Thanks fr cming. Wuld yu like a receipt with that?
Dn't frget t take a mint.
Thanks fr cming. Wuld yu like a receipt with that?
Dn't frget t take a mint.
Thanks fr cming. Wuld yu like a receipt with that?
Dn't frget t take a mint.
Thanks fr cming. Wuld yu like a receipt with that?
Dn't frget t take a mint.
Thanks fr cming. Wuld yu like a receipt with that?
Dn't frget t--
Somebody, I can't remember who it was,
once said that every man's Iife ends the same way.
It's onIy the detaiIs of how he Iived and died
that distinguishes him from the next guy.
...super waterbed bIowout. No mattress is--
For most peopIe nowadays,
the American dream doesn't reaIIy exist.
For my friend, Ray Tuckby, it was no different.
Trona, caIifornia, had to be about the weirdest pIace I ever saw...
Iike being on the moon yet Iess than three hours from L.A.,
and it couId get hot as heII...
in the summer, up to 130.
At one time, Trona was a town fuII of promise.
That promise had Iong been forgotten...
aIong with the movie theater, the Ford deaIership,
and the swimming hoIe.
But it was stiII where Ray caIIed home.
Now, home for most peopIe was a pIace of refuge.
For Ray, it was anything but that.
In fact, it was just the opposite.
sixty fr a sack. y u gt three.
all right.
What's it gnna cst?
Hld n a secnd there, Ray.
all right.
afternn there, Dirk.
y u're late n the rent, Ray.
Really?
Damn, Dirk. srry abut that.
l'll fly a check n ver t yu as sn as l get cleaned up.
Dn't make a habit ut f it.
y u knw l gt a shrt temper.
It was pretty much the same routine day in and day out for Ray...
punch in at 9:00, out at 5:00.
By 5:30, he'd arrive at his house on cyriI Street...
and every day, the weIcome wagon was there to greet him.
y u! Ray!
oh, hwdy, selma.
y u might want t think abut cleanin' up yur yard.
Gddamn turtle turned this place int a shithle.
sure thing, selma. l'll get n it ver the weekend.
y u think yu're such a big sht, Mr. smething special?
Dubt it.
lgnre that ld hag.
Want a swig?
Nah. Thanks, Den.
Ray, hw's stevie there din'?
He's gd.
y , steve-!
Me and yu, buddy.
Take care nw.
always d, Ray.
always d.
Hi, charlene.
Hell, Ray.
Hw was yur day?
Just fine.
any thughts n dinner?
l didn't knw what yu'd want.
oh well, then.
Hw 'but l head n ver t the Rite-valu and get us sme?
What an inspired ntin.
any ideas?
Pizza.
Pizza's fine, Ray.
Want t cme with?
Might be nice fr yu t get ut nce in a while.
Let's just say that Ray's wife charIene
had some issues,
which meant he handIed most of the domestic duties,
Iike the daiIy trips to the IocaI market.
The Rite-VaIu didn't have much, but it did have one thing...
Nora mccaIIey.
Hey, Nra.
oh, hey, Ray.
That delivery f frzen pizzas cme in yet?
suppsed t have gtten them tday,
but cliff's engine blew up n his way back frm twn.
Guess l'll g fr the Dinty Mre, then.
That's heat-and-serve, ain't it?
sure is. over n aisle five.
Right.
y u ntice that chevrn statin arund the bend's nearly dne?
lt's a pretty sight.
abut the prettiest thing in this whle cunty.
- They puttin' in a mini-mart? - y ep.
lf that desn't d in this place, l dn't knw what will.
Well...
l'm sure they're nt gnna have fresh fruit and things.
or, fr that matter, yu.
oh, that'll be $4.10.
Five.
Keep the change.
Nw, Ray, yu gtta stp ding that.
lt's my pleasure, Nra.
lf yu're nt the mst generus man l've ever met!
Well, guess l'll be seeing yu... tmrrw.
l'll be here.
Hw many cars did yu prcess tday, dear?
146.
Quite a lt, isn't it?
Heavier than nrmal.
and hw was yur day?
l fund a half-ff cupn n Bunty paper twels
with n expiratin date.
lsn't that smething?
l guess it is, yeah.
What abut yu, sn?
l busted sme windws n a cuple f huses dwn the street.
l want t burn dwn that shitbx up the street
that that dead guy craked in.
Nw, sn, we talked abut this.
y u gt t wrk n yur anger.
l wuldn't have any if yu tk me t Betsy's.
We'll see, sn.
all yu say is ''sn, sn.''
D l lk like l'm getting any yunger?
l'll get it.
Hell?
N, this is his sn Edward.
okay.
Wh was that, dear?
aunt Penny.
What did she want?
Grandma's in the hspital, in a ''cmma'' r smething.
l wasn't really listening.
This lks like a fun ne, Ma. Pigs in a Twinkie.
''Thinly slice ne end ff each Twinkie.
''stuff a cked sausage int each Twinkie.
''Place the Twinkies in a shallw baking dish
''and bake fr 10 minutes r until the Twinkies are warm.
serve warm with syrup.''
Penny?
Hey, Ray.
oh, hey, Eddie.
l came as sn as l heard. What happened, anyhw?
Well, l think she was trimming a hangnail ver the tilet,
passed ut, hit her head n the prcelain.
l been here all day trying t get her cnscius enugh
t give me that meringue recipe.
Hey, Ma. Hw yu feeling?
y u cmfrtable?
Guys.
oh, here we g.
Mark.
Hey, Uncle Mark.
Hey.
The fruits frm my lins.
Ma!
y ur meringue recipe-- three parts lemn, tw parts sugar?
Ma?
oh, Mama...
Mama.
He's been like this all day.
Hey, Mark.
Hw's business ging?
Pretty darn gd.
lntrduced a new flavr this week frm Pland,
champagne silk.
lt ges dwn real easy.
sunds great.
sauerkraut is, withut questin, the superfd f the future.
Daddy!
Hi, everyne.
- Hey, Janne. - Janne.
Mark, can l have a private wrd with yu, please?
Janne, get back in the car.
y ur kids need yu.
y u are cming hme this instant!
Wuld yu shut them up, please?
Tmmy, n!
Thse kids have gt germs! Get them ut f this rm!
As we aII know, famiIy gatherings can be quite taxing at times,
but everything in Trona was taxing-- that was nothin'new.
Dirk and his posse, for some time,
had a hoId on most things in town...
but IateIy, it seemed that hoId
was getting cIoser and cIoser to home for Ray.
afternn, spnie.
Tll rad.
Hw's that?
Five bucks t pass.
y u're jshin', right?
D l lk like l'm jshin' yu, retard?
Five bnes r l beat the crap ut f yur kid every day next week.
Dn't hurt my by, yu hear?
He never did anything t yu.
Gd call, Ray-gay.
l might kick his ass anyhw just fr fun.
Dirk! Hey, Dirk!
Why yu keep hunding me, wman?
l'm wrking n my bike. can't yu see that?
all yu guys shut yur muths and g in the huse befre--
Kid's a mdern-day charles Mansn.
y u ever ntice hw Dirk gets all them chicks?
He ain't as gd-lking as me, is he?
He's gt the devil in him, Ed.
Wh cares when yu're that successful?
Wh wants dessert?
Dessert? What a nice twist.
oh, l dn't think we have anything.
l was just interested t see wh might be...
interested.
l'll have a lk anyway.
Hey, Dad, culd we g get my rcks ff tnight?
sn, l dn't like that kind f talk. y u knw better than that.
y u keep saying yu're ging t take me and never deliver.
y u're just a bullshit artist.
Wh's an artist?
Guess what l fund in the freezer?
What d yu say t yur mther, sn?
Gee, thanks, Ma. This lks delicius.
Now, Betsy's wasn't exactIy
where Ray had hoped Eddie wouId Iose his virtue,
but Ray stiII owed his son a graduation present
and decided it was probabIy as good a gift as any.
Evening, ladies.
What can we d fr yu, sugar?
This here's my sn Ed.
Need t get his cherry ppped.
l dn't want that n my head.
But he's a gd, clean kid, hnest.
$50 fr the full treatment, and l'll be real gentle.
can't l have 'em bth?
Let's nt get ahead f urselves, sn.
can yu d $35? That's all l gt.
y eah, kay.
Meet me arund the crner at the alha, rm 107.
Give me a ten-minute head start.
y u sure this is hw yu want t lse it, hney?
Dn't wrry abut me, bld.
Just lay back and enjy the ride.
shit, l might have t watch this.
appreciate it, ma'am.
any time yu wanna cme back...
Well, this is a big day fr yu, sn.
l guess.
Remember what l tld yu. always be a gentleman.
Never g pking arund withut asking if it's kay first.
They're human beings t, these whres.
Brush yur teeth tday?
l dn't remember.
shwer?
cuple nights ag.
Well... that'll d ya.
sunds t me like yu're ready fr the big plunge.
lt's abut time.
Mst f the guys in schl gt laid by third grade.
Ed, we all march t the sund f ur wn drummer.
Dn't ever frget that.
okay, then.
Here's the cash and sme rubbers
yur Uncle Mark brught me back frm the Grenada cnflict in '83.
y u sure they're still gd?
U.s. Gvernment issue.
l think they gt Kevlar in 'em.
okay, l gtta run by the hspital,
check n yur grandma.
l'll see yu in an hur, kay?
y eah?
Gd luck, sn.
y u want sme music?
y u kay, hney?
l dn't want t d this.
y u mean have sex?
l kept buggin' my dad s he'd think l was nrmal.
lt's nt that l dn't have any sex drive r nthin'.
lt's just--
y u want the first time t be with smene yu care abut.
l wish l'd waited.
Where are yu frm?
Brn in Mbile,
came ut here a few mnths ag with my mama.
she's what yu call a medium.
What's that?
Well, yu knw, like, a psychic.
smene wh predicts things.
anyhw, me and her had a falling ut,
as they say, s l hit the trail,
and nw l live in this here mtel.
Did she predict that?
l dn't knw.
y u want t g ut smetime?
Really?
Get a meal, r sme-- smething...
y eah.
Let me give yu my card.
lf yu give me 24-hur ntice, l can arrange fr a night ff.
Hw d yu say yur name?
Rchelle.
cl.
Dr. Habibi, pIease report to room 243.
Dr. Habibi.
Dr. Richards, pIease report to the O.R.
Dr. Richards.
afternn, spnie.
Let's g. cugh it up, Ray-gay.
y u wes me frm last time, dn't frget.
That l d.
Here yu be.
see that?
see hw easy things is when yu understand wh's bss?
oh, yeah.
y u dumb... sn f a bitch.
Well, lkie wh's hme early.
y , Ray!
Duble guards t the finish line. cme t the yard. cme t the yard.
- l gt fancy wine clers, man. - Hey, guys.
Hey, Ed, what's up?
That Uncle Mark's car utside?
Where's yur mther?
sn, l asked yu a questin.
- Tuch my balls. - y u send me!
y u send me.
- Tuch my balls. - y u send me.
y eah! Tuch my gddamned balls!
charlene?
Mark?
Dear... yu're hme early.
Hw was yur day?
Hey, Ray.
charlene, can l have a wrd with yu?
Mind givin' yur mm and me a mment?
Mark's been pretty tre up abut yur mm.
He just needed a little cmpassin is all.
y u never were very understanding, were yu, Ray?
This been gin' n a while?
charlene.
since...
'but nine mnths befre Eddie was brn.
The by knw?
l wuld imagine.
Why'd yu frce me t be with yu if l wasn't his father?
Damn, charlene, l wasn't even 18.
all them pretty girls wanted yu.
y u need t leave, charlene.
That yu, Ray?
What are yu din' ut here all by yurself?
Nt much.
y u want me t pen back up s yu can get a sda?
Gt my paycheck tday. lt'll be my treat.
N. Thanks, thugh.
y u kay?
This ughta make yu feel better-- l gt yur favrite dessert in tday.
Banana instant pudding.
l hid half a case fr yu in persnal sundries,
aisle tw, behind the dedrant.
shuld be quite awhile befre anybdy finds it.
catch my meaning?
That's awful sweet f yu.
oh, Ray, what is it? Tell me.
Just sme truble at hme,
me and charlene stuff.
That's hrrible.
l just want t sit here fr a while, if yu dn't mind.
'curse.
l better skedaddle, anyway.
Dn't wanna miss ''The Big spin'' n Tv.
l came within tw numbers last time.
Well... 'night, Ray.
Gdnight.
y , Ray.
Dirk shut ff the pwer again.
Did yu pay the rent, Den?
My welfares check's late.
y u gtta pay the man, Den.
lt affects the whle blck if even ne husehld ain't current.
y u knw hw he is that way.
That punk... he deserves t have his face rearranged,
stealin' ur electricity.
lt's htter than hell in there!
okay, gd t g.
y u can d it, char.
''one small step fr man'' type deal.
N, l can't.
lt's... fr... the... best!
y eah. see hw easy that was?
y u lk s pretty.
y u lk s pretty in the sunshine.
- We did it. - y u sure did.
y u did it all by yurself.
We did it. oh, my Gd.
Funny thing about change...
it's kinda Iike puIIin' off a bandage.
Hurts Iike heII when you do it, but you aIways feeI better after.
y , Ray.
Was that Eddie l seen... headin' ff in yur brther's car awhile back?
That'd be him.
Wh was that wman with him?
charlene.
serius?
Lrd, l can't remember the last time l seen her.
she dn't get ut much.
Nt a lt, n.
y u all right, Ray?
y u knw if yu ever need smene t talk t,
yu gt a friend right here.
Just like that night in '89.
Wh made that key blck,
time runnin' ut, yu sprintin' upfield?
y u did, Den.
a thing f beauty that was.
Me and yu, Ray.
We wn that game tgether, we did.
Pay yur rent, Den.
y eah. l knw.
That's gd, nw stabilize it s l can see it better.
okay. y eah, nw--nw-- nw just kinda--
I've never met a guy
who picked up trash from the roadside
who wasn't in a work program.
Excuse me. This yur place?
y eah, l guess it is.
Just wndering if it'd be kay t dump this trash in yur bins.
oh, yeah, n prblem.
But that's what I found endearing about Ray.
At Ieast he was tryin'.
y u gt it, bss.
l dn't knw.
Everybdy in twn keeps talkin' abut this place.
y eah? y u live arund here?
y ep, just arund the bend.
ls there any traffic at all?
- Hardly ever. - Nne, huh?
Except during hlidays, smetimes flks head ut t Death valley.
y u wn chevrn?
own it? N.
l'm just an independent peratr.
l'm frm Bakersfield. My name's Merl stryker.
Ray Tuckby. lt's a pleasure, Merl.
Welcme t Trna.
Thank yu. y es, it's quite a place here.
l've never seen anything quite like it.
lt's just... pretty srry-ass.
l hpe yu dn't mind, l mean...
nthing grws here.
Well, sil's t pisned.
Plus, it hasn't rained here in abut frever.
Used t be beautiful, thugh, as l remember.
Mid-'80s, state diverted ur water frm owens River t L.a.
The lake dried up, the chemical cmpanies mved in,
place went t hell.
That's a sad stry.
Wh's that little fucker that charges me t get int twn?
That'd be Dirk r ne f his bys.
They srt f run things arund here.
Kids?
They're respnsible fr mst f the revenue.
He gt his wn meth lab.
What abut the cps?
ain't nne here.
When the state declared this area a txic waste site a few years back,
anybdy respectable cleared ut.
Then they ffered these places at a cut rate.
Dirk near bught up the twn.
stry's gettin' sadder and sadder.
Hey, Ray, is there a place arund here t get a cup f je?
l'm hittin' my mrning crash.
Market in twn has a cffee pt, ne f them bttmless jbs,
and 'but the prettiest gal yu'll ever set eyes n.
oh, yeah? l think that's where we shuld g.
- Mrnin', Ray. - Hey, Nra.
This here's Merl stryker, wner f that chevrn statin.
- Nra Mccalley. - Well, it is an hnr, Mr. stryker.
Hw d yu d, ma'am.
That's quite a place yu're building ut there.
Ray was nt telling a lie when he said yu are a fx.
Well, maybe in cntrast t the surrundings.
What can l get fr yu tw?
cuple cups f cffee if it's fresh.
Just made a batch.
This place lks like a cyclne hit it.
There's nt much in the way f supplies.
We get by basically.
Here yu g.
The cremra's just behind yu n the cunter, sir.
Thank yu, hneybunch.
D smething with yur hair?
Me?
Gt any dreams, Ray?
Dreams?
y eah.
Dreams. a man's gt t strive fr smething big in life.
otherwise, he desn't mean a rat's ass t himself r sciety.
T be hnest, l basically just g frm ne day t the next
trying t feel gd abut myself.
l'm 58 years ld. l still gt big dreams.
Mean t tell me yu didn't have big nes even when yu were a kid?
sme.
What abut what yu were telling me abut befre,
hw yu thught it'd be great if this area all came back.
That's a big dream f srts, isn't it?
l guess.
Maybe have that lake full f trut and bass...
nice utdr eatery n that pier dwn ynder...
a place where peple culd get a cld drink,
admire the beauty again.
Nw yu're talking. lt sunds pretty gd t me.
Well, Merl, l gtta get n t wrk.
Nice t make yur acquaintance.
Pleasure was mine.
Thank yu fr the cffee.
Keep the wheels turning.
There yu g.
lf yu eat a little mre fd, yu can be sleeping in yur wn bed.
Wn't that be nice?
y eah, that's it.
lt's gd, huh?
vanilla custard, yes indeed.
y es, that's my gd girl.
l want yu ut f my huse.
What, Ma?
Get that crap away frm me, yu kiss-ass.
all yu want is that meringue recipe, and it'll never happen.
y u culdn't ck yur way ut f a Ziplc.
N wnder yu culd never hld n t a man.
y u're ging t end up a lesbian if yu're nt ne already.
Evening, miss.
Hell.
l hate yur guts.
l dn't care.
l have never asked yu fr ne thing, Gd damn--
Then dn't.
y u are gnna cugh up that fucking recipe.
Dream n, yu ld maid.
Dn't push me.
Ma, l brught yur favrite.
Ma?
Penny?
Fr tday we are murning the lss f tw remarkable individuals...
Penny varrw, a willful wman f character
wh led an independent life,
mst recently running a crisis center fr abandned spuses...
and Ruth Tuckby,
devted mther, wife, and lcal knitting legend,
wh strve t make the lives f thse arund her richer.
They were bth gd wmen
wh celebrated their differences thrughut a rcky relatinship.
Well, ultimately celebrated them a little t much, l reckn.
Mark. Mark!
Mark!
shut up.
- Mark. - Ray.
Hey, clem.
l'm--l'm srry fr yur lss.
l knw this is nt the best time t talk business, but--
That's kay.
The bulk f the estate ges t yu and yur brther.
The huse, as yu may knw,
was pretty heavily leveraged awhile back,
plus she didn't have much in the way f medical cverage.
Right.
sn, this here's yur share.
Thanks fr all yur help, clem.
srry.
oh, l frgt t give yu this.
y ur mama wanted yu t have it.
Well, if there's anything else yu need,
l'll be in Ridgecrest, bred t tears.
Eddie? y u gt a minute?
Nt tday, Ray. l'm busy.
l need t speak t yu, sn.
R'ch'lle, excuse us.
Here yu g.
What is it?
l gt smething fr yu.
Like what?
y u shuld have this.
y ur grandma wuld've wanted it that way.
G n, take it.
Eleven hundred bucks?
Fr cllege.
cllege?
What the hell's the matter with yu, Ray?
l gt better things t d with this mney and my time
than get sme stupid educatin.
Me and R'ch'lle is mving in tgether.
l just wanted t say that...
even thugh we bth knw yu're nt my wn flesh and bld...
l still lve yu, sn.
Hey, let's get a mve n. l'm gnna be late fr wrk.
Dirk ffered me a gig.
l'm finally gnna make sme real cin.
That's a dead end, Ed.
Nt t me, it ain't.
Ed, this train is leaving the statin.
Ed...
l'll see yu arund.
lf yu need anything, sn, yu let me knw.
y eah. all right.
Dirk's bys held up the delivery truck again.
all we gt left is shake 'n Bake, aisle five.
But... we're ut f chicken.
These'll d me.
l was ging t eat light tnight anyhw.
Prk rinds and a large bag f ranch-flavred sunflwer seeds.
anything t drink with that?
Nah. Plenty f water in the tap, l always say.
l bet yu culd use a hme-cked meal ne f these days.
y eah, well...
srry abut yu and charlene...
and yur mm...
and Penny.
Trying t lk at it as a new beginning.
May take me awhile t get there.
anyway, thanks fr cming t the funeral.
saw yu sitting in back.
oh, my pleasure, Ray.
s, what are yu ding later?
Later, like... tnight later?
y eah, fr a start.
Well, l'll prbably just g hme
and srt thrugh all the death papers and stuff, l guess.
y u?
l'd really like t g int Ridgecrest and see a mvie.
- lt's been awhile. - y eah?
Maybe get a bite after at that new arby's flks are talking abut?
oh, yeah. l drve by it a cuple times.
Might be wrth checking ut.
Well... see yu sn, Nra.
Hpe s, Ray.
Nra.
y u wanna g n a date...
with me?
Been waiting 18 years fr yu t ask.
Where'd yu get all this fresh fd?
Gt up bright and early this mrning, drve special ut t Ridgecrest.
ck it yurself?
That's abut the sweetest thing anyne's ever dne fr me.
l mean, that is, if yu did d it fr me.
l did.
Ray, hw cme yu never gt ut f here when yu had the chance?
Me? l dn't knw.
l knw yu gt that ffer a few years back, ging t L.a.,
wrk fr that friend f yur dad's.
Didn't suit me, l guess.
This is my hme.
l used t lve it here.
summers felt endless.
swimming, fishing,
just being able t breath all that cl, fresh air.
l hld n t thse memries, a lt f ther nes, t.
Like that ne in secnd grade
when Mrs. Kinney tk us n that field trip t this very spt
and l gt a baked bean stuck in my nse?
y u remember that?
l wuldn't stp crying.
y u came right ver, just like a little prince.
y u picked me up and yu carried me
all the way back t the bus.
l thught it was s rmantic...
except maybe that part abut yu insisting
n trying t fish the thing ut
with ne f yur dad's pipe cleaners.
Dctr said yu nearly gave me a lbtmy.
y eah, l managed t blck that ut, actually.
oh, yu did?
l thught it was sweet.
Hw cncerned yu were abut me, hw much yu cared.
y eah, well...
What abut yu?
Didn't yu ever think abut leaving?
Frm time t time.
Hw cme yu never did, then?
That cheerleading schlarship t UoP
sure was a big deal fr yu t turn dwn.
a girl has her reasns.
l had a wnderful afternn, Ray.
Me, t, Nra.
Nw, l want yu t keep thse leftvers.
l made extra fr yu t take t wrk all week.
y u sure?
y u can't eat packaged fd the rest f yur life.
That stuff'll kill yu.
Getting a real hme-cked meal like that sure was smething else.
Listen, l knw hw yu must be feeling abut Eddie and all.
y u always had the mst beautiful heart, Ray.
Well, l've gt t get back t my shift, s l'll talk n yu?
okay.
Where's my mm and dad?
y eah?
Dirk here?
saw him arund awhile ag.
Dirk?
Dirk!
oh, l frgt. He's up at the plant up the street,
but yu ain't suppsed t g up there.
adjust that--adjust that chke.
Hand me that wrench.
By, all these leaky drums sure lk like an accident waiting t happen.
What are yu ding here? y u ain't allwed.
Well, l wanna talk t yu abut my sn.
l'd like it if yu didn't drag him int yur line f wrk.
He ain't even yurs, ld man.
l'm just saying yu dn't need him wrking fr yu,
all the guys yu gt.
D me this favr, Dirk.
- Favr? - y eah, this ne time.
l ught t kick yur ass right nw.
l dn't want truble, Dirk.
l'm just saying it'd be a nice thing fr yu t d,
letting him have a prper sht at a future.
He's a real gd kid.
l knw. That's why he's gnna be wrking fr me.
N, but see--
only thing l see is a pathetic jerk wh's trespassing.
y u tell yur neighbrs t pay their rent.
Get the fuck ff my prperty.
Bitch.
y u pay the rent yet, Den?
oh, nt real--really.
We've been thrugh this.
y u're letting everybdy dwn when yu dn't.
Ray, l knw that.
Denny, yu better d smething abut the heat, gddamn it.
l'm bustin' a gasket in here.
I don't want him getting into drugs.
l dn't care if l'm nt--
Then yu tell his real father t take respnsibility fr nce
and give the by sme guidance.
charlene?
Here's yur rent. lt's t ht t stand n ceremny.
s yu walk that ver t Dirk's
and yu tell him t turn the pwer back n, kay?
Rger that, Ray.
l'll make gd. l swear.
sn, Den. l can't swing tw rents.
Get selma t quit smking the ice and pay yur bills.
We clear?
oh, we're clear as day.
Well, l'm gnna have t put a shirt n.
Then l'll get n it.
Twirling actin, like this here.
That's right. y u like that?
see? y eah? Help yurself. Take everything.
Next time bring yur cars.
y u gt 'em all?
l gt as many Huggies as l can carry.
l'm gnna sell this shit n eBay.
The free washer fluid sure was a nice tuch.
Lk, Nra, yu just swipe yur credit card and g.
Kind f feels like we're in the big city.
Hey, yu guys.
- Hey, stryker. - Hi, Nra.
This place is just grgeus.
Thank yu. l'm very, very prud f it.
all l ask is every nce in a while yu cme n in and fill up a tank.
- sure. - y eah, kay.
and Ray, hw's all that dreaming ging, buddy?
a little at a time.
a little at a time, that's all we can ask fr.
- Have fun. - That man is smething else.
y u might like t knw Eddie's been ding a real gd jb fr me.
y u ughta be prud.
s, are yu all f a sudden the big sugar daddy
fr anybdy wh needs their rent paid?
lt's getting awful ht, Dirk.
sme flks are having a hard time making ends meet.
Maybe yu ught t mind yur wn business.
lt is my business.
shut ff the pwer, it hurts all f us.
acting like a tugh guy in frnt f yur new girlfriend here.
since yu're such a rich man, maybe l ughta raise yur rent.
Maybe l shuld buy a genny s l dn't need yur pwer.
y u ain't allwed t d that.
ls that a fact?
l'm gnna lay this ut fr yu nce and fr all, ld man.
The way things wrk arund here is everybdy des what l tell them t,
and that ges fr yu duble.
Nw, yu dn't like it, and yu're gnna get yur ass kicked.
Hey, it's mine!
Better hear what l say, Ray.
Hey, knck it ff, all f yu, befre l lck yu in the dg run again.
Give me that!
srry, Dirk.
Fighting ver a bttle f antifreeze? What the fuck is that?
lt smells great.
Hpe l didn't verck it.
okay.
The mment f truth.
can l make a tast?
sure.
T the nly dinner party this huse has ever knwn,
and t yu, Nra, fr being a part f it.
That was beautiful, Ray.
Thank yu.
y u sit in the chair there, and l'll sit n the flr.
srry all the prper furniture's gne.
y eah, it'd be nice
if there was a place we culd be cmfrtable.
y eah.
Wha, nearly 8:45.
Bth gt t wrk tmrrw and everything.
actually, tmrrw's my day ff.
ls that a fact?
seem warm in here?
l think it's fine, Ray.
lt's fine.
What's that light?
There, ut frnt.
oh, Ray.
Things are gnna have t change arund here, Nra.
And he wasn't kidding.
Everyone was gettin' fed up
with the whoIe deaI in this town, incIuding me.
Where am l drpping yu, Ray?
Gt t get in t wrk.
lnsurance guy said he'd drp the check by end f the day.
What kind f car yu think 600 bucks buys these days?
Mre than my Gremlin.
Elm, pull ver a sec.
- Merl? - Damn.
sn f a bitch. Elm, give me a hand here.
Be right there.
l'll get yu. Tday wuld be nice.
That punk Dirk.
l gt him gd, thugh.
l think l might've brken his nse.
His... jerks...
they just held me dwn, beat the shit ut f me.
We gtta get yu t a hspital, Merl.
N, just take me hme. My missus will clean me up.
Quite a place yu gt here, Merl.
Thank yu, Ray.
- oh, hney. - oh, my wrd.
There she is, my darling.
What happened t yu? l have been wrried sick.
Bunch f thugs beat up n yur pp at the gas statin.
Her pp?
This is my ld lady, sn.
l tld yu abut having big dreams, Ray.
- cme n. - okay. oh....
Hney, l need a ht bath.
oh, yeah, hney, cme n. Gnna take care f Daddy?
My gdness.
Damn.
Evening, gentlemen.
Hi, Nra.
Hey. That the new car?
Barely runs. lt'll be fine nce we get dne with it.
srry t barge in n yu, but l culd use sme help.
sure. That's nice. Where'd yu get that?
Thrift stre in Ridgecrest. y u want t help me get it inside?
Let me g lck up.
N. lt's fr yu, Ray.
y u gt this fr me?
Hw cme?
Just thught it'd be nice fr yu t have a place t get cmfrtable
s yu can have cmpany, t chat and things.
- y eah? - y eah.
Think yu culd give us a hand, Den?
Gt a cuple f lng necks with yur name n 'em.
y u gt yurself a deal.
Heavy little thing.
Dang if that dn't lk just great.
Man, that was quite a wrkut.
l sure am thirsty.
oh, right. Gt yu cvered.
Damn.
This place is a hell f a lt nicer than my hle.
y u knw, l was thinking
maybe me and yu culd get tgether smetime...
reminisce.
abut what?
Here yu g, Den.
oh, bitchin'.
see yu guys later.
He's a character, that by.
He's harmless enugh.
His wife's anther kettle f fish.
- Was she in ur class? - Nt fr very lng.
Think she gt thrwn ut fr beating up the vice principal r smething.
Take it fr a test drive.
Well, what d yu think?
Feels gd.
Mmm, yeah.
y u're awful sweet, aren't yu?
Well, yu tell me.
Well, l think yu are, yeah.
Real sweet.
Well, l didn't mean t barge in like this...
s yu just enjy this here sfa,
and maybe smetime we'll get t share it tgether again.
l dn't think l'll let anyne else sit n it except fr yu and me.
What's s funny? l'm serius.
Nw, why are yu lking at me like that?
- Like what? - Just like that.
Like l gt smething in my teeth.
ls that really hw l'm lking at yu, Ray?
Well, nt exactly, l guess...
but yu sure lk at me different than any wman ever has.
oh, nw...
What's that abut?
Well, maybe l'm just enjying
being able t sit with yu face t face after all these years.
Hw, until recently, l hadn't gt t spend
mre than five r ten minutes at a time with yu since 1 1th grade,
but hw that was enugh fr me.
Well, as yu like say, yu gt t get up early, s--
l ain't saying it nw.
y eah, well, maybe l am.
Hey, Nra, let's get laded.
...in frnt f my huse. Eddie, cme with me.
Get the fuck away frm my bike, man.
seriusly.
all right. Let's g.
Hurry up. Hurry up, man.
Take it.
spnie, yu keep a lkut. Eddie, cme with me.
Gddamn it, what did l tell yu abut ding that in frnt f me!
What are yu, six?
srry, Dirk.
lt's fucking grss.
Which ne f yu inbreds left the dr unlcked?
Where's the lck?
- Fr what? - Fr the dr, yu idit.
- l ain't n idit. - y u're such a fucking idit!
y u're an idit.
- What? - What?
Denny, hey, dumbass! The pwer's ff again.
- Denny! - all right, wman, l hear yu.
Hey, Ray? Pwer's ff again.
s's the water.
Ray, l'm current n the rent.
l swear everybdy in the neighbrhd's all paid, t.
Did yu take ut the gddamn batteries?
l think it's a plug-in.
Plug it in t fucking what?
Hell. l'm sweating my balls ff ut here.
y eah, l was right in the middle f my weekly shwer.
Well, there's nthing we can d abut it tnight, s--
Hw abuts we just dn't pay ur rents n mre?
- He'll have t d what we says. - Want t risk being thrwn ut?
- Where yu gnna mve, Den? - ln with yu.
Then what are we suppsed t d?
y u all just cpe a little while,
and we'll get squared sn, l prmise.
Fucking...
Bitch!
G t twn and get the Huggies.
Bitch, what d yu think l'm ding?
- l'm a respnsible-ass father. - l asked yu five hurs ag.
l knw what the hell l'm suppsed t be ding.
Get the Huggies!
Just mind yur wn babies, gddamn it.
What?
y u wanna wrk ff the rent mney yu we me?
Like a--a jb?
Take this list, g in t Ridgecrest t a supply sergeant.
Well, Ray, l'm srt f busy tday.
T bad. D it.
Be at my huse, 1 1 :00.
and tell selma t bring her a game.
sctty. sctty.
Gt a little assignment fr yu.
Dn't yu think ''Happy Days'' is just the best?
lt is awfully gd.
There's n denying it.
We really d have quite a lt in cmmn, dn't yu think?
l d, Ray.
special ops t the rescue.
Nw, Ray, this may be a little shrt, but l let ut the crtch.
Den, there's just n way.
- N? - N.
Just a thught.
Well, it's nt a Junir Miss pageant, Ray.
Dr's pen.
Hey, kids.
Thanks fr shwing, Merl.
l wuldn't miss this fr the wrld.
l can't wait t chew that jerk a new set f butt cheeks.
Hwdy, flks. am l late?
- Right n time. - Well, hw cl is that?
l dn't think l've been n time my whle life.
Wh invited the chippendales reject?
sctty, yu frget t change?
Never mind. Running behind schedule.
Hey, everybdy.
Heard yu flks need a little ass kicked.
cming up n 2300 hurs. Everyne clear n their missin?
- y u bet. - y eah.
all right, then. Let's light this candle.
Right.
okay, let's g.
What has gtten int yu, Ray Tuckby?
Life, Nra. Life's gtten int me.
I mean, can you just imagine these dinosaurs thundering
over the Earth in the Jurassic age?
Here we go.
Let's g ver here. Get dwn.
Twenty bucks says it wn't g ff.
Make it 30, and it's a deal.
l'll have t we yu the extra ten.
okay, l guess.
What the heck?
Didn't Dirk say nbdy was allwed up here?
Excuse me.
l'm lst, and l cannt find my way.
Where yu trying t get t?
Bakersfield.
Highway is just dwn ynder.
Hw can l ever repay yu?
Hey, what are yu ding here?
cming!
y eah?
Hey there! Excuse me.
What the hell yu ding? Get ut f my huse!
Never did appreciate that breed.
That's quite a talent yur wife's gt there.
she d parties as well?
Knck it ff, yu perv.
- ls he dead? - candy, get ut here!
There's a dead guy.
shut up! y u'll wake the baby.
By, am l glad Denny shts blanks.
okay, let's g.
l'll hand him up t yu. y u start lading the truck.
Just s yu knw, babies give me the heebie-jeebies.
Gd jb, Den. cme n.
Remember, selma, be gentle.
G n.
y uck.
s what's it gnna be, tugh guy?
Jin the resistance r get vaprized?
That's ur cue. cme n.
Just anther minute.
Well, here ges.
Gnna make urselves a whle new future, gentlemen.
What's wrng?
l was just kinda hping l culd push the buttn, Mr. Tuckby.
l really like blwin' shit up.
all right, but n funny business, yu hear?
Tits!
Get the truck and take him t the dump.
Fr real, Dirk?
Deal with it, gddamn it!
This is fr calling me an idit every day f my life, Dirk.
G get a ptat sack and sme twine.
l'll g get the truck.
What the--hey!
That's fr giving me heat rash, m-f.
It can go boy, it can go girI.
sctty, yu d whatever the hell yu want with him.
It's not just for a girIy girI or a boy.
D it again.
oh, my Lrd.
l think l fudged my pants.
oh, thse babies.
l just want t eat them up, they're s precius.
There it is.
shit, man, that was fun.
My Gd, we've dne gd, Ray.
Just like that game we wn against slvang back in '89
when l made that key blck and basically walked int the end zne.
y u remember, right, Ray?
My key blck?
Turned out the IittIe twerp wasn't that hard to take down.
Just a bit of guts and determination from aII of us,
Dirk and company went over faster than a one-Iegged cat in a sand box.
Let us dwn!
Gd jb, guys.
Pleasure's right here, Ray.
Get this thing ff f me. smebdy help!
That hurts, gddamn it.
Let's get the recrd straight, punk.
y u're ging t aplgize right nw
fr making life a dark, ugly experience in this here cmmunity,
r sctty's ging t teach yu what true pain is.
We clear?
Eat me.
Gt anther surprise fr yu.
Merl?
sasquatch Tw, this is sasquatch one.
We're ready fr operatin clean sweep.
Roger that, Sasquatch One.
y u and yur chrts are ging t take a nice lng time ut.
Gentlemen.
N fucking way. l didn't d nthing.
Well, we dn't see it that way.
Take care nw.
smebdy help me.
candy, Tammy, Wanda, Jeanine?
l made this twn. l made this twn what it is.
y u all have rfs ver yur head because f me,
all f yur ugly-ass heads.
oh, n. He's gnna be crying.
He's ging t prisn, gnna learn his lessn.
He's ff. oh, hey.
Hey, hld n, hld n.
can l just say a few mre things?
What if l, like, turn ver a whle new laf,
r whatever that is, and l'll change?
srry, spn.
y u g clean up and cme back, and we'll make nice, deal?
all right, deal. Wait, yu're pinching my wrist.
Ray, yu knw, my wife is in need f a little rehab herself.
l was thinking maybe we culd put her n a bus.
y u're gnna have t deal with that n yur wn.
Gd, l hate t piss that wman ff.
Right n schedule.
Thse girls ver there.
Well, Ray...
l'll see yu arund.
Well, what nw, Ray?
l guess that's up t us.
You know how they say
''The more things change, the more they stay the same''?
WeII...
can yu believe this?
sunds nice.
Nra...
Remember awhile back, yu asked me why l never left Trna?
y es, l d.
Well, it was 'cause f yu.
This place is hell, Nra,
but knwing l'd get t cme thrugh that Rite-valu dr every day
and see yur sweet face made it paradise.
Ditt.
What the hey was that?
lt's called a French kiss.
a what?
lt's a little mre intimate than a regular kiss.
l read abut it recently in ne f thse Harlequin bks
ver in the miscellaneus sectin, aisle three.
lt sure was different.
Kind f like a tthbrush...
but l liked it.
y u can try it if yu want t.
okay.
y u sure?
Whatever yu're cmfrtable with.
l think l'm getting the hang f it.
There are two types of heroes.
One changes himseIf,
the other changes those around him.
ls that sme f yur famus lemn meringue?
Recipe's been in my family fr generatins.
Bring n a slice r tw.
cming right up. Den?
WeII, I guess in the end, Ray was both.
l'll help yu, darling.
Right this way, flks.
R'ch'lle, yu're ding a great jb.
Hw's the back hlding up, hn?
Just fine, Ray.
Eddie, l think we're gnna need t add anther pastry chef.
l'm already n it, Pp.
Hey, where can a man and his missus get smething t eat arund here?
- Hw have yu been, friend? - Ray, hw yu din'?
lt lks like we're n the same schedule.
- Nra, yu lk really nice. - Hi.
- y u knw angel? - y es. Hi.
Well, we were just driving arund,
and we thught maybe we'd cme t see
what kind f prgress yu were making.
l wanna tell yu, Ray, yu gt it all.
l am s prud f yu.
Well, culdn't have dne it withut yu.
l knw that.
Hw abut a table fr a cuple hungry peple?
oh, by the way,
l heard that meringue is t die fr.
Right this way.
maybe the American dream des stiII exist,
even for my friend Ray...
and even in a pIace Iike Trona.