All language subtitles for L.A.Law.S08E14.God.Is.My.Co-Counsel.1080p.DSNP.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-NTb_track4_[eng]

- Can I look now?

- No, not yet.

- Please.

- OK, now you can look.

- Oh, you got 'em!

- I stopped on the way
to work this morning.

- Oh, wait.

We should do that
before we're married?

- Oh.

Well, we have to
see if they fit.

- Right.

[giggling]

[vocalizing]

Oh, the judge, he faxed
me the wedding vows.

So if you want, we could
practice before Saturday.

- Wow.

Gah.

Those are a lot of words.

- Yeah.

- Last time, I just said I do.

- What do you mean?

- Well, when I got married
before, we just said I do.

- You got married before?

- I told you that, Benny.

Didn't I?

- No.

- I thought I did.

I guess I didn't.

But it doesn't matter now.

It was a long time ago.

- How long were you married?

- About three days.

Then-- then my
parents found out,

and I haven't seen
him much after that.

Did your parents make
you get a divorce?

- We didn't tell
them we got married.

- How did you get a divorce?

- I guess we didn't.

Do you think that that
will be a problem?

[theme music]

- Rosalie forgot to
mention she was married?

- Yeah.

She was in high school.

She and another retarded
kid ran away to Reno.

They got married, lived
in a motel for a few days.

Neither one of them told their
parents about the wedding,

so Rosalie figured since they
didn't really live together,

they weren't really married.

- How you get a divorce
finalized by Saturday?

- I'm not going for a divorce.

I'm going for an annulment.

They were both underage, neither
one had parental consent.

All I have to do
is get the husband

to sign a declaration to that
effect, walk it past a judge.

No big deal.
- Well, I hope you're right.

Let's get started.

- Joyce versus
Westland City School,

Board wrongful termination.

- That's mine.

Michael Joyce is a high
school biology teacher.

School board fired
him for including

a discussion of creation science
in a senior honors biology

class.
- Good.

Let's continue.
Alvarez versus national--

- Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.

I'd like to hear a little
bit more about Jane's case

if you don't mind.
- What would you like to know?

- Tell me that we're
representing the school board.

- No, we're not.

We're representing
Michael Joyce.

- Why?

- That's who approached us.

- Well, he didn't exactly
approach us, Leland.

- Well, that's right.

He approached Jane, Jane
came to me, and I approved.

- Wait a minute,
Jane, this guy teaches

creationism in public schools?

- In a biology class no less.

- He teaches both
evolution and creationism

in a curriculum designed
to permit the students

to make up their own minds.

- So now we are opposed to the
separation of church and state.

Is that right?

We are lining up against
the First Amendment.

- I don't believe what
Michael did was violative

of the First Amendment.

- Leland, at the very
minimum, should this not

have been discussed
among the partners

prior to taking the case?

- I wasn't aware that we had
to be in ideological agreement

with every client we represent.

- With all due respect,
Leland, I think

that's a little disingenuous.

This isn't your garden
variety adversarial contest.

This dispute is
entirely ideological.

- Yes, it is, and
there are attorneys

here with differing
ideological as

well as religious persuasions.

I don't think that
Michael Joyce deserved

to be fired for teaching
his students that one

explanation for how the
world came into being

was that God created it.

- Nor do I.

- Oh, nor do you.

And are you gonna favor us
with a biblical citation

to that effect.
- No, I'm not.

I'm simply going to
say that each one of us

at different times has
represented clients or causes

that others have found odious.

- That's not the point.

- This young woman is
entitled to the same latitude

now that we've afforded
each other in the past.

And as far as biblical
citations, Stuart,

I believe that which is writ
large in the Book of Job,

chapter 33.

The spirit of God hath made me.

The breath of the Almighty
hath given me life.

[groaning]

Thank you.

- With that, it is done.

[chatter]

- Jane, don't hesitate
to let me know if you

need any help with this case.

- Oh my God.

[chatter]

Dad.

- Hi, baby.

What are you doing here?

- I came to see the trial.

- Why didn't you call me and
tell me that you were coming?

- Because you have
enough on your mind

without worrying about me.

- Arnold, this is my
father Reverend Halliday.

Arnold Becker.

- How do you do, Mr. Becker.

Very nice to meet you.

- Likewise, Reverend.

I'm sure I don't
have to tell you

your daughter is a great
pleasure to have around.

- No, you don't.
Mr, Becker.

If it'd been up to me,
she'd never left Oklahoma.

- Well, I have to get to court.

- Reverend, maybe
the three of us

can go out and have lunch
while you're in town.

- Oh, I don't think so.
- By all means.

- How about tomorrow.

- Oh, tomorrow I
have to come back

here and have lunch at my desk.

- We could join you.

- No, no, I have to work.

- Well, Reverend, you
and I should go out then.

- Get me a tuna sandwich on
rye and I'll be here at 1:00.

Shall we go?

- Nice to meet you.

- Bye bye.

- What sort of academic
credentials do you have,

Dr. Joyce?

- I have a PhD in biology.

My thesis was an
evolutionary theory.

- And how long have
you been teaching

biology at Westland High?

- Nine years.

- In that time, what
kind of evaluations

have you gotten from
your supervisors.

- Only good ones.

In fact, last
year, I was offered

a promotion to an administrative
position, which I declined.

- Why did you decline?

Because I love to teach.

That's all I've
ever wanted to do.

- In your discussions of
the origins of life on Earth

in your senior
honors science class,

did you teach your
students about evolution.

- Absolutely.

- Did you teach it as the
dominant scientific theory

regarding the origin of life?

- Yes, I did.

- Did you also
teach your students

the theory of creation science?

- Yes, I did.

- Why did you do so?

- Because creation science
is another explanation

for the origins of life.

- What, if anything, did the
school board do in response?

- They instructed me
to cease and desist

to teach anything to do with
creationism in my classroom.

- Did you comply?

- No, I did not.

- Why didn't you?

- Because as a teacher, I
believe in the right to explore

alternative theories.

I want my students to challenge
and question and analyze.

I want them to learn
to think for themselves

and not just absorb information.

And I'm doing what I'm doing
because I believe it's right.

And as far as I'm
concerned, that--

that is the most important
lesson I can teach them.

- Thank you.

I have no further questions.

- Are you a
Christian, Dr. Joyce?

- Objection, irrelevant.

- We're trying to determine
whether this man is

teaching science or religion.

His own religious
beliefs are relevant.

- It's what he does, not what
he believes that's relevant.

Objection is sustained.

Did you ever make
your students aware

of your religious beliefs, sir.

- I never hid it from them.

I also never took class
time to discuss them.

- Did you talk about them
other than during class time?

- Objection, irrelevant.

- Your honor, the way in
which his students perceived

this man is directly relevant.

- Objection overruled.

Witness may answer.

- Sir?

- I ran a Bible study
class on weekends.

Some of my high school
students attended.

- So it's fair to say is
it not that the students

in your biology class knew that
you yourself were a Christian?

- Is that bad?

- Ask that the
witness be instructed

to answer the question.

- Yes, they knew
I was a Christian.

- They knew, did they not,
that to you creationism

was not just another theory?

Creationism was the
way it happened.

Creationism was the word of God?

- That is not what I teach.
- Objection, badgering.

- My religious
beliefs do not dictate

what I do in my science class.

What I taught my students was
appropriate curriculum for

biology students to be taught.

- Did not your principal inform
you that is was, in fact,

inappropriate--
- Yes.

- That the curriculum was
not to include the teaching

of creation science?

- Yes, he did.

- You went right on teaching it.
- Yes!

- Thank you.

Nothing further, your honor.

- What are you all so afraid of?

- You may step down, Mr. Joyce.

- Well, what is so
threatening about a teacher

uttering the name of God.

- Mr. Joyce--

- Let me walk you
through this, Tim.

I've prepared the papers.

Once you and Rosalie
sign the papers,

I'll file them with the court,
and it'll be as though you

two were never married.

- It's as easy as that.

- An annulment is
quicker than a divorce.

It's simpler.

It's also way cheaper.

- Yeah, plus it'll let them
get married on Saturday?

- Right.

- Are you gonna invite
me to the wedding?

- No.

- You wanna come?

- Maybe I do.

- Naturally, you are free to
hire an attorney although this

is all pretty straightforward.

Why don't you read it over.

If you have any questions,
I'll explain it.

If you want to, you
could take it home

and show it to someone else.

You can do that, too.

The only thing I ask is that
we get this done by tomorrow.

- How come you never
called me back, Rosalie?

- I don't know.

It was a long, long time ago.

I don't remember.

- I called you every
day for two weeks,

and you never returned my call.

- My mom didn't want me to.

- You always do
what your mom wants?

- No.

- Then why didn't you call back?

- Arnie.

- Might I suggest that we
stick to the here and now.

- First, you walked out on
me, then you ignored me.

Now you call me
after all this time

to sign this paper so you
can marry somebody else?

- Tim, we're all men
of the world here.

We've all loved and lost.

Admittedly, it's no fun,
but when the game is over--

and the game is over here--

it's time to sign the
papers and move on.

- Do you still have
those blue cowboy boots?

- No.

- I loved the way
you looked in them.

I remember you wore
them on the bus to Reno.

- What are you gonna do?

Are you gonna sign
the paper or not?

- Not.

- Tim, we're supposed to
get married on Saturday.

- You can not prevent them
from getting married, Tim.

Eventually, we will get
an annulment or a divorce

whether you agree to
it or not, and Rosalie

will be free to marry
whoever she wants.

- Well, maybe she'll
change her mind by then

and decide to stay
married to me.

[music playing]

[chatter]

- Coming through.

Watch yourself.

- Hey, Tim.

- You can't come back here.

- I told you boss I'd
only keep you a minute.

Why don't you come over here?

Listen, I think we may have
all gotten a little carried

away by emotion yesterday.

What do you think?

- I don't know.

What are you talking about?

- I thought I owed it
to you to come by here

and make sure you understand
the realities of the situation.

- Rosie and me
are still married.

That's reality.

- Well, as far as it goes, yes,
but she wants to marry Benny

and you can't stop her
from divorcing you.

- You said divorce
could take a year.

- It can, but so what?

In the end, you still
won't be married anymore.

- Maybe, yes.

Maybe, no.

- Tim, there's also
the possibility

of a criminal investigation.

- What do you mean?

- Taking a minor across
state lines is a crime.

Encouraging her to
lie about her age

on a marriage license,
sex with a minor,

that could be statutory rape.

- Wait, did Rosie
say I raped her?

- It doesn't matter
what she says.

She was under 18.

- How many of these you want?

- You know what, I think
you're trying to scare

me so I'll signed the paper.

- I just want you to
understand what might happen.

That's all I'm doing here, Tim.

- I'm not gonna sign the paper.

I don't care what you do.

- Get a manager over here.

- Tracy, could you tell the
court how you know Mr. Joyce?

- I was in his senior
honors science class.

- Approximately, how
much of that class

would you say was spent
discussing the origins of life.

- Out of the 15-week
semester, I'd say we

spent about three weeks on it.

- And what did you talk about
during those discussions?

- We talked about
evolution theory,

and we talked about
creation science theory.

And then we discussed
the strengths

and weaknesses of both.

- Did Mr. Joyce encourage
debate among the students

on those ideas?

- Oh, absolutely.

More than half
our grade depended

on class participation.

- Did Mr. Joyce ever tell
you that evolution was wrong

and creation science was right?

- No.

- What did you
believe in before you

took Mr. Joyce's class, Tracy?

- I believed in evolution.

- And what do you
believe in now?

- Evolution.

I've questioned it
on occasion, but I

still believe that's
probably how life on Earth

came into being.

- I have nothing further.

- Tracy, when Mr. Joyce
taught creationism,

did he do so critically?

- I'm not sure I
know what you mean.

- Did he place it in
any historical context?

Did he mention, for example,
the scientific impossibility

of the world coming
into being in six days?

- He said there were things
in both evolution theory

and creation science
theory that don't have

scientific explanations yet.

- Did Mr. Joyce give
as much credibility

to creationism as
he did to evolution?

- Yes.

- Were there any students
who objected to that?

- Objection.

Calls for hearsay.

- I'll allow it.

- Tracy?

- Yes, there are
students who objected.

- And how did Mr. Joyce
respond to those objections?

- He said any students
who felt uncomfortable

could go to the library.

- Anyone take him up on that?

- No.

- Why do you suppose that is?

- Objection.

Calls for the witness to
testify to the operation

of another person's mind.

- I am asking the
witness for an opinion

about her peers, your honor.

- Objection is overruled.

Witness may answer.

- Tracy, why do you suppose
no one left the class?

- I don't know.

Maybe it didn't seem
so bad after all,

or maybe they
wanted to be exposed

to a different point of view.

- Do you think it's possible
they just didn't want

to stand out from
their peers no matter

how uncomfortable they felt?

- Objection.

- Sustained.

- Do you like to stand out
from your peers, Tracy?

- No.

Thank you.

I have nothing further.

- Witness may step down.

- Tell me that I'm dreaming.

- This is unbelievable.

- How could she
make us wear these?

- Well, she's not exactly
Coco Chanel, Denise.

- This is beyond not Chanel.

This is beyond Queens.

[knocking]

- Don't don't come in.

- Laugh and you're a dead man.

- Did Rosalie describe these
ensembles to you beforehand?

- She told us she
would order things

that we would wear again.

Excuse me, while I change.

- Well, it's-- it's not so bad.

- Are you kidding?

I feel like Little Bo Peep.

- It's a bridesmaid's outfit.

- I don't care, Stuart.

I don't wanna go out in
public looking like this.

- It's no big deal.

- What do you mean?

- I mean that everybody
will primarily

be looking at the bride anyway.

- Will you primarily be
looking at the bride?

- No, but it doesn't matter
to me what you're wearing.

- Uh huh.

- I said the wrong thing.

- Forget it.

- No.

It's not that I don't
care what you're wearing.

It's that what you're
wearing has no effect on me.

No.

What I mean is it doesn't change
the way I think about you.

You know, I know that you're
capable of looking good.

I mean, you do look good.

In that dress, you look good.

You know, not everybody
could get away with wearing

a dress like that but you--

- Eli, I'm changing.

- Why are you changing it here?

- Because the ladies
room's fully occupied.

Now can you please
close the door.

Eli, close the door
from the outside.

- Oh.

- I'll just be a minute, OK.

- Should I take my briefcase
or leave my briefcase?

- Eli!
- I'll leave my briefcase.

OK, I'm leaving.

- You know, I find that
certain theological questions

come to mind periodically.

- Is that right?

- Well, I wonder about
the nature of things--

sin, the revelation
of God, Satan.

- The Bible has a
good deal to say

on all those subjects, Arnold.

- I find myself thinking
Thessalonian says one thing.

Obadiah says something else.

What's the story?

- Tell me something, Arnold.

Have you always been such a
keen student of the Bible?

- No, sir, I haven't.

To tell you the
truth, your daughter

is awakened in me a real
hunger for spiritual direction.

- Look, I have to get some work
done before I go back to court.

[knocking]

- Lunch is here.

You like meatball sandwiches?

- Excuse me?

- Place not far from here makes
great meatball sandwiches.

I wanted to buy 'em from there.

Ben says you like this place,
so we went there instead.

By the way, Dominic Nuzzi.

- How do you do.

- Dominic, this is Jane's
father, Reverend Halliday.

- Reverend, how do you do?

- Fine.

Nice to meet you.

How's the plans for the
wedding coming, Benny?

- Not so good.

- Hey, don't worry, Benno.

We'll get there.

- Be good, everybody.

Thank you.

- You know, I'm surprised
Jane has never mentioned

you to her mother or me.

You seem to know
each other very well.

- Not as well as I'd like to.

- Mr. Osborne, as president
of the school board,

is it your policy that
once you hire a teacher,

he or she can teach their
students anything they want?

- No, it's not.

The curriculum for
each area of study

is laid out by the State
Board of Education.

If a teacher wants
to augment that,

we look at the
additional materials,

and then we make a determination
as to whether or not

it's appropriate.

- I see.

And is creation science part
of the established curriculum?

- No, it is not.

According to the State
Board of Education,

creationism or creation
science, if you will,

is a religious and not
a scientific explanation

for the origins of
life, and as such

it has no place in a public
high school science class.

- But don't the students have
the right to hear and discuss

a variety of points of view?

- In a science class,
students have the right

to hear and discuss science.

Mr. Joyce, was not
teaching science.

He was teaching religion.

- And in your opinion, was
that alone sufficient grounds

for termination?

- Absolutely.

He'd been given
numerous warnings

and willfully ignored them.

I think those grounds
are eminently sufficient.

- I have nothing further.

- Mr. Osborne, are
there circumstances

under which you deem the
discussion of

religion permissible.

- Yes, there are.

In social studies
class, literature class,

but not in a science class.

- Why not in a science class?

- Because when you teach
biblical explanations

of historical events under
the heading of science,

the tacit implication
is that they are true.

- Is it possible, Mr.
Osborne, that for some people,

they are true?

- What is true for some people
does not constitute science.

- Are they true for you?

- I don't take the
Bible literally, no.

- And you wanna make sure
that nobody else does either.

- Objection.

- I wanna make sure we're not
allowing a high school biology

class to be used to advance a
fundamentalist Christian point

of view.

- Does a belief in
the Bible make one

a fundamentalist
Christian, Mr. Osborne?

- No.

I did not mean to
suggest that it did.

- I have nothing further.

- Witness is excused.

- You want I should talk to him?

- What would you say to him?

- I'd straighten him out.

Don't worry about what I'd say.

- Arnie already talked to him.

He won't sign.

- Hey, Benny, all due
respect, Arnie's a lawyer.

This situation calls for
a different approach.

Arnie goes in with the
briefcase, the big words.

I go in with a bing with a bang.

It's done.

- Hey, Benny, did
Arnie give him to sign?

- No.

- What are we gonna do?

- I don't know.

- The place has been reserved.

We got the food and dresses.

Invitations have been sent.

- Plus the band.

I got a six-piece band coming.

- I gotta talk to you, Benny.

- What?

Oh, you want a little privacy.

Right.

Let me know if you want me
to take care of it, Ben.

- I don't want you to
be mad at me anymore.

Ever since I told you about
that guy, you've been at me.

I don't want you to
be mad at me anymore.

- Do you still love him?

- I never loved him.

- Then why did you marry him?

- I thought that would be fun.

Anyway, you had someone
who you did love.

You told me that yourself.

- It's not the same.

I told you about her.

- Tim is not a secret.

I forgot about him.

I do that sometimes.

I forget about things.

- Maybe you'll forget about me.

- Oh, I could never
forget about you.

[music playing]

I love you.

- So how do you gentlemen feel
about your firm being placed

into service of Christ Jesus?

- Pretty good.

- Some of us.

- Our little girl may
be the standard bearer,

but it's you people
who are making it

possible for her to go forward.

- Daddy--

- Well, reverend,
we have nothing

but the highest regard
for your daughter.

She's done nothing but great
work since she got here.

- When Jane told
us she was going

to work as a lawyer
in Los Angeles,

we said dear Jesus, give
her the strength to keep

the devil under her feet.

Keep old slewfoot from
snatching our little girl away.

And I can't tell
you how happy we

are that she's
living here and still

doing the work of the Lord.

- Dad, we need to get to court.

- I'll see you gentlemen
at the wedding.

- You're going to the wedding?

- Benny asked me to officiate.

- Yikes.

- Well, there's goyim
and there's goyim.

[chatter]

- Tim.

- Go away.

- I wanna talk to you.

- You can't scare me.

Your friend already tried.

- I'm not trying to scare you.

I just wanna talk to you.

- Come here.

What do you want?

- I want you to sign that paper.

- I don't want to.

I wanna marry Rosalie
this Saturday.

- She's already married.

- She wants to be married to me.

- Oh, yeah, how come
you're so great?

- I'm not so great.

- You think you're
smarter than me?

- No.

- You think you're better me
because you work in an office

and I work in a kitchen?

- No.

- Then how come you
get to marry her?

How come you get
everything you want?

- Because she loves me.

- She could love me, too.

She once did love me.

- That was a long time ago.

- I don't care.

I want a wife, too.

- You can have a wife.

It just can't be Rosalie.

- I-- I don't--

I don't know anybody else.

I gotta get back to work.

- Tim, would you--

would you please
sign that paper.

- Would you please tell the
court your occupation, sir.

I'm a research
biologist and an advisor

on the science curriculum for
the State Board of Education.

My specialty is
origins of life theory.

- Now in your view, does
the biblical explanation

for the origins of life
qualify as science.

- No, it does not.

- Why does it not?

- In science, one
bases one's conclusions

on scientific methodology,
on empirical observation.

- Now how does this differ
from creationism, doctor?

- Creationism starts
with a conclusion

as set out in the
Bible in Genesis then

goes about finding data and
ways to interpret that data

to support the conclusion.

I think I'm safe in
saying that the body

of scientific knowledge we,
our civilization, draws on

does not support the
notion that the world as we

know it was created in six days.

- No further questions.

- You believe in the
theory of evolution.

Isn't that right, doctor?

- It isn't a theory,
Miss Halliday.

It's an observable fact
like the shape of the Earth,

the speed of light.

- Is the origin of
the first life forms

found on Earth an
observable fact?

- Not yet, no, but there
are various theories

that seek to explain it.

- Is the development of
DNA an observable fact.

- Not yet, no, but, again,
there are a number of theories.

- But those are just theories,
isn't that right, doctor.

- They are
scientifically grounded,

but, yes, they are theories.

- That would lead one to
conclude, would it not, doctor,

that there are things
about the universe

that can't be explained with
observable scientific facts.

- Not yet, no.

- So not yet but
definitely not God.

- Miss Halliday, if we pointed
to the existence of God

every time we came
up against something

that we couldn't
explain, we'd still

be living in the Dark Ages.

- Isn't part of not
living in the Dark Ages

that we are free to
consider a wide array

of ideas and beliefs?

- You can consider whatever
you want, Miss Halliday.

What you can't do is
place religious mythology

on the same pedestal as
evolutionary science.

- In other words, you want
the pedestal all to yourself.

- Objection.

- Nothing further.

- You're still brooding.

Why are you still brooding?

- I'm not brooding.

- Yeah, you are.

Ever since I said whatever it
was I said about your dress,

you've been in a full on brood.

- It was a painful
thing to hear, Stuart.

- Why?

You know that I still have
desire for you, don't you?

- I guess I don't know it as
much as I used to know it.

- Yeah, well, there's a
lot of things that aren't

the way they used to be, huh.

- Like what else?

- Like one's desire
doesn't come to the fore

as often as it used to.

We work hard all day.

We've got a kid at home.

We're tired.

Our stamina isn't
what it used to be.

- I don't want to
require stamina, Stuart.

I don't want our marriage to
be something that we endure.

- Why do you read these vast
gloomy passages in everything

I say?

There will be periods of time
when the fire is out, yes,

but that doesn't mean
I don't love you.

It doesn't mean I
don't desire you.

It probably just
means that I'm tired.

- Fine.

- And now she says fine.

And now she is not gonna let
up on me because I haven't

demonstrated the requisite
amount of sympathy or passion

or whatever the hell it is
I'm supposed to demonstrate.

I'll tell you something, honey.

Demonstrations of
passion are supposed

to arise spontaneously,
and it doesn't help matters

that I live in fear of offending
you all the time, that I think

you're gonna jump down
my throat every time

I might make an
inappropriate remark.

Think about that.

And think about what you
might have done if the fire is

out to put it out.

- What do you want, Arnie?

- He said he wanted to see you.

- What do you want?

- I came to sign the paper.

- You did?

- Yeah.

I didn't do it because
of you, and I didn't

do it because of you either.

I did it because of Rosalie.

- That's OK.

- But I want you to give this
to her before the wedding.

- May I inquire as
to what is in there?

- No.

And you can't look at
what's inside there either.

You gotta promise not to look.

- Oh, OK.

- You also gotta promise
that you'll give it to her.

- OK.

- So you promise?

- I promise.

- Where do I sign?

- Right there.

- You're getting married.

- Yeah.

- You may proceed with
your closing, Ms. Halliday.

- Michael Joyce is a teacher.

His job was to prepare
a group of students

to go out into the
world, to educate them.

That's what he loved to do.

That's what he did.

What he refused to do was
put blinders on his students,

to tell them to ask questions
but only these questions,

to look for answers but
don't look over there.

Don't even look over there.

When he didn't comply--

when he refused to narrow his
students' vision, he was fired.

Michael Joyce is not
the first to refuse

to be bound by convention,
to refuse to adhere

to a set of ideas and
beliefs held out to him

as the one and only truth.

That's what Galileo did,
that's what Charles Darwin did,

and that is also
what John Scopes did.

In Dayton, Tennessee,
in 1925, those in power

would permit only the
teaching of creationism.

In Los Angeles, California,
in 1994, those in power

permit only the
teaching of evolution.

In both cases,
those in power have

sought to cut off
the field of inquiry

and forcibly impose
their view of the world

onto everyone else.

The greatest service that we
can do Michael Joyce's students

is to permit them to
make up their own minds.

We ask that you
reinstate Michael

Joyce with full back pay and
allow him to resume teaching.

- Michael Joyce's job
was to teach science

to high school students.

When he signed his
contract, he agreed

to an authorized
curriculum, and he

agreed to follow the
directives of his principal

and his school board.

He has not done either
of those things.

Now the plaintiff contends that
the authorized curriculum was

unreasonably narrow,
that those directives

were without justification.

They're wrong,
ladies and gentlemen.

The fact is that
the United States

Constitution requires the
separation of church and state.

Despite plaintiff's
claims to the contrary,

what Michael Joyce did was
in direct violation of that.

He was teaching religion
as if it was science.

He was using his authority
and his influence as a teacher

to propagate his religious
views, and he can't do that.

Now it doesn't matter that his
students want him to continue.

It doesn't matter
that he himself is

utterly sincere in his beliefs.

What matters here is that
a school board is upholding

its responsibility for keeping
religious teachings out

of the public school
because the First Amendment

requires them to.

I ask that you find
for the defendant.

[chatter]

- They're coming out.

- Oh, there he is now.

- Mr. Joyce, any comments?

- Any comment on
today's proceedings?

- No comments.

- Ms. Halliday, how do
you respond to charges

that your client
represents an encroachment

on public education by members
of the religious right?

- I would categorically deny it.

- Are you in favor of the
constitutional separation

of church and state?

- I would prefer to try
my case in the courtroom

rather than the corridor.

- Ephesians 6 tells us to
put on the full armor of God

and take our stand against
the devil's scheme.

- Are you connected
to this case, sir?

- He's not.
Come on, reverend.

Let's go.

- We have to be willing
to speak the word of God

wherever we are, Jane.

My redeemer liveth.

This is what he
commands me to do.

- George, I want you to
start this right now?

- What is it you're
so afraid of, doctor?

- I'm afraid of religious
zealots like you, reverend.

- Praise God.

That must mean I'm doing my job.

- Dad--

- Whenever I see
the power of Satan

lined up against me, whenever I
see the eyes of school children

turned upward so that
the truth be revealed

and that truth is not revealed
and that truth is hidden

and perverted and denied, then
I have only to turn to the nail

scarred hands of calvary for
my strength and you, doctor--

- Now we're going to lead off
with a miniature seared ahi,

then we go to the
miniature lasagna

then the miniature panini and
then the miniature bellini.

Now is everyone aware of that?
- Yes, ma'am.

- Yes.

- Have you seen Rosalie?

- She's getting dressed.

- Where?

- Upstairs in the bedroom?
Why?

- Oh, well, I'll have
to give her something.

- Oh, no, Benny,
that's not possible.

You're not permitted to see
the bride before the wedding.

- It's a lot of dough, right?

- Dominic, how many times
are you going to tell

me that you paid for the band?

- I wasn't aware I
told you already.

- Hello, Denise.
Don't you look wonderful.

- Thanks.

- Hello, Dominic.

- Hello.

- I can't see Rosalie
before the wedding?

- Of course not.

It's bad luck.

- No.

- Would you give this to her?

- What is it?

- I don't know.

I promised Tim I'd get it
to her before the wedding,

and I promised him I
wouldn't look inside.

- I'll give it to her right now.

- I wonder what it is.

- It's in an envelope, so
chances are it's a letter.

- You think it's a letter?

- What are you
worried about, Benny?

- She's marrying you.

- They tell me I can't get
a drink before the ceremony?

What is this?
- They told me the same thing.

It's the mother.

- Arnie, you think I should
have looked in that envelope?

- For what?

- I don't know, to
see what he sent her.

- Benno, do yourself a favor.

Don't start looking under rocks.

You've got a past.

She's got a past.

You start delving
into it, you're

only going to cause yourself
a lot of unnecessary anguish.

- In other words,
forget about it.

- Exactly.

- Meanwhile, have
you seen the band?

- No.
- I hired a six-piece band.

I haven't seen a musician one.

- Don't worry about what
came before the wedding.

Start worrying about
what comes after.

[chatter]

- Don't tell me you're
never going to talk

to your old father again.

I'm sorry if I stepped
on your toes yesterday--

- You're not the
least bit sorry.

You saw the opportunity to
preach, and you preached.

- Preaching's what
I do, daughter.

I was put on this Earth
so I would preach.

- And I was put on this
Earth to be a lawyer.

- And from what
I can see, you're

doing a fine job as a
lawyer as well as being

a decent young Christian woman.

- Why wouldn't you stop
yesterday when I asked you to?

Why did you embarrass me?

- Because some things
are more important

than your embarrassment.

- This is where I work.

You showed up
unannounced and uninvited

and proceeded to take over.

I left Oklahoma so you wouldn't
be able to do that to me.

- Is that why you left?

- Among other reasons, yes.

- Could we talk about this?

- I'm due in court.

[chatter]

- Has the jury
reached a verdict?

- We have, your honor?

- What say you?

- On the claim of
wrongful termination,

we find for the defendant.

- The jury is dismissed with
the thanks of the court.

- I'm sorry, Michael.

- We knew it was a long shot.

- We can appeal.

- I think I'd rather just
teach someplace else,

maybe in a private school.

- God's been bragging
on you, Michael.

I know you're not
gonna walk away now.

- We have to go
to a wedding, dad,

and this is something
that Michael

needs to decide for himself.

I'll call you.

- Thank you.

- Why not?

Please.

- No, honey.

I just don't think it's a good
idea that you open it now.

- But he asked me to.

- Well, he had no
right to ask you to.

- Mom.

- All right, go ahead.

Open it.

What does it say?

- I love you then,
and I love you now.

Tim.

- This is all I needed.

- Fran, why don't we--

would help me with this sleeve?

I'm having trouble here.

- Sure.

[chatter]

- You OK?

- Yeah.

- Benjamin, do you take
Rosalie to be your wife,

to love and to cherish from
this day forward for better

or for worse until
death do you part?

- I do.

- And do you, Rosalie, take
Benjamin to be your husband,

to love and to
cherish from this day

forward for better or worse
until death do you part?

- I do.

- The rings, please.

With this ring, I, thee, wed.

- With this ring, I, thee, wed.

- You're supposed
to put on my finger.

- Oh.

With this ring, I, thee, wed.

- With-- with this
ring, I, thee, wed.

- I now pronounce
you husband and wife.

You may kiss the bride.

[chatter]

[applause]

- Ladies and gentlemen, Mr.
and Mrs. Benjamin Stulwicz.

- About time, too.

- Hey, Benjamin.

- What is it about weddings?

- It's there monumentality.

- Is that what it is.

- Two people have transversed
a seemingly impenetrable gulf,

found one another,
fallen in love,

and changed their
lives accordingly.

- It's amazing that it
ever happens, isn't it?

- Yes, it is.

- You know, the wildest I've
ever been was at a wedding.

- What do you mean by wild?

- Let's just say I did
things I don't ordinarily do.

- What kind of things?

- Well, I drank a little
too much, got carried away.

I took off with
the best man, lost

several articles of clothing,
you know, things like that.

- You've done this?

- Uh huh.

- Me, too.

Say, you still
seeing that judge?

- Oh, yeah.

- Why didn't you bring her?

- I think there we're
gonna be a few too

many lawyers here for her.

- Oh, hey, Jonathan.

- Tommy.

- Heard you became a partner.

Congratulations.

- Thanks.

- Well are
congratulations in order?

- By all means.

[knocking]

- Hold-- hold on.

Occupied.

Hey, I-- I--

- Don't ever tell
me the fire's out.

- Well, I was wondering what was
in the envelope Tim sent you.

- It was a picture.

- What kind of picture?

- It's a picture of me and Tim.

- There was no letter in there?

- No, he just wrote
something on the picture.

- Would you show it to
me if I asked you to?

- Yes.

Are you asking me to?

- No.

- Rosalie and Benny Stulwicz.

Hey, Benny.

- What?

- How do you spell Stulwicz?

- S-T-U-L-W-I-C-Z.

- S-T-U-L--

- W-I-C-Z.

- W-I-C-Z!

[music playing]

- That's nice.

- The band get here?

- I don't know, Dominic.

- I can't find 'em anywhere.

- Oh.

- Denise, sometimes
I look at you,

and I think you're the most
beautiful woman I've ever seen.

- Eli.

- I don't think it a lot.

I don't allow myself
to think it a lot.

We've known each
other for a long time.

We work together.
We're friends.

We've never been anything
other than friends.

- And every now and then the
thought crosses your

mind, right.

It's OK.

Crosses mine, too.

- It's an impulse
though, isn't it?

Everyone has impulses.

Some you act on.

Some you don't.

I think I'll
interrupt this dinner

party by sitting on my food.

No, I won't do that.

I think I'll ask a complete
stranger to loan me $50,000.

No, I won't do that.

Oh my God.

- Been looking for you.

What's wrong?

- Nothing.

- Well, you're out
here all by yourself.

Something is wrong.

Of course, something is wrong.

Your father's been out here.

- So my father's been out here.

So what?

- So ever since
he arrived, you've

been reminded of all
the reasons you left

Oklahoma in the first place.

Your sense of yourself as an
attorney has been undermined.

Your sense of yourself as a
woman has been conflicted.

- You don't know the
first thing about me.

- I think I do.

- And I'm telling you you don't.

I don't wanna be
psychoanalyzed, and I

don't wanna be preached to.

Believe it or not, I am
not some empty vessel

waiting to be filled.

I know what I want,
I know what I need,

and I am perfectly
capable of deciding

how I want to live my life.

Now I'm going.

[music playing]

[end theme]

[audio logo]