Cinderella Man Page #3

Screw FDR.

FDR, Hoover,

they're all the same.

You know, I come home one day.

I stand in my living room.

And between the mortgage and the

market and the goddamn lawyer...

that was supposed

to be working for me...

it stopped being mine.

It all stopped being mine.

FDR ain't given me

my house back yet.

Mama, why can't I

go to school?

Is it because I'm a girl?

Maybe.

Hadn't thought of that.

Who's that man

at our house?

Excuse me!

Can I help you?

I'm sorry, lady,

you're past due.

No, you can't.

You can't.

There's kids.

If I don't,

they let me go.

They already let two guys go.

Please.

This apartment, it's what we got

left that keeps us hanging on.

Lady, I got kids, too.

$6.74.

How much to turn it back on?

Four months. $44.12.

If I work 26 hours out of

every 24, it still won't add up.

We ain't got nothing.

Nothing left to sell.

All the guys

you could've married, huh?

Yeah.

What happened to those guys?

It's Howard.

Since this afternoon.

"Bless us, O Lord...

"and these thy gifts which

we are about to receive...

from thy bounty. "

I'm all prayed out.

Here's more firewood.

Where are you going?

I said where are you going?

Go to hell,

you no-good bastard!

Go on, then!

We don't need you!

All right. Help me,

pick up some of that wood.

I got it, Mama. All right,

let's go, sweetheart.

All right, honey.

Nice and warm, huh?

Baby?

Baby?

Look at Mommy.

Sweetheart.

Mommy?

What's wrong?

Nothing, sweetheart.

Mommy will be right back,

okay?

Howard's fever was getting worse

and then Rosy started to sneeze.

Where are they, Mae? Jim,

we can't even keep 'em warm.

Where are the kids?

The boys will sleep on the

sofa at my father's in Brooklyn.

And Rosy'll stay

at my sister's.

Jimmy, we can't keep 'em!

You don't make decisions

about our children without me.

What if they get really sick?

We already owe Dr. McDonald...

If you send them away, then

all this has been for nothing!

It's just until we get back...

What else was it for?

If we can't stay together,

that means we lost!

That means we've given up!

I am not giving up!

I'm trying to protect our

children. Mae, I promised him.

Outside the butcher's.

I looked him in the eyes...

and I promised him

with all of my heart...

I would never ever

send him away.

You can't do this.

You weren't here.

You can't break my promise.

Jim, you didn't see.

You weren't here.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, Jimmy.

What are you doing?

Jim?

Jimmy! Where you going?

Where you going, Jimmy?

That doesn't qualify you, sir.

What else can you tell me?

The problem is my wife is

losing all of her teeth.

I got a relief order

for her.

The doctor says

it's due to insufficient diet.

She's still nursing the baby

on account of...

we can't afford milk

for the family.

Okay.

I never thought

I'd see you here, Jim.

He jumped up...

kicked his stool

out of the ring...

and he was just,

he was furious.

I grabbed the mike...

There's Jimmy Braddock.

The thing is,

I can't afford to...

I can't afford

to pay the heat.

I've had to

farm out my kids.

You know, they keep cutting

shifts down at the docks...

and you just don't get picked

every day.

I sold everything I've got

that anybody would buy.

I went on public assistance. I

signed on at the relief office.

They gave me $19.

I need another $18.38...

so I can pay the bill

and get the kids back.

You know me well enough to know

if I had anywhere else to go...

I wouldn't be here.

If you could help me through this

time, I sure would be grateful.

Sure, Jim. Sure.

Good luck.

Jim.

Hey, Jimmy.

Here you go, Jim.

Good luck, Jim.

I'm sorry, Joe, I didn't...

I'm sorry.

What in the hell do you have

to be sorry about?

Jesus Christ, Jimmy.

How short are you?

About $1.50.

Okay.

We're home!

Hooray, we're home!

We're glad to be home!

Good.

Okay. All right.

Howard, don't jump on

the bed. Sorry, Mama.

Read to me, Jay.

"On his way up

and down the stairs... "

Do you like being home?

I like being home, too.

My little doll.

Make a wish, kids.

Blow!

Hey, Howard, come on.

They're gonna cut the cake up.

You wanna line up, huh?

You looking forward

to some chocolate cake?

I liked it better

when we had our own.

I can understand that.

Hiya, Howard.

Hi.

Hey, your dad ever tell you

that I used to spar with him?

You hit the Father?

As often as I possibly could.

He was kinda tricky, though.

Hard to catch.

Go and get some cake. Go on.

Missed you at mass, Jimmy.

I can get an extra shift

on a Sunday, you know?

Don't you walk away from me!

James.

Mike, you hear me?

Excuse me.

Every day, "fix the world. "

How about fixing your family?

What kind of father

are you?

Too proud to cross the street

because she can't have her own cake?

And now you're drunk at

church, for Christ's sake.

That a joke, Sara? Making a

joke? I'm just saying it's enough!

Guys, where's the ref? Why

don't you stay out of this?

It's between man and wife. How

do you even call yourself that?

What'd you say to me?

Come on.

Get your hands off me!

You've had a couple drinks.

It's Sunday.

No harm in that. Day of rest.

All washed up. Can't get a fight.

What, you want to fight me?

Mike,

you don't have to do this.

I ain't got no beef

with you.

Come on! Can't make it in the ring, huh?

Come on, Braddock,

I'll take your head off!

Jim, no!

Mike, you okay, baby?

Why don't you get off me?

Go to hell! The both of you!

Jesus, Jim,

he wasn't gonna hit me.

Mike, wait!

Now, what it's all about is

rotating your body behind your fist.

Bang. That's right.

Right in the kisser, yeah.

There you go.

Good girl. You got a

better jab than your dad.

Boy, you are a brave man. Not

really. Mae's at the store.

That's a good one, kiddo!

You want to go play with the other

kids while I talk to Uncle Joe?

Joe Gould,

still looking dapper, I see.

Certainly. Gotta keep up

appearances, right?

Good to see you, Jimmy.

Nice to see you, Joe.

Nice day, huh?

Yeah.

You drove all the way out here

to talk about the weather?

Maybe I was in the neighborhood.

Did you ever think of that?

Little fresh air.

Joe, this is Jersey.

Yeah. Good point.

I got you a fight.

Go to hell. Come on.

You want it, don't you?

What, we gonna bring this up with

the Boxing Commission, or not?

Yes, and they'll sanction it.

This one fight, and one fight only.

It's not a comeback, right?

It's just one fight.

Why?

'Cause of who you're fighting.

How much?

Just once, ask me who

it is you're fighting.

How much?

$250.

You're on at the big show

at the Garden, tomorrow night.

You fight Corn Griffin, Jimmy.

Number two heavyweight

contender in the world.

Prelim before

the championship bout.

You know, Joe, this

ain't funny. No, it's not.

And it ain't no favor,

either.

Griffin's opponent got cut,

and he couldn't fight.

So they had to find somebody they

could throw in at a day's notice.

Nobody legit would...

Nobody would take a fight

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