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Small Time (2014)
This is the story
about my father and the summer we spent together many years ago. It was the summer that changed my life. Ah, your love is fading I feel it fade Ah, your love is fading Woman, I feel it fade Ah, woman, woman your touch Your touch has gone cold As if someone else controls your very soul I've fooled myself long as I can Can feel the presence of another man It's there when you speak my name It's just not the same Ooh, baby I'm losing you It's in the air It's there everywhere Baby, baby, babe I'm losing you And later on in the show, I'm gonna wash it out right in front of you so you can see how it looks. Burger maker, the ingenious kitchen gadget that lets you stuff, stuff, stuff your way to the best tasting burgers ever... Thanks to the upper winds. The upper wind pattern right now is warmer through the middle part of the country, right through the midsection of the U.S. that'll keep the warm air coming from the west. Our temperatures look above normal, probably through the beginning of next week. You coming to bed? In a minute. Are you crying? No. Babe, you're crying. Does weather make you sad? I don't know what it is. Everything just makes me cry lately. Maybe I have high blood pressure. I don't think you have high blood pressure. I'm driving down the street today, I see this guy bought his little boy a snow cone, you know, from the back of a truck, and... Hm-hmm. I start blubbering like a baby. I had to pull over. Maybe you're thinking about your son. I mean he's graduating high school tomorrow. It's not like he's going off to war. No, but he's getting to that age. It's an adjustment. I'll say. You've been a great dad to him, Al, and you always will be. I have an idea. Why don't I come over next weekend and... I can cook dinner for the three of us, and get to finally meet the legendary Freddy Klein. Yeah, maybe. Yeah, maybe? What am I doing wrong here? You're not doing anything wrong. Then why can't we be together? I mean, really together? Linda, we are. Come on, don't, don't do that. Don't do that. Who the hell is calling at this time a night? Oh, I wonder. Hello? Hey, Al. We have a little situation here at the lot. What are you doing at the lot? My TV crashed. I wanted to catch the game. Anyway, there's a young man here, uh... What's your name? Jason. - Jason what? - Sanders. His name is Jason Sanders. Any relation to Phil Sanders of B of A? No. Jason here tried to boost the silver Mustang we traded in last month. Luckily, I was here to catch his felonious ass. You called the cops? No, I did not call the police. I wanted to talk to you first. Well, what do you think? Well, I don't know yet. What? Well, no, I-I don't... ...like the fact this keeps happening any more than you do. Yes. He is trespassing. What, you mean like in the leg? Wait, wait, Mister. Let's not get crazy here, okay? Come on. He says he'll do anything to make it right. I'll be right down. Put it back, pretty boy Floyd. You make me nervous. We think that Herman's been washed out to sea. So what's the problem? Nothing, all right? Ash, we gotta fix that clock. This is classic. Am I interrupting anything? Yeah, Herman's getting the shit beat out of him tonight. What's with the gun? Oh, good, isn't it? It looks real. Oh, thank God. You were here the other day with your friends. Yeah. He was driving a BMW. What are you doing trying to steal a car from us? Mister, I wasn't gonna keep the car, okay? I swear. I was just gonna drive it around for a couple of hours. Why? My friends dared me to do it. This whole thing was just a... goof. It's a goof. My son goofed like that, I'd put my foot up his ass. You ever been to prison, Jason? No. Let me see your wallet. All right, I don't have any money. Call the police. Okay, here you go. Who's Dr. William Sanders? He's my father. Mr. Martini, call in a $6,500 approval while I do Mr. Sanders' paperwork. I-I'm sorry, what? $6,500? That's a very good price. Ah, you know, I got a soft spot for troubled youth. You-you guys can't do this. This is my father's credit card. I-I'm not allowed to use it except for emergencies. Mr. Sanders, if you do not consider grand theft auto an emergency then you live one wild life. This is gonna bring you and your father much closer together. It-it-it really will. Trust me. Yeah, I'd like an authorization, please. I'm sorry, what exactly are you guys doing? Selling you a car. Is that exhaust system under warranty? Not that I'm aware of. What time we gotta be at graduation tomorrow? Should I wear like a sports coat? Suit? What, I got- I gotta dress you now? You can wear whatever you want. You know what I realize about you after all these years? You got a lousy disposition. Let's go to Casa Rio, grab a drink. Good night, Ash. It's ladies night. Good sale. Yes, it was. Why do they want him to sleep outside in a tent? - This, I do not understand. - Pete, Pete, Pete. They're Scouts. That's what Boy Scouts do. They go camping. Why? There's no bathroom. There are snakes over there. Costa! Hey! don't get me the... Come on! Hey, come on, guys, let's go. Chop, chop! We got people waiting to get to work here. I like your pocket thingy. Yes, it's uh, it's what I like to call "the finishing touch. " I just got this one in, less than 30,000 miles on it, mint condition. A new paint job. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. My name is Al. I'm one of the owners. You deal with me directly. Yes, they do. He's not eating, mother. There's something wrong with him! No, I don't want to wait until the weekend. I can't. Will you please just take him to the vet this afternoon? - Emergency. - Ugh! Yes, I will re... I will reimburse you. I am, I know I still owe you for the marshmallows. Just please... Diamond Motors. I've got to go! I'm so sorry about that, Mr. Martini. Oh, I made those cookies for you and Mr. Klein, and they're sugar free. Did you process the uh, paperwork I left on your desk last night? Oh! Uh, you left paperwork? Well... The Mustang? We sold it last night. I didn't, I didn't see anything. It's uh, it would be right here. I don't use my inbox. I'm afraid I would rely on it too much. Just process the car, Gail. - Okay. - Thanks. - Mr. Martini? - Yeah? Do you think that I might be able to leave a little bit early today because I think my cat might be dying? No. - May I sit in, please? - By all means. Al! Al, Al, Al, Al! Hey, what are you doing? I'm showing these nice people a car. No, no, no, no, I-I got someone coming by this afternoon to buy it. Who? It-it-it's a doctor from Beverly Hills. I'm sorry, folks. I can't sell you the car. Why not? Did this doctor leave a deposit? No. Well, did he sign anything? - Al, he really wants the car. - Ash. I... Come on. I-I'm sorry. A little oil will fix that right up. That's nothing. Slide on in there. Can I start the engine, please? Sorry? Can I start the engine? Yes, by all means. There you go. May I? This is nothing. It's just a loose wire. Barlow! I'm gonna have my mechanic take a look at it. And I guarantee you, he's gonna fix this up in about two minutes' time. Barlow, I think we have a little ignition issue here. Can you take a look? It'll just take a second, folks. I thought you told me this car's ready to roll? Well, no. Have you been drinking? Yes, Mr. Klein, I have. It's ten in the morning. What's going on? I come to my house last night and my wife is not there. She goes to her mother And she says I don't make her happy no more. Shh, okay. Look, I understand that you're upset. But we can't do anything about your wife at this moment. Would you agree with that? Barlow. Barlow. You can't do this right now. You gotta pull yourself together. Barlow, you ca... Figured it out. Just what I thought. It's a, it's a loose wire. We'll have it done in a second. Listen to me. Sometimes things break down, right? It happens. Right? And we just don't sit around and mope. We fix them. You're a fixer. Now if you can get this car to run, you can get your wife back. You really think so? I know so. Come on. Try it now. Try it now. There we go! A loose wire, just like I thought. Cash! She pulls out a stack of hundreds this thick. Outstanding. What'd we clear on that car, a G? Uh, a little less. I had to throw in some floor mats, which we're out of so call Jerry. I'll call Jerry. So uh, guess what I got the kid for graduation? I don't know. A bond. A bond? Yeah, a bond. A bond. What? Nothing. It's terrific. I'm sure he'll love it. Well, what did you get him? Just this. I had it engraved. It's nice. Is that a Rolex? No it's not a Rolex. Why are you busting my stones? Why are you busting my stones? Now I feel bad about buying the kid a bond. Don't feel bad about it. I'm sure it'll mature when he's 80. He'll be able to buy medication with it. A cane. New teeth. Hey, cowboy, slow down, man. We got time. one high school graduation in my life. I am not gonna be late. Excuse me, miss? Where's everybody going? The graduation's over. No it's not. It starts at noon. It started at nine. Al. What? Come on. I still can't believe she lets that one drink monkey put his hand up her skirt. Al, how are you? - Hi, Chicky. - Martini. Where's Fred? Where were you? We were in the back. Were you really here? Would I miss my only kid's high school graduation? We were here, Barb. Wasn't it wonderful seeing him get his diploma? It was incredible. Well, I gotta get back to the office, so... I'm not rushing out of here, Chick. If you want to go, go. If you want to stay, I'll stay. So where's Fred? With his friends. His graduation. Still hustling cars out there in the valley? Yeah, we're in Covina. Don't play this game, Al. What game is that? You're a Century City stockbroker, bilking old ladies out of their piggy bank money. First of all, I don't bilk anyone. Second of all, I'm a venture capitalist, not a stockbroker. - You're a stockbroker. - Al. - You're an idiot. - Ash, shut up. - Nice pinky ring. - Who are you? - Who are you? - What are you? There he is. - Dad. - Hey. Hey, Hey. Hey, Hey, you made it. You made it! Buddy boy! Where were you guys? I didn't see you anywhere. - We were in the back. - Congratulations. - Look at that. - Oh, thank you, Martini. - Hm-hmm. - Well, let's open that later. I want a kiss. Mmm! Here you go, Fred. Congratulations. It's from your mother and me. Whoa! It's a Julian Jacquard, the finest watch in the world. Oh, it's unreal. It's what a Rolex wants to be when it grows up. Eh? Yeah. Thanks, mom. Well, it was Chick's idea. I thought it was a little much. He deserves it. He did great. - You did great, Fred. - Thanks. Could you take a picture of the three of us? Uh, which three? Yeah. All right, big smiles everybody. Come on, Chicky, smile. Don't act like you have a pinecone up your ass. Just take the picture all right? There you go. There you go. Al? Would you like a photo? Yeah, that would be great. - Hey, Martini. - What? - Get in here. - What, you sure? Yeah, all right. Yeah, come on. Yeah, you and me. - What's this? - Try it on. Let me wear that. All right. You uh, you been laid yet? I think so. What does that mean? - I don't know. - Oh, you'll know. Smile! Rabbi Mendelsohn, how are you? Oh, our mistake. A shaygetz who eats creamed herring. What's the world coming to? Well, that's what they feed them on the farm. Can you be Amish and Jewish? I don't know. Anyway, judgment came up on the TRW. Lou's not gonna do the deal unless he can slice 20 percent off the top. - He's nuts. - What'd you do? It's the only game in town. I took the deal. You have a vagina, right? She's at her mother's. Nice! Hey, Martini, what's with quiet boy over here? He's fine. - Cheeseburger to go, please. - Hey, easy. Go shoot up yourself, Lennie. With what? I'll bring you a bologna. It might be big enough. And pour some coleslaw on that. A bologna and coleslaw for the assholes. Hello? Hey, it's me. Freddy's not back yet, Al. Yeah, I'm not, I'm not looking for Freddy. Is everything all right? You sure looked pretty today, Barb. Thank you, Al. Let's have dinner tonight. Mr. Klein, I am Mrs. Barnett. Come on. Come on. Come on, we'll go downtown. I'll break out my silk shirt, you put on your high heels, we'll have a great time. Well, that's a hell of an offer, but Chick really hates it when I date. It's no date. Come on. My son just graduated high school. We need to talk about his future. Look, my other line is ringing. So let it ring. I have to go. If it's important, they'll call back. Why are you doing this to me? Why did you call, Al? Does Chick still tell you how pretty you look? I'm sorry, Barb. I shouldn't have called. It was a dumb... idea. Freddy? Freddy? Hey, dad. Graduate. Hey, I'm glad you're here. What's up? Uh, I wanted to talk to you about something. Anything wrong? I don't want to go to Cal Poly. Okay. Where do you want to go? I want to work at the car lot. And do what? Are you gonna follow Barlow around with a wrench? I want to be a salesman. Okay. I'm listening. Didn't you always tell me that, you know, what you need to get by in this world you don't learn from a book? I did. Yeah, well I'm sick of school and I want to live in the real world. Don't they like college degrees in the real world? Not always. You know, it depends on what you do. - Is that a fact? - Hm-hmm. You talk to your mother about this? No, I wanted to talk to you first. So? What do you think? Uh, I think I'm gonna make me a sandwich. I'm serious, dad. I guess I just always assumed that you would go to college bigger and better than what I did. Well, I thought you did great, dad. I'd be proud if I grew up to be like you. I was thinking maybe I could move in with you. We could make up for a lot of lost time. Well, look... Even if I do say yes, your mom's not gonna go along with this. I mean she hates, with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns, hates what I do for a living. I don't care. This is what I want to do, okay? And I'm gonna tell her tonight if you say yes. Come on, dad. One little yes. That's all it takes. Yeah? If you think that I'm going to let our son throw away his life to become a peddler, well, it's not gonna happen, Al. - I... - Barb. Chick, here. You talk to him. I don't wanna talk to Chick. Oh, please don't put me in the middle. Al, if the kid wants a job, he can come and work for me. That's not the point. Blow it out your ass, Chick. What? He wants me to blow it out my ass. Barb. It's not a good idea. Been here for 16 years, Al. You might wanna unpack some of this stuff. What are you talking about? you buy a used car from Diamond Motors. Very nice. Hey, how would you like a fore ply mop? I'm good. Still angry? Just tired. Hm-hmm. I may have been a little upset last night. Yeah. Look, so you know, I didn't say yea or boo to him. I said it's his life and whatever he wanted to do, it's fine. He just had to have your support. Come on. Buy an old nag some breakfast. Sure. Where's the old nag? I always said it. you're the best salesman in town, Klein. I never heard you say that. Thanks. The soup today is the spiced pumpkin. Thank you. How'd you find this place? The food's good, Al. You'll like it. I guess my world's pretty small, isn't it? Well, there is life beyond the deli, if you ever care to venture out. Ready to order? Yes, I'll have the caf latte and an almond croissant. And for you, sir? These are eggs? Yes, they're baked in anisette with a very light tomato puree on top. Ah. Okay, I'll have the eggs. Uh, but instead of baking them, just scramble them up, nothing on top, rye toast, a cup of coffee. Sure. I like this place. I'm glad. What are we gonna do about our son, Al? Meaning what? Don't get defensive. I didn't come here to fight with you. I'm not defensive. I'm listening. I just feel it's important, at this point, I mean, he's still a teenager. It's important to steer him clear of disaster if possible. And by disaster, you mean working with his father? No, look, I think it'd be great if he came to work with you in the summer or during Christmas vacation, but... I want him to go to college. It's important. I mean, don't you want that too? I want you to know... it means a lot to me that we can sit down and talk like this without raised horses. It means that we do have Freddy's best interest at heart, but we also both know that I still have feelings for you, and I get the sense that you're trying to take advantage of that. I don't like it. Oh, Jesus, Al. What is not in our son's best interest is for him to throw away his education to hustle used cars. Did you rehearse that one with Chick? It's got his ring to it. If I were you, I would leave Chick out of this. Gladly. Look, the kid doesn't want to go to college. What are we supposed to do? Force him? No, but I'm certainly not going to make it easy for him by giving him free room and board and a dead end job. I see these kids who go to college. They smoke dope, they drink beer, they screw each other for four years on their parents' dime. You want to talk about having it easy? That is not Freddy. I know. He wants to work. That's good. I'm sure god is just having one big old belly laugh right now. I did everything that I could to make sure that he had stability in his life. And what does he do? Decides to become a car salesman. That's... That's just perfect. Look Barb, 18-year-olds decide a lot of things. It's up for review every other day. If he ends up like you, Al, I will hang myself. I really will. No offense. No. But people care about what they put into their bodies, Pete. It's not just me. I mean, I think you'd get a whole lot more customers if you had a wider variety of things, like legumes, root vegetables, stuff like that. Grain. Keep that in mind, Pete. Legumes and root vegetables. No, I'm serious. I think if you provided like a healthy option for people, it would be really good for your business. Where you been? Ugh, yeah. Freddy doesn't want to go to college. Eh, who needs college? You think? Because he wants to work here. It could be good for him, right? Real life experience, stuff like that? Sure. What's the ex think? Wow. What do you think? Hey, as long as he earns, I... Absolutely, no hand-outs. Yeah. I'm all for it. I love the kid. You know that. Okay. You know what the best part is? He's gonna live with me. After all these years. It's great, right? That's super. It's super, Al. It is super. Thank you. I cannot tell you how disappointed I am. I cannot tell you. Well, then don't. Watch your mouth, son. I'm not your son. Listen to me, Freddy. You don't get these years back, being 18, going to college, having no responsibilities. It's a great time in your life. Yeah, I can't wait. Yeah. Dip shit fraternity guys, football games... Rah-rah! I can't wait, Mom, it's gonna be fun. Just out of curiosity, Fred, what's it gonna be like working at a used car lot? I'm gonna learn how to sell. From your dad? That's right. Hm. Alberta, this meat's a little rare. Ah, sorry, Mr. Barnett. Just put it back on the grill for just a minute. Yes, sir. Take a look around, Fred. This house, the things in it, a view of the ocean. Pretty nice, isn't it? Chic. What? He's old enough to handle some straight talk. If he isn't, he needs to learn. How 'bout your dad? Does he have any of these things? If I'm not mistaken, he's still living in a shoebox out there in the valley, right? Pretty pathetic for a man his age, don't you think? He did not mean that. I promise you, he did not mean that. You know, I'll never understand why you traded dad for this jerk. I don't care how many nice things he buys you. What is that? It's a Chevy Impala with a 350 small block. Wrong. Is that a smaller engine? No, that's a 350. It's definitely an Impala. Well, then why are you wrong? I-I don't know. Come on, buddy boy. What is that? Uh, it's a-a car? I don't, I don't know what you want me to say. Well, yeah, it's a car, but what else is it? What else? That's a story. - It's got four doors. - It's great for car pools. Two thousand pounds of metal surrounding you. Very safe for the little ones. Yep. It's made in America. Buy this car. Be a patriot. Made in Japan? More bang for your buck. Okay, all right, I get it. So tell us. What is it? It's a place to take your girl if you live with your parents. Put a little tuck and roll on your ass. We're not selling valves and pistons. We're selling a better life. Buy this car, you get laid. You get respect. At a price you can afford. But what if I can't afford it? Sir, I'm glad you asked me that. With no money down, you can drive this car off the lot today. You don't pay a penny 'til January. Wow, I'll take it. You getting this, kid? Yeah, I think so. Al. I like it. Huh? What? Like what? What are we liking here? What's going on? That one's not for you there, amigo. You can't afford that one. Keep going. - Going? - Keep going. Going where? Where's he going? What's happening? Settle. There you go. There you are. Park Avenue deal. That's the car for you. Where's Martini going? You have to be able to size up a customer in the first ten seconds. - How do you do that? - From the outside in. What's he wearing? He's got brown pants. Hm-hmm. With stains on them. He's a slob. What else? Uh, t-shirt, tennis shoes. Yeah, it's probably got holes in 'em. What is that in your ear? Not a big spender, is he? Al, when was the last time he took a shower? A shower? What... Wait, what? Tuesday. How would you know that? 'Cause Tuesday's the first of the month. That's when government checks come out. This guy clearly doesn't have a job. He's gaming the system. Showered, got dressed, took the check to the bank, cashed it, went down to the two-four poker tables in Gardenia where he has been ever since. Where he made a few bucks. He sold his last one to pay off his gambling debts. This yutz couldn't get credit from his mother. Strictly a cash deal. What are you doing? What? I can't hear you. What is happening right now? - You're buying a car. - I'm buying a car? - You're buying this car. - What? Yeah, this one's got the uh fuel-injected 3.8. I'm just looking, pal. Thank you. I'm sorry. What'd you say? I said I'm just looking. Well, you look all you want. Uh, new headers, new gauges, new air shocks. This baby's clean. Does she have a warranty? I'm sorry. What? Warranty? Does this vehicle have a warranty? Oh, well, hey, you could buy one. But it's a Buick Park Avenue. A war horse. Comfortable, huh? How much? I'm sorry, say again? How much? What's the price of this vehicle? Oh, uh, you know, I uh, I don't even know what he's got it marked at. Al! How much for the Park Avenue? Uh, $4,200. $2,200. So, just to be clear, um, $2,200 gets me this car? I don't know. Make me an offer. We'll see. $2,200? Great! Let's go write it up. You know what, do you mind if we just bypass all that wrist business. I was just kind of hoping I could just give you the cash and you give me the pinks and I could just take off, you know? I'm just kind of in a rush, so... Oh. Well, usually I clean the cars up for the customers. Not even necessary. No? No. You got a deal. Let's make a deal. Our cost on that car was $900 bucks. Is that even legal? What do you mean legal? It's what we do. He got himself a good car and we made a profit. Everybody's happy. What's you're reading? A car magazine. I'm just trying to get a feel for everything. What kind of feel? Well, I'm just worried, you know, like, what if a customer asks me a question about the car I can't answer? So you ask Barlow. I hope I can do this. Trust me, you can. It's not brain surgery. Well, you just small talk with the customer. You get him to like you. Ask about their kids, their favorite sports team. You know, I watch you and Martini out there. The stuff you come up with, it's like you're speaking a foreign language. We've been doing it a long time. I mean you guys are like geniuses. Trust me, we're not. We're hungry. We close deals or we don't eat. You coming to bed? Oh, yeah. - Dad? - Hm-hmm? Where'd you get all these paintings? A friend of mine helped me pick them out. Hm, friend. What's her name? Linda. When am I gonna meet your friend, Linda? Hm. Good night. Hey, dad? Why did you and mom get divorced? Anytime I ask her, she always pretends she doesn't hear me. Maybe you should stop asking her. Come on, dad. I'm 18 years old. I can handle it. You know, I was the only kid in my-my school that didn't know why their parents split up? Sit down. Um... Okay. After your mom and I got married, Martini and I bought Diamond Motors. The first few years were pretty tough. You know, I mean there would be days, sometimes weeks where we wouldn't even sell a single car. And that made your mom very nervous, not knowing when the next dollar was coming in or even if there was a next dollar. It's the life of a salesman, you know? It's not for everybody. Anyway, you were born, happiest day of my life, and you know, things were just really bad. So your mom had to go out and get a part-time job. Whoa, mom worked? Wha- Come on. Just tell me. So she got hired as a personal assistant to a man named Chick Barnett. And it didn't take him long to fall in love with her. She was a very beautiful woman. She still is a very beautiful woman. What, she had an affair? And chose Chick? No. Listen to me. She chose you. Your mom just... She needed security. She needed stability and that was just something that Chick was able to provide for her at a time when I couldn't. So she was able to stay home with you. She was able to take care of you, send you to the best schools. How could you defend her after what she did to you? Look, I'm not defending her, but she raised you right and so I cut her some slack. I mean, come on, look at you. You're a masterpiece. Dad, it's not funny. It's messed up. I'm just saying, it's not all her fault. How is it not her fault? She had an affair, dad. Sometimes life is complicated, Freddy, and they're not good guys and bad guys. Just is what it is. You mean, sometimes it's shitty. Sometimes it's really shitty. Sometimes it's miraculous. I mean, look at us. We're living together, working together. Who knew? You okay? Uh-huh. I love you. Me too. Good night. Night. Hello, folks. How are we doing today? Hi. Carlos. Hi, Maria. Uh, Barlow, aqui. Barlow. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Carlos, Maria. Barlow. Cool hat. Do you have any children? Whom you talking about? Kids. Well, I'm Freddy. Uh, I'm around if you need me. Just holler at me. Cool. Hey, bro, are you buying a car? It's a great shirt. Hawaii, right? I got one, too. I got it at the mall. You get it at the mall? You know, I think this might be a little big for you two. You two are meant for each other. You like the car, huh? Can I get your number? Papito! Mi amor. Ma'am, if you buy this car today, I am gonna throw in an 8 by 10 color glossy of my partner, Al, sitting by the pool in a Speedo at Caesar's Palace. And if you don't buy this car today, same photo, same Speedo on my good friend, Ash. And trust me, you don't want that. Same Speedo? Really? This one just came in. Classic, all right? Are you hungry? We got, uh, the grill going. Cool. Awesome. Yeah. Ah. Well, what do you think? I like it. I'm-I'm just not... Just not what? I just don't think I'm ready to buy this truck today. Well, why not? I just think I need to think about it a little more. You know, that's probably a good idea. Oh. This is a big decision. You shouldn't buy anything unless you're absolutely ready. Well, thank you for your time young man. You're welcome, ma'am. It was very nice meeting you. It's too bad you're gonna miss our offer, though. What um, what-what offer is that? Well, we're giving away a free George Forman Grill with every car we sell today. What model? Black or platinum? Platinum, of course. Okay. Okay. Let's do it. I'll go start up the paperwork. I did it! I did it! I totally did it. Congratulations, punk. You popped your cherry. Woo! One, two, three, ooh! Ooh! Look at that stinky mess. This is just to show you that I don't care what you're doing. All right. And three. All right, come on I'm in. Ooh. How's uh, the shiksa, the one that works here? - What's her name again? - Uh, you mean Gail? Yeah. I don't know. She's fine. Why? Have you given her the high hard one yet? Am I giving her the high hard- What is high hard one? Am I banging her? Yes, it means banging her. Why do you say "the high hard one"? Check. - Hey. Hey. - What do you got? It's the shtarker! Uh, this one got pooped on. Should I...? - So it looks better. - You shit on that sign again? Oh, sorry. You want me to throw it out? No. You clean it. It's bird shit. Hey, kid, congratulations. Old man said you made your first sale. Hey, you're on your way, pal. Hey, yeah. Just remember one thing. People are shit. - Hm. - Yeah, that's words to live by. - Remember that. - Remember that. That's wisdom. That's wisdom. The only job my son wants is a blow job. Freddy wants a blow job, too. Lennie, blow him. In a minute. In a minute. I'm out. - All right. - Ahh. In five. - See you, boys. - Got a lot of red out there. Where are you going? I'm gonna take the kid out. - Where to? - Where to? - Casa Rio. - Ooh! Bring a rubber. Kid, just remember the five Fs, find 'em, feel 'em, fuck 'em and forget 'em. Oh, you idiot. That's four. Find 'em... That's four. Yeah. Well what's the fifth? Finger 'em? Finger 'em! I can't believe you're friends with these guys. How do you think I feel? - See you later. - All right. Be good. I fold. Ooh, you are a class act. Seriously. You shouldn't shit on that sign, though, seriously. Listen I wanna tell y'all Something y'all doing but You just don't know it, baby They are doing it They're doing it They're doing it Yes, they are I see some future Mrs. Martinis in here tonight. The kid'll take a ginger ale. Were you ever married, Martini? I was. Yeah. Yeah. I was 19, a long time ago. What happened? Well, there's this, uh, this cute little Irish Catholic girl in Clint, Michigan, Joanne McGraw. We used to live with her folks. Her dad would get drunk every night and try to kill me. Why? I don't know. It's an Irish thing. They think everyone's out to screw 'em. They're a tough sell. Speaking of which... - Yeah, cheers. - Great sell today. Hey, your dad's proud of you. So am I. I think I can do this. Think you can? You did it. You're a closer. Yeah, baby. Okay, so um, well what happened with the Irish lass? The Irish lass, yeah. Well, she came home one night and told me she was in love with another man. What? God. God? She became a medical missionary and went off to Pakistan. I think she's still there. Well, so she's like a nun? Me and Jesus, the only two men she ever wanted. And I got to her first. Ah, you're B.C. Hm. Two balls, two strikes. One in to the win, up the back it comes. It's up there, all right. It's Linda. Please leave a message after the beep. Hey Linnie, it's me. How are you, sweetie? It's been a while. Uh, just thinking about you and wanted to wish you a happy birthday. I know it's not until next month, but why wait until the last minute? So... Okay, bye. So she's just sitting there, you know? I don't know what's going on. I think she's gonna back out, right? Bam. She signs the contract, hands me the check, I give her the keys. I swear to god, Martini, it was like- Three o'clock. Hm? What, this guy? Not my three o'clock, your three o'clock. Much better. - Yeah. - Yeah. You ready? Am I ready? For what? We're gonna go talk to them. They're a little old for me, don't you think? But they're not a little old for me. But what if they don't like us? Their loss. Should I talk first or should you? Just follow my lead. Ladies? I just want to let you know that I'm a big, big fan. Me too. Of? This whole look. The hair, the dress. Just... stunning. Really? Yeah. Wardrobe says a lot about a person. And what does it say about me? I'm gonna tell you in a second. I'm Ash Martini. This is young Frederick. Fred is good. Just call me Fred. Can we buy you ladies a drink? Sure. You kidding? All right, yeah. - Really? - You all right, there? Yeah. Yeah. Fred here had a really rough day. Oh. Yeah, he's a uh, he's a fireman. Yeah, he works for the fire department, and uh, they just put out a big, huge blaze down on Long Beach. - Really? - Yeah. Fred single-handedly rescued three. It was four... - Four? - Yeah. There-there was a baby. You saved a baby's life? I was just doing my job. Wow. How long have you been a fireman? Oh, I don't know, just over a year now. You seem so young. No. It's the good genes I guess, you know? He works out. - Me too. - I can tell. - Can you? - Yes I can. Hello? Oh, hi Al. Hey Barb. Everything all right? Yeah. Yeah. Everything's fine. Can I talk to Freddy? He's not back yet. Oh. Yeah, out, out with friends? Uh, no. He went out with Martini. Okay. Will you tell him I called? Will do. Bye. Where did they go? Casa Rio. He went to a sleazy singles bar with Martini? It's a restaurant, Barb. No, I know what Casa Rio is. It's not an appropriate place for an 18-year-old boy. Yeah, I'm not gonna argue with you about it. If you want to talk to him, go right ahead. No. No. You're right. I shouldn't interfere. This whole thing has just been so hard on me. I just can't seem to let go. I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe I should talk to someone about it, you know? Like a psychologist or... I think you should talk about it with your husband? Yeah. Well Chick's in London for the week, so... Yeah, he didn't take you with him? What is that supposed to mean? Uh, it's a question. No, you're trying to dig. You're just like a little ferret trying to dig through the dirt to come up with something. Well you can just stop, Al. Everything's great between Chick and me. I'm happy to hear that. Okay, so I'll tell Freddy you called. Well... How is he? How is Freddy? He's-he's doing great. Does he miss me? I'm sure he does, yeah. Well he doesn't call. I'll have him call you first thing in the morning, okay? Thank you, Al, for being so patient. You're a good man. I thought I was a ferret? And there really is so much about you that I like and admire and... 'm gonna shut up. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Good night. Good night, Barb. So what do you think? I'd want more than 90 days warranty on a rebuilt engine. Rebuilt means it's like new. Ninety's the best I can do. Not good enough. With all due respect, sir, I don't think you're ready to buy a car. And that's okay. You should probably go home and think about it a little bit more. What did you say? Your game's as good as your money, pal. You've practically done a cavity search on it, and if you need someone to convince you that this is still a good deal, in which case you're wasting both of our time. I'll tell you what. If I buy this car and it breaks down on me two days after the warranty expires, I'll come back and I'll kick your ass. Okay. Then if it doesn't and you drive it for another can I come to your place and kick your ass? Write it up. I think it's gonna need a new transmission, Mr. Freddy. Look, I don't care about any of that. If the car doesn't start, I can't sell it. It's real simple, Barlow. I'm sorry, Mr. Freddy. It won't happen again. Yeah, it better not. What was that about? The Pinto stalls every time you try to take it out for a test drive. It's embarrassing. Barlow can't fix shit. Barlow's been with me for 16 years. He can fix anything. Respect that. Cool. Barlow, fan belt on the Continental, please, when you get a chance? Thank you. I want to talk to you about. Yeah? Think we should stay open nights. We'd sell at least three more cars a week. Three? Really? We do some slasher sales, you know, like weekend clearance sales. I know what a slasher sale is. We'll move inventory. You know, it will be a volume business. Get more cars and more on the lot. We'll borrow money from the bank. - I already looked into it. - Listen to you. - We're not borrowing money. - Why not? Because then you gotta pay it back. Well, money's cheap, dad. Rates are low, you know? We can also buy cars from Canada. With the conversion rate, we save at least 15 percent of our cost. Where'd you learn that? Chick used to talk to me about that kind of stuff. Look, all I'm saying is. We can't grow if we don't spend money, right? - We're not looking to grow. - Well, why not? Because it took us years to establish what we got, it works, I don't want to get greedy. Oh, dad, don't play it so safe. Let's make some dollars. Just think about it, all right? I got this guy. I love this car. So he gets out and stands there with this stupid little baseball cap and just stares at the car for like a full minute, so I finally say, "Hey Gomer, are you a Dodger's fan? You buy this car right now, I'll throw in two tickets behind the first base dugout, game of your choice. " Rudy, I swear to god, it was like I was offering him pussy. Good night. Night. Bottom line, people are shit. Yeah, they'll fall for anything. We used to have this scam in Youngstown, Ohio. We buy a painting, it could be anything, like a boat or a landscape. We would cut it out of the frame, roll it up, put it in the trunk of the car and then we'd drive to some out of the way bar or restaurant and we'd try to get the owner to come out and take a look at it. We had the whole act. We'd talk to him real hush-hush. We'd look over our shoulder like we're worried about the police. It really made 'em think the painting was hot. Look stolen. And we had to get rid of it. Yeah, for like $800, $900 bucks. How much did the painting actually cost? Oh, $50 tops. - Serious? - Yeah. This guy thought he was buying, like, a stolen Picasso for next to nothing? - That's right. - People are shit. Stop saying that. Hm? Stop staying that people are shit. You don't need to talk that way. I didn't mean anything by it. It just hit me the wrong way. Freddy! Tell the boys about that little honey you were hitting on the other night. Oh yeah? Yeah. You mean at Casa Rio? Oh yeah, the kid's got some moves. Yeah, she was a babe. No, she was beyond babe. She was like. You all right? You having a stroke? Should I call 9-1-1? I'm just saying. Yeah that, that sounds good. Let's make it 6 o'clock at the latest. All right, good deal Mikey. Thanks so much. Bye. Mr. Klein, I was just wondering... You can't go home early today, Gail. No. No, that's not what I was gonna ask. Look, I know I've just worked here for a couple of months and I'm still sort of learning the system. I didn't know we had a system. Well, I don't know if you know that I live with my mother? You've told me that many times. - She's on disability. - I know. It's less than $800 a month... No, give me a minute. I'm lying. It might be a wee bit more than $800, but it's definitely no more than $900 a month. Is there a question here, Gail? Yeah, yes. Yes, there is. Sorry. Uh, I just want you to know that I'm actually going to get really, really good at this job. So, cream and sugar, just like you like it. I drink it black. So, I was just thinking, what better way to motivate someone than by paying them more than the minimum wage? Are you asking for a raise? I suppose if you had to label it. - Did you process the Toyota? - I was just about to do it. Now would be a good time. Did you give me the paperwork for the Toyota? Yeah. - The fish keep biting. - The Chevelle? - Oh yeah. - Nicely done. Sweetheart, run that woman's credit app for me? Sweetheart? I think you'll find my name is Gail. She's a feminist? Come on, Martini calls you sweetheart. Well you're not Martini. Just run the app, would you? You don't need to be so rude about it. The customer is waiting, "Gail. " Freddy! She's a joke, dad. She can't get a single thing right. We don't talk to each other like that in here. - What? - Mr. Klein, it's fine, really. No it's not. Let's go outside. Jesus. Come on, dad. I was just trying to do my job. You think you're better than other people because you sold a few cars? - No? - Well you're right about that. You're not. I don't ever want to see you treat anybody like that ever again, do you hear me? I'm sorry. And stop with the big shot act. It's really pissing me off. I can't believe you're getting mad over this. What do you want me to do, Freddy, just sit there while you act like a snot-nosed little brat? Now go in there and apologize to Gail. I mean it, Freddy. Go on in. Great car! You're gonna love it. He'll be right with you. I guess it's not ladies night, huh? It's Taco Tuesday. What's going on? Freddy can't work for us anymore. Why not? He's doing great. Yeah. He's doing great. And he's happy. He's happy, he's doing great. Okay, I'll bite. What's the problem? He's just growing up too fast, Ash. He's always been such a sweet kid and he's changing. Okay. That's what they do. He should be in college with kids his own age. He can do better than this. - What's wrong with this? - Oh come on, Ash. We're grown men. We live alone, paycheck to paycheck. What happens 10 years down the road? Five years? I don't know. I don't have a crystal ball. We pay our bills. We have a few laughs. No one gets hurt. It could be worse. You could lose your family. Oh Jesus, Al, really? Isn't the statute of limitations on whining up yet? This is no life for my son. Okay. - So what's the plan? - Well, we gotta let him go. - Whoa, whoa, we? - Well yeah. If I tell him, he's just gonna come running to you. "We" gotta do it together. And what are we gonna tell him? It'll break his heart, Al. Good morning. Hey. Are we okay? Yeah, of course. Yeah. What are you looking at? Just uh, followed a couple small cap stocks here. See what trends before I jump in. Trends, huh? Well, be careful with that. That's gambling you know. I'll tell you what's not gambling... Investing in your business. Really? Marketing, dad. Marketing? TV commercials. Huh? Now, I got this friend Alan Gottlieb. He's a film major at UCLA He gets to use all their equipment for free: cameras, film, everything. You know, we could shoot a bunch of 60 second commercials. It won't even cost us a penny. Hm? We'll see. Dad, I'm telling you. This is worth it. Can we at least talk to Martini about it when we get in? - Hey Freddy. - Hey. - Gail? - She'll be in at 10. Uh, Freddy, sit down. Let's talk. About the commercial? Uh no. Something else. Go ahead, sit down. - Ash, you want to sit down? - No. - You sure? - I'm sure. What's going on? We gotta make some changes. All right! I knew you guys would come through. No Freddy, this is not about that. Ash and I uh, penciled out the numbers and, it's gonna be too tough to keep you on payroll. What? Well it's a two-man business. It always has been. It just we can't afford to spread it out this thin. What are you saying? What I'm saying... is you can't work here anymore. - You're firing me? - No. It's not like that. What's it like? You know, I'm selling cars. Even Martini said it. I'm a closer. Remember you said that to me? You're selling cars that we could be selling. There's just not enough to go around. Let's get more, then. That's what I'm saying. - That's the way to go, dad! - That's not gonna happen. We just can't start changing things around to accommodate one more person. One more person. Gee, I'm glad I mean that much to you. - You do, Freddy. - This is bullshit. Hey, hey, hey, buddy, buddy, don't talk to your dad like that. This is your father. Yeah, some good that does me, huh? Enough. This is the way it's gotta be. I thought you were my friend. I am. So what do I do now? Huh? Well, do I still live with you? Well, what are you gonna do all day? I think it's best that you move back with your mom. Um, I don't, uh, I just don't get it. What I mean yesterday, everything was going great and now I'm out? What did I do wrong? Just tell me and I will apologize. You didn't do anything wrong. Is this about the Gail thing? Is that what this is all about? It's got nothing to do with that. It's just not gonna work out, Freddy. I'm sorry. - You're not sorry. - I am. You're not sorry, you're just cheap. All right, I get it now. That's why, that's why mom divorced you. You won't even listen to any of my ideas on how to make more money. You're so small time. I can't believe you're doing this to me. All right. I'm gonna go talk to him. No, we gotta let him go. Al, you sure this is the right thing? I'm not sure about anything. Hello? Yes? Hey Chick, Al. Uh, that was me. I must have gotten, uh, disconnected or something. What is it, Al? Is, uh, Freddy around? What, you haven't talked to him? No, no. Uh, not for a while. He reenrolled at Cal Poly. We uh, took him up there this past weekend. Oh! Good news! Barb's happy about it. Yeah, good. Okay then. Yeah, Chick, uh, I don't know if Freddy told his mother about why things didn't work out here, but just... let her know that I did what I- Just tell her I- I probably should have just listened to her in the first place. All right. I will, Al. That much, she likes being told she's right. Yeah. And one other thing, Chick. I just wanted to... I know you taught Freddy a lot of stuff about... business and... and I just wanted you to know that he uh, he really took it all in. He learned a lot from you so I... I want to thank you for that. That's really nice of you to say, Al. I appreciate it. Okay, Chick. Goodbye. Got three good ones for auction there. Take a look. Al, you okay? Yeah. Freddy decided to go to Cal Poly. Left last weekend. That's good, right? I mean that's what you wanted. Except for the fact that Chick's the one who told me, yeah. My own son won't even talk to me anymore. What do you expect? I mean you fired him. Thanks, Ash. That helps. He'll come around. It's what kids do. They, you know, they... Kids. Let's say you and me, we go to Casa Rio and get your mind off this stuff? Cocktails... What's the matter with you? I mean really, Casa Rio? Well it's the answer to a couple good ones. Get off my ass, man. I'm just trying to help out, okay? I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'll just... I'm sorry. And thanks, Ash. Is this a bad time? No, come on in. What's up? Barb. If I end up in hell, you'll come with me, won't you? Yeah. All right. Wait, wait. Wait. I'm a little confused here. Are you leaving your husband? I don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead. Then you came here... what to have an affair or a one night stand? What the hell difference does it make? I'm here, in lingerie. I'm low hanging fruit, as Martini used to say. Right, all of a sudden, out of the blue, you're good to go? Haven't you been trying to get me in the sack for the last 14 years? - Hm, yeah. - I'm here. What's the problem, Al? Chick. Chick is the problem, right? And I think you're forgetting that I used to be that guy sitting at home in the dark going, "Hey, where the hell's my wife?" Well this was a mistake of epic proportions. It was. Why'd you do it? That's a good question. Barb, Barb, I'm serious. I don't know, Al. Maybe it was because to have Freddy here with you and you made the choice to put his well-being ahead of your own. And that made you, what, pity me? Actually, it made me feel close to you again. Look, I know coming here tonight wasn't the most noble thing I've ever done, but I had these feelings for you and... I wanted to share them even if it was only for a couple hours. I appreciate that, Barb, I really do, but a couple of hours just wouldn't have been enough. I hope you know that... even though it didn't work out between us... I always felt connected. Connected? You felt connected? You know what I mean. Actually I don't. I know you've never forgiven me, Al, and I understand... but you'll never understand what it was like for me night after night sitting on that couch in that crappy apartment, the baby in my arms... just staring at the front door waiting for you to come home from the lot. I'd hear you coming up the stairs and I'd say a prayer. "Please God, let Al have sold a car today. " The door would open and you'd look at me with that apologetic look on your face. And I knew. No sale. And I was frightened... because without money, you can't feed a baby. I couldn't sit and wait and hope and pray my life away anymore. I just couldn't do it, Al. I couldn't do it. I'm sorry. I turned it around, eventually. Yeah. You did. Hey uh, any word from... anyone? I'm not really sure what you mean by "word. " Calls, phone calls, specifically from my partner Al Klein? I don't know if you've noticed, but he hasn't been around much lately. I did notice, actually. Has he been sick? Yeah, he's uh, he's sick. He should try eastern medicine. It's really easy. You don't even have to get shots. I just came in to get some coffee actually. You seem sad, Mr. Martini. Do I? Yeah. Dad, you've probably heard by now I decided to go to college. I didn't tell you myself because I was still pretty upset, but I'm not anymore. I realize you didn't fire me because it wasn't working out. You did it because you wanted me to learn there's more to life than just "people are shit. " And I want you to know that even though it didn't end great, it was still the best summer of my life. This was the summer I figured out who I am. I'm your son. I love you, dad. Freddy. Ever own a Cadillac? No, I have not. Well, it's the best car in the world, new or used. Can I afford one though? That is the question. Well, you let me worry about that. Ash Martini. I'm the owner. Nice to meet you. Go on, get in. See how it fits. No, no. I'm actually not ready to buy a car today. Eh, you buy, you don't buy. That's up to you. I just get excited when I get a car like this on the lot. Yeah, I just don't want to waste your time. I'm not ready to buy a car. Yeah. Well, come on, no pressure. Let's uh, let's take it for a spin. Ash, what are you doing? I'm taking this nice gentleman for a ride in this Deville. Ah, yeah don't bother. I got a guy coming in this afternoon to buy it. A lawyer from Pasadena. I'm sorry sir. I can't sell you the car. Why don't you show him the um, why don't you show him the Mark? I'm sorry. I got a nice Lincoln I can show you. No, I actually like this one. I mean, if it's not for sale, what's it doing on the lot? Al? Just a second. Let me see what I can do for you. Were you lost? I'm sorry. I should have called. So you figuring it all out? All of it? No. But I did realize there are worst things in this world than being a used car salesman. Like what? No idea. I'd love to stand here and chat, but there's a Cadillac out there with that gentleman's name on it. Go get 'em, tiger. I'm gonna miss that car. All right! I bought us 20 minutes and we have to have the car back. Excellent. Let's take her out. Al Klein from Diamond Motors in beautiful downtown Covina, and I'm here to tell you about our three day blow-out. You come down here and buy a car from us, our competition's toast. Hi folks, Al Klein with my lovely wife Linda here at Diamond Motors and we want to tell you... Diamonds are a girl's best friend. How was that? - Howdy, folks. Al Klein. - Ash Martini. - We're here at Diamond Motors. - Downtown Covina. The only thing we want to do is... - Sell you a car! - Sell you a car! Is that good, Mr. Klein? Are you sick and tired of trolling for bargains? Hi, I'm Ash Martini, Diamond Motors, Downtown Covina. We've got a whole flock of new cars just came in, and we want to sell them to you- Hi folks, Al Klein, with my beautiful wife Linda, here at Diamond Motors. And we want to tell you- Cut it! Gail, what are you doing? I'm trying to save this plant. Okay. You're in the shot. But it's dying! Oh. Hey folks, come on down to Diamond Motors, 'cause here at Diamond Motors... We're family. |
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