[car engines revving]
- [cocks gun] - Okay, everybody freeze,
This is a hold-up,
You, you, you, you,
[woman's voice] We have to forgive them,
Get down, get on your knees, get on your knees,
What's your name, Sir?
- Carl, - Carl, Carl, it's getting chilly in here,
You! Come here, come here!
Get down, get on your fucking knees,
Get down! Get on your knees, get on your knees and stay scared,
All right, if it is not clear through our dramatic entrance,,,
You, here, come here!
And my gun slinging bravado, or our general recklessness,
Get down, stay there!
We are here to hold you up,
Take all the money out of the drawer and put it in a plastic bag,
- Carl? - Shoot him!
Hey, is this your first time?
Yeah,
- Take the money out of the drawer, - Okay, okay,
- [cash register dings] - [indistinct whispering]
[woman whispering] It brought us back together,
Put it in the bag,
- Here, - Very good,
[man] Give me your cash now!
If you don't give me your cash right now, your head's going into the back of that freezer,
- [girl giggling] - [indistinct whispering]
[man] Give me your fucking cash, now!
Hey, could you take it down a little bit?
You're freaking everybody out,
[woman whispering] Fly now, Do you forgive me?
May I give him the spare, sir?
[woman whispering] They brought me back to you, honey,
- You're the most important person to me, - [indistinct whispering]
Give the kids their money back,
[man] Why would we come in and rob a store and give the money back?
Because it's a kid,
- Give it back! - You are absolutely ridiculous, you know that?
[Kathy whispering] Shoot back, This is a hold up,
- [man] I'm gonna shoot 'em, - [Kathy] Take all the money out of the drawer,
- [man] No, - We gotta go,
[indistinct whispering]
- [woman] Look what you've done, - [sirens wailing]
Shit,
[Kathy] Oh, my God!
[tires screeching]
[policeman] Get your hands up! Fall, fall!
[indistinct radio chatter]
[sirens blaring]
[indistinct radio chatter]
- [siren blaring] - [tires screeching]
[sobbing]
[whistling]
[people chattering]
[Elizabeth] Kathy, my name is Elizabeth,
I help people out of different situations
and I was called by a social worker who knows about your case,
And I know the event that got you into jail
but I don't think you belong here, And um,,,
Where, where am I supposed to go?
I think you should be in a treatment center,
- And,,, - I don't do drugs or alcohol,
No, but I think perhaps you might need some medication to even you out,
Maybe just for a little while, maybe not forever,
What's the medication for?
Well, I think you may have a chemical imbalance,
Bipolar II,
This could really account for some of your highs and lows and some of your depression,
We need to get some tests done,
get you into a place to get your life on track,
I just wanna see my daughter one more time,
Okay, I'm gonna get you out of here, I just need you to sign off on that,
[Kathy sniffles] Okay,
[Elizabeth] Okay? Good,
[indistinct chatter]
[bright country music]
[tractor engine humming]
[water fizzing]
[birds chirping]
- Kathy, we're releasing you at the end of the month, - But I have six more months,
I know that you wanted the extra time, but we are positive that you are ready,
And you're gonna stay at your mom and dad's for now, right?
I know, I don't think that's such a healthy decision,
I understand, but where are you gonna stay?
Well, I guess I'll go try to stay with my grandpa,
- That's a fantastic idea, - Okay,
You'll have a space away from your parents but you'll get to interact with your daughter,
She'll get to come visit you in a familiar place, right?
I just feel like they're gonna see me as who I was then,
Of course they are, and now they're gonna see who you are now,
Just deal with it moment by moment,
- Yeah, - This transition is stressful,
- Of course it is, - Hm-hm,
- You can do this, okay? - Okay,
- You can do this, - Okay,
[birds chirping]
[chickens clucking]
[pigs grunting]
You happy to see me, you little farts, huh?
Sure you got enough feed, water?
[groans]
Oh,
you thought you had me for a second, didn't you? Not yet,
[groaning]
[telephone keys clacking]
[phone ringing]
Hello?
Uh, is Junior there?
Mom?
Cori?
[laughs]
Didn't recognize your voice,
It's called puberty,
Why are you calling?
Why aren't you at grandma and grandpa's right now?
They're at the hospital with grandpa,
Cor,
Dad wants to talk to you,
It's Kathy,
Yeah, thanks,
[sighs] Haven't heard from you for five months,
What happened to grandpa?
Heart attack, Why haven't you called?
I got transferred, I haven't had time,
[sighs] Yeah, well, the old bastard's okay,
Your dad found him, got an ambulance out there quick enough,
You could've picked up the phone to call your daughter once a month,
When you coming home, Kath?
I'm gonna actually be home soon,
Yeah, I am,
Can you just tell Cori I love her?
[soft country music]
[car engine roaring]
[birds chirping]
[car engine revving]
[car engine starting]
Hey, pop,
Oh my God!
Kathy, oh!
Well, what a surprise!
It's good to see you,
- Good to see you too, honey, What,,, when did you,,, - You look great,
- Well, you do, too, - Thanks, The car looks good,
- You like the car? - It looks beautiful,
We've got it all sanded down, repainted, upholstered,
Wow,
- Tires, - The tires look great,
I'm gonna get it in the 4th of July Parade, I think,
- Awesome, - Yeah,
How's grandpa doing?
He's doing a lot better,
- Hey, your mom's inside, let's go surprise her, huh? - Awesome, Okay,
- [Ed] When did you,,,? - [Kathy] Oh, weeks ago,
- [Ed] You might've called first, - [Kathy chuckling]
- Hi, hun, - Hi,
- We got company, - What?
Hey, mom,
[laughs] Hi! What a surprise,
I wasn't expecting you, hi,
Hey, is Cori around?
Uh, no, she spent the night with a friend,
Oh, Junior?
Uh, no, no, I would've said she was with her father if she was with him,
Oh, okay, I just didn't know who she's been spending time with,
No, it's because you haven't been around,
[Ed] Well, it's great to see you,
Good to see you home again,
We're both very happy that you're home,
[sighs]
Um,
I wish you would've called, [laughs]
We thought you wouldn't be here for a couple of months,
- Uh-huh, - I called the DOC to find out what your release date was,
You could've visited and found out,
Oh, well,
With Cori's schedule, that would have been complicated,
Just once?
I actually got out four months ago,
I got out on good behavior,
They put me in a transitional program
and I worked a lot of things out and got help from some friends,
Friends?
Yeah, friends, people who care about you,
Well, we think it's wonderful that you're home again,
Thanks, Dad,
How did you hear about grandpa?
Cori,
Oh, so you do call,
Grandpa's doing better, He got released from the hospital,
gonna spend a bit of time in the nursing home, just until he gets his strength back,
He's not getting his strength back, Ed,
Oh, so you're gonna let him die there?
- Oh, come on now, Kathy, - Ed,
You just got here, now don't start,
[Barbara] Kathy, please,
Are you gonna sell the farm?
[laughs] What are you now, a real estate agent?
I just care about it, I thought we'd keep it for our future,
Now, since when have you ever given a good god damn about that farm?
Well, I know you give a good god damn about it, Ed,
- [door shuts] - [Cori] I'm home,
We're in here, Cori, Wait till you see how tall she's gotten, Look,
What is she doing here?
Your hair looks so cute that way,
It's just easier to pin up for dance class,
So how long are you staying?
We'll have to clean out your room, We've been using it to store some stuff,
Oh, that's okay, you don't have to, I'm going to get accommodations,
No, Don't be silly, this is your home,
Um, by the way, in 20 minutes we're all gonna go to Perkins,
and after that I have World Economy Think Tank 'till nine,
- [Barbara] Okay, - Cori?
What?
I'm home,
Yeah,
[sighs]
It's gonna take some time,
[birds chirping]
[engine revs]
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum,
[chuckles]
Huh?
You're not your mother, you're your mother's daughter, [laughing]
[laughing]
Need money or something?
Mm-mm, No,
I just came to see if you were okay,
[scoffs]
How was jail?
It was fruitful,
[laughing] Yeah,
You should've stayed out there,
This place is dying,
Ain't no way to make a living anymore,
Unless you're a factory farmer like your dear old daddy,
Son of a bitch,
I heard he found you face down in a pile of hog shit,
Sounds like he saved your life,
Didn't ask him to,
Do I look sick to you?
[Kathy] Mm-mm,
Your mother
and her sister
are doing a pretty damn good job of upsetting me,
I'm an old man now,
That's a state of mind,
Hog shit,
[laughing]
Piss shit and pig shit and horse shit,
You wait until you get into my saddle, little girl,
You just wait,
I just,,,
I just,,,-
Okay,
I don't wanna die in this goddamn place,
Wow,
I just wanna die
in the same plot of land as my daddy,
Okay,
I got an idea,
How about I go check on the hogs for you?
Good thinking,
Morons probably forgot to feed the pigs,
I'm gonna go and I'll see what I can do,
[smooches]
Atta girl,
Get me outta here,
[door closing]
[birds chirping]
[soft country music]
[chickens clucking]
[cows mooing]
[dog barking]
[faucet dripping]
[flies buzzing]
[soft music]
[sighs]
How are Walter's children doing?
- [Leah] We're great, - Good, good, What can I do for you today?
Leah and I were concerned about our father's health and,,,
I understand he had a heart attack,
Yes, and so we're trying to get information in terms of what do we need to do to,
is it power of attorney or what,
that would help make sure that he's taking care of himself,
So what's the situation with Walter?
Well, he had a heart attack in the pig pen,
I mean, if Ed hadn't been out there to see him, he would've died with the pigs,
It is fortunate you were there, because pigs can be brutal in that circumstance,
Uh, is there any mental problems?
He's being stubborn about watching out and being more careful,
and it's kind of difficult, And the older he gets, it's gotten worse,
Just because you're difficult
does not mean that you're incompetent
and require a power of attorney for somebody else to handle the affairs,
[Barbara] What do we need to prove?
Evidence that he is unable to take care of himself,
Being an eccentric, being stubborn
is not evidence,
This is easy, we can do this and we come to you and you will help us?
- I will seek to assist you with that, - [Leah] Thank you,
[attorney] Okay,
[rock music]
- Excuse me, can I get a drink? - [bartender] Sure, what are you having?
Tequila, straight up, shot,
[bartender] Coming up,
Rough day?
No, it's been a great day,
- [chuckles] - I can tell, Tequila straight up, yeah,
I'm celebrating,
You don't mind if I had one with you, would you?
- No, no, not at all, - Leon, can I get the same?
Are you old enough to be drinking?
Well, I'm old enough to be sitting here with you,
- [laughs] - You don't remember me, do you?
- No, - I'm Phil and Julia's kid, David,
Oh my God! I graduated with your parents,
I didn't know that,
- Bottoms up to that, [laughs] - Cheers,
Cheers,
[groans]
Wow,
- Have you ever done a shot of tequila before? [laughs] - [groans] No,
See how you're doing,
- Close, [clears throat] - You,,, Just come on,
- I'm,,, I'm going, - Give it a little more love, just,,,
- [groans] - You wanna do one more?
Of course, Leon, two more,
[laughs]
Cheers,
Mm,
Dinah, Dinah,
Where does it come out?
[chuckles]
- Is everything all right? - Yeah, it's just cute, date night,
Where's our daughter?
- With your parents, - Cheers,
- [Kathy] Mm, - [Junior] All right,
Perfect,
You and Dinah Squire, always pictured you two together,
[Kathy] It's just cute, just cute,
- Oh, - Just my ex,
Oh, Leon,,, Leon, can we get two more down here?
Yeah, well, get three, one for the new mother of my child,
Kathy's drunk again,
Oh, oh, no, I'm not drunk,
I'm just getting started, honey,
She was
stacked like a brick shit house,
the homecoming queen, and I was pregnant,
huge as a puffer fish with our baby,
And during that time, she was actually screwing my baby daddy,
You know what, Kathy, you crossed the line, okay?
- You're drunk as a skunk, why don't you leave, please? - Oh, no, no, no, no,
It's all good, It's all good,
- But come and share a shot, Come and share a shot, Dinah, - Yeah, I don't want one,
She won't share a shot with me but she'll share the same man,
- Oh, God, - I'll drink to that,
You know what? You make,,, You make me sick,
You know what? Stay away from my daughter,
You mean stay away from your daughter like you do?
Oh,
[Kathy] Oh, yeah,
- [Junior] No, no, - Bring it, bitch!
[Junior] No, no, no!
- Stupid! - Stop it!
- You take that back! You son of a bitch! - Hey, what the hell?
Stupid slut!
- Walk it out, honey, - God! I'm gonna pull your hair extensions out, you stupid slut!
[sighs deeply]
[rooster crowing]
[soft country music]
[water fizzing]
Do you have to sit there? You're in my way,
Seriously?
I need to move around,
I don't think you can help your grandpa,
Leah and I
don't think it's safe for him to be on the farm, he's not well,
The farm's just a big jungle gym, he's gonna fall,
break his hip and blame us for being in a wheelchair,
I don't need that, and neither does she,
I'll make it safe, I'll make it happy, I'll make it nice,
He can live out the rest of his life there, He deserves that,
Why are you laughing? Don't you want that for him?
[chuckling] I don't think of the farm as a happy place,
It was very tough on us,
Still is,
Momma always said he should have had boys,
You know,
Farm's in the past,
Besides, why do you care?
Three years in a jail cell makes you think about things,
What did they make you do there?
- In prison? - Yeah,
Lotta laundry,
Got really good at folding clothes,
[laughing]
Could definitely be manager of the Gap,
Well, I'll have
to write a letter to the Department of Correctional Services,
I could never get you to do laundry, let alone fold clothes,
Mm-hm,
[laughing]
Look, Mom, you're looking at free home care right in the eye,
you can't pay for grandpa's long-term healthcare,
You can take all that money and you can put it in Cori's college savings,
how perfect would that be?
Well, you're a big girl,
Don't need to ask permission
to clean up the old place, make it look nice,
That would be very helpful,
[smooches]
[bright country music]
[gagging]
[glass breaking]
[groans]
Hey, what the hell are you doing here?
[Junior] Ed hired me to do some work around here,
- He hired you? - Yep,
Wow, you've sure gotten close with the family unit since I've been gone,
[groans] Not really,
Yeah, really, he hired you, didn't he?
[sighs] Yeah, he hired me,
Figures, prodigal son he never had,
I wouldn't go that far, Kath,
No, you wouldn't,
Just like you wouldn't visit me in jail, either,
But you'll go running to Ed as soon as he needs you,
[sighs] I should've visited you in jail,
but you know what? Some of us had responsibilities to deal with,
Time flew by,
It didn't for me, How's working with Ed?
- [ladder clatters] - Okay, you know what?
I like working for your dad,
He works on a large scale,
He's got a thousand hogs under one roof,
[sighs]
Of course, it makes me a little anxious sometimes
seeing living things in such tight quarters,
Yeah, I know what that's like,
Since I've been working there, coming over here, seeing the pigs running around,
Now I feel like all I really need is my garden and some free pigs,
A garden and some pigs, are you kidding me?
I wanna be a successful farmer,
And I wanna puke,
You know what?
Wake up,
Times are tough, money's hard to come by,
We're lucky,
we're lucky your mom and dad have given Cori the life that they have,
We're lucky?
Yeah, we're lucky, and you know what?
No matter what mistakes you've made and I've made in our lives,
you're her mom and I'm her dad,
Yeah, well, you're the biggest goddamn mistake I ever made,
No, uh-huh, no,
[groans]
[Kathy] Don't you give me,,,!
- [Kathy] Okay, - Okay, that's good, you're tough, you're really tough,
[groaning]
[Junior] I am trying to help you!
[Kathy] With what?
- [Junior] Fixing this place up, making it nice for Walt! - [Kathy] Why?
You're doing the right thing,
[groans]
[chuckles] Okay, okay,
Fine, you wanna make it safe for Walter?
Then you make it safe for him,
And at the same time, fix up a bedroom for Cori,
[chuckles] I can do that,
[chickens clucking]
Yes, ma'am, I was in jail for three years,
Now I'm back here, and I'm living on my grandpa Church's farm,
I'm trying to fix it up,
And bring my little daughter, who's 12, out to the farm to live with me,
You have a criminal record,
Yes, I know, I wrote it down on the application, I,,,
And that is what is so gosh darn refreshing,
Let's give it a try,
Okay, are you,,, [clears throat]
If you're sure,
[chuckles] I'm not sure at all, We're just gonna try it out,
Show up seven o'clock tomorrow morning,
My regulars come in about 7:30,
I'll give you the run down on what we need to do,
- I'll be here at 6:45, - [chuckles] Okay,
[rooster crowing]
[soft music]
[birds chirping]
[insects chirping]
[Kathy] I said I'm getting out,
[laughs] So he took you to the A&W, that cheap SOB,
[laughing]
- Was old man McCoy there? He's living,,, he lives there, - [bell rings]
- Hey, kiddo, - [Cori] Hi,
Oh my gosh, that Cori is the spitting image,
[Kathy] And who's your friend?
- [Aaron] I'm Aaron, - Hi, Aaron,
So are you really her mom?
Yes, I am, I am the proud parent of this gorgeous girl,
[laughs]
But I thought that Barbara was your mom,
No, I told you she's my grandma,
Kathy's my biological mother,
But that doesn't really mean anything nowadays, it's whoever raised you that counts,
What, would you like to have something?
Oh, may I please have a chocolate cheesecake with whipped cream on top?
- Yes, - Excellent choice, It's the least stale,
I'm just kidding, everything's fresh, nothing's stale,
And Cori, Miss Cori, what will you have?
I'm fine,
You don't want anything? Come on!
I'm sure,
Well, how about fresh baked chocolate chip scones?
That was your favorite,
It was my favorite, not anymore,
- Okay, - But you wouldn't know,
Well, how about a fountain drink?
Caffeine blows out my adrenals,
Well, maybe a nice plate of organic kale dust or fresh air,
[chuckles] It's not very filling,
[chuckles] Thanks, cute,
- Um, here is the pie, - Thanks,
And thank you for asking for a,,,
For what? I didn't order anything,
How'd you find out I was working here?
I know where my mom works,
I asked your parole officer,
That's really funny, Cori,
It was a joke,
I'm not laughing,
Why'd you hire her? She has a criminal record, you know,
I'm sure there were many able individuals in need of employment
that could fit the position,
Well, that's true, Cori, There was a lot of well-qualified applicants
with extensive and impressive resumes,
Just like yours is, I'm sure,
But, you know, I wanted to hire somebody who was nice,
That pie looks disgusting,
It's delicious,
[Aaron] It was nice meeting you,
Well, that is one intense teenager you got coming on there, girlfriend,
[soft music]
[insects chirping]
[Kathy] It's just a short visit today, but it's gonna be worth it,
[Walter] Oh, boy,
[Kathy] Grandpa, am I okay to be Cori's mom?
[chuckles] Better than anyone I know, why?
[Kathy] You know, with all my meds and stuff,
[Walter] Yeah, well, they wouldn't keep insulin from a diabetic, would they?
[Walter] You'll be fine,
I think you'll be happy with the pigs, They look plump,
They'd better not be too plump,
You check the water? They're always turning it over,
They've got plenty of water, they're all good,
Who's taking care of 'em?
[Kathy] Junior,
Junior? Are you shitting me?
That son of a bitch don't know a damn thing about farming,
I cleaned up a little bit,
You did what?
It was a mess,
Ta-da!
Look,
What do you think?
[Kathy] Do you like it?
[Walter] Where's my easy chair?
Your easy chair?
- Well,,, - Your easy chair had fleas and a broken armrest,
No, no, no, I had that chair for 40 years,
Well, I don't know what kind of Raid grandma used on it, but it sure didn't work for me,
I,,, I don't like new things,
If I wanted new things, I would've asked for new things,
Let's go look at the kitchen,
[sighs] Took me a long time to get the grime off the stove,
Everything was fine the way it was,
Well, great, I can take some hog shit and I will smear it on the counters
and then you can be right at home!
It's time to take you back, they only gave us 30 minutes,
Why do I have to go back to that place?
Because your heart's still mending,
Okay, they ain't never gonna let me outta there,
Oh, yeah, they will,
But you have to mind your P's and Q's, you gotta be nice to the nurses,
You gotta be patient,
And we're gonna bust you out, g-force,
[birds chirping]
[rooster crowing]
[soft music]
[oil crackling]
What are you doing here?
Hey, morning,
I'm making breakfast,
Eggs cool, over easy? I always forget, sunny side up or over easy?
I don't do yolk,
Oh,
Okay, um,
What should I get you instead?
[Kathy] What do you want?
Egg whites are fine,
[Kathy] Egg whites?
- [Cori] In the fridge, - Okay,
- [Cori] Middle shelf to the left, - Okay, middle door to the left,
Awesome, [chuckles]
Okay, so we'll make you egg whites,
[Cori] You forgot to re-oil the pan,
You're absolutely right, I did forget to re-oil the pan,
So we'll pour this out, How's school?
[Cori] Good,
[Kathy] Got a boyfriend?
- [Cori] Nope, - [Kathy] Um,,,
You want a boyfriend?
[Cori] Don't care,
[Kathy] You don't care about boys?
[Cori] I don't know,
Surprise, surprise,
You just, uh, let yourself in?
Yeah, I just thought I'd make you guys some eggs this morning,
Uh-huh, yeah, you're cooking, I see?
I know, it's,,, I'm determined to cook and make these eggs,
Wow,
[Kathy] Impressive, huh?
Maybe, What's up with the pan?
- Ah! - [Junior] Oh my God!
- [Kathy] Okay, okay, - [Junior] Seriously? Maybe,,,
Mother material, isn't she?
Cor,
- It's okay, - I'm trying to,,, [sighs] No,
Don't worry about it, I'll make us something and you just,,,
No, no, no, I came to make eggs, and I'm gonna make eggs,
and we're all gonna sit down and have a family breakfast together, okay?
I have to go,
What? No, wait, wait a second, hey, hey,
I can pick you up from school, you know?
[scoffs] You mean in that death trap of junk on wheels?
No, thanks,
Um,
Besides, I'm booked 'till nine every day this week,
Booked?
- Booked, - Yeah,
Choir, then track, 4:00 to 5:00,
every other day I have clarinet practice 3:30 to 4:00,
Talented and gifted class 5:30 to 7:00,
think tank 7:00 to 8:00, dance class 8:00 to 9:00,
She's a dancer,
Holy shit, when do you chill out?
Holy crap, when do you rest?
Like you did in high school?
And please, let's nix the swearing in the house when you visit,
- Bye, hun, have a good day, - Bye, Dad, love you,
Love you, too,
[Junior] The bus is here anyway, don't worry about it, it's fine,
I'm not worried about it, I'm just making eggs,
I'll make us something and you just,,,
No, no, no, I wanna finish this,
- You did good, I mean, that's just,,, - No, I really didn't but,,,
You just need to spend some mother-daughter time, Take her to the pool,
[kids yelling]
[indistinct chatter]
This pool's awesome,
Yeah, I know, right?
When did they put all the slides and the umbrellas and all that stuff?
[Sonya] Oh, my God! It's Kathy,
I think like two, three years ago,
- [Sonya] That's Cori's mom, - [Kathy] Who's,,, who's your friends here, Cori?
I don't know, it's everybody?
[Sydney chuckling] Look at her bathing suit,
- What? - [giggling]
- [whispering] - Are people talking about us?
I don't know,
You don't know?
Nobody says hi to you when you come to the pool?
They usually do,
Aaron?
Sonya's mom said that Cori's as crazy as you are,
And then Sonya just goes around the school
telling all the boys that she's a slut who's gonna get pregnant at 16,
- Shut up, - Which one is Sonya?
She's the one over there with the red hair,
[Kathy] You're kidding, Dinah Squires' kid?
This little girl coming up here right now?
[Cori] Um, yeah,
What the hell?
Mom, don't,
Well, at least we can't get in a bar fight,
Um, how's school going?
It's fine,
- [Kathy] Uh, grades? - [Cori] Fine,
[Kathy] How's Barbara and Ed doing?
Fine, look, if there's some arbitrary story of my life thing going on,
could you get to it?
Chill out,
I'm just trying to ask you how you're doing,
- Why? - Because I've been gone for a while
and I just wanted to know how you feel since,,,
,,,since I left,
Well, first I was proud,
You were proud?
Yeah, grandpa said you were serving our country,
[chuckles] He did?
Yeah, and then Aunt Leah told me that you were in the Department of Correctional Services,
Oh, great, we love Aunt Leah, pillar of truth,
So when did you get gated out?
What?
Like topped out, finished with the program,
've seen prison movies like Oz,
What? [chuckles]
This isn't Oz, this is Iowa,
What are you talking about?
Have you ever shanked someone?
What?
Like melted your toothbrush into a shiv and then like bled someone out in the shower,
No, Cori, no, I have never done that,
What are you talking about? Who's letting you watch Oz?
Dad, Ed, Barbara,
Great, we're gonna get parental controls on the TV like that,
I'll watch whatever I want,
Excuse me? Excuse me?
[scoffs] You're not in charge of me, Kathy,
Parental controls? Like you're such a good parent, You were a ward of the state,
Well, I'm still your mom,
And please don't call me Kathy,
Whatever,
Come on, Aaron, let's go check out the slide,
[sighs]
[soft country music]
Girls, hey, do you guys want something to drink?
Wow, check this out,
Get her on the back of the head,
[Aaron] Oh!
Mom, what are you doing?
- What the hell? - [whistle blowing]
Seriously?
- [Sonya] What happened? - [girl] Are you okay?
[coughing] I'm fine,
Hey, hey, do you not get we live in a small town? What was that?
Come on, what was that back there?
I was trying to teach her a lesson on how to stand up to assholes like that,
They picked on her like they picked on me when I was a kid,
Okay, well, that wasn't exactly what I had in mind
when I was talking about mother-daughter bonding,
How could you let her watch Oz?
[sighs] It's an award-winning program,
And I wanted her to know what your life was like,
I did not reside in an all-male high-security prison, you asshole,
You're trying too hard, that's it, okay?
It's not gonna happen overnight,
Hey, did you ever shank anyone?
Go dry off Dinah,
[soft country music]
[Junior] Hey, sweetie,
[Cori] Hey, Dad,
What you working on there?
Homework,
[crows squawking]
You know, you don't have to work here,
I'm just trying to get my world economy done,
World economy,
[sighs]
I know it's weird having her back, isn't it?
Yeah,
You know, your mom and I both have made some bad decisions in life,
Like me?
No, not you,
As a matter of fact, you're the best thing that ever happened to us, okay?
Had we planned on having a kid?
- No, - No, no,
But you know what?
I think you saved us,
I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, I know that,
Here's the thing,
You got something inside of you that's beautiful and is powerful
and it's something that your mom and I never had,
And I think maybe that scares your mom a little bit,
like she feels like she's not good enough for you,
She isn't,
[scoffs]
Well,
you two have a lot of similarities,
- Like what? - The good stuff,
Your eyes, the way you smile, the way you light up a room,
That's coming from something inside that's beautiful,
I can't go back and change,
But I can start over,
And that's what your mom's looking for,
And when I say your mom,
I mean your mom,
I love you, sweetie,
Love you too, Dad, [sniffles]
[sighs]
- [punching] - [heavy breathing]
[goat bleating]
[Kathy] Hey,
What do you want?
Hey,
Takes a lot of faith to do what you're doing,
What am I doing?
You're here,
Big deal,
It is a big deal,
[sighs] Nobody wants me here,
I want you here,
Do something with me,
Sometimes,
when I need strength,
I just ask for it,
Were you gonna pray or something?
Let's try it,
[Junior] Lord,
please give Kathy the strength to be the mother she wants to be,
Please, give Walter the strength to stay in his home,
And give Kathy the strength to watch over him,
And please,
give Cori the strength to know that we're trying to be the parents she wants us to be,
In your name we pray, amen,
Amen,
[bright music]
[birds chirping]
Thank you,
You can do this,
- Careful, - Okay,
Watermelon,
It's all good,
[Cori] Yum,
Oh, boy, this looks like something,
- Yes, - Yeah,
- Oh, yeah, - Wow,
- Yeah, - The corn was grown by Junior,
- Oh, - Pass me some of that corn there,
Peas?
- Certainly, - I'll take that,
[clears throat]
It's a shame that Ed isn't here, he would've really liked this,
[chuckles] He had to go to the meeting with the Iowa pork producers,
Oh, yeah, isn't he the president?
[laughing]
So, Aunt Leah, how long are you staying?
Oh, I just got a little bit more business to take care of, so I think maybe a week,
How is ballet, Cori?
Oh, it's great,
So I invited you all here for a reason,
Other than just your deli case chicken?
Just crack me up, Leah,
- Leah, - What? I like deli case chicken,
Yeah, well, it's a time saver,
I have been here cleaning up the farm and planting things
and taking care of the house,
and Junior even came and fixed stuff up
and I just think it would be a great idea if Grandpa came home and I took care of him,
- What? - Uh, Kathy,
I don't think this is the right place to bring that up,
You would do that?
[Leah] Whoa, whoa,
After all these years, you think you're just gonna swoop in here and fix all of our problems?
What about your daughter?
I used to love coming out here when I was her age,
We can go fishing, we can feed the hogs,
we can plant flowers, wouldn't that be fun?
Again, you're promising all sorts of things you'll never follow through with,
- You really are a piece of work, aren't you, Leah? - [Leah] Oh, and what next?
- Junior, stay out of it, - Junior's gonna come in here and play daddy?
Oh,
Oh, this is really precious,
Kathy does what Kathy wants in the moment,
And then when it's no longer convenient for her, she packs up and leaves,
That's the history, that's dad's future,
Enough, okay?
Oh, and then here comes Junior,
like a knight in shining armor and you all live happily ever after,
You know, you are a cockatrice,
- And you're an asshole, - That's enough, Leah,
Yes, yes, it is,
- Dad? - Yeah,
What's a cockatrice?
Oh, hun, it's a head of a rooster, barbed tongue, tail of a snake,
you know, hatched by a serpent,
That's about right,
Kathy, why don't I help you with the pie?
[Junior] Something sweet would be nice,
[Barbara] You can't take care of him, Kathy,
Why not?
Are you prepared to shave him in the morning?
Dry him off after a shower? Wipe his butt,
Mom, he is perfectly capable of doing all of that himself,
How do you know?
Because I've been spending a lot of time with him,
Where did your grandfather die?
Don't,
Your grandpa died on this farm, why can't my grandpa die on this farm, too?
That's all he wants, he wants to be here,
Oh, enough, Kathy,
He is not gonna last longer than a year in that nursing home,
You don't know how to take care of him,
Well, at least he's willing to let me try,
You're not seeing this thing in the way it is,
Yes, yes, Mom, I am,
I am,
He wants his dignity,
And I intend to give him that,
You don't understand,
Leah is intent on having him claimed incompetent,
Incompetent?
Jesus Christ,
[scoffs] I just,,,
I just love how easy it is to put labels on things, incompetent,
First, he was an alcoholic all my life, now he's incompetent,
- now I am crazy or bipolar or whatever,,, - Kathy,
No, our family has dealt with anxiety and depression for years and years and years,
and you just ignore it and label it, and he and I are the bad guys,
You just like to put us into this little box
so that we're not human beings, we're just a thing,
It's much easier for you that way,
[sighs]
Just think about how you're gonna come across to Cori if you go through with this,
[Kathy] Letting you out of the clinker,
Goodbye, the old, dirty bedpan,
- Are you sure you don't wanna go up and give it a kiss? - Stinky, stinky old bedpan,
- What do they need it for? - Oh, go give it a kiss, grandpa, You're going home,
[soft country music]
[panting and sniffing]
[Kathy] Grandpa?
- [moaning] - Grandpa, grandpa? What's going on?
I'm sorry, Get me some water, please,
Grandpa, are you sick?
No, no, I'll be all right,
If I just stay here long enough, Sometimes it goes away,
What goes away?
From the war, some sort of shell shock, just,,,
Keeps hanging around,
Got it, got it, got it, let's get you up,
- Does your chest hurt? - No,
- It's alright, - [coughs]
Shh,
- Come on, let's get you outta here, Let's get you into bed, - Yeah,
- Okay, There you go, - Yeah,
- [Walter] Oooh, - Take you onto the bed,
- Yeah, let's go to bed, Yeah, - Okay, Okay,
[Kathy] One, two, one more, now sit down,
- [groans] All right, doesn't it feel better? - Oh, yeah,
- Does it feel better? Yeah, - Yeah,
Okay, should we lay you down?
- Let's get this off your face and lay you down, right? - Yeah, Yeah,
Okay, I got grandma all wrapped around you,
[groans] Yeah,
- [chuckles] This was her favorite quilt, - I'm wrecking her quilt,
Yeah, No, you're not wrecking it, Grandpa, That's what it's for,
Oh, I feel hot,
Okay,
So, do Leah and mom know what's going on?
No, and no one needs to know a damn thing about none of this,
Well, I need to know 'cause I'm taking care of you,
- so you gotta let me know what's happening, - Oh, you just
take care of your own business, [mumbles]
[Kathy] I already got you started, [chuckles]
Please tell me, What is it? What's going on?
[groans]
They've got all sorts of fancy names for it now,
Combat stress and post-traumatic dysfunctional bullshit,
I don't know, I don't know, It just keeps hanging around,
How long has it been hanging around?
[groans] Don't ask,
Okay, okay, okay,
[camera shutter clicks]
[mumbling]
Yeah, we can figure this out together,
[Walter] I'm gonna go to sleep,
[Kathy] Okay,
[eerie music]
[heart beating rapidly]
[heart beating slower]
[chickens quacking]
- Hey, - Hey,
Yeah, my doctor says that these are prescribed
mostly for people with serious mental afflictions,
Yeah, so what? I'm bipolar,
So what?
So,,,
I just,,, I don't understand why you didn't tell me about this,
I didn't know what was going on,
I just felt distracted,
I had to find these rushes, Why do you think I did all that crazy shit?
I mean now,
- Because I'm not,,, - Why didn't you tell me since you were back?
I'm here and you didn't tell me, This is still going on,
Well, I'm sorry I couldn't cuddle up next to you and say "Honey, I'm bipolar,"
Well, so you're unfit?
Unfit to be Cori's mom?
Excuse me?
Yeah, this is way bigger than I thought, way bigger than anyone thought,
This runs deep, it's genetics and stuff,
What the hell are you talking about?
I don't want you around her,
Why not?
Why not? I,,,
It's just,,,
I don't know, it could trigger something,
- How out of touch with reality can you be? - Oh,
This isn't helping, this isn't helping anything at all,
Yeah,
Can we just move past this, please?
All right,
Fuck,
[water flowing]
[crickets chirping]
- [unsettling music] - [heavy breathing]
[woman] You're gonna continue the Depakote?
[Junior] You're unfit, genetics,
- [woman] Continue the Depakote, - [sobs]
[Junior] You're unfit to be her mom, You taking drugs? Drugs?
[woman] You're on medication because this is a very,,,
[Junior] This is a little bigger than I thought,
- [woman] Continue the Depakote, - [Junior] This runs deep,
[water fizzing]
[wind blowing]
[leaves rustling]
[Walter] Hmm, Smells good,
Good morning,
It sure looks that way, doesn't it?
What's the matter?
What do you mean?
[laughs] Is it that time of the month or something?
Jesus, Grandpa, no,
I'm just tired, that's all,
Hey, did you ever think about writing down
all of your experiences from the war?
Yeah, I did, And, uh, I'd rather chew on wet concrete,
I mean, if you don't write it down, it's gonna keep pecking at you,
and maybe if you just got started, a little push is all it would take,
You might like it,
I don't need a little push, Can't I just get on with my life?
Hup,
Whoop-de-doo, very nice,
Don't you want people to remember
what you went through or be able to read about it?
Just like you want somebody to keep farming this farm after you're gone?
No, I don't, Good eggs though,
Okay, take the eggs, for example,
Mom gave me the recipe for those and grandma taught her and someday I'll teach Cori,
We pass it down,
Oh, I get it, so that's what this is about,
Yours and Cori's future,
Yeah, so why don't you go read Cori a bedtime story
instead of spending your time with an old man?
- Sorry, I'm just,,, - Well, can't a man just eat some goddamn eggs
in peace and quiet? Jesus Christ,
Hey, I didn't mean to piss you off,
Well, you did,
I know you've been snooping around,
looking at my pictures and digging into my business,
You threw all my stuff out,
Did it ever occur to you that I like my house the way it was?
Did it ever occur to you that you wouldn't be here if it weren't for me?
Surprise,
Mom and dad and Leah are out
trying to get some lawyer to declare you incompetent,
they're saying you can't take care of yourself,
So if I weren't here with you, you'd be gone,
Well, it's you, Mother goddamn Teresa,
You know,
you're here on this farm for one reason,
You want the farm, You don't give a shit about me,
Grandpa, that's,,,
Why don't you just do yourself a favor and get the hell out?
What?
Get out, go on,
You heard me,
Just get the hell out,
- [sighs] - But what about,,,
Go on!
[birds chirping]
[soft music]
[indistinct whispering]
[Kathy] Alright,
Oh, God, All right,
Cori is 5 now, Mom,
- [giggling] - [Kathy] 4, Dad,
[indistinct whispering]
[Kathy] 25, 5, Junior, 5, 25,
Together, 25, 5,
No, 22, 30,
33, 33, 33,
[sighs]
[footsteps clanging]
[Walter] She wants me to talk about the war,
I didn't start it, that's for sure,
But we all had to go,
They took the brightest and the best,
[wind whistling]
[soft music]
[intense rock music]
[grunts]
Kath?
Whoa,
[whistles] Kathy?
- Whoa, - Do you like it?
What's going on here, babe?
It's a fort,
- A fort? - For Cori,
For Cori?
When you move here and she moves here, she can have this safe fort to play in,
I don't think it's safe,
- Of course it is, - Of course,
Well, because five times five is five's the safety number,
and then five for you, mom, dad, grandpa and Cori
and then I ran this vertical ascension and descension
and so everything's all good,
Cori's not gonna have any accidents,
I knew this was gonna be your reaction,
- I knew it, I knew it, - What did you take?
Don't look at me like that,,, don't,
I'm not,,, this is safe, okay?
And you know what, we're free finally, we're free,
and I don't want you to take that away from me right now 'cause it's not fair,
It's not fair, and you're not gonna do it,
What did you take, Kathy?
[Kathy] What is that supposed to mean?
We're free, I quit, I'm done,
I'm done, I'm me, and this is us, here we are,
This is good,
I feel great,
I have never felt so good in my life,
I am building things I never thought I could build before,
and we're all gonna be safe and this is what you wanted,
- This is what you wanted and I,,, I didn't, - It,,, It's not what I wanted,
You're freaking me out a little bit,
- I'm freaking you out? - Yeah,
You're freaking me out, How come you're having this reaction?
You disapprove of everything that I do, Can I not do anything right for you?
Just, let's backtrack a little bit, What nothing did you not take?
I didn't take anything, I'm not gonna take anything,
Right, Depakote, it's nothing?
What are you doing?
Why,,, don't do that, don't do that,
Sweetie,
[whimpers] Don't sweetie me, don't sweetie me, Don't look at me like I'm pathetic,
I'm sorry for what I said, It made you not take what you needed to take,
You said not to take anything, You want me to take something or nothing or what?
[sobbing]
- Oh my God, Kathy, - Don't walk away from me, please,
No, I'm not, I just,,, I want you to take your medication,
- You know what, you know I'm bipolar, - No,
I'm bipolar, There's where we're totally fucked,
We are totally screwed because you don't want that, but that's what I am,
And you didn't want what I was before, when I was normal, but now I'm not normal anymore,
No,
Which do you want?
I want you, I want Cori's mom,
That's an idea in your head, That is an idea of what I was,
- I made the mistake, okay? - You made what mistake?
I made the mistake to confront you like you're a bad person for taking medication,
Yeah,
It's my ignorance, you're right,
I just want to,,,
It's my fault, it's my fault, Let's go inside,
[sobs] I don't wanna go inside, My whole body is starting to hurt,
Come on, please, I'm sorry,
[sobs] I wanna be where I'm safe,
[soft music]
[cicadas chirping]
[phone calling]
Yeah, um, I need a ride to Forest City,
[car horn honking]
[soft music]
- Hey, let's go, - Let's go,
[Cori] Okay, I'm coming, God,
[car beeps]
We're gonna raid my dad's beer cabinet and then find someplace to go,
[soft music]
[birds chirping]
[door opens]
Cori, who'd you say lived here again?
My grandpa, but he's not home,
This is awesome,
What exactly are we doing here?
Well, first, you're gonna hand me that beer, Thank you,
Don't move stuff around, my dad will freak, Get off,
Calm down,
Guys, we shouldn't be here right now,
Don't worry so much, Aaron,
Seriously, Oh, okay, get up against the wall, get up against the wall,
- [boy] Oh, yeah, - [man] You know what I'm talking about?
[boy] Mm-hmm,
[man] Okay,
Okay, you ready? It's good, Okay, guys, watch this,
[heavy breathing]
[laughing]
- That's awesome, - Wow,
- Out, - [Aaron] What's up?
[laughter]
It was like less than 10 seconds,
[boy groans]
That was so killer,
- What was it like? - It was like a dream,
Like a different plane of reality,
[man] Dude, all right, me next, Come on, do me,
- No, no, do me, do me, - Yeah, I don't think so,
Don't be an ass, why not?
Okay, Cori, when you pass out, you go to a whole different place,
You have to be ready for that,
[boy] Can you handle it?
- Last time I checked, yeah, - [chuckles] But you're a girl,
Women have greater pain thresholds than men,
- [chuckling] - Seriously, Cori, this is not a good idea,
Shut up, Aaron,
Are you gonna do it or not?
[dramatic music]
Wait, wait, hand me that,
[coughs]
All right, okay, what you're gonna do is you're gonna breathe really fast,
like you're hyperventilating,
and then when I push on your chest, just let go,
- okay? - Okay,
- All right, ready? - [heavy breathing]
[both] Go, go, go, go, go, go,
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go,
- Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, - [heart beating]
[Kathy] Cori!
[laughing]
- [man] Oh, dude, - [laughing] Dude,
- She is down, - Hard to put out, isn't she?
Yeah, harder than your pansy ass,
[laughs] Wow,
What the,,,
[Aaron] Oh, Guys,
- She's not breathing, - [boy] It's not funny,
- Shit, she's not breathing, - I just told you that, you just,,, do something about it,
- [man] Careful, careful, - [boy] Got her?
Set her down, set her down, easy, easy,
Gently,
- Just call for help! Cori, Cori, you can,,, - Go get help, Hurry! Cori!
- [Aaron] Help, help! - Cori, please get up, Cori, you need to get up,
- [man] Come on, Wake up, - [boy] Please help!
- [Aaron] Oh my God! - [boy] Somebody, please! Somebody, help!
- [man] Get up! Cori, get up! - [boy] Help!
- Cori, please get up, - [Walter] What, what happened?
- [Aaron] Oh, my God! - She's not breathing!
Get out of the way!
Cori,
Okay,
[Walter] Cori,
[groaning]
[blowing]
- [coughing] - Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
- [Cori crying] - Oh,
Come here,
[soft music]
[lock opening]
- Where is she? - Downstairs,
What happened?
Well, she was drinking beer
with some of her friends over at your grandpa's barn
and they were playing this fainting game,
And Cori fainted, didn't come to,
Luckily, your grandpa was nearby and he was able to revive her,
Grandpa revived her?
Yeah,
She could've died,
Why don't you go down and see her?
[soft music]
[knocking]
Come in,
Hey,
How are you feeling?
Better,
What were you thinking?
I,,, [sighs]
Uh, okay,
You almost died, is that what you're trying to do?
Are you trying,,, do you wanna kill yourself?
- No, I just wanted to have some fun, - You wanted to have some fun?
Just tell me what exactly was going through your head when you pulled that stunt,
You wanna turn out like me? You wanna be a complete loser like me?
No, I know you don't,
[sighs]
I don't know what to say to you,
I don't know what to do,
I get back into town, and all of a sudden,
you're drinking, you're playing games where you pass out on the floor, I mean,,,
Okay, [sighs] This isn't working,
this is not,,,
Cori,
I love you more than anything else in the world,
And I want to be around you,
And I want to be your mom,
I know you can't choose in life who's your mom and who's not,
but you're stuck with me,
And I'm doing the best that I can,
I have not been there for you, and I'm sorry, honey,
What's this?
I don't know, It's,,, it's, you know, it's from the shop,
I just ran out of there when Barbara called me,
and I just felt like,,,
I don't know,
I just figured it was really important for me to tell you
that I'm sorry I haven't been around for your last four birthdays,
And I wanted you to make a wish,
because you deserve everything in the world,
[sniffles]
[blows sharply]
Baby, I love you so much,
I love you, too,
It's really good,
[chuckles]
Can we try to find a balance with both of us?
You don't have to be so perfect all the time,
and I don't have to be a perfect mother,
but we can figure stuff out together,
I know we can,
I love you, Mom,
I love you so much, honey,
I'm sorry I couldn't be there, I just,,,
- Don't cry, - Oh,
I am happy, It's just tears of happiness,
[crickets chirping]
You scared me,
How is she doing?
She's good,
She's,,, she's just tired, She's sleeping,
I sang her to sleep,
That's good,
Mom and dad called
their jackass of a lawyer, and you're all good,
They have declared you, quote, unquote, "competent,"
Oh, well, nice, Yeah,
So no more of that nonsense about booting me out of this place, huh?
No more,
I told Cori how you used to take me fishing when I was a kid,
and she wanted to know if you'd take her fishing some time,
That would be nice,
[soft country music]
- [bell ringing] - Oh!
[birds chirping]
[Walter] I love this time of the day,
[Cori] It's beautiful,
I used to come out here with your great-great granddad
and your great-great-great granddad, [chuckles]
That's a lot of greats, [chuckles]
Yeah,
And we sat right here,
[Walter] Yeah, we used to have a horseshoe pit over there, too,
Maybe in a little while, when the Sun goes down,
we'll get a jar and catch some fireflies maybe, huh?
I'd love that, I haven't done that in a long time,
Yeah,
Cori, can you come in and set the table, hun?
- [groans] - Yeah, sure,
- I'll be right back, - Not to interrupt our stories, will ya?
- I love you, grandpa, - I love you, too,
Thanks, sweetie, The casserole is in the oven, too, So can you pull that out for me?
- [Cori] Yeah, - Thanks, dear,
Looks like somebody's been wrecked,
Okay, guys, the table's set and the food's out,
[Cori sobbing]
[somber music]
[Walter] These fields are like the story of a family,
passed down from generation to generation,
We work the land, we live off of it, but we forget what it means,
We forget what our ancestors saw,
and they saw the same stretch of land staring right back at them,
No matter how rocky and dry the soil,
there's a chance for life,
[soft country music]
♪ I am tired of running ♪
♪ Away from the past ♪
♪ But if I said That I need you ♪
♪ Would you be there By my side? ♪
♪ As things will move on ♪
♪ Adjusting each other ♪
♪ Pieces are broken ♪
♪ But we can Put them together ♪
♪ Missing the chances ♪
♪ Won't we come down On someone that we care ♪
♪ Can't we receive it On summer ♪
♪ From the ones that we love ♪