Gentleman's Agreement Page #12

Sure, a man at a dinner table

told a story...

...and the nice people

didn't laugh.

They even despised him, sure.

But they let it pass.

Behind that joke,

there's Flume Inn...

...and Darien and Tommy

and those kids...

If you don't stop with

that joke, where do you stop?

-Is that what you mean?

-That's right.

Where do you call the halt?

I've been getting mad at Phil...

...because he expected me

to fight this...

...instead of getting mad

at those who help it along...

...like Lockhardt.

Not just old Lockhardt.

He's out in the open.

What about the rest

of the dinner guests?

They're supposed to be

on your side.

They didn't...

No, they didn't, and I didn't.

That's the trouble.

We never do.

It all links up, Dave.

Phil will fight.

He can fight.

He always will fight.

And if I just sit by and...

...feel sick,

then I'm not a fit wife for him.

It was always

on those deeper issues...

...that we had our quarrels.

Always.

And I never knew it until now.

Sure.

A man wants, uh...

...his wife to be more

than just a companion, Kathy...

...more than his beloved girl...

...more than even

the mother of his children.

He wants a sidekick, a buddy...

...to go through

the rough spots with.

And, well, she has to feel...

...that the same things

are the rough spots...

...or they're always out of line

with each other.

You're not

cast in bronze, sweetie.

You're nice and soft

and pliable...

...and you can do anything

you have to do...

...or want to do...

with yourself.

Can I?

Can I?

But it's got to be

more than talk.

Now, don't scold, Phil.

I couldn't sleep,

so I sneaked into your room...

...and stole the first

two installments.

Come here.

Thanks, Ma.

I think I'd rather have that

than almost anything.

I wish your father

could have read this, Phil.

He'd have liked it.

He'd have liked this.

...''Driving away from the inn...

''I knew all about

every man or woman...

...''who'd been told the job

was filled when it wasn't...''

...''every youngster

who'd been turned down...

...''by a college or a summer camp.''

''I knew the rage

that pitches through you...

...''when you see your own child

shaken and dazed.''

''From that moment, I saw

an unending attack by adults...

...''on kids of seven and eight

and ten and twelve...

...''on adolescents

trying to get a job...

...''or an education

or into medical school.''

''And I knew that

they had somehow known it, too.

''They, those patient,

stubborn men...

...''who argued

and wrote and fought...

...''and came up with

the Constitution...

...''and the Bill of Rights.''

''They knew the tree is known

by its fruit...

...''and that injustice corrupts

a tree...

...''that its fruit

withers and shrivels...

...''and falls at last to

that dark ground of history...

...''where other great hopes

have rotted and died...

...''where equality and freedom

remain still the only choice...

...''for wholeness and soundness...

...''in a man or in a nation.''

Your father would have

liked you to say that.

Not enough of us realize it.

The time's getting short.

Not enough people,

and the time's running out.

You mean Kathy?

Not just Kathy.

All the Kathys...

...everywhere.

You know something, Phil?

I suddenly want to live

to be very old.

Very.

I want to be around

to see what happens.

The world is stirring

in very strange ways.

Maybe this

is the century for it.

Maybe that's why

it's so troubled.

Other centuries

had their driving forces.

What will ours have been

when men look back?

Maybe it won't be the American

century after all...

...or the Russian century

or the atomic century.

Wouldn't it be wonderful...

...if it turned out to be

everybody's century...

...when people all over

the world...free people...

...found a way to live together?

I'd like to be around

to see some of that...

...even the beginning.

I may stick around

for quite a while.

Hi, Dave.

Hello? Mr. Case.

Dave Goldman calling.

I'm sorry to call you

at this late hour...

...but I can take that job.

I'm bringing my family

from California immediately.

I've got a house.

Thanks.

So am I.

She's going to live up there

all summer at her sister's...

...and if anybody

dishes anything out...

...she'll be right there

to dish it back.

Yes, sir.

I think I'll stick around

for a long time.

Thanks, Dave.

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