Woman, mumbling:
Is the door locked?
Girl: Yeah.
Girl: Okay, here.
Woman: Now, lift me up.
Girl: Okay.
Girl: Are you okay?
Woman: Mm-hmm!
Girl: Can I help?
Woman: Hm-mm-hm-mm.
Girl: Tie it tight.
Girl: Good?
Woman: You're gonna
have to push me.
-Push you?
-Mm-hmm.
-You sure?
-Yeah, do it!
-Okay.
-One...
Girl: Two, three...
Woman: Four... aah!
Girl: Some memories
are so vivid,
they play over again and again
in your mind.
Maybe because they scare you.
Maybe because they remind you
that you don't always know
when you're about to hit
rock bottom.
Come on, mom, let's go.
Look, we'll go somewhere nice
like the beach.
And we'll get beef tacos.
You know, the crispy kind
with extra cheese?
Are you coming or not?
Mom, we have to get out of here!
I heard you.
Ruthie, what are we
supposed to do?
I don't have a job,
i don't have any money!
Well, if you're
not going, I'm going.
Ruthie, go! Hurry!
Before he comes.
What are you doing
with the TV?
I can sell it.
We're gonna need moving money.
-Okay.
-Come on. Get the trunk.
Go.
Ohh!
Push it.
Okay, come on.
Let's go. Go!
Ruthie: I was the one
who always knew
when it was time to leave.
Eventually,
all of my mother's boyfriends
turned out to be creeps.
We did what we always did.
We took what we could and ran.
This was me... and my mom.
-Get in the car.
-Hey!
This your little girl?
You two look more like sisters?
See you soon.
-Where should we go?
-Hmm?
Anywhere you want.
Anywhere, anywhere.
Where's Harvard?
Boston.
Too cold.
I'll get you a coat.
Mom, I'm 14.
I'm not going to Harvard.
Okay.
So, Boston.
Why not?
You know, maybe I'll become
a doctor.
I was just thinking
the same thing.
You know, ruthie, you would make
a great doctor.
I would go to you.
Mmm!
So good.
What are you doing?
-Just one.
-Mom, you have fries.
Those are mine.
This is just like old times.
Now, it's just you and me.
Fuck.
Fuck!
Are you okay?
Mom.
What?
Mother: Goddamn it!
-Mother: Is the door locked?
-Ruthie: Yeah.
Mother: Right there.
Hold it. All right?
Now, lift me up.
-Ruthie: Got it?
-Mother: Mm-hmm.
Ruthie: Tie it tight.
--Good?
You're gonna have to push me.
-Push you?
-Mm-hmm.
Ruthie: You sure?
--Okay.
Ready? Three, two, one...
- Aaah!
Mom? Are you okay?
Come on, it's okay.
Oh.
It worked.
-Come on.
-We got it out.
We did get it out.
Come on.
Ruthie: To me, the hanging tooth
felt like rock bottom.
Ruthie: Here, aspirin.
I got red bull.
It's cold. Here.
Mother: Thanks.
-Mother: Ahhh!
-Ruthie: Better?
Mother: Ahh.
Ruthie: We're gonna have
a big house,
like at least three stories.
And it's gonna be yellow.
-With black shutters.
-Uggh! With a sunflower.
-Uh-huh.
-I love it.
And we'll grow the grass out
real long.
And we have to have
a big pool, too.
It's gonna be round.
I can just picture it.
And...
I think our pool
should have a slide.
Mother, whispering:
I love slides.
And we can get those rafts.
You know, the ones that have
a place to put your drink.
Mother: Yeah.
It's going to be awesome.
I love it.
I'm picturing it now.
How come you never tell me
about your mom?
How come you always ask?
Because I wanna know.
Well, I had a lot of moms.
Lots of moms.
What were they like?
Sweetie, I don't wanna
remember that.
I just wanna look at you.
You always say that.
Like your feet.
Ruthie: They're not cute.
No!
- Oh, my god.
Wow.
Ruthie: I love you, mom.
-Ruthie. Ruthie.
-Huh?
Wake up. Come on.
Wake up.
Come on.
We can't be in this parking lot
all day.
Ruthie: My mom didn't believe
in maps.
She just followed the signs.
And when the spirit hit her,
we pulled over.
-Ruthie: Do you have any gum?
-Uh, yeah, somewhere.
Be out in a minute!
-Trash.
-Bitch.
Come on, ruthie.
Ruthie: You think that
the sprinkles have a flavor?
--What was that?
Mother: Oh, shit, what was that?
Ruthie: Oh, my god,
we're on fire!
Mom, pull over!
Mother: Oh, my god,
oh, my god, oh, my god!
Ruthie: No, mom! Mom! Stop!
Mother: Get out of the car!
Get your coat!
Ooh, shit! Shit!
Stand back! Shh-shh-shh!
Shit.
Fuck.
Piece of shit car!
This shit life!
Why does everything in my life
keep breaking, ruthie?
Goddamn it.
Fuck!
Excuse me, excuse me.
Look, ma'am, we're, uh...
We're looking at $650,
$700 here.
That much?
I'm afraid so, ma'am.
My daughter and I are really
struggling to keep going.
That'll about break us.
Maybe there's something
we could do to work it out.
Some sort of special deal.
You thinking about
selling your car?
Oh.
Oh, um, sorry, ma'am.
Uh...
I mean, the muffler alone's
gonna run you $500.
I'll do what I can for you
on our end with labor.
Save you a couple of bucks
that way.
But, uh...
It's the best I can do.
I'm okay.
Don't worry, mom.
It's gonna be okay.
--What are we gonna do?
Same plan.
We're just gonna...
Figure it out as we go.
How does this place look
for breakfast?
Looks closed.
Ruthie, it's perfect. Come on.
You know what to do.
--Come on in.
-Thanks.
-Thank you.
We've been driving for hours.
We're starving.
We don't really open
for a half-hour,
but, lucky for you,
my uncle Marty loves kids.
Is she really your daughter?
You two look more like sisters.
You want an oj?
Ruthie: Oh, yes, please.
Do you think she's --
waitresses have
very good hearing, you know.
Thank you for inquiring
about between my legs.
I'm sure if you got to know me,
you'd see
that it's what's between my ears
that's more interesting.
Can I have a cup of coffee?
Server: Coming right up.
So, where are you-all headed?
Boston.
Server: Oh, Boston!
I've never been there, but
that's not far from New York.
I've always wanted
to move to New York.
Start a career on the stage.
Of course, I'd love to see
"grey gardens" live just once.
With the great
Christine ebersole.
You know Christine ebersole.
She came in here once.
I met her.
Told her I loved her.
She said...
"Thank you."
I said, "no problem."
So, what can I get you two?
Um...
I want the French toast special.
Oh, with fruit.
Mother: I'll have
the pancakes and eggs.
Oh, and home fries.
-Oh, what about bacon?
-Oh, yeah.
Bacon and two orders
of sausage.
And... oh.
How about two of those muffins?
Server: You got it.
Mother: Can you keep
a straight face?
-Ruthie: You can't do it.
-Mother: You do it.
No, you gotta go like this.
Proud members
of the clean plate club.
I understand you two ladies
enjoyed our blueberry muffins.
Mother: They have
a lot of blueberries.
Well, then they're
appropriately named, I think.
Pam, wrap up a couple
of blueberry muffins
for these ladies
to take with them, okay?
On the house, of course.
Thank you.
Of course.
Server: Here. Take your time
with this, no rush.
Mother, whispering:
Don't look so guilty.
Ruthie, whispering:
I'm trying not to.
Let me tell you something,
ruthie.
They don't give two shits
about you.
You don't have to be mean.
They have jobs.
And houses.
They'll survive
no matter what we do.
So get your shit together.
The door's unlocked.
I'll be out in a minute.
Hey.
-Mother: Did they see us?
-Ruthie: No.
Oh!
Shit!
Ruthie: Where are you going?
Go on.
Come on, mom, we have
to get out of here!
Mother: It's not going, ruthie!
It's not mov-- shit!
Ruthie: Hurry!
Mom, you can't just go backwards
the whole time!
Mom, what are you doing?
Pull over!
Mom, you have to stop.
Mother: Shit, shit, shit!
It's not going, ruthie.
- Mom, please, don't freak out!
Mom, stop!
Chill out, please!
Mother: Oh, my god.
Shit, shit...
It's okay.
Mom, it's okay.
What are you doing?
Gotta go back to the diner.
-That diner?
-Mm-hmm.
Why?
Ouch!
Our car broke down
outside of a diner
right after we ripped them off.
If that isn't the lord's
work working,
I don't know what is.
Grab my purse.
Here.
So, we'll just go in
and tell 'em...
Yeah.
Confess. Come on.
Oh, great.
I have the cops on the phone
right now.
I'm sorry.
Put yourself in my shoes.
What would you expect me
to do?
Mother: I don't know
if you've ever been hungry.
I don't know what to do anymore
except keep running.
But we can't,
because our car broke down.
And we have nothing.
I mean, you can go ahead
and call cops, that's fine,
but they're just gonna
send me to jail
and they're gonna send my kid
to child services.
Do you know what child services
is like?
It's rough!
It's really shitty.
My uncle Marty has a bad heart,
and a stunt like that,
you could have killed him.
Shh, shh!
I'm sorry.
Sometimes...
I do...
I make bad decisions
to make up for some other
bad decisions,
and I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.
-I just --
-you're a thief.
Look, mister,
superheroes don't fly
or look like Jesus.
They drive broken-down cars.
They take their kids with them
no matter where they go
or how bad things get,
and sometimes they make mistakes
just like anyone else.
We're sorry.
Pammy, hang up the phone,
would you, please?
My mother always said
that desperation brings out
the worst in people.
So, I think
if you treat people right,
you're gonna have a good life.
You know anything
about waitressing?
Woman: Ma'am,
i didn't order this.
So sorry.
Ohh, the coffee's hot.
Woman: Miss.
I'm sorry, we're still waiting
for our drinks.
Woman: Can I get some ketchup?
You done with that?
-Fuck you, fag!
-Suck my dick, tranny!
Faggot!
Marty: Hey, punks!
Get outta here!
Ruthie: Bullies exist
in every town.
Big and small.
People hate
what they don't understand.
Mother: Ruthie, wake up.
Wake up.
-Ruthie: What?
-Mother: Come on.
-Mother: We have to get up.
-Ruthie: Oh, what time is it?
Mother: I think it's about 5:00.
Ruthie, sighing: It's so early.
Mother: I know it's so early.
-Ruthie: It's so early.
-Mother: Come on.
Mother: Gotta get going.
Damn it.
I think the world's
a crazy mess.
Me, I'm simple.
I still listen to my mother.
And when I die...
She's gonna be waiting for me.
I don't lie to people.
I come in every morning.
I open that door.
And every night, I close it.
You know, I'm simple.
You have a prodigious talent.
You know --
you're one of the best
dishwashers I've ever seen.
Did you know that?
You are.
I can't afford to lose you.
I'm gonna give you
a dollar raise,
right here, right now.
Huh?
Whaddya say to that?
You gotta rewash that, though.
Just put it back in.
It's perfectly clean,
but now it has to be rewashed.
Tell you what, go get ready for
tonight's dinner shift, okay?
Okay.
Cute kid.
I've always wanted
a daughter like that.
Not as clumsy, all right,
but she...
She'll do okay.
-Pat sajak: 900.
-T.
Work smarter, not harder.
Man: Yes, they're talking
about fantasy football,
and it's like nobody even goes
to games anymore.
All right, Lee, Lee,
that's enough.
May I get a refill here?
Sure.
You... you're a goddamn beauty,
you know that?
Would you wanna get a drink
with me in the back room?
Does that sound like something,
maybe, we'd wanna do?
I can't, I'm working.
Well, maybe some other time.
Marty: Jeez, Lee!
-Lee!
-Don't stop eating.
Come on, come on.
It's all right.
Thanks, Pam.
I'm outta here.
My apologies to the lady.
Pam: I will let her know.
Ohh!
How's that retainer working out?
It's great, thank you, Lee.
Lookin' okay.
Pam: Did you want a... napkin?
Lee, this is way too much.
Lee, groaning:
I'll see you guys.
Marty: Hi. Shouldn't
have traded Manning.
It was a big mistake.
Um, don't forget my cut.
Here, this belongs to you.
Do you mind?
Sorry.
This is where uncle Marty
takes his catnaps.
That man could sleep
through the entire
"Judy at the palace" record.
During a Sunday morning rush.
But it should be
pretty comfortable.
Thanks.
-Yep.
-Thanks.
No problem.
Hey...
Mother: Oh! This is nice.
Oh, I like stretching my legs.
All right, how much?
-Mother: Hand it over.
-Ruthie: Okay. Um...
A few dollars.
All right?
We'll sock money away until
we can get the car fixed.
And then we'll get back
on the road.
Okay?
Ruthie?
Don't trust these people.
Especially Pam.
Pam's just mad at you.
She's nice.
She?
The nice ones always end up
being the biggest assholes.
-You don't know that.
-Uh, yes I do.
Trust me.
It's like those, uh...
You know, those sayings,
like, uh...
"Shit happens."
Or, uh...
"Life is just one damn thing
after another."
It's like that.
You know, those...
You know, really smart people
wrote those.
It's not like just
stupid sayings, ruthie.
Well...
Really smart people usually
end up killing themselves.
Which is sort of like
not finishing a book
after you've started.
The right ending can make
the whole story fall into place.
You just have to keep reading.
I don't even know
what you just said...
You're really smart.
Thanks.
Wherever we end up, we're gonna
find you a good school.
Ruthie: Having a place to sleep
allowed us to dream.
Did you know that this aluminum
can would still be here
in 500 years if we just
threw it away?
Really?
People use like 800 billion cans
a year, ruthie.
For a while, I would have
this nightmare
that the whole world turned
into nothing but aluminum cans.
Then, I discovered that you
could make things out of them.
Like jewelry.
Who's that?
That's Vic.
Sells real estate.
Always tips pretty well
after a big sale.
Looks like he's buying what
your mom's selling today.
-Hi.
-Hi.
You get some sleep, okay?
Ruthie: My mom was better at
loving men than choosing them.
With every new town
came a new boyfriend.
-Mother: Hah! That's amazing.
-Vic: Yeah.
Ruthie:
My mom was wrong about Pam.
The more I got to know her,
the more I realized
she was just like us.
She became... my friend.
What's your favorite color?
-My favorite color?
-Yeah.
Do you know when oil
falls out of a car
and is in a puddle,
and it's like six colors
put together?
Yeah. Yeah, I've seen that.
That's my favorite color.
How did you get so good at this?
Well, I just sort of got used
to building places to hide in.
Ruthie: I like the stripes.
-Pam: Yeah.
-Ruthie: We need a theme.
Maybe we should do something
different for each bar.
Should we put paint on our face.
Can I paint your face?
-Absolutely not.
-Why not?
You take care of the universe,
the universe
will take care of you.
This is it, this is my year,
i know it.
So, what do you think?
It's cool.
This is just
for my foreign audience.
I'm gonna get famous in Asia
and then Germany,
and then after that,
I'm gonna conquer New York.
Wow.
Wake up.
Come on.
Come on, there's a surprise!
Ruthie: The longer we stayed
at tiny's,
the more this town started
to feel like home.
Oh, I love your picture.
Ruthie, it's yellow!
Ruthie: Yeah, it's yellow.
So, you said you needed
a place to stay,
and it just clicked for me.
You two could buy this place.
It's perfect.
It's cozy.
It comes fully furnished.
And you can get a great deal
because it's a foreclosure.
What do you think, ruthie?
I don't understand,
how can we afford a house?
We're broke.
I'm getting your mom
an amazing deal on the sale.
-What about the down payment?
-Not a dime.
Only have to sign some papers,
make the payments.
It's the same as paying rent
except you're making money
because you're investing
in a house.
-See, ruthie, it's a good thing.
-What about Boston?
Mother: Boston's only
a couple of hours away.
And Vic says there's
a great high school here.
And we'll be saving money
by investing in a house.
-That's right?
-Yeah, yeah.
Ruthie, what do you think?
I love it.
If you love it.
I love it.
I love it.
I love it, I love it,
i love it.
-Initial there.
-Agreement for purchase.
Initial there, initial there,
initial there.
And then initial there.
Go ahead.
Hurry up so we can celebrate.
-I did it.
-You all done? Let's see
awww!
Blblblblblblbl!
Ya missed me!
It's not that funny.
Oh, pink!
I've never seen
that color before.
Mom, they're like almost dying.
Come on.
-Whoa!
-So much stuff.
It's possible one of everything
in the world is right here.
Oh, we're not stealing today,
ruthie.
Come on.
Wow!
It's so big.
We should apply
for a credit card.
A credit card?
Can we really qualify?
We own a house now.
Of course we can.
Smell good?
Ahh!
Ooh!
Mom, we need these.
Ruthie!
Look at that.
-My god!
-It's amazing.
I read somewhere that art
is a really good investment.
What about this?
It's 50 cents more.
I have to get this.
Mom.
That's cool.
No!
Man on TV: ...Across America.
Hello?
Hi.
Hi, I'm Patti.
With an I.
I live next-door.
-Hi, I'm ruthie.
-Hi, ruthie.
-Hi, Rita.
-Hey, Rita, nice to meet you.
Here you go.
Welcome to the neighborhood.
These are my kids.
Greta and Tommy and Jake
and alistair.
Hey, what did I tell you
about that dog?
Take that dog
back over to her house!
Someone's gotta be
watching Tommy!
I swear.
I get pregnant so easy, like you
could probably get me pregnant.
Anyway, the lady across
the street's a real bitch.
She was my English teacher
in high school,
but now she's the principal.
That lady's gonna be
my principal?
Patti: Yeah.
She's really into like, um...
Oh, god, who's that one writer,
the one who wrote, um...
What was it called?
"Spoon river anthology."
She's obsessed with
"spoon river anthology."
I didn't really understand that
it wasn't about a spoon,
but it's not.
It's like these dead people
in a community or something.
Anyway, you should get it.
-We should go say hi.
-Mom, no.
-Come on, ruthie.
-Mom.
Is that a new TV?
-Ruthie: Mom, we don't have to.
-Want me to shut your door?
-No.
-Okay. I'll just leave it open.
Ruthie: She looks mean.
This is embarrassing.
Hi, this is my ruthie.
She's starting
with you tomorrow.
Oh. I saw you moved into
hanson's old rat trap.
I'm Ms. Frankfurt.
I'm the principal.
Hi, I'm ruthie Carmichael,
ma'am.
I like your manners,
ruthie Carmichael.
And tell me, what do you like
about school?
Um...
I guess I like the library.
--Oh, I gotta go.
Ruthie: Bye.
Hey, how is the house?
It's amazing.
-Yeah.
-You're so good to us.
It's amazing.
Baby, take off your panties.
It was so tragic.
No, my favorite wrestler
was andr the giant.
Do you remember him?
"I'll get you,
hulk hogan."
You remember him?
Rita, chuckling: No.
Vic: No?
Let's go to the couch, huh?
Rita: Hmm-mm, I can't.
Vic: Why?
Shh, shh, shh...
Gotta come back,
gotta come back.
Vic: Okay.
-Rita: Bye.
-Vic: Bye.
Rita: See you soon, Victor.
Oops, sorry.
Kicking you out!
Hey.
Ruthie.
Come on.
Wake up, time for school.
Come on, get up.
And once they find out
how smart you are,
they'll probably let you skip
ninth grade.
I was thinking...
You'd make a great president,
ruthie.
You know, with you
as president...
We wouldn't even need
a vice president.
Sure, mom.
Hey!
You're gonna do great.
Don't let anyone tell ya
any different.
Okay.
You go in there
and you kick some ass.
Okay.
Mom.
Girl: Gina, is that you?
Who are you?
I'm... I'm ruthie Carmichael.
Are you a freshman?
Yes.
Do you have any weed?
No.
Oxys?
-No.
-Cigarettes.
None on me.
Dyke.
Woman: I mean, I will say
that the coffee and doughnuts
were a nice touch
for the staff meeting.
It was very kind of you,
but I have to say it again
that you're only in charge
of the girls' choir.
Woman #2: The girls' choir.
Woman #1: And not the boys'.
We've talked about this before.
Not the boys.
It does not bode well
with the parents.
Okay.
Sorry, miss, excuse me.
We're closed.
No, I know, sorry.
I was just... driving by.
Uh...
Do you remember me?
You happen to remember me?
Sitting down there.
-Oh, yeah, you threw up on me.
-Well, almost threw up on you.
But, yeah, I wanted to say
how sorry I was about that
and that, you know, I was
a real mess.
And...
Uh...
Well, you look good.
Oh, I'm doing well,
thank you.
You know, it's one day
at a time,
and I just wanted to let you
know how sorry I am about that,
and, uh...
It was very bad behavior
and I know you were just trying
to do your job.
So I wanted to let you know that
I'm very, very sorry about that,
and it won't happen again.
And thank you for listening
to me.
That's it?
That's it. Thank you.
And you have a good night.
Girl: Have you actually ever
done weed before? Dude.
Try, like tilt it.
Yeah.
Can you, um...
Here, let me, uh...
...shotgun you,
it will go down easier.
What's a shotg--
are you high?
Yeah.
I am, too...
Ruthie: "We are evolving
backwards.
"Our brains are getting bigger
but malfunctioning more.
"In conclusion,
the human race is godless
"and self-destructive.
"It destroys its habitation
and eats its own.
"If we want to save our planet,
we have to start
by changing the way we think."
Let me hit that bottle again.
You think life's easy?
It's not easy.
It's hard.
And you got a rough deal,
i know that.
Do you know what my father used
to say to me
when I was growing up?
Hang around with shit,
and shit gets on ya.
I saw a kid with potential
hanging around with shit,
and shit's getting on ya,
is that what you want?
No, Ms. Frankfurt.
Do you want to hang out
with losers
and get high on school property,
is that what you wanna do?
No, Ms. Frankfurt, I'm sorry.
But you want to be in that crowd
that does drugs?
You think they're cool?
'Cause they're not cool.
'Cause I have to suspend you
for three days
because we have a zero-tolerance
policy in this school
for all alcohol and drug use.
Do you understand me?
Yes, Ms. Frankfurt.
Ruthie: I had never been
in trouble before.
High school was harder
than I thought.
I didn't want to have to tell
my mom what happened.
I didn't want to disappoint her.
Mom, you need a doctor.
Rita: Hmm-mm.
Sweetie, we can't afford that.
I don't think
the nyquil's working.
Ruthie: Suddenly my problems
were such smaller
when I saw my mom
in so much pain.
You're gonna be okay, mom.
Hey.
-Whoa.
-Rita: Hi.
Jesus, she needs a shower, huh?
Ruthie: She's too weak.
No, no, I gotta go.
I just wanted to stop by.
I got a closing.
-Bye.
-Rita, coughing: Come here.
It'll be okay.
Oh, ruthie.
Ms. Frankfurt.
I don't know where else to go.
But my mom is really sick.
We need a doctor.
All right, come on in, honey.
Come on!
-Ruthie: Thank you.
-Frankfurt: Hurry up.
Hi, Rita.
What's your name?
-I'm Jacob.
-Oh.
Okay.
My lungs are pretty bad, too.
Faster.
Jacob: Yeah, I can tell.
But it seems your heart
is healthy.
Love you.
Ruthie:
When I got back to school,
everything had changed.
And I realized...
So had I.
We were already behind
on our house payments.
The more time we took to pay,
the more we had to pay.
Plus, business
at tiny's had slowed.
I was afraid we'd never
catch up.
Mmm.
I'm not drinkin' alone.
Can I have some of that?
Yes, you may.
Say when.
-Mmm, looks good.
-Yeah, okay.
Oh, my gosh!
Long day.
They're all long days.
My god, it's just so tough.
So tough.
Day after day.
Man: Yeah, man,
at least their light's on.
-Three.
-Go fish.
I got lucky.
Yeah, you did.
Do you have a Jack?
Oh, we're closed.
No, no, no!
Hold on, hold on.
No, uh...
Uh, these boys look hungry.
We'll get 'em something to eat.
-Here, I'll get you some menus.
-I got it.
-Marty: You sure?
-Pam: Mm-hmm.
Did you know that there's
a giant electrical storm
on the planet saturn
right now?
Man: No.
And lightning there is like
a thousand times more powerful
than lightning on earth.
Can you imagine?
Did you guys decide
what you wanna have?
-Here, let me help you.
-I got it.
-You should go home.
-Mom, I wanna help.
You got school tomorrow.
You got homework.
I've already done my homework.
It's late.
You're drunk.
What?
I'm not drunk!
You're drunk.
You know how many people
have a glass of wine
or a beer
at the end of a long day?
Don't be such a nag.
Nag, nag, nag!
Naaaaag!
-Ruthie: It's embarrassing.
-Rita: Well, then go.
Ruthie: I always knew
when my mom was scared
because she drank
more than usual.
I couldn't just leave her.
Man: Come on, freak!
Yeah, you like that?
--Then take it.
Then take it.
You like that, huh?
Mom!
Marty!
Mom!
Ruthie: When you live this close
to the bottom,
calling the cops
doesn't do any good.
Huh?
Stop!
Stop! Ugh!
Man: Faggot!
Ruthie: I saw my mom get raped
when I was 11 years old.
I swore I would never
let that happen again.
Man: You like it rough, huh?
Oh, yeah!
Stop.
Let her go!
Man: Fuck you! Ohh!
Stop it, get out of here!
Go! Get outta here!
Go, get outta here.
Don't come back!
Man: Fuck you, freak!
Are you okay?
Did they hurt you?
-Are you okay, ruthie?
-You weren't even here!
Ruthie: It's all right.
It's all right.
Man: Means a lot, and, Bruce,
I couldn't have done it
without you, truly.
So, thank you.
Some of you know my story.
Not all of you do.
Um...
I lost my wife
a little over two years ago.
Uh, she was at target,
and, uh...
She experienced an aneurysm
and then passed away.
And, uh...
You know, I don't really have
any family to speak of,
and so it was really a...
It was really just me
and my wife.
Excuse me.
But, uh...
Sorry.
It was just me and my wife.
Uh...
So...
You guys, uh...
Kind of became my family
after that.
And, uh...
When I washed up here,
I was sitting right
in that chair over there,
and, uh...
I was just very lost.
And, uh...
You people made me feel
very welcome.
Rita: Ruthie, these cookies
are really good.
Ruthie?
Ruthie.
Talk to me.
How many times
can I say I'm sorry?
I'm sorry.
Ruthie.
I'm trying to clean up.
I wish you'd understand that.
Ruthie.
I just want things
to be good again.
-Good?
-Yes.
You turn everything you touch
to shit.
Come here.
-Can I get you some more coffee?
-Yeah, a little warm-up, thanks.
Ruthie: The days felt longer
as business got slower.
And tiny's closed earlier
and earlier.
Hey.
Hey.
Do you mind?
No.
Ohh!
Did you know that, compared
to the size of the universe,
humans are one billionth
the size of an ant?
Hmm.
You know when it happened to me?
I didn't tell anybody.
'Cause I knew
what they would say.
And I felt dirty all over.
I didn't want to eat anything.
I didn't wanna swallow anything.
I walked around,
and I was like...
Nobody's ever gonna want me.
Ever.
I'm damaged goods.
You know what I mean?
It's like, well...
I'm really scared.
What are you scared of?
Sometimes god makes mistakes.
Do you think he made
a mistake with you?
I'm scared to live.
I won't even kill myself
because I'm scared of god,
I'm scared of...
You know, whatever is waiting
up there or down there.
Well, you survived this.
You can survive anything.
You just have to take
a deep breath.
I wanna move to New York City,
but I don't think
i can survive it.
Hmm.
Well...
I want you...
Lips.
Don't smile.
I challenge you not to smile.
No, really, seriously,
don't smile.
--Okay.
I want you to get up,
go back in your trailer,
put one of
those fancy dresses on...
And be you.
Group: God, Grant me
the Serenity to accept
the things I cannot change,
the courage to change
the things I can,
and the wisdom to know
the difference.
Hey.
-Hey.
-How you doing?
I'm okay.
How are you?
Great.
What's going on?
Good meeting.
Yeah.
Get real good meetings in there.
How long have you been
coming to this?
I'm seven months sober now.
Just got seven months.
Not bad.
It's a start.
How you been doing?
-Eighteen days.
-That's great.
-I like that number.
-That is a great number.
It's gonna be different
tomorrow, but congratulations.
I was just driving one day
and I saw the sign,
and sometimes I think...
Like if I'm driving
and I see something,
I'm like,
"oh, I should do that."
You know, "i should do that,"
and so it was like a sign.
And it was a real sign,
you know,
it was a sign
and then a real sign.
And then I started coming.
Yeah. You seem good.
I'm trying to be better,
you know.
Well, so you're still
pretty new, huh?
I'd ask you go to get coffee
or something
if you'd been in here
a little longer.
Oh.
I'd love to...
Grab a coffee.
You'd like to go get coffee?
-With me?
-Yeah.
Sure, if you wanna get coffee,
I'll get coffee.
-Yeah, do something.
-Okay.
-Three.
-Seven.
-Twelve.
-Twenty-two.
This ain't shit.
When are times gonna change?
I don't know.
Here, keep it.
Rita: Say you're from Iowa?
Lee: Yeah, from council bluffs.
Rita: What do you like to do
besides skee-ball?
-Ohh!
-Lee: A hundred?
-Rita: I got 100!
-Lee: Way to go!
Rita: Yes!
Rita: Ooh, you're good.
How'd you get so good?
Lee: A misspent youth.
You got a great smile.
You know, I could fix
your first premolar for you.
I'm a dentist.
Yeah. Don't be embarrassed.
It's fine.
You can hardly see it.
Except when you're laughing.
Well, it has been a while
since I've laughed.
Maybe I can fix that
for you, too.
You're not a dentist.
-Best in town.
-No way.
Top 10 in town.
-Really?
-Yeah.
I mean,
look at these pearly whites.
Are all those real?
Yeah.
Wow!
Come on, show me. I'll give you
a free dental exam.
-Open your mouth.
-No.
Come on, I can help you.
Why does everybody hate
going to the dentist?
We do so much good.
You can't hate...
Clean, healthy teeth.
It's the foundation
for a good life.
Come on.
Let's see.
Oh...
Let me see.
Tell you now, genetically...
Hold on.
You got perfect teeth.
But you're gonna need
a root canal
and a serious cleaning.
Rita: Mm-hmm
and probably a new tooth.
When's the last time
you saw a dentist?
When ruthie was
a baby, I think.
It's okay, we're gonna
get you fixed up.
You're nice.
Ruthie: I had read about what
they called a financial crisis.
And now I was seeing it.
Neighbors like "Patti with an i"
and her family just disappeared.
We're fucked.
Vic: Look at
that single-car garage.
-Vic: Is that beautiful?
-Woman: It's beautiful.
People don't have garages here.
You will have a garage.
Why do some people get away
with everything
while other people
have to suffer for it?
It's gonna be okay, ruthie.
It's not fair.
Sometimes life isn't fair,
but...
We're dealt the cards that
we know how to deal with.
We're losing our house
while real-estate assholes
get richer
and there's nothing
we can do.
Why is life so hard?
It's not meant to be like this.
I'm 15!
Ruthie, it's always
gonna be okay.
You don't know that!
Everything around us
is collapsing!
-It's going to be okay.
-Everything is falling apart!
It's going to be okay.
-Ruthie: It's not gonna be okay!
-Pam: Yes, it is.
-Ruthie: No, it's not!
-Pam: It's going to be okay.
-Ruthie: No, it's not.
-Pam: Sit down, please.
It's not!
Pam: It will be.
Pam: You've got to relax.
Here, put your feet up.
Put your feet up.
Ready? Whoooo!
- Whooo!
Whooooo!
See?
Ohh!
I don't wanna laugh,
i just wanna cry.
It's hard to have perspective
right now, but...
One day you'll look back
on all of this
and you'll see
that it's all okay.
Come here.
Sweetie, put something sexy on.
-I'm taking you out.
-What?
-Huh?
-Huh?
What's going on?
You know I called you
when I was sick.
Yeah, come on, I was busy.
-Busy doing what, huh? Busy?
-Yeah.
I'm losing my house
because of you.
I can take care of that.
How are you gonna take care
of that, Vic, huh?
How you gonna do it?
-Tell me, I'd like to know.
-Come here.
-No, fucking me
isn't gonna help.
What are you gonna do, huh?
You owe me!
You signed those papers
yourself.
-You told me to.
-Are you 2 years old?
-You told me to!
-All right, calm down.
Listen, you make your own
decisions, all right?
No, you can't do that.
You can't just turn shit around.
It's not fair!
-That's what people like you do.
-All right.
Get outta here,
you mother fucker!
All right, all right!
-And don't come back!
-Crazy.
-Mom?
-Huh?
Nothing.
Stop!
Stop!
I need to get this done.
Love you.
Love you.
How was that?
Rita: It was good.
I liked the soup.
It's good soup.
-Pam: Anything else, guys?
-No, thanks.
I don't like tomatoes,
but I like tomato soup.
That's a dichotomy.
A what?
How do you spell "dichotomy"?
Lee: Here you go, I got it.
I like helping you.
I don't need your help,
it's fine.
What's wrong?
Hey. Look at me.
We're losing our house.
Lee: Well, maybe I can help.
No.
Hey.
I can't have another guy tell us
he's gonna help us.
Come here, come talk to me.
I can't do it to ruthie.
So, when are we moving in
with Lee?
We're not.
Woman: Eighty-one days ago
i got up
and I decided to call you guys
and I'm so grateful I did.
I feel so blessed.
Eighty-one days today.
I am free.
Hey, ladies.
Stay out of trouble.
Lee?
Thank you for being so nice.
-Of course.
-We've been through hell, but...
I know.
I don't want ruthie
to be sad anymore.
Lee: I understand.
I really care about you.
It's all gonna be okay.
I want you guys to come
stay with me, okay?
Or we could stay here all night.
I hate goodbyes, too.
Yeah, it sucks.
It's gonna be okay, ruthie.
Let's go.
Rita: Come on.
-Rita: Hi.
-Lee: Hi.
-Lee: Let me get this box.
-Rita: Ah, thank you.
Lee: I'll show you guys around.
Hi, ruthie.
Good to see ya.
-Hi.
-Rita: Let's go see your house.
Lee: Come on.
Let me just get the door.
Yeah, the house is originally
from 1926.
It's a kind of a-frame.
But, uh, yeah,
that's my record collection.
Got all the different kinds
of music.
Rita: Oh, I like music!
Lee: Feel free to look
through that.
This is the bedroom here
and the bathroom.
This is the kitchen.
I'll just set this down.
Here's the backyard.
Rita, gasping:
Ruthie, there's a pool!
Lee: Yeah.
Ruthie: Yeah, we can't swim.
Lee: I'll show you guys
the upstairs.
Rita: I can't wait to jump in.
Got a lot of this stuff
from my grandparents.
Guess that's kind of obvious.
Feel free to change anything,
'cause I don't...
So, ruthie, I thought this
could be your room.
I've gotten most of my stuff
out of it.
And you can repaint it
or whatever you feel like.
I'll go finish getting
the stuff out of the car.
Make yourself at home.
Oh, hey, you need something,
ruthie?
No, uh...
-Sorry.
-That's okay.
Yeah, that's some of the stuff
i didn't clean out of there.
I just got
a bunch of old stuff in there.
Hmm. You play chess?
Yeah, a little bit.
Do you play?
Yeah, I mean,
what I like about chess
is you can learn
as you go along.
You can't win just by only
making forward moves.
Sometimes you have to
take a step back
or even lose a few pieces
to move forward.
I think you just
have to be patient.
You know, that's what
they say about it.
Okay, you can have
the first move.
Hey, ruthie.
Hi.
"Breakfast of champions"?
Rita: Thank you.
It's a book, mom.
-Oh.
-Uh, I like both.
-Good morning.
-Hey, ruthie.
Hey.
What are you doing today?
Not a lot.
-Hey, ruthie.
-Hey, ruthie.
Ruthie: Hey.
Rita: Ruthie, what's wrong?
What are we doing in this house?
I can't take this anymore.
Can we please get out of here
and stop living
this suburban lie?
Rita: Ruthie!
We're not going anywhere.
We're not running away anymore.
-God.
-Ruthie!
I can't believe this little
fairy-tale romance
you made for yourself.
Couple of alcoholics
getting clean.
And falling in love.
Stop it, ruthie.
Mom, I'm not a little kid
anymore!
-Rita, straining: Yes, you are.
-Ruthie: Get away from me.
-Ruthie: Mom, get off
-Rita: Go to bed, ruthie.
-Rita: Stop it!
-Ruthie: I'm not going to bed!
No!
Ow, damn it!
Ruthie.
Bravo, mom, happy ending.
-Is that what you think?
-Don't start crying.
-I'm not gonna start crying.
-Good.
'Cause I'm sick of that, too!
Oh, good, I'm glad you're just
sick of everything!
I'm really glad
you're sick of everything.
You go from boyfriend
to boyfriend,
and why is Lee different?
-Because he's a good person.
-Why is he so different?
I love him, ruthie,
and he loves us.
Because he fixed your teeth?
Because people need each other,
ruthie.
--Because he takes care of us.
Just like I take care of you.
He takes care of us.
Get off me!
You can't tell me what to do!
-Yes, I can, I am your mother!
-Well, you don't act like it!
-Yes, I do!
-No, you don't!
You have no idea
what I've done for you!
You don't know about foster care
because I made damn sure
you don't know!
So, if you wanna go, go!
-I will leave!
-Then leave!
I'll go.
Oh, my god!
Thank you.
One, two, three.
She's gonna be fine.
You gotta trust me about that.
She's at that age where she's
feeling kind of independent.
She's never done this before.
She's never run away.
This is not ruthie.
Right, but she's 15 now,
so she's gonna start doing
stuff like this.
It's totally normal.
You did it, right?
And I did it.
Come on.
It's what kids do.
I promise.
Come here.
Come here, gimme a hug.
Come on.
What?
Um...
She...
She followed in after me.
Trash!
Bitch.
Okay.
Rita: Thank you, Pam.
Pam, whispering: I'm gonna go
make some coffee.
Rita: Okay.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, too.
Sometimes I just screw up,
ruthie.
You know, I try to be
a good mom.
I've always tried, but I never
really knew what I was doing.
And when you were little,
it was just...
It was a lot easier
because if you fell,
you know, I knew how to fix it.
Like I could just make
your boo-boo better, and...
And now I don't always know
what to do.
I know.
I love you, mom.
I love you, ruthie.
You're a big girl now.
Yeah.
I never realized before...
What?
You need me
as much as I need you.
Ruthie.
Honey, I need you more.
Mom, that's my clip.
You gave it to me.
When did I give it to you?
You said you didn't want
to wear clips anymore.
I did not give it to you.
Uh, this is my skirt.
Yeah, but this was for a party.
This was for... a night.
My hair was in my face.
I saw you using it before.
I just didn't say anything.
Here.
Yes, you can drive.
Oh, my god!