mes ? ? anytime you need a payment ? ? good times ? ? anytime you need a friend ? ? good times ? ? anytime you're out from under ? ? not getting hassled, not getting hustled ? ? keeping your head above water ? ? making a wave when you can ? ? temporary layoffs ? ? good times ? ? good times ? ? scratching and surviving ? ? good times ? ? hanging in a chow line ? ? good times ? ? ain't we lucky we got 'em? ?

hey, y'all. have i got news for you. guess what. willona, shh, shh. thelma's still writing. okay, listen, but you've got to hear this -- my daughter, penny, has been selected to play in the easter pageant. hey, congratulations, penny. very happy to hear that. and not only that. the costume will be styled and designed by the one and only, her mother, the star's mother. whoo! what part are you playing, penny? i'm a tree. i wanted to be a bunny, but they ran out of ears. oh, a tree, huh? so now, when you trace your roots, all you've got to do is take off your shoes.

oh, come on. please be quiet. come on, j.j., now. i have to finish this one part. it's the most important part in the whole play. it's where the heroine talks about her dream. you know, it's -- and i can't even hear myself think, with "the gong show" going on in here. thelma, honey, don't you think you're going a little bit overboard? after all, you've just been writing a very short time. willona, i have been writing for at least a dozen years. let me show you. thelma, writing on the elevator walls leave the child alone. she needs encouragement. 12 years? gosh. thelma started writing before i was a kid. me, too. [ laughter ] uh-oh. what's that? those are my private diaries. private? wow. get your hands off there now. don't you dare touch her books. come on, now. you know, willona, every night for the last 12 years, i've been writing

my good times, my bad times. my secret desires. my boyfriends. my family. family? let me see that book. hey, hey, give me that book. no, wait, wait. "dear diary, last night me and -- ooh. willona, stop him. give me this diary. what is wrong with you? this is thelma's personal thoughts, her innermost feelings. you have no right to read her stuff. willona! i just wanted to make sure you spelled my name right, honey. [ laughs ] [ knocking on door ] oh, boy, that's all i need, another interruption. take it easy there, my little shakespeareus. i'll handle this, so you can keep scripting your scribe. [ chuckles ]

you stupid fool. that was mrs. flicker. ...evans' apartment? come on in, mrs. flicker. i am so sorry that happened. everybody, this is my drama teacher, mrs. flicker. and this is penny and her mother, willona woods. [ dramatic voice ] how do you do? [ laughter ] and this is my little brother, michael. [ deep voice ] what it is? is is my... [ chuckles ] ...my stupid brother, j.j. unpredicated. thelma, i must tell you the wonderful news, or i think i'll die. or at least get sick. [ laughs ] what is it? what is it? oh. oh, i got a phone call. i got a phone call from mr. nicholson, head of the community theater. he has decided to put on your play. wow!

very own play. i mean, actors on stage, saying the words i want to say. oh, i can't believe it. hey, i'll tell you, this is the greatest thing that's happened to the ghetto since the colonel got real. too funny! too funny! out of 83 entries, yours was the play chosen to be produced. my dear, thelma, you are going to be paid $250. oh! yeah! [ laughter and cheering ] thelma, i'm so proud of you! whew! oh, mrs. flicker, i've been in there making some changes. oh, don't! don't touch a word. child, i'm so proud! whoo, child, if she gets any prouder, thelma's gonna be too bent to boogie.

ife. this is like a dream come true. you know that, willona. right, a $250 dream, at that. i like that. well, this calls for a celebration. hey, what's your pleasure, flicker? burt reynolds. [ laughs ] i've got some goodies at my place. come on, gramps, give me a hand. oh, thelma, i just love the way you painted new orleans. and your insight into human nature is remarkable. this is only the beginning for you, thelma. today, one small script for chicago. tomorrow, it's broadway. ooh! i'm so excited. oh, i'm so excited, i don't know what to do. hey, when do we start rehearsals? oh, now, we haven't even chosen the cast yet. and i think we ought to have a reading of the play first, just so we can hear how it sounds. oh, yeah? well, we can have it right here. well, uh, if i may be so inconspicuous...

menial part, such as leading man. you're an actor. oh, my good god. how do you feel about stanislavski? they should have never traded him to the rams. well, it's all set. [ chuckles ] they traded stanislavski to the rams? for beethoven. oh, well, anyway. thelma, there are just a few minor changes on suggests. but i thought you said that not even a word should be changed. they don't amount to a thing. they're just the normal, ordinary changes every playwright is asked to make. well, um -- uh, hold on there. if i may be so humble and vanishing. speaking as the artistic director, i'll just handle this. ha ha, mrs. flicker, all right, there. look here, thelma.

you better not turn that down. we need that money. ha ha ha ha! look here, mrs. flicker, make any changes you want. just go ahead and juxtaposition, change pages, do whatever is necessary. ha ha ha ha! [ laughs ] um, well, what are the changes? well, now, mr. nicholson wondered if you would mind changing the name of your heroine from pauline to something else. but, uh, what's the matter with "pauline"? at's the name of mr. nicholson's ex-wife. it was a very messy divorce. how about changing it to "boom boom"? mr. nicholson suggests "yvonne." that's the name of his present, uh, friend. uh, "yvonne" is fine with us, just fine, right on. [ laughs ] yes, yvonne is very a nice name. we'll change pauline to yvonne. all right, now there's one other tiny thing here on page 60.

now, mr. nicholson feels that it would be better if you referred to her as a "dance hall girl." she is what she is. well, mr. nicholson doesn't want to offend the audience. besides, there was some question about his ex-wife, pauline. well, okay, she can become a dance hall girl. that's nice, too. oh, thelma, you've been an angel about this. here we are, ready to celebrate thelma's hit play. oh, thelma! thelma, just a minute. just a minute. if you don't mind, there are just a few more changes. just a few more, dear. now, you know, throughout the play, you use a lot of street language. now, mr. nicholson knows that people talk that way. but he feels that there are some people in the audience who might take offense to it, like his friends. his friends are going to be there.

[ knocking on door ] oh, my goodness, that's them. willona, how's my suit? you look great. i'll handle this. here we go. i'm calm. yeah, bookman, what can we do you for? remember when i told you i'd get you a plumber right up here to fix the valve on your flusher? oh, bookman, you cannot change a valve now. we're getting ready to read my play. no kidding. you wrote a play? hey, you got any small parts to fit me? i beg your pardon. small parts to fit you, booger? there ain't no part that can fit you. well, i guess i'll get the plumber so we can go to work. in here, shorty! ooh! good golly, miss molly. girl, you sure look good to me. what do you think you're doing, plumber? oh, about $8 an hour. [ scoffs ] hey, come on, man.

but when you want to hit a home run, i am the reggie jackson of the lavatory. oh, i see. you're the reggie jackson of the lavatory. [ knocking on door ] willona, huh? oh, thelma, my love. i'm so excited. i can't wait to get your brilliant play up on its feet, as we say in the theater. um, what happened to mr. nicholson? isn't he coming? oh, dear, he was held up at the last minute. oh, perhaps later, dear, perhaps later. now, shall we start the play? hey, folks, can shorty use the phone? yeah, i want to call my old lady. hey, how come you didn't call her before you came from work? man, are you kidding? my wife would kill me. now, when we start the play, our heroine, yvonne, has left chicago, following her creole boyfriend, eugene,

i'm gonna have a tough time acting that part. now, unknown to yvonne, madame lafitte... oh, that's me? yes. starring role? yes. ...has her eye on eugene. eye on eugene. got that one covered. now, nobody knows about this except loretta, a dance hall girl in madame lafitte's sleazy bar. now, as the play starts, where jeffrey, the jamaican bartender... ? all day, all night ? ? mixing drinks ? ? unh, unh ? ? all day, all -- ? ...is listening to chops, the trumpet player, wailing away on his horn. hey, can i play chops? please, can i? can i play chops? oh, bookman, here's an extra script. here, you play chops.

lafitte's dimly lit -- you're over here, dear. ...at madame lafitte's dimly lit bourbon street caf?. jeffrey, the bar is over here. loretta, you come over here. yvonne, you make your entrance up center, please. up center, okay. now remember, this is new orleans, 1955. there are a lot of people around, gambling, drinking. and dancing? oh, yes, dancing, having a lot of fun. now, loretta speaks first. [ as mae west ] what do you want to order, gambling man? [ clears throat ] bring me a ragin' cajun.

that's a jigger of gin, a jigger of vodka, a shot of yak juice, and something to hold onto! yee-ha! coming right up, big boy. thelma, mr. nicholson has a note here about alcoholic beverages. he's afraid that some people will find it objectionable. well...well, what is eugene supposed to order, perfect. perfect. [ jamaican accent ] hey, yo, mon, i'd rather make a ragin' cajun. okay. all right, i'll change it. i'll change that. read on, willona. okay, okay. [ french accent ] eugene, mon ch?ri amour, where is your little girlfriend from chicago? huh? look here, madame lafoot -- oh.

lafitte, lafitte, lafitte. that's right, she do have two feets. well, look here, madame lafootses, just because i works for you, that doesn't mean i'm your love slave. i am my own man, and i plays the field. but, monsieur, you must understand . ha ha ha ha ha. ...your little creole butt will be tossed into the bayou. n'est-ce pas? hold it. hold it. yes? yes. there is another note. thanks. yes, now, mr. nicholson suggests that "your little creole butt" is suggestive. and i must admit that, uh -- oh, come on. that, too? yes, dear, yes. now, we mustn't -- but --

read on. yes. well, in that case, i better go break the bad news to yvonne. that big-shot gambler, eugene, is gonna break poor yvonne's heart. hey, he can't help it if he's loved by two women. now, i know what he's going through. thelma, it's your line. your line. [ sighs ] [ clears throat ] uh, eugene, i have to talk to you. mmm. [ coughs ] not now, baby. i want to hear chops sing. [ as louis armstrong ] ? hello, dolly ? ? yes, hello, dolly ? ? it's so nice to have you back where you belong ? [ both scatting ]

? oh, yeah ? you can always tell when chops has had one too many -- root beer floats? eugene, uh, i have to talk to you now. i'm tired of being your doormat. i left my family all the way in chicago to come out here to see you, and i never see you. c'est la vie, baby. red of it. ugh! and i'm going back home. i'm tired of your phony dreams, too. 'cause i have dreams of my own. very funny. eugene, tell her truth. tell her now.

but, yvonne, baby, this is our dream, right here in new orleans. it's gonna come true. it's right here in the palm of our hands. holding on to dreams that you can touch, eugene, are not the best kind of dreams to have. you know, my daddy once told me, "sometimes you have to reach for dreams "that nobody can see but you. dreams that will give you more than just a pat on your back from your friends." yeah. "those are the kind of dreams that will give you your future. and they're out there." they're out there. and this is one black woman that's gonna reach her dream. hey, all right. hey, thelma, that's great. ohh!

baby, baby, those are words to live by. i heard that. it is beautiful, thelma. but all mr. nicholson wants is just one word change. what word change? well, you know, he feels that your play should be for everybody, just not a few people. it's not universal enough, the way you've written it. it's too heavy, too black. oh. oh, so that's the little word change -- "black." well, yes, yes. all you have to do is take it out and put in, look, change it to -- look, right here, dear. "this is one woman that's gonna reach her dreams." what's wrong with that? everything. because the play is not about being black. it's about being a woman. and the woman happens to be black. so you can tell mr. nicholson he can go butcher up somebody else's play. thelma, you know what this means. mm-hmm.

and forget about doing my play! talk to her. tell her what she's passing up. i'm sorry, honey. it's between thelma and herself. thelma, i think you're making a mistake. sometimes compromises are necessary. i've had to make them all my life. i like playing errand girl to mr. nicholson? i've got to keep my job. i need it. so, what's wrong with a little compromise, if it puts $250 in your pocket and gets your play done? i understand about compromise, mrs. flicker. but compromise to a certain point

not changing another word. all right, thelma, i'll tell mr. nicholson. thelma? i wish i had your guts. hey, thelma. sis, i'm so proud of you, the words just can't come to me. you have done it. you hear me? yeah, but the play won't go on, you know? i won the battle, but i lost the war. thelma, listen to me now. you just keep on trying. you keep on writing. you understand me? j.j.: that's right. hey, sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose.

and one day, i'm gonna win them all! right on, honey! -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

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? good times ? ? anytime you need a payment ? ? good times ? ? anytime you need a friend ? ? good times ? ? anytime you're out from under ? ? not getting hassled, not getting hustled ? ? keeping your head above water ? ? making a wave when you can ? ? temporary layoffs ? ? easy credit rip-offs ? ? good times ? ? scratching and surviving ? ? good times ? ? hanging in a chow line ? ? good times ? ? ain't we lucky we got 'em? ?