surgery? So I know it worked?

- The pills are very effective.

I have a dose here for you now and there's another medication,

misoprostol, that you'll take at home in 24 hours.

Does all of that sound okay?

- Yeah.

- Can you hold your hand out for me?

This is the mifepristone to take now.

Go ahead and swallow those.

Good.

This has the pills for tomorrow.

When you take them, let them dissolve in your mouth

before you swallow.

You'll probably start bleeding pretty quickly after that.

It should feel like a heavy period.

Try to take it easy over the next few days, if you can.

- I have school on Monday.

- Bring extra pads.

Here you go. Let's get you changed.

- Hey. How's it going?

- It's the usual dumpster fire.

I mean, between dealing with my family

and watchin' football all day you would have been in agony.

- Well, I love you more than I hate football,

so I still wish I was there.

But um, I'm kinda in the middle of it with Dustin,

maybe you can tell me everything over dinner?

- Is that an invitation?

- I'll call you when I'm close.

- I'll think about it.

- Okay, see ya.

Hi. - Hello.

Remember, two in each cheek.

Let them dissolve for 30 minutes.

Ibuprofen for pain. No aspirin.

- Thank you. Thanks.

- Okay, so should we go?

- Thank you.

Not just for today.

You know, Ms. Thoms is really lucky.

You're a good guy.

Most girls don't end up with good guys.

- Well, it doesn't mean you can't.

No offence to you

and Miss Thoms, but the whole marriage thing

is just kind of a relic.

- Your parents are together, aren't they?

- Not exactly, no.

I mean my biological father left when I was like six months old,

but not until after he ran up a bunch of charges

and ruined my mom's credit.

You know, we were always getting kicked out of apartments,

sleeping in the car, and leanin' on the church.

That's how my mom met my step-dad.

- At church?

- Yeah. When I was seven.

He owned a hardware store and I...

think my mom felt like Cinderella or something.

- Well, that doesn't sound so bad.

- Yeah, I... I think my mom was just happy

we weren't broke anymore.

Are you okay?

- I think it's working. Yeah.

- Okay.

- Ms. Thoms, you can either swear on the Bible

or make a solemn affirmation to tell the truth.

- The Bible.

- Place your left hand on the Bible.

Raise your right hand.

Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth?

- I do.

- You're home! - Aw!

- Did someone miss me? - Horribly!

How'd it go with Dustin?

- Um, I talked him down. At least for now.

- He's lucky to have you as a friend.

- Let's uh, let's get some dinner

and you can tell me about the rest of your day.

My mom drank two hard seltzers

without realizing they were alcoholic.

- Oh no! - And my father

refuses to acknowledge how upset he is,

and so he just goes outside

and starts furiously cleaning his grill.

Oh, shoot.

I meant to fill my tank before but...

- There's a station just up ahead.

Anyway, you were... you were so lucky to miss it.

- Ah, apparently.

- Your car is a total mess.

- What's this?

I found it in your car.

- If you want to be really horrified?

Check out my desk at school,

I have no idea how half the stuff gets in there.

Let's go. Come on, I'm hungry.

- Ms. Thoms, please state your relationship to the defendant.

- Uh, we were engaged for most of the last year,

and we were together for two years before that.

- And how would you characterize your relationship?

- It was loving and fun.

Jack made me happy.

We were getting married.

- But you ended your engagement with Mr. Fletcher

after his arrest. - Yes.

- Please tell the court why.

- My Hamlet essay.

- Oh!

I just hope your thesis isn't uh, "Hamlet is a soft boy."

- Well, he is. But, it's not.

Wait, wait, wait.

Uh, just talk to me for a second. How are you doing?

- Good.

- Yeah? - Really.

Oh. - Hop.

Hey, Fletch. I was hoping to catch you and uh...

I just sort of had a personal issue.

- Oh, maybe you should talk to the counsellor about that.

- Yeah, I barely know her, and uh, it's about sex.

- O... Okay.

- Um.

So, you know, Shelly and I've been dating for like a year

and uh...

- And?

- She wants to have sex.

Like, today.

She keeps saying "we're ready" and obviously,

you know, I want to but uh...

- But what?

- I'm not sure we should.

Like, I don't know if I'm really gonna wait until I'm married,

but I always thought I might and I just...

I don't want to regret it later.

- So you've never had sex?

- No.

And I don't want her to regret it either.

I don't want to be the guy who messed her up, you know?

- Clara.

- Whoa. Hey.

- Hey. Um...

We need to talk.

- About what?

- Why you told me Richie got you pregnant.

- You... you talked to Richie?

- Yes.

- Whatever he told you, he's lying.

- Clara, just cut it out, okay?

Give me the same respect that I've always given you,

and just tell me why did you make up the story.

Are you protecting someone?

- Stop.

- Are you afraid of them?

- Stop. Stop. - Is it someone at home?

- Stop. - Your stepfather?

- Stop, stop!

- It was him, wasn't it?

Even if it was,

no one would believe me.

He teaches Sunday School.

- Clara, he's abusing you.

- It would destroy my mother.

- What about you?

- You need to let this go. Okay? It's over.

- Is it?

Okay, I'm... I'm sorry Clara,

but I have to report this to the police.

- No, you, you told me you would help me.

- I am.

- You got me the abortion. You're gonna lose your job!

- We'll both have to deal with the consequences,

but I can't do nothing.

You understand that, right?

I'm sorry.

Hold on one second.

I am sorry, I just got your text.

- Can you meet me at my car? We need to talk.

- Can't it wait?

I'm about to step into a department meeting.

- I need you to meet me now.

- Well, can it wait 30 minutes?

- No.

- What's going on, Jack?

- When I see you, okay?

Please, Britney.

- Okay.

- Are you okay? What's goin' on?

- I wanted you to hear it from me

before you hear anything from anyone else.

- Wait, hear what? You're scaring me, Jack.

- The other day, when I went back for my bag.

I found Clara about to hang herself.

She was standing on the prop table.

She had an extension cord around her neck.

- Oh my god. - No, I got to her just in time.

- Wait. Wait. Is she okay?

- She was pregnant.

She had convinced herself that was the only way out.

- So, when I called you and you said Dustin.

- Yeah, that was a... that was an excuse.

She... she begged me to keep it a secret.

She threatened to kill herself

if I told her parents or anyone else.

- I'm not anyone, Jack. I care about her too.

- Of course, and I wanted to tell you, Brit,

more than anything. But I was afraid

that she would go through with it.

She... she almost did it.

I literally caught her as she stepped off the table!

- So when you said you went to see Dustin?

I uh...

I was in New Mexico. I took Clara to get an abortion.

- Jack.

- What else could I do? What?

She was going to take her own life.

- Well, what about the life she was carrying?

- What would you have done?

- I don't know.

But I would have never lied to you.

I've never given you reason not to trust me.

Not to talk to me.

And now you've put me in this horrible position

of keeping this secret or blowing up our lives.

- Britney, I'm not asking you to keep any secrets.

I'm going to the police to tell them everything.

- The police? Why?

- Because things have...

gotten a little bit more complicated than I thought.

- More complicated how?

- Jack Fletcher?

Turn around and put your hands on the car.

- What's goin' on? - Why?

- Jack Fletcher, you're under arrest for statutory rape.

- What?!

- You have the right to remain silent.

Anything you say can and will be used against you

in a court of law. - This is insane!

- You have the right to an attorney.

If you can't afford one, a lawyer will be provided for you.

- This is a mistake, alright. You have to trust me.

- Let's go.

- This is a mistake. You have to trust me!

- Defence calls Clara Palmer.

- Ten students and five faculty members

were deposed by the District Attorney and by me.

Those depositions have been given to the jury.

Have you read them?

Would you say they were consistent

in their characterization of your relationship

with Mr. Fletcher?

- Yes, they were all, uh, consistent.

- Everyone described Mr. Fletcher as an advocate,

a fierce believer in your intelligence,

in your talent and in your future.

Is that an accurate description?

- It was.

- Before your claim that the relationship between you

and Mr. Fletcher became sexual.

- Yes.

- Can you explain why no one ever witnessed

one inappropriate moment between the two of you.

- He took me to get an abortion. That's inappropriate.

- Yes, it is. And it's illegal.

But it's a far cry from the statutory rape charge

he's facing because of your allegation.

Mr. Fletcher acted against his own moral judgment

because you were in crisis.

Because you threatened to kill yourself if he didn't,

isn't that right? - No.

- Mr. Fletcher risked his job, his relationships,

and his freedom in order to help you, didn't he?

- Asked and answered, Your Honor.

- Sustained. - Miss Palmer,

can you provide any concrete evidence

that the relationship with Jack Fletcher became sexual?

- No.

- Because the relationship with Mr. Fletcher

never became sexual, isn't that right?

- It's because he got rid of all the evidence

when he took me to get the abortion.

- Clara, please don't do this.

- You will not address the defendant directly,

is that clear? - She's lying. She's scared!

One more word

and I will have you removed from this courtroom,

do you understand?

- Yes, Your Honor.

- It's so good to see you.

Um they set bail at uh...

a hundred grand and they know I can't afford that.

- Of course they set it high, it's a crime against a minor.

- Except I didn't do it.

- Then why would she say you did?

- Wait. What? You don't seriously believe I...

- I don't know what to believe.

- I never... I never touched her, Brit.

I never even looked at her that way.

Look, she told me that Richie had gotten her pregnant

and I believed her and then, afterward,

I found out that it was actually her stepfather

who had been abusing her for God knows how long.

- I keep getting blind-sided! I mean, look where we are!

- I know.

And I'm sorry. I told her I had to tell the police,

that's why I went to talk to you.

- I was planning my life around you.

- We can still have that life.

- How?

I don't even know who you are.

- I'm the same person I've always been.

- Well, if that were true, we wouldn't be here.

- Brit, she's freaked out, but she'll come to her senses

and we'll get through this. Everything we talked about.

Buying land, having kids. - Kids?

- Yes. Yes. You, me, a family.

That's still all that matters to me.

- How can you say that after what you did?

- What I did was try to help a girl in trouble.

- Even if that's true.

Even if I choose to believe that you didn't do

everything that they're sayin'.

You still took an underage girl, a kid, to get an abortion.

That wasn't for you to decide.

- Do you think I wanted to get involved?!

Maybe if she had better options I wouldn't have had to.

- Even so.

You did it. And you lied about it.

And you didn't think about what that would do to us?

My mom was 19

when she got pregnant

and she didn't think that she wasn't ready.

She didn't think she couldn't do it.

And so

she was walking into an abortion clinic when someone,

a complete stranger, convinced her to change her mind,

to keep her baby.

To keep me.

So for me this isn't just about my faith, it's who I am.

- No, Brit! Brit! Brit.

- When Mr. Fletcher was arrested, he told the police

that your stepfather had gotten you pregnant.

Did your stepfather get you pregnant?

You never said that? - No.

- To your knowledge, did Mr. Fletcher

ever report your stepfather to the authorities?

- Only after he was arrested.

- That's convenient.

Please tell the court what happened when you told

Mr. Fletcher you were pregnant.

- He told me he would take care of it.

- And by "take care of it," did he mean destroying evidence

of the illicit relationship

he'd instigated with his underage student?

- Leading the witness, Your Honor.

- Sustained.

- How did you pay for your abortion?

- I didn't. Mr. Fletcher did.

- How? Cash or a check? Credit card?

- Cash.

- So he could keep your relationship hidden

and untraceable. - Conjecture, Your Honor.

- Sustained.

- How long had your relationship been going on?

- I don't know, I don't...

- Weeks? Months?

Approximately when did it start?

- Spring.

The first time was in his car.

He was driving me home.

There was a baseball game on the radio, so it was spring.

He pulled his car over.

- So this had been going on for several months.

- Yes. - I need to talk to Britney.

- You know you have to convince the jury, not her.

- And how's that goin'?

Please. Let me use your phone so I can text her.

- Sometimes he would ask me to stay after school

to work on costumes for the play.

- And to your knowledge did he ever ask

any other students to stay late?

- No. Not usually. - Why didn't you tell anyone.

- Because he told me that...

that people would assume that I wanted it.

I didn't want it. Not once.

- I have no further questions.

The prosecution rests, Your Honor.

- This court will recess for 15 before closing arguments.

All rise.

- She did great back there. You did great.

We got about 15 minutes till the Judge calls us back in,

I'm gonna get a beverage. Anybody thirsty?

- We're uh, we're good, thank you.

- Okay.

- Sweetie. What's going on?

- She's just nervous.

Hey.

Everything's okay.

I got this, Jessica. Just give us a minute, okay?

There, you see.

You see, you're worrying your mom.

What'd she ever do to deserve all this?

- I can't do this to Mr. Fletcher.

- You already have.

- Mrs. Palmer.

- Ms. Thoms...

- Can we talk? Somewhere private?

- Whatever you have to say you can say it right here.

- Mrs. Palmer, I've seen you at Church

and I believe you and I share a deep devotion to Jesus Christ.

So you don't need me to explain how grave a sin it is

to bear false witness.

- What are you suggesting?

- Your daughter is lying about what happened.

I wasn't sure what to believe myself, not at first.

- But you are now?

- Jack never denied taking Clara to New Mexico to

terminate her pregnancy. Which I'm still struggling with.

But these other charges,

Jack would have never done the things

that Clara's accusing him of.

- This is almost over, alright,

but until it is, get a grip and keep your mouth shut.

- I think I've heard enough.

- Then it's time to start listening.

If not to me, then to your own daughter.

- What are you bothering my wife about?

- Clara invented this story

because she's trying to protect you.

- Leave my family alone. I'm warning you.

- Clara, Jack cares about you, always has.

He doesn't deserve this.

- I warned you to leave my family alone!

- No, Frank. You leave us alone. - Come on Jessica,

you're not gonna let this woman get you all turned around.

- Don't you touch me!

Don't you touch me or my daughter ever again!

- Ma'am?

- She is my daughter!

She is my daughter!

How could you?!

- What is goin' on? - How could you?!

- What is goin' on? Is everything okay here?

How could you?

- Clara's recanted her testimony.

She's giving a new statement to the police.

They've taken her stepfather into custody.

As to the charges against you,

they're gonna drop everything

except transporting a minor across state lines

without parental consent. - Okay. Okay.

- I'm not promising you anything,

but I'm pretty confident I can cut a deal with the DA,

get you probation.

You'll probably lose your teacher's licence,

at least in Texas,

but at least you won't be a registered sex offender.

- Oh. Thank you, thank you, Emmett. Really.

- You can thank your fiancée.

Good luck, Jack.

- Hi.

Thank you for believing me

and for saving me.

- You're a good man, Jack.

- I've really missed you.

- I miss you too.

But I...

I still can't get past what you did.

- Maybe you will, in time.

Nothing's black and white.

- Some things are. At least for me.

You know, I... kept not being able to throw this away.

At first I thought it was evidence of something

between you and Clara,

but then I realized it was a kind of sign.

Some things break and are meant to stay broken.

And that's okay.

Yeah.

- Hey.

- Hey.

Heard the run went well.

- I heard that too.

- The show must go on, right?

- I think I'm gonna hate myself forever for what I did to you.

- Oh I don't want that. Don't do that.

- You don't... you don't have to be nice to me.

I don't think I deserve you being nice to me.

- Clara, look at me.

We're okay.

And all I ever wanted

was for you to be okay.

You know that, right?

You're a kid, I'm not mad at you.

You're just a kid.

Difuze