The Watsons Go to Birmingham

He is such a brave boy.

"I am the young man, full

of strength and hope..."

I can not sit idly by in Atlanta...

and not be concerned about

what happens in Birmingham.

You can never whip these birds, if you

don't keep you and them separate.

That's a Watson noggin.

I want you to know we

can be outstanding.

Let freedom ring from every hill

and molehill in Mississippi.

This is about how to

survive a tornado.

Y'all be careful, okay?

I draw the line in the dust...

I will not rest...

until we are able to make this

kind of witness in this city...

We did produce a

non-segregated march...

We don't serve your kind here.

1960-what? 1960-who?

Just shut your stupid mouth.

Where's the colored-only

bathrooms downtown?

There's room here for my

children to play and grow...

Outstanding, Mr. Watson...

Without any outside help

from the federal government.

You know where the

entrance is, right?

When Birmingham becomes more equal, the

entire country becomes more equal.

In 1963, when I was 12 years old...

I lived in Flint, Michigan

with my dad, my mom...

my angelic, little sister Joetta...

and my troubled,

older brother Byron.

And by troubled, I mean he was

always getting into trouble.

I remember a lot about that year.

Including the major snow storm...

and freezing cold weather we

had that first day of spring.

It was so cold, that if you spit, the slob

would be an ice cube before it hit the ground.

It was even cold inside our house.

Maybe it was the cold or maybe

it was Byron's troubles.

But somehow, on that March day...

when we all sat close together

to generate some heat...

the idea of going to Birmingham

for the summer was born.

And spring has already

sprung down south.

In Atlanta, Georgia, the temperatures are

expected to reach the mid-70's this week.

Atlanta... that is right around

the corner from my hometown.

- From your Grandma Sands. I miss my mama.

- Wilona.

I haven't seen her in so long.

Maybe I should have

listened to Hank Henderson.

- Who?

- Not that sorry story.

You gotta let me tell about

what happened to him.

Oh, well, there's not a

whole lot to tell...

just a story about a young

girl who made a bad choice.

But if you're gonna tell it, make

sure you get the facts straight.

Oh, boy, here we go.

Come on, Daddy, tell us.

Yeah, tell us.

Kids, I almost wasn't your daddy.

You almost had a clown for a

daddy named Hambone Henderson.

Hambone? What kind of name is that?

Exactly.

Daniel Watson, you stop right there. You're

the one who started that Hambone nonsense.

But it stuck with him, didn't it?

Hambone Henderson.

Me and your granddaddy

came up with that name...

because the boy had a head

shaped just like a hambone...

and more knots and lumps on

his head than a dinosaur.

So when y'all sit here

giving me dirty looks...

ask yourself would you rather

be cool like your daddy...

or would you rather be a clown

like Hambone Henderson?

Mommy, is that true?

Kenny might be a Hambone.

Naw, Kenny, that's a Watson noggin.

Hambone Henderson proposed to your

momma at the same time that I did...

and he fought dirty, too.

He told her a pack of lies about me

and when she didn't believe them...

he started telling her a

pack of lies about Flint.

And this is how he talk, he say...

"Wilona, I heard tell that far up north

supposed to be colder than inside an icebox."

Said, "I seen it in a movie, yeah,

I think it was made in Flint.

"Movie named 'Nanook of the North'.

"Yup, I think it was made up in Flint.

Uh-huh, Flint, Mitch-again."

He said, "Folks up there, they live

in these things called igloos."

He said, "You a 'Bama gal, you ain't gonna

be too happy living up in no igloo."

Living in Flint is like

living in an igloo.

I knew I should have

listened to Hank.

Now maybe you would have had some lumpy

heads instead of peanut heads...

but at least you'd have been warm.

Now you know Birmingham

is a good place.

Life is slower, but people are

good, church-going people...

they're friendly.

Yes, it's just a laugh

a minute up there.

Let's see, where's the

colored-only bathroom downtown?

- What?

- Colored what?

Colored-only.

Nah, you know that's

not what I mean.

Things aren't perfect down there...

but people are more honest

about the way they feel.

And folks down there do know

how to respect their parents.

Mm-hm.

And I really do miss my momma.

Okay, okay, okay...

I'm gonna call the

landlord again...

see if he can get over here

now and fix this furnace.

But if he can't, I'm gonna

call Aunt Cydney...

and we gonna have to go over

there and stay with her.

Byron, get up. Kenny, get up.

Go scrape off that car.

Byron, get up! Come on! Go!

It's cold.

I'm telling you now, Byron,

I'm not doing your part!

You better do it and I'm

not playing, either.

Shut up, punk.

I'm serious, Byron, and I'm

only doing half the windshield.

I don't care what you do to me.

Shut your stupid mouth!

I got something more

important to do right now.

You know what, square?

I must be adopted.

Because there ain't no way two folks

as ugly as your momma and daddy...

could give birth to someone

as sharp as me. Look at that.

Forget you.

Maybe you are a Hambone!

You're not tricking me again!

Hitting me with all those snowballs.

And in front of Buphead, too.

Not right.

Kenny, Kenny, help, help!

Kenny! Kenny!

Rate this script:1.3 / 3 votes