I
[20th Century Fox Fanfare Playing]
I
[Thunder Rolling]
Voice, Whispering: Antwone. He's here.
Woman: That's Antwone.
Woman In White: Antwone?
[Bell Rings, Gunshot]
Ohh!
[Fall Call Whistle Blows]
Man On PA: First call, first call to colors.
First call, first call to colors.
[Woman On Intercom Speaking Indistinctly]
Damn. Berkley!
What?
You've been in there 1 0 minutes, man.
Shut up.
Yeah, okay. You know...
one day, Chief's gonna come in here...
and catch you taking them Hollywood showers.
I should snitch on you. Come on, move, man.
Get out of myway, snitch.
Oh, come on. Yeah, yeah. Ruff!.
Ha ha ha! I got you, man.
Sailors: Ooh!
Arf!.
You better quit playing, man.
[Man On Intercom Speaking Indistinctly]
What's cracking, Fisher?
Your head, ifyou don't get away from me.
Heh. What is that on your face?
Keep the fuck out my face, huh?
Say something!
Say something, huh? You're always talking!
I'm cool, man, I'm cool.
I'm cool. I'm cool, man.
Captain: Petty Officer Fisher, you've been accused...
ofviolating Article 1 28--
Assault on a superior non-commissioned officer.
How do you plead?
Guilty, sir.
Well, in your statement, you sayyour attack...
on Petty Officer Berkley was provoked by a...
a racial slur. Is that correct?
Yes, sir.
Petty Officer Berkley, did you make...
any racial remarks to Petty Officer Fisher?
No, sir.
Punk, you--
Stand at attention!
Stand at attention.
This is the United States Navy, son.
I find you guilty.
They'll be a forfeiture of $200 for 2 months.
You'll be restricted to the boundaries ofthe ship...
for 45 days, and you'll perform 45 days extra duty.
I'm reducing you from ship's serviceman...
petty officer third class...
to ship's serviceman seaman.
And I'm recommending thatyou be evaluated...
at the psychiatric clinic...
before our next underway period. You're dismissed.
So, what happened?
How'd it go?
Same old, same old. I got busted...
but now I gotta go to the psych clinic.
You gotta go to the nut house?
Farmer, shut up, man.
Give it up to the shrink? Damn.
See you next week.
Seaman Fisher.
Right this way.
I understand it's not your first time here.
You saw Dr. Williams?
Nah, he saw me.
Heh.
That's yourwife?
Yes.
Have a seat.
I understand you like to fight.
It's the onlyway some people learn.
Hmm. Butyou pay the price for teaching them.
You want to talk about it?
About what?
Whatever's bothering you.
Why does something gotta be bothering me?
What, because I jumped on a white boy?
Something must be wrong with me?
"Send him to the psychiatrist.
Nigger try to kill his master."
Hmph.
"He must be crazy."
You looking for a discharge, Fisher?
I ain't looking for nothing.
That's where you're headed.
Ifl want out ofthe navy...
I'll just leave.
Unauthorized absence?
Yeah, ifthat's what the navy calls it.
Hmm. Running away howyou handleyour problems?
I don't have no problems.
Hmm. Whereyou from, Fisher?
Where'd you spend your childhood?
Cleveland.
Parents still live there?
I never had any parents.
They deceased?
I never--
I never had parents.
That would make you...
a medical miracle, Seaman Fisher.
Where you from?
I'm from under a rock.
Okay.
Okay, all right.
I want to see you next week.
I ain't coming back.
Why not?
'Cause there's nothing wrong with me.
I agree with you there.
See you next week.
See the receptionist on yourway out.
Next Wednesday, 1 400.
Whoa!
Walker. Phillip Walker.
That was the name of the last guywho stalked me.
Oh, man, I'm busted.
Yeah, you're busted.
What's up? Whereyou been?
I'm on restriction.
- Again? - Yeah.
How did you get off the ship?
Um, well, I just came from the medic.
Why?
Uh, well...
I'm working on this high priority paper...
for this commander.
Oh. What kind of paper?
Well, I'm-- I'm not at liberty...
to talk about it right now.
Oh. Well, I was gonna inviteyou to a party.
Me?
Yeah, you.
Well, I'm on restriction.
Yeah, you told me.
Hmm. I gotta...
you know, get back to the ship.
They probably looking for me...
right about now, so...you know--
Talk to you.
[Whispering] Damn.
See you when you're off restriction.
[Telephone Rings]
I
Yes?
Yeah, send him in.
Get your monkey hands off me, man!
I thought you may have forgotten...
yourway here last week, so I took the liberty...
of sending an escort team foryou.
You may be able to make me come here...
but you can't make me talk.
Thankyou. You're dismissed.
You don't want to talk to me?
Let me lay this out foryou, son.
This is how many cases I have, okay?
I don't have time to waste.
Now, I get 3 sessions only...
to make an eval...
and a recommendation to your commanding officer.
You know he wants to throw you...
out of the navy, don't you?
Now, you can sit here, and you can not talk...
to me ifyou want to...
but our sessions don't begin...
until you begin talking to me.
I got nothing to say.
Okay.
Then we'll sit until you do.
I got a whole lot of work to catch up on.
We can sit here every day...
until the day I retire. Doesn't matter to me.
It doesn't matter to me, either.
- All righty. - What about the brig?
What about it?
Send me to the brig.
There's the brig right there.
Lockyourself up.
What do you know? Time's up.
See you next week, 1 400.
Want some chips?
Hmph.
[Clears Throat]
[Coughing]
What?
I didn't say anything.
I thought you said something.
Ahem. I was just clearing my throat.
Okay.
[Clears Throat]
Maybe you're coming down with something.
Ahem. I'm all right.
[Wheezes]
It's just sort of...
Just what?
Just...
It's just a waste oftime sitting here...
week afterweek...
wasting time.
I don't want you...
to waste your time, Antwone.
So, whatyou want me to say?
It's not what I want you to say.
It's what you want to tell me.
Maybe you can start by asking me a question.
I don't know. Get things going.
I can do that.
You said you come from under a rock.
What did you mean by that?
I don't know, I...
It was the first thing to come to my mind.
[Sighs]
What do you think it means?
Well, it could mean...
that, uh...
thatyou feel under pressure...
that, uh...
uh, you feel a weight...
pressing down on you.
That you're in the dark, that you're alone.
You said you had no parents.
I had parents.
Okay.
Ahem. Only 3 sessions, right?
Only 3.
My father's name was Edward.
So you knew him?
No.
I didn't even know his last name.
You know where he is?
Yeah, I know where he is.
Joey--
He went to his ex-girlfriend's house.
They got into an argument.
She killed my father.
Where was your mother when this happened?
Behind bars.
I see.
I was born in prison...
2 months after my fatherwas murdered.
Whywas she confined, your mother?
I don't know.
All I know is what I told you.
So you were turned over to the state?
Yeah. The state placed me in this orphanage.
It was supposed to be until...
my mother got out to claim me, but--
She got out, but she never claimed me.
Hmm. How long wereyou there?
2 years.
How does that make you feel, Antwone?
I don't know.
Come on, you must have some feelings about it.
You know, you-- What did it feel like?
Rainy days.
Rainy days? Okay.
Why is that?
You know, in Cleveland...
it rains. Not all the time...
but, uh, to a kid...
who wants to go out and play...
it seems like it rains every day.
But, uh...
kids expect it to rain sometimes...
but...for one kid...
it rained too much.
Hmm.
Okay.
You want me to come back next week?
Yes, I do.
You ever try to find her, your mother?
No, sir.
Okay. Next week.
Busy day?
Uh, no more than usual.
Hmm.
The tomatoes are from our garden.
Yeah?
Mmm. They're so much better than last year.
Heh heh.
I mean, I'm no green thumb or anything...
but...heh heh.
Who knows? Maybe I'm learning.
These tomatoes really are good.
Reverend Tate: & I don't know psychology &
& I don't know astrology &
& I don't know zoology, ha &
& But I know this, ahh &
&Jesus &
&Jesus, ha &
&Jesus &
I
&Jesus &
Antwone, Voice-over: When I was 2...
I was placed in the Tate foster home.
Reverend Tate, he was a fire-breathing preacher.
He had his own storefront church.
There was only a few members.
There was Ms. Tate, cousin Nadine...
my foster brothers Keith--
Keith was halfwhite--
Dwight, and me.
& Good God, yeah &
It was church 3 times on Sunday...
Bible study on Tuesday...
Y.P.W.W. meetings on Thursday...
choir rehearsal on Friday.
We found out ifwe caught the Holy Ghost...
in front of Ms. Tate...
she'd give us vanilla wafers after church.
So we'd catch it every Sunday.
& Hallelujah &
& Hallelujah, hallelujah &
& Good God &
& Come on, church &
& Show me &
Reverend Tate...
he didn't like Dwight at all.
He said he had too much pride.
So he tried to beat it out ofhim.
Sometimes, he would even try to beat him to death.
Did he beatyou?
No, sir. I think he pitied me.
And I liked him for it...
but I was ashamed ofhim.
What about Mrs. Tate?
What about her?
I don't know which one ofyou no-good rotten...
hardheaded niggers put your dirty hands on mywalls...
but I bet I'll get the right one.
I tookyou in...
when your no-account mammies threwyou away...
and this is the thanks I get?
Tsk.
You ungrateful niggers.
[Boys Whimpering]
[Wailing]
Hmph. Now I know I got the right one.
Antwone, Voice-over: She used to brag about...
beating me unconscious.
Hmph.
She'd threaten to do it again.
But she never did.
Why do you think she never did?
Uh...maybe she was scared.
She found a new way to get me, though.
[Young Antwone Panting]
So you like fire, huh?
No, Muh-deah, no, Muh-deah...
I don't like fire.
You...
stay...
away from things that don't belong to you.
You hear me?
You hear me?!
Yes, yes, Muh-deah!
You hear me?! Yes!
Dumb nigger.
[Door Creaks Shut]
Antwone: I tried everything I could...
to get her to like me...
and nothing everworked.
Were you the youngest ofthe foster children?
No, Dwight was the youngest.
I was in the middle, and Keith was the oldest.
Ms. Tate, she used to put us against each other...
so much, we started hating each other.
But I think deep down inside...
we really hated ourselves.
What do you mean?
Keith was halfwhite.
She would try to compare Keith...
to me and Dwight.
You know, he had the good hair...
and we had the bad hair.
She used to say how Keith was better than us...
because his father was white.
I wished I was Keith.
Mmhh.
But not even Keith could escape...
from being called a nigger.
She hardly used our names.
She said the word nigger so often...
called us niggers so often...
that we could tell...
who she was talking to by...
the way she said the word nigger.
What happened to Dwight and Keith?
Dwight is in Lucasville State Penitentiary.
Keith got taken back by his mother.
He was raped by one ofher boyfriends.
Mmhh.
Did what happen to Keith happen to you?
Hell, no.
Okay.
Okay. Was Mrs. Tate ever--
Was she ever nice to you?
Yeah, there were times.
Sometimes she would tell her friends that...
we were good kids and that she was proud of us.
Chummy times.
Chummy times?
Yeah. I got to where I could tell...
what kind of day it was gonna be...
by the scent in the air when I awoke.
How could you tell?
Well, ifl awoke and there was the smell...
of grits and eggs...
orwater steaming off the pavement...
as she hosed it down...
I had to look out all day.
But...ifl smelled pancakes...
everything was okay.
She make pancakes very often?
No, sir.
I can delay my next appointment...
ifyou want to talk some more.
No, sir.
Hey, Slim.
What?
You going home next leave?
Hell, yeah. I gotta tend to the flock.
Hey, when I get leave...
I'm gonna be like a--a vampire...
coming to town with his coffin.
Just a place to lay before I get down.
What's that mean?
Man, shut up. People trying to sleep.
Aw, shut your grouchy ass up.Jesus!
Hey, when you going home, Pork Chop?
When your mama quit tripping...
and send me my money. Ha ha ha!
What aboutyou, Fish?
When you going home?
Fish?
Fish!
Antwone, Voice-over: Last night...
I had a dream aboutJesse.
Davenport, Voice-over: Who's Jesse?
He was my best friend.
When I wasn't at home...
I was probablywherever Jesse was for 3 reasons.
One was, being his friend...
he wouldn't beat me up.
Hey,Jesse, look! I got 5!
And the other reasons were-- so he wouldn't beat me up.
I only got 3.
I liked him a whole lot.
Give meyours.
We used to drive our friend Kenny crazy.
Let's get Kenny.
Kenny hung around me...
for the same reasons I hung around Jesse.
Hey, Kenny, let me see.
Where's Jesse?
Ugh!
Aah! Stop, stop! Get 'em off, get 'em off!.
Hey, Kenny, what's wrong?
Hey, Kenny, don't forget to write!
Ms. Tate, she hated Jesse.
She hated seeing us together even more.
But foryears, she couldn't keep us apart.
I was so happy when she kicked me out.
Mrs. Tate: Twonny.
That hoodlum niggerJesse call up here askin' foryou.
I
Said something abouty'all going to the picture show.
Now, that's the devil's work...
and who told you you could go...
to the picture show, anyhow?
I mean, where you get the money, nigger?
Did you steal it?
I already told you. I've been raking lawns.
Well, you woulda stole it.
Give me the money.
I said gimme the money.
You don't know what to do with no money nohow.
That's why I never let you have none.
Whyyou always got to make things...
difficult for me?
Difficult?
Difficult.
Where you learnin' such fancywords at?
Fancy? Ain't no fancyword.
Don't sassy me, boy.
No one's sassing you.
Don't sassy me!
Ain't no one sassing you!
Don't you--
I ain't gonna let you beat me no more!
No more!
Lord Jesus.
I want you out of my house.
Hmm?
And whoyou think gonna takeyou in, huh?
Retarded nigger, don't nobodywantyou.
Your damn mammy didn't even wantyou.
Mrs. Tate: Gimme my shoe. Hmpf!.
Davenport: Must've felt pretty good...
when you took that shoe from her.
Yeah, I felt like I was gonna go...
right upside her head...
but I just chilled.
Why'd you chill?
I don't know.
Well, I'm glad you did.
How'd you feel?
I felt like I won a prize...
but it scared me.
Why?
It was the first time I ever felt...
more powerful than her.
It was like a surprise.
Whatever happened to Jesse?
We lost touch. You know how it is.
Davenport: Yeah.
It might be helpful to understand the mentality...
of people like the Tates.
Here.
It's called The Slave Community.
Why I gotta understand somebody beatin' on me?
What you went through...
was in part the result of the treatment...
that slaves received from their masters...
and then passed on to their own children...
generation to generation to generation...
right on down to the Tates.
Sir, that sounds like an excuse.
I mean, I was a kid.
I understand.
You sound like you takin' up for 'em.
I'm not saying what they did was right.
What they did was wrong.
We all have choices. They made the wrong choices.
But this is not about them. This is aboutyou.
You were sent to me...
because you have an anger problem.
Well, you got the right to be angry.
But you also have to learn to channel that anger...
to use it constructively.
Instead of gettin' into fights...
go to the gym.
Hit the bag, lift the weights.
You have to use that energy to betteryourself.
You sayyou're taking Japanese classes, right?
Yeah.
Okay, you're already on the right track.
Can we talk about this next week?
3 sessions, son. Unfortunately...
that's all I'm given to make a recommendation...
and I'm gonna recommend...
thatyou be given a second chance.
That is whatyou want, isn't it?
To stay in the navy?
Yes, sir.
Okay. Okay, stay out oftrouble.
Cheryl: Antwone!
Antwone!
What's up? How you doing?
I'm cool.
Oh. You don't seem cool.
I'm all right.
What are you doin' in there?
You still workin' on that paper?
No, I'm finished.
I just went through there for a short cut.
Oh. Whereyou goin'?
Nowhere.
I--I gotta go.
Cheryl, I'll talk toyou later.
[Laughing Together]
Whyyou always talkin' about somebody's momma?
Man, we ain't talkin' about somebody's momma.
We talkin' aboutyour momma!
Hey, Fish!
Yeah, I bet you won't be fightin'
no more honkies on this boat.
Man, this ain't no boat.
Dis a ship.
"Dis a ship!"
Country-ass Negro, who letyou in the navy?
Fish!
What's that book you readin'?
Let me see the cover.
The Slave Community.
Whatcha readin' that shit for?
Because I want to.
This ain't no slave ship.
And these ain't no slavery days.
I can't tell.
You the only buck-dancin' Uncle Tom on the ship.
You a part-time brother.
Yo, Grayson, man, what--
Whyyou always talkin' shit, man?
What I do ain't got nothing to do with you.
You better get out of my face, bro.
Eitheryou tryin' to hang out with the brothers...
oryou tryin' to hang with the white boys, man.
You better sit your ass back--
You better make up your mind. What you gonna do?
Whatcha gonna do? Come on!
Stop it!
Let me go! Get your hands--
[Laughing]
Thankyou, sir.
Who's next?
So, um, Dr. Davenport...
you sent him to the gym?
Hit the punchin' bags?
Ain't that what you prescribin'?
So, why areyou here?
You feelin' under pressure?
You feel like, uh, a rock is on top ofyou?
Come on now. Speak the hell up.
You better make it snappy.
You only got 3 sessions comin'!
What are y'all lookin' at?
What you lookin' at?!
You feelin' sick?
You need a healin'? You need a healin'?
Doyou need a healin', huh? Doyou need a healin'?!
Some ofy'all sick-ass sailors...
need to come back afterworking hours!
See, that's when the good Dr. Davenport...
he'll be layin' his hands on you!
Or he may have a book in there...
that may have the answers to all your problems...
and all your questions! Ain't that right?!
Ain't that right?
Would you like to step into my office?
[Door Slams]
Areyou finished?
I thought I was just gettin' started.
Let me tell you something, son.
It may have slipped your mind...
butyou are addressing a superior officer.
You understand me?
Do you understand me?!
Yes, sir. I slipped up.
You better believe you did.
No, sir, I mean I slipped up...
when I talked to you.
What?
3 sessions, right?
That's correct.
Can't be floutin' regulations.
That's correct.
Well, what do I do, Commander?
'Cause I don't know what to do.
I don't know what to do.
Tired?
[Chuckles]
How was your day?
Long.
Not complaining, though.
Well, don't wait up.
I got a lot ofwork to do.
I know.
- Good night. - Good night.
Well, it's nice to finally be off...
restriction for a change.
Yeah, I'm gonna be squared away from now on.
Hey!
Y'all need somethin' from the exchange?
Man, what's up with you and the exchange?
You spend more time there than you do on restriction.
I'm just tryin' to be a good shipmate, man.
I'm only kiddin' with you.
But bring me back some Skittles.
And a Snickers.
And some pork skins.
And a sandwich. Thankyou.
What areyou doin' here, sir?
I was in the area and sawyour ship.
Soyou just saw this big ol' ship...
moored alongside the pier?
I want to seeyou back in my office...
next Wednesday, after knockoff.
That is, ifyou want to continue.
I think I need to check my calender first...
sir.
Okay.
Well, you let me know, okay?
Yes, sir.
I
Hey, Cheryl.
- Hey. - Hey.
What's going on?
Nothing.
You just gettin' offwork?
Yeah.
Oh.
You, uh-- You mad?
Whywould I be mad?
I'm sorry.
That's cool. [Chuckles]
So, you finally off restriction?
Yeah. [Chuckles]
Yeah.
So you can hang out now?
Yeah.
So what about now? I'm off.
Nah, I gotta-- I gotta meet somebody.
Well, I promised I'd meet somebody...
in a few minutes, so...you know.
What's her name?
[Chuckles] Look, it ain't like that.
It ain't like that.
What about tomorrow?
Um, what about the day after tomorrow?
Say, Wednesday, after knockoff?
That'd be better.
Okay. Um...
meet me in the lobby of the female barracks...
at 1 700.
Okay. All right.
I'll meet you at 1 700.
All right. Yeah.
It's a date.
Antwone: Are we done?
Davenport: Yes, we are.
Can I askyou a question?
Sure.
Um... do you think it's--
Do you think it's possible...
for somebody that had problems all their life...
you know, not to stay that way?
You know, you think it's possible...
they can change?
Absolutely. Why do you ask?
No reason.
Do you want something to drink?
- No, I'm good, sir. - Okay.
Uh, you know, you--
You know, when you kinda meet somebody...
you know, ifyou have problems...
it wouldn't--
Who is she? What's her name?
Cheryl.
She works at the exchange.
That's a good thing. Keep it navy.
[Chuckles] Right?
So?
Um... so, um...
Have you spoken to heryet?
Yeah, I spoke to her, but, um...
I get caught up-- tongue-tied.
Everybody's awkward at first.
Okay.
No, not like me.
No, everybody is, Antwone. Trust me.
Even you?
Even me. Everybody.
So...
Well, we're going out tonight.
Good.
We supposed to go out a couple of days ago...
but, uh, you know...
I just wanted to clear my head.
Take some time.
You know, talk to you first.
Okay. Yeah.
So, what should I do?
[Laughs] Well, she's a nice girl?
Yeah, obviously you like her.
Mm-hmm.
Okay, I thinkyou should just go out with her.
I mean...
I tell you what. You know, sometimes it helps...
just to take the anxiety out of a future meeting...
to role play.
What's that?
Like, you playyourself and I'll play Cheryl...
and I'll askyou some questions...
and we'll have a conversation...
and you'll see that you'll have a good time, okay?
Yeah, you play Cheryl.
Okay, now. That's right.
I'm man enough to play Cheryl.
Okay. Uh, you go first.
Nah.
I'll go first.
So...
how you doing?
Fine.
Good, good.
So, where we gonna go?
Out.
See?
Uh...
[Antwone Sighs]
I'm hungry. You?
I could eat.
See? That's good. You got it.
You think so? Absolutely.
I don't thinkyou have anything to worry about.
I'm gonna giveyou my phone number.
Ifyou have any problems...
any questions at all, you can call me.
Any time of day or night.
Have fun. Give me a call, okay?
We're gonna be fine.
Okay. You never know, son.
These things, sometimes they can escalate.
Escalate into what?
Mywife and I went out. It escalated into marriage.
No, we not escalatin' into marriage.
All right, well good. You get outta here.
And have fun. Hey...
have fun.
- Okay? - I will.
Okay, see you later.
No escalating.
Antwone: No escalating.
Okay.
Here you go.
- Thankyou. - You're welcome.
What is this?
Frappuccino.
Frappuccino?
Yeah. You like it?
For $6.00?
What doyou care how much it cost?
All the money we're makin'.
That's why I joined the navy, you know?
To see the world, build a fortune.
I don't know what to do...
with all the money I got.
Okay, now tell me...
whyyou reallyjoined the navy.
For real?
Yeah, for real.
All right, well...
my father's a navy man, Vietnam vet...
and, uh, his boys were gonna grow up one day...
and join and serve just like he did.
Only one little problem. He didn't have any boys.
- So you... - Mm-hmm.
So I, yep. [Chuckles]
It's worth it, you know?
I mean, even if I hated the navy--
which I don't--
it's worth it just to...
just to see his eyes and the way they shine...
when I put on that uniform.
[Chuckles]
So you and him are close?
Yeah. We're close.
Mm.
Can't wait to go home forThanksgiving.
You going home?
I'm gonna go home.
Mm.
I'm kinda hungry. How aboutyou?
I could eat.
[Laughs]
What?
Nah...
Nothing.
What?
- What? - You sure?
- No. - Okay.
You shoulda ordered something.
I like what I ordered. These are good.
You know, vegetables are good foryou.
Want to try some?
Come on.
Try it. It's good.
It's got, uh, white cabbage...
purple cabbage, yellow cabbage.
I
Nasty cabbage.
[Laughing Together]
Man!
It's not that bad.
Mm-hmm.
So...
what doyou like to do?
Orwhat doyou want to do?
What would you like to do?
What would I like to do?
Mm-hmm.
Um...
Iike, um... I want to teach.