Big Stone Gap Page #5

Well, how about

I make you a deal?

Okay-

If you quit

calling me "ma'am,"

I'll get you a beer.

(CHUCKLES)

Deal.

I remember the first time

I was in this house.

Daddy fixed the electric

here, one summer.

I don't remember

you being here.

Your mama made us

red pepper sandwiches.

Yeah. Um...

(MUMBLING)

This talking about food's

made me hungry.

You want something to eat? Sure.

Don't believe I got

that kind of time.

(BOTH LAUGH)

What made you want to

go into the mines?

Well, I couldn't wait.

When I was a boy, my daddy

used to tell me stories.

He used to

describe the mine,

and what it was like,

how quiet it could be,

how dark it was,

how if you left it

set long enough,

that black coal would

become diamonds.

That seemed almost

magical to me.

Do you get scared?

Sure do.

But you do it anyway.

I'd never do much of

anything if I didn't do

the thing I'm afraid of.

Well, look who's

at Carmine's.

Evening, Earl.

There's a special on

banana pudding tonight.

Ooh.

I highly recommend it.

Y'all have a good meal.

Well, (SIGHS) reckon you better give

Sweet Sue a call before Earl does.

(SIGHS)

You think

I'm a two-timer?

I broke up with Sue.

I guess I felt alone

when I was with her.

What is this?

It's a bowl of soup

with a coal miner.

JACK:
Oh, that's

a milk glass moon.

You want to

see it up close?

I would dearly love to.

You got us a rocket ship?

Oh, I got a better way.

Take this.

Your mama sewed a new lining in

it for me a couple of years back.

She always used

satin inside coats.

It was a signature.

These are the best two seats

in this whole theater,

seats 5 and 7, row G,

to see the moon.

You know your numbers

and your letters?

Almost all.

Thanks, Miss Callahan.

She did a right good job with you.

(LAUGHING)

She tried, but

I was distracted.

See, I was sitting next to

this pretty Italian girl.

I always appreciated

that you said my name right.

Well, that's because

you matter to me.

Ave, I've got a good job.

(STUTTERING)

I'm in pretty good shape.

I mean, I eat too much

sometimes and I drink beer,

but my heart's good,

and I'm strong.

I've got some money saved.

And I got a new truck.

And I think we

should get married.

Are you serious?

You don't have to

answer right away.

I don't want to

just get married.

I'd like to

have some fun.

I mean, heck, I thought

I was fixing to.

We got here, I was like, "I'd

like to make love to that man."

Well, that's good.

(SIGHS)

Well, then you had to go and ruin

it by asking me to marry you.

I mean, my hopes were

high an hour ago.

Well, let's get 'em back up there then.

Come on.

Jack.

Well, you've been kind enough to

tell me a little about yourself.

I'll tell you something about me.

Is that all right?

Yeah.

Well, I'd like

to be kissed.

I'd like to be kissed

like Rhett Butler,

in fact, kissed Scarlett O'Hara

while Atlanta was burning.

I'd like to be held

the way Heathcliff embraces

Catherine on the Moors.

I'd like a passion

so explosive

it could burn

Thornfield Hall down.

I'd like a man

to look at me

with the whole world

in his eyes,

and know exactly

what to do

with the rest of him

to please me.

Notjust an old house

and a pack of stray dogs

and a good pension

and a new, old truck.

So, you can take your moon

and your bowl of soup

and your marriage proposal and shop

'em around to some other girl,

'cause it ain't me.

Good Lord.

Oh, come on.

Get in the front.

Ave, come on!

I'm not gonna ride through

town with you in the back.

Please.

Fine. Be that way.

(ENGINE STARTS)

JACK:
Oh!

Hey. Are you all right?

Ah!

Look who's here! Finally.

You're late! Again!

That's enough from you.

On the road.

I want you to

hit your marks

and do not screw

this up for me.

Now, get over there!

It's here. That bus!

Everybody, come on,

storm the Bastille!

(MARCHING BAND PLAYING)

Come on. Everyone,

get in place.

Cleopatra! Cleopatra!

You need to bring it down

just a touch, Earl.

Oh, dear. I'm sorry.

Damn it, John. This was supposed

to be fried chicken, in and out.

Yes. Let me have this.

Is everyone in place

for the show?

Tayloe?

Maggie the Cat!

Maggie the Cat!

Here she comes.

Here she comes.

(SHUTTERS CLICKING)

(CROWD CHEERING)

Oh! Sorry, sorry.

Miss Taylor! I want to be

your next husband!

No, don't!

Miss Taylor, Miss Taylor,

Johnny Wood, WCYB-TV.

You've been married

9, 12, 10 times.

Why so many husbands?

You should always take

a chance on love.

(ALL (zooms)

Fried chicken,

Miss Taylor?

(CRUNCHING)

(CHOKING)

Spit it out!

Where's Doc Miranda at?

Elizabeth Taylor's

choking on a chicken!

Oh, my God!

JOHNNY WOOD:
Elizabeth Taylor's

visit to Big Stone Gap, Virginia,

ends not with a bang,

but a choking.

While sampling

the local fried chicken,

Liz Taylor swallowed bone and is being

taken to Lonesome Pine Hospital.

This is Johnny Wood,

live for WCYB-TV

in Big Stone Gap,

Virginia.

WOMAN:
Good luck.

Talk less.

At least you're not the biggest

disaster of the night.

What do you say

we go home,

and I'll let you

beat me at rummy.

That's the last thing

in the world I want to do.

Have you seen Theodore?

He's despondent.

Honey-O,

I got some news.

Marty Gilley from

the jewelry store

told me Jack Mac

bought a ring.

One karat, two baguettes

for Sweet Sue.

You look awful nice.

You gave Sweet Sue

Tinsley a ring?

I know it seems

sort of sudden.

Sudden? I'd call

that lickety-split.

VVhat'd you do, get some out of a

gumball machine that's adjustable,

try it on every finger in town

till somebody said yes?

Now you're just being unkind.

Unkind.

(SCOFFS)

Man of few words, it doesn't

take many to find the right one.

I tried with you!

Tried? Like tried,

like what? On a job?

I'm a coal miner.

That's a lot easier

work than you.

Can I ask you something?

Mmm-hmm.

Are you happy?

Darlin', happiness

is a myth.

I got married when

I was 15-years-old.

I got me five kids.

One a bigger disappointment

than the next.

My grandkids ain't

much better, neither.

'Course when you plant corn,

you get corn.

If you could live your life over,

what would you do different?

I'd marry me Twyla Johnson

instead of the wife I got.

Twyla was the one

that got away.

We all got one,

you know. You know.

That person that

we ought to be with,

we know we ought

to be with,

but circumstances

have a way of

working out where you

get sidetracked

and end up settling.

Do you ever see Twyla?

We do have lunch

every Tuesday.

My Tuesdays are content.

One out of seven days,

(SIGHS)

I live the dream.

What you gonna do with yourself, girl?

Come here.

Come on here with Spec.

Give him a big hug. Mmm!

We don't want

no trouble, Ava.

What are you doing here?

This is my family home.

I want you to leave.

The truth has come out.

Now I know your mama

done come clean with you.

You ain't our kin.

You never been blood.

I know what you are.

And that's a bastard.

When I think what your

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