American Pastoral Page #3

for New Jersey,

you'll make a great short-order cook.

I'd rather cook any day.

Mmm. Great.

This makes you the first Levov in history

who can prepare edible food.

[stuttering]

As long as it's hamburgers.

What's wrong with hamburgers?

It's an American classic.

I came hereto speak to you about Vietnam.

Talk about an American classic.

There's an American classic a**hole.

We abhor the political murder

of any state by another.

F***ing liar.

He's better than the guy

he ran against.

Barry Goldwater

would have buried us all.

F***ing madman.

Lyndon Baines

"Baby Burner" Johnson.

- What's going on?

- Johnson's press conference.

We don't disagree, Mer.

We're all against the war in this family.

You heartless, miserable prick.

Merry, stop. Please.

What do you care about the war?

You're just contented,

middle-class people.

Some people would be very happy

to have contented,

middle-class people for parents.

Well, I'm not brainwashed

enough to be one of them.

Merry. Dawn.

What? Don't tell me. Tell her.

Tell her to behave

like a civilized person.

- Don't tell me what to do.

- I'm your mother.

I can and I will

tell you what to do.

- I'm turning this off.

- Sure, turn it off.

The Democratic Republic of Hanoi

could just burn down

and Mom would just go on

worrying about her cows.

- Merry...

- Don't touch me, Dad.

[Dawn] I can't stand this.

You're not anti-war,

you're anti-everything.

And you're pro...

COW.

[sighs]

I don't know why

she's turned against me.

Is it her stuttering?

Is she angry because

she can't make friends?

She's made friends, all right?

The ones she's made in New York.

[sighs]

Who is she?

I thought she was smart.

She's becoming stupid, Seymour.

No. She's just a kid with a strong will,

a strong idea.

- It's not very well worked Out...

- You're defending her. She hates me.

Dawn.

She talks to me like...

I don't know what.

With no respect.

And if I ever spoke

to my mother like that,

do you know what my father

would have done?

He would have turned you

over his knee.

You think it's funny?

I have to pick her up

from the train.

I can't believe we let her go to New York.

She's 16, Seymour.

We don't even know who she's with.

We don't know who her friends are.

Well, she likes them, they like her.

That's what's important.

I don't like those pamphlets

they give her.

What pamphlets?

In her room, Seymour.

[music playing]

[siren blaring]

[reporter on radio] Police

and fire departments are on the alert

as negro demonstrators

take to the streets of Newark

after the arrest and alleged beating

of cab driver John W. Smith.

[]

[train approaching]

[footsteps approaching]

You were supposed

to be on the 8:
00 o'clock.

- [distant sirens blaring]

- [thunder rumbling]

You were involved in something there,

something political.

[stuttering] Everything is political.

Brushing your teeth is political.

People who are against the war.

Is that who you see?

They're just people

who don't believe in the war.

- I don't believe in the war myself.

- Then what's your problem?

I don't want you getting mixed up

in things

that could hurt your chances

for college.

My friends have been to college.

They had to leave because of the way

they treat student protestors.

Is that who they are?

College kids who have gotten thrown out?

They're just my friends.

Can't you believe that I have friends?

Don't you believe that?

Of course I believe you have friends.

They wanted me to stay the night.

No. That's...

You can never even think about staying

over with people that we don't know

or you'll never be

allowed to go again.

[stuttering] What do you believe in,

Daddy?

This is not about politics.

My responsibility is to you,

not the war.

Oh, I know.

That's why I have to go to New York,

because people there

do feel responsible,

responsible for blowing up

Vietnamese villages,

blowing up little babies.

But you don't care.

And neither does Mother.

No one in our family

or in our f***ing little town does.

[officer] Sir, could you go

to your vehicle?

You need to get off the street.

There's a curfew in effect.

[Merry] "Curfew"?

- What kind of fascist bullshit is that?

- Merry!

We've got enough trouble tonight.

The curfew's to protect people.

From what?

They should riot.

I'm sorry, officer.

We... we're both sorry.

I am not f***ing sorry.

She's 16. You got any at home,

you'll understand.

I don't%

Right.

[reporter on radio] Hundreds of protestors

have gathered in the Fourth Precinct

where cab driver John W. Smith

is being held

after allegedly being beaten by police,

who are calling this an isolated incident.

Yet some local residents

are urging violent retaliation.

More news as it comes in.

And now, back to our regular programming.

[classical music playing]

[indistinct chattering]

Get on out of here!

- [shouting] Streets to the people.

- [all shouting] Power to the people!

[yelling] Get the f*** back home now!

- Black power! Black power! Black power!

- [car engine accelerates]

- [Merry] Black power!

- [man] Get out of here!

Jesus, Merry!

[Dawn] Your father called from Florida.

He wants to know

if they've come near the factory.

I'll see in the morning.

You're not going to work tomorrow,

not with the riot going on.

It's not a riot.

It's a revolution.

People standing up for their rights.

If you're going to defend them,

maybe you should just join them.

That's a good idea.

The governor called

the National Guard in.

Of course. I mean,

what else can he do?

He can treat black people

like human beings, that's what.

No blacks on the city council,

the poverty, the unemployment.

We have 80% negroes working at the plant.

We're proud of that.

Oh, I forgot.

You're a hero.

[phone ringing]

- Hello?

- [Vicky] Seymour.

- Vicky.

- It's bad.

What is it?

I ain't never seen anything this bad.

They're beating 'em and dragging...

Oh, my God.

[gunshot]

- [woman screaming]

- [man] Sniper!

[gunshots continue]

- Vicky.

- People are shooting.

Police are shooting,

and soldiers.

People have lost their minds.

[]

[soldier] Thank you.

[soldier 2] Thank you, sir.

- Going to war, huh?

- It's what it is.

[Vicky] No. It isn't, either.

These are just troublemakers,

so think.

What we're saying is,

you're hereto keep the peace, son.

That means protecting the people

and the property of this neighborhood.

What I'm saying is to think.

Think before you start shooting

at somebody's window.

- Vicky.

- These aren't snipers.

These are people,

good people who live around here,

people just like your own mothers

and fathers.

That's who lives up there.

Now, this is their home.

And they've got to live here

long after you're gone.

This is their home.

Not yours.

All right. Well done.

I'm just telling them how it is,

that's all.

But tonight is going to be bad.

Do you hear me?

So, go home. Take everybody

who came to work and go home.

You're staying, though.

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