ATL

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My pops used to always say,

"Dreaming is the luxury of children "...

...and that I should enjoy it.

He was right.

Here it is, the last year of high school

for me and my friends...

...and this is all I can

ever really see myself doing.

When you got responsibilities,

you ain't got time to dream.

I guess it's the difference between

being a boy and a man.

And down South...

...you grow up quick.

Especially in the ATL.

This here is my 'hood.

Mechanicsville.

752 Mandeville Lane.

Middle of the city, center of our universe.

Wake up, ATL, it's 6:23.

It's your boy, Frank Ski in the morning.

And we've got another scorcher planned

for you here in the Dirty South.

I'm talking Dirty South hot

ATL weather today.

I tell you what, another heat index,

another record-breaking day.

"What is your ethnic background?"

I am a brother.

Uncle George,

my mama's brother.

He supposed to be raising us...

...but responsibility was not really

his strong point.

"Bisex- Heterosexual. "

Don't get it twisted, baby.

Hey, Ant. You want a ride, homeboy,

you better act like it.

- That's my little brother, Ant.

- All right.

I call him "Jellybean. "

Hardheaded on the outside,

soft on the inside.

And that's me, Rashad.

Heir to the family business,

Swann Cleaning Service...

...and man of the house.

"How would you describe your physique?

Trim, muscular, pleasantly plump. "

- What?

- Hey, let us get a box of cereal, man.

We ran out.

Man, they always eating.

Muscular.

I know how much is in there too.

One bowl each.

Yeah.

My boy, Esquire.

He's basically my best friend.

He got accepted to an Ivy League school.

There goes four.

Check out this brother, just grinning,

jogging through campus with a white girl.

Probably running from that crowd of

white boys on the opposite page.

Either way you look at it, man, you lucky.

Yeah, man. It ain't paid for yet.

I'm gonna need grants, loans,

a job and a dream to pay this tuition off.

"Ex-blackly. "

We had to drive across town

because E went to Mount Paran.

My boy book smart...

...maybe even borderline brilliant

to these kids...

...but he's just plain old Esquire to us.

Why you always be driving in our car?

- Get out the car.

- Look, boy.

With your stupid little outfit, man.

Rashad, I'm gonna hurt him.

Man, get out of here.

- Peace.

- You mean "War," brother.

War!

- How you doing, Mr. Sapp?

- Hey, Ben.

- Have a seat.

- Right.

I got the information you wanted

regarding the Falcon Society.

Let's have a look.

GPA is over 4.0.

Test scores are high.

Essay's strong.

All you need is a good letter

of recommendation.

You're in great shape.

I was wondering if

you could write that for me.

I'm flattered, Ben, I am,

but I'm not really the right person.

I'm sure your parents know a judge,

a businessman?

I don't think my parents

know anybody like that, sir.

Sometimes it's not what you know...

...but who you know.

Our school was a little different.

See, we in the Trey, Mechanicsville High.

Alma mater to some of

the greatest players in the city.

That's my boy Teddy right there.

He ATL for real.

Never been outside of 285.

Hey, what you doing here, man?

You must have lost your job.

Had to get my breakfast on.

Brother gotta eat.

Get it how you live, pimp.

- Brooklyn, from New y ork.

- No means no, man.

And reminds us of it every chance he get.

- Shining, ain't you?

- Can't you tell, man?

Guess you gonna fake it

till you make it, huh?

Man, these gonna be getting me the girls.

- Not without no game, it ain't.

- What up, Tondie?

- Can we talk right quick?

- Just did, bye.

Working already.

Seniors, it's almost graduation.

If you haven't done it yet,

get your cap and gowns ordered.

We were five weeks from graduation.

I had all my credits.

And all I had to do was cruise for

the next month and I'd be straight.

Please give them

a Tiger round of applause.

And one more thing.

We have a lot of sports

going on this week.

And we want to thank the people...

...who were involved this weekend.

- Everybody in a seat.

Year's almost over. Thank you, Jesus.

Y'all slackers better figure out

what to do for the summer.

My little brother wasn't exactly

a troublemaker.

- That ain't right.

- But he ran his mouth too much.

- Why ain't it?

- And he was definitely hardheaded.

I know what I'll be doing this summer.

I'm gonna be getting paid.

Ms. Jackson...

...can you please cut on the a. c.?

Man, it feel like a slave ship in here.

Air conditioning is for honors classes.

Kids who wanna make something

out of themselves.

Was you in honors classes?

Because you ain't got no a. C. Either.

See what I'm saying?

He stayed in trouble.

But I couldn't wait on him

to get out of detention.

We had to scoop Teddy.

How your sister doing, man?

I been calling her,

and she ain't been calling me back.

She trying to play me?

She seeing somebody else?

Come on, man, keep it real with me.

What's happening, Teddy?

- What up, man? You playing?

- I got next.

Party on the left, man.

You know how it is.

Now open wide, wide, wide.

Bite down on that. Cool, cool.

Hey, man. Ready?

Oh, hell, yeah. I'm gone.

Hey, man, peace.

After we pick up Teddy, we shoot on

over to the Shady Grove Country Club.

That's where Esquire works.

We expected him to be late...

...because he was always out there on

the golf course, hustling the rich kids.

Yes, yes, and yes.

Oh, my God, I love poetry.

I write in my diary every day.

Oh, really?

Let me kick something for you.

She sits there

Pain filling the back of her eyes...

Forcing them to leak...

So all I need to do is

I need to get your digits.

Your daddy ain't around, is he?

Even though her tolerance

Has reached its peak...

Now, look here, when you call me,

don't even trip, okay?

If a lady answer the phone,

that's my mama.

She staying with me

because she going through some things.

She's so soft...

She could have been

The spokesperson for cotton...

You know, that's just little things

that I like do to...

...because I like to throw stuff in the air.

These guys don't know anything

about poetry.

They're not really cultured.

- Hey, what's up, Esquire, man?

- Man...

- Hey, man.

- Will you all come on? Excuse me.

- Can't you see I'm over here-

- You reciting poetry and sh*t.

- Come on, man.

- Damn.

- Can we go please? Please?

- Hey, man, scoot over, man. Please?

You skinny enough. Scoot over, man!

You always sit in the front.

Sit in the back.

What the hell wrong with you,

Tiger Hood?

Black Nicklaus?

I think I miss home or whatever,

but, yo, it's so country out here, man.

It's like the flies-

Why are there so many flies out here?

- Man, I know you not gonna get into this.

- For real.

Okay, so why is there a rat on

every corner in New York City?

Why, after every sentence,

you call me "shorty"?

"Yo, shorty, shorty. " I'm taller than you.

Let me ask you this, then.

In New York City, why y'all say,

"Yo, son," after every sentence?

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