The Wendell Baker Story (2005) Movie Script
Oh, the streets of Rome
Are filled with rubble
Ancient footprints
Are everywhere
You can almost think
That you're seein' double
On a cold, dark night
on the Spanish Stairs
Gotta hurry on back to
my hotel room.
- Wendell?
Please hurry, I can't
be late today.
- I'm coming, Doreen.
I'm just looking for my boot.
Let's go, come on.
She promised she'd be
there with me
When I paint my masterpiece
They say
you don't know
what you have 'til it's gone.
Well me, I knew what I had.
I just didn't know it
was about to be gone.
Hey, .
Oh, the hours we'd spend
Inside the Coliseum
Dodgin' lions
And a-wastin' time
- I've been thinking a
lot about you, Wendell.
- Yeah?
- And us, together.
I just, I love you so much,
but sometimes I feel
like you think
the grass is always
greener on the other side.
- Doreen, there are some
things out there
I want to do and occasionally--
- But you won't get,
or keep, a steady job.
- I'm a venture capitalist.
- Wendell, you're
lucky to have me.
- I know it.
- And I'm lucky to have you.
- Yeah, I mean I'm not
exactly a consolation prize.
I mean, Doreen,
I think it takes a certain
strength of character
to endure the
occasional failure.
You know Mozart didn't sell
a single album while
he was alive?
If there was a named job out
there I could do, I'd do it.
There wasn't, so I had
to make my own.
Turns out there's no one
else doing it.
So I'm pretty darn successful.
- Yeah.
But unfortunately,
selling fake ID cards
to migrant workers
isn't a real job.
- Texas State certified
driver's licenses.
- Oh, Wendell.
- With the holographic
seal of the State of Texas.
Come on, right?
Can I turn the radio back on?
Wanted man in Buffalo
Wanted man in Kansas City
Wanted man in Ohio
Wanted man in Mississippi
Wanted man in old Cheyenne
Wherever you might
look tonight
You might see this
wanted man
Goodbye.
He might be in Colorado
Good boy.
Take the ribbon
from your hair
Shake it loose and
- You should really be
satisfied with what you have.
- I'm not satisfied.
And that's exactly why
I'm so optimistic.
Thanks for letting me
use your car.
I appreciate it.
Thank you.
- Bye, .
Bye, Wendell.
- Bye.
Hey!
You're my gal.
- Uh-huh.
- You know it.
- Uh-huh.
- You are.
I'll pick you up at five.
And thanks for having
this talk with me,
I really appreciate it.
I'm gonna change.
I'm gonna change.
Larry's
pissed you're late.
Was it Wendell?
- He overslept a little.
Then he couldn't find one
of his boots.
- Don't you get tired of it?
I mean, I could maybe
understand going on,
like, a few dates with Wendell.
But what's the point?
- The point is that I love him.
He's a dreamer, yeah, I know,
but I'm part of his dreams.
- Okay, I'm just trying to
say be careful.
'Cause once a dude
like Wendell runs
out of dreams to chase,
he'll just start to run.
- A little early in the
day to have her
take a chunk out of my ass, .
I mean, I could use a
little support
from the ol' backup band.
Just came charging out of
the gate at me.
No coffee for the kid.
She just decides to
light into me.
I mean, Doreen, let me
get my bearings at least.
I've always been crazy
And the trouble that
it's put me through
- Good morning, Travis, my man.
Been busted for things
Can't see ya.
Here you go, man, my man.
Yeah, woo!
I ain't sayin' I'm proud
See you tomorrow,
Travis.
Of all of the things
that I've done
But I can say I've never
intentionally hurt anyone
- Top o' the mornin' to you,
Irma.
- Good morning, Wendell.
- Say, is ol' what's
his name still in there
hugging a biscuit?
- No, he's in back
waiting for you.
- Oh, I like your dress.
So far I ain't found a
rhyme or a reason to change
I've always been crazy
But it's kept me from
going insane
- Morning, Reyes.
- Hey, Wendell.
- Que paso?
- Feeling good.
- You ready to go to work?
- I'm ready.
- Let's do it.
- I love you, baby, mwah!
- Me and Reyes headquartered
the home office
of Wendell Baker International
along a bend of the mighty
Rio Grande, Tigris of Texas.
It was perfect for
border crossings,
perfect for new beginnings.
Crop production predicted
to be at an all-time high.
The number of Mexicans
coming across the border
to work those very crops
also predicted
to be at an all-time high.
Congress, you know, they
just increased
minimum wage to 5.60 an hour?
Farmers can't afford that.
Even if they could,
they can't find
Americans who'll work
for that in the fields.
So they pay half that to
our hardworking
Mexican brothers and sisters,
our clients.
- Well, I hear they're
increasing the number
of border patrol to stop
the flow of illegals.
Well, I mean our clients.
- Hey, good for them.
But there's enough to go
around, if you know what I mean.
More border crossings,
more border patrol.
Everybody's working.
It's a pretty good deal.
Can sing it
- I've got to piss
like a racehorse.
I'll meet you down there.
Yeah.
Went to a garden party
Reminisced with my
old friends
Jesus.
Come on, partner, you
need a little help.
Did you have a little
orange juice
with your Pop Tart this morning?
Come on, come on.
Come on, come on.
- Oh!
What in the hell?
Sonny .
- No, it's not what it
looks like, it's not.
- Set him loose, goddamn it!
There you go, there you
go, stay right there.
Uh, you're Sonny Senior, right?
Me, I was just helping the boy.
I was just helping him.
- You are a godless
hound from Hell!
- No, I'm Wendell Baker.
- Come on, baby.
Pay no mind to the evil man.
Let's go home, baby.
There was magic in the air
Over in the corner
Much to my surprise
Mr. Hughes hid in
Dylan's shoes
Wearing his disguise
But it's all right now
I learned my lesson well
You see you can't
please everyone
So you got to
please yourself
- You okay, Wendell?
- Oh, man, mornings
can be tough.
Feel good, though.
Feel like a million pesos.
Thanks.
- That's like four bucks.
- That much, huh?
Let's get to work, buddy.
This coffee's good, Reyes.
It's about to be great.
Say, Reyes?
Can I interest you in a
little mezcal,
a dash of tequila for
your coffee?
- Uh, maybe when the
day is done.
- Good man, take it slow.
Hello, I'm Wendell Baker.
Mr. And Mrs?
We'll get to that.
Are you familiar with
holographic technology?
You're about to find
out all about it.
I fetch my brazos hardcore
Down from the click-hi
Who's that emanating
funk through the speaker
Bass gets to pumpin',
rucka's get to pumpin'
Who's that rap king got
the party start jumpin'
Blastin' too high, no
need for the boo-ya
My hammer with the
one knuckle
I shot through ya
Step into the madness,
madness
- So let me talk to
some of y'all
about some of my past clients.
Jimmy Smits.
I mean, I'm straight,
but the guy smolders.
Never quite broke
through like I hoped.
Fernando Valenzuela.
Good guy, great arm.
Not the biggest advocate
of physical conditioning.
Ultimately I think it
hurt his longevity.
I get out of a
relationship with,
Salma Hayek, the frying pan,
and go right into the fire,
Jenny Lopez.
Nice girl, dated her briefly.
Said some stuff about
me around town.
I hold no ill will.
Chi Chi Rodriguez calls
me, says, "Wendell?
"I'm having trouble
with my game."
I watch him swing a
couple of times
and I give him one note,
one note.
"Fire the knees.
"Fire 'em right at
the flag stick."
Next week he wins the
Greater Hartford Senior Open.
Goddamn it.
And all this business,
slaying the dragon,
he saw me do it on
the 12th hole,
Laredo Country Club, 1978.
The backroad but I'm
delinquente
This is how I freak it
When I'm speaking to
the gente, gente
- Herve Villechaize.
He had more heart in
that little chest than...
Sorry, just give me one
second, one second.
Goddamn it, I miss you, Herve.
I really do.
So, that's how we do it here
at Wendell Baker International,
where we've been serving
the Southwest since 1971.
So, I just got one question.
Who wants to get American?
We freak at this
Yeah.
OG freaks the beat the
mariachis play
Fade it in, snare
from ASR-10
- Thanks.
What do you think, Reyes?
- I think we're drawing
too much attention
with all these people.
- Come on, Reyes.
We're changing the course
of people's lives here.
You know, we want more
for these people
than to just be farm hands.
We want them to own the farms.
These are potential
politicians, doctors, lawyers.
And it started right here,
this Airstream.
It's the Ellis Island of
the Southwest.
Goes all the way back
to the pilgrims, Reyes.
- All right, I can dig it.
- Huh.
- Torres brothers.
- Here's the deal, fellas.
For a short time we're
offering flawless reproductions
of Texas State driver's
licenses with your name
or name of choice, con
image holographia.
You get one of these,
you go anywhere.
You interested?
That's what I thought.
You guys want a shot?
I'm going to shoot
straight with you.
You get one of these,
you're going to be able
to go to Houston, San Antone,
Dallas.
You ever been to Dallas?
Vamo Dallas?
- No.
- Ooh boy, you got a
lot to look forward to.
Here, take a look at it.
That there's the
upstairs merchandise.
VIP only, solamente.
My only question is,
what do you want from me?
- Hell, I want you on your feet.
With your hands locked
behind your head.
- Sir, for starters,
you can call me Wendell.
- You're busted, dumbass.
- Run, , run for your life!
We can beat this thing.
We can beat it.
- Their evidence seems
pretty strong.
- Are you kidding me?
They could have done this
on some back lot
in Burbank, California, man.
Come on.
Same place they did the
lunar landing.
Look at it, Otto.
I've finally done it, haven't I,
Otto?
Look, can you just make
sure that Reyes gets off?
- Don't worry.
I'll get Reyes in the clear.
- Good.
- You're looking at a
couple of years at least.
- So you started drinking again?
- I'm off the wagon.
- Okay.
Can I get 'em to deport me?
- Wendell, you're a US citizen.
- Goddamn it.
I should've gone down
there a long time ago.
Mexico's what the U.S.
could've been.
Oh God.
- "Children's photographer.
"Can you make children smile?
"Will train right person."
So they seized your car?
- The police are
auctioning it off
because it was used to
commit a felony.
But it's not the car, Reyes.
It's Wendell.
We've known each other
since we were kids,
and he doesn't even,
he doesn't even say he loves me.
And I tell him, "Wendell,
I love you."
And he says, "Doreen, I think
about you all the time."
- I know it, Doreen,
but he does.
He always says you're the
reason he works so hard.
- I've given him a
lot of chances.
And he's deserved them all.
I just always wanted
to be with him.
People say that I'm
high class
But I'm low down
all the while
People think that I'm crazy
When I flash that
California smile
- On your feet, off the bus.
This is Huntsville.
But I can still
Paint the town
- How you doin'?
Wendell Baker.
Oh.
Of your evening gown
While I'm waitin'
For your blonde hair
to turn grey
People say
- Woo, woo.
- Good shot, Wendell.
- Yeah.
- It says here that
although you were
the unwanted child of
an unwed mother,
you believe that, in your words,
you have the blood of kings
running through your veins.
Mr. Baker?
- You can call me Wendell.
- Did you say that, Mr. Baker?
- "Blood of kings?"
Yeah.
Thank God
Domino, won it!
Forgivin' life to you and me
Wherever you may be
- Who!
Crips and the Aryans together.
Come on, guys.
That's how it's got to be.
Filled with
selfishness and greed
There remains the
glory fountain
- We're going to get it
all done tonight, boss.
I guarantee ya.
You can find it in
the temple
With a welcome on the door
But be sure to count
your blessings
Before you ask for more
Thank God
- Man.
- Hi.
- Hi, Doreen.
- Can I get you anything?
Anything at all.
- I could use some cleats.
- Cleats?
- Yeah.
- I worry about you.
- Don't.
Boy, you look beautiful.
Really do.
I'd take a month in
solitary for just one kiss.
I would, I would.
Thanks for stopping by.
Leon, you're out.
Let's play ball.
Damn.
George, you're up.
You've got a visitor, let's go.
Let's go.
Williams, visitor.
- Hey, Greg.
Hey, Donny.
- Mm-hm.
- Hey, Leon.
- Come on, George.
Get up, visitor.
Keep it in a line, ladies,
in a line.
Baker, you've got some
love letters here.
They're from yourself, asshole.
Return to sender.
- I had a dream last night,
Leon.
Me and Doreen had a child.
Walked into our room
late at night
and climbed up in bed beside us.
A son, Leon.
- Yeah, I have a little boy.
- You do?
- Yeah.
- We've got to get out of here.
Yeah, I know.
- You've got to get back
to your family
and I've got to start mine.
- Good morning, Mr. Baker.
- Good morning, Dr.
Van Horn.
- Do you remember what
you used to say to me
when I'd say, "Good morning, Mr.
Baker?"
- Yes, sir.
- Mm-hmm.
What was that?
- I'd tell you to
call me Wendell.
- Why would you do that?
- I think I did it to,
oh, create a false sense
of familiarity between us.
Kind of make you think
we were pals,
maybe possibly
expedite my release.
- Well, we've come a long
way, haven't we, Wendell?
- Yes, sir, we have.
- I understand you've
learned quite a lot
about the hotel business
in recent months.
- Yes, sir, I've tried to.
I mean, I like being around
people and working with them,
and hotels seem like a
good place to do that.
- Congratulations, Wendell.
Your parole's been approved.
Through our employment program,
a job, room, board have
been secured for you
at a state-run residential
retirement hotel.
- Thank you, Dr. Van Horn.
Well, it's been rough
and rocky travellin'
But I'm finally standin'
upright on the ground
- Thanks, Captain,
appreciate it.
And after takin'
several readings
I'm surprised to find my
mind's still fairly sound
I thought Nashville was
the roughest
But I know I've said
the same about them all
We received our education
In the cities of the
nation, me and Paul
I was really
looking forward to seeing Reyes.
He hadn't gotten a chance to
visit me as much as I'd hoped.
It had to have been hard on him.
I understood.
It was probably like
seeing a lion
or some kind of
panther locked up.
And Irma wouldn't allow it.
But if you're stayin' in
a motel there and leave
Just don't leave
nothin' in your clothes
- You seen Doreen lately?
- Not in a long time, Wendell.
- What'd she say?
Did she say anything about us?
- She made it sound
like she was moving on.
That she started
dating some guy.
Runs a grocery store.
- Boy.
Goddamn, I wish I didn't
have such a good imagination.
Just vivid as all hell.
I thought Nashville was
the roughest
- Reyes, I'm sorry if I caused
you and Irma any problems.
I am.
I'll apologize to her
when I see her, okay?
- No, we're fine.
I mean, she wouldn't talk to me
for a few months after
we got arrested.
But we got through it.
Look, I'm thinking it's
probably better
that you just don't
mention it to her at all.
- You bet.
I've just got to thank
you for taking Reyes back.
I mean, I'm the one locked
up, but this kid was down.
I'd talk to him on the
phone and say,
"Good morning, Reyes,"
and he'd say, "Is it?"
So, Irma, thanks, 'cause
this fella was flying low.
You were.
Nothing beats a
home-cooked meal.
Man, this is good.
She's still tough, isn't she?
- Oh, you have no idea, man.
- You're a lucky dog
that she took you back.
- Mm-hm.
- How'd you do it?
- She put a few
conditions on me.
- Yeah, I bet.
- Yeah, like try to get
my old job back.
- Oh, man.
Driving that truck?
- Yeah.
- Woo.
- And not to hang out
with you anymore.
- Really?
- Yeah.
- I understand, I do.
'Cause of that whole
driver's license deal?
- Ah, that and she
was pretty upset
about that insurance
scam in Lubbock.
- I got an idea.
- Wendell?
Woohoo!
Yeah!
- Wendell!
You okay, buddy?
Hey, I got that old pick-up
up and running while
you were gone.
- Really?
- It's yours.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Really?
- Really.
- Really?
- Really.
- Dang, man.
Wow.
- Hey, you mind if we
hang on to Junior?
Irma got kind of
attached to him.
- Sure.
- Thanks, buddy.
- You got it.
You've been so long
Your blind eyes are gone
Your old bones are
on their own
So take off your coat
Put a song in your throat
Let the deadbeats
pound all around
We will go nowhere we know
We don't have to talk at all
So this was it.
A new beginning.
First day at my second chance.
So what's the word,
boss?
- The news is good.
Baker's a three-time loser
fresh out of Huntsville.
Just a pure idiot,
imminently frame-able,
even more than you, McTeague.
I mean, he's perfect.
Oh hey, that reminds me.
Get Mr. Baird's
estate documents,
and then give him the
greyhound treatment.
- The greyhound treatment?
- That's right, you heard me.
Send 'em up to mother's.
- She called.
- She did?
How'd she sound?
- Pissed, man.
She drove all the way
out to Western Union.
That money order you were
supposed to send
wasn't there.
- Damn it, Neil, think.
Diaz
delivers a fast ball.
That one catches the
outside corner.
That'll even up the count--
- "Earl Graham Walsh
was called home
"by the Lord on
Tuesday the 14th."
"Called home by the Lord," Skip.
Well, if the Lord our
Jesus Christ himself
call looking for me,
do me a favor.
Tell him you haven't seen me.
Under any circumstances,
I'm not here.
- Roger.
And Diaz
delivers again.
That's a curve ball,
rounds out the second base.
- Y'all know y'all late.
Let's go.
Everybody out on the lawn.
- Whose birthday is it?
- Ain't nobody's
goddamn birthday.
It's a wake for Marietta Davis.
- Condolences.
But I think we're going to
take a rain check on this one.
Thanks though.
- Get up.
Get your ass out there.
Hi, Reverend.
- McTeague.
- What the hell you doing,
Fullbright?
- Just trying to figure out
what to do with the
rest of my life,
all 15 or 20 minutes of it.
- Don't mess with me, old man.
- McTeague, buddy, me and
the boys are just relaxing.
Listening to the ball game.
I think Marietta would
have liked it that way.
- I don't give a damn what
Marietta would have liked.
She dead.
- I didn't know
Marietta that great.
The fact that she didn't know
my name even after five years
made it kind of tough to
get to know her.
But I know from the
files she was
an accomplished seamstress,
and a singer,
and a mathematics teacher.
I guess it was Alzheimer's
that finally brought
the old gal down.
And--
- Stomach cancer.
- But didn't she have a
little Alzheimer's too?
- Huh?
- Well, I thought she
had Alzheimer's.
She couldn't remember jack shit.
Okay, well, cancer
makes sense also.
She wasn't exactly Larry
Csonka there at the end.
She only weighed
about 90 pounds.
Now having said that, she would
knock you on your damn ass.
If you got between her
and her morning medicine,
forget it, you were gone.
Now, I know they say
cancer's pretty painful.
I don't know, I've never had it.
But you can't tell me that
that old gal wasn't partying
just a little bit
there at the end.
McTeague would see her
coming down the hall
and she'd be all hopped up,
just a-working her
jaw back and--
- Excuse me.
- What?
- I'd like to say a word
about Marietta.
She was a very--
- Okay, no.
Unfortunately, the policy
is only the staff speaks.
We've let that
happen in the past
and people that know
the deceased
have a tendency to get a
little too sentimental.
Grab someone after the meeting.
Uh, so we're going to miss her.
God bless her.
That's it for me.
McTeague, you got anything?
- About what?
- Come on, have some respect.
Okay, that's it for me.
Oh, wait, we'll let the
new member of our staff,
Wendell Baker, add something.
Thank you.
- Afternoon.
I didn't know Marietta Davis,
but I can see here by
you folks here
that she was real loved,
and even now I'll bet that
means the world to her.
I recently lost someone
that meant a lot to me.
She didn't pass away.
She just sort of passed by.
And it'll make you realize
that there's some people that,
that you don't forget.
But if you can remember
the things that she loved,
those things that
made her happy,
if you see those things
and can remember her smile
and just know that she's doing
fine, you'll be all right.
And so will she.
Thank you.
- I have absolutely no
idea what he just said.
- New age double-talking jive.
Maybe he could get us
laid or something.
- Check this out.
- Our son ain't yours?
- It's hard to tell.
I've only been with one
person,
Travis, and that's you.
Good.
It's only you,
and I'm the one
that forced you to marry me?
- Two double jack.
- I didn't, you married me.
And you asked me to marry
you and you weren't drunk.
The hell if I wasn't.
You don't understand,
you don't.
You don't understand how
much I love you
and want to be with you.
I gave up everything.
I gave up my family.
- What's he doing?
- He's letting the
sunshine shine.
- What the hell you
talking about, Ms. Ogelsby?
- Just like golf.
Just keep your head down.
When you get better at it
you learn to fire your knees.
- Neil, you all right?
You're okay?
- Hey, how's the
graffiti business?
- How's that?
- Shut up.
I'm talking to this fossil.
- Easy, choncho.
Hey, I want to get to the bottom
of this as badly as you do.
- Now, you want to tell
me what the hell this is?
- "Neil King--"
- Shut up!
Now, talk.
Or do you want a little of this?
'Cause I'll give it to you.
If my memory serves me right,
I saw McTeague in this
area with a magic marker.
- "If memory serves?"
Your memory couldn't serve
a cold bowl of chili, Boyd.
Come on.
You know, I actually get a
kick out of you, surprisingly.
But listen to me, you
lovable old has-been.
If you keep messing with me,
I'm going to have to bury you,
literally.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Would you bury me upside down
so it's easier for you
to kiss my ass?
- Ooh, ooh, you got a lot
of heart, ese.
- Yeah.
- Maybe too much.
Really tight.
- Sorry, guys, I didn't
know you were in here.
My bad.
- No, hey there, guy.
No problem at all.
I don't think I got to
meet you earlier.
Neil King, head nurse.
How are ya?
- Hi.
- Sorry about putting
you on the spot earlier.
Oh, I also spoke to my good
friend, Junior Warden Taggert,
and we're going to be
in close contact
throughout your tenure here.
- Well, I'm real
excited to be here.
This is my first job
in the hotel business.
- Hey, guy, it's the
retirement hotel business.
It's a different animal.
You've got to contend with
kooks like this.
That being said, we strive to
make the most of their time
before they head on to
their rewards and,
I think we do a pretty
darn good job.
I guess you can
always do better.
I don't know though.
I like to think we
do a good job.
Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Summers?
Mr. Summers?
Speak honestly.
- Absolutely.
As a matter of fact,
when I lay down
for that eternal dirt
nap, I'll know--
- That's enough, Mr. Summers.
- That my time spent here--
- Ah, we got it.
You're a satisfied customer.
- Be blessed.
I just love to see
their wrinkled old faces
light up with smiles.
Give me one.
You see, Wendell, these
two old cooze hounds
still have a lot to offer,
even if they do got
sawdust in their balls.
Let me through.
Okay, come by my office anytime.
Open door policy.
- Okay, thanks, Mr. King.
Thanks for taking me
on the tour.
I appreciate it.
- So, uh, you lost someone?
- Yes, I did.
- I'm Skip Summers.
Boyd Fullbright.
- Hello.
- And I'm sorry for your loss.
- I appreciate that.
- Back to work, Baker.
- November, 1986.
We're playing against TCU.
I turned to Coach Royal, I
say, "Put me in the game."
And he took me by the
shoulder pads
and said, "Listen to
me, you big, dumb idiot.
"You blow this, I'm going to
ship your ass out of Austin."
Sure enough, I got transferred.
Hey, how are ya?
- Good, thanks.
- Good.
- How you doin'?
- Hi.
- I got eight lights here.
- Okay.
Love is on a roll
Love is on a good roll
You having a good night?
Usually I meet with the boys
- It's going to be 18.27
for the lights.
Only this morning
She said this is my day
The look she gave me
Sent a shiver down
into my soul
- Out of 20.
Love is a roll
Love is on a good roll
Ah, ah, love is on a roll
- Here's your change.
- Keep it.
- Okay.
Have a nice night.
Whatever.
- Grady, get back to work.
I'm a songwriter
A professional dreamer
Mostly a singer
But sometimes a screamer
- Hi.
- Hey.
There's my favorite customer.
Let me help you.
- Great.
Love is on a roll
Turns out there
was something I'd forgotten
to put on my grocery list
but I really needed to get.
Doreen, my girlfriend.
Ever I chance to meet
An old friend on the street
They wonder how does a
man get to be this way
I've always got a smilin'
face
Anytime and anyplace
And every time they
ask me why
I just smile and say
- Hm.
You've got to kiss
an angel good morning
And let her know you think
about her when you're gone
Kiss an angel good morning
- Hi, handsome.
- Hey, baby
And love her like the devil
when you get back home
- Her name's Doreen.
- Yeah, that so?
- Pretty fine.
- Oh, and you just
kind of sit there
and ogle her all day long?
That how you do it, kid?
- What are you doing, dude?
- Hey, don't call me dude, bro.
And another thing, nobody
likes a wise ass, kid.
Trust me.
Now beat it.
A woman and a man in love
And the answer is in this
song that I always sing
You've got to kiss
an angel good morning
And let her know you think
about her when you're gone
So kiss an angel
good morning
- Can I help you?
- Nah, I already found it,
thanks.
Oh yeah, thanks.
Say, where's the
cottage cheese at?
- Cottage cheese?
- Yeah.
Oh, just right down over.
- Just tell me if you
don't stock it.
- You're Wendell Baker,
aren't you?
You're a real character,
aren't you?
God, you're a real character.
Now look, I don't want you
around, Baker, following Doreen,
trying to screw her life up too.
I'm warning you, you get lost.
Do you hear me?
You get lost!
There's trash on aisle six,
Grady.
Wendell?
- Wow.
You look great.
Healthy as a horse.
I mean, a little horse.
A Shetland pony.
How are you?
- I'm good, Wendell.
How are you?
- Besides your
boyfriend jumping me
while I'm grocery shopping,
I'm all right, I guess.
- He said you were stalking me.
- Watching, that's all.
I'd watch out for this
Grady kid, though.
So, is this your
boyfriend's place?
- Mm-hm, he runs it
with his brothers.
- So lunkhead's
pretty successful?
'Cause once I'm back on my
feet the money will come.
- I've never cared about money,
Wendell,
and I've always taken
care of myself.
You know that.
I'm with Dave because I
care about him
and he feels the same
way about me.
Pretty vague.
- I'm not going to be
with someone
just for the sake of
not being alone.
I've been alone.
It doesn't scare me.
Now, being with someone
and still feeling alone,
that's a feeling I don't like.
I'm glad you're out
of Huntsville.
But I can't be in your
life anymore.
You'll find someone else.
You just have to find
yourself first
and figure out what you
want out of your life.
- And you found somebody else?
- Yeah, I have.
- Doreen, you all right?
- Hey, Dave.
Yeah, I'm good.
I'm fine, thank you.
Really.
Sure?
- Yeah.
Yeah.
You know, Wendell, I
went through a hard time,
but now I'm happy with my life.
You could
be thrilled.
That's what
you always said, Wendell.
- Yeah, but things are
different now.
I mean, I can't believe
you have as much fun
with some guy as you
did with me.
I mean, for every tough
time we had together,
I'll name you five
great times we had.
- When you were sent away
it was just another
adventure for you.
For me, it was the saddest,
hardest time of my life.
But I got through it.
And I got through it alone.
And it ended it for me.
I need you to accept that
and move on, Wendell.
Will you do that for me?
- I'm not going to tell you that
I'm going to forget about you,
Doreen.
'Cause I'm not, ever.
But I'll stop coming around.
- It's good to see
your face again.
I'll always be hoping
that you're doing fine.
- Well, we're
shutting it down here
at Shady Grove for the night.
Great job, everyone, today.
The yard looks terrific.
The new paint on the
upstairs awning, wonderful.
It was a great day.
I'm proud of each and every
one of you for staying alive.
I guess that's about it.
This is Neil King, your
head nurse, signing off.
- What a nut.
- Yeah.
- So you think this guy
Wendell Baker's
going to be a problem?
- Are you kidding me?
The guy's too dumb.
Uh, "Thank you very
much for this job.
"I's my first job in the
hotel business."
What was
that at the wake?
"I recently lost someone.
"They didn't pass away,
they just passed me by."
- "Passed me by."
Oh, and I'll tell you
this about Baker.
He's the perfect guy to frame.
Like I said earlier,
if the heat comes down,
we frame Baker so fast
it makes his head spin.
- That's harsh.
- Hey, don't go
getting soft on me.
You're the only person I
trust on this.
And you're my best friend.
Don't go chasing waterfalls
Listen to the rivers
And the lakes that you
used to know
- Oh, excuse me, sir,
I noticed the light and I
wanted to introduce myself.
I'm Wendell Baker.
- I'm Nasher.
- It's good to meet you.
Uh, you know, well, I just
wanted to introduce myself
and, yeah, if you need
anything, just let me know.
And, uh, yeah, so.
Baker?
- Yes, sir?
- Could you pick up the
September "Popular Mechanics"?
I'll reimburse you.
- You bet.
I'll pick it up tonight and
bring it by tomorrow morning.
And by the way, sir,
you can feel free to--
- Call you Wendell.
- Yeah, that's right.
And yeah, so I'll pick that,
I'll have it for you in
the morning, sir.
Excuse me.
- Skip?
How are your spirits?
- I'm fine.
- You sound a little down.
Maybe you want to talk to me.
Is it Lynn?
- Goddamn it.
I really miss her.
- I know, Skip.
- She was my girl.
Couldn't have loved her more
and I damn sure didn't need her
to be taken away to
appreciate her.
- I know it, Skip.
- Those trees are lit up.
- Mr. Fullbright?
Mr. Summers?
Hey, it's Wendell Baker.
How you two doing?
- Man down, Baker.
Skip's missing his wife.
- I understand.
I'm missing my girlfriend,
Doreen.
- Is she alive?
- Yeah, she is.
- Do you love her?
- Yeah, yeah, I do.
- Does she know it?
- I sure hope so, Mr. Summers.
- That's a no.
- Well, if she's out
there and you love her,
you've got to tell her.
- Yeah.
But only if it's the real
love and not just because
you don't like the idea of
some dude sweating on her.
Got a light?
- Will you guys help me
with something tomorrow?
- Will you help us get laid?
- We'll help you, Wendell.
- Hey, Marianna.
- Hello.
- Hello.
- I'm looking--
- She's not here, Wendell.
- If you'll just let me finish,
Marianna.
If you could just let me
finish what I was going to say.
I'm looking for Doreen.
- She's not here.
- I'm looking for her
because I love her
and I want to tell
her right now.
- Okay, well, she's
still not here
because she doesn't
work here anymore.
And to be honest,
she's over you.
- Look, Marianna, I know you
and I never really hit it off,
and at times you might not have
even liked me all that much.
- I don't.
- Jesus.
- Wow.
- Did she get my letter?
- It was a postcard.
- Don't be a wise ass, honey.
Nobody likes them, trust me.
And I don't expect you to
understand, Marianna, I don't.
Because you have never, ever
had somebody feel about you
the way that I do about Doreen.
So I'd--
- Wait in the car, big guy.
I think we got off on
the wrong foot.
We just need to know where
Doreen's working now.
- Thank you.
Or at least
her phone number.
- Yeah, well, I'm not
exactly authorized
to tell you that,
whoever the hell you are.
- Is there anything
you're authorized to do?
- Besides not know a
goddamn thing?
- Yeah, Rolodex.
Jesus.
- What's your story?
Come on, Skip, let's go.
- I'm glad she wasn't there.
She said she doesn't
want to see me.
Told her I'd stop coming around.
The truth is, if I love
her, I'll keep my word.
Man, that
chick's crazy.
- Who are you guys?
- This is Skip Landslide Summers
and I'm Boyd Flood Fullbright.
- Flood?
- Yeah, baby.
Because when the levee
breaks, the river gonna rise.
- Hm.
- I'll have three cans of
this cold gold
for me and my pal, Shiloh.
And a carton of those
easy gliders.
You need anything, Skip?
This'll do.
- Okay, three beers is 3.11.
May, will you get the
price on his T-shirt?
I don't care who
thinks we're silly
You be daffy and
I'll be dilly
We'll order up two
bowls of chili
Settin' the woods on fire
- Aren't you a little old?
- For what?
You know, too old to.
- Well, that would be wasting
a lifetime of experience,
wouldn't it?
- I'm serious.
- So am I.
Many a fine tune has been
played on an old guitar.
I'll find your G-spot,
five seconds.
10 max.
May?
- 7.99.
- Thank you.
19.98's your total.
- Here, hold this.
Be right there.
- Mr. Summers, what's going on?
- We're coming!
- May, my friend Skip would
like your phone number.
- May, don't.
You'll get hotter
than a poker
You'll be broke but
I'll be broker
Tonight we're settin'
the woods on fire
We'll sit close to
one another
- Thanks, May.
- Hey, mister?
- Yeah?
- Did you really mean
what you said
about being able to find my, um?
- Every word.
To fix a flat or two
My tires and tubes are doin'
fine
- There you go.
- What's this?
- May's phone number.
- Wow.
Gee thanks, Boyd.
We'll do all the
law's allowin'
- May?
- Huh?
- Hey.
Setting the woods on fire
- I used to come on a little
stronger in my younger days.
"Hey, baby, let's
jam right now."
Simple, direct.
- Uh, with all due respect,
I'm not here
to drive you two around
while you play grab-ass.
- Skip just had a
connection with this girl.
So take it easy, okay?
The guy hasn't been
laid in 20 years.
- I'm sorry, I apologize.
- Good morning, ladies.
Hm.
- Put the rake down, Draper.
I'm taking you on an errand.
- Buzz off.
- Drop it.
- I'd think twice before
tangling with me.
Or we can get it on
Guadalcanal style.
- Give me that thing.
Put him in the car.
Mind your business.
Back to raking.
All night long so get down
- Hello, Mr. Nasher.
Talk to anyone interesting?
- A young woman from Iceland
said her country's
very beautiful.
She said it's Greenland
that's cold and icy.
- Well, I wouldn't know.
I haven't been to either
place and probably never will,
so I should probably, you
know, get one of those radios.
- Where'd you come here from?
- Huntsville.
Uh, I was, I was actually,
uh, incarcerated down there.
- You learn anything?
- Think I figured out
what I want to do.
- What's that?
- Run a hotel or a motel,
someplace down around
Galveston or Padre Island,
just a real nice place for
people to stay.
Yeah, I mean, that's all
way down the road though,
or if it even happens at all.
- It's an interesting business.
- Yeah.
- Hey-ya, Baker.
No, no, come here, I want
to talk to you.
Come here, have a seat.
No, no, no.
No, no, come here.
My voice is shot.
I don't want to have to yell.
How're you doin', Baker?
- I'm pretty good.
- I've been watching you.
I like the way you
carry yourself.
- Thank you.
Pervert.
Ah, you got time to
hear my story?
- Sure.
- Here's the deal.
This is a state-run place,
and like the prison
system, it's overcrowded.
You know about that.
So, I take a select few
of these folks
and I give them the
greyhound treatment.
I send them up to
mother's farm in Oklahoma.
Now, it's a beautiful
Georgian home that she has.
It's right in the middle
of God's country
and she welcomes them.
But I do take a
reasonable percentage
of their Medicare checks.
And I sell their medication
on the black market.
- Neil, why are you
telling me this?
- Because I want you to know me.
You think I'm a piece of shit,
don't you?
- No, I don't.
- Anyway, I think you
can help me.
McTeague is, frankly, he's not
carrying his weight anymore.
I don't like him, I
don't trust him.
I mean, you just look
into his eyes,
you see how stupid he is.
So, you're either with
me or you're against me.
Oh, and if the cops
come a-callin',
I wonder who they're
going to believe,
young man who spent his life
trying to help the elderly
or a lifelong crook?
Did you ever not get caught?
- Junior, you're back.
So am I.
Times change, Reyes.
But not me.
I came to the end of the
road late last night.
You know what I found there?
A mirror.
Yeah.
- Did you get born again, again?
- Well, I've rededicated
my life, yeah,
but it's a different ball
game this time.
- 'Cause you look like you
got a lot on your mind.
- A lot on my mind, a
lot on my plate,
a lot to do, and not
a lot of time.
- Not a lot of time for what?
- Well, I'm going to turn this
place around, Shady Grove,
and then I'm going to
get my girl back.
Then she and I are
going to start a family.
- Want some eggs?
Thanks.
- How are you, huh?
Did you sleep?
Or did you stay up all night?
- I pretty much tossed
and turned all night.
I don't know that I
slept at all.
But I did have a real moment
of clarity around dawn.
Wendell Baker?
Who's that?
I don't know who that is.
People that gave me
that name gave me away.
- Look at that face.
Where'd you get such
pretty eyes?
- Uh, they're just green,
but thank you.
In answer to your question,
though, I don't know.
I never met my dad.
The only picture I got of
my mom's black and white.
See, Reyes, I came over
here to let you know
that Wendell Baker
International's back in business
and you're going to be getting
called back to active duty.
So I'd get ready to get
pulled off the bench.
- Maybe you ought to
stay out of it.
Just think about it.
Just think about it,
that's all I'm saying.
- You remember Miss Rand back
at the state home in Carthage?
Took us in.
Taught you how to read,
tried to teach me?
Well, she's real old now.
And wouldn't you hope
she's being treated
like she should, which is great?
I mean, where will
she be tonight?
And if she wasn't
doing all right,
wouldn't you do
something about it?
- You know I would.
- Thanks for the eggs.
May I make a call?
It's local.
- Sure.
- Hi, Wendell Baker for Mr.
Fullbright
or Mr. Summers, please.
- What's going on?
- I don't know.
Here, want some eggs?
- Hey, Mr. Summers,
it's Wendell.
Wendell Baker.
- Hey, it's Wendell.
- I'm calling 'cause I'm worried
about your friends at
Shady Grove.
See, Neil King's got
this scheme called the--
- Greyhound treatment.
- You know about it?
- Hell, we're prime
candidates for it.
- Yeah, well, Lily McCoy, Mr.
Draper
and a couple of the
others are already gone.
We've got to go get 'em.
- What?
What do you mean, all of them?
- Yeah, all of 'em.
- Wow, hold on.
Boyd, Wendell thinks we
ought to go out
to Wanda King's farm
and get everyone
that's got the
greyhound treatment.
You up for it?
- I can't be ready any
sooner than two minutes.
- We're on.
- All right, I'm on my way.
Hello, Mr. Nasher.
I'm just going to be gone
for a couple of days,
but I'll have those magazines
you asked for on Monday.
It's "Forbes" and "National
Geographic", right?
I know the coordinates of
Wanda King's farm in Oklahoma.
- You do?
- It's nine miles due
south of Durant.
- Goddamn.
All right, well, can you
write that down for me, sir,
'cause I've got to get going.
I got a lot of
driving ahead of me
and I don't have much time.
I'll come back and get it.
- I can get you there faster.
- Faster how?
- In a plane.
- Whose plane?
- My plane.
I know where everyone is.
Nasher's going to fly
us to Oklahoma.
- This Nasher?
- Yeah, that Nasher.
- Are you kidding?
- No, I'm not, let's go.
- Geez.
- Hey, Nasher.
- I'm ready.
- Okay.
In the time of my confession
In the hour of my
deepest need
When the pool of tears
beneath my feet
Flood every newborn seed
There's a dyin'
voice within me
- Let's go, partner.
It's all right.
Reaching out somewhere
Toiling in the danger
- Hey, Nasher, when was
the last time
you were outside, anyways?
- Seven years, four months,
nine days.
Don't have the inclination
To look back on any mistake
Like Cain I now behold
- Woo!
- Yeah!
Nasher, baby, you still got it.
I got it
I got it
Got the funk
Funky funk
- Hey, guess who died tomorrow?
- Fort Worth Center,
this is Beechcraft N-611,
whiskey Romeo.
Transitioning into an area
of five miles north, over.
- Feel good?
- I always loved to fly.
- You know, I don't know
you too well, Mr. Nasher,
but I think you might enjoy
getting out of Shady Grove
and seeing the world
a little bit.
- I seen it.
- What about family?
- I raised myself.
- So did I.
I mean, with help from Reyes
and a girl named Doreen.
- Where is she?
- She left me before I realized
she's the one for me to marry.
I thought to get married
meant you'd found
what you were looking
for and I hadn't.
I didn't realize it was
about searching together.
And in a life full of mistakes
that's the biggest
one I ever made.
Bob, how goes it?
Got him chained
to the damn billboard.
- What happened?
- Neil King sent you here.
- Somebody's always
a-sendin' me someplace.
I just want to go home.
- That's why we're here.
Hey, that look
Wendell Baker from Tejas.
- Maybe that is Wendell
Baker from Tejas.
Hola, Wendell.
- Oh, hey, Torres brothers.
How's it goin'?
All right.
Hey, you guys mind giving
me a hand with something?
You got it.
- I can't say I was looking
forward to meeting the woman
who'd spawned Neil King,
but I had a job to do.
Howdy.
Stuart Axelrod, county
geological survey.
I'm here to check the
mineral content of your soil.
- Where's your vehicle?
- My vehicle is parked
right out there
in the distance there.
- Just a sec, hon, I
got a pie in the oven.
- How sweet.
I looked for trouble
and I found it, son
Straight down the
barrel of a lawman's gun
- Oh, Wendell.
- Yes, ma'am.
I mean, who?
And you're a dead man,
friend
- You want some pie, mother.
Can't live at all like this
Can I, baby
- All right, my name is Wendell.
And left me reeling
on a steel reel rack
They got 'em all in
the jailhouse, baby
Ain't living long like this
- Come on, come on.
Can't live at all
like this, can I, baby
Grew up in Houston
off of Wayside Drive
Son of a carhop at some
all-night dive
Dad drove a stockcar to
an early death
All I remember was
a drunk man's breath
Ain't living long like this
- You got good--
- What are you doing?
I don't know.
Well, am I?
What were you saying?
- I don't have the
faintest idea.
What is it?
- King!
- What?
- I can't find Fullbright,
Summers, or Nasher.
- Okay, Nasher, well,
where's Baker?
- I don't know.
He said something about
a family commitment.
- That's bullshit.
Wendell Baker's got no family.
You better get down here.
I left my home in Norfolk,
Virginia
California on my mind
I straddled that Greyhound
And rode him into Raleigh
And on across Caroline
We stopped in Charlotte
but we bypassed Rock Hill
Never was a minute late
And 90 miles out of
Alabama by sundown
- Back off.
- Just a second.
You're not coming back, are you?
- No, I'm not.
- That's good.
- When you get where
I am, late in the day,
late in the game, you
got yesterday,
today, and tomorrow all
in the same room.
I never cared much for advice,
Wendell.
And you helped me
without even talking.
- But I just don't want you
to have regret in your life,
that's all.
- I'm going to miss you, Mr.
Nasher,
but I know you were meant
to be up here.
- It's hard to hold on
to your idealism
after you lost your innocence.
That's what I like about you,
Wendell.
My friend.
- We were going to miss Mr.
Nasher,
Messieurs Fullbright and Summers
had devised a plan
had devised a plan to take
down Neil King.
Baker, where you at?
- Baker, where you at?
- The old gas station
out on Ranch Road 12.
- Stay put.
- Well, all I can say, Baker,
'cause I know I get
down on you two, but...
'cause I know I get
down on you two,
but you're old, but
you got a lot of wisdom
and I learn a lot from
ya, even though you do
- Well, I found these
two wandering
I don't even know
I don't even know where Mr.
Nasher is.
Mr. Summers here, he says
he's looking for some land
that he's been thinking
about selling.
I'm just glad I found them,
Neil.
- Oh, I feel funny.
- Funny?
Funny how?
- I feel like I'm sitting in
a bathtub full of warm water.
- Well, you're not, man.
Aw, he's urinizing all
over himself.
Come on, cross your legs.
Act like a man.
Stop, not on the car.
- Stop yelling at me.
I wanted to stop 10 minutes ago
so I could go to the bathroom.
- I'm not yelling at you.
Glad
it's not my car.
- It's going to be your
job to clean it up,
Come on, King.
- Hey, Neil, are these
seats heated?
- Oh, he sprung a leak too.
Now, come on, stop the car.
Pull over. Get out.
Pull over, get out.
Out.
- Okay.
Come on, have
a little pride.
- All right, all right.
My back, I fell on my back.
- You okay, Mr. Summers?
- Come on!
You okay?
- Ow, McTeague!
- I got you.
- Ow, McTeague, McTeague!
No, no, easy.
- Hit it!
- Hey!
Get your ancient
asses back here!
- Whoa, whoa!
Will you tell me what
the hell is going on?
- We got jacked by some
90 year olds.
- What's that?
So far, so good.
Now it was up to Lucy
and May to do their part.
- Whoa, whoa, what do
we got here?
- Hey, fellas, need a lift?
- I can only think of a
couple things
and standing by the side
and standing by the side by
the road ain't one of them.
- Oh, really?
Okay, yeah.
Yeah, make way for ducklings.
- This is why I go to church.
What a blessing.
- Uh, hey, 911.
It's Bobby Culpepper,
concerned citizen here.
Yeah, I just witnessed
some real strange activity
out on Ranch Road 12.
Define strange?
Underage girls
Underage girls and men of
questionable character.
Just going to take
- Just going to take my
pants off here
'cause it helps me relax.
- Oh, I'm already relaxed.
Damn-near butt naked.
- He's already relaxed.
Look at that.
I have a dream.
- Come on over here.
- Let me see this little
blouse you got on.
- Oh, it's like a
rainbow colour.
- Oh, it's like a rainbow color.
- You like it?
- Uh, uh, uh.
I need to see some I.D.s.
- I need to see some IDs.
- Scoot over, scoot over.
- You two go back and
wait by my bike.
IDs.
- My ID is in my pants, sir.
- Uh, mine too, sir.
- You gentlemen aware
these young ladies
are 16 years of age?
- Is that wrong?
McTeague!
- You okay, Wendell?
- I've got to make one
last try for Doreen.
- We're coming with you.
Here.
- What's this?
A wedding band.
You just have
You just have to see that
it gets there.
- I'll try.
- "I'll try."
You'll try.
Say that again, say it.
- I'll try.
- Now say "I'm doing it."
- I'm doing it!
- Now you say, "This is
for your stuff.
"Pack what you need, 'cause
you're going with me.
"Right now."
- Wendell, it's a rare thing
for a man to reveal his heart.
But any woman with substance
will demand just that,
- Listen.
'cause some of the
cards I was dealt,
and I ended up
realizing somebody
was looking out for me
was looking out for me
'cause I met you.
the more I braced myself
for the day you'd be gone.
Loneliness was always the
wolf at the door in my life
I'm so sorry
I'm so sorry you ever
felt lonesome.
I think this is Dave.
- You're going to miss her.
- I'm sorry?
- He said you're
going to miss her.
It'll probably get pretty
bad sometimes.
- Yeah.
What they call a high
lonesome in the Old West.
- I love you.
You're where
You're where it all
starts and ends for me.
- You guys are with
Wendell Baker, aren't you?
- We're his compadres.
- Good.
when I get done with him.
I don't know about all that,
dog.
- I don't know about all that,
dog.
- Did you just call me dog?
It's absolutely ridiculous.
Classic asshole.
- Classic asshole.
- Loser.
What's he doing here?
- We can try it again, Wendell.
- No, Mr. Summers.
I said what I was feeling
and she listened to me.
I'm lucky that
I'm lucky that I ever
even met Doreen,
much less that she once
loved me too.
I'll never get over her,
but I'll never regret it.
- The crazy thing is,
is we're the victims.
These two sick old men,
they stole our car,
exposed themselves to
those poor girls.
- Pissed on us.
That's why we had to take
our clothes off.
- Back to the car.
Sometimes things
don't work out perfectly,
they just work out.
- It was an elaborate
kidnapping scheme.
- Are you Wendell Baker?
- Nope.
- We'd like to talk to you, Mr.
Baker.
- I'll let him know
if I see him.
- It concerns Mr. Nasher.
Nasher's real name was
William Harris Rayburn.
Among other things, he's
an international financier,
a shipping magnate, a
casino owner,
He made the bulk of his
fortune in 1948
- He made the bulk of his
fortune in 1948
with the discovery of what
was called the Black Ocean.
In actuality, it was an
enormous basin of crude oil
spreading from West Texas
to Southeastern New Mexico.
- All right.
- Mr. Rayburn, Nasher to you,
for lack of a better term,
dropped out of conventional
society in 1967.
I met him one time, the
day he hired me.
From 1967 on he lived
anonymously in hotels,
communicating only by
handwritten memos.
- He made a request that
you take over the management
the flagship hotel being
the flagship hotel being the
Lake Travis Villa and Spa.
I'm gonna live forever
I'm gonna cross that river
I'm gonna catch tomorrow now
You're gonna wanna hold me
Just like I always told you
You're gonna miss me
when I'm gone
Nobody here will
ever find me
But I will always be around
Just like the songs I
leave behind me
I'm gonna live forever now
- McTeague?
Was it ever tough for you
being such a hard-ass back
at Shady Grove?
- No, not really.
Truth be known,
Truth be known, I kind
of enjoyed it.
You know, it was kind
of like playing a part.
Though I now realize that I
was a very unhappy person.
- Well, I've got to go
find Wendell.
Wendell, I was just
looking for you.
- I need you to go down
to the beach with me
and show me how
and show me how to set
those tables up and.
- Yeah, just set 'em up
like I showed you last week.
- And you mind, uh,
buttoning that up?
- And you mind
buttoning that up?
- Oh, no problem, Wendell.
- Tucking it in too.
- Oh yes, I got you covered.
- I want you to show me.
A successful manager
has got to be involved
I.. I understand that,
I understand
that, Mr. Summers.
Yeah, well, too busy to see
Yeah, well, too busy
to see that it's done right?
- No, Mr. Summers, it's
just that I thought
you and Mr. Fullbright
could handle it.
I don't know.
- I don't know.
Have you seen Boyd?
No, I haven't. Hi, Wendell.
- No, I haven't.
Hi, Wendell.
- You know, I don't mind
helping you guys
but I just... I can't
do it every day.
but I just, I can't do
it every day.
And come to think of it,
And come to think of it, I
didn't even see
Mr. Fullbright all day
yesterday either.
When we come to the place
Where the road and
the sky collide
Throw me over the edge
And let my spirit glide
They told me I was gonna
have to work for a living
But all I wanna do is ride
I don't care where
we're going from here
Honey, you decide
Well, I spend my time
at the bottom
Wendell.
Of a wishing well
And I can hear my dreams
Singing clear as a bell
I used to know where they
ended and the world began
But now it's getting
hard to tell
I could be just around
the corner from heaven
Or a mile from hell
I'm just rolling away
from yesterday
Behind the wheel of a
stolen Chevrolet
I'm gonna get a
little higher
See if I can hotwire reality
But can you see those dark
clouds gathering up ahead
They're gonna wash this
planet clean
Like the Bible said
Now you can hold on steady
Try to be ready
But everybody's
gonna get wet
Don't think it won't happen
Just because it hasn't
happened yet
I'm just rolling away
from yesterday
Behind the wheel of a
stolen Chevrolet
Gonna get a little higher
See if I can hotwire reality
Are filled with rubble
Ancient footprints
Are everywhere
You can almost think
That you're seein' double
On a cold, dark night
on the Spanish Stairs
Gotta hurry on back to
my hotel room.
- Wendell?
Please hurry, I can't
be late today.
- I'm coming, Doreen.
I'm just looking for my boot.
Let's go, come on.
She promised she'd be
there with me
When I paint my masterpiece
They say
you don't know
what you have 'til it's gone.
Well me, I knew what I had.
I just didn't know it
was about to be gone.
Hey, .
Oh, the hours we'd spend
Inside the Coliseum
Dodgin' lions
And a-wastin' time
- I've been thinking a
lot about you, Wendell.
- Yeah?
- And us, together.
I just, I love you so much,
but sometimes I feel
like you think
the grass is always
greener on the other side.
- Doreen, there are some
things out there
I want to do and occasionally--
- But you won't get,
or keep, a steady job.
- I'm a venture capitalist.
- Wendell, you're
lucky to have me.
- I know it.
- And I'm lucky to have you.
- Yeah, I mean I'm not
exactly a consolation prize.
I mean, Doreen,
I think it takes a certain
strength of character
to endure the
occasional failure.
You know Mozart didn't sell
a single album while
he was alive?
If there was a named job out
there I could do, I'd do it.
There wasn't, so I had
to make my own.
Turns out there's no one
else doing it.
So I'm pretty darn successful.
- Yeah.
But unfortunately,
selling fake ID cards
to migrant workers
isn't a real job.
- Texas State certified
driver's licenses.
- Oh, Wendell.
- With the holographic
seal of the State of Texas.
Come on, right?
Can I turn the radio back on?
Wanted man in Buffalo
Wanted man in Kansas City
Wanted man in Ohio
Wanted man in Mississippi
Wanted man in old Cheyenne
Wherever you might
look tonight
You might see this
wanted man
Goodbye.
He might be in Colorado
Good boy.
Take the ribbon
from your hair
Shake it loose and
- You should really be
satisfied with what you have.
- I'm not satisfied.
And that's exactly why
I'm so optimistic.
Thanks for letting me
use your car.
I appreciate it.
Thank you.
- Bye, .
Bye, Wendell.
- Bye.
Hey!
You're my gal.
- Uh-huh.
- You know it.
- Uh-huh.
- You are.
I'll pick you up at five.
And thanks for having
this talk with me,
I really appreciate it.
I'm gonna change.
I'm gonna change.
Larry's
pissed you're late.
Was it Wendell?
- He overslept a little.
Then he couldn't find one
of his boots.
- Don't you get tired of it?
I mean, I could maybe
understand going on,
like, a few dates with Wendell.
But what's the point?
- The point is that I love him.
He's a dreamer, yeah, I know,
but I'm part of his dreams.
- Okay, I'm just trying to
say be careful.
'Cause once a dude
like Wendell runs
out of dreams to chase,
he'll just start to run.
- A little early in the
day to have her
take a chunk out of my ass, .
I mean, I could use a
little support
from the ol' backup band.
Just came charging out of
the gate at me.
No coffee for the kid.
She just decides to
light into me.
I mean, Doreen, let me
get my bearings at least.
I've always been crazy
And the trouble that
it's put me through
- Good morning, Travis, my man.
Been busted for things
Can't see ya.
Here you go, man, my man.
Yeah, woo!
I ain't sayin' I'm proud
See you tomorrow,
Travis.
Of all of the things
that I've done
But I can say I've never
intentionally hurt anyone
- Top o' the mornin' to you,
Irma.
- Good morning, Wendell.
- Say, is ol' what's
his name still in there
hugging a biscuit?
- No, he's in back
waiting for you.
- Oh, I like your dress.
So far I ain't found a
rhyme or a reason to change
I've always been crazy
But it's kept me from
going insane
- Morning, Reyes.
- Hey, Wendell.
- Que paso?
- Feeling good.
- You ready to go to work?
- I'm ready.
- Let's do it.
- I love you, baby, mwah!
- Me and Reyes headquartered
the home office
of Wendell Baker International
along a bend of the mighty
Rio Grande, Tigris of Texas.
It was perfect for
border crossings,
perfect for new beginnings.
Crop production predicted
to be at an all-time high.
The number of Mexicans
coming across the border
to work those very crops
also predicted
to be at an all-time high.
Congress, you know, they
just increased
minimum wage to 5.60 an hour?
Farmers can't afford that.
Even if they could,
they can't find
Americans who'll work
for that in the fields.
So they pay half that to
our hardworking
Mexican brothers and sisters,
our clients.
- Well, I hear they're
increasing the number
of border patrol to stop
the flow of illegals.
Well, I mean our clients.
- Hey, good for them.
But there's enough to go
around, if you know what I mean.
More border crossings,
more border patrol.
Everybody's working.
It's a pretty good deal.
Can sing it
- I've got to piss
like a racehorse.
I'll meet you down there.
Yeah.
Went to a garden party
Reminisced with my
old friends
Jesus.
Come on, partner, you
need a little help.
Did you have a little
orange juice
with your Pop Tart this morning?
Come on, come on.
Come on, come on.
- Oh!
What in the hell?
Sonny .
- No, it's not what it
looks like, it's not.
- Set him loose, goddamn it!
There you go, there you
go, stay right there.
Uh, you're Sonny Senior, right?
Me, I was just helping the boy.
I was just helping him.
- You are a godless
hound from Hell!
- No, I'm Wendell Baker.
- Come on, baby.
Pay no mind to the evil man.
Let's go home, baby.
There was magic in the air
Over in the corner
Much to my surprise
Mr. Hughes hid in
Dylan's shoes
Wearing his disguise
But it's all right now
I learned my lesson well
You see you can't
please everyone
So you got to
please yourself
- You okay, Wendell?
- Oh, man, mornings
can be tough.
Feel good, though.
Feel like a million pesos.
Thanks.
- That's like four bucks.
- That much, huh?
Let's get to work, buddy.
This coffee's good, Reyes.
It's about to be great.
Say, Reyes?
Can I interest you in a
little mezcal,
a dash of tequila for
your coffee?
- Uh, maybe when the
day is done.
- Good man, take it slow.
Hello, I'm Wendell Baker.
Mr. And Mrs?
We'll get to that.
Are you familiar with
holographic technology?
You're about to find
out all about it.
I fetch my brazos hardcore
Down from the click-hi
Who's that emanating
funk through the speaker
Bass gets to pumpin',
rucka's get to pumpin'
Who's that rap king got
the party start jumpin'
Blastin' too high, no
need for the boo-ya
My hammer with the
one knuckle
I shot through ya
Step into the madness,
madness
- So let me talk to
some of y'all
about some of my past clients.
Jimmy Smits.
I mean, I'm straight,
but the guy smolders.
Never quite broke
through like I hoped.
Fernando Valenzuela.
Good guy, great arm.
Not the biggest advocate
of physical conditioning.
Ultimately I think it
hurt his longevity.
I get out of a
relationship with,
Salma Hayek, the frying pan,
and go right into the fire,
Jenny Lopez.
Nice girl, dated her briefly.
Said some stuff about
me around town.
I hold no ill will.
Chi Chi Rodriguez calls
me, says, "Wendell?
"I'm having trouble
with my game."
I watch him swing a
couple of times
and I give him one note,
one note.
"Fire the knees.
"Fire 'em right at
the flag stick."
Next week he wins the
Greater Hartford Senior Open.
Goddamn it.
And all this business,
slaying the dragon,
he saw me do it on
the 12th hole,
Laredo Country Club, 1978.
The backroad but I'm
delinquente
This is how I freak it
When I'm speaking to
the gente, gente
- Herve Villechaize.
He had more heart in
that little chest than...
Sorry, just give me one
second, one second.
Goddamn it, I miss you, Herve.
I really do.
So, that's how we do it here
at Wendell Baker International,
where we've been serving
the Southwest since 1971.
So, I just got one question.
Who wants to get American?
We freak at this
Yeah.
OG freaks the beat the
mariachis play
Fade it in, snare
from ASR-10
- Thanks.
What do you think, Reyes?
- I think we're drawing
too much attention
with all these people.
- Come on, Reyes.
We're changing the course
of people's lives here.
You know, we want more
for these people
than to just be farm hands.
We want them to own the farms.
These are potential
politicians, doctors, lawyers.
And it started right here,
this Airstream.
It's the Ellis Island of
the Southwest.
Goes all the way back
to the pilgrims, Reyes.
- All right, I can dig it.
- Huh.
- Torres brothers.
- Here's the deal, fellas.
For a short time we're
offering flawless reproductions
of Texas State driver's
licenses with your name
or name of choice, con
image holographia.
You get one of these,
you go anywhere.
You interested?
That's what I thought.
You guys want a shot?
I'm going to shoot
straight with you.
You get one of these,
you're going to be able
to go to Houston, San Antone,
Dallas.
You ever been to Dallas?
Vamo Dallas?
- No.
- Ooh boy, you got a
lot to look forward to.
Here, take a look at it.
That there's the
upstairs merchandise.
VIP only, solamente.
My only question is,
what do you want from me?
- Hell, I want you on your feet.
With your hands locked
behind your head.
- Sir, for starters,
you can call me Wendell.
- You're busted, dumbass.
- Run, , run for your life!
We can beat this thing.
We can beat it.
- Their evidence seems
pretty strong.
- Are you kidding me?
They could have done this
on some back lot
in Burbank, California, man.
Come on.
Same place they did the
lunar landing.
Look at it, Otto.
I've finally done it, haven't I,
Otto?
Look, can you just make
sure that Reyes gets off?
- Don't worry.
I'll get Reyes in the clear.
- Good.
- You're looking at a
couple of years at least.
- So you started drinking again?
- I'm off the wagon.
- Okay.
Can I get 'em to deport me?
- Wendell, you're a US citizen.
- Goddamn it.
I should've gone down
there a long time ago.
Mexico's what the U.S.
could've been.
Oh God.
- "Children's photographer.
"Can you make children smile?
"Will train right person."
So they seized your car?
- The police are
auctioning it off
because it was used to
commit a felony.
But it's not the car, Reyes.
It's Wendell.
We've known each other
since we were kids,
and he doesn't even,
he doesn't even say he loves me.
And I tell him, "Wendell,
I love you."
And he says, "Doreen, I think
about you all the time."
- I know it, Doreen,
but he does.
He always says you're the
reason he works so hard.
- I've given him a
lot of chances.
And he's deserved them all.
I just always wanted
to be with him.
People say that I'm
high class
But I'm low down
all the while
People think that I'm crazy
When I flash that
California smile
- On your feet, off the bus.
This is Huntsville.
But I can still
Paint the town
- How you doin'?
Wendell Baker.
Oh.
Of your evening gown
While I'm waitin'
For your blonde hair
to turn grey
People say
- Woo, woo.
- Good shot, Wendell.
- Yeah.
- It says here that
although you were
the unwanted child of
an unwed mother,
you believe that, in your words,
you have the blood of kings
running through your veins.
Mr. Baker?
- You can call me Wendell.
- Did you say that, Mr. Baker?
- "Blood of kings?"
Yeah.
Thank God
Domino, won it!
Forgivin' life to you and me
Wherever you may be
- Who!
Crips and the Aryans together.
Come on, guys.
That's how it's got to be.
Filled with
selfishness and greed
There remains the
glory fountain
- We're going to get it
all done tonight, boss.
I guarantee ya.
You can find it in
the temple
With a welcome on the door
But be sure to count
your blessings
Before you ask for more
Thank God
- Man.
- Hi.
- Hi, Doreen.
- Can I get you anything?
Anything at all.
- I could use some cleats.
- Cleats?
- Yeah.
- I worry about you.
- Don't.
Boy, you look beautiful.
Really do.
I'd take a month in
solitary for just one kiss.
I would, I would.
Thanks for stopping by.
Leon, you're out.
Let's play ball.
Damn.
George, you're up.
You've got a visitor, let's go.
Let's go.
Williams, visitor.
- Hey, Greg.
Hey, Donny.
- Mm-hm.
- Hey, Leon.
- Come on, George.
Get up, visitor.
Keep it in a line, ladies,
in a line.
Baker, you've got some
love letters here.
They're from yourself, asshole.
Return to sender.
- I had a dream last night,
Leon.
Me and Doreen had a child.
Walked into our room
late at night
and climbed up in bed beside us.
A son, Leon.
- Yeah, I have a little boy.
- You do?
- Yeah.
- We've got to get out of here.
Yeah, I know.
- You've got to get back
to your family
and I've got to start mine.
- Good morning, Mr. Baker.
- Good morning, Dr.
Van Horn.
- Do you remember what
you used to say to me
when I'd say, "Good morning, Mr.
Baker?"
- Yes, sir.
- Mm-hmm.
What was that?
- I'd tell you to
call me Wendell.
- Why would you do that?
- I think I did it to,
oh, create a false sense
of familiarity between us.
Kind of make you think
we were pals,
maybe possibly
expedite my release.
- Well, we've come a long
way, haven't we, Wendell?
- Yes, sir, we have.
- I understand you've
learned quite a lot
about the hotel business
in recent months.
- Yes, sir, I've tried to.
I mean, I like being around
people and working with them,
and hotels seem like a
good place to do that.
- Congratulations, Wendell.
Your parole's been approved.
Through our employment program,
a job, room, board have
been secured for you
at a state-run residential
retirement hotel.
- Thank you, Dr. Van Horn.
Well, it's been rough
and rocky travellin'
But I'm finally standin'
upright on the ground
- Thanks, Captain,
appreciate it.
And after takin'
several readings
I'm surprised to find my
mind's still fairly sound
I thought Nashville was
the roughest
But I know I've said
the same about them all
We received our education
In the cities of the
nation, me and Paul
I was really
looking forward to seeing Reyes.
He hadn't gotten a chance to
visit me as much as I'd hoped.
It had to have been hard on him.
I understood.
It was probably like
seeing a lion
or some kind of
panther locked up.
And Irma wouldn't allow it.
But if you're stayin' in
a motel there and leave
Just don't leave
nothin' in your clothes
- You seen Doreen lately?
- Not in a long time, Wendell.
- What'd she say?
Did she say anything about us?
- She made it sound
like she was moving on.
That she started
dating some guy.
Runs a grocery store.
- Boy.
Goddamn, I wish I didn't
have such a good imagination.
Just vivid as all hell.
I thought Nashville was
the roughest
- Reyes, I'm sorry if I caused
you and Irma any problems.
I am.
I'll apologize to her
when I see her, okay?
- No, we're fine.
I mean, she wouldn't talk to me
for a few months after
we got arrested.
But we got through it.
Look, I'm thinking it's
probably better
that you just don't
mention it to her at all.
- You bet.
I've just got to thank
you for taking Reyes back.
I mean, I'm the one locked
up, but this kid was down.
I'd talk to him on the
phone and say,
"Good morning, Reyes,"
and he'd say, "Is it?"
So, Irma, thanks, 'cause
this fella was flying low.
You were.
Nothing beats a
home-cooked meal.
Man, this is good.
She's still tough, isn't she?
- Oh, you have no idea, man.
- You're a lucky dog
that she took you back.
- Mm-hm.
- How'd you do it?
- She put a few
conditions on me.
- Yeah, I bet.
- Yeah, like try to get
my old job back.
- Oh, man.
Driving that truck?
- Yeah.
- Woo.
- And not to hang out
with you anymore.
- Really?
- Yeah.
- I understand, I do.
'Cause of that whole
driver's license deal?
- Ah, that and she
was pretty upset
about that insurance
scam in Lubbock.
- I got an idea.
- Wendell?
Woohoo!
Yeah!
- Wendell!
You okay, buddy?
Hey, I got that old pick-up
up and running while
you were gone.
- Really?
- It's yours.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Really?
- Really.
- Really?
- Really.
- Dang, man.
Wow.
- Hey, you mind if we
hang on to Junior?
Irma got kind of
attached to him.
- Sure.
- Thanks, buddy.
- You got it.
You've been so long
Your blind eyes are gone
Your old bones are
on their own
So take off your coat
Put a song in your throat
Let the deadbeats
pound all around
We will go nowhere we know
We don't have to talk at all
So this was it.
A new beginning.
First day at my second chance.
So what's the word,
boss?
- The news is good.
Baker's a three-time loser
fresh out of Huntsville.
Just a pure idiot,
imminently frame-able,
even more than you, McTeague.
I mean, he's perfect.
Oh hey, that reminds me.
Get Mr. Baird's
estate documents,
and then give him the
greyhound treatment.
- The greyhound treatment?
- That's right, you heard me.
Send 'em up to mother's.
- She called.
- She did?
How'd she sound?
- Pissed, man.
She drove all the way
out to Western Union.
That money order you were
supposed to send
wasn't there.
- Damn it, Neil, think.
Diaz
delivers a fast ball.
That one catches the
outside corner.
That'll even up the count--
- "Earl Graham Walsh
was called home
"by the Lord on
Tuesday the 14th."
"Called home by the Lord," Skip.
Well, if the Lord our
Jesus Christ himself
call looking for me,
do me a favor.
Tell him you haven't seen me.
Under any circumstances,
I'm not here.
- Roger.
And Diaz
delivers again.
That's a curve ball,
rounds out the second base.
- Y'all know y'all late.
Let's go.
Everybody out on the lawn.
- Whose birthday is it?
- Ain't nobody's
goddamn birthday.
It's a wake for Marietta Davis.
- Condolences.
But I think we're going to
take a rain check on this one.
Thanks though.
- Get up.
Get your ass out there.
Hi, Reverend.
- McTeague.
- What the hell you doing,
Fullbright?
- Just trying to figure out
what to do with the
rest of my life,
all 15 or 20 minutes of it.
- Don't mess with me, old man.
- McTeague, buddy, me and
the boys are just relaxing.
Listening to the ball game.
I think Marietta would
have liked it that way.
- I don't give a damn what
Marietta would have liked.
She dead.
- I didn't know
Marietta that great.
The fact that she didn't know
my name even after five years
made it kind of tough to
get to know her.
But I know from the
files she was
an accomplished seamstress,
and a singer,
and a mathematics teacher.
I guess it was Alzheimer's
that finally brought
the old gal down.
And--
- Stomach cancer.
- But didn't she have a
little Alzheimer's too?
- Huh?
- Well, I thought she
had Alzheimer's.
She couldn't remember jack shit.
Okay, well, cancer
makes sense also.
She wasn't exactly Larry
Csonka there at the end.
She only weighed
about 90 pounds.
Now having said that, she would
knock you on your damn ass.
If you got between her
and her morning medicine,
forget it, you were gone.
Now, I know they say
cancer's pretty painful.
I don't know, I've never had it.
But you can't tell me that
that old gal wasn't partying
just a little bit
there at the end.
McTeague would see her
coming down the hall
and she'd be all hopped up,
just a-working her
jaw back and--
- Excuse me.
- What?
- I'd like to say a word
about Marietta.
She was a very--
- Okay, no.
Unfortunately, the policy
is only the staff speaks.
We've let that
happen in the past
and people that know
the deceased
have a tendency to get a
little too sentimental.
Grab someone after the meeting.
Uh, so we're going to miss her.
God bless her.
That's it for me.
McTeague, you got anything?
- About what?
- Come on, have some respect.
Okay, that's it for me.
Oh, wait, we'll let the
new member of our staff,
Wendell Baker, add something.
Thank you.
- Afternoon.
I didn't know Marietta Davis,
but I can see here by
you folks here
that she was real loved,
and even now I'll bet that
means the world to her.
I recently lost someone
that meant a lot to me.
She didn't pass away.
She just sort of passed by.
And it'll make you realize
that there's some people that,
that you don't forget.
But if you can remember
the things that she loved,
those things that
made her happy,
if you see those things
and can remember her smile
and just know that she's doing
fine, you'll be all right.
And so will she.
Thank you.
- I have absolutely no
idea what he just said.
- New age double-talking jive.
Maybe he could get us
laid or something.
- Check this out.
- Our son ain't yours?
- It's hard to tell.
I've only been with one
person,
Travis, and that's you.
Good.
It's only you,
and I'm the one
that forced you to marry me?
- Two double jack.
- I didn't, you married me.
And you asked me to marry
you and you weren't drunk.
The hell if I wasn't.
You don't understand,
you don't.
You don't understand how
much I love you
and want to be with you.
I gave up everything.
I gave up my family.
- What's he doing?
- He's letting the
sunshine shine.
- What the hell you
talking about, Ms. Ogelsby?
- Just like golf.
Just keep your head down.
When you get better at it
you learn to fire your knees.
- Neil, you all right?
You're okay?
- Hey, how's the
graffiti business?
- How's that?
- Shut up.
I'm talking to this fossil.
- Easy, choncho.
Hey, I want to get to the bottom
of this as badly as you do.
- Now, you want to tell
me what the hell this is?
- "Neil King--"
- Shut up!
Now, talk.
Or do you want a little of this?
'Cause I'll give it to you.
If my memory serves me right,
I saw McTeague in this
area with a magic marker.
- "If memory serves?"
Your memory couldn't serve
a cold bowl of chili, Boyd.
Come on.
You know, I actually get a
kick out of you, surprisingly.
But listen to me, you
lovable old has-been.
If you keep messing with me,
I'm going to have to bury you,
literally.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Would you bury me upside down
so it's easier for you
to kiss my ass?
- Ooh, ooh, you got a lot
of heart, ese.
- Yeah.
- Maybe too much.
Really tight.
- Sorry, guys, I didn't
know you were in here.
My bad.
- No, hey there, guy.
No problem at all.
I don't think I got to
meet you earlier.
Neil King, head nurse.
How are ya?
- Hi.
- Sorry about putting
you on the spot earlier.
Oh, I also spoke to my good
friend, Junior Warden Taggert,
and we're going to be
in close contact
throughout your tenure here.
- Well, I'm real
excited to be here.
This is my first job
in the hotel business.
- Hey, guy, it's the
retirement hotel business.
It's a different animal.
You've got to contend with
kooks like this.
That being said, we strive to
make the most of their time
before they head on to
their rewards and,
I think we do a pretty
darn good job.
I guess you can
always do better.
I don't know though.
I like to think we
do a good job.
Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Summers?
Mr. Summers?
Speak honestly.
- Absolutely.
As a matter of fact,
when I lay down
for that eternal dirt
nap, I'll know--
- That's enough, Mr. Summers.
- That my time spent here--
- Ah, we got it.
You're a satisfied customer.
- Be blessed.
I just love to see
their wrinkled old faces
light up with smiles.
Give me one.
You see, Wendell, these
two old cooze hounds
still have a lot to offer,
even if they do got
sawdust in their balls.
Let me through.
Okay, come by my office anytime.
Open door policy.
- Okay, thanks, Mr. King.
Thanks for taking me
on the tour.
I appreciate it.
- So, uh, you lost someone?
- Yes, I did.
- I'm Skip Summers.
Boyd Fullbright.
- Hello.
- And I'm sorry for your loss.
- I appreciate that.
- Back to work, Baker.
- November, 1986.
We're playing against TCU.
I turned to Coach Royal, I
say, "Put me in the game."
And he took me by the
shoulder pads
and said, "Listen to
me, you big, dumb idiot.
"You blow this, I'm going to
ship your ass out of Austin."
Sure enough, I got transferred.
Hey, how are ya?
- Good, thanks.
- Good.
- How you doin'?
- Hi.
- I got eight lights here.
- Okay.
Love is on a roll
Love is on a good roll
You having a good night?
Usually I meet with the boys
- It's going to be 18.27
for the lights.
Only this morning
She said this is my day
The look she gave me
Sent a shiver down
into my soul
- Out of 20.
Love is a roll
Love is on a good roll
Ah, ah, love is on a roll
- Here's your change.
- Keep it.
- Okay.
Have a nice night.
Whatever.
- Grady, get back to work.
I'm a songwriter
A professional dreamer
Mostly a singer
But sometimes a screamer
- Hi.
- Hey.
There's my favorite customer.
Let me help you.
- Great.
Love is on a roll
Turns out there
was something I'd forgotten
to put on my grocery list
but I really needed to get.
Doreen, my girlfriend.
Ever I chance to meet
An old friend on the street
They wonder how does a
man get to be this way
I've always got a smilin'
face
Anytime and anyplace
And every time they
ask me why
I just smile and say
- Hm.
You've got to kiss
an angel good morning
And let her know you think
about her when you're gone
Kiss an angel good morning
- Hi, handsome.
- Hey, baby
And love her like the devil
when you get back home
- Her name's Doreen.
- Yeah, that so?
- Pretty fine.
- Oh, and you just
kind of sit there
and ogle her all day long?
That how you do it, kid?
- What are you doing, dude?
- Hey, don't call me dude, bro.
And another thing, nobody
likes a wise ass, kid.
Trust me.
Now beat it.
A woman and a man in love
And the answer is in this
song that I always sing
You've got to kiss
an angel good morning
And let her know you think
about her when you're gone
So kiss an angel
good morning
- Can I help you?
- Nah, I already found it,
thanks.
Oh yeah, thanks.
Say, where's the
cottage cheese at?
- Cottage cheese?
- Yeah.
Oh, just right down over.
- Just tell me if you
don't stock it.
- You're Wendell Baker,
aren't you?
You're a real character,
aren't you?
God, you're a real character.
Now look, I don't want you
around, Baker, following Doreen,
trying to screw her life up too.
I'm warning you, you get lost.
Do you hear me?
You get lost!
There's trash on aisle six,
Grady.
Wendell?
- Wow.
You look great.
Healthy as a horse.
I mean, a little horse.
A Shetland pony.
How are you?
- I'm good, Wendell.
How are you?
- Besides your
boyfriend jumping me
while I'm grocery shopping,
I'm all right, I guess.
- He said you were stalking me.
- Watching, that's all.
I'd watch out for this
Grady kid, though.
So, is this your
boyfriend's place?
- Mm-hm, he runs it
with his brothers.
- So lunkhead's
pretty successful?
'Cause once I'm back on my
feet the money will come.
- I've never cared about money,
Wendell,
and I've always taken
care of myself.
You know that.
I'm with Dave because I
care about him
and he feels the same
way about me.
Pretty vague.
- I'm not going to be
with someone
just for the sake of
not being alone.
I've been alone.
It doesn't scare me.
Now, being with someone
and still feeling alone,
that's a feeling I don't like.
I'm glad you're out
of Huntsville.
But I can't be in your
life anymore.
You'll find someone else.
You just have to find
yourself first
and figure out what you
want out of your life.
- And you found somebody else?
- Yeah, I have.
- Doreen, you all right?
- Hey, Dave.
Yeah, I'm good.
I'm fine, thank you.
Really.
Sure?
- Yeah.
Yeah.
You know, Wendell, I
went through a hard time,
but now I'm happy with my life.
You could
be thrilled.
That's what
you always said, Wendell.
- Yeah, but things are
different now.
I mean, I can't believe
you have as much fun
with some guy as you
did with me.
I mean, for every tough
time we had together,
I'll name you five
great times we had.
- When you were sent away
it was just another
adventure for you.
For me, it was the saddest,
hardest time of my life.
But I got through it.
And I got through it alone.
And it ended it for me.
I need you to accept that
and move on, Wendell.
Will you do that for me?
- I'm not going to tell you that
I'm going to forget about you,
Doreen.
'Cause I'm not, ever.
But I'll stop coming around.
- It's good to see
your face again.
I'll always be hoping
that you're doing fine.
- Well, we're
shutting it down here
at Shady Grove for the night.
Great job, everyone, today.
The yard looks terrific.
The new paint on the
upstairs awning, wonderful.
It was a great day.
I'm proud of each and every
one of you for staying alive.
I guess that's about it.
This is Neil King, your
head nurse, signing off.
- What a nut.
- Yeah.
- So you think this guy
Wendell Baker's
going to be a problem?
- Are you kidding me?
The guy's too dumb.
Uh, "Thank you very
much for this job.
"I's my first job in the
hotel business."
What was
that at the wake?
"I recently lost someone.
"They didn't pass away,
they just passed me by."
- "Passed me by."
Oh, and I'll tell you
this about Baker.
He's the perfect guy to frame.
Like I said earlier,
if the heat comes down,
we frame Baker so fast
it makes his head spin.
- That's harsh.
- Hey, don't go
getting soft on me.
You're the only person I
trust on this.
And you're my best friend.
Don't go chasing waterfalls
Listen to the rivers
And the lakes that you
used to know
- Oh, excuse me, sir,
I noticed the light and I
wanted to introduce myself.
I'm Wendell Baker.
- I'm Nasher.
- It's good to meet you.
Uh, you know, well, I just
wanted to introduce myself
and, yeah, if you need
anything, just let me know.
And, uh, yeah, so.
Baker?
- Yes, sir?
- Could you pick up the
September "Popular Mechanics"?
I'll reimburse you.
- You bet.
I'll pick it up tonight and
bring it by tomorrow morning.
And by the way, sir,
you can feel free to--
- Call you Wendell.
- Yeah, that's right.
And yeah, so I'll pick that,
I'll have it for you in
the morning, sir.
Excuse me.
- Skip?
How are your spirits?
- I'm fine.
- You sound a little down.
Maybe you want to talk to me.
Is it Lynn?
- Goddamn it.
I really miss her.
- I know, Skip.
- She was my girl.
Couldn't have loved her more
and I damn sure didn't need her
to be taken away to
appreciate her.
- I know it, Skip.
- Those trees are lit up.
- Mr. Fullbright?
Mr. Summers?
Hey, it's Wendell Baker.
How you two doing?
- Man down, Baker.
Skip's missing his wife.
- I understand.
I'm missing my girlfriend,
Doreen.
- Is she alive?
- Yeah, she is.
- Do you love her?
- Yeah, yeah, I do.
- Does she know it?
- I sure hope so, Mr. Summers.
- That's a no.
- Well, if she's out
there and you love her,
you've got to tell her.
- Yeah.
But only if it's the real
love and not just because
you don't like the idea of
some dude sweating on her.
Got a light?
- Will you guys help me
with something tomorrow?
- Will you help us get laid?
- We'll help you, Wendell.
- Hey, Marianna.
- Hello.
- Hello.
- I'm looking--
- She's not here, Wendell.
- If you'll just let me finish,
Marianna.
If you could just let me
finish what I was going to say.
I'm looking for Doreen.
- She's not here.
- I'm looking for her
because I love her
and I want to tell
her right now.
- Okay, well, she's
still not here
because she doesn't
work here anymore.
And to be honest,
she's over you.
- Look, Marianna, I know you
and I never really hit it off,
and at times you might not have
even liked me all that much.
- I don't.
- Jesus.
- Wow.
- Did she get my letter?
- It was a postcard.
- Don't be a wise ass, honey.
Nobody likes them, trust me.
And I don't expect you to
understand, Marianna, I don't.
Because you have never, ever
had somebody feel about you
the way that I do about Doreen.
So I'd--
- Wait in the car, big guy.
I think we got off on
the wrong foot.
We just need to know where
Doreen's working now.
- Thank you.
Or at least
her phone number.
- Yeah, well, I'm not
exactly authorized
to tell you that,
whoever the hell you are.
- Is there anything
you're authorized to do?
- Besides not know a
goddamn thing?
- Yeah, Rolodex.
Jesus.
- What's your story?
Come on, Skip, let's go.
- I'm glad she wasn't there.
She said she doesn't
want to see me.
Told her I'd stop coming around.
The truth is, if I love
her, I'll keep my word.
Man, that
chick's crazy.
- Who are you guys?
- This is Skip Landslide Summers
and I'm Boyd Flood Fullbright.
- Flood?
- Yeah, baby.
Because when the levee
breaks, the river gonna rise.
- Hm.
- I'll have three cans of
this cold gold
for me and my pal, Shiloh.
And a carton of those
easy gliders.
You need anything, Skip?
This'll do.
- Okay, three beers is 3.11.
May, will you get the
price on his T-shirt?
I don't care who
thinks we're silly
You be daffy and
I'll be dilly
We'll order up two
bowls of chili
Settin' the woods on fire
- Aren't you a little old?
- For what?
You know, too old to.
- Well, that would be wasting
a lifetime of experience,
wouldn't it?
- I'm serious.
- So am I.
Many a fine tune has been
played on an old guitar.
I'll find your G-spot,
five seconds.
10 max.
May?
- 7.99.
- Thank you.
19.98's your total.
- Here, hold this.
Be right there.
- Mr. Summers, what's going on?
- We're coming!
- May, my friend Skip would
like your phone number.
- May, don't.
You'll get hotter
than a poker
You'll be broke but
I'll be broker
Tonight we're settin'
the woods on fire
We'll sit close to
one another
- Thanks, May.
- Hey, mister?
- Yeah?
- Did you really mean
what you said
about being able to find my, um?
- Every word.
To fix a flat or two
My tires and tubes are doin'
fine
- There you go.
- What's this?
- May's phone number.
- Wow.
Gee thanks, Boyd.
We'll do all the
law's allowin'
- May?
- Huh?
- Hey.
Setting the woods on fire
- I used to come on a little
stronger in my younger days.
"Hey, baby, let's
jam right now."
Simple, direct.
- Uh, with all due respect,
I'm not here
to drive you two around
while you play grab-ass.
- Skip just had a
connection with this girl.
So take it easy, okay?
The guy hasn't been
laid in 20 years.
- I'm sorry, I apologize.
- Good morning, ladies.
Hm.
- Put the rake down, Draper.
I'm taking you on an errand.
- Buzz off.
- Drop it.
- I'd think twice before
tangling with me.
Or we can get it on
Guadalcanal style.
- Give me that thing.
Put him in the car.
Mind your business.
Back to raking.
All night long so get down
- Hello, Mr. Nasher.
Talk to anyone interesting?
- A young woman from Iceland
said her country's
very beautiful.
She said it's Greenland
that's cold and icy.
- Well, I wouldn't know.
I haven't been to either
place and probably never will,
so I should probably, you
know, get one of those radios.
- Where'd you come here from?
- Huntsville.
Uh, I was, I was actually,
uh, incarcerated down there.
- You learn anything?
- Think I figured out
what I want to do.
- What's that?
- Run a hotel or a motel,
someplace down around
Galveston or Padre Island,
just a real nice place for
people to stay.
Yeah, I mean, that's all
way down the road though,
or if it even happens at all.
- It's an interesting business.
- Yeah.
- Hey-ya, Baker.
No, no, come here, I want
to talk to you.
Come here, have a seat.
No, no, no.
No, no, come here.
My voice is shot.
I don't want to have to yell.
How're you doin', Baker?
- I'm pretty good.
- I've been watching you.
I like the way you
carry yourself.
- Thank you.
Pervert.
Ah, you got time to
hear my story?
- Sure.
- Here's the deal.
This is a state-run place,
and like the prison
system, it's overcrowded.
You know about that.
So, I take a select few
of these folks
and I give them the
greyhound treatment.
I send them up to
mother's farm in Oklahoma.
Now, it's a beautiful
Georgian home that she has.
It's right in the middle
of God's country
and she welcomes them.
But I do take a
reasonable percentage
of their Medicare checks.
And I sell their medication
on the black market.
- Neil, why are you
telling me this?
- Because I want you to know me.
You think I'm a piece of shit,
don't you?
- No, I don't.
- Anyway, I think you
can help me.
McTeague is, frankly, he's not
carrying his weight anymore.
I don't like him, I
don't trust him.
I mean, you just look
into his eyes,
you see how stupid he is.
So, you're either with
me or you're against me.
Oh, and if the cops
come a-callin',
I wonder who they're
going to believe,
young man who spent his life
trying to help the elderly
or a lifelong crook?
Did you ever not get caught?
- Junior, you're back.
So am I.
Times change, Reyes.
But not me.
I came to the end of the
road late last night.
You know what I found there?
A mirror.
Yeah.
- Did you get born again, again?
- Well, I've rededicated
my life, yeah,
but it's a different ball
game this time.
- 'Cause you look like you
got a lot on your mind.
- A lot on my mind, a
lot on my plate,
a lot to do, and not
a lot of time.
- Not a lot of time for what?
- Well, I'm going to turn this
place around, Shady Grove,
and then I'm going to
get my girl back.
Then she and I are
going to start a family.
- Want some eggs?
Thanks.
- How are you, huh?
Did you sleep?
Or did you stay up all night?
- I pretty much tossed
and turned all night.
I don't know that I
slept at all.
But I did have a real moment
of clarity around dawn.
Wendell Baker?
Who's that?
I don't know who that is.
People that gave me
that name gave me away.
- Look at that face.
Where'd you get such
pretty eyes?
- Uh, they're just green,
but thank you.
In answer to your question,
though, I don't know.
I never met my dad.
The only picture I got of
my mom's black and white.
See, Reyes, I came over
here to let you know
that Wendell Baker
International's back in business
and you're going to be getting
called back to active duty.
So I'd get ready to get
pulled off the bench.
- Maybe you ought to
stay out of it.
Just think about it.
Just think about it,
that's all I'm saying.
- You remember Miss Rand back
at the state home in Carthage?
Took us in.
Taught you how to read,
tried to teach me?
Well, she's real old now.
And wouldn't you hope
she's being treated
like she should, which is great?
I mean, where will
she be tonight?
And if she wasn't
doing all right,
wouldn't you do
something about it?
- You know I would.
- Thanks for the eggs.
May I make a call?
It's local.
- Sure.
- Hi, Wendell Baker for Mr.
Fullbright
or Mr. Summers, please.
- What's going on?
- I don't know.
Here, want some eggs?
- Hey, Mr. Summers,
it's Wendell.
Wendell Baker.
- Hey, it's Wendell.
- I'm calling 'cause I'm worried
about your friends at
Shady Grove.
See, Neil King's got
this scheme called the--
- Greyhound treatment.
- You know about it?
- Hell, we're prime
candidates for it.
- Yeah, well, Lily McCoy, Mr.
Draper
and a couple of the
others are already gone.
We've got to go get 'em.
- What?
What do you mean, all of them?
- Yeah, all of 'em.
- Wow, hold on.
Boyd, Wendell thinks we
ought to go out
to Wanda King's farm
and get everyone
that's got the
greyhound treatment.
You up for it?
- I can't be ready any
sooner than two minutes.
- We're on.
- All right, I'm on my way.
Hello, Mr. Nasher.
I'm just going to be gone
for a couple of days,
but I'll have those magazines
you asked for on Monday.
It's "Forbes" and "National
Geographic", right?
I know the coordinates of
Wanda King's farm in Oklahoma.
- You do?
- It's nine miles due
south of Durant.
- Goddamn.
All right, well, can you
write that down for me, sir,
'cause I've got to get going.
I got a lot of
driving ahead of me
and I don't have much time.
I'll come back and get it.
- I can get you there faster.
- Faster how?
- In a plane.
- Whose plane?
- My plane.
I know where everyone is.
Nasher's going to fly
us to Oklahoma.
- This Nasher?
- Yeah, that Nasher.
- Are you kidding?
- No, I'm not, let's go.
- Geez.
- Hey, Nasher.
- I'm ready.
- Okay.
In the time of my confession
In the hour of my
deepest need
When the pool of tears
beneath my feet
Flood every newborn seed
There's a dyin'
voice within me
- Let's go, partner.
It's all right.
Reaching out somewhere
Toiling in the danger
- Hey, Nasher, when was
the last time
you were outside, anyways?
- Seven years, four months,
nine days.
Don't have the inclination
To look back on any mistake
Like Cain I now behold
- Woo!
- Yeah!
Nasher, baby, you still got it.
I got it
I got it
Got the funk
Funky funk
- Hey, guess who died tomorrow?
- Fort Worth Center,
this is Beechcraft N-611,
whiskey Romeo.
Transitioning into an area
of five miles north, over.
- Feel good?
- I always loved to fly.
- You know, I don't know
you too well, Mr. Nasher,
but I think you might enjoy
getting out of Shady Grove
and seeing the world
a little bit.
- I seen it.
- What about family?
- I raised myself.
- So did I.
I mean, with help from Reyes
and a girl named Doreen.
- Where is she?
- She left me before I realized
she's the one for me to marry.
I thought to get married
meant you'd found
what you were looking
for and I hadn't.
I didn't realize it was
about searching together.
And in a life full of mistakes
that's the biggest
one I ever made.
Bob, how goes it?
Got him chained
to the damn billboard.
- What happened?
- Neil King sent you here.
- Somebody's always
a-sendin' me someplace.
I just want to go home.
- That's why we're here.
Hey, that look
Wendell Baker from Tejas.
- Maybe that is Wendell
Baker from Tejas.
Hola, Wendell.
- Oh, hey, Torres brothers.
How's it goin'?
All right.
Hey, you guys mind giving
me a hand with something?
You got it.
- I can't say I was looking
forward to meeting the woman
who'd spawned Neil King,
but I had a job to do.
Howdy.
Stuart Axelrod, county
geological survey.
I'm here to check the
mineral content of your soil.
- Where's your vehicle?
- My vehicle is parked
right out there
in the distance there.
- Just a sec, hon, I
got a pie in the oven.
- How sweet.
I looked for trouble
and I found it, son
Straight down the
barrel of a lawman's gun
- Oh, Wendell.
- Yes, ma'am.
I mean, who?
And you're a dead man,
friend
- You want some pie, mother.
Can't live at all like this
Can I, baby
- All right, my name is Wendell.
And left me reeling
on a steel reel rack
They got 'em all in
the jailhouse, baby
Ain't living long like this
- Come on, come on.
Can't live at all
like this, can I, baby
Grew up in Houston
off of Wayside Drive
Son of a carhop at some
all-night dive
Dad drove a stockcar to
an early death
All I remember was
a drunk man's breath
Ain't living long like this
- You got good--
- What are you doing?
I don't know.
Well, am I?
What were you saying?
- I don't have the
faintest idea.
What is it?
- King!
- What?
- I can't find Fullbright,
Summers, or Nasher.
- Okay, Nasher, well,
where's Baker?
- I don't know.
He said something about
a family commitment.
- That's bullshit.
Wendell Baker's got no family.
You better get down here.
I left my home in Norfolk,
Virginia
California on my mind
I straddled that Greyhound
And rode him into Raleigh
And on across Caroline
We stopped in Charlotte
but we bypassed Rock Hill
Never was a minute late
And 90 miles out of
Alabama by sundown
- Back off.
- Just a second.
You're not coming back, are you?
- No, I'm not.
- That's good.
- When you get where
I am, late in the day,
late in the game, you
got yesterday,
today, and tomorrow all
in the same room.
I never cared much for advice,
Wendell.
And you helped me
without even talking.
- But I just don't want you
to have regret in your life,
that's all.
- I'm going to miss you, Mr.
Nasher,
but I know you were meant
to be up here.
- It's hard to hold on
to your idealism
after you lost your innocence.
That's what I like about you,
Wendell.
My friend.
- We were going to miss Mr.
Nasher,
Messieurs Fullbright and Summers
had devised a plan
had devised a plan to take
down Neil King.
Baker, where you at?
- Baker, where you at?
- The old gas station
out on Ranch Road 12.
- Stay put.
- Well, all I can say, Baker,
'cause I know I get
down on you two, but...
'cause I know I get
down on you two,
but you're old, but
you got a lot of wisdom
and I learn a lot from
ya, even though you do
- Well, I found these
two wandering
I don't even know
I don't even know where Mr.
Nasher is.
Mr. Summers here, he says
he's looking for some land
that he's been thinking
about selling.
I'm just glad I found them,
Neil.
- Oh, I feel funny.
- Funny?
Funny how?
- I feel like I'm sitting in
a bathtub full of warm water.
- Well, you're not, man.
Aw, he's urinizing all
over himself.
Come on, cross your legs.
Act like a man.
Stop, not on the car.
- Stop yelling at me.
I wanted to stop 10 minutes ago
so I could go to the bathroom.
- I'm not yelling at you.
Glad
it's not my car.
- It's going to be your
job to clean it up,
Come on, King.
- Hey, Neil, are these
seats heated?
- Oh, he sprung a leak too.
Now, come on, stop the car.
Pull over. Get out.
Pull over, get out.
Out.
- Okay.
Come on, have
a little pride.
- All right, all right.
My back, I fell on my back.
- You okay, Mr. Summers?
- Come on!
You okay?
- Ow, McTeague!
- I got you.
- Ow, McTeague, McTeague!
No, no, easy.
- Hit it!
- Hey!
Get your ancient
asses back here!
- Whoa, whoa!
Will you tell me what
the hell is going on?
- We got jacked by some
90 year olds.
- What's that?
So far, so good.
Now it was up to Lucy
and May to do their part.
- Whoa, whoa, what do
we got here?
- Hey, fellas, need a lift?
- I can only think of a
couple things
and standing by the side
and standing by the side by
the road ain't one of them.
- Oh, really?
Okay, yeah.
Yeah, make way for ducklings.
- This is why I go to church.
What a blessing.
- Uh, hey, 911.
It's Bobby Culpepper,
concerned citizen here.
Yeah, I just witnessed
some real strange activity
out on Ranch Road 12.
Define strange?
Underage girls
Underage girls and men of
questionable character.
Just going to take
- Just going to take my
pants off here
'cause it helps me relax.
- Oh, I'm already relaxed.
Damn-near butt naked.
- He's already relaxed.
Look at that.
I have a dream.
- Come on over here.
- Let me see this little
blouse you got on.
- Oh, it's like a
rainbow colour.
- Oh, it's like a rainbow color.
- You like it?
- Uh, uh, uh.
I need to see some I.D.s.
- I need to see some IDs.
- Scoot over, scoot over.
- You two go back and
wait by my bike.
IDs.
- My ID is in my pants, sir.
- Uh, mine too, sir.
- You gentlemen aware
these young ladies
are 16 years of age?
- Is that wrong?
McTeague!
- You okay, Wendell?
- I've got to make one
last try for Doreen.
- We're coming with you.
Here.
- What's this?
A wedding band.
You just have
You just have to see that
it gets there.
- I'll try.
- "I'll try."
You'll try.
Say that again, say it.
- I'll try.
- Now say "I'm doing it."
- I'm doing it!
- Now you say, "This is
for your stuff.
"Pack what you need, 'cause
you're going with me.
"Right now."
- Wendell, it's a rare thing
for a man to reveal his heart.
But any woman with substance
will demand just that,
- Listen.
'cause some of the
cards I was dealt,
and I ended up
realizing somebody
was looking out for me
was looking out for me
'cause I met you.
the more I braced myself
for the day you'd be gone.
Loneliness was always the
wolf at the door in my life
I'm so sorry
I'm so sorry you ever
felt lonesome.
I think this is Dave.
- You're going to miss her.
- I'm sorry?
- He said you're
going to miss her.
It'll probably get pretty
bad sometimes.
- Yeah.
What they call a high
lonesome in the Old West.
- I love you.
You're where
You're where it all
starts and ends for me.
- You guys are with
Wendell Baker, aren't you?
- We're his compadres.
- Good.
when I get done with him.
I don't know about all that,
dog.
- I don't know about all that,
dog.
- Did you just call me dog?
It's absolutely ridiculous.
Classic asshole.
- Classic asshole.
- Loser.
What's he doing here?
- We can try it again, Wendell.
- No, Mr. Summers.
I said what I was feeling
and she listened to me.
I'm lucky that
I'm lucky that I ever
even met Doreen,
much less that she once
loved me too.
I'll never get over her,
but I'll never regret it.
- The crazy thing is,
is we're the victims.
These two sick old men,
they stole our car,
exposed themselves to
those poor girls.
- Pissed on us.
That's why we had to take
our clothes off.
- Back to the car.
Sometimes things
don't work out perfectly,
they just work out.
- It was an elaborate
kidnapping scheme.
- Are you Wendell Baker?
- Nope.
- We'd like to talk to you, Mr.
Baker.
- I'll let him know
if I see him.
- It concerns Mr. Nasher.
Nasher's real name was
William Harris Rayburn.
Among other things, he's
an international financier,
a shipping magnate, a
casino owner,
He made the bulk of his
fortune in 1948
- He made the bulk of his
fortune in 1948
with the discovery of what
was called the Black Ocean.
In actuality, it was an
enormous basin of crude oil
spreading from West Texas
to Southeastern New Mexico.
- All right.
- Mr. Rayburn, Nasher to you,
for lack of a better term,
dropped out of conventional
society in 1967.
I met him one time, the
day he hired me.
From 1967 on he lived
anonymously in hotels,
communicating only by
handwritten memos.
- He made a request that
you take over the management
the flagship hotel being
the flagship hotel being the
Lake Travis Villa and Spa.
I'm gonna live forever
I'm gonna cross that river
I'm gonna catch tomorrow now
You're gonna wanna hold me
Just like I always told you
You're gonna miss me
when I'm gone
Nobody here will
ever find me
But I will always be around
Just like the songs I
leave behind me
I'm gonna live forever now
- McTeague?
Was it ever tough for you
being such a hard-ass back
at Shady Grove?
- No, not really.
Truth be known,
Truth be known, I kind
of enjoyed it.
You know, it was kind
of like playing a part.
Though I now realize that I
was a very unhappy person.
- Well, I've got to go
find Wendell.
Wendell, I was just
looking for you.
- I need you to go down
to the beach with me
and show me how
and show me how to set
those tables up and.
- Yeah, just set 'em up
like I showed you last week.
- And you mind, uh,
buttoning that up?
- And you mind
buttoning that up?
- Oh, no problem, Wendell.
- Tucking it in too.
- Oh yes, I got you covered.
- I want you to show me.
A successful manager
has got to be involved
I.. I understand that,
I understand
that, Mr. Summers.
Yeah, well, too busy to see
Yeah, well, too busy
to see that it's done right?
- No, Mr. Summers, it's
just that I thought
you and Mr. Fullbright
could handle it.
I don't know.
- I don't know.
Have you seen Boyd?
No, I haven't. Hi, Wendell.
- No, I haven't.
Hi, Wendell.
- You know, I don't mind
helping you guys
but I just... I can't
do it every day.
but I just, I can't do
it every day.
And come to think of it,
And come to think of it, I
didn't even see
Mr. Fullbright all day
yesterday either.
When we come to the place
Where the road and
the sky collide
Throw me over the edge
And let my spirit glide
They told me I was gonna
have to work for a living
But all I wanna do is ride
I don't care where
we're going from here
Honey, you decide
Well, I spend my time
at the bottom
Wendell.
Of a wishing well
And I can hear my dreams
Singing clear as a bell
I used to know where they
ended and the world began
But now it's getting
hard to tell
I could be just around
the corner from heaven
Or a mile from hell
I'm just rolling away
from yesterday
Behind the wheel of a
stolen Chevrolet
I'm gonna get a
little higher
See if I can hotwire reality
But can you see those dark
clouds gathering up ahead
They're gonna wash this
planet clean
Like the Bible said
Now you can hold on steady
Try to be ready
But everybody's
gonna get wet
Don't think it won't happen
Just because it hasn't
happened yet
I'm just rolling away
from yesterday
Behind the wheel of a
stolen Chevrolet
Gonna get a little higher
See if I can hotwire reality