All language subtitles for L.A.Law.S01E04.The.Princess.and.the.Wiener.King.1080p.DSNP.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-NTb_track4_[eng]

- Often, the problems we
confront in our pro bono cases

are not legally complex but are
nonetheless critical to those

experiencing them.

And the satisfaction
they will bring you

cannot be measured in dollars.

I would urge you never to
forget that as lawyers, we

have an historical
responsibility

to represent the needs
of all the people,

not just those
who can afford us.

Whatever our
aspirations, I'm afraid

my generation cannot
lay claim to having

been very good caretakers.

More people will
awaken this morning

in a state of
poverty and despair

than populated the planet
in the year I was born.

You are the privileged
of our youth.

And our hopes reside with
you, that you will profit

from our mistakes, so
that during your watch,

you will realize a
fairer, more just society.

God knows there's never
been a greater need.

[applause]

- Let's open the
floor to questions.

[student clears throat]

[coughing]

- You, sir.

- Mr. McKenzie, we are aware
that many of the New York law

firms have raised their
starting associate salary

levels to $65,000 per annum.

And what I'd like to
know is, in your opinion,

do you feel that the
Los Angeles firms will

follow suit in the near future?

And specifically, will
McKenzie Brackman move

to increase their starting
salary levels commensurately?

- Oh, I assume we'll
offer something

compatible with what's
being offered elsewhere.

- Mr. McKenzie.

- The young lady in the front.

- In that vein, what impact
would the new tax laws have

on such things as perk packages,
company cars, and other forms

of non-salary compensation?

- Mr. McKenzie--
- Sir.

- Sir.
- Sir.

- Mr. McKenzie--

[women chatting indistinctly]

- Good morning, Mr. Brackman.

- Who are all those people, Liz?

- They're all here in answer
to your ad in The Times.

You're interviewing
housekeepers today?

- Ah.

I'll see them all at once.

- Mr. Brackman,
Mr. Sifuentes says

that you have to spend at least
five minutes with each one

before you turn them down.

- Well, they can't wait
in reception all day.

Put them somewhere
out of the way.

- Where?

- You're a smart woman.

You figure it out.

- Where the hell is that
letter from Ralph Moorewood?

Oh.

That's so strong!

I'll be jumpy all day.

And how many times have I told
you I don't like these cups?

The handles!

You can't-- they're too small.

- Did we get out of bed on
the wrong side this morning?

- Oh, damn it, Iris.

I tried to communicate a
sense of responsibility,

a sense of pride in the law.

And all those little snots
could see were dollar signs.

- Well, I'd be most
grateful if you

didn't vent your fiscal
outrage on me, thank you.

- Hi.

- judge is Coleman.

He's an administrative--

- Ms. Kelsey, could I
see you for a moment

Mr. Chaney's office, please?

- What's up, Stuart?

- Please.

- Thanks, Alex!

[giggling quietly]

- If you don't give me
a wet one right now,

I'm gonna be forced
to use force.

[women laughing]

- (MUFFLED) Stuart?

- Hmm?

[laughter]

[theme music]

- So I would argue, Your Honor,
this case should be dismissed,

there being no probable
cause for the police

to stop and question my
client in the first place.

- Defendant was walking
naked down Hollywood

Boulevard, Your Honor.

- Freedom of
expression, Your Honor.

First Amendment, backbone
of the personal freedoms

our Constitution holds so dear.

- Counsel is under
the misapprehension

it's his client's backbone
that's the particular bone

of contention here.
[laughter]

- There being sufficient
and probable cause

to believe a crime
has been committed,

defendant will be
held to answer.

Trial is set in Department 137,
November the 3rd at 9:00 AM.

Released OR.

See that he keeps his pants on
until that time, Mr. Pomerantz.

[laughter]

- Hi.

- Don't they give you enough
work to do, Mr. Kuzak?

- As a matter of fact,
I'm unexpectedly free.

Would you care to
get some lunch?

- You don't take
no for an answer.

- Well, strictly speaking,
you haven't said no.

- No.

And frankly, you are
pestering me beyond the limits

of good taste.

- I plead guilty to
one count with time

off for good behavior.

- Ah, but the court
has yet to see

evidence of this good
behavior, Mr. Kuzak.

- If I have gone too
far, I apologize.

- I accept.

- Actually, I just wanted
you to know that this

is not some high school crush.

- I'm flattered.

Thank you.

But I'd feel better if you gave
me your assurance that from now

on, you will leave me alone.

- You got it.

Absolutely.

- Thank you.

- I hope you'll be happy
with what's-his-name.

Oh.

- Thank you, Mickey.

- Mr. McKenzie?

Jeffrey Sullivan, sir.

I apologize for trying to see
you without an appointment.

I tried to get a few minutes
with you after your talk,

but you left in
such a hurry, I--

I didn't get a chance.

- Well, I'm rather pressed
for time, Mr. Sullivan.

If this is an
application for a job,

you may leave your
resume with my secretary.

- No, I'm not here about a
job, and I don't want to take

up much of your time either.

I-- I just wanted to tell you
how much I appreciated what

you had to say to us yesterday.

I just want you to know that
not everybody in law school

just cares about money.

I mean, if defending the
ruling-class interests

is what it's all
about, I don't think

I want to be a part of it.

I mean, if being a good
lawyer necessitates

having to competently argue
either side of the same case,

how do you do a good job and
still hold on to your values?

- I don't eat.

I got no pep for the business.

The doctors put me on sedatives.

- Divorce is a
dislocation, Mr. Lewis.

Like an injury, it
takes time to heal.

- You don't understand.

Without her, I can't
get up in the morning.

I want to cancel the
settlement meeting.

- Let me give you
a couple of reasons

why that's not a good idea.

I had one of our
private detectives

do a check on your
wife's boyfriend.

His rap sheet.

We also found this, a
pawn ticket for a piece

of your wife's jewelry.

- He's pawned the gold
Rolex with the diamonds?

Do you know what
I paid for that?

- They're paying the hotel
expenses on your credit

card, their room service.

- She's infatuated.

It'll burn itself out.

- Human nature is a pretty
tricky piece of machinery.

See, you'd think if you
treat her like a princess,

you hand over the cookie jar,
she'll be devoted to you.

But she's like a child.

She wants you to set limits.

- I don't know
anything about that.

All I know is I
want my wife back.

- And I want you
to have her back.

Look.

You're older, and you're
wiser than I am, Mr. Lewis.

But in this one area,
I do know my stuff.

You're going to have to
shut down the gravy train.

[knocking on door]

Otherwise, she's got your
money, she's got the guy.

There's nothing to motivate her.

- So how do we do that?

- Well, uh, briefly, Irving, the
reason we settled with the IRS

was to characterize
those monies you placed

in service of your
wife's holding

corporation as personal loans.

Bottom line, and depending
on which set of figures

they go with, if she
insists on divorcing you,

either you won't
owe her anything,

or she's going to owe you
nearly a million bucks.

- This is legal?

- Absolutely.

You just paid $1.8
million to assure it.

- Scoundrels.

This will get us back together?

- Believe me, Mr. Lewis.

We know what we're doing.

- Tomorrow?

- Day after.

2:00.

- Now, I feel better.

[phone ringing]

- [laughs] No, that's--

Oh, Iris!

Mr. Sullivan will be
joining us as a clerk.

He'll be working here
afternoons after school.

- How nice.

- He'll need paper, pens,
supplies, and a telephone.

Anything at all you need, Iris
will be happy to assist you.

- That'll be great.

- And after observing the dead
body of Billy Simmons, age 18,

did you have occasion to arrest
his sister, Tracy Simmons,

for the murder?

- Yes, I did.

- And then, what happened?

- I read the defendant
her constitutional rights,

at which time she
waived her rights

and told me she wanted to
talk to me without a lawyer.

- And did she make a statement?

- She said she killed her
brother with her father's gun.

- Thank you.

No further questions.

- Cross.

- Thank you.

Officer Castellano,
did Tracy tell

you why she killed her brother?

- Something about having
an argument with him.

- Did she mention his
trying to rape her?

- She said a lot of things,
kind of rambling on.

It was hard to understand her.

- Isn't it true, Officer,
that she said that

when her brother
tried to assault her,

she shot him in self-defense?

- No.

Not in those words.

- But that was the
gist of it, wasn't it?

- Yes.

- Thank you.

No further questions.

- People rest.

- Mr. Sifuentes, any defense?

- Yes, I'd like to call
Tracy Simmons to the stand.

And who was home
that night, Tracy?

- My mom and dad were out,
and my baby sister was asleep.

- Where was your brother?

- He was out.

- What time did he come home?

- 11:00, 11:30.

- And then what happened?

- He, um-- he came after me.

- How, exactly?

- He, um, push me
down on the couch.

Then he pulled the
zipper on my pants.

- What did you do?

- I tried to get him off of me.

I told him I wasn't going to
let him do it to me anymore.

- Then this had happened before?

- Yes.

- I know this is painful, Tracy.

But could you tell the judge
the first time it happened?

- Um, about-- about
two years ago,

he came into my room and he put
a pillow over my face to shut

me up, and he did it to me.

- Did what, exactly, Tracy?

- Had, um-- had
sexual intercourse.

- Did it ever happen again?

- Yes.

- How often?

- At least once a week.

Until I decided, no more.

- And what happened the
night you decided to say no?

- He started hitting me around.

Then, he-- he got on top of me.

He yanked me by my
hair and told me

if I didn't let him do it to
me, he'd beat me up real bad.

- What did you do then?

- I, um--

I socked him as hard as I
could in between the legs,

and I tried to get away.

He was real mad, saying what
he was going to do to me.

I ran to the closet, and
I got my daddy's gun down.

I told him to get out,
and I told him, no more.

But he kept coming at me.

So I, um--

I shot at him.

And I kept shooting until
he stopped coming at me.

- Thank you, Tracy.

No further questions
at this time.

- Cross.

- Tracy, did you ever
tell anyone about what

your brother was doing?

- No.

- You say that you
and your brother

had sex at least once
a week for two years,

and you never told anyone.

- No.

- Why not?

Was it because you
liked what he was doing?

- Objection.

- Withdraw the question.

Did you not bring it up because
it never really happened?

- I tried to tell my mother,
but she didn't believe me.

- When did you tell your
mother that your brother

was having sex with you?

- I never exactly told her that.

- Well, I thought you
just said that you did.

- No, I said I tried.

- Did you tell your
mother about your brother?

Yes or no?

- No.

- Well, I'm confused, Tracy.

See, first, you said
yes, now you say no.

Were you lying then,
or are you lying now?

- Objection.

The question has been
asked and answered.

The DA is badgering the witness.

- Sustained.

- I have no further
questions, Your Honor.

Defense rests, Your Honor.

- All right.

- Kendall, what the hell were
you trying to do in there?

- In there?

My job.

- Bullying a little
girl who's been raped

and brutalized by her
18-year-old brother

goes beyond the job profile.

- Mr. Sifuentes, you're so
intent on winning your case,

you're not even thinking about
what's truly in your client's

best interests.

- Not juvenile hall.

- Well, it beats
the alternative.

- The alternative is a
reasonably stable

home environment.

- 18-year-old boys
who rape their little

sisters don't usually learn
their moves in a vacuum.

Now, you send that
little girl home,

and a month's salary says she's
only killed half the problem.

- Bringing us to Farmer versus
Continental Systems Technology.

That's our leverage
buyout situation.

Ms. Kelsey, have you had
a chance to dip into those

interrogatories I
left out for you?

- Douglas, you just dumped
15 tons of documents

on my desk a half an hour ago.

- Should she deign to
honor us with her presence

at some point,
Dragoon Ms. Perkins.

That's what she was hired for.

What's State versus Simmons?

- That's mine.

13-year-old girl who'd been
molested by her brother

killed him.

- Pro bono?

- What's the problem, Doug?

You worried it's going to
interfere with the green card

that I'm getting for
your housekeeper?

- Sleazy tabloid, low-rent
pro bono cases may stimulate

your viscera, but let us not
lose sight of your commitment

to generating billable hours.

- Now, that's enough.

I'm sick and tired of
this obsession with fees.

If Mr. Sifuentes or any
other attorney in this firm

sees fit to offer
his or her services

and time for the public good,
that's good enough for me.

Now, move along.

- Before we adjourn, may
I point out that this

firm's consumption of 8-by-14
yellow legal pads has increased

over the last six months by a
factor of 37%, whereas our work

output has increased a mere 8%?

The most benign interpretation
of this disparity

is that some or all of
us are wasting paper.

The most malignant is that
you're taking them home.

At $1.19 a unit, might I
suggest, at the very least,

that you use both sides?

We stand adjourned.

- Hi.

- It's almost 12:30.

- I'm sorry.

I was going crazy waiting
for Angela Sipriano

to call me back, so I tracked
her down at her office.

- Why didn't you just
let her do her job?

- I just needed to check.

OK?

I'm sorry.

- Douglas has given
us the Farmer buyout.

I've divided it up by year.

Start on '83, '84.

I'm going to want them
back tomorrow morning.

- All of them?

- I can't do it alone.

- Ann, I'm going through
a very tough time.

- I understand.

If you need a week
off, two weeks, say so.

But don't tell me you'll
be here to do the job,

and then not do it.

- Why are you being this way?

- Because I have to be
able to count on you.

You didn't show up yesterday.

You missed an important
meeting with Farmer,

and you leave me
holding the bag.

- You don't have
children, and you don't

know what I'm going through.

You think you can
drown out your problems

by working all the time.

- We are not talking about me.

- I am paralyzed.

It takes all my strength just to
get out of bed in the morning.

It would be easier
if he were dead.

At least, then I would know
and I could get on with it.

- Abby.

You can either let this thing
destroy your life or inform it.

The reality is, you may
get Eric back tomorrow.

You may not find
him for six months.

Or you may never see him again.

- I can't think in those terms.

- You don't have
any choice, Abby.

You just don't have any choice.

- When do you want these by?

- Tomorrow, first thing.

- I'll have them for you
tonight by the time I leave.

[music playing]

- Hi.

- Can you give me a
minute with her, OK?

How are you, Tracy?

You nervous?

- A little.

- It's going to be fine.

Let me ask you something,
Tracy, about your father.

Did he try to have sex with you?

If he did, Tracy,
I can help you.

But you got to trust me.

- What would happen to him?

- Well, we could get
him out of the house.

- We finally going to
get a verdict today?

- On the facts presented,
I found the testimony of

the minor child to be credible.

And along with physical
evidence of struggle,

I find that she acted
in self-defense.

[sighs in relief]

Accordingly, the petition
will not be sustained.

Young lady, you may go home.

- Your Honor, a return
to the home at this time

could be highly destructive.

Studies have shown--

- Counselor,
unfortunately, I cannot

decide a case on the
basis of studies,

probabilities, and maybes.

However, if you have
any substantive evidence

of an unfit home environment,
I would encourage

you to file a
petition, at which time

a determination can be made.

Call the next case.

- Well, you won the battle.

Stay tuned for the war.

- Mr. Simmons, can I
talk to you for a second?

- What about?

- Come into my office.

- This gonna be about money?

- It's about you
and your daughter.

- Let me tell you something
about my daughter, OK?

She lies.

She makes up stories.

- No, Mr. Simmons, I'll
tell you something.

If what I think is true,
and I'm pretty sure it is,

I'm not going to
turn my back on it.

- Listen, mister.

Nobody interferes with
how I raise my family.

Nobody!

Now, I'm walking out
this door, and I'm taking

her home, where she belongs.

If you got a problem
with that, you go live

in the freaking Soviet Union.

Because you got no
right threatening people

and breaking up their families.

We straight on that?

[music playing]

- Mr. Kuzak?

Kevin Crenshaw.

- Hi.

- I'm sorry I'm late.

- No problem.

I appreciate your making time
for me on such short notice.

- I can't tell you how pleased
I am that the Trial Lawyers

Association wants
to give Grace Van

Owen a favorable evaluation.

- We've had our eye on
her for some time now.

- I brought you some additional
information on the candidate.

- I can keep these?

- Please.

- You know, I think
I remember hearing

your name first in
connection with Skelley's

campaign for the Senate.

I was very impressed
with what you did there.

- Imagine how impressed
you'd have been if he'd won.

- Well, win or lose,
your campaigns almost

always take the high road.

Frankly, I was surprised to
hear your name in connection

with a local judicial election.

- I have a personal
involvement with the candidate.

We're getting married
in three weeks.

- Congratulations.

- The truth is,
marriage aside, I

wouldn't have taken
this on if I didn't feel

that she's uniquely qualified.

- Sorry I'm late.

- Speak of the devil.

The candidate.

- Hi--

- Grace?

You're not going to believe
that I didn't set this up,

but I didn't.

- Excuse me.

Kevin.

- Meet Michael Kuzak.

He's with the Trial
Lawyers Association.

- What a genuine pleasure it
is to meet you, Ms. Van Owen.

I am a great admirer of yours.

- Mr. Kuzak.

- Can you join us?

- I really can't.

- Oh, just for a minute.

- What's this about, anyway?

- You.

The Trial Lawyers
Association is giving

you a favorable evaluation.

- Is that so?

- Well, your casework
is exemplary.

You have one of
the best conviction

rates in the DA's office.

And you're given high marks
by your fellow attorneys

on both sides of the aisle.

In short, Ms. Van Owen, you have
substance, without sacrificing

style, humor, or compassion.

- That's lovely.

You have really put your
finger on this woman.

- Thank you.

I love eating my lunch at 4:00.

- Try thinking of it
as an early dinner.

- I'm going to get a soda.

You want one?

- I just want to make sure
we're still on for tonight.

- I've still got so much
to get through here.

Maybe tonight's a bad idea.

- Well, uh, come to my house.

You can come right from
the office, and I'll--

I'll cook something up.

- I don't even know
where you live.

- Well, I'm going to tell you.

[chuckles] Got a little
house in Brentwood.

- Are you sure?

I mean, I may be a while.

- Well, you'll get there
when you get there.

OK?

- Assuming we're
agreed on formula,

my client is prepared to accept
a lump-sum settlement of $7.35

million, plus alimony
of $40,000 a month

for a period of three years--

half the number of the
years of the marriage.

What is this?

- Corporate records prepared
by Nat Oppenheim, an accountant

hired by the Lewises to
oversee a personal holding

company known as Denitra
Loves Irv, Incorporated.

- Irving handled all that.

- Nevertheless, those are your
signatures on those documents,

are they not?
- Yes.

So?

- Directing your attention
to the column on the right,

you'll notice in the
years 1980 to 1986,

Mr. Lewis deposited nearly $8.1
million into that corporation,

effectively financing every
aspect of his wife's career.

- A business investment.

- No, sir.

Loans personally guaranteed
by Mrs. Lewis, due and payable

upon dissolution
of this marriage.

Additionally, you'll see
there a copy of Mr. Lewis's

recent settlement with the IRS.

- [chuckles] Really,
you can't expect

to ride roughshod over us with
this flimsy bookkeeping trick.

In any event, these are
all community obligations.

- I strongly disagree, as
does our tax department.

The way we see it,
Mrs. Lewis owes

Mr. Lewis close to $1 million.

- Well, we're wasting
our time here.

We'll see you in court.

- No!

- Atta girl!

The hell with the lawyers.

You come back, we'll
take a nice cruise.

- I'd rather kill myself.

- Why do I deserve this
after all I did for you?

I gave you everything!

- You bought me everything--
the house, the car, the jewelry.

I couldn't go anywhere!

I couldn't do anything!

You had television
cameras installed

in every room of our house, so
you could keep an eye on me!

- That was for security!

- [sighs] That was
to keep me prisoner.

- I'll take them down!

Denitra, give me another chance.

I can change.

- The only person who can
change is me, and I'm doing it.

- So that's it, huh?

You and the pretty boy,
you're going to run

off into the sunset together.

- That's history.

I kicked him out.

All he wanted from me was money.

And all I wanted from
him was an excuse

to get out of a lousy marriage.

- Oh, some lousy marriage.

I gave her millions
to make her happy!

She treats me like dog poo!

Will someone please explain
to me why I still want her?

- Please don't do
this to yourself.

I don't want you.

But you'll take another
$7.35 million and $40,000

a month, huh?

- I don't want
you or your money!

- Hold on here.

- So be it!

She gets nothing!

- Fine!

Draw up any kind of paper
you want, and I'll sign it!

- I strongly advise
against this.

You don't know what
you're giving up here.

- I know what I'm giving up.

You don't know what I'm getting.

[sighs]

- Don't worry.

Everything's going
to be just fine.

- Sure.

If I'm lucky, I'll
get a disease and die.

- Where's Michael
Kuzak's office?

Thank you.

- Uh, excuse me--

- You're excused.

- Grace?

- I have one question.

What were you trying to prove?

That you could get
back at me by trying

to humiliate a decent good man?

- Well, I had no idea you
were going to be there,

and I wasn't trying
to humiliate anyone.

I just wanted to
meet my competition.

- There is no competition.

And for your information, you
haven't put your finger on me,

and you will never
put your finger on me,

and you can keep your
damn fingers to yourself.

- Well, it was a
metaphorical finger.

- It was a metaphorical
finger, my butt.

What I ought to do is go into
your senior partner's office

and seek a formal admonishment.

And if I have any
more trouble from you,

I will do exactly that.

Is that clear?

- Entirely.

- Fine.

- Hi, Grace.

- Go to hell, Victor.

- Girl trouble?

Anything you want to talk about?

- I hear you won
your pro bono case.

- Yeah.

Look, let me ask you something.

You ever had one
of these cases when

you were at the DA's office?

- More than I care to remember.

This one time, I couldn't make
the case against the father.

The daughter who was being
molested wouldn't cooperate.

The wife was useless.

So since she was 16, we had her
declared an emancipated minor.

- Well, kid's too young.

- So we got her
out of the house,

then the father moves in on the
younger sister, who, six months

later, tries to commit suicide.

Nice, huh?

- How old was the sister?

- 10.

Believe it?

- This is your little house?

- Yeah, well, you know.

It's, uh, it's not a
lot of rooms, really.

[gasps]

Here.

- It's stunning!

It's like something out
of House and Garden!

- Yeah.

Oh, excuse me.

My clams are opening.

Yeah.

[sizzling]

Oh, boy.

I hope you brought
your appetite.

- Stuart, this is amazing.

Are you-- are you a
bank robber on the side?

- Well, I have a
confession to make.

I'm rich.
- Yeah.

- Yeah.

Well, my grandfather is
rich, and then my father--

he was rich.

And then, I didn't hurt myself
in the real estate boom,

you know.

And a little parsley.

And we're eating.

You wanna grab the cheese?

To us.

[music playing]

- I thought I knew you.

It's like all this time,
you had a secret life.

- It's no secret.

I just never had anybody
I wanted to share it with.

And perhaps I'm being
a little forward,

but would you consider
moving in with me?

[sighs]

- Can I just visit for now?

- Sure.

Would you like to see my shower?

[chuckles]

- Actually, you know what
I would really love to do?

Do you dance, Stuart?

You want to dance with me?

[music playing]

- I'm urging you to file
charges, Mrs. Simmons.

- That's crazy.

My husband's not a criminal.

- Your husband is sick!

He's destroying your children,
and you're letting him!

Now, please, I want
to help you, but I

can't unless you file charges.

- I can't do that.

I just can't.

- There's no one
else who can do it.

- Tracy could.

- Who is the wife
in this family?

You or your daughter?

Now, you've lost one child by
turning your back on the truth.

How many more are you
willing to sacrifice?

- (CRYING) Oh, my god!

- How can you live
with yourself,

knowing that this man puts
his hands on your children?

He forces them into
adult sex acts!

- (CRYING) Please,
please, just leave.

- He molested your daughter.

I wouldn't be surprised if he
did the same thing to your son.

What is to stop him from
turning on your youngest?

[sobbing]

My phone number is on the back.

I'm begging you, call me.

[music playing]

- You miscited
State versus Vogel.

- Really?

- We use state court citations,
not the Pacific Reporter.

- You wouldn't happen to
know that offhand, would you?

- Why don't you look it
up yourself, Mr. Sullivan?

- Right.

- How's our young man?

- Careless.

- Oh.

Is there a problem?

- I'm not an Eskimo, Leland.

- Excuse me?

- You can't just loan
me out to strangers.

- Shall we discuss this inside?

- I did some checking
in the files.

Mr. Sullivan's singularly
undistinguished resume

has been in our file for
months, along with dozens

of other far more
qualified applicants

who can't get through the door!

Face it.

He's conned you.

- If so, we'll know soon enough.

- I know it now.

- What has set
you off like this?

- I have been sitting
out there, taking orders

from this impertinent squirt!

One more lawyer I
have to break in,

one more kid with
a blazing future

who doesn't know
half the law I know!

And I begin to see
I've spent the better

part of my entire
adult life devoted

to furthering your
aims and your career

at the expense of my own!

- Do you feel that you
deserve more money or--

- I deserve your attention.

I deserve answers to questions.

I deserve not to be made to
feel like some functionary,

like a stick of furniture!

Maybe I don't have the right
to your passion any longer.

But I insist on your respect.

- You have it.

And my gratitude.

But-- I think you'd be
well-advised to start

living your own life, not mine.

- Maybe if you'd given me this
little speech 15 years ago,

I would have been able
to do something about it.

- If you're unhappy
with your life

and you're unwilling
to change it,

that's your fault, not mine.

- Always the consummate
lawyer, aren't you, Leland?

Always twisting facts so
they come out your way.

What do you advise me
to do, join the circus?

Go to law school?

- Why not?

- Because it's late.

I'm not a kid.

Besides, you couldn't
survive without me.

- Go to night school.

- It's that easy?

- No.

Blaming others for your
frustration is easy.

Doing something about it--

that's hard.

- Mr. Hardball, huh?

Mr. Trust-Me, Mr. Know-It-All,
you destroyed my marriage!

- I did what I thought
was in your best interest.

- If that's your best, you're
incompetent to practice law!

I'm firing the
whole bunch of you!

And I'm not going to
sign this agreement.

I'm going to make sure
she doesn't either.

- She already has.

- What?

- Mr. Lewis, couples don't
break up because of lawyers,

and they don't get
back together because--

- Stop with the psychology!

I listened to you,
I lost the princess!

- All right.

I had occasion today to see
Denitra to get her signature.

Your princess is hustling
her cakes at a strip joint

off Western Avenue.

- I ought to knock you
down for that, sonny.

- You got your car here?

- Yes.

- Come on.

Let's go for a ride.

[phone buzzes]

- Yeah?

OK, I'm coming.

- I want to do the right thing.

- Come on in.

We'll make a few calls.

[music playing]

It's going to be all right.

[club music]

[men chatting indistinctly]

- You boys ready for
some more drinks?

I said, you boys ready
for some more drinks?

- Bring it down here, honey.
- What can I get for you?

- I'm nearsighted.

- Oh, yeah.

- Be right back.

[laughs]

- Get your hands
off her, you slob!

- What's your problem, pal?

[yelling]

- Come on!

You want a piece of me?

- That's enough!

- Get off that stage!

You look like a whore!

- Irv?

Irv!

[indistinct yelling]

- It's what I told you
at the get-go, honey.

No boyfriend, no trouble.

- I know, Jerry.

- If I make an
exception for you,

then I got to make
it for everybody.

OK, sweetheart?

- OK.

Why did you come here?

- Because I love you.

- I don't want you
to love me anymore.

I need to make it on my own.

- This is making it?

Letting guys grope
you, touch you?

- It's my life!

It doesn't affect you.

- OK, so you made your point.

Stop torturing me and come home!

I can change.

I swear, I'll try.

- I know you will, Irv.

And maybe even for
two or three weeks,

you'll do a pretty good job.

But you're 66 years old.

You're too old to
learn new tricks.

I need to find out who I am.

And I can't do it living
in your fantasy world.

- Denitra.

I can't live without you.

- You're going to have to.

I love you, Irving.

Probably always will.

Please believe that.

But I can't live
with you anymore.

What are you doing?

- What does it look like?

Here, take it.

- Irving, this is half
a million dollars.

- It's all right.

- Take it.

- You're still trying to buy me!

Haven't you heard
a thing I said?

- Now, you listen, kiddo.

You think it's brave
to be on your own,

parading naked for garbage?

It's not brave.

It's foolish.

You want to be somebody?

Go to college.

- Irving.

No more gifts.

- It's not a gift.

You've earned it for six
wonderful years of marriage.

- All right.

Thank you.

[sighs]

- (CRYING) You be a good girl.

- I will.

- Don't you think you're taking
this pride thing a little bit

too far?

- I never had a
chance to be proud.

I kind of like it.

- You know, it's a lot tougher
out there than you realize.

- Except for my marriage, I've
worked every day in my life

since I was 14 years old.

- You got a lot of guts.

- Look out for him, OK?

- Yeah.

[doorbell rings]

- Coming!

- Hello.

- Hi.

- Uh, I know it's late,
but I couldn't sleep.

- Oh.

Come on in.

- You know I can't.

I just wanted--

I wanted to apologize
for the other day.

- Excuse the mess.

- I-- I acted immaturely.

- Well, I guess I did, too.

- Well, whatever our
differences may have been,

we're going to cross paths
socially and professionally,

and I just don't want
this to be a source

of ongoing embarrassment.

- Well, nor do I.

- Truce?

- Yeah.

- No, don't, please.

I have to go.

- Well, there's the door.

[music playing]

- Stop.

Stop.

- You stop.

- I have to go.

- Stay.

- I can't.

- Stay.

- If I stay, I
might never leave.

[music playing]

[door closes]

[theme music]