Full Transcript for Cornbread, Earl and Me

in two weeks 82 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:53,520 But she won't miss that incisal dribbling noise coming from his room 83 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:57,520 Yeah it seems that Cornbread might have an obsession ear 84 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:01,520 He's always got that basketball and he's always dribbling or bouncing it off the wall 85 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:05,520 Giving himself a play by play narration for everything that he does 86 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:07,520 As if he were in an actual basketball game 87 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:09,520 Leona calls out for Cornbread to get dressed 88 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:11,520 And he does stop dribbling long enough to throw on his shirt 89 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:13,520 Now he visited Downstairs apartment 90 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:17,520 Where Sarah Robinson is commenting to her still asleep boyfriend Charlie 91 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:19,520 That Cornbread is pounding around upstairs 92 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:21,520 She's not complaining she's just stating a fact 93 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:23,520 This is just something they deal with 94 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:27,520 Bluing in his neighborhood I guess because he's always dribbling that basketball 95 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:29,520 Charlie might be into doing some pounding himself 96 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:31,520 But Sarah is afraid her son Wilford 97 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:31,520 Who is 12 98 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:35,520 We'll find out just what it is that she and Charlie do when they're alone in her room 99 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:39,520 She wants him to go upstairs to his apartment where he lives 100 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:43,520 And he's very grumpy because well let's face it he's horny 101 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:45,520 So back upstairs in the Hamilton apartment 102 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:49,520 Leona asks Sam if he's going to be attending the neighborhood meeting tonight 103 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:51,520 But he's going to leave that to her 104 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:53,520 He says he'll go to work and bring him a paycheck 105 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:55,520 And she can take care of all the rest 106 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:57,520 Leona reminds him that she works too 107 00:04:57,520 --> 00:04:59,520 And they share a loving kiss 108 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:01,520 Sam goes to leave for work but is blocked by Cornbread 109 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,520 Who is trying to start a one-on-one pick up game in the dining room 110 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:07,520 Leona is not thrilled about this or about Sarah participating 111 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:11,520 She wants Sam and Cornbread to take that game outside 112 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:13,520 A basketball doesn't belong in the dining room 113 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:15,520 It's not food 114 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:17,520 And happy music begins to play on the soundtrack 115 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:19,520 As Cornbread corrects his mother 116 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:21,520 He says "Mama I love you but you're wrong 117 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:25,520 This is food and more it's food and clothes for you and pop 118 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:27,520 And a house as big as a barn 119 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:29,520 See this thing mama? Look at it 120 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:31,520 Because it's going to take us off the street 121 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:33,520 Ain't that right Pop 122 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:35,520 That is so annoying 123 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:37,520 That is so elaborate 124 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:39,520 I didn't write any of that down 125 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:41,520 Cornbread says goodbye to his mom 126 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:43,520 And he and his father leave the apartment to go outside 127 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:45,520 Leona asks Cornbread as he's going out 128 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:47,520 If he's going to eat something 129 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:49,520 He says he's not hungry and follows his father out 130 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:51,520 She calls out that he can't live on orange soda 131 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:53,520 As Cornbread and Sam head downstairs 132 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:57,520 Cornbread is bouncing the ball against the wall as he goes 133 00:05:57,520 --> 00:05:59,520 And Sam mentions that in only two weeks 134 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:01,520 The Daniel will be leaving for college 135 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:03,520 I think the neighbors are probably more thrilled about that than the Daniel 136 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:05,520 I think the neighbors are probably more thrilled about that than anybody else 137 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:07,520 Out on the street they meet huggy bear 138 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:09,520 I mean one eye 139 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:11,520 The neighbor would pimp numbers runner etc 140 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:13,520 Jack of all trades I'm sure 141 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:15,520 One I asked Cornbread if he wants to make some real money 142 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:17,520 Running numbers for him 143 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:19,520 Sam tells one I to lay off his son 144 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:21,520 He's got a future ahead of him 145 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:23,520 Cornbread says after he graduates college 146 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:25,520 He'll have it put in his contract 147 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:27,520 And he can run numbers for one eye in the off season 148 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:31,520 Number with officers Larry Atkins and John Goliage 149 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:33,520 They're cruising around in their squad car 150 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:35,520 Looking for minorities to harass 151 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:37,520 Oh yeah that's true 152 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:39,520 John points out their old pal Shifty 153 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:41,520 Pushing around a baby carriage 154 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:43,520 They decide that's suspicious enough to stop him and investigate 155 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:45,520 Larry pulls the car over 156 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:47,520 And both men get out 157 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:49,520 Larry chases after the man walking with Shifty 158

00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:53,520 And John goes over to Shifty to give him a hard time 159 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:55,520 Shifty puts his hands over his head 160 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:57,520 John tells him he can put his hands down 161 00:06:57,520 --> 00:06:59,520 But Shifty says he feels safer this way 162 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:01,520 When John goes to take the blanket off the 163 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:03,520 Whatever's inside the baby carriage 164 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:05,520 Shifty says that's my sisters 165 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:07,520 And after they start to arrest him 166 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:09,520 Shifty says I told you it was my sisters 167 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:11,520 But they don't believe him 168 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:13,520 And he says he's taking it to get fixed for her 169 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:15,520 At Fred Jenkins Soda Shop 170 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:17,520 And General Store 171 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:19,520 Cornbread is making up for skipping breakfast 172 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:21,520 By buying orange soda 173 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:23,520 What he finds himself stuck watching card tricks instead 174 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:25,520 And being a participant 175 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:27,520 The advantage is that he gets a free soda 176 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:29,520 And if he's able to guess the correct card 177 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:31,520 In this case the Six of Diamonds 178 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:33,520 And he was successful 179 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:37,520 So he gets a soda and runs off to the neighborhood basketball court 180 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:39,520 To play ball with some pals 181 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:41,520 Watching them are Earl and Wilford 182 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:43,520 Wilford tells Earl that Cornbread 183 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:45,520 And he points to him 184 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:47,520 Is his cousin which Earl does not believe 185 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:49,520 When Wilford's obnoxious hero-worsher 186 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:51,520 Of Cornbread gets too much for Earl 187 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:55,520 Earl demands to know why Cornbread is so special 188 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:57,520 Earl is kind of a hater 189 00:07:57,520 --> 00:07:59,520 He's from Mississippi 190 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:03,520 Wilford says that Cornbread is the greatest player in the city 191 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:05,520 The state maybe you in the country 192 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:07,520 And Earl says he's seen better players in the south 193 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:11,520 Wilford says that Charlie told him Mississippi is the lynching state 194 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:15,520 But Earl tells him that this place has got nothing on Mississippi 195 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:19,520 Meanwhile Cornbread keeps playing basketball while his theme song plays 196 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:21,520 It is a very specific theme song 197 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:23,520 And we'll hear it again 198 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:25,520 Wilford and Earl run to the corner store 199 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:29,520 Mr. Jenkins store to get Cornbread a drink 200 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:31,520 They're sweaty, everybody's sweaty 201 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:33,520 They argue about what drink Cornbread wants 202 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:35,520 Wilford says that Cornbread sent them for a root beer 203 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:37,520 And he's going to buy one for the two of them as well 204 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:39,520 But Earl corrects them 205 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:41,520 He's seen Cornbread drink orange pop 206 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:43,520 Grape and wants to know how to coke 207 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:45,520 But never a root beer 208 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:47,520 Bread says he can settle this for them 209 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:49,520 As he asks Wilford to pick a card 210 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:51,520 Then Fred asks Wilford if he remembers the card 211 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:53,520 Sure says Wilford two of clubs 212 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:55,520 You're not supposed to tell me he says Fred 213 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:57,520 Fred takes her money and gives them an orange soda and a root beer 214 00:08:57,520 --> 00:08:59,520 And tells them that whichever one Cornbread doesn't choose 215 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:01,520 Wilford and Earl can split the other one 216 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:03,520 Price is solved 217 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:05,520 And now we're at the supermarket 218 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:07,520 Sarah is buying groceries 219 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:09,520 And Leona is checking her out 220 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:11,520 We don't know the relationship 221 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:15,520 But we do know that Wilford and Cornbread are cousins 222 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:17,520 So there is some family relationship there 223 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:19,520 They're chatting about Cornbread 224 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:21,520 When the star manager marches up with Wilford 225 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:23,520 He asks if this is her boy 226 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:25,520 He's twisted one of Wilford's arms behind his back 227 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:27,520 Sarah admits to being his mother and asks what's wrong 228 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:29,520 The manager says he caught him with a candy bar 229 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:31,520 Wilford says Mama you said I could have it 230 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:33,520 Remember? 231 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:35,520 Leona tells her boss that she was just ringing it up with the rest of her stuff 232 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:37,520 The manager gives everyone a dirty look 233 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:39,520 But then he leaves 234 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:43,520 So Wilford gets off scot free until he asks to deal with his mother 235 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:45,520 Giving him a dirty guilt trip about his mother 236 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:49,520 Sarah is devastated that she's failed in raising her son 237 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:51,520 She's in tears 238 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:53,520 And it doesn't matter if it was valued at $15 239

00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:55,520 Or $1 million it's still stealing 240 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:57,520 And stealing as we all know 241 00:09:57,520 --> 00:09:59,520 Is wrong 242 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:01,520 Asterix 243 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:03,520 And if that wasn't bad enough 244 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:05,520 There's a knock at the door 245 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:07,520 It's the welfare worker 246 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:09,520 She's come to Hassel Sarah for her medical report 247 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:11,520 She's got a lot of money 248 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:13,520 She's got a lot of money 249 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:15,520 Sarah for her medical report 250 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:19,520 She's got to prove that she really needs disability for her heart condition 251 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:21,520 Wilford goes to wait in the hall 252 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:23,520 Where he can be on a site but still listen 253 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:27,520 What's really happening here is that the welfare worker is warning Sarah that 254 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:31,520 Without this medical report she can pretty much kiss her welfare checks goodbye 255 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:35,520 So Sarah does promise to go to the doctor and get something that she can show them 256 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:37,520 Then the welfare worker asks about little Wilford 257 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:41,520 And from the hallway Wilford sticks his tongue out at her 258 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:43,520 Little Wilford's fine 259 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:47,520 And the social worker says she understands how difficult it can be to raise a boy with her own father 260 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:51,520 And it's Sarah's job to keep him away from evil companions 261 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:55,520 So in the next scene Sarah is at a get together with Charlie, Sam and Leona and a few others 262 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:57,520 And they're all laughing at the phrase evil companions 263 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:01,520 And that someone actually used it in conversation 264 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:05,520 They break off and Charlie asks Sarah how she's feeling 265 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:07,520 Sarah says her heart feels a lot better now 266 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:11,520 Charlie walks Sarah home and it's clear that they have mismatched expectations of this relationship 267 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:15,520 Sarah likes to keep things light but Charlie is thinking maybe marriage one day 268 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:21,520 The problem with marriage is it's a complicated thing because it would affect her welfare checks 269 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:25,520 So she wants to know who will pay the rent if they would move in together 270 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:29,520 He says he will of course he'll just have to get a better job and he's been trying after all 271 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:31,520 Promises, promises 272 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:35,520 They return to Sarah's apartment where Earl and Wilford are watching a movie 273 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:39,520 Charlie is feeling amorous but Sarah wants to maintain decorum in front of the kids 274 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:41,520 Charlie doesn't like this and he throws a bit of a tantrum 275 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:43,520 He wants her to make up her mind 276 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:47,520 It's always Charlie stay, Charlie go, what's he's supposed to do? 277 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:49,520 Go upstairs to his rotten bed alone? 278 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:51,520 Charlie angrily storms up the stairs 279 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:55,520 I guess he was supposed to go upstairs to his rotten bed alone 280 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:57,520 The next day, Cornbread and Wilford are hanging out playing basketball 281 00:11:57,520 --> 00:11:59,520 Of course, at the rec center where Cornbread works 282 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:01,520 Cornbread is trying to teach Wilford how to shoot 283 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:03,520 When two toughs come in, this is stud and ace 284 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:05,520 Shoot a basketball 285 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:09,520 I should guess I should say that because it's going to come up later 286 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:13,520 They kicked the ball back past Cornbread and Wilford 287 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:15,520 Wilford shouts, "Hey" and goes to retrieve it 288 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:19,520 Cornbread tells Wilford that to listen is over for today 289 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:21,520 And to go wait for him in the locker room 290 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:25,520 One of the guys asked Cornbread what he did with the pills that he had found in the locker room 291 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:27,520 They were worth a lot of money to him 292 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:29,520 Cornbread tells him to stud that he flushed them down the toilet 293 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:31,520 He told them he didn't want them bringing that stuff in here 294 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:33,520 Wrong answer 295 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:37,520 And they better leave because Mr. Wilson will be back at any moment 296 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:39,520 But stud doesn't care about Mr. Wilson 297 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:41,520 If that's the way you feel about it, says Cornbread 298 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:43,520 Chutney laying down the basketball and readying for a fight 299 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:47,520 Stud draws a knife and Cornbread takes up the basketball 300 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:51,520 He uses it as a shield between him and the knife 301 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:53,520 And it gets stabbed 302 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:55,520 And then suddenly Mr. Wilson enters with Wilford running behind him 303 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:57,520 And are two tough guys leave 304 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:01,520 Mr. Wilson tells Cornbread that he wouldn't want anything to happen to him 305 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:05,520 Cornbread jinxes himself by saying, "Ain't nothing gonna happen to me Mr. Wilson 306 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:07,520 The college needs me too bad" 307 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:09,520 He turns around and throws his ball through the basket 308

00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:11,520 Is that how you say you made a basket? 309 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:13,520 So I said 310 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:15,520 In Jeff's language 311 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:17,520 He swishes 312 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:19,520 Nothing but net 313 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:23,520 Now we're with our friendly neighborhood officers, John and Larry 314 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:25,520 It is absolutely pouring 315 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:27,520 You get a call about a gunshot victim 316 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:29,520 It's nearby so they turn around and head that way 317 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:33,520 On the playground, Cornbread decides that the rain is too much and offers to buy the kids a soda 318 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:37,520 Officers John and Larry have arrived at the scene of the alleged crime 319 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:41,520 Officer John is interviewing a witness while Larry is looking over the victim 320 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:45,520 Just kind of patting her head as she lies there bleeding 321 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:47,520 The witness describes the perpetrator as black and very big 322 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:49,520 Larry says the victim is still breathing 323 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:51,520 And he will stay with her until the ambulance arrives 324 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:53,520 While John goes over the perpetrator 325 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:57,520 At Mr. Jenkins' soda shop, lots of kids are sheltering from the rain 326 00:13:57,520 --> 00:13:59,520 Jenkins chases off all the ones without money though 327 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:03,520 Only Cornbread, Earl and Wilford remain 328 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:05,520 Up on the roof of the apartment building 329 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:09,520 Officer John bursts out of the doorway and gets drenched by the rain as he patrols the rooftop 330 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:11,520 Looking forward, the assailant 331 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:15,520 He has a gun drawn and he's searching for a man of whom he has only the biggest description 332 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:17,520 That will be important 333 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:19,520 Back down in the general store, one eye comes in 334 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:21,520 Cornbread commends him on his threads 335 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:23,520 And Earl and Wilford are impressed with them as well 336 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:25,520 His eye patch even matches his pinstripe suit 337 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:29,520 When I once again suggest that Cornbread should be running numbers for him 338 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:33,520 When I try to sue nonsensically defend his line of work by saying 339 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:35,520 If God didn't want him to run numbers, he wouldn't have invented the wheel 340 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:37,520 And Fred tells when I'd a Cornbread will be leaving in two weeks 341 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:41,520 And he's the first one to make it out of this neighborhood and make something of himself 342 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:45,520 When I as a little offended so Fred corrects

himself 343 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:47,520 Something legal 344 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:53,520 Stop trying to do rail is promising basketball future with a life of petty crime 345 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:57,520 Back on the roof chop, Officer John is still searching for the perpetrator 346 00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:59,520 He sees a man going down the fire escape and nails for him to stop 347 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:03,520 This is a tall black man wearing a gray sweatshirt 348 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:09,520 And we cut back to Mr. Jenkins shop where the boys are speculating about how fast Cornbread could run home in this rain 349 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:11,520 Could he really run between the raindrops? 350 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:14,520 The opening bid from Wilford is ten seconds 351 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,520 Cornbread counters with more like 25 seconds 352 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:20,520 Cornbread is going to have to prove this though 353 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:22,520 When I says that he'll never do in 25 seconds 354 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:24,520 But Wilford bets that he can 355 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:28,520 Cornbread says they can bet for a bottle of pop and he gives the money to Fred to cover the cost of the bet 356 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:32,520 Back at the apartment building, John spots someone coming out of the side door of the apartment building 357 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:35,520 He pulls his gun but it's just Officer Larry 358 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:39,520 John has Larry if he saw the perpetrator, John said he lost him in the rain 359 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:43,520 So back at the store, Cornbread has everyone coincide in the rain to watch him run home 360 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:48,520 Back at the apartment building, the cops finally spot the gray sweatshirt guy and give chase 361 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:50,520 Cornbread also wearing a gray sweatshirt 362 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:55,520 Runs off as the boys count how long he's taking and a one and a two 363 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:59,520 As this is going on, we see that the cops are getting closer to where Cornbread is 364 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:03,520 There's a series of quick cuts here, it's cutting back and forth very fast 365 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:07,520 Cornbread runs across the street, past a part of garbage truck 366 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:09,520 He offers a yell from the stop but he keeps running 367 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:12,520 So naturally they have no other choice but to shoot him in the back 368 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:17,520 The bottle of orange soda flies into the air and comes crashing down into the street 369 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:20,520 Mr. Jenkins, Earl and Wilford are horrified 370 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:23,520 Oh my god, he yells a shock Mr. Jenkins 371 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:28,520 Wilford starts screaming Cornbread's name and Earl is stunned into silence 372 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:32,520 Wilford takes off running and gets to Cornbread's body just as the cops finally get there 373 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:36,520 Fred grabs on to Wilford and tries to drag him and Earl back inside 374 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:38,520 Don't show your face as he says 375 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:41,520 Wilford breaks free and runs towards Cornbread 376 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:45,520 The cops are approaching Cornbread's body and just as they get there, so does Wilford 377 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:48,520 John grabs him as Larry examines the body 378 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:52,520 Also on the scene, the man in the grey sweatshirt that they have been chasing 379 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:57,520 He's just free to stand around and gap now that somebody else has died for his alleged crimes 380 00:16:57,520 --> 00:16:59,520 Larry declares Cornbread dead 381 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:02,520 Wilford shouts out, "No he isn't, but he is" 382 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:05,520 Then Wilford runs up and down the street shouting to the whole neighborhood 383 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:09,520 Cornbread's dead, they killed him, he wasn't doing nothing 384 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:13,520 He successfully riles up the crowd to the point where the officers are in danger 385 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:16,520 Because he points them out and says that they are the murderers 386 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:21,520 Larry is sitting in a squad car to radio in when a brick is hurled through at the windshield of the squad car 387 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:24,520 The windshield shatters in a way that windshields usually don't 388 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,520 And Larry finds himself a glass pellets all over his face 389 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:31,520 By this time the crowd has become a mob and they're overwhelming the two cops 390 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:35,520 Both are subjected to punches, kicks and one person in the crowd draws a bat 391 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:37,520 Or at least a big stick 392 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:41,520 When Sarah appears she's walking down the sidewalk looking for Wilford calling his name 393 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:45,520 She finds him and tells Wilford that they've got to get out of here, everyone's gone crazy 394 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:48,520 More cops have arrived and they're also beating the crowd back 395 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:51,520 Wilford tells her that they killed Cornbread, she says no 396 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:55,520 Wilford points to the body on the ground and says that's him, mama, that's Cornbread 397 00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:57,520 Sarah doesn't believe Wilford that Cornbread's dead 398 00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:05,520 So Wilford goes to Cornbread's body which had been covered up when officer John had displayed a little decorum grabbing a raincoat from the car and covering up the body 399 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:13,520 But Wilford pulls the raincoat off of Cornbread's face when she sees that her nephew is dead, Sarah is distraught and she wonders why 400 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:17,520 She asks why do you let them do it to us? I don't know who she's asking, God maybe 401 00:18:17,520

--> 00:18:21,520 Now Sam and Leona have had to go to the morgue to identify the body 402 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:23,520 They're shown as an image on a television monitor 403 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:27,520 They confirm it's Cornbread and sign papers to that effect 404 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:29,520 Then Sam asks that they can have him now 405 00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:31,520 It's pretty devastating 406 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:41,520 Now some time has passed, Sarah and Wilford are taking a walk 407 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:45,520 Wilford comments that the streets are cleaner than ever now 408 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,520 But Sarah says they can't wipe out Cornbread that easily 409 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:52,520 Wilford says he's never playing basketball again but Sarah says he will one day 410 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:55,520 And that the cops will never murder him the way they did Cornbread 411 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:59,520 Who's going to stop him, Wilford asks? You and me, she says 412 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:03,520 They got Cornbread but they're not going to get you, we're going to get you out of here 413 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:05,520 Whatever it takes 414 00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:07,520 Now in the office of Benjamin Blackwell 415 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:09,520 Sam and Leona are looking to hire an attorney 416 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:13,520 Blackwell assumes that they want to bring an action against the city for the wrongful death of their son 417 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:17,520 But they don't really care about money, they only want to clear their son's name 418 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:21,520 He wasn't the one who nearly killed that woman, he was just at the store drinking a soda 419 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:24,520 They only want the police to admit that they made a mistake 420 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:29,520 Benjamin says the paper said he assaulted and nearly killed that woman, Sam said that's a lie 421 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:33,520 Benjamin asks why he was running from the cops then and then they tell him the true story 422 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:36,520 He was running home in the rain innocent of all charges 423 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:39,520 Leona further wants an admission of guilt from the police 424 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:42,520 You'd have an easier time collecting the cash Benjamin says 425 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:45,520 They're not going to admit anything so they're going to have to go to court 426 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:48,520 He recommends they think it over but first there's going to be an inquest 427 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:52,520 And then they can file a civil suit and that it's going to be expensive 428 00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:55,520 Benjamin says the city has received a lot of bad publicity from the shooting 429 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:58,520 Though they can expect everyone to close ranks to protect each other 430 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:01,520 They'll need witnesses and Sam says they have them 431 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:07,520 But Benjamin says that they'd be surprised how differently people act when they have to testify in a legal matter 432 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:12,520 Leona places something on Benjamin's desk then cries into her husband's shoulder 433 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:14,520 She tells Benjamin that that is a plane ticket 434 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:18,520 They were supposed to drive cornbread to the airport that morning so he could fly to school 435 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:22,520 She says they'll cash in as part of Benjamin's payment 436 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:26,520 Benjamin says that is necessary and Leona says that this is the way they want it 437 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:29,520 Now we're with Sarah and Wilford. They're on a Ferris wheel 438 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:32,520 She's trying to cheer him up and maybe it's starting to work 439 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:36,520 She points out the street where they live as if she could see it from the top of the Ferris wheel 440 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:38,520 Wilford doesn't seem to into this though 441 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:42,520 And now Benjamin Blackwell visits officer Larry who's in the hospital 442 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:46,520 Larry says Benjamin shouldn't be there but Benjamin reminds him that they grew up together 443 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:52,520 At least until Benjamin was 10 and Benjamin thought that Larry was a straight cop 444 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:55,520 Yes, if Larry is still planning to be a teacher, Larry says yes 445 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:58,520 But it took six years of night school classes to get there 446 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:00,520 Then Benjamin gets down to business 447 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:02,520 He wants to know about the case 448 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:05,520 Larry tells him that the statements have been made and papers have been filed 449 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:07,520 And if he wants to know more he can read the reports 450 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:11,520 If there is any discrepancy in those reports, the whole story falls apart 451 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:13,520 So it's better just to leave things alone 452 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:17,520 Larry says that John might be having a moral crisis over what they did 453 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:19,520 But Larry knows that they shot the right guy 454 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:26,520 Larry summarizes that John knows he was right but the headlines about good kid and police brutality are affecting his conscience 455 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:29,520 But that being white, John can afford to have a conscience 456 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:33,520 Benjamin wonders what color has to do with it, wrong is wrong 457 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:35,520 But Larry's not swayed by all those scholarship stories 458 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:37,520 And that cornbread is a local hero 459 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:41,520 Larry says that that means he was just a bad kid who hadn't been caught yet 460 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:47,520 Benjamin says he's got witnesses and they say cornbread was in a stored drinking soda pop when the

incident occurred 461 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:50,520 Larry gets defensive so that means I'm lying right? 462 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:55,520 Benjamin tries to get him to calm down and saying that he's sure to Larry thought he was doing the right thing 463 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:57,520 He might have even done the same thing himself 464 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:01,520 But Larry isn't having that coming from a big time lawyer in his fancy suit 465 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:05,520 He doesn't know what it's like having to comb the streets with maniacs on the loose 466 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:09,520 Benjamin reminds Larry of the wound he received on the street when he was 14 467 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:15,520 Larry says that he healed up real good and the two bicker about how there are two world diverge when Ben got his ass out of the neighborhood 468 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:17,520 And whether it matters or not 469 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:21,520 Benjamin accuses Larry of acting this way because the people he wants to educate turned on him 470 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:25,520 But Larry says that their savages and his job is to keep them penned in their own neighborhood 471 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:28,520 So they don't escape to kill other people 472 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:29,520 Good people 473 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:31,520 Benjamin says he understands why the neighborhood turned on Larry 474 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:36,520 They see people get gunned down all the time but this time they knew for sure that it wasn't deserved 475 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:42,520 Is Larry going to tell his future students that they're just savages? Larry says it's Ben and his ilk that tell the neighbors that 476 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:46,520 Ben thinks that the people have no chance to get fairness when Larry thinks that way 477 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:52,520 Larry says they all have the same chance that everyone has to get out and then he orders Ben to get out of his room 478 00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:56,520 Now we're back at the carnival and Sarah says she likes the fairest wheel the best 479 00:22:56,520 --> 00:23:00,520 Wilford just wants to talk about cornbread and Sarah is trying desperately to distract him 480 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:03,520 She convinces him to ride the cyclone with her 481 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:11,520 It keeps her young she says so we see them on the cyclone and she's screaming like a maniac and Wilford's holding her hand and looking kind of bored 482 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:19,520 The two of them find themselves in the funhouse part of the carnival and they look in the mirrors and make their images look ridiculous and finally, Wilford laughs 483 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:26,520 Now we're back at Fred Jenkins General Store and a couple of cops are questioning Fred on his agreeing to testify 484 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:29,520 It's two new cops and they're from downtown 485 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:35,520 Yeah, they're not uniformed officers but Fred says sure he's going to testify

why not after all he saw the whole thing he's a witness 486 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:40,520 Then one of the cops places a few joints on the counter and ask Fred if he's going to stick with that story 487 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:44,520 Store owners that keep his apply of marijuana around for the kids aren't always trustworthy 488 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:47,520 And this reminds Fred that he didn't see anything 489 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:50,520 He also says the cornbread was one of those wrongdoers 490 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:54,520 The cops take their joints back and smuckly promise that they'll be back if necessary 491 00:23:54,520 --> 00:24:00,520 After they go, Mr. Jenkins breaks down calling the cops dirty rotten sons of bitches 492 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:03,520 They're railroading cornbread out of a fair hearing 493 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:07,520 We see Wilford is also getting a visit from a couple of plain clothes policemen 494 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:10,520 This officer calls himself Mr. Johnson 495 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:15,520 He's interrogating Wilford and even though he's a black cop, that's not going to help Wilford very much here 496 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:20,520 Also standing by you Sergeant Danner, Wilford asks why he wants him to lie 497 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:26,520 Mr. Johnson who happens to be the precinct captain says that they're not asking him to lie 498 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:30,520 They're just asking him not to say what happened and that's not the same as lying 499 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:32,520 Yes it is, says Wilford 500 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:38,520 His mama always told him that if you see something bad and you don't say something about it, it's as bad as lying and Sarah nods in agreement 501 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:40,520 This anger is Johnson 502 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:43,520 He sends up the threat and the little boy and says the whole city is behind them 503 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:47,520 If they want to take on an entire city, they should go for it 504 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,520 And then he says he's going to sick Sergeant Danner, her own Wilford 505 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:57,520 And he better give the right answers or else then he looks at Sarah and says that she can kiss her Wilford checks goodbye 506 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:00,520 He tags in Danner, her and then he leaves 507 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:04,520 So Danner sits down and he too tries to get a state that they can live with 508 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:07,520 He asks Wilford what he knows about the incident 509 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:10,520 Did he see cornbread the day that he was shot? Wilford said yes 510 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:13,520 And Danner tells him that's the wrong answer 511 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:19,520 He pulls Wilford up and starts shaking him and Sarah comes to defender son telling Danner her not to touch him 512 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,520 He smacks her sending her sprawling across the couch 513 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:25,520 Wilford runs out of the apartment and starts calling up to Charlie 514 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:27,520 Charlie comes downstairs with a gun in his hand 515 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:30,520 Danner pulls on his badge and tells Charlie he's the police 516 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:35,520 Wilford is screaming that the man heard his mama and Sarah comes out holding a knife and charging at him 517 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,520 Her eyes are rolled back in her head, she looks insane 518 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:40,520 Charlie holds her back 519 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:44,520 Danner heard his eyes it's time for him to leave and Charlie pushes him down the stairs 520 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:49,520 By this time the commotion is brought up all the neighbors and they advise Charlie to get out of there 521 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:52,520 because the cops are going to be back and they're going to beat him bad 522 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:56,520 Charlie gives his gun to one of the neighbors tells him to hide it 523 00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:02,520 Then he tells Wilford that this is all his fault and threatens it with an ass-wobbing if anything happens to Sarah 524 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:05,520 Now we're at Sam and Leon is apartment 525 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:07,520 Sam is on the phone with Benjamin 526 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:10,520 Sarah and Leon are sitting at a table talking 527 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:17,520 After Sam hangs up the phone, he tells Sarah and Leon that Benjamin will do what he can with this report of police brutality and intimidation 528 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:21,520 Sarah asks where Wilford is and Leon says he's probably out playing 529 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:25,520 Sarah panics at a time like this he's outside 530 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:29,520 Sarah peeks out the window for a second then decides that Wilford is run away 531 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:31,520 despite Leon's reassurance to the contrary 532 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:36,520 Sarah explains that Wilford thinks he's making trouble for her on a kind of a Charlie it's said to him 533 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:39,520 but Sam and Leon will try to convince her that everything will be fine 534 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:44,520 Sam incorrectly declares that no cop would be the 12-year-old boy if only 535 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:51,520 Back with Benjamin in the parking garage of his office he goes to his car and finds Wilford waiting in the front seat 536 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:56,520 Apparently Wilford did a little bit of slew thing using Benjamin's business car to find his office 537 00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:59,520 and a garage attendant to find his car 538 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:03,520 Benjamin is surprised but he quickly realizes who Wilford is 539 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:07,520 Benjamin tells him that he's headed to police station to straighten this out 540 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:09,520 Wilford starts to run but Benjamin holds him back 541 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:11,520 They're gonna talk this out 542 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:14,520 Wilford says that

he told Mr. Hamilton what he saw 543 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:16,520 Benjamin tells Wilford he did the right thing 544 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:21,520 Then Wilford explains how this has caused all sorts of trouble for his mother so he's going to run away 545 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:26,520 That way he went off to lie and they can't take his mama off Wilford 546 00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:29,520 and he wants Benjamin to help him find a safe place to hide 547 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:33,520 Benjamin says that would make him the liar and he sure Wilford wouldn't want to make a lie around him 548 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:40,520 Now we're in Sarah's apartment where we see Benjamin depositing a sleepy Wilford onto the exo-fabed 549 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:43,520 Benjamin tells Sarah that they made a deal with the police 550 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:48,520 If they don't press charges against Dana her the cops won't press charges against her or Charlie 551 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:50,520 Sarah is very pleased by this 552 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:52,520 She sends Wilford off to get ready for bed 553 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:55,520 Then Benjamin says that Charlie can come home now 554 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:59,520 She tells him Charlie doesn't live here and they get a little bit flirty 555 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:04,520 She asks him if he wants a coffee and he says no but maybe later and she agrees 556 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:07,520 Wilford re-enters the room and Benjamin leaves 557 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:13,520 Wilford correctly notes that she likes Benjamin and that it's okay he does too 558 00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:17,520 Sarah says down next to Wilford and tells him that she knows he was going to run away to protect her 559 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:21,520 But she wants him to know that there's nothing more important to her than him 560 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:25,520 She wants him to do whatever he thinks is right, whatever that may be 561 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:35,520 Now the third act begins with an inquest 562 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:39,520 The deputy coroner is leading the inquest which operates very much like a trial 563 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:44,520 The owner is on the stand and the coroner just wants some basic facts about cornbread 564 00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:47,520 And this consists of his age and occupation 565 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:51,520 When she answers the student the coroner takes that to mean unemployed 566 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:55,520 Benjamin stands up and says Nathaniel was scheduled to start college in two weeks 567 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:57,520 Any at a part-time job at the rec center 568 00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:00,520 So unemployed is kind of a slur here and they're not going to settle for it 569 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:02,520 The coroner nods and makes a note 570 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:05,520 So this is all they need for Leo and his statement 571 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:08,520 There's a $27 fee but she can sign a waiver instead of paying it 572 00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:11,520 But she stands up and takes the money out of her purse 573 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:14,520 A stunned audience member, there's a lot of people watching this comments 574 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:17,520 You mean they're going to make her pay for them killing her son? 575 00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:19,520 This makes John and Larry who are also there 576 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:22,520 Look kind of angry and embarrassed 577 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:24,520 John turns around at that comment 578 00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:26,520 But Larry holds him back 579 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:29,520 And someone else says they'll be making them pay for the cops bullets 580 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:32,520 This time Larry turns around and John holds him back 581 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:35,520 I've got a bunch of hecklers 582 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:38,520 The coroner repeats to Leona that she isn't required to pay 583 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:39,520 She can instead sign the waiver 584 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:43,520 But Leona chooses to sign only complete financial transaction instead 585 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:48,520 The coroner tries to defend this rule saying that it's just the law, not his personal choice 586 00:29:48,520 --> 00:29:50,520 And offers his condolences 587 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:53,520 But Leona just returns to her seat without acknowledging that 588 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:56,520 And now it's time for Sergeant Dana her to testify 589 00:29:56,520 --> 00:30:01,520 He says that an informant told him that Nathaniel Cornbread Hamilton was a gang member 590 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,520 And then he's robbed many people and committed many acts of violence 591 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:07,520 The coroner says just describe the incident 592 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:09,520 He's pretty frustrated already 593 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:13,520 And then Dana her tells them what happened from the cops' point of view 594 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:17,520 He says officers Larry and John responded to an incident and pursued the suspect 595 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:20,520 They chased him down and they saw a shiny object in his hand 596 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:24,520 They thought to be a gun and the officers ran out into the street to avoid shooting innocent people 597 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:25,520 Aha 598 00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:27,520 Sanleona shake their heads and disgust 599 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:29,520 Yeah, good one 600 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:31,520 The coroner urges Dana her to continue 601 00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:36,520 Dana her says that they yelled at the subject to stop and when he didn't, they shot and killed him 602 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:39,520 The coroner thanks him and turns the witness over to Benjamin 603 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:43,520 Who makes Dana her confirm that the cops lost sight of the man that they were chasing 604 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:48,520 Only briefly says Dana her when confronted with the idea that they shot the wrong guy 605 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:50,520 Anyway,

they said stop and he didn't 606 00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:53,520 And then men asked, well what about the garbage truck? 607 00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:59,520 Wasn't there a garbage truck on the street making so much noise that no one would have been able to hear the shots to stop? 608 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:02,520 Dana her says he don't know nothing about no garbage truck 609 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:05,520 So Blackwell changes his line of questioning 610 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:08,520 He gets Dana her to confirm that it was a dark rainy day 611 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:12,520 And if they saw a shiny object in the hands of someone running away from them 612 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:16,520 Then he asks if a weapon was ever found at the scene, none was ever found 613 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:18,520 Did anyone else see a gun? 614 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:21,520 Nope, did anyone say what he did have in his hand? 615 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:25,520 Dana her admits that a kid said that it was just a bottle of pop 616 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:26,520 Orange pop, right? 617 00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:29,520 Dana her demure and says, well if you say so 618 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:32,520 Benjamin says it doesn't matter what he says, he's not the one under oath 619 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:35,520 He asked Dana her to check the witness testimony 620 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:39,520 And Dana her most sheepishly admit that they lost the testimony 621 00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:42,520 Ben snarks that this is evidence of police incompetence 622 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:44,520 The corner tells Benjamin to relax 623 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:47,520 The witness in question is in the room and he can simply give another statement 624 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:50,520 Benjamin says that is all for this witness 625 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:53,520 He doesn't wish to waste the corner's time with a liar 626 00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:56,520 Dana her looks very offended at this accusation 627 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:57,520 I hope that she fits 628 00:31:57,520 --> 00:32:00,520 Next to understand is Mr. Watkins 629 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:03,520 He was the man in the garbage truck at the time of the incident 630 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:06,520 His story is that he was reading his report and didn't see what happened 631 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:09,520 And the truck was making so much noise he didn't hear what happened 632 00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:13,520 And then Ben says, so that means you're going to say nothing 633 00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:15,520 And Watkins agrees 634 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:16,520 That's right 635 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:19,520 And next Fred Jenkins is on the stand 636 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:23,520 He lies and says that he saw nothing, he was back working 637 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:26,520 This causes Wilford to heckle him that he's a liar 638 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:29,520 He also claims that Cornbread wasn't in his store at all that day 639 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:32,520 From his seat Wilford can't believe what is happening 640 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:33,520 Another can stand 641 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:35,520 He stands up and starts in on Jenkins 642 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:38,520 What did Cornbread ever do to deserve this betrayal? 643 00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:40,520 The corner tells him to be quiet 644 00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:43,520 He threatens to and then sends the marshal over to remove Sam 645 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:47,520 Sam is still hollering an officer John stands up until Sam to calm down 646 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:50,520 But John's base is the last one Sam wants to see right now 647 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:52,520 You did it, you killed him 648 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:56,520 The corner asks once again for Sam to be removed but Benjamin steps in 649 00:32:56,520 --> 00:33:02,520 Nathaniel was a son he says, yes that's had to be a lot of stay and the corner concedes 650 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:05,520 And next Earl is called to the stand 651 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:08,520 His father stands up and tries to beg off on his behalf 652 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:11,520 But the corner rudely tells him to sit down and shut up 653 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:15,520 Earl takes the stand and the corner immediately starts in on him 654 00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:18,520 But Earl is paralyzed into speechlessness 655 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:21,520 And this makes the corner spitting mad 656 00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:23,520 And once again his dad tries to intervene 657 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:27,520 Earl frees when he gets scared and besides he doesn't know anything 658 00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:30,520 The corner asks Benjamin where he's found these witnesses 659 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:34,520 Three people were called up and three people don't know anything about the case 660 00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:36,520 Benjamin says that his witnesses were intimidated 661 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:38,520 And if they were allowed to testify freely 662 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:41,520 They would all say that Nathaniel Hamilton was a good person 663 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:44,520 And he was at Jenkins' store at the time of the incident 664 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:47,520 Dana Hurr stands up to object to this assertion 665 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:50,520 The corner caution says to not make charges he can't prove 666 00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:53,520 Benjamin was on to say that they don't believe the shooting was done intentionally 667 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:55,520 It was a case of mistaken identity 668 00:33:55,520 --> 00:33:57,520 But the police just won't have it that way 669 00:33:57,520 --> 00:33:59,520 They're afraid of the truth for some reason 670 00:33:59,520 --> 00:34:02,520 John seems surprised by this idea 671 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:05,520 The corner is becoming exasperated 672 00:34:05,520 --> 00:34:08,520 "I wish you would stick to the facts," he says 673 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:11,520 Benjamin tries to get Earl to admit that he saw the shooting 674 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:13,520 But Earl is just sobbing on the

stand 675 00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:14,520 Ben pats him on the cheek 676 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:18,520 And in the audience, John says to Larry that they've got no case 677 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:21,520 Earl is dismissed and Wilford is called to the stand 678 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:23,520 Someone says they got to him too 679 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:27,520 Sarah tells Wilford, "Hey, she knows I he will do what he thinks is right 680 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:31,520 And in that moment he would be a man and he would be a man for the rest of his life 681 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:34,520 Wilford takes the stand and after getting a nod from his mom 682 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:37,520 Very calmly explains what actually happened on that day 683 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:42,520 The game, the rain, the pop, one eye, the other pop, the bet 684 00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:45,520 The four of them, Wilford, Earl, Mr. Jenkins and one eye 685 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:51,520 Watching Cornbread run home, the counting, the cops, the yelling, the garbage truck, the shooting 686 00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:55,520 Wilford says they killed Cornbread and he wasn't doing nothing 687 00:34:55,520 --> 00:34:57,520 He was just running home 688 00:34:57,520 --> 00:34:59,520 The corner says that someone is lying 689 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:01,520 Larry and John exchange looks 690 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:04,520 Larry comments to John that that kid has to be lying 691 00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:08,520 Benjamin asks Wilford if he knew of Cornbread being in a gang 692 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:10,520 Wilford said he didn't have time for that 693 00:35:10,520 --> 00:35:12,520 He was always playing basketball 694 00:35:12,520 --> 00:35:15,520 He always hear the bam bam bam of the ball against the backboard 695 00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:18,520 Sometimes he'd be laying in bed and he'd hear that bam bam bam 696 00:35:18,520 --> 00:35:21,520 And he knew it was Cornbread and it would put him right to sleep 697 00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:23,520 The corner of dismisses Wilford 698 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:25,520 And demands that the two officers testify 699 00:35:25,520 --> 00:35:27,520 Well, just one of them needs to 700 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:29,520 And so he picks Larry atkins 701 00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:31,520 The corner tries to hurry this along 702 00:35:31,520 --> 00:35:34,520 Does Larry agree with the report of the investigating officer 703 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:36,520 After a little bit of dithering 704 00:35:36,520 --> 00:35:40,520 Larry says that he's starting to believe Wilford's testimony 705 00:35:40,520 --> 00:35:43,520 Danher objects but Larry continues 706 00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:45,520 That he has to conclude God help them 707 00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:47,520 That they shot the wrong man 708 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:50,520 Danher stands up and says there must be some mistake 709 00:35:50,520 --> 00:35:53,520 Because Larry has signed a statement and they have it on file 710 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:55,520 But the corner says

the hearing is closed 711 00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:57,520 Danher charges at the corner 712 00:35:57,520 --> 00:35:59,520 You don't believe all this crap to you 713 00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:03,520 You've had a sergeant, the next person that are going to be investigating is you 714 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:06,520 And everyone solently leaves the courtroom 715 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:08,520 Sobbing, Sam and Leona leave the courtroom 716 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:11,520 They make a point of snubbing Fred Jenkins as they walk past him 717 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:14,520 Yeah, that can't be too good for business 718 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:16,520 In a hallway outside the courtroom 719 00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:18,520 Danher charges at Larry and John 720 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:20,520 He's not going to let two lousy cops ruin him 721 00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:22,520 He demands that John do something 722 00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:26,520 So if John does, he groin punches Danher who sinks to the ground 723 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:29,520 Now it's night and Wilford is shooting baskets on the basketball court 724 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:32,520 Earl comes over and has surprised that not only is Wilford not angry with him 725 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:34,520 But that they're still friends 726 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:36,520 Wilford says of course their blood brothers aren't they? 727 00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:39,520 Earl takes the ball and underhand tosses it at the hoop 728 00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:41,520 Wilford says no 729 00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:43,520 Cornbread taught him to shoot it like so 730 00:36:43,520 --> 00:36:46,520 And after that demonstration, Earl makes a basket 731 00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:51,520 Then we hear the very weird Cornbread theme again as credits roll and that's the end 732 00:36:51,520 --> 00:37:01,520 You are listening to the American International Podcast 733 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:05,520 Where we're discussing Cornbread Earl and me from 1975 734 00:37:05,520 --> 00:37:09,520 According to an article published in the Chicago Tribune in December of 1987 735 00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:12,520 That gave us a story of how Cornbread Earl and me was made 736 00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:19,520 Financial advisor Melvin Pearl was working as a tax attorney for real estate developer Leonard Lamenstorf in 1972 737 00:37:19,520 --> 00:37:22,520 When Lamenstorf told Pearl about his novel hit the open man 738 00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:24,520 Which would make a great film he thought 739 00:37:24,520 --> 00:37:27,520 Pearl contacted a former classmate who helped him set up a meeting at AIP 740 00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:32,520 AIP liked the story and offered to fund half of the pictures to $800,000 budget 741 00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:38,520 Lamenstorf and Pearl raised the remaining $400,000 from Chicago Illinois based investors 742 00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:41,520 Although Lamenstorf perceived executive producer and screenwriting credits 743 00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:43,520 His book is not credited 744 00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:47,520 Instead the credit goes to Ronald L. Ferris-Naval, Hugg Butcher, as source material 745 00:37:47,520 --> 00:37:48,520 Yeah, we don't know why 746 00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:52,520 A Philadelphia Daily News article published in January of 1984 747 00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:57,520 Said that the basketball, playing character and Nathaniel Cornbread Hamilton was partly based on Darrell McCray 748 00:37:57,520 --> 00:38:02,520 A former graffiti artist who had since renounced graffiti and was working with troubled adolescents 749 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:07,520 Keith Wilkes, who would later go by the name Jamal, was nearly six feet seven inches tall 750 00:38:07,520 --> 00:38:12,520 He was an all-American player on the University of California Los Angeles Bruins basketball team 751 00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:17,520 And as a Golden State Warrior was the NBA's 1974 rookie of the year 752 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:21,520 In an interview in the San Francisco Examiner the night of the film's debut 753 00:38:21,520 --> 00:38:26,520 Wilkes said he got the part because producer Lenny Lamenstorf contacted UCLA Coach John Wooden 754 00:38:26,520 --> 00:38:29,520 about the possibility of him playing the role 755 00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:34,520 Coach Wooden received a script, read it, and since he liked it, he called Wilkes to tell him about it 756 00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:37,520 In the interview, Wilkes said that he liked Cornbread Earl and me 757 00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:41,520 And that he never thought he would make a movie like this which was definitely not trash 758 00:38:41,520 --> 00:38:44,520 And not even necessarily a black film though it was set in a ghetto 759 00:38:44,520 --> 00:38:50,520 Wilkes said that he had seen exactly one black exploitation film Superfly and that was enough 760 00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:55,520 He's quoted as saying, "I think there's more to black people in black neighborhoods than cocaine and pimps 761 00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:58,520 Though Wilkes said in several interviews he would like to keep acting 762 00:38:58,520 --> 00:39:03,520 He only had one acting credit after Cornbread, a guest appearance on the series "Capper John MD" 763 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:09,520 Cornbread Earl and me marks the film debut of Lawrence Fishburn, credited in the movie as Lawrence Fishburn III 764 00:39:09,520 --> 00:39:13,520 And in promotional materials as Larry Fishburn III 765 00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:19,520 Daily variety announced in March of 1975 that American international pictures had acquired distribution rights to the film 766 00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:22,520 The United Negro College Fund sponsored several benefit premieres 767 00:39:22,520 --> 00:39:29,520 With the Los Angeles California benefit set to take place at the screen director's guild on May 15th, 1975 768 00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:33,520 According to an article in the LA Times published in April of 1975 769 00:39:33,520 --> 00:39:39,520 Box Office magazine reported that the film was

cited in the Congressional Record by Representative Thomas M. Reese of California 770 00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:45,520 Who urged theater owners to screen the film which portrayed with great human dignity and drama 771 00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:49,520 The hopes, the aspirations, and the warm family values of a black community 772 00:39:49,520 --> 00:39:57,520 In June of 1975, Cornbread Earl and me was honored by the Los Angeles City Council for Excellence in Community Service and Entertainment 773 00:39:57,520 --> 00:40:01,520 AIP's press book advised theater owners to kept the lives on the obvious 774 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:04,520 Keith Wilkes status as an elite basketball player 775 00:40:04,520 --> 00:40:10,520 They recommended a shooting contest and a dribbling race for kids with a local sporting goods store providing prizes like basketballs 776 00:40:10,520 --> 00:40:18,520 Naturally, he also suggested cooperating with the police, posting a pre-show demonstration where officers could show movie goers how to act when approached by the cops 777 00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:20,520 Yikes 778 00:40:20,520 --> 00:40:23,520 Taglines for Cornbread Earl and me include 779 00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:29,520 It was a heavy town for someone with a light touch and Cornbread was gonna split out of there the only way he knew 780 00:40:29,520 --> 00:40:35,520 Hold it high and let it fly was his motto but if you cut him you cut yourself some big trouble 781 00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:37,520 We're gonna lick the world 782 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:38,520 Yuck 783 00:40:38,520 --> 00:40:47,520 That San Francisco Examiner article that we talked about earlier reported that Wilkes girlfriend and future wife Joy Bramlett cried during Cornbread's death scene 784 00:40:47,520 --> 00:40:54,520 But mostly because of how it affected the character of Wilford and the reporter said that Wilkes was seen holding his hand over his mouth during his death scene 785 00:40:54,520 --> 00:41:03,520 A December 1976 LA Times news brief reported that roughly 100 youths rioted at a West LA movie theater which was playing Cornbread Earl and me 786 00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:05,520 Holy high and JD's revenge 787 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:11,520 The rioters threw projectiles through the screen broke windows destroyed theater seats and the box office 788 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:16,520 They also injured two police officers but the motive for the riot was undetermined at the time of reporting 789 00:41:16,520 --> 00:41:22,520 During the riot older members of the audience got on stage and appealed to the youth to settle down but that didn't work 790 00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:24,520 After the theater was closed 791 00:41:24,520 --> 00:41:28,520 Riders spilled out on Topiko Boulevard where six juveniles were arrested 792 00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:40,520 An item in the May 30th 1975 daily variety reported that Cornbread Earl and me took in 83,512 dollars in box office receipts at New York City's Penthouse Theater in its first week of release 793 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:45,520 And by its third week of release it had taken in 228,000 from screenings in 12 cities 794 00:41:45,520 --> 00:41:51,520 In 1987 an article in the LA Times called Cornbread Earl and me ultimately a box office success 795 00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:53,520 And at that point the film had taken in over $2 million 796 00:41:53,520 --> 00:41:59,520 According to a book called American Film Distribution the Changing Marketplace by Suzanne Mary Donahue 797 00:41:59,520 --> 00:42:05,520 Kevin Thomas in the LA Times wrote that if Cornbread Earl and me does not live up to its promising beginning 798 00:42:05,520 --> 00:42:10,520 It is redeemed by some powerful performances and some searing insights into what it's like to grow up black 799 00:42:10,520 --> 00:42:15,520 But said it was unfortunate that writer Leonard Lamestorff didn't develop the premise more fully or credibly 800 00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:21,520 But he also wrote Cornbread is strongest in the suggestion of how a boy like Cornbread could become a neighborhood hero 801 00:42:21,520 --> 00:42:23,520 A symbol of hope 802 00:42:23,520 --> 00:42:28,520 The film's chief accomplishment is in showing the impact of his death upon his younger pals 803 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:34,520 Martin Levine in Newsday wrote Cornbread's message of dinghity and honesty is eviscerated by race baiting or excessive violence 804 00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:40,520 Indeed it marks an unlook for advance for American international pictures, hitherto noted for its profitable sleaze 805 00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:46,520 He finishes reviews saying, "I realized I'm praising Cornbread Earl and me for being the equivalent of a decent TV show 806 00:42:46,520 --> 00:42:50,520 But in the context of B movies, that's still praiseworthy" 807 00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:58,520 Howard Coffin in Affiliate Alphia Inquire wrote, "If you haven't heard about Cornbread Earl and me, blame it on the executive who slothed this one into the theater 808 00:42:58,520 --> 00:43:05,520 As though it were just another hell up in Harlem. It's not, and it deserves to be seen, particularly by kids of all races and by white grownups 809 00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:09,520 We have a hard time coming to grips with the humanity of black people." 810 00:43:09,520 --> 00:43:19,520 Over at the Philadelphia Daily News, Joe Belltaki called Cornbread Earl and me a "gettosopopra" where emotions are worked over with a heaviness even daytime TV is abandoned 811 00:43:19,520 --> 00:43:24,520 Still there are some admirable elements in the new PG-rated family film, mostly in the form of performances 812 00:43:24,520 --> 00:43:28,520 Plus a few incredibly affecting moments in which quiet truths are conveyed 813 00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:43,520 Francis Taylor in the Jersey Journal wrote that Cornbread Earl and me is an unpretentious movie that offers real black people struggling upwards against the odds trying to raise children who respect moral principles and

split their daily experience of the lack of morals in society outside their homes 814 00:43:43,520 --> 00:43:48,520 So you concluded by saying that Cornbread Earl and me has no unrealistic happy ending 815 00:43:48,520 --> 00:43:54,520 It shows that people who resist fear in order to do the right thing learn something of enormous value 816 00:43:54,520 --> 00:44:00,520 Lowell Cohen of the peninsula times tribute in called Cornbread Earl and me overdone, saying that was hopelessly naive 817 00:44:00,520 --> 00:44:06,520 It depicts a world where good people are nothing less than angels and the villains are the kind who would beat their own mothers 818 00:44:06,520 --> 00:44:13,520 Coden dinged Wilkes acting, saying that once the specs for now at least, he couldn't tackle the part that called for much more 819 00:44:13,520 --> 00:44:23,520 They destroyed repressed review called Cornbread, a feast of mediocrity, saying it was not a black exploitation film but neither is it a sensitive reflection of part of the black experience 820 00:44:23,520 --> 00:44:32,520 Cornbread avoids some but not all of the black exploitation formula traps but has a more interesting and sophisticated story than most films made for the black market 821 00:44:32,520 --> 00:44:39,520 The reviewer praised Fishburns and Cache's performances but set of Wilkes, he does just fine when he's bouncing a basketball 822 00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:43,520 When he opens his mouth, one becomes thankful he dies early in the picture 823 00:44:43,520 --> 00:44:49,520 The reviewer also said one could believe the soundtrack was headed straight for the New York Discos if only the lyrics weren't so enane 824 00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:57,520 [Music] 825 00:44:57,520 --> 00:45:01,520 So Cheryl, we saw that the reviews for Cornbread Earl and me were very mixed 826 00:45:01,520 --> 00:45:03,520 What are your thoughts on the film? 827 00:45:03,520 --> 00:45:10,520 Well, reading those reviews I kind of found something to agree with and all of them and something to disagree with often too 828 00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:20,520 And my view of the film watching it is that there is the germ of a really good movie in here but unfortunately it's kind of turned into an afterschool special 829 00:45:20,520 --> 00:45:31,520 Well I have to wonder because this is based on a novel if there's just more explanation of what's going on in the actual story that just didn't translate to the screen because I've got a lot of questions 830 00:45:31,520 --> 00:45:35,520 I don't really have questions, I just have issues with how the movie was played out 831 00:45:35,520 --> 00:45:41,520 And I think that maybe if we read the story it was based on that some of these questions I have would be answered 832 00:45:41,520 --> 00:45:42,520 Give me an example 833 00:45:42,520 --> 00:45:44,520 What kind of a nickname is Cornbread? 834 00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:45,520 [Laughter] 835 00:45:45,520 --> 00:45:46,520 Yeah 836 00:45:46,520 --> 00:45:49,520

There has to be an explanation for why he has perceived this name 837 00:45:49,520 --> 00:45:54,520 Well just like Puder and Cruley High, we're never gonna know, we have to accept it 838 00:45:54,520 --> 00:46:00,520 And the character of One Eye, he doesn't really do anything in this but I'm sure he's much more involved in the story, he has to be 839 00:46:00,520 --> 00:46:07,520 Yeah, he just serves as an example of how straight arrow Cornbread is or at least how everyone wants him to be 840 00:46:07,520 --> 00:46:12,520 No, he is, it's kind of annoying how straight arrow Cornbread is 841 00:46:12,520 --> 00:46:17,520 Well that's the problem I have with it, is that Cornbread is too good to be true, number one 842 00:46:17,520 --> 00:46:18,520 He's a cartoon character 843 00:46:18,520 --> 00:46:27,520 He is and number two, it took me reading about it to understand that the neighborhood rioted because they were so invested in Cornbread 844 00:46:27,520 --> 00:46:36,520 Because we're given really nothing showing him interacting with anybody in the neighborhood except for One Eye and Mr. Jenkins 845 00:46:36,520 --> 00:46:37,520 And Wilford 846 00:46:37,520 --> 00:46:43,520 And well obviously Wilford's his cousin but I mean the whole neighborhood decides to beat up cops on Cornbread's behalf 847 00:46:43,520 --> 00:46:48,520 But we don't know what he means to the neighborhood, we see very few people interact with him 848 00:46:48,520 --> 00:46:52,520 And all those interactions seem kind of stilted and stagy 849 00:46:52,520 --> 00:46:58,520 Right, the first sort of the movie we see it all basically through Cornbread's point of view and... 850 00:46:58,520 --> 00:46:59,520 Then he dies 851 00:46:59,520 --> 00:47:03,520 He dies but before that he seems so vain 852 00:47:03,520 --> 00:47:09,520 Yeah, he's got a big head, I mean he's what 18 and he's going to get this big basketball scholarship 853 00:47:09,520 --> 00:47:12,520 He deserves to have a lot of pride in what he's done 854 00:47:12,520 --> 00:47:17,520 Can you imagine if Cochise had that kind of attitude and clearly high? He wouldn't have had any friends 855 00:47:17,520 --> 00:47:18,520 Probably not 856 00:47:18,520 --> 00:47:24,520 And we don't see that Cornbread has friends, we just see him hanging out with Earl and Wilford 857 00:47:24,520 --> 00:47:28,520 They're little kids, he doesn't really have any friends his own age 858 00:47:28,520 --> 00:47:31,520 But he's so... well you said cartoonish 859 00:47:31,520 --> 00:47:39,520 He's just this figurehead, he doesn't really exist as a person, he's just a concept 860 00:47:39,520 --> 00:47:43,520 And the concept is just too good to be true, he's not a human being 861 00:47:43,520 --> 00:47:47,520 And maybe he was flushed out more in the story that this is based on 862 00:47:47,520 --> 00:47:51,520 The hug busher was the book they reprinted with the title Cornbread Earl and me 863 00:47:51,520 --> 00:47:55,520 It just would have been good to

see him interact with other people in the neighborhood 864 00:47:55,520 --> 00:47:57,520 We don't really meet a lot of people 865 00:47:57,520 --> 00:48:00,520 Instead we just get these stilted conversations 866 00:48:00,520 --> 00:48:04,520 Mr. Wilson saying, "Oh, we need you so much, we can't let anything happen to you" 867 00:48:04,520 --> 00:48:09,520 Well the story isn't Cornbread's story, it's the story of what happens after he's killed 868 00:48:09,520 --> 00:48:10,520 Right 869 00:48:10,520 --> 00:48:15,520 But it would be helpful to have him be more of a character just as a viewer in the audience 870 00:48:15,520 --> 00:48:22,520 To see why he represents what he does to these characters, rather than just saying, "Yeah, he's a good basketball player" 871 00:48:22,520 --> 00:48:26,520 And he's going places, so that's something we can all strive to do 872 00:48:26,520 --> 00:48:28,520 Good for him 873 00:48:28,520 --> 00:48:32,520 I do see how his parents are affected and Wilfer too 874 00:48:32,520 --> 00:48:37,520 And Wilfer's mom, Sarah, that part rings true 875 00:48:37,520 --> 00:48:40,520 And I think those are the best performances in the movie 876 00:48:40,520 --> 00:48:45,520 Obviously, Rosalind Cash, we've seen her just last week 877 00:48:45,520 --> 00:48:47,520 Yes, she was in Monkey Huzzle 878 00:48:47,520 --> 00:48:54,520 And Madgyson Claire and Stack Pierce as Sam and Leona, Cornbread's parents 879 00:48:54,520 --> 00:48:57,520 I thought their performances were very good 880 00:48:57,520 --> 00:48:59,520 And Lawrence Fishburn was amazing in this movie 881 00:48:59,520 --> 00:49:02,520 Oh, he's very good, what would ever happen to him? 882 00:49:02,520 --> 00:49:04,520 I bet he could have gone places 883 00:49:04,520 --> 00:49:07,520 As child actors go, he's probably one of the best I've ever seen 884 00:49:07,520 --> 00:49:11,520 And the scene where he's running up and down the street saying that Cornbread died 885 00:49:11,520 --> 00:49:14,520 It felt so real, I gasped 886 00:49:14,520 --> 00:49:19,520 I kind of get into a bunch of thinking about how well he played that scene 887 00:49:19,520 --> 00:49:22,520 My least favorite character in this movie is the score 888 00:49:22,520 --> 00:49:23,520 Oh god 889 00:49:23,520 --> 00:49:26,520 The music is awful, it's so smalty 890 00:49:26,520 --> 00:49:27,520 An intrusive 891 00:49:27,520 --> 00:49:31,520 Everything's quiet, it comes up just before a big speech or something 892 00:49:31,520 --> 00:49:33,520 And you can't help but notice it 893 00:49:33,520 --> 00:49:35,520 And you're really not supposed to notice it 894 00:49:35,520 --> 00:49:38,520 It's supposed to subliminally help you feel what you're supposed to feel 895 00:49:38,520 --> 00:49:42,520 But it kind of punches you in the gut when it's telling you to feel this way instead 896 00:49:42,520 --> 00:49:48,520 The speech that I did in the synopsis where he's going, "No, mama, this is food by his basketball." 897 00:49:48,520 --> 00:49:50,520 I mean, that's corny stuff he's saying anyway 898 00:49:50,520 --> 00:49:53,520 But the score going behind it doesn't help 899 00:49:53,520 --> 00:49:58,520 No, and we saw one of the reviews that the music was better suited for a disco 900 00:49:58,520 --> 00:50:00,520 And then the theme song 901 00:50:00,520 --> 00:50:02,520 The theme song's kind of fun, it's catchy 902 00:50:02,520 --> 00:50:04,520 It's catchy but it's kind of silly too 903 00:50:04,520 --> 00:50:06,520 It's very silly, I've got the lyrics here 904 00:50:06,520 --> 00:50:09,520 I don't remember the tune at all so you don't have to hear me sing it 905 00:50:09,520 --> 00:50:16,520 In the heat of the night, you hear the bump of the ball on the floor of the court on the sides of the hall 906 00:50:16,520 --> 00:50:18,520 He's cornbread 907 00:50:18,520 --> 00:50:19,520 Cornbread 908 00:50:19,520 --> 00:50:21,520 He's cornbread 909 00:50:21,520 --> 00:50:22,520 Cornbread 910 00:50:22,520 --> 00:50:24,520 I'm not doing it every single time 911 00:50:24,520 --> 00:50:27,520 He's a man, made of steel 912 00:50:27,520 --> 00:50:30,520 Was no sucker to buy, was a giant in his field 913 00:50:30,520 --> 00:50:32,520 Not a trick for one eye, he's cornbread 914 00:50:32,520 --> 00:50:33,520 Cornbread 915 00:50:33,520 --> 00:50:35,520 He's cornbread 916 00:50:35,520 --> 00:50:37,520 Oh God, get on with it 917 00:50:37,520 --> 00:50:39,520 He's the man with the plan, he's got a basketball on his hand 918 00:50:39,520 --> 00:50:41,520 Well, he's cornbread 919 00:50:41,520 --> 00:50:43,520 Cornbread 920 00:50:43,520 --> 00:50:44,520 He's cornbread 921 00:50:44,520 --> 00:50:47,520 He's the man with the plan, got the whole world in his hand 922 00:50:47,520 --> 00:50:49,520 He's cornbread 923 00:50:49,520 --> 00:50:51,520 Cornbread 924 00:50:51,520 --> 00:50:54,520 He's going to school, now looking to fight 925 00:50:54,520 --> 00:50:58,520 Not an neighborhood fool, got no gun or knife, he's cornbread 926 00:50:58,520 --> 00:51:00,520 Cornbread 927 00:51:00,520 --> 00:51:03,520 He's cornbread 928 00:51:03,520 --> 00:51:04,520 He's a dream to his mom, he's a man to his pop 929 00:51:04,520 --> 00:51:07,520 He's an idol of the kids and he loves soda pop 930 00:51:07,520 --> 00:51:09,520 He's cornbread 931 00:51:09,520 --> 00:51:11,520 Cornbread 932 00:51:11,520 --> 00:51:12,520 He's cornbread 933 00:51:12,520 --> 00:51:14,520 And then it repeats, he's the man with the plan, he's got a basketball on his hand, he's cornbread 934 00:51:14,520 --> 00:51:17,520 I see what I'm saying, it's just so silly 935 00:51:17,520 --> 00:51:21,520 But it's really difficult to get out of your head, but apparently it works because I don't remember the tune 936 00:51:21,520 --> 00:51:25,520 Yeah, so that's, it's annoying, but I understand they have to have it there 937 00:51:25,520 --> 00:51:27,520 The song was better than the score 938 00:51:27,520 --> 00:51:35,520 The soundtrack album

has that song twice, it's the first and last track, so I don't know if the lyrics are slightly different when they play it the first time for you to compare it 939 00:51:35,520 --> 00:51:36,520 I don't think it is 940 00:51:36,520 --> 00:51:41,520 But the rest is just the score, so I don't think I'll be trying to track down that soundtrack album 941 00:51:41,520 --> 00:51:43,520 No, it's pretty annoying 942 00:51:43,520 --> 00:51:48,520 And the song does a better job of explaining who Cornbread is than the movie does though 943 00:51:48,520 --> 00:51:51,520 So that's kind of not great 944 00:51:51,520 --> 00:51:56,520 We get more information on Cornbread from the theme song than we do from his interactions with others in the movie 945 00:51:56,520 --> 00:52:05,520 No, I guess it doesn't really matter though, beyond the fact that he's a really good basketball player and he's going to get out of this neighborhood because of that 946 00:52:05,520 --> 00:52:10,520 Well, that's why I say there's a germ of a really good movie here because it's the aftermath that really concerns us 947 00:52:10,520 --> 00:52:13,520 Cornbread is like in the first half hour of the movie 948 00:52:13,520 --> 00:52:20,520 The second half hour of the movie is the police and the police responding and trying to intimidate the witnesses 949 00:52:20,520 --> 00:52:23,520 And then the last half hour is the inquest 950 00:52:23,520 --> 00:52:29,520 And it's the middle part that's pretty interesting where we get real conflict and character growth 951 00:52:29,520 --> 00:52:34,520 And then in the third act when we see the results of that and how it affected different people 952 00:52:34,520 --> 00:52:37,520 All these people aren't speaking at all because they're scared 953 00:52:37,520 --> 00:52:39,520 Right, and that was very realistic 954 00:52:39,520 --> 00:52:44,520 What I thought wasn't realistic was the fact that all Wilford had to do was testify 955 00:52:44,520 --> 00:52:47,520 And the coroner's like, "Oh, okay, I believe you." 956 00:52:47,520 --> 00:52:52,520 And then he's ready to throw the book at Danher for doing the witness intimidation 957 00:52:52,520 --> 00:52:57,520 When he had just been so cruel to Earl who just sat on the stand and sobbed 958 00:52:57,520 --> 00:53:00,520 I mean, he really was, he was mean to Earl 959 00:53:00,520 --> 00:53:03,520 But he listens to Wilford explain everything 960 00:53:03,520 --> 00:53:07,520 And to be fair Lawrence Fishburn did a great job with this scene 961 00:53:07,520 --> 00:53:11,520 He explained it very matter of faculty without emotion, what happened 962 00:53:11,520 --> 00:53:15,520 And even though he didn't get emotional, it was emotional to watch him do this 963 00:53:15,520 --> 00:53:18,520 And speaking of Earl, this is Tier Turner 964 00:53:18,520 --> 00:53:21,520 Is the third character we've seen a play in an AIP movie? 965 00:53:21,520 --> 00:53:22,520 Very different 966 00:53:22,520 --> 00:53:26,520 All from this year, this was the first one, so we watched them in their verse order that they came out 967 00:53:26,520 --> 00:53:29,520 And he looks like he's a year younger 968 00:53:29,520 --> 00:53:31,520 He's a year older actually than Lawrence Fishburn 969 00:53:31,520 --> 00:53:33,520 I mean, he looks like a year younger than we've seen him before 970 00:53:33,520 --> 00:53:36,520 Oh, he does, he looks very much like a little kid here 971 00:53:36,520 --> 00:53:38,520 And he acts like one 972 00:53:38,520 --> 00:53:40,520 He's not the smart act we've seen in the other two films 973 00:53:40,520 --> 00:53:45,520 Yeah, he's not this best operator that he was in Friday Foster and in Bucktown 974 00:53:45,520 --> 00:53:50,520 And as for the character of Earl, I don't understand what he did to Warren and getting his name in the time 975 00:53:50,520 --> 00:53:56,520 He's just sort of the naysayer to everything that Wilford says 976 00:53:56,520 --> 00:53:59,520 I feel this is a lot more than this character deserved 977 00:53:59,520 --> 00:54:02,520 Yeah, the title could have made it a lot more dramatic 978 00:54:02,520 --> 00:54:06,520 It makes it sound like sort of a fun buddy comedy when it's not 979 00:54:06,520 --> 00:54:10,520 And all the players don't deserve equal billing in the title 980 00:54:10,520 --> 00:54:12,520 This is really Wilford's movie 981 00:54:12,520 --> 00:54:16,520 And what's happening to him is the most important part of the movie 982 00:54:16,520 --> 00:54:17,520 Yeah 983 00:54:17,520 --> 00:54:20,520 His relationship with Earl is they argue all the time 984 00:54:20,520 --> 00:54:23,520 They were always bickering their friends but they don't get along that well 985 00:54:23,520 --> 00:54:26,520 The part at the end where Wilford teaches Earl how to shoot 986 00:54:26,520 --> 00:54:28,520 That was a good scene, I like that scene 987 00:54:28,520 --> 00:54:30,520 And that kind of thing could have happened a lot earlier 988 00:54:30,520 --> 00:54:33,520 If Earl was just an easier person to get along with 989 00:54:33,520 --> 00:54:34,520 He's very contrary 990 00:54:34,520 --> 00:54:36,520 He doesn't want to believe anything Wilford says 991 00:54:36,520 --> 00:54:39,520 And it's kind of hard to see how they are friends 992 00:54:39,520 --> 00:54:41,520 Because it sounds like he just got here from Mississippi 993 00:54:41,520 --> 00:54:43,520 Or at least he's always talking about it 994 00:54:43,520 --> 00:54:49,520 Well, when your kids is a lot easier, you make friends with the other kids in the neighborhood and they don't seem to be a lot 995 00:54:49,520 --> 00:54:54,520 No, there aren't a lot of kids play basketball but not a lot of kids actually hang 996 00:54:54,520 --> 00:54:57,520 With either cornbread or Wilford and Earl 997 00:54:57,520 --> 00:54:59,520 Another thing that may have been handled better in the book 998 00:54:59,520 --> 00:55:04,520 I really would kind of like to read this story just to see if they did a better

job 999 00:55:04,520 --> 00:55:09,520 Because the way that the story is put together, it's kind of angering 1000 00:55:09,520 --> 00:55:12,520 I mean, the material is supposed to make you angry 1001 00:55:12,520 --> 00:55:16,520 That this kind of thing is happening anyway with the police intimidation and everything that's going on 1002 00:55:16,520 --> 00:55:20,520 But I think the way that the film handles it makes it even worse 1003 00:55:20,520 --> 00:55:21,520 It does 1004 00:55:21,520 --> 00:55:23,520 This is a serious subject 1005 00:55:23,520 --> 00:55:30,520 Extradudicial execution by the police has been in the news constantly in the past 10 years at least 1006 00:55:30,520 --> 00:55:31,520 For good reason 1007 00:55:31,520 --> 00:55:32,520 And it should be 1008 00:55:32,520 --> 00:55:34,520 And the way that it plays out here 1009 00:55:34,520 --> 00:55:36,520 It's just wrapped up 1010 00:55:36,520 --> 00:55:39,520 So neatly and tidily and it shouldn't be 1011 00:55:39,520 --> 00:55:42,520 At least one of the officers is going to have to face consequences 1012 00:55:42,520 --> 00:55:44,520 At least they imply that much 1013 00:55:44,520 --> 00:55:46,520 Yeah, but it's not the shooters 1014 00:55:46,520 --> 00:55:48,520 It's the guy who tried to cover up for the shooters 1015 00:55:48,520 --> 00:55:51,520 And to be honest, I don't believe any of that 1016 00:55:51,520 --> 00:55:54,520 I don't think anything is going to happen to anybody here 1017 00:55:54,520 --> 00:55:55,520 It never does 1018 00:55:55,520 --> 00:55:58,520 This is not a problem that has been solved 1019 00:55:58,520 --> 00:56:01,520 It's a problem that's been exacerbated in the past 50 years 1020 00:56:01,520 --> 00:56:03,520 This is a 50-year-old movie 1021 00:56:03,520 --> 00:56:05,520 And what was interesting 1022 00:56:05,520 --> 00:56:08,520 And I don't know if they were just trying to pull the punches or what 1023 00:56:08,520 --> 00:56:12,520 But it was the white cop that was having doubts about what they did 1024 00:56:12,520 --> 00:56:14,520 Yeah, but I think they explained that pretty well 1025 00:56:14,520 --> 00:56:16,520 When they had Benjamin talk to Larry in the hospital 1026 00:56:16,520 --> 00:56:17,520 Well, they had to 1027 00:56:17,520 --> 00:56:20,520 Obviously, but I think that was a good scene 1028 00:56:20,520 --> 00:56:24,520 And I think that getting the two of them to talk to each other about their history 1029 00:56:24,520 --> 00:56:25,520 Their experiences 1030 00:56:25,520 --> 00:56:28,520 And their different perspectives on the people in the neighborhood 1031 00:56:28,520 --> 00:56:30,520 I thought that was really important 1032 00:56:30,520 --> 00:56:32,520 And that made sense 1033 00:56:32,520 --> 00:56:36,520 And I think if you focus on Larry and John and their transformation 1034 00:56:36,520 --> 00:56:39,520 That adds to the benefit of the movie 1035 00:56:39,520 --> 00:56:42,520 The cartoonish mustache twirling villain Sergeant Danner 1036 00:56:42,520 --> 00:56:45,520 Does not add anything to this movie 1037 00:56:45,520 --> 00:56:49,520 It's so ridiculous how evil he is 1038 00:56:49,520 --> 00:56:52,520 And then how he gets his justice in the end 1039 00:56:52,520 --> 00:56:54,520 I don't believe any of it 1040 00:56:54,520 --> 00:56:55,520 Well, up to the end 1041 00:56:55,520 --> 00:56:57,520 I thought that he was the most realistic character 1042 00:56:57,520 --> 00:57:00,520 Well, I can believe that the police do intimidation of witnesses 1043 00:57:00,520 --> 00:57:05,520 It's just the way that it happens here is not realistic to me 1044 00:57:05,520 --> 00:57:08,520 It doesn't feel like a natural scene 1045 00:57:08,520 --> 00:57:11,520 It's like something that a middle schooler wrote 1046 00:57:11,520 --> 00:57:13,520 Where do you think the story takes place? 1047 00:57:13,520 --> 00:57:15,520 Is this somewhere in a Los Angeles area? 1048 00:57:15,520 --> 00:57:17,520 Yeah, I believe that 1049 00:57:17,520 --> 00:57:21,520 I think that's some of the signage that we saw indicates that it's LA 1050 00:57:21,520 --> 00:57:25,520 And I think that's something that the story takes place 1051 00:57:25,520 --> 00:57:27,520 It's not indicates that it's LA 1052 00:57:27,520 --> 00:57:31,520 It's probably one of the more ethnic neighborhoods 1053 00:57:31,520 --> 00:57:36,520 So the reason I ask is because they kind of interchange the term soda and pop 1054 00:57:36,520 --> 00:57:38,520 Which is a regional thing 1055 00:57:38,520 --> 00:57:40,520 And you don't find an area that uses them both 1056 00:57:40,520 --> 00:57:42,520 You may call it soda pop 1057 00:57:42,520 --> 00:57:44,520 You may call it soda, you may call it pop 1058 00:57:44,520 --> 00:57:47,520 And a lot of places according to the maps that I see it's Coke 1059 00:57:47,520 --> 00:57:49,520 Well, you know what Earl is from Mississippi 1060 00:57:49,520 --> 00:57:52,520 So not everyone who lives in California grew up in California 1061 00:57:52,520 --> 00:57:55,520 So there are regional differences 1062 00:57:55,520 --> 00:57:57,520 I used to call it pop when I lived in the Midwest 1063 00:57:57,520 --> 00:58:01,520 And I'm kind of transitioned to calling it soda since I moved to Arizona 1064 00:58:01,520 --> 00:58:02,520 So that could happen 1065 00:58:02,520 --> 00:58:04,520 I don't think that that's really important 1066 00:58:04,520 --> 00:58:08,520 But I will say having grown up in the Midwest that when they did say pop 1067 00:58:08,520 --> 00:58:09,520 They pronounced it right 1068 00:58:09,520 --> 00:58:13,520 Well, like I said, just because you live in an area doesn't mean you're from that area 1069 00:58:13,520 --> 00:58:15,520 And I grew up in Indiana 1070 00:58:15,520 --> 00:58:19,520 And I didn't have the same accent as people one county south of me 1071 00:58:19,520 --> 00:58:24,520 So just being part of a state doesn't really guarantee anything 1072 00:58:24,520 --> 00:58:26,520 There's city

versus rural 1073 00:58:26,520 --> 00:58:30,520 I just think that there's a whole plethora of ways to say things 1074 00:58:30,520 --> 00:58:34,520 And that there might be people saying it one way in a neighborhood 1075 00:58:34,520 --> 00:58:36,520 It's not going to be everybody 1076 00:58:36,520 --> 00:58:40,520 Well, so far I think we're in agreement that the acting is really good here 1077 00:58:40,520 --> 00:58:42,520 Yeah, Rosalind Cash is very good 1078 00:58:42,520 --> 00:58:48,520 Her handling of Wilford after the shooting was so amazing 1079 00:58:48,520 --> 00:58:50,520 She's trying so hard to get her boy back on track 1080 00:58:50,520 --> 00:58:53,520 She knows something terrible has happened and he had to see it 1081 00:58:53,520 --> 00:58:57,520 And she's doing a fantastic job 1082 00:58:57,520 --> 00:58:59,520 Trying to rescue him basically 1083 00:58:59,520 --> 00:59:02,520 Trying to keep him from giving into despair 1084 00:59:02,520 --> 00:59:05,520 And being unable to see a future for himself 1085 00:59:05,520 --> 00:59:08,520 And the way that it happens in the movie is just so sweet 1086 00:59:08,520 --> 00:59:10,520 They're just walking around talking 1087 00:59:10,520 --> 00:59:14,520 There's no big intervention where she's trying to lecture him 1088 00:59:14,520 --> 00:59:20,520 She's just kind of talking to him as a person, an older person, like he's an adult 1089 00:59:20,520 --> 00:59:23,520 And just trying to encourage him 1090 00:59:23,520 --> 00:59:25,520 What about the storyline where she's got the bad heart? 1091 00:59:25,520 --> 00:59:29,520 That's the other thing that I think was probably explained better in the book 1092 00:59:29,520 --> 00:59:32,520 Yeah, it was just shorthanded for the film 1093 00:59:32,520 --> 00:59:35,520 Well, they needed something that the police could use as leverage over her 1094 00:59:35,520 --> 00:59:36,520 And that's what they had 1095 00:59:36,520 --> 00:59:39,520 And that's all the serves in this movie is 1096 00:59:39,520 --> 00:59:40,520 Right 1097 00:59:40,520 --> 00:59:42,520 Yeah, she's on welfare because of this 1098 00:59:42,520 --> 00:59:45,520 She's not really supposed to be on welfare 1099 00:59:45,520 --> 00:59:47,520 She doesn't have a hard condition, that's the thing 1100 00:59:47,520 --> 00:59:50,520 She just can't or won't work for whatever reason 1101 00:59:50,520 --> 00:59:54,520 Maybe she doesn't want to leave her son home alone while she works three jobs 1102 00:59:54,520 --> 00:59:56,520 I mean, that's what I would imagine 1103 00:59:56,520 --> 00:59:58,520 But nothing gets explained 1104 00:59:58,520 --> 01:00:01,520 And I think we just shorthand a lot of this 1105 01:00:01,520 --> 01:00:05,520 And that's why it feels very much like an afterschool special for me 1106 01:00:05,520 --> 01:00:06,520 It's very simplistic 1107 01:00:06,520 --> 01:00:10,520 Between that and some of the dialogue particularly cornbread's dialogue is 1108 01:00:10,520 --> 01:00:11,520 Yeah 1109 01:00:11,520 --> 01:00:13,520 It's as schmultzi as the score 1110 01:00:13,520 --> 01:00:15,520 Keith Wilkes is not a good actor 1111 01:00:15,520 --> 01:00:16,520 He seems like a nice guy 1112 01:00:16,520 --> 01:00:18,520 He does seem like a great guy 1113 01:00:18,520 --> 01:00:21,520 And I definitely think he's a fantastic basketball player 1114 01:00:21,520 --> 01:00:23,520 I just don't know why he got cast in this movie 1115 01:00:23,520 --> 01:00:25,520 I think it's because he has an unusual look 1116 01:00:25,520 --> 01:00:27,520 He's got really light eyes 1117 01:00:27,520 --> 01:00:28,520 He's very tall 1118 01:00:28,520 --> 01:00:31,520 He's very tall, that's not going for him too 1119 01:00:31,520 --> 01:00:33,520 And I mean, yeah, he seems like a real person 1120 01:00:33,520 --> 01:00:35,520 But usually you won't 1121 01:00:35,520 --> 01:00:36,520 He didn't seem like a real person 1122 01:00:36,520 --> 01:00:37,520 I think that was the problem 1123 01:00:37,520 --> 01:00:44,520 Yeah, what I mean is like he seems like a civilian pulling off the streets to act in a movie 1124 01:00:44,520 --> 01:00:47,520 And he doesn't seem like an actor because he's not an actor 1125 01:00:47,520 --> 01:00:50,520 He didn't do anything after this except for one TV appearance 1126 01:00:50,520 --> 01:00:52,520 And then some sports stuff 1127 01:00:52,520 --> 01:00:54,520 And I can see why 1128 01:00:54,520 --> 01:00:56,520 I think there's a lot of missed opportunities here 1129 01:00:56,520 --> 01:00:58,520 Because there's a lot of good stuff mixed in 1130 01:00:58,520 --> 01:00:59,520 There's a lot of good stuff 1131 01:00:59,520 --> 01:01:02,520 The cinematography I think is really good in this movie 1132 01:01:02,520 --> 01:01:05,520 Yeah, there were a couple scenes that I thought were 1133 01:01:05,520 --> 01:01:07,520 I think this is the scene where Cormorant dies 1134 01:01:07,520 --> 01:01:09,520 And the riot starts 1135 01:01:09,520 --> 01:01:11,520 The cuts between that I didn't really care for that 1136 01:01:11,520 --> 01:01:13,520 Because we couldn't really see what was happening 1137 01:01:13,520 --> 01:01:17,520 They were cutting to the light on top of the police car flashing 1138 01:01:17,520 --> 01:01:19,520 And then they cut back to the beating 1139 01:01:19,520 --> 01:01:20,520 And then they cut away to something else 1140 01:01:20,520 --> 01:01:23,520 And that would seem like maybe the editing wasn't that great 1141 01:01:23,520 --> 01:01:24,520 But yeah, the cinematography is good 1142 01:01:24,520 --> 01:01:26,520 And they cut away to Officer Larry 1143 01:01:26,520 --> 01:01:30,520 With little pieces of glass pellets poking on his face 1144 01:01:30,520 --> 01:01:33,520 If that happened every time a windshield shattered 1145 01:01:33,520 --> 01:01:35,520 Yeah, I know 1146 01:01:35,520 --> 01:01:37,520 There'd be a lot more blind people in the world 1147 01:01:37,520 --> 01:01:41,520 Yeah, that didn't happen any of my

car accidents 1148 01:01:41,520 --> 01:01:44,520 But in terms of the cinematography, particularly in the courtroom stuff 1149 01:01:44,520 --> 01:01:46,520 They keep getting really tight 1150 01:01:46,520 --> 01:01:47,520 Yeah 1151 01:01:47,520 --> 01:01:49,520 And it's really, really well done 1152 01:01:49,520 --> 01:01:50,520 Yeah 1153 01:01:50,520 --> 01:01:51,520 Yeah 1154 01:01:51,520 --> 01:01:53,520 Like I said, there's so much going on in this movie 1155 01:01:53,520 --> 01:01:56,520 They just insisted on inserting some of these really ridiculous scenes 1156 01:01:56,520 --> 01:01:59,520 The scene where Sarah comes out to stab, Dan or 1157 01:01:59,520 --> 01:02:02,520 Oh my god, she looked like a rabid animal 1158 01:02:02,520 --> 01:02:04,520 It was just so ridiculous 1159 01:02:04,520 --> 01:02:06,520 Oh, and when Cornbread is shot 1160 01:02:06,520 --> 01:02:09,520 And then the orange soda bottle flies through the air 1161 01:02:09,520 --> 01:02:10,520 Yeah 1162 01:02:10,520 --> 01:02:12,520 That was a little overdramatic, I think 1163 01:02:12,520 --> 01:02:13,520 Yeah 1164 01:02:13,520 --> 01:02:15,520 So I just wish I could redo this movie 1165 01:02:15,520 --> 01:02:17,520 I think I would give it a different title 1166 01:02:17,520 --> 01:02:19,520 Maybe I'd call it Hit the Open Man 1167 01:02:19,520 --> 01:02:22,520 I think I would cast a real actor to play Cornbread 1168 01:02:22,520 --> 01:02:24,520 Go into his background a little more 1169 01:02:24,520 --> 01:02:26,520 Like why is everybody thinking so great? 1170 01:02:26,520 --> 01:02:30,520 Because he seemed a little like a blank canvas to me 1171 01:02:30,520 --> 01:02:33,520 We have to go back to the book and see what's missing from the film 1172 01:02:33,520 --> 01:02:34,520 Yeah 1173 01:02:34,520 --> 01:02:36,520 But a lot of the stuff I wouldn't touch 1174 01:02:36,520 --> 01:02:39,520 Like anything with Wilford 1175 01:02:39,520 --> 01:02:42,520 I would give one eye something to do 1176 01:02:42,520 --> 01:02:47,520 I thought the only thing that he did was disappear when the police were about to come around 1177 01:02:47,520 --> 01:02:48,520 And we never saw him again 1178 01:02:48,520 --> 01:02:49,520 No, they don't talk about him 1179 01:02:49,520 --> 01:02:51,520 And it was not Charlie again, either come to think of it 1180 01:02:51,520 --> 01:02:53,520 Yeah, we didn't see Charlie again, but that's okay 1181 01:02:53,520 --> 01:02:55,520 Because Sarah's moved on, she's got herself a lawyer 1182 01:02:55,520 --> 01:02:57,520 Well, maybe 1183 01:02:57,520 --> 01:02:59,520 We don't really see anything solid developing there 1184 01:02:59,520 --> 01:03:04,520 There's an implication of something possibly interminating there 1185 01:03:04,520 --> 01:03:08,520 But yeah, but I think she's going to like him a lot better than she likes Charlie 1186 01:03:08,520 --> 01:03:09,520 The horny guy 1187 01:03:09,520 --> 01:03:11,520 The horny guy without a job, yeah 1188 01:03:11,520 --> 01:03:13,520 Yeah, right, exactly 1189 01:03:13,520 --> 01:03:15,520 Benjamin can pay the rent 1190 01:03:15,520 --> 01:03:16,520 But he's a good guy 1191 01:03:16,520 --> 01:03:20,520 And Moses Gunn as Benjamin was very good too 1192 01:03:20,520 --> 01:03:22,520 In the tradition of movie lawyers 1193 01:03:22,520 --> 01:03:25,520 He's wise, he's kind, he's forceful 1194 01:03:25,520 --> 01:03:27,520 He did a great job with the role 1195 01:03:27,520 --> 01:03:29,520 And I really liked him in this movie 1196 01:03:29,520 --> 01:03:31,520 And I can see who I Rosalind liked him too 1197 01:03:31,520 --> 01:03:35,520 When they go into these reports and they talk about a shiny object in his hand 1198 01:03:35,520 --> 01:03:37,520 Nobody mentions the basketball 1199 01:03:37,520 --> 01:03:39,520 He's always got a basketball in his hand 1200 01:03:39,520 --> 01:03:42,520 And that's going to be more noticeable than a soda bottle 1201 01:03:42,520 --> 01:03:43,520 I think so too 1202 01:03:43,520 --> 01:03:45,520 And he couldn't really dribble because it was raining 1203 01:03:45,520 --> 01:03:47,520 And a little harder to control your hands or slippery 1204 01:03:47,520 --> 01:03:48,520 I can understand now 1205 01:03:48,520 --> 01:03:49,520 He's still running with the basketball 1206 01:03:49,520 --> 01:03:51,520 Yeah, he was dribbling it as he went 1207 01:03:51,520 --> 01:03:52,520 But he was dribbling it? 1208 01:03:52,520 --> 01:03:53,520 Yeah 1209 01:03:53,520 --> 01:03:55,520 I guess that's in character, sure 1210 01:03:55,520 --> 01:03:57,520 He always, when does he not dribble a basketball? 1211 01:03:57,520 --> 01:03:59,520 He's bouncing it off the wall 1212 01:03:59,520 --> 01:04:00,520 Well, there you go 1213 01:04:00,520 --> 01:04:03,520 I think he bounced it off some of the buildings that he walked past too 1214 01:04:03,520 --> 01:04:05,520 He did 1215 01:04:05,520 --> 01:04:08,520 So they never really explained why the cops should have shot him in the first place 1216 01:04:08,520 --> 01:04:12,520 I mean, they later amended their story that they thought he had a gun 1217 01:04:12,520 --> 01:04:16,520 But I guess the person they were chasing did shoot somebody 1218 01:04:16,520 --> 01:04:18,520 So assuming that he had a gun 1219 01:04:18,520 --> 01:04:21,520 Right, but they didn't have a description of what this person was wearing 1220 01:04:21,520 --> 01:04:22,520 No 1221 01:04:22,520 --> 01:04:26,520 They were chasing somebody with a gray sweatshirt, they didn't know that was the right guy 1222 01:04:26,520 --> 01:04:28,520 It probably was, we don't know 1223 01:04:28,520 --> 01:04:29,520 It might have been 1224 01:04:29,520 --> 01:04:31,520 It probably was 1225 01:04:31,520 --> 01:04:35,520 But he wasn't charging at anybody with whatever he had in his hand 1226 01:04:35,520 --> 01:04:38,520 Cornbread, I mean, wasn't actually physically threatening anybody 1227 01:04:38,520 --> 01:04:40,520 He was just walking across

the street 1228 01:04:40,520 --> 01:04:43,520 He wasn't even going that fast despite what everyone else said 1229 01:04:43,520 --> 01:04:46,520 The one thing is it did look like he turned around when they said police 1230 01:04:46,520 --> 01:04:48,520 And then he turns around and starts running 1231 01:04:48,520 --> 01:04:50,520 Well, he probably assumed they weren't talking to him 1232 01:04:50,520 --> 01:04:51,520 Yeah, probably 1233 01:04:51,520 --> 01:04:55,520 That's what I would do, like I wouldn't assume the cops were chasing me 1234 01:04:55,520 --> 01:04:57,520 I don't know, it just... 1235 01:04:57,520 --> 01:05:01,520 Obviously it's not right to shoot suspects that's not the police's job 1236 01:05:01,520 --> 01:05:05,520 Their job is to catch them and bring them to trial 1237 01:05:05,520 --> 01:05:07,520 And so that's very problematic 1238 01:05:07,520 --> 01:05:09,520 They didn't really address that in the movie though 1239 01:05:09,520 --> 01:05:11,520 That's not really what it was about 1240 01:05:11,520 --> 01:05:15,520 Same in the owner were quick to say it was just a case of mistaken identity 1241 01:05:15,520 --> 01:05:17,520 Like you should have shot the other guy 1242 01:05:17,520 --> 01:05:19,520 But maybe the other guy didn't do it either 1243 01:05:19,520 --> 01:05:23,520 We never saw him holding a gun when he was standing in the background 1244 01:05:23,520 --> 01:05:27,520 He stood right behind the cops as the cops were examining Cornbread's body 1245 01:05:27,520 --> 01:05:30,520 And then eventually he's like, "I should get out of here" 1246 01:05:30,520 --> 01:05:33,520 But should they have shot either one of those guys? 1247 01:05:33,520 --> 01:05:34,520 Oh, thanks so 1248 01:05:34,520 --> 01:05:36,520 No, under the circumstances that we've seen 1249 01:05:36,520 --> 01:05:39,520 And they'd lost sight of the person they were chasing 1250 01:05:39,520 --> 01:05:43,520 And it was raining, we said it was raining, but we didn't describe how rainy it was 1251 01:05:43,520 --> 01:05:45,520 It was a pretty torrential rain 1252 01:05:45,520 --> 01:05:48,520 Imagine you're in the shower except for it's on the entire street 1253 01:05:48,520 --> 01:05:50,520 It's like that much rain 1254 01:05:50,520 --> 01:05:54,520 So their vision was obscured, it was loud, it was noisy, there were lots of people 1255 01:05:54,520 --> 01:05:58,520 And despite all this rain, there were tons of people walking around 1256 01:05:58,520 --> 01:06:02,520 But anyway, it was just a scene that didn't call for someone to be shot in the back 1257 01:06:02,520 --> 01:06:04,520 But the movie doesn't really address that 1258 01:06:04,520 --> 01:06:08,520 Well, we wouldn't have had a movie if that hadn't happened so I can understand why 1259 01:06:08,520 --> 01:06:10,520 Oh yeah, sure it happens all the time 1260 01:06:10,520 --> 01:06:12,520 It never stopped happening 1261 01:06:12,520 --> 01:06:16,520 It's just that the movie doesn't address the fact that they shouldn't have shot the movie 1262 01:06:16,520 --> 01:06:20,520 It's just the fact that they shouldn't have shot the other guy either 1263 01:06:20,520 --> 01:06:28,520 They make Sam and the owner seem like they're very magnanimous by just wanting the admission of guilt and apology 1264 01:06:28,520 --> 01:06:32,520 And just clearing Cornbread's name, that's all they wanted 1265 01:06:32,520 --> 01:06:36,520 But honestly, they could have got a bundle and they deserved it 1266 01:06:36,520 --> 01:06:40,520 So Cheryl, it sounds like you have some very strong feelings about this film 1267 01:06:40,520 --> 01:06:44,520 How would you rate Cornbread in early me, given those strong feelings 1268 01:06:44,520 --> 01:06:50,520 Using our AIP scale, for A is awesome, i is intermediate, and P is pathetic 1269 01:06:50,520 --> 01:06:56,520 I think I know where I mean, I'm obviously gonna give it the great, I'm gonna give it 1270 01:06:56,520 --> 01:06:59,520 But it's unfortunate because parts of this movie deserve an A 1271 01:06:59,520 --> 01:07:06,520 Lawrence Fishburn's performance and some of the other performances that we mentioned are A material 1272 01:07:06,520 --> 01:07:08,520 But parts of it are pathetic 1273 01:07:08,520 --> 01:07:14,520 The parts of the script, the ending was wrapped up too patly 1274 01:07:14,520 --> 01:07:20,520 The scenes where the police are intimidating, the witnesses where Sarah was trying to stab the cop 1275 01:07:20,520 --> 01:07:24,520 That's just enane stuff, this movie deserves better 1276 01:07:24,520 --> 01:07:28,520 So I think I have to take the A parts and the P parts and average it out and give it an i 1277 01:07:28,520 --> 01:07:30,520 What do you think? 1278 01:07:30,520 --> 01:07:33,520 I agree, there's so many good ingredients here 1279 01:07:33,520 --> 01:07:39,520 Like I said, I love the cinematography, the acting is for the majority of this superb 1280 01:07:39,520 --> 01:07:41,520 A few notable exceptions 1281 01:07:41,520 --> 01:07:43,520 With a few notable exceptions, yeah 1282 01:07:43,520 --> 01:07:45,520 But it sings like the score 1283 01:07:45,520 --> 01:07:47,520 Yeah 1284 01:07:47,520 --> 01:07:49,520 That is just grating 1285 01:07:49,520 --> 01:07:51,520 It's so annoying 1286 01:07:51,520 --> 01:07:55,520 The Cornbread song is bad, but it's fun bad, so I can go with it 1287 01:07:55,520 --> 01:07:59,520 Yeah, I think it should have left it off the ending though 1288 01:07:59,520 --> 01:08:04,520 I think what really hurts it is the stuff that's not there that has to be in the book 1289 01:08:04,520 --> 01:08:11,520 Because I don't see how the story could have even been published with so many unanswered questions 1290 01:08:11,520 --> 01:08:15,520 So I think the problem is the adaptation is what really hurts this film 1291 01:08:15,520 --> 01:08:19,520 But I don't know, so I have to judge the film on its own 1292 01:08:19,520 --> 01:08:21,520 You would anyways 1293 01:08:21,520 --> 01:08:23,520 Yeah, I would 1294 01:08:23,520 --> 01:08:27,520 So I'm going to agree this is an “I” movie, there's just not enough here to give it the A that the subject matter 1295 01:08:27,520 --> 01:08:29,520 Give it the A that the subject matter deserves 1296 01:08:29,520 --> 01:08:30,520 Exactly 1297 01:08:30,520 --> 01:08:35,520 And we'd love to know what you think of our podcast or our treatment of this movie 1298 01:08:35,520 --> 01:08:37,520 Cornbread, Earl and Me 1299 01:08:37,520 --> 01:08:39,520 Or anything else that you'd like to tell us 1300 01:08:39,520 --> 01:08:41,520 And the way to do that is to go to our website 1301 01:08:41,520 --> 01:08:43,520 aippod.com 1302 01:08:43,520 --> 01:08:45,520 It's aippod.com 1303 01:08:45,520 --> 01:08:51,520 Where you can find out more about the movies, see posters, trailers, promotional materials, and the like 1304 01:08:51,520 --> 01:08:55,520 And like I said, get in touch with us and give us your thoughts on 1305 01:08:55,520 --> 01:08:58,520 This movie or any of the other movies that we've covered 1306 01:08:58,520 --> 01:09:00,520 aippod.com 1307 01:09:00,520 --> 01:09:04,520 And that's it for this episode of the American International Podcast 1308 01:09:04,520 --> 01:09:05,520 I'm Jeff Markin 1309 01:09:05,520 --> 01:09:06,520 And I'm Cheryl Lightfoot 1310 01:09:06,520 --> 01:09:08,520 And we'll meet you at the drive-in 1311 01:09:08,520 --> 01:09:15,520 Follow the American International Podcast on Instagram and Letterbox @aip_pod 1312 01:09:15,520 --> 01:09:20,520 And on Facebook at facebook.com/AmericanInternationalPodcast 1313 01:09:20,520 --> 01:09:26,520 The American International Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Markin 1314 01:09:26,520 --> 01:09:29,520 A man whose mind is distorted by hatred 1315 01:09:29,520 --> 01:09:30,520 And Cheryl Lightfoot 1316 01:09:30,520 --> 01:09:33,520 A girl hungry for too many things 1317 01:09:33,520 --> 01:09:46,520 The American International Podcast is part of the Pop Culture Entertainment Network 1318 01:09:46,520 --> 01:09:56,520 [MUSIC]