|
The Congressman (2016)
[ music playing ]
[ splash ] You better get your traps out of here, sonny. These waters belong to us. You don't own the ocean. Oh, yeah? This part of it, we do. Get the hell out of here! Inbred Catatonk bastards! [ gavel bangs ] The House will be in order. The Pledge of Allegiance today will be led by the gentleman from Idaho. REPRESENTATIVES: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. [ music playing ] Half Clear as a bell Half believer Half gone to Hell Half gone to Hell Half gone to Hell Well, we're all half Rama And half All the ones you love Shine On the ones you love Shine... I know that subsidies have gotten a bad name in recent years, but this one is vitally important to the economic fabric and well-being of this nation, and I need support of this committee to do so. The President called me this morning. He wants this subsidy in the budget, demands that it be in the budget. I'm afraid that my good friend Congressman Winship has no conception of the practical difficulties, eliminating it from the federal budget. Sorry to hear that. After listening to his testimony, I deeply regret... What's the vote? The final passage of the defense bill. House resumes Monday morning with the human cloning ban. You still have time for basketball before you catch your flight. Hey. I'll talk-- Hey. I'll call you later, okay? Our PAC just voted to endorse you, Charlie. Can't say it was easy having to always the toe the line for us, but I know you'll be there next time. I'm bundling 20,000 for you next week. Yeah. Is that all you have to say? Well, fuck you, buddy. Come and get it. Come on. Come on. Stay on him! Yes! Yes. Good shot. Can't you guard that old son of a bitch? Give me the damn ball. Stay on him. Take it easy. What the hell is wrong with you, Winship? [ winces ] Ooh. You ought to be seeing a chiropractor, son. My back is incurable, Harlan. Hey, gentlemen, I see the TV attack dogs are at it again, polling every single member based on past drug use. Uh-huh. Hey, Harlan, what'd you tell them? Never done drugs, pure and simple. Of course, you bait the trap with whiskey and pussy, and they'll catch me every time. Ooh, that smells like good sour mash to me. You know I can still hunt, Harlan. Uh-huh. Yeah. I don't know if you, uh, saw her, but there was a woman upstairs taking pictures of you up in the visitors gallery. That's illegal. Yeah, I know. You sure it was me? Yeah. You were sitting by yourself at the Whip's desk. [ chuckles ] Senator Freeman needs a call back on the interior appropriations bill. Governor Hodgekiss needs another 10 million for the dam project in Moosejaw, and the White House wants an answer on the human cloning ban. The meeting with the President on the Canadian trade agreement was postponed till Monday. Charlie, we have a problem. Casey's hoping you'll have time to stop by and finalize the division of your personal things. Her actual words were-- Charlie, this is serious, okay? You keep saying that, and I'm still here. Well, this time, you've really done it. Casey is serious this time. I mean very serious. Okay, guys, guys, what is it? What is it-- Casey has contacted-- No, no, no, excuse me. One second. The Pledge. Charlie, I have talked to you about this. You don't stand up for the Pledge of Alliance. You never even mouth the words. So guess what happened this morning? Someone took a video of you with your feet up on the Whip's desk while everyone else is standing and saluting the flag like the few and the proud. Yeah. Well, as one of the few and the proud, let me tell you that none of us recited the Pledge every morning when we were holding Khe Sanh against the communist hordes. Fine. You want to play the cynical Vietnam warrior, that's fine. I like that card, but I'm telling you, they care about this shit back in the district. I am not gonna recite a loyalty oath every morning just to prove that I love my country. Okay. Sure, yeah. That's fine, Charlie, but they're already calling you a Pledge dodger. Your congressional opponent, Deidre Macavoy, has started a petition drive to recall you and, if that's not enough, the Morality First Foundation would love-- Jared, Jared, I can't be recalled, okay? Here's your weekend schedule. You have that visit to Catatonk Island tomorrow. Charlie, listen to me. What are you talking about? Elected officials are getting recalled for breathing these days. They'd have to vote me out of office. Can't you reschedule the trip-- You've already rescheduled three times, and you promised to visit there. It's 18 miles out in the Atlantic. 20. You can almost see Ireland from the cliffs. Who's in there? That is former Congressman Devereaux. What does he want? Well, he's here to ask you if you will postpone your trip to that island. You have exactly eight minutes. Otherwise, you'll miss your flight. All right, all right. I appreciate this, Charlie. I know why you're here, Laird, and I still have to go out there. Those inbred bastards started a shooting war. They're crazy. Who do you represent in all this? Lobstermen's Benevolent Association. There are 4,000 of them along the Maine coast. They're in the right. How much they paying you? Oh, it's almost a charity thing. $25,000 a month. You need to go. Charlie, why don't you come out to Burning Tree with me? Hell, you can't stay here forever, but everybody loves you, Charlie. Yeah, you could bill a million dollars a month once you get through the revolving door. Charlie, think about it. Drink about it. [ chuckles ] Jared, sit down a minute. We need to talk about your future. I'm gonna need you to help me with him, you know what I mean? He-- Charlie has a hard head sometimes. You know, the people that I work for-- well, with, they're gonna run this country soon, and it wouldn't hurt you to be on the ground floor. You know what I mean? Hell, you're gonna enjoy being a Congressman. Hell, we share the pie. Heh heh. Gonna share the pie. [ chuckles ] You went to college, and you joined a fraternity, didn't you? Yes. Do you remember the first time you came back after fucking a virgin and you went back to the house and you shared the wealth and told all the boys. Remember that? Ha ha. Well, that's just the way it's gonna be. We all share the wealth. All the donors and the virgins... Jared... fresh meat. you're gonna miss your flight. Oh. Yeah. Okay. Jared, just a minute now. Yeah. You don't seem to have a social life. And when you get back here, I want you to think about it. Call me. Mm-hmm. I'm gonna introduce you to some exceptional friends. Heh. I look forward to it. I'm sure you will. [ laughs ] No redheads. Oh, I got a whole bunch of 'em, redheads, blue heads, every damn-- all the head you want, pal. Uh-huh. [ P.A. ] Welcome to Rockland Airport. Please note this is a nonsmoking facility... Listen, I'm sorry about, uh, missing the connection, but the next one, it gets us in only down an hour behind schedule. Back-to-back, huh? [ sighs ] You know, it's-- it's starting to become noticeable, Charlie. "He is never so generous as when he is giving advice." Well, I just-- You know, I'm being honest. I think you have a--a problem. Today I do. I'm just tired of the bullshit. You know, maybe what you need is a nice, long vacation. A long vacation? Yeah. Get in touch with this, you know? You want my job, don't you, Jared? No. God, no, Charlie. I-I've made no secret about possibly running someday, yes, but not while you're here. No, no, but you're good. You're good. You have an innate sense of the issues and what people need. But why do you want it? Well, I've wanted it for as long as I can remember. Yeah, but why? You want to serve the people? A lot of reasons. Lot of reasons. You know, when we're young, we think we're going all the way to the mountaintop, and then somewhere along the journey, most men look up at the summit, and they realize that they're never gonna get there. Then they look down, and they see how far they've come, so they stop to enjoy the view, and that is as far as they get. Well, I'm going all the way to the summit. Heh heh. Yeah. Yeah, you just might. You just might. You, uh, you want me to go in with you, boss? Thanks, but the shouting part is over, I think. Congressman! [ gasps] It's me, Bernie Gimpel. Hi. Bernie, please don't do that. Okay? Please. Yeah. I'm--I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I was in your district office, uh, today and happened to glance at your schedule. I hope you don't mind. It's very important. Bernie, I--I've got to go talk to my wife. I'm sorry. I just got-- Yeah, look, I was-- If you don't mind, I really-- I canvassed 22 precincts for you. I'm handling the fundraiser... I know. at Wong's Chinese again, and I've never asked for anything that I haven't earned with my blood, my sweat, and my tears. Okay. What is it, Bernie? What is it? Okay. Okay. Do you know George Kratz? No, I don't think so. Yeah. Well, he runs the offtrack betting parlor in Lincolnville, and he had a heart attack this morning. Oh, I'm so sorry. Sorry. Yeah. Well, um, I was wondering if you could put me in for his job. Bernie, they haven't even had the funeral yet. Well, he's not dead. I mean, he's very sick. It's just a-- a matter of time. I mean, people are lining up at the district office for this job-- Bernie, I can't give you the job of a man that's still alive. It's imminent, I tell you, imminent. JARED: Bernie. I can't-- Bernie, listen. The Congressman, he's very busy right now. Okay, Charlie, I'll handle this. Jared will handle this. Yeah. He's--He's great. Hi. How are you? How am I? The Congressman owes me this. I've worked like a dog. The place is falling to rack and ruin. I know. I don't see why we can't afford to mow the lawn. Well, every time I try to mow it, one of your constituents feels compelled to get out of their car and tell me their problems. I think I heard one lurking in the bushes a little while ago. Yeah. We just had a nice talk. He wants an almost dead guy's job. Drink? I made myself at home. I hope you don't mind. It's still your house. Yeah, for three more days. Could've kept it, you know. I loved it here, but there's just too much. Yeah. I'd like to set a date for dividing the rest of the things. Divorce was just finalized, Casey. I was thinking that maybe we could just-- Stop, Charlie. Just a couple-- Stop. Okay. Okay. We'll do it tomorrow right after I get back from the island. Thank you. So how was your day? Good. I broke John Randolph's nose on the basketball court, got filmed in the House chamber with my feet up on a desk when they were reciting the Pledge of Alliance, which will probably cost me my job. Real productive day. I don't think you'll lose your job, although I wish you had over the years. Yeah, well, I'm not sure I even care anymore. It's just not the same. There was a time when Congress was important, when it meant something to be there. Now it's all about delivering money for some bus station. It just makes you feel kind of irrelevant. Well, welcome to my world. I think the straw that broke the camel's back for me is when I had to call Abigail to get on your schedule. That really sucked. [ chuckles ] I know I sound like a bitch. I just--I don't care anymore, Charlie. You made your bed, darling. Not that I don't sometimes miss being in it. For you. We had something good and deep, Charlie. I just-- I got tired of trying to make you feel it... and now I just want to be free, you know? I want to mean something to someone the way they mean something to me. Does it hurt? Surprisingly, yes, very much. Good. You kind of deserve it. I'm sorry, Charlie. So am I, honey. So am I. For what it's worth, I never did stop loving you. I just stopped loving you well. [ Jared sighs ] Okay. Listen, we only got a hour here before we have to catch the boat to Catatonk Island. You know why I first opened this mobile office, Jared? To win more votes. No. Aside from that. No. Never mind. Doesn't matter. You look good. Nice turnout, though, huh? You know, I've been trying to figure out how much time I've spent in this place. 45 Saturdays a year at, uh, 18 years, six-hour stints. Wonder if it was worth it? I plead the Fifth. No, I'm asking you. Um, absolutely, Charlie. [ door opens ] Hi. Hi. Hello. Morning, ladies. Please come in. Yeah, sit down. Hi. How are you? So what can I do for you? Do you think it's right that they're teaching our children how to have sex with animals? [ music playing ] I voted for you. What can you do? You gotta stop these kids. Listen to me. Look at me. These little fecklatards that keep rolling in my community with their baseball bats need a baseball field. This is what I have left of my mailbox. All they do is they just run around town breaking up everything. They tore up my lawn, broke my pink flamingo. This isn't a joke. This isn't a game. This isn't about health care. I voted for you the first time you ran, and I think that you have become sadly out of touch. My daughter teaches English at the high school, and she smuggled this filth out of the health class. They're teaching children how to use tampons. I need you to fix this, or I am going to powder-keg that mailbox, and the next time one of those little fecklatards puts a baseball bat on my mailbox, there's gonna be C-4 packed in it, and I'm gonna be cleaning them up with a sponge. I've got the buckets, and the windows are boarded. We'll find you a mailbox. So can you help me? So, Mildred, it's good to see you again. What can I do for you? I know you fought in Vietnam, Congressman. I need some help understanding something. My son, my boy, was killed in Iraq by an IED. Tell me this, Congressman. Does his death count for anything? I don't know. Get the signs. Let's get going. [ bullhorn squeals ] This is State Representative Deidre Macavoy, Congressman. Oh, no. And I want to know why you won't stand up for the Pledge of Alliance. Oh, this can't be good. It's her. According to the Morality First Foundation, you have one of the lowest morality ratings of any Congressman in the nation. And we just found out today that you won't even recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Personally, I think you're disgusting. Let's go, Martha. Thank you for your opinions. Freedom of speech. Well, two more satisfied customers. Three. That thing had a life of its own. What kind of Congressman refuses to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance? Maybe I should propose a law that all husbands and wives be required to recite their wedding vows every morning. Well, do not even go there, Charlie, please. I-- There's a demonstration out there, sir. Yeah, I heard. No one else is waiting. Well, looks like it's time to go. Are you ready for this? We want an answer! Why do you refuse to say the Pledge! Why do you refuse to say the Pledge, you liberal bastard?! I suggest you get that thing out of my face, or I'll shove it so far up your ass only a forklift'll get it out. Congressman Winship, is it true you dissed the Pledge of Allegiance? Did you say, "dissed"? Dissed. Did you diss the Pledge? Do you know who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance? The Founding Fathers? No. And it wasn't etched on the tablets Moses brought down from Mount Sinai either. The Pledge of Allegiance was written by a national socialist by the name of Francis Bellamy, who believed that the government should take over the schools. He ordained that the Pledge should be recited while all American schoolchildren stood and gave the so-called Bellamy salute. Have you ever seen the Bellamy salute? Well, here it is. [ crowd exclaiming ] Cooler heads prevailed, and that part of the Pledge was dropped after Hitler declared war on us. Can we go? Can we go? Did you get that? Well, guess who just made network news. What are you thinking? What are you-- Are you trying to put your head in a noose? You know, I can remember when this whole part of the state was virgin forest. That's how old I am. [ music playing ] [ overlapping chatter ] Whoa. Whoa, whoa. Watch out. Watch out. Uh, excuse me. We're looking for the First Selectman of the island. His name is Sherm Hawkins. His, uh, boat's coming for us. The big one. Uh, excuse--Um, Sherm Hawkins? Anybody? I know him. Oh, hi. Good. Do you know where we can find him? Yeah. He sent me in to get you. I'm Matty Pierce. Oh. Thank you. Jesus. She looks like Chewbacca. How do we know she's not just another nutcase? Because we left them all back at the mobile office. Have faith, Jared. This is America. Mm-hmm. [ music playing ] Uh, excuse me, Miss. Do you have anything we can sit on? Any chairs or stools? No? Okay. Strong and silent type, I guess. You know, what are these, by the way, these things? Those are lobster buoys. Each one of them is attached to two or three traps. Must be thousands of 'em. Millions from the Canadian border down the coast, around the cape, all the way to Manhattan. Wow. [ cellphone rings ] Hello. Yes. Congressman, we are on the way right now. I need you to make him see the light. There's a lot at stake here. I know what to do. All right, I gotta go. REPORTER: This morning, we have another shocking example of just how far removed from traditional American values our so-called political leaders in Washington really are. This is Congressman Charles Winship of Maine, who has allegedly equated the American Pledge of Allegiance with the stiff-armed Nazi salute of Adolph Hitler. We caught his ugly rant on camera after we asked Winship why he refused to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance in Congress. For the Nazis in Germany. Congressional sources tell us that Winship believes American children can actually benefit from the example of the Hitler Youth. [ crowd murmuring ] We asked Winship's opponent, Deidre Macavoy, what she thinks. Our Founding Fathers fought and died to give us the Pledge of Allegiance as a reminder of who we are as Americans in the greatest country in the world. You go, girl! And Congressman John Randolph has just announced that he plans to seek an immediate expulsion motion of Winship based upon the video evidence of his actions. His conduct is absolutely despicable. As chairman of the Ethics Committee, I plan to bring charges without delay. [ music playing ] Hey! Jared! Jared! Jared! We're getting close the island. You might want to change. I'll change when I get there. What is this, the Hatfields and McCoys? Hello, Congressman Winship. I'm Sherm Hawkins. I'm sorry I wasn't there to meet you at Port Charles. We had an emergency. One of our boats was sunk last night. Accident? No. It was deliberate. Our friends from the mainland just trying to remind us that they want to take over our fishing grounds. We're not always armed, but these are dangerous times. I'd like to know more. We'll try to oblige you. Lead the way. Hope you don't mind riding in the back. Excuse me? [ dog whimpers ] Hey! Whoa! Whoa! Hey! [ music playing ] Turn me to then fro Forever Forever Some may sow and pray For gentle weather Their seeds may fall Fall in shallow soil Oh, oh Ah, come on. [ groans ] Oh, my suit. Excuse me, dog. [ groans ] Oh, what is that stench? It's the herring we use to bait our traps. It's eyeballs, tails... Really? fish heads, whatever. The riper, the better. It's money. Ahh. Yeah. Perfect. Thank you. No, go. Away. [ dog whimpers ] Sherm. CHARLIE: Hi. How are you? Nice to meet you. Well, I think we ought to welcome the Congressman and thank him for coming all the way out here to see us. Congressman, we've got some coffee for you or something a little stronger, if you prefer it. Thank you. I should start by telling you we've been living out here the same way for the last 400 years. Most of us choose to live without the so-called modern conveniences, television, cellphones. Each one of us is different. We tolerate those differences as long as they don't hurt the other person, and everybody respects what we have here. Sherm, could you cut to the chase, please? Thank you, Brad. I'm just giving the Congressman a tour here. 400 years ago, the Gulf of Maine was teeming with fish. Then 70 years ago, those fish began to disappear. That was when then village elders decided to conserve our resources on these fishing grounds by fishing six months a year, the winter months. Since 1614, nobody has fished within five nautical miles of us. On more than one occasion, we've had to fight to protect that right. So you don't take one lobster from within five miles of here for six months a year? No. No. No way. Not us, at least. Not our way. I have heard that, uh, sometimes you guys take the law into your own hands when it comes to outsiders. We take what a healthy sea provides. They take it all. And who's gonna protect us? You people in Washington? This is bullshit. We don't need him. Thanks to reckless greed, there are no big fish left around here. Tuna, blue marlin, halibut, swordfish, all gone. Not a one. I don't have to tell you what the big ocean draggers do to the mackerel and the cod and the flounder. Ain't no goddamn cod left. Exactly. They drag the ocean bottom and take everything in their path, everything, the whole habitat. We're being invaded by men who have overfished their own fishing grounds. We don't have any laws to protect us, Congressman, only the common laws that were established years ago. Yo, pardon me, Mr. Hawkins. You know, you-- you talk about being invaded. Uh, we're more than 20 miles out here. No one should have their own right to the sea. And what the hell do you know? These are our goddamn waters out here, sonny. You know nothing about fishing. [ overlapping chatter ] Son, do you have any idea of the importance of these grounds? Do you? Any idea? You don't, do you? Well, if you want to know, why don't you go out on one of our boats with us on that ocean and find out for yourself? Yeah. That's a great idea. No offense, uh, sir, but I don't need to personally go out on a boat to see that it's unfair for you guys to profit while everyone else cannot fish your grounds. It's--It's an ocean. It's part of America. It doesn't belong to you. I mean all at the expense of other fisherman, it's not-- I think that's a good idea. No. No. Listen, that is not a good idea, Congressman... Jared, there's plenty of sunlight left. I think you ought to call the mainland, get ahold of the district office, and tell them we're gonna be late for the meeting over in Eaton's Neck. Charlie, uh, I-- first of all, I don't have the proper gear. It's okay. We'll get you some skins. No, no, no, don't. It's fine. Charlie-- Who's gonna take him? I'll take him. That's right. Ben could stern for us. SHERM: Awesome. Ah. Here you go. Oh. Thank you. See if these fit. Okay? Put 'em on. Uh, I will. I will. I-I'll see you outside in a minute. Boots. Thank you. They go last. Right. Hurry up. [ sighs ] Jeez. [ door closes ] [ sighs ] [ sniffs ] You've got a library out here? Sure do, since 1838. Dedicated to two kids who were swept out to sea. Mind if I take a look inside? Please do. [ radio ] Big Sherm. Come in, Big Sherm. Okay, what's the latest? We got a problem. Don't know what Bobby's gonna do about his boat. Uh-huh. [ floor creaks ] What are you doing here? I happen to like books. Well, then you've come to the right place, Congressman. And you are? Rae Blanchard. You're the librarian? Yes, and I'm also the second assessor, the deputy constable, the truant officer, and the island garbage collector. A true Renaissance woman. Precisely. Rae, Bobby Machum's wife is out of her mind with worry, and I gotta go see her, so if you could show the Congressman around before he leaves, that'd be a big help for me. Of course. Thank you. I've only got about two hours. It usually takes visitors a couple of days to slow down to the rhythm of the sea. Like him? We only run when we have to. [ overlapping chatter ] Hey, Rae. Morning. Congressman Winship, so nice to meet you. Thank you. Let me give you a tour of school Kids, can you welcome the Congressman? KIDS: Hi, Congressman Winship. Hi. Hi, guys. Congressman, will you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? I would be honored. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivis... in the windowsill... with liberty and justice for all. Excellent. [ music playing ] [ cellphone rings ] [ ring ] Hello. Congressman, Mr. Devereaux, you will not believe where I am right now. No, no. We're on track. We're on track. Okay. No. [ rock 'n' roll plays ] Yeah. Congressman, what? Yeah. I'll-- I'll call you back. Well, I never thought that I would meet Anyone that could dance like you at all Now I see where I belong Now I see where I belong... Oh! Oh! Oh! Hey! Hey! Stop! [ groans ] Shit! Shit! Shit! Now I see where I belong Now I see where I belong Now I see where I belong [ insects chirping ] [ bird chirping ] RAE: You hear that? We're on the flyway out here. More than 500 bird species drop in for a pit stop every spring and fall. [ birds chirping ] It's a fairy house. Some of us grew up believing that the island was enchanted and had magical healing properties. And now? I'm 43 and divorced, if that answers your question. Must be hard to imagine ever leaving a place like this. It's like a timeless sanctuary. But it isn't timeless. Time is running out, Congressman. Our whole way of life is at risk, just like the oceans are. I thought we were doing a pretty good job turning the oceans around. Whenever someone sits down at a seafood restaurant and orders a pound of peel-and-eat shrimp, you should know that eight pounds of crab, urchin, and sea coral were destroyed to bring you that pleasure. Don't get me started on tortoiseshell cribbage sets and seahorse key chains. You sound just like Big Sherm. Well, I ought to. He's my father. Really? Huh. MATTY: Hey! Why don't you make yourself useful? Put him to work. BEN: All right. [ music playing ] [ gags ] [ vomits ] [ coughs ] [ groans ] [ grunts ] Ohh! BEN: Whoa. Ah, junior. Hello. You and your father are pretty articulate about what's at stake out here. You ought to come down and talk to some of my colleagues on the Interior Appropriations Committee. Yeah? What do they do? Well, aside from other things, we dispense about 30 billion a year to preserve the nation's parks, forests, wetlands, rivers, oceans. Your committee needs to try harder, Congressman. You people are irrelevant. Yeah. Well... Must get pretty cold out here in the wintertime. Not really. The sea moderates the air temperature, but the wind is a constant. At night, it's good to be near a fire. Ah. Must get pretty lonely, too. Not especially. Not even in February? I don't. There's a lot to keep me busy. What about at night? You're very direct, aren't you? No more so than you. I don't lack for companionship. No. I don't doubt that you do. What about you, Congressman? You seem like a lost soul to me. Really? Huh. I should know. I was married to one for 18 years. I know the type. [ seabirds calling ] [ radio playing country music ] I got the hammer down... Psst. [ soft whistles ] [ whistle ] Ho! [ groans ] How you feeling? Oh, my G-- How long have I been out? Just a couple minutes. [ sighs ] Are we heading in? No. We're gonna head around the point to haul the last set of Bobby's traps. Should be a little calmer around the back side. Oh, yeah. Great. Okay. We'll be onshore soon. What a screwup, huh? Whoa, whoa, whoa. Get this. You don't have anything to prove. Thank you. This is a good idea? This'll help? Just give it a try. [ winces ] It's a death trap. You know, if it weren't for the war, I don't think I ever would have gone into politics. Vietnam? Yeah. Were you drafted? No. Volunteered. At the time, I thought we were fighting to save a fledgling little democracy from communist subversion, but that all ended. By the end of it, I just lost all my faith. You ever kill anyone? I was a Marine grunt. I shot people. That was my job. Why politics? I don't know. Anger, maybe, all the guys we lost over there. Anger carried me a long way. My ex-husband came out here to avoid that war. Yeah. Well, it was a bad time all around. You still angry? No. Just tired. You want to go in, right? [ ballad playing ] No. It's a long hard road... All right. To the softest part of the man All right, here we go. And it's lined with stones Tangled in regrets that are just too hard to forget Ohh [ winch grinding ] These rusty signs Overlooked on the way... This way? To the heart All right. Of a troubled man Slide it over. There you go. You can lose yourself In the deep muddy ruts Worn through Whoa, look at that. By the pride of a man Ohh... Wow. Now, that is the one I want. By the pride of a man Letting go See? It's beyond 3 1/4. Yeah. Letting go Just take that. Okay, put that on to its-- Letting go Twist it. That's it. Let it go That's it. Yes. That's okay. Let it go 1, 2, 3. MATTY: Hey! Did that good, Junior Congressman. Does that happen here often? Every day, actually. No, no, I meant the--this... Sometimes the fog gets so thick, you can't see your hand. The ancients believed that each day brought a new life. [ sighs ] That's Brad. Oh, Brad. Stay here. Hey, where were you last night? I don't have time for this, Brad. Come on. I never said I loved you. I don't love you. I'm so sick of your issues. I'm--I'm sorry you had to see that. Oh, that's okay. Are you two involved, or... To be brutally honest, it's just very good sex. [ laughs ] Physically I enjoyed him very much. He is a wonderful lover. That's nice. You know--You know what? I think probably--We should probably head down. I think he thought he could convince me that we were more than just-- Anyway, I never meant to hurt him. No. No, of course not. You know, I probably should actually-- I feel terrible about using him that way. Well, I'm sure it wasn't all that hard to endure. Well, I mean, at first, anyway. But I really do have a dozen stop-bys on Saturday. What are stop-bys? Well, let's see. There's the Blue and Gold Cub Scout dinner, the Rotary Club dance, the dog show in Bristol, the Shenango Fire Department dinner. Why don't you let me cook you dinner? Ah, is that an island decision? An island decision? Yeah, to subvert me from my public responsibilities? You're an idiot. No, it is my decision, and I have two two-pound lobsters on ice back at my cottage. Okay. I'll stay. Oh. Thank you. [ chuckles ] Well, did you learn something? Yeah. I did. I did. Yeah, by the way, what are 132 lobsters worth on the mainland? Well, $3.00 a pound for soft-shell, $5.00 for hard. Got fuel. Got bait. About $1,200. Well, hey, not a bad day's catch for you guys, right? Those aren't my traps. Those are Bobby Machum's, fellow whose boat got sunk. You just helped out his family. Good job. Ohh. Ahh. It doesn't even burn anymore. [ coughs, laughs ] Take this. You earned it. Yeah? Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Heh. I'm not so bad, right? Not so bad. For a city slicker. [ laughs ] [ footsteps ] Hi. Hi. Is Jared Barnes here? Uh, yeah. He's here, but, uh, he's up in my bathroom. We have no secrets. JARED: ...in the night Baby, pray for the fall It's the call of the night It's the way of life, it's the Law of the night Yeah Hey, Charlie! I see you've been wounded in the line of duty. I guess we're not going back tonight. Uh, well, there's--there's no way to reach you, Charlie. My phone's, uh-- it's gone. It's very, uh-- [ chuckles ] It's wet. And there's no way to reach my man Laird, you know, the, uh-- the mainland. So me and you, we're-- we're--we're here. We're--we're stuck here. You know, Jared, if I didn't know better, I'd say you'd fallen off the wagon. [ laughing ] I almost fell out of the fucking wagon. Ah, Jesus. Listen, I'm having dinner with someone tonight. In case you need to reach me, her name is Rae Blanchard. I'm sure Ben knows where she lives. Mm, okay. Yeah. You know, Charlie, I've never been so sore in my-- ow, ohh-- my whole life. Oh, but I tell you what. I like this place. Yeah, me, too. Have fun, tiger. Sir. Sorry. Be good. [ knock on door ] Yeah, come in. Hey. Hey. Wow, nice. Thank you. Could you open that bottle? Sure. So, how's your assistant? Well marinated, I'd say. [ chuckles ] Glasses? Uh, second cupboard. Where's he staying? Uh, he's staying at Matty's with a young man named, uh, Ben. Yeah. Matty always steps up. She took him in a few years ago. He was raised in foster homes and badly abused. He's actually a really sweet kid and a wonderful portrait artist, a real prodigy. I thought that he was, uh, the stern man on one of the lobster boats. He does that as well to get a closer feel for the lives of the fishermen. Cheers. [ glasses clink ] [ soft music playing ] The old flake yards. In those days, they'd cure the codfish in the sun. Of course, there aren't any cod left anymore. What are you gonna do if the grounds are opened up to year-round fishing? Fight it with every means we have. Got some pretty high-powered lobbying help. Yeah, and we don't have it. Even hiring a local lawyer went against the grain of the people out here. The number of those who want to stay and fight grows smaller every day. Many are already resigned to leaving the island. [ knock on door ] Come in. I'm afraid I got some bad news. RAE: What happened? Well, I was listening to the radio, and apparently some congressional committee is having a special meeting down there to decide on whether to expel you from Congress for disgracing the House of Representatives. Something about an Nazi salute and desecration of the Pledge of Allegiance. So much for exercising my First Amendment rights. Did you do that? It's a long story, Sherm. Well, they want you down there first thing Monday morning. Should I tell your assistant? No. No, I'd rather tell him myself. Thanks. Okay. What is he talking about? The artist really captured ol' Matty, huh? Jesus. She's gay, right? She's gotta be gay. I mean, not that I have-- I have anything against that. I don't, personally. It's not a big deal to me, but, uh, she scares me a little bit, you know? She's mannish. I'm just saying I wouldn't want to, uh, run into her in a dark alley. You know what I mean? Heard you talking about that painting. Um, yes. The painting is very good. It's very good. I was wondering, uh, you know, who the artist was. You're sitting right next to him. You? You painted that? Yeah. Wow. Ben, that's amazing. You should be really proud of yourself. Thank you. Well, cheers. Full of mystery, huh? So, what are you gonna do? Go back and deal with it, I guess, but not tonight. Tonight I just want to have dinner. You're not a neo-Nazi, are you? [ laughs ] No. I was making a point, and it was taken out of context. I understand. Thank you. You remember telling me that visitors who come here need a few days to slow down to the rhythm of the sea and the tides? Mm-hmm. I haven't slowed down for 18 years. Is that how you lost your marriage? Well, in spite of what my ex-wife thinks, it wasn't because of the perks of the job. I knew what to expect when I went down there. You get elected to Congress, and suddenly your jokes are funny. You discover that you're God's gift to women, all the wrong women. You get nonstop flattery from people who all want something from you, but those things were never a problem for me. Then what was it? It was this need... a need that became the most compelling thing in my life... more important than my wife or our marriage or... You got kids? No. I'd still like to. Well, that superseded even them and everything else in my life. I don't understand. When I got out of the Marine Corps, I felt like I was living on borrowed time. If I didn't accomplish enough in a given day or week, it was like falling behind in my whole reason for having survived, and I was one day closer to dying without having made a difference. Hey, maybe you have made a difference, Charlie. Maybe it's just time to hang up your armor. Not that easy. Of course it is. [ chuckles ] Well, not right now. Wow, you're an amazing artist. Ben, you really-- You are, man. You're great. Do you think I could do one of you? What? Yeah. [ chuckles ] Yeah. Yeah. I would be honored. What do I need to do? Just, uh, sit on the bed. Okay. You got it. [ laughs ] Thank you. Wow. Turn this way. Like this? Yeah. I put this up? Is that-- This is very new to me. [ laughs ] [ laughs ] Sit still. Okay. Open your eyes. Oh, I'm sorry. Good. Am I allowed to talk? Whatever you want. Rae, is that--Is that short for Raymond? [ laughs ] No. It's a family name, but you can call me Raymond if you like. No, you know, I might just-- Ahh. Ah, God. What is it? Are you okay? Oh, it's my back. It's got a life of its own, likes to remind me. Well, it shouldn't. Let me help you. Oh, boy. Come here. Okay. [ winces ] You all right? Yeah, I think. [ groans ] Oh, man. All right, take off your shirt. What? Take off your shirt. Lie down on your stomach. I'm gonna give you a massage. What's that? Magic elixirs from the fairies in our enchanted forest. Oh, man. [ wincing ] Ow. Ay. [ laughs ] Oh, my goodness. All right. Ow. There we go. Now... [ gasping ] There we go. Deep breaths. Ooh. Take it easy on me. I'm kind of a wimp. [ laughs ] All right. Oh, boy. All right. I'm gonna have to bring in the big guns. Oh, my God. Oh. Hey, this is better than the lobster. Aha. [ laughs ] Um, Ben, I-- Listen, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm exhausted, and I need to sleep. Want to see what I got? Yeah. Wow. It's me, but far too flattering. Well, that's how I see you. Thank you. Uh, all right. [ groans, blows lips ] [ sighs ] Where did you learn to do that? I had a lot of practice. My husband was a fisherman. I mean, this is amazing. I'm--I'm actually pain-free. I haven't felt this way for months. [ sighs ] I don't know how to thank you. Help us keep this place the way it is. Come sit. I should go. Why? It's a small island. People'll talk. You're worried about your precious reputation? No. I'm worried about yours. [ laughs ] This is the least judgmental place you'll ever find, Congressman, and it's been that way for a long time. Intolerance is the least of our problems. Listen... I've been with a lot of men over the years. [ chuckles ] I think I was chasing that excitement, that sense of anticipation. You know what I mean? I think I've been lonely for a long time, Charlie. You said up on the cliffs that you weren't lonely. I guess I lied. [ bird warbles ] [ bird warbles ] [ explosion ] [ gasps ] [ boom echoes ] What was that? No! No! My Sea Hag! Not her! No! [ gasps ] Matty. MATTY: No! No... Whose boat is that? It's the Sea Hag. [ Matty yelling ] Jesus Christ. No! No. I-Is there anything that we can do? Yeah, like call the police or maybe the Coast Guard or the fire department? Yeah, sure. WOMAN: Was the Sea Hag. [ overlapping chatter ] MATTY: Gonna be like this? [ explosion ] [ sobbing ] JARED: Congressman! I really fucked up, Charlie. I think, uh-- I think Devereaux was behind this. Who? Former Congressman Devereaux. He doesn't just represent the other lobstermen of Maine. Okay, he also works for a multinational seafood conglomerate. Their catch, it's less and less each year, and they want these grounds. They need these grounds, Charlie. Where did I fit in? They wanted me to make sure that you didn't end up defending these people. So you hitched your wagon to him for what? Why? What was the price? Your seat. And I'm sorry. Wow. Wow. You know he's probably bought Deidre Macavoy, too, don't you? Listen, Charlie, that's not it. He's--He's got plans, okay? For you, for this island. He's got a boatload of media coming up here to expose these people. When will they get here? Sometime soon. Is that all, Jared? Yeah. I want a helicopter here at 9 A.M. [ footsteps ] [ door opens ] Hey. Listen, I'm--I'm gonna have to borrow these for a couple days. Nah, you can keep 'em. Look, why don't-- Why don't you come down to Washington sometime, you know, come for a visit? Really? Yeah. Come, uh, see the National Portrait Gallery. You know, your stuff will probably be hanging there someday. All right. Yeah, maybe, uh-- maybe when lobster season ends. Did you want this, or... Yeah. Are you kidding? Thank you. Mm-hmm. So everything's cool, okay? All right. I'll see you. Good luck. [ music playing ] [ indistinct chatter ] Jared Barnes? What happened to you? Look, Laird's been trying to reach you all day. You gotta talk to him, and you gotta talk to him now. Shh. Okay. Just calm down, okay? Hey, listen, is there a Starbucks around? No. I gotta get a cappuccino. There isn't. LAIRD: Are you still with me all the way? You're home free for the nomination. Charlie's toast. Oh, right, you're for me, Laird? What about your other pet candidate, Deidre Macavoy? Diedre's the diversion. For God's sake, Charlie's gonna be expelled, and when he does, you're gonna get the nomination, and you're gonna have to step up. So they're, um-- they're really doing it, huh? They're gonna expel him? Expel him? Hell, they're gonna crucify him. For God's sake, he's been doing that Nazi salute for 24 hours. All America's seen it. It's not a Nazi salute, okay? American kids were doing that for years while they recited the Pledge of Allegiance. It's called the Bellamy salute. Well, you tell that to the American people. Look, I gotta go, but when you get back to civilization, give me a call. I got something special for you. Yeah. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! That was mine! [ splash ] That was mine! Go get it. Well... see ya. Yep. Why don't you come down to Washington, see where this can go? Are you joking? No, I'm not. I'd rather have a lobotomy. Heh heh. Why? Well, I will tell you why, Mr. Winship. In some ways, you remind me of Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life." Do you remember how he spent his entire life trying to protect his beautiful Bedford Falls from the evil Mr. Potter? Yeah. Zuzu's petals. That's Pottersville, at least to me. [ helicopter whirring ] Can you understand? Yes, I think I can. Sounds like the bus to Pottersville is here. Yep. Why don't you stay here, Congressman? [ laughs ] And do what? Ah, I've been thinking about cutting back on my portfolio. I might be persuaded to give up the garbage concession. Now that's something to look forward to. You're up against some serious predators. Well, we've weathered bigger storms than this in the past 400 years. I know you have. I'll do what I can for you in Washington. You've all taught me a lot. Thanks. Thank you. Hey! Come on back, son. We got it all here. Every day is different. [ engine warming up ] Charlie! Charlie! Hey! I still need to book the tickets for Washington. I'm not going to Washington. What? I'm going back to my district. Call Abigail. Tell her I'm having a town meeting at the local high school in Bedford. No, no, no. Bedford is Deidre Macavoy's home base, Charlie. They'll tear you apart there. Probably. Just do it. [ music playing ] [ all shouting ] Congressman Winship, are you going to resign today? No. [ overlapping chatter ] Congressman, are you a Nazi? Congressman Randolph has accused you of disloyalty to the flag. He has a right to his opinion. Hey, guys, right this way. Okay. [ sighs ] We are riding the whirlwind now. Not exactly riding it. This is the best I could do. This high school was kind enough to donate their space, so... You flew all the way up here just for this? Oh, I wouldn't have missed it. This is the first public execution I've actually ever seen. Oh, thank you. [ laughs ] I'm gonna walk a little bit. Well, it turns out that Congressman Winship is right about one thing. Until Nazi Germany declared war on the U.S., American schoolchildren recited the Pledge of Allegiance every morning while delivering the Nazi stiff-armed salute. [ cellphone ringing ] Hey, Harlan. Ah, I got some bad news for you, son. I thought you'd want to know. Mississippi has seceded again? [ laughs ] That'd be good news. I've--Oh, wait a second. The committee voted to authorize an expulsion motion. Now, right now, I'd say the full House vote is a foregone conclusion. So what are my high crimes and misdemeanors? Flagrant disobedience of House rules, conduct unbecoming a sitting member, equating the Pledge of Allegiance with "Mein Kampf." How did you vote? [ scoffs ] Now, how do you think? Thanks, Harlan. Now, a lot of people around here don't like what's going on here, but they're running scared. It--It's like a sickness. Personally, I think we're headed into a kind of moral and political ice age. Well, that sounds pretty bleak, Harlan. Ah, well, I hope I'm wrong. Yeah, me, too. Charlie. [ knocks ] Uh... Congressman. It's time. Um, listen, before you go out there, I want you to know my letter of resignation is on your desk. What happened to you? I was scared. I didn't think you'd ever quit, Charlie, and I was afraid I wouldn't make it to the summit, so... I made a very selfish decision, and I lost sight of what matters to me the most, things that you've taught me. You're a good man, Charlie, and you've done a lot of great things for these people, so please don't let what I did affect what you say out there. Good luck. [ crowd murmuring ] [ crowd chattering ] You better resign tonight! Sieg Heil, you Nazi son of a bitch! [ yelling continues ] I'm not voting for you! You better resign tonight! Go home, Congressman! I didn't vote for a Nazi! Go home, Winship! You're not really an American, are you? Hey, shut the hell up! Let the guy speak. We owe him that much! Yeah, come on! Give him a chance now! I stand before you tonight charged with personal misconduct detrimental to the House of Representatives. MAN: Yeah! I've also been charged with a failure to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of each day's session. Yeah! You aren't American! The second charge is true. [ booing ] On any number of occasions, I have failed to stand and recite the Pledge. On other occasions, I have stood, but failed to repeat the words. Since these charges were filed, some of my colleagues have chosen to publicly question my patriotism, my loyalty to my country, and even my fundamental Americanism. To tell you the truth, I don't much care what they think or say about me. What I do care about is that those charges are a lie. What makes us unique as Americans isn't a bumper sticker or a patriotic song, the flag, or even the Pledge of Allegiance. What makes us different is that no American is required to take a pledge of allegiance to a king or a dictator or even to a flag. We are a free people. Now, the American flag is a symbol of that freedom, an important and wonderful symbol. In my life, I've seen it flying in a lot of places around the world. In 1970, I saw it flying above a hill called Khe Sanh in the Quang Tri province of Vietnam. Seeing it flying there above us and later on in many other places around the world has never ceased to fill me with enormous pride. But to me, that pride comes from what the flag represents, what it symbolizes, not just the flag itself. As Americans, we are different, because we were the first nation in the world to be founded on an idea, the idea that each of us has value as an individual and that we are free to express ourselves in any way we choose or not to express ourselves at all. In 1950, Margaret Chase Smith, a Republican senator from right here in Maine chose to take on a fellow senator who had questioned her patriotism. His name was Joseph McCarthy. And this is what she said. "Those who shout the loudest about Americanism "are all too frequently those who ignore "some of the basic principles of Americanism, "the right to criticize, "the right to hold unpopular beliefs, "the right to protest, the right of independent thought." Now, at the start of each Congressional session, those of us privileged enough to serve in the United States Congress swear an oath to uphold the Constitution and every freedom that this nation holds dear. I have taken that oath nine times on your behalf, and I have always repeated those words with the deepest humility. I believe in the Constitution. I believe in those words. I fought for them. The Pledge of Allegiance is a fine symbol for the freedoms we enjoy. I believe in its words, too. I do. But I don't need to recite them every morning to prove that I love my country, and I won't. I have that right. I'm an American. [ light applause ] MAN: Way to go! [ cheering ] Will you take a look at this? You are really turning them around. Next year, you won't have to campaign so hard. Heh. You know, Charlie, the people behind Devereaux are not gonna give up this easy. This isn't over, not by a long shot. It is for me. I'm hanging up my armor. I'm done here. What about you? You ready to try for the summit? After what I did? I'm starting to believe in second chances. Thank you, Charlie. I have the Commandant of the Coast Guard on the line. CHARLIE: You better get that. Admiral. Yes, this is Jared Barnes. Congressman Winship convinced Governor Cabot to declare the waters around Catatonk officially off limits to commercial fishing. Temporarily. Yes, sir. [ music playing ] Well, then I assume the shooting war is over. Climb up this tree Sit next to me on a trusty branch Won't you hold my hand? Look at the view While I look at you It's a pretty sight Yes, it's pure delight Pull the blanket down We'll sit on the ground till the stars show up And the day is done Oh, how I fear a change in the weather I could lay like this with you forever Surely life itself will rearrange things So all we've got to do is chase that same dream [ whistling ] [ song ends ] [ music playing ] This is This is the time This is This is the time You Look through the glass Till the moment is gone Like a ship in the sun I Look through the rain We take the high road above Only need what we already got This is This is the time This is This is the time Hey I lived in a place Where someone had locked the doors Now I live in a space with no ceiling and no floors I I feel the earth See, the truth is like A river so wide I Know a place we can be Where yesterday's gone And tomorrow will always be here This is This is the time This is This is the time This is This is the time This is This is the time This is This is the time This is This is your time |
|