10x12 - Getting Back to Basiks

[bunniefuu]

in the sky

a piece of the pie

in the kitchen

on the grill

in the big leagues

it's you and me, baby

with that

in the sky

a piece of the pie

Oh, what a fun afternoon.

It sure was.

You know, I've never
been to one of those
street fairs before.

It's amazing
how many things you
can pick up so cheaply.

Yeah. They almost outnumbered
the cheap things

that tried to
pick us up.

Well, I had an absolutely
boffo time.

It is so exhilarating
to spend the day

surrounded by culture
and craftsmanship.

You know, to explore
and to browse,

and then purchase
some beautiful item

directly from the artist
who created it.

There's no doubt about it.

New York City is
the fine arts capital
of the world.

Careful, Mr. Bentley.

You almost sat
on your Toilet Paper Tina.

Oh. Thank you, thank you.

Well, I just love
my new Boston Fern.

Yeah, but you'd better be
careful, Louise.

Those ferns can be
pretty hard to raise.

Oh, no, Helen.

They just want
a little attention.

If you want them
to grow up big and healthy

you've got to
put them in a home
that's filled with love.

I'll k*ll him!

I swear I'll k*ll him.

Well, nice knowing you.

Listen to this, Weez.
Blue Sky Cleaners
stole my new ad campaign.

What new ad campaign?

The one
I sweated blood over.

The one that had me
walking the floor all night.

The one that took me
six weeks to come up with.

All I can think of is
the one-fourth-off promotion.

That's the one.

Someone actually stole that?

Well, they didn't
come right out
directly and steal it.

But I know it's my ad
because this ad

hit the papers
this morning.

One day before
mine's supposed to. See...

It's the same layout,
same lettering
same-everything

except the only difference is
they said one-third off,

and they just put that
three there to throw me off.

Sounds to me
like an inside job.

Nobody on the outside cares.

Really.
I mean, Mr. J.,

do you have any idea
who the spy was?

Yeah. It was Orlando,
my ad man.

He admitted it.

Oh, my goodness.
That's terrible.

Did you fire him?
No, I gave him the store.

It's now called
Orlando's Cleaners.

Of course I fired him.
Now I'm out of an ad man.

What are you laughing at?

And what is this?

Oh, George...

That's a caricature
of Florence.

We picked it up
at the street fair today.

This is the ugliest thing
I've ever seen in my life.

Mr. J., a caricature
isn't supposed to be
a perfect likeness.

I know. But you can
still recognize her.

There's a picture of you
on the back.

Oh, yeah? I don't see nothing.

Captured you perfectly,
didn't he?

Hey, you know George,

maybe the young man
who drew that could be
your new ad-man.

His name is Walter
and he's very good.

He's coming by tonight.
You can talk to him.

He's bringing our drawings.

He framed them for us.
Oh...

How come you didn't get
yours framed, Florence?

Well, I didn't want to
make a big deal out of it.

You couldn't afford it, huh?
Not on what you pay me.

Look, George,
we liked him so much

that we've invited him
to set up his caricature booth

at the Help Center's
Carnival Night next week.

Oh.

You know that'll probably
be the biggest attraction
of the evening.

Hey, wait a minute.
Aren't you singing there?
Yeah.

Then the SWAT team
should be the biggest
attraction there.

Hi, Walter.
Hi, Florence.
Hi, everybody.

Hi there, Walter.
Hi, Walter.

Here you go.
Your frame's on the house.

Thank you. But why?

Well, you were the only
customers I had all day

and if it weren't for you,
the only thing I'd have
drawn is a blank.

Well, I do have an eye
for recognizing talent,
don't I?

Uh-huh. Yeah.
I knew that the minute
I heard you say,

"Hey, come on everybody,
there's no line in front
of this guy's booth."

Walter...

Well, I'm sure you've got
a lot to talk about
so I'll be going.

And Walter, I'll probably
see you at the carnival.

I'm going to
be in the booth
right next to yours.

Oh, that's great.
Do you draw too?

No. Mr. J.,
volunteered me
for something called

"Dunk the Limey."

Walter, meet
my husband, George.

How're you doing, sir?
Oh, how do you do?

Are you in the mood
for a sketch?

Well, I saw what you did
with Florence,

now what could you do
with a good-looking face?

Well, judge for yourself.

Ugh!

George. That's me.

Yeah! It's beautiful.

Oh, I really
love your work, Walter.

How long have you
been doing this?

Well, all my life.
You see, I drive a cab
to make a living,

but art's what
I'm really all about.

I want to be a cartoonist.

Really? You hear that, George?

Look, Weez. Just because
the guy can draw

doesn't mean
he can handle
the rough and tumble,

dog-eat-dog world
of big city advertising.

I'll, check. Watch...

Okay, look here,
Walter, now...

I'm in the dry cleaning game,
okay?

Now if you were doing
some advertising for me,

what part of my business
would you emphasize the most?

Well, I know
we just met,

but with a man like you
at the helm,

what else would
anybody emphasize
but George Jefferson?

Can you start tomorrow?

Tomorrow? Are you Kidding?
You got a deal.

I've been waiting
for something like this
all my life.

Hey, right, now.

Now, let's decide on
what aspect of my greatness
should we talk about.

My personality,
good looks,
business sense...

Why don't you start
with something small?

Like your sense of humility.

Hey, you know
what might be great?

An animated commercial
for your stores.

You can do animation?
Sure.

I can even make
a little cartoon character
out of you.

Ah...

Why not?
Mother Nature did.

Look, Walter, I want you to
work on a concept tonight

and I want to meet you
in the store the first thing
tomorrow morning, okay?

First thing in
the morning? You got it.
All right.

Thanks.

And don't forget
about the Help Center
next week.

Right. Carnival Night.
I'll be there with bells on.

Good. I knew we could
depend on you.

Oh...

Can you believe that Walter?

I should've known we
couldn't depend on him!

Yeah.

I wonder why
he didn't show up.

It seemed like he
was looking forward
to Carnival Night.

Oh, come on, Weezy.

The Help Center
is gonna be okay.

Lots of people get stood up.

Tell her, Florence.

Well, I don't understand it.

Walter shows up
every day at work for you.

Why couldn't he do just
one little favor for me?

I don't know, Weezy.
He's probably working

on that sketch
for my commercial.

He knows he's supposed
to bring it over tonight.

Well, I just
don't understand it.

Well, Mrs. Jefferson,
the Help Center did do
okay without him.

And they would've done better

if I hadn't got stuck
doing these caricatures.

I had one family all evening.

Oh yeah. How'd it go?

How do you think it went?

Look, Weez,
I gotta run downstairs
for a minute to the store.

One of my machines
broke down.

If Walter comes,
just grab the best sketch

and make sure
he reads the script.

And don't say nothing
about him not showing-up
tonight, okay?

Why not?
Because he's
an artist, Weezy.

And artists
are very temperamental.
But, George...

Look, Weez.
All artists are like that.

You know how I am
when I'm pressing pleats.

No, George,
he's not here yet...

Okay.

Come home when you can.

Bye, bye.

Mrs. Jefferson...

Is this plant supposed
to look this dead?

No. Have you
been talking to it?

Yes. And when we went
out, I even put it out
in front of the TV.

Well, that shouldn't hurt it,
should it?

I don't know, there was
a forest fire on the news.

Maybe some
of its relatives d*ed.

Well, just pick off
the dead leaves
and throw them away.

Get that out of there.

Hi, Mrs. Jefferson,
I brought the sketches
for your husband.

He's not here.

Mrs. Jefferson,
what do you want me
to do with this fern?

I don't know.
Just tell it what you
think it should hear.

Okay.

If you're not there
on judgment day,

I'll know you went
the other way.

Looks like a sick plant.

Never mind
the plant Walter, come in.

Now, I promised George
I wasn't going to
mention this,

but there's nothing
to stop you from talking
about Carnival Night.

What about Carnival Night?

Well, since you
just brought it up...

Why weren't you there?

Why would I be?
Carnival Night's
not till tomorrow.

No. We moved it up
to tonight.

And we put flyers everywhere.

George said
he gave you one.

Well, I didn't get it.

You didn't?
No. This is the first
I've heard of it.

I can't believe
he'd tell me...
Look, maybe he just forgot.

You know, he's got
a lot on his mind.

Why not just
let it slide

and I'll make it up
some other time.

Well... Okay.

As long as you
are not at fault.

Oh, before I forget,

George wanted
your opinion of this script

he wrote for
the commercial.

Well, I'm not
much of a writer.

I know,
but he wants everything
to be so perfect

and he's got a lot
of faith in you.

Now, last night George
and I timed this

and it came out
six seconds too long

and we just can't agree
on what to cut.

It looks fine to me.
Yeah, I know.

But it's too long.
Watch...

Now, we'll time this together.

Mrs. Jefferson, I can't.

I just came to get
these sketches approved.
I've gotta...

Now, this will only
take a minute.

Now you read George
and I read the customer.

But, Mrs...
Ready?
Okay, I'll start.

"Oh no. Blueberry jam.

"That stain'll never come out."

Uh...

Come on, Walter.
I'm timing this.

Okay, I'll start again.

"Oh, no. Blueberry jam.

"That stain
will never come out."

Mrs. Jefferson,
I have to go.

But wait.

We haven't even looked
at the sketches yet.

Well, let's
do it then, okay?

I told you I'm an artist,
I'm not a writer.

But you're not writing.
You're reading.

You can read, can't you?

Well, can't you?

You can't, can you?

No...

Then you did see that flyer.

You just couldn't read it.

Mrs. Jefferson, look,
why don't I just leave
and come back

when your husband's
here, okay?

Oh, no.
Please don't go, Walter.

I'm sorry.

But you just don't
seem the type

who would drop
out of school.

Who said I dropped out?

But how...
What do you mean
"but how"?

I don't know "but how".

I just do what
I'm supposed to do,

I showed up every day,
I stayed out of trouble,

the grades
stopped at ,
and here I am.

But, Walter...
Look, I don't want to
talk about it anymore, okay?

If you want to
do the sketches,
we'll do the sketches.

But I'm not about to
stand here and take

that "aw, poor baby" look
you're giving me.

You understand?

Fine.

Okay. Thank you.

Now. Mr. Jefferson
really never had

a clear cut theme in mind
for the commercial

so I went a couple
of different ways here.

I like this one.
This is my favorite.

It looks just like him
and it...

That's it.

What? What's the matter?

You're doing it again.
You're giving me
that look again.

But how...
"But how?"

I know. But, I meant
how do you function?

You said
you drive a cab.

Yeah, so?

How can you tell
if you're going
east or west?

It's simple.
If I drive until the car
fills up with sea water,

I know I'm going east.

You're getting upset
aren't you?
Mrs. Jefferson...

Look, Walter,

how do you expect
to become a cartoonist,

if you don't know
how to read?

I'll work it out somehow.

I'll tell you what
we'll finish with
the sketches.

And then we're gonna
talk about getting you
back in school.

School?

Yes, school.
What's wrong with that?

In case you
haven't noticed
I'm a grown man!

I don't think
they make "Mr. T"
lunchboxes in my size.

I was talking
about night school.

And I'm not going to
hang around

with a bunch of
old dummies either.

They're not just
old dummies.

Some of them
are probably your age.

I didn't mean that
you're a dummy.

But, how long do you think
you can go on
fooling people?

But, Mrs. Jefferson,
why don't you just
get off my back?

It's my life and the way
I choose to run it

is nobody's business
but my mine.

Oh, is that so?

Well, Walter,
Jefferson Cleaners

happens to be
my business.

And as long as
you're working for me,

your business
is my business.

Mrs. Jefferson, this job
means a lot to me,

but if you don't
stop ragging me,

I'm gonna pick up
my stuff and walk out of here.

Well, if you don't have
enough self-respect

to try to help yourself,

I'll hold the door
open for you!

Uh... Wait, Walter...

Uh...

Look, believe me,
it's not as hard
as you think it is.

I'll go to the first
couple of classes
with you. All right?

Sleep on it, okay?

Mrs. Jefferson,
I don't think
talking to this plant

is doing no good.

Why don't we have it bronzed?

Yeah...

Well, what's the matter?
Where's Walter?

Oh, I don't know.

Florence,
did you know that Walter

is a functional illiterate?

No!

That's terrible.

And he looks so healthy.

No. Functional illiterate
means he can't
read or write,

and he goes through life
as if it's not a problem.

So what happened?

Well, I suggested
that he go to night school

and he got angry.
Then I got angry,

and then he stormed out.

But I was just trying to
bluff him into learning.

What went wrong?

Well, offhand,
I'd say your bluff.

Well, what'll I do?
George is going to k*ll me.

Oh, sh**t, no, he won't.

You see the way I treat him,
and I'm still alive.

The worst thing
that could happen

is that he'll stay
married to you.

I'll leave
you with that thought.

"George, I fired Walter."

No, it's too blunt.

Hello, dear.

You'll never guess
what happened
while you were away.

Nah. It's not personal.

I know...

George...

Did I ever tell you
how much I love you?

Sometimes I feel
I'm the luckiest woman
in the world.

You're so sweet...

...and kind.

And you have
a wonderful sense of humor.

So I know you'll understand

when I say I had to
fire your ad man."

You what?

Oh, uh, George...

How long have you been here?

Long enough to
hear you say that
you fired Walter!

Oh, George, I had to.
What do you mean you had to?

I leave you alone
for minutes,
and then come back

and you fire the best
ad man I ever had?

Oh, but, George,
he couldn't read or write...

I don't care if he
couldn't read or write.

Florence can't cook or clean
we ain't never fired her.

Where is he?

I don't know, but...

Wait a minute, George.
Where are you going?

To his house.
And you better pray
to God I find him

and if I don't,
you're gonna have to use
that Help Center yourself.

"I had to fire Walter."

Boy, you give somebody
% of the business

right away they think
they're equal.

sh**t!

Walter!

Hi, Mr. Jefferson.

I came back to apologize
for losing my temper.

I... I shouldn't
have done that.

Can you forgive me?

Yeah, sure... Hey!

I knew it wouldn't
matter to you.

What wouldn't?
That I can' read.

Hey, look, I don't care
if you can read.

The thing is you're good.
And I need you.

All right. That's all
I wanted to hear.

All right, then
you're coming back?

Where else do I
have to go?
Right.

sh**t, we'll get you
in a school tomorrow.

Hey, wait.

I told Mrs. Jefferson,
I'm not going back to school.

Oh, come on, Walter,
gotta learn how to read.

Mr. Jefferson, I'm serious.

Either you take me
the way I am,

or you can just
keep your job.

Wait a minute...
See...
Those are my terms, man.

Take 'em or leave 'em.

Uh-huh.

Let me get this straight, now.

You are telling me
that I have to
accept your terms?

Take 'em or leave 'em.

You want me to do
what you want?

The ball's in your court.

Well, let me
tell you something.

The next time you
talk to me like that,

I will stick my foot
so deep in your butt,
you'll think I grew there.

You see, I don't even
let my own son
talk to me like that.

And I know I ain't going to
take nothin' off somebody

who has to sign
their name with an X.

Okay, brother.
You blew it.

I blew it?
I "blew it", huh?

Look, Walter,
I have seven
cleaning stores,

bought and paid for.

Now, if that's blowing it,
I guess I just blew
right on by you.

You think this is
some kind of joke,
don't you? Huh?

All you wanted out of me
was the commercial,

you don't give a damn
about me.

See? There you go thinking'
you're my son again.

Why should I give
a damn about you?

I'm not supposed to.
You're supposed to
give a damn about yourself.

You should try it sometime.

Maybe someday
you'll get a chance
to "blow it" too.

You don't think I can,
do you?

Look, I know you can.

All you gotta do
is make that step.

You're talking about
reading again, right?

Look, to read or
not to read. I don't care.

I've got mine.

Yeah, well, good for you.

Oh, by the way.
The bottom button
says "Down."

Maybe you should
get used to the idea.

Damn, I'm good.

Oh come on, Mrs. Jefferson.

It's has been a month.

I mean even the aphids
on that plant are dead now.

It's not dead.
It can't be.

Maybe it needs
a little more heat.

Maybe we need to
cremate it.

Oh...

You want to get
the door, Florence?

No. But since when
does that matter?

Hi, Walter.
Hi, Florence.

Hi, Mrs. Jefferson.
The commercial been on yet?

No. It should be on
any minute.

Great.

Oh, Mrs. Jefferson.
I brought you a little gift.

Oh, why, thank you, Walter.

But I can't think
of anything I really need.

Oh, I don't know.
I think you need this.

"How To Keep
From k*lling Your Plants."

Well, I guess it wouldn't
hurt me to give it a read.

Oh, speaking of read,
how's night school going?

Well, it's only been
a month, but...

Here, judge for yourself.

Hmm.

"Just like people,

"Plants need love

"and...

"Pa... Pat..."

Patience.

Right, patience.

Oh, George.
Isn't that wonderful?

Walter's reading.

Of course he can read.
You think I'd hire a loser.

Hey, here comes my commercial.
Now everybody sit down. Quiet.

Hi, I'm George Jefferson
of Jefferson Cleaners.

You know, a lot of
other dry cleaners
make claims

about how gentle
they are.

But stains are tough.

So you need a drycleaner
that'll be just
as tough on them

as they are on you.

And that's exactly
the kind of
dry cleaner I am.

Lipstick stains?
We knock 'em out!

Grass? Dirt?
We hate 'em!

Blueberry jam? Grease? Oil?
You name it, we'll b*at it.

The black belt
of dry cleaners.