04x13 - Whatever Happened to Hannah?

[bunniefuu]

Your bringing a lawsuit might strike

some people as a little extreme, Mr. Paul.

Look, I became a comedian for one reason...

I'm funny.

She shows up at a gig, I'm not funny anymore.

The she you're referring to would be the defendant.

Right.

What exactly would she do, sir?

If I happen to use one of her lines, she goes crazy.

I mean, she yells at me right in the middle of my act.

That happens, my timing takes a bus.

It's never your fault, is it, Joey?


- It's never your fault.
- Ma'am.

You're not supposed to be using my lines.

Look, when I'm performing, I don't always remember

who wrote what, alright?

See, this
-
- this is what she does to me, judge.


- Mr. Rollins, please proceed.
- Thank you.

Did you ever ask the defendant to talk about it privately?


- To stop interrupting you? Joey: I begged her.

Every time I played the Comedy Corner, she showed up.

Every time she showed up, I went straight into the toilet.

Now, there are other clubs, though, aren't there?


- Not like the Comedy Corner. Jonathan: Why, sir?

Does the wordsine qua non mean anything?

Oh, forget it, Joey.

You're no funnier in Latin than you are in English.

Judge : Will counsel control her client.

Yes, Your Honor.

Did your career suffer as a result, sir?

Yeah, yeah, how about I'm supposed to do

six weeks in Tahoe, they cancel on me.

How about I'm supposed to do Letterman, they cancel that.

I'm back to selling piece goods now on account of her.


- Objection. Judge : Sustained.

One last question, Joey,

when did the defendant start doing this?

Right after we got divorced.

Rollins: Nothing further.

Until the time you got divorced,

Mr. Paul, who wrote your material?

She did.

And the terms of the settlement expressly forbid you

from continuing to use that material, did they not?

Yeah, but performing requires a certain degree of spontaneity.

I mean, sometimes I forgot.

Sitkowitz: And sometimes she reminded you.

Hey, I d*ed up there on account of her.

Is it just possible, sir, that since she stopped writing

your material for you, the jokes aren't as funny anymore?

What are you, a critic?

I'm suggesting that your career may have stalled

for reasons having nothing to do with your ex
-wife's behavior.

Look, funny is funny, alright?

I mean, I got a thousand ways of makin' people laugh.

She'll tell ya. When I opened for Vic Damone, I k*lled 'em.

Because I was still writing for ya.


- Ms. Paul, please.
- Yeah?

But I'm the one who k*lled 'em, Lainie.

You can't accept it, can you? I'm the funny one.

I'm the one who makes them laugh.

If it wasn't for you, I'd be doing great right now.

Ladies and gentlemen, Joey Paul and his Fabulous Excuses.

Thank you, Miss Bitter. Thank you, Miss Vindictive.

Thank you, Miss Vengeance
-Seeking

Nightclub
-Heckler
-From
-Hell.

[theme music]

[music continues]

This has to be very short, as we all have

places to be within the hour.

First up, welcome back to Ms. Kelsey,

who rejoins us today part
-time.

[applause]

She'll be working the :
-to
-: shift,

so she gets priority on morning conference room needs.

Thank you.

Uh, great to be back.

Douglas: Jonathan, how goes the Joey
-Paul matter?

Trial in progress, I've been trying to get them to settle

but both sides are a little stubborn.


- Joey Paul's a comic, right?
- He's suing his ex
-wife.

She's been showing up at clubs, harassing him.

Isn't heckling a kind of a fact of life with comedians?

It's gone a little beyond heckling.

He's losing bookings, she's ruining his act.

Brackman: Well, I know the world

certainly hopes you can save it.

Moving on, anybody hear from Abby?

She's in with her client getting ready.


- Trial starts this afternoon. Douglas: Good. Stuart?

Thank you for the Thompson prospectus, client's pleased.

Michael, I'm waiting for the update on the Williams appeal.

And, Victor, you have the Weyburn depositions

today and tomorrow?


- Uh
-huh. I do.
- Great.

Arnold, you'll send me a copy

of the Mathiason settlement papers?

Ah. Thank you much. That's all for now.

We're done. Short, sweet, succinct.


- It's a science, Douglas.
- Thank you. Thank you.

Rosalind, can I talk to you for a second?

Sure.

I owe you an apology.

My little tirade about your using my office that day,

I know that Stuart said you could

and I was out of line.

Well, I should have checked with you first.

It wasn't Stuart's office to offer.

Well, that's between him and me.

But, uh, taking it out on you was wrong.

I hope you'll accept my apology.

Consider it accepted.

Oh, and one other thing,

and this is gonna sound really stupid,

but in the staff meeting, you've been sitting on my seat.

Excuse me?

The seat you sit in...

that's always been my place.


- And now that I've returned...
- You want it back.

Well, it's kind of a superstition with me

and I thought you wouldn't mind.

No problem, Ann.

I'll sit somewhere else. I didn't realize.


- I feel so silly.
- Don't.

Well, welcome back.

Thanks.

[door closes]

[traffic bustling]

Counselor.

Your Honor.

How are you?

I'm fine. [chuckles] Fine. How are you?


- Good. Good.
- Good.

[chuckling]

We're like a couple of guilty teenagers.

Well, maybe I ought to be guilty, anyway.

I mean, I
-I ... I sort of have a girlfriend.


- Sort of?
- Mm
-hmm.

Listen to you, Mr. Commitment. [sighs]

Mickey, it was just a moment, it was one moment of impulse.

You shouldn't have to t*rture yourself over it.

You don't even have to think about it.

Well, I do think about it.

Grace, it's hard for me not to think about it.

What are you saying?

Well, I guess I'm saying...

that I miss you.

Yeah, I miss you, too.

[scoffs]

This must be when I say, "I gotta get to court."

Yeah. I'll see you around?

Let's have lunch.

[chuckles] Oh.

I'm getting scared, Abby, I thought I was ready for this,

but I don't think we can win.

Diane, he did b*at you for years.


- He hit you and he b*at you.
- They'll say he was my husband.

Abby: Doesn't excuse it.

It does in a lot of people's minds.

Look, Diane, you can't be waffling like this.

We are about to start a trial

and I'm not gonna let you cave in

at the last minute because of fear.

You're gonna take the stand, you're gonna tell your story

and you're gonna be strong. Okay?

I don't think I can.

Diane...

There's something I haven't told you through all this.

My ex
-husband used to batter me. He would hit me.

He... I know how debilitated you feel.

I know how hard it is for you to stand up to him,

but you have got to.

The first step towards getting on with your life

is winning this lawsuit, and we will win.


- Okay.
- Okay.

Let's go.

Abby: Exactly how would he hit you, Diane?

With an open hand, or with the back of his hand.

Sometimes, if he was really mad, he'd close his fist.

And where on your body did he strike you?

My head, my face,

and on my shoulders.

Did he ever injure you?

Diane: Sometimes, I'd get a black eye.

Once I fell and hit my chin and I had to have stitches.

How often did he strike you?

Some spells would be worse when we weren't doing too well.

But on average, maybe once or twice a month.

And yet, you stayed married to him for years?

Diane: I thought he would get so mad because he loved me.

And my own father... [crying]

What about your own father?

My father would hit me and my mother sometimes.

[crying] Not often, but it happened.

And maybe that made me accept...

I don't know.

Abby: When did you refuse to accept it?

Diane: After my divorce I got therapy.

The therapist told me that I suffered

from battered
-spouse syndrome and that I
-
-

Objection. Hearsay.

Sustained, you can get the psychiatrists

to state their findings, Ms. Perkins.

Diane, have you been able to sustain

a physical or romantic relationship

with any man since your divorce three years ago?

I'm ashamed that

I let the situation happen for years.

I'm repulsed, and when, when I'm touched

by a man now, in any way,

I remind myself...

[sighs]

I just can't be touched.

Abby: I have nothing further.

Other than the time that you fell and hit your chin,

you never required any medical attention

as a result of my client's actions, did you?

No.

Did you ever report him to any authorities

as a result of this v*olence?

Diane: No, I didn't.

Did you ever talk to a lawyer about it?

Not during the marriage, no I
-
-

In fact, ma'am, you didn't want this marriage to end, did you?


- In retrospect
-
- Echeverria: He left you.


- Isn't that right?
- Yes.

And, Ms. Campbell, didn't you sometimes make love

to my client immediately after being hit by him?


- Objection.
- Overruled.

Did you or did you not on some occasions

have sexual intercourse with your ex
-husband

in the wake of this domestic v*olence?

Yes, that sometimes happened, but it was probably
-
-

Thank you, ma'am, isn't it possible that my client thought

you enjoyed being hit?

No.

Well, you always told him you'd dreamed

of marrying a man just like dad.

Dad hit mom. He knew this.


- I should have left
-
-
- But you didn't.

He'd hit you, and instead of walking out

that door, you'd made love to him.

You discouraged him real good, Diane.


- Objection!
- Counselor, that's enough.


- Why didn't you leave him?
- [crying] I don't know.

I don't know.

Echeveria: I have nothing further.

[sniffling]

When you go to the Comedy Corner,

is it to hurt Joey Paul?

Absolutely not.

I'm a comedy writer. I go there to check out comics.


- But you did interrupt him.
- He was using my lines.

Hey, they were the only laughs he got.


- That's not true.
- Mr. Paul.

He does Max Von Sydow impersonations.

[chuckling] This is funny?

Can you specify what material of yours

you witnessed him using?

The Chinese restaurant bit was mine.

Just the part about the clean glasses.

Judge : Sir.
- That's the heart of the bit.

Sitkowitz: What else? Lainie: The co
-ed dormitory.

The guy buying sanitary napkins,

the dog jokes, the convenience store bit...

Did you ever ask the plaintiff to stop using your material?

Of course I did, but every time he got desperate,

he just went ahead and did it.

I have nothing further.

You sometimes interrupted Joey when he wasn't

doing your material, didn't you, ma'am?


- That's not what hurt him.
- Is the answer yes or no?

The answer's yes. So what?

You called out requests...

Lainie: People do that all the time.


- You called out insults
- He was dyin' up there.


- I was trying to help him out.
- Yeah?

How were you trying to help me, Lainie?

By feeding you setups, yutz.

But why is it that he needed help?

Can you spell "Hopelessly obscure?"


- Can you spell "Borscht Belt?"
- Well, which is it? What?

Was I hopelessly obscure or was I Borscht Belt?

I'm gonna hold you in contempt, Mr. Paul.

You're giving me no other choice.

The man does not know how to tailor material

to an audience, you do not play a room filled of
-year
-olds

in LA doing Georgie Jessel gags.

That's not the point, ma'am.

Joey Paul deleted your material from his act.

He told you he didn't want your help.

You still insisted on sitting there.

For years I put up with him. I paid the rent.

I got him an agent, I gave him his routine

and I listened to him bitch.

If he's a comic, it's because I made him one.

Well, the truth is, ma'am,

you didn't want this marriage to end.

The only reason you showed up night after night

was to get him back.


- Objection.
- So what?

Since when is it against the law to make a fool out of yourself?

Jonathan: No further questions.
- You may step down Ms. Paul.

Your Honor, the defense would like to recall Joey Paul

to the stand?

The plaintiff claims to be a funny man

except when heckled by the defendant.

I'd like him to substantiate that.

Judge : What have you got in mind, Ms. Sitkowitz?

My client will sit absolutely still

while he does his routine for the jury.

[laughs] I object.

Uh, Your Honor, may I have a word with my attorney?

Go ahead.

Let me do it.


- I don't know, Joey.
- I'll m*rder 'em.

I will.

I withdraw my objection.

Alright, Mr. Paul can testify... or perform...

when court commences, tomorrow afternoon.

Okay.

This is great.

This is great.

[knock on door] Come in.

Hi, Rosalind.

Wow. [sighs]

This is wonderful.

You know, I've never been in your office before.

Really?


- You have done a fabulous job. Rosalind: Thanks.

We put in so many hours around here, I think

a small investment in the decor is worthwhile.

Me too. This is... this is just great.

Listen, I understand that you've got the Ross Fineman file.


- Can I take it?
- Oh.

Actually, I'm using it today.

I have an appointment with Ross tomorrow

and I need to prepare, but maybe
-
-

What I was thinking was that if I can get up to speed,

then I'll be able to take that meeting.

[chuckles] Don't be silly.

You'd be k*lling yourself trying to catch up.

Ann: I want to, Rosalind.

I'm back and I wanna resume working for my clients.

You couldn't possibly assimilate everything

that's happened in the last two months.

You could synopsize it for me in a memo,

and then I could read it this afternoon.

I don't have time to do a memo.

Ross Fineman is my client, Rosalind.

I appreciate your filling in, but now that I
-
-

Ross Fineman wants me handling this matter

and if you have any doubt about that, I suggest you call him.

I'll do that.

Ann, you are totally unprepared

to be involved in this matter

and the only reason you're endeavoring at all

is because you have a fundamental problem

with that file being on my desk.


- That's not true. Rosalind: Don't patronize me.

You brought me into your office yesterday under the pretext

of an apology, which was as late as it was hollow.

I was sincere about that.

The sincerity didn't come in until you asked me

to free up your chair in the staff meetings.

You don't like me.

You didn't want me here in the first place,

you don't want me here now.

That's fine. We don't have to be friends.

But if you think

that I'm going to let our clients be compromised

by your petty jealousies and insecurities,

you're very wrong.

And if you think you can step into the void

left by my absence, so that you can
-
-

I've never seen any void.

You think you're this tough, lady?

Don't take me on, Ann.

There are a lot of mistakes you can bounce back from,

but don't take me on.

[door slams]

Hey.

Kimberly. Hi.

I came by to steal you for lunch, if that's possible.

[chuckles] I thought you hated lunches.

[laughs] I do.

But I also hate eating dinner alone,

which is the way it's felt lately.


- And I want to talk about that.
- I'm not sure that I follow.

Well, we were sailing along pretty well, Michael.

And then, suddenly we took an abrupt shift into awkward.

Well, now I know that I don't follow.

Then let me draw you a map.

About a week ago, you suddenly became very detached.

It was about the same time your old girlfriend

unexpectedly dropped by to share her life with you.

Kimberly.

Which could be a coincidence, I know.

So let me just ask.

You know, it's not like you to be suspicious.

And it's not like you to be evasive.

Well, the answer to your question is no.

I mean, there's nothing between Grace and me but friendship.

I don't know you well enough to know if you're lying,

but some day, I'm gonna peg the expression.

Something tells me it will look a lot like

the one you're wearing right now.

So you admitted to some of the v*olence

that you were accused of, didn't you, Mr. Campbell?

I'm not proud of the fact that I hit my wife.

This is something I sought therapy for.

But when we argued or fought, I would become

inflamed and I would lash out.

Well, striking her is more than just lashing out, Mr. Campbell.

I never meant to hurt her.

And I never really did hurt her

except for the time that she lost her balance.

Did she ever tell you to stop hitting her?

In the heat of battle, she would yell out for me to stop

or to get away, yes, but never once, never did

she come to me quietly or reflectively to discuss this,

'cause I think she accepted it, believe it or not.

Objection.

Goes to his state of mind, Your Honor.

I'll allow it.

Why would she accept this kind of behavior?

Diane is an extremely insecure person

with very low self
-esteem.

And I think the fact that I could be so affected by her...

that she could be so important...

I think she found some sort of self
-affirmation in all that.

Permission to vomit, Your Honor?


- Objection!
- Ms. Perkins!

The jury will disregard that comment. Proceed.

And it actually helped our physical relationship.

Well, this sounds pretty chauvinistic, sir.

I know, but I can tell you that the most intense love

we ever made came after some of these episodes.

She's be more into it when there was anger involved.

More passionate.

That's why I think she stayed with me for years.

A lot of her friends have...

these very cold disinterested husbands.


- You never had that, Diane.
- Objection, move to strike.


- Sustained, so stricken.
- I loved my wife.

And through all of this, she loved me back.

We both know that to be the truth.

Echeverria: Thank you. I have nothing further, Your Honor.

So, you smacked her around as part of foreplay?

It happened because I'd lose my temper, I admit that.

You'd hit her in the face,

you'd blacken her eyes, you'd knock her down.

Ask your client if she doubts how much I cared for her.

Then why did you leave her, Mr. Campbell?

We drifted apart. We stopped communicating.

Abby: You drifted apart?

You would b*at this woman up and down.

You say it made for good sex

and the marriage ended because you drifted apart?

Do you really expect anyone in this courtroom

not to be sickened by you at this moment?


- Objection! Judge : Sustained.

Everybody, I don't know. Maybe. Not her.


- She continued to love me. Abby: Objection, move to strike.

You never wanted me to leave, did you, Diane?


- Move to strike.
- Mr. Campbell.

Why did you cry when I told you it was over?

Judge : Mr. Campbell, you'll stop right now.

Maybe she cried, sir, because of that low self
-esteem

you were talking about, the self
-esteem

you helped cultivate with your fists.

Echeverria: Objection!

Ms. Perkins!

Withdrawn. I have nothing further.

It was the way that she did it, Stuart.

She was so smug, so sure that she would Tr*mp me.

And then, she threatened me, for God's sake.

You know, it doesn't sound to me like

she really threatened you, honey.

"Don't take me on," that's what she said.


- "Don't take me on."
- Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Did it ever occur to you that maybe

she's the one that feels threatened?


- No. Why should she?
- Well, think about it.

I mean, you're the one who didn't invite her into the firm,

and then, two weeks ago, you took the top of her head off.

And then yesterday, you asked for your chair back
-
-


- Why are you defending her?
- I'm not defending her, I
-I
-
-

You have been nothing but a pillar of support

for her from the start.

Your vote was the one that hired her.

And then you gave her my office.


- Oh, that again?
- Yes, that again!

I'm sorry I gave her your office. I'm sorry.

Now you have your office, she has her office.

She sure does. Did firm money pay to decorate that?

Oh, God.

She challenged me, Stuart.

"Don't take me on," that's what she said.

That is a thr*at.

That is a thr*at and I am not backing down.

Good. Good.

I'm very proud of you.

Now could we forget about it and get some sleep?

[instrumental music]

Not a chance, Stuart.


- None?
- None.

[instrumental music]

How do you do, ladies and gentlemen?

It's great to be here.

You know, I always wanted to be an attorney.

If you didn't need a high
-school diploma,

I probably would have made it.

[chuckles]

All kidding aside, though, Jonathan Rollins

is a terrific lawyer.

He had a client who was going to the electric chair

and he gave him one piece of advice,

"Don't sit down."

You've also had an opportunity to meet my ex
-wife.

I wish I was just meeting her now myself.

Well, she did write jokes for me, though.

Her best joke was on our wedding night.

That's when she said, "You're the first."

She also loused things up between me and my manager.

I found the two of them in bed together.

I said, "Murray, I have to, but you?"

I mean, her idea of safe sex is me being out of town.

Well, I took it all in stride, though.

Another time I found her in bed with somebody else.

I went into the kitchen, I made myself a cup of coffee.

She comes in and says, "Joey, what are you doing?

There's somebody in bed with me."

I said, "Let him get his own coffee."

A guy's fishing in a cesspool.

Somebody walks by, asks him what he's doing.

He says, "My jacket fell in there."

They say, "So what? Don't tell me you're gonna wear it again."

The guys says, "Of course not.

It's just that I had my lunch in the pocket."

[murmuring]

What is this, an audience or a jury?

Two broads are walking by a whorehouse

when a midget falls out the window
-
-

Judge : Mr. Paul.
- Wait a minute.


- The midget says
-
- Judge : Mr. Paul.


- I think we've heard enough.
- What
-
- what are you doing?

Your Honor, shouldn't the plaintiff be allowed to finish?

We'll take a short recess, Ms. Sitkowitz.


- Fifteen minutes.
- Wait a minute.

Wait a minute, I was just getting my rhythm.

Come on, Joey. Joey!

"Ya gotta start off each day with a song.

Even when thing's go wrong.

Why, you'll look better. You'll even feel better."

Joey: You've been a terrific audience, folks.

You've been great!

So do you have an opinion as to this type of behavior?

Mr. Campbell was acting out his masculinity

by mistreating his wife.

By depreciating her, he felt stronger.

Of course, she contributed to this syndrome as well.

Well, how so, doctor?

She's a weak woman who has a history

of attaching herself to powerful men.

His anger was part of the attraction.

Wait a second, are you saying she liked to be hit?

No. No, I'm not saying that, I'm saying that

the fighting seemed to give their relationship

more emotional intensity.

Now, Mr. Campbell said that this seemed to make her more

passionate sexually.

That's probably true. The fighting was a turn
-on.

It certainly could result in stronger sexual passions.

This is a familiar pattern with some women who feel that

their men must take them in order to release

their sexual inhibitions.

So, what's the bottom line of all this analysis, doctor?

Well, the bottom line is that Mrs. Campbell,

however subconsciously,

encouraged this pattern of marital abuse.

The problem was more his, there's no doubt about that,

but it certainly couldn't have gone on for years

if she hadn't somehow helped to foster it.

Thank you, sir. I have nothing further.

Are you saying that she needed to be hit

in order to be more sexually responsive?

I'm only saying that subconsciously
-
-

Let's stick to the conscious for the moment.

Now, this man knew he was committing v*olence.

Yes.

And he was conscious of the fact

that she opposed this v*olence, correct?

Yes.

And you never examined my client before forming

this psychological opinion of her, did you?

No, I did not, but I did have extensive discussions with
-
-

So you are diagnosing a person that you have never met.

What a talented doctor you must be.


- Objection. Abby: Withdrawn.

You say it's typical for people with low self
-esteem

to feel powerless.

Then isn't it possible, doctor,

that through this
-year pattern of marital abuse,

my client felt powerless to stand up to this man?

Of course. Yes.

Abby: And isn't it possible that she felt powerless

to leave him?

Yes, it is possible, but
-
-

And, in fact, doctor, isn't it true

that many battered wives stay with their abusive husbands

for long periods of time because they feel trapped?

It is not uncommon, correct.

And does the fact that she stayed married to him

for as long as she did excuse his v*olence in your mind?

No, it does not.

Thank you, sir. Nothing further.

Grace: Maybe... Thanks.

Maybe for me, it's not over.

Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy.

Well, thank you.

Hey, it's only a problem if...

if a third person gets hurt,

and that I don't want to happen.

No. Me neither.

I don't know what your relationship is with this woman.

I don't want to know, I mean, that's...

...that's for you to figure out.

And, Mickey, I've been seeing other people too.

And, hey, and if you want to shut it down

between us, that's okay.

No.

No, it's not okay.


- Then what?
- I don't know what.

But I do know that no one else

will ever know me the way you do.

[chuckles] What does that say?

Maybe it says that it's not over for me either.

Waiter: More coffee?

[knock on door]

Hi.

Uh
-oh.

I spoke to Rosalind.

Which means I'm about to be handled

with that deft McKenzie diplomacy.

Well, you can tell me to go to hell, Ann,

but, with recent events around here...

it wouldn't be original.

This is my problem, Leland.

No, no. It's more than that.

If you and Rosalind didn't care for each other,

well, we could accommodate that.

But from what I'm gathering...

you hate her.

Now, this is a small shop, Ann.

The partners have to work very closely with one another.

This kind of, uh, contempt...

it's unworkable.

[sighs] I'll try not to impose my feelings

on the rest of the firm, Leland.

Could you tell me what it is

you find so distasteful about her?

She feeds on money and power, that's the essence of her.

The same thing could be said of Douglas to an extent.

And Arnold, too.

But she's more contagious with it.

This place is more apt to become like her.

A place with no soul.

Maybe it's unrealistic for us to

attach human characteristics to a law firm.

That's just it.

The thing I loved about this place

was that you always could.

With you, we could.

But this firm is becoming less you

and more Douglas, more Arnold,

more her.

You haven't given her a fair sh*t, Ann.

No, I haven't, you're right.

But, Leland, if our differences are irreparable...

what then?

Rosalind's already informed me,

if you don't want her here, she won't stay.

There will be no vote. You win. She goes.

[chuckles] She's good.

It will be much better for us all, Ann,

if you two work this out.

Okay. Okay.

[door opens]

You were present sometimes when your parents fought, Brian?

Yes.

And what would your mother tell you

about your father hitting her?

Your Honor, I renew my objection

to this witness on relevance.

The plaintiff is claiming that she was harmed

by my client's actions.

She told this witness that she was not harmed

and those statements are directly relevant.

What she may have said to her son is in no way
-
-

Counselor, I'm overruling the objection.

Brian, you have to answer the question.

What did she tell you about it, Brian?

She said that they were just disagreeing over stuff

and they got too mad because they loved each other.

Echeverria: Did she tell you that she was never really hurt

and that it wasn't so bad that daddy hit her?

Abby: Objection, leading.

It's obvious that he's a reluctant witness.

Permission to lead.

Granted.

Did she tell you it was okay that your father hit her?

You're still under oath, Brian.


- Didn't she say that?
- Yes.

Thank you, Brian. That's all I have.

Brian, do you really believe that your mother

didn't mind being hit,

or do you think that she just told you that

so you would feel less upset?

Objection, no competence as to her state of mind.

I'm asking him what he believes, Your Honor.

Objection sustained.

Brian, what would your mother do

when your father started hitting her?

She'd put her hands up over her face.

Abby: To protect herself? Brian: Yeah.

Did you ever run to her aid to protect her?

A couple of times I did.

Once when this happened, you screamed at your father

that you wished he were dead, didn't you, Brian?

You're still under oath, you still have to tell the truth.

Didn't you once tell your father,

after he hit your mother,

that you wished he were dead?

Yes.

Abby: Thank you.

I have nothing further.

The defendant... is a wife beater.

For years he battered her.

He systematically victimized her with v*olence.

And then, he comes in here

and he claims that subconsciously she wanted it.

Because it made her stronger.

It
-
- it gave her more sexual gratification.

It made her feel more important.

That's repulsive.

Getting beaten

makes you feel degraded and powerless.

It
-
- it makes you loathe yourself.

How could she possibly have had any self
-esteem

when her own husband, the person that she loved

and she trusted more than anyone else in the whole world

would regularly punish her with cruelty and abuse?

And this kind of damage...

it lasts forever.

The victim never gets beyond it. It
-
- it follows you.

No matter who you're with, no matter...

It follows you.

And if she's lucky, she'll bury it.

But she'll never erase it.

Never.

The duty to mitigate,

you know what that is?

It's the obligation of every plaintiff

to avoid avoidable damages.

She didn't.

The injury she's claiming doesn't stem

from one isolated incident or att*ck.

She's trying to recover for emotional harm caused

by a pattern of activity that spanned over years.

And that injury, ladies and gentlemen,

she could have avoided.

All she had to do was walk away.

Walk away.

But she didn't. She stayed.

To love him, to make love to him, to cook for him,

and to let herself be hit again, again and again.

And now here she is today,

trying to sue for the very conduct

that she ratified over those years.

Yes, they introduced a psychiatric evidence

of how she felt powerless,

how she didn't have the will to leave.

[scoffs] Please.

She didn't want to leave.

She'd still be married today if my client hadn't left her.

She continued to love him, and now, that she's lost him,

she's filed this action, asking you to find unforgivable

the very behavior which she herself

forgave for all those years.

Let's be grown
-ups.

By her own admission, she's responsible.

So let's hold her a little responsible.

Jonathan, I think your client has amply demonstrated

that he can b*mb all on his own.

Wait a minute. You think I bombed in there?


- What would you call it? Joey: The room was ice cold.

It took me awhile to get the feel of it, that's all.

But, by
-
- by the end, I
-
- I started cooking.

I can't believe you, Joey.

You were like a three
-day old corpse in there!

Yeah, like you're really going to tell me the truth.

I didn't see very many people laughing in there, Mr. Paul.

People don't have to laugh to think something's funny.

That's a, that's a common misconception among lay people.

Joey, you stunk.

I didn't stink. I didn't stink!

Jonathan, did I stink?

Why don't we go outside for a minute?

Professional jealousy sometimes, God almighty.

[whispers]

You really weren't very good, Joey.

Yeah, but when you say I wasn't very good,

are you saying, what the material was a little flat?

What, the
-
- the delivery, it
-
- it was a little stilted.


- You weren't funny.
- Yeah.

But when you say I wasn't very funny, are you saying
-
-

You stunk.

I'm sorry, Joey, but the jury thought you stunk too.

I think we ought to try to sit down and settle it.

Will you let me do that?

Come on.

Sitkowitz: What's it going to be?

I'd like to see if we can settle this.

You're willing to drop the suit?


- Joey.
- Sure. What's the difference?

Alright. We'll expect you to cover court costs.

Joey: Court costs.
- And legal fees.

Maybe I should just go away.

Live out the rest of my life quietly.

Oh, Joey, please.

Lainie, I'm dyin'. What do you want from me?

Listen, I loved the Durante. I always loved it.

I think you should put more impressions into your act.

Yeah. You know, I...

I should have stayed on the marriage longer.

Lainie: Absolutely.

You go, "Talk about aggressive women...

I bought her a Pitbull, she scared it away."

Joey: Right.


- Folks...
- And demure.


- Picture Joan Rivers on speed.
- Yeah.

Now imagine that you're stuck in an elevator with her.

You know what, Jonathan,

I think we're gonna go grab a cup of coffee.

And then you could say,

"I can still see her false eyelashes

sitting on the dresser.


- Like parenthesis with hair."
- [laughs] Yeah, yeah.

Joey: Now listen, if we put the impressions,

we put them at the beginning, right?

Lainie: Yes, of course.


- Hi.
- Hello.

Rosalind, for everyone involved,

I think we should try and work out our differences.

The problem is we have no differences.

The problem is how you feel about me,

and feelings aren't something one apologizes for.

Are you deliberately trying to make this difficult?

Rosalind: As a matter of fact, I'm trying to keep it simple.

Exchanging words of affection, walking out of here

with the feeling that everything is fine,

that would make it difficult.

We'd be analyzing the subtext of every conversation,

wondering what's being inferred or implied.

Trust me...

strained friendship is very complicated.

Right now, you don't like me, and I don't like you,

and that's easy.

You watch your back, I'll watch mine.


- You're a hypocrite.
- No.

You're the hypocrite, Ann.

You're trying to paint a happy face on this,

I'm being honest, seeing it for what it is, what you made it.

You told Leland if I wanted you to go, you'd go,

and now you talk to me like this.

I will go. If that's what you want, just say so.

But you will bear the responsibility

of your colleagues making a lot less money.

Is your dislike for me that strong?

It's getting there.

Oh, I've done some of my best work

with fellow lawyers who despised me.

So we're off to a good start.

Fine.

You want to keep this between you and me,

you got a deal.

I work here, you work here,

and our respective feelings stay private.

But get one thing straight, you don't scare me.

And if you do anything to undermine me

with the rest of this firm, I will bury you.

Don't take you on?

Don't you take me on.

[instrumental music]

Madam Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict?

Foreman: We have, Your Honor. Judge : What say you?

In the matter of Campbell versus Campbell,

we find in favor of the plaintiff.

We award the sum of $.

Your Honor, the plaintiff requests leave to

make a motion for additur.

You can make your motion, counsel,

but I'll tell you right now, I won't be increasing the award.

Members of the jury, thank you for your service.

This matter is adjourned. You're hereby dismissed.

[murmuring]

[indistinct song over speaker]

Kimberly: Warm up. Let's go again.

Ready and...

[instrumental music]

Kimberly: Keep it sharp.

Focus up.

Lots of energy.

Keep the b*at. Keep the rhythm.

Watch the spacing, guys.

[indistinct song over speaker]

Good, good. One more time. Same thing.

What are you doing here?

I've been thinking, that's what.

You told me to think, so I thought.

You said get in or get out.

Well, I want in.

Hey, don't try to peg my expression.

I told you I want in and I meant it.

Well, there are going to be ground rules.

Number one, you talk to me.

No more of this mysterious let
-the
-world
-figure
-me
-out

routine you love to front. Number two
-
-

Number two, you have to forget about the age difference.

Stop compensating for it with this take charge

let
-the
-world
-see
-I'm
-able routine that you like to front.

Okay? You are smart, Kimberly, and I know you're tough.

But believe it or not, once in a while

I can make the dinner reservations.

Is that right?

Yes, that's right.

[chuckles]

I'm so glad you're back, big boy.

I never left.

[indistinct chatter]

Excuse me.

Anything you have to say should go through your lawyer

and it should go to me.

The case is over, Ms. Perkins.

I beg your pardon, this case is not over.

I just filed an appeal at the Clerk's Office.

This lawsuit is still alive.

[sighs] Look, I am not the monster

that you made me out to be. And I think
-
-

Mr. Campbell, you are represented by counsel.

This conversation is inappropriate.

Would you excuse us, please?

I'll wait outside.

"I'll wait outside," what does that mean?

We're going to dinner to talk.


- What?
- He still loves me, Abby.

Diane, you are not possibly thinking of going back to him?

I just agreed to go to dinner, that's all.

Abby: Well, I strongly advise against that.

I mean, with the appeal this case is still open.

And aside from that, this man b*at you up for years, I
-
-

A lot of what happened probably was my fault, Abby,

like that doctor said. If I didn't
-
-

That doctor was a paid witness.

He was hired to defend your husband.


- He was not objective.
- What about the jury?

They're objective, they seem to think

I'm to blame for some of it.

I don't care what they think.

What about what you and I know?

We're just going out to eat, okay?

No. No, you're not just going out to eat,

you're giving in to how weak you feel,

and you're looking for re
-enforcement

anywhere you can find it, and believe me, Diane,

you are going to the worst possible place.

Now, I'm telling you that as your lawyer.

And I'm telling you that as someone

who has been right where you are.

Don't.

I'll call you tomorrow.

[instrumental music]

[door closes]

[door opens]

Diane: Are you free for dinner?

I just canceled my plans.

Yeah, I'm free.

[theme music]