灵感源于真实事件
我是威利加里 好吧 你们知道我哥艾尔
爱之磨难浸信会教堂 佛罗里达州印第安敦 1995年
他在这里布道 但他让我过来
跟大家分享一二 但我是这么说的
当上帝召唤时 你必须回应
- 没错 - 就是这样
今天 上帝在我的心中 在我的灵魂里
这就是我来这里跟你们聊的原因
我对自己说 “是什么支撑着我们？”
是什么给了我们安全感？
我相信答案是家
如果我能回家就好了
甚至连说“家”这个字 都会让人有一种说不出的感觉
- 我需要去哪里？ - 家
- 我们想去哪里？ - 家
- 家是心之所在 阿门 - 阿门
- 哈利路亚！ - 哈利路亚！
因为当你回家时 家人就在那里
大家都在身边 你到家了
我们的家在哪里？在黑人教会
我没听清 我们在哪里？
- 黑人教会 - 告诉我
在黑人教会 你不受任何入会限制
在黑人教会 没人因为肤色而评头论足
- 没错 - 不会
在黑人教会 人们不会 用不尊重人的绰号称呼他人
如果人们要叫我 你们知道他们会叫我什么吗？
他们会称我为上帝的孩子
- 好的 大块头 - 你们保重 好吗？
好的
再见 保重
刚才的讲话很精彩 听到了吗？
密西西比州比洛克西
祝你生日快乐
祝你生日快乐 亲爱的爷爷
祝你生日快乐
生日快乐 爷爷 这是我专门给你做的
我也太幸运了吧
我们打开看看
75岁生日快乐！
13个孩子 24个孙子和孙女
我得说你干得不错 奥基夫先生
你也干得不错
奥基夫太太
真的很不错
这帮人里没有一个人犯罪
你…嘿
- 嘿 你还好吗？ - 还好
嗯 我就是看看你怎么样
好的
- 我还有这权限吧 - 是的
- 太好了 很高兴听到这个消息 - 今天是我最开心的一天
埋葬
这个人的幸福取决于你们
佛罗里达州基西米
我能跟你们简单说几句吗？
就普通而平常的说话
因为我觉得他们 故意说些你们难以理解的话
我们不会允许这种情况发生
“克洛维斯塔布斯 诉芬奇公司食品服务案”
我知道我的当事人的一些秘密
我现在会告诉你们
我的当事人一点也不好
他一点也不好
我那糟糕的当事人克洛维斯塔布斯 在事故发生当日
喝醉了
没错 喝醉了
酩酊大醉 醉得一塌糊涂
事实上 你们想知道数据吗？
数据显示 血液酒精浓度为0.4%
就在这里
可以说是醉醺醺的
不仅如此
他还存在心理问题
他说他患有抑郁症
有人会说他有自杀倾向 而且我们有证据证明这一点
因为在进行心理治疗时 他跟心理医生说
“我感觉很糟 我真想开车直接撞到树上”
但他不能那么做
我那糟糕的当事人不能那样做 你们知道原因吗？
他的驾照被吊销了
他连驾照都没有
所以他说了什么？
“我要给自己买辆自行车 我要那样做”
而他就是那么做的
他骑着自行车去了阿尔伯塔和瓦因街
你们都知道酒类专卖店
他给自己买了一大瓶苏格兰威士忌 一饮而尽
然后他做了什么？他骑上自行车
直奔高速公路 驶向车流
然后这位“十八轮车”先生出现了
芬奇公司没注意
什么都没注意 从榆木街下来 他做了什么？
他撞到了克洛维斯
他撞到了他
他应该死了
你们都知道那首歌…
我在寻找奇迹
这 就是奇迹
因此 我们请你们从心思考
然后给他那区区七千五百万美元
你们知道为什么吗？芬奇公司有钱
芬奇公司有钱
芬奇公司很有钱
但他们知道自己很强大 想压迫这个弱小的人
你们会问：“为何要 七千五百万美元 威利加里？”
我告诉你们原因 因为我们有证据
证据将能证明事故是疏忽导致的
因为糟糕的克洛维斯先生做了一件
对他有利的事情
即使他喝醉了 酩酊大醉 醉得一塌糊涂
还抑郁、有自杀倾向
我那糟糕的当事人克洛维斯塔布斯…
当时是绿灯
我说完了 法官大人
威利E加里律师事务所
我是威利加里 你们都进来吧
抱歉让你们在外面等那么久
幸会 加里先生 我是耶利米奥基夫
耶利米 好名字 出自《圣经》
以赛亚书、耶利米、耶利米哀歌 都源于《圣经》 这位是谁？
这是我的初级律师 哈尔伯特多金斯
叫我哈尔就行 很荣幸见到你 加里先生
兄弟 你太年轻了 还当不了律师 我以为你是他的养子
真是的 拜托 我开玩笑的 进来
这是我的搭档 雷吉道格拉斯
他是的我“代言人”
你们手上有什么官司？ 你们给威利加里准备了什么？
人身伤害？
请再说一次？
人身伤害 你们都受到了人身伤害？
你们没看到外面的标牌吗？
我们这里只打这种官司
是也不是
我想我们的官司确实跟人身伤害有关 但有点不同
有点不同？好吧 什么不同？ 是什么官司？
这是起合同法官司
合同法？
拜托 伙计 我们这儿不接合同法官司
绝对不接 那种案子无聊到让人打瞌睡
没错 我们不接合同法官司
明白 我们知道 这不一定是你负责的领域
但也许你可以听他说完 你会发现这起官司非常有趣
我是一名丧葬承办人 来自于密西西比州比洛克西
我在那儿做生意 实际上 我在那儿有几家公司
我有八家殡仪馆 一家丧葬保险公司
我们是一家家族企业 已经有一百多年的历史
我们绝不会不战而败
我从二战战场回家后 我的父亲把生意交给了我
我认为这是一种神圣的委托
安妮特和我有幸有13个孩子
我们打算让他们将这生意传承下去
但大约在一年前 我遇到了财务困境
先生们 下午好 我能为你们做什么？
我们是代表州保险委员会来的
奥基夫先生 作为在密西西比州
注册的丧葬保险经纪人
我相信你知道你账户里的资金
必须始终留有一个最低限额
是的 我当然知道
政府
保险监管机构？
你开玩笑的吧
他们说他们想干什么？
事实上 我可能 给自己招惹了很多麻烦
麻烦？
杰里 我做你的律师
快三十年了吧？
甚至在那之前 你我就是朋友
你我都知道多年来 为了让生意壮大
并延续下去 好留给孩子们
我一直负债累累
我们先别慌
我知道这事让你压力极大
但我相信我们能找到解决办法的
等等 打扰一下 孩子
- 你想再来一杯吗？ - 不了
你有空的时候 能再给我来杯波旁威士忌吗？
- 谢谢 - 好的 先生
所以 听着
你有没有考虑过出售部分业务？
没有
只是一部分 好吗？
且不论我是否想卖 如果我真要卖 我去哪儿找买家？
加拿大 那边有公司询价
洛温集团？是哦
他们一直在大肆收购
他们走遍全国
收购了他们能找到的 每家私人所有的丧葬连锁店
这些人是真的很有钱
是啊 你知道我对这些大公司的看法
是的 但我只是说这是一种选择 这个方法就摆在那儿
也许这是条出路
你可以考虑一下
杰里 时间正好
- 你需要帮忙吗？ - 不用 我能行
嘿 听着 你确定要卖吗？
我已经认真考虑过了
我相信这对我的家人来说 是正确的选择
那好吧 下一站 温哥华 你准备好进去了吗？
- 我们得等哈尔 - 谁？
我跟你提过哈尔 他是我儿子的大学同学
是个非常聪明的年轻人 刚开始当律师 而且…
他来了
他最近通过了律师考试 渴望积累经验
谁？哪个？
那个高个子小子？
嘿 抱歉 非常抱歉 奥基夫先生
我的出租车 把我送到另一个航站楼去了
没事
哈尔伯特多金斯 我想让你见见迈克奥尔雷德
幸会 奥尔雷德先生
很高兴能加入这个团队
你好呀 我也很高兴见到你
所以你是律师？
是的
那可太好了 干得好 孩子
我们进去吧
走吧 我们要去加拿大
不列颠哥伦比亚省温哥华
我为雷洛温工作 他很期待见到你
你可能知道 雷是个亲力亲为的人
他是业内唯一一位
喜欢亲自接见 每个卖家的首席执行官
嘿 雷 请允许我介绍一下 这是耶利米奥基夫先生和他的同事们
幸会 杰里
小伙子们 你们喜欢 我们在加拿大做生意的方式吗？
上船吧 我请你们喝一杯
目前我们拥有1115家殡仪馆
427个墓园
354家保险公司
我的策略很简单 买尽可能多的殡仪馆
然后把自己放在一个我喜欢称之为
“死亡黄金时代”的位置上
什么？
即当美国所有婴儿潮一代的人
最终到达死亡年龄的时候
这会让全国的死亡率至少增加60%
你知道现在美国有多少
65岁以上的居民吗？
五千一百万
我觉得听上去很悲观啊
你不担心会失去你的客户吗？
我的客户？什么客户？ 我的客户是死人
我开玩笑的 杰里
听着 我拥有的殡仪馆越多 挣的钱就越多
我也越能满足客户的需求
且能满足其不断增长的需求
也许我们该停止闲聊
开始谈生意了 先生们 你们觉得呢？
我很想听听你的想法 雷
据我所知
当地的州监管机构给你找了些麻烦
你怎么知道的？
你有什么？在整个州有九家殡仪馆？
八家 我在全州有八家殡仪馆
当然还有我的保险公司
所以这样吧
你以稍后商定出的公平市价
卖给我三家殡仪馆
这样你不仅能保留大部分资产
还能赚到足以应付
监管机构的现钱
我还希望能在这笔交易中 得到一些别的东西
我的大部分利润来自于销售丧葬保险
如果你垄断丧葬保险 我就无法生存
所以我提议我以公平市价
卖给你三家殡仪馆
但你得在此时此刻保证
不再在密西西比州南部销售丧葬保险
好的
那么 我们达成协议了吗？
我会让我的律师起草合同
我们可以立刻完成交易
为什么拖了那么久？ 我们达成了一致…
现在已经过了四个月了 他们一直在尝试修改交易条款
我们离开温哥华的时候 他们说最多只需要30天
这不合理
- 我觉得很合理 - 怎么说？
你们有没有考虑过
洛温可能根本无意完成这笔交易？
孩子 恕我直言
你根本不知道自己在说什么
我觉得我知道
想想看
他拖的时间越长 你的处境就越糟
首先 保险委员会会收回你的执照
从而彻底摧毁你的生计
迟早你会别无选择 只能申请破产
这样一来 洛温不仅能拿到那三家殡仪馆
他还可以以低价 从你手上买下你的整个生意
你真的觉得他想让我破产？ 他不能这么做
我有一份签好了的合同
只有我们这边签了字 没有附上截止日期
我听说洛温先生还在该地区销售保险
拜托 别再说这些阴谋论的话了
孩子 对不起 但你疑心太重了
好吧 介意帮我个忙吗？
你能别再叫我“孩子”了吗？
我不是你的孩子 迈克
放松 好吗？
你真的想在这里 成为一名被认可的律师吗？
- 谁说我不是了？ - 你们俩够了
你真觉得洛温先生
想毁了我？
是的 他为什么要帮咱们一把？
好吧 就这样吧 我要起诉他
你这辈子从未起诉过任何人
我现在随时都可能起诉人
你觉得75岁 是开始起诉人的好时候吗？
老年人不打官司
在我看来 如果有人想占你的便宜
而你知道这种举动是错的 不管你年纪多大 都该采取行动
他想彻底毁掉我的生意
而我觉得我不应该支持这种举动
密西西比州海恩兹县
我是来提起诉讼的
起诉状带来了吗？我能看看吗？
“老耶利米J奥基夫诉洛温集团”
听上去很有趣 你觉得谁会赢？
什么？
天啊 哈尔 你来干什么？
- 你知道现在是几点吗？ - 听着
我知道现在很晚了 真的很抱歉
我发现了一些 我觉得对我们的官司有利的东西
又是一集精彩的 《富人和名人的生活方式》
惊险刺激的故事继续上演
你不会相信
著名人身伤害律师 威利E加里的惊人旅程
他拒绝接受终生贫困
因为他相信美国梦
威利加里出生在佛罗里达州甘蔗田的 一个移民佃农家庭
他的生活并不总是一帆风顺
我总是渴望自己能成就一番事业
我知道自己能成功
而他确实成功了
现在 威利经常打赢数百万的…
你是在建议我 聘请这个人做我的律师吗？
这个想法似乎很疯狂
但这个人能打赢官司 我是说…
他不仅有架叫“正义之翼”的 私人737喷气式飞机
还在富饶的佛罗里达海岸边的 一栋有50个房间的
豪宅里过着奢华的生活
不过房间的装饰就不能归功于威利了
这要归功于他青梅竹马的
美丽迷人的妻子格洛丽亚
我一直想提醒威利的一件事是
永远不要忘记他从何而来
保持谦虚
对 “谦虚”就是威利加里的中间名
永远不要让别人告诉你 你不能做某事 好吗？
这是威利加里跟你说的
- 碰拳 - 永不忘本 威…
信不信由你 他有完美的庭审记录
据说12年来 他从未败诉
他对合同法了解多少？ 这是一起合同法官司
该案在海因兹县立案
那里黑人与白人的比例为三比一
这意味着我们有70%的机会 得到一位黑人法官
如果我们能走到庭审这一环节 有可能有黑人陪审团
所以呢？
恕我直言 你不能让迈克奥尔雷德 这种人出现在黑人陪审团面前
为什么不行啊？
他做我的律师已经30年了 他比任何人都了解合同法
你真要我解释给你听吗？
他身上散发着一种 自以为是的南方白人老顽固的味道
黑人陪审团看到那样的人出庭…
哈尔 这种完全迎合陪审团的想法…
这不是起歧视诉讼
你我都知道这件事与种族无关
我碰巧知道加里先生本周在佛罗里达
代理一起案子
我们俩
就去那里一天 见见他怎么样？
我们只是想让洛温集团 对他们自己的行为负责
不 这不是你们想要的 你们想要他们付钱
- 让他们受伤 付出代价 - 对
所以你们想要多少钱？
- 六百万美元 - 六百万？
公平市价加上损失赔偿的总和
我已经在密西西比州海恩兹县 提起了民事诉讼
你觉得怎么样 加里先生？ 你喜欢这起诉讼案吗？
我能给你们我的个人意见吗？ 实话实说？
奥基夫先生 我很遗憾这个叫洛温的对你做这种事
他听上去像是个大混蛋 但是
这不是威利加里的官司
等等 但你这话是什么意思？ 为什么不是？
这不是威利加里的官司 因为它不适合威利加里
不 但是 对不起 那什么才是威利加里的官司？我不…
换句话说 威利加里的官司
是那种我能占上风 我觉得
能进入庭审阶段的官司 懂了吗？
- 自始至终如此 - 一旦我让案子进入庭审…
你们都看过我的视频 当我站在法庭上时
特别是面对像我这样的人时
- 我会引导人们做出特定的反应 - 就像莫扎特
在威利加里的官司中 我可以将判决推向极致
如果需要的话 还能推向天堂
并为我的客户争取尽可能多的赔偿金
他的意思是 威利加里的官司 是那种我们知道必能打赢的官司
这个诉讼案的胜算不那么大
事实上 你们的诉讼案结果堪忧
还有一件事
不要误会 但…
他…你是白人 他是白人
我没有白人客户 从未为白人辩护过
所以无意冒犯 但这对我来说很不寻常
不会冒犯 加里先生
哈尔伯特 这家伙对我们来说 太有钱也太有名了
- 你知道吗 奥基夫先生… - 怎么？
- 给我一点时间 - 你要去哪儿？
再跟他谈一次 给我五分钟 好吗？
绿灯情景 当我跟一位陪审员谈话时…
她穿的是什么？
我可能得再多看她一会儿
跟她眼神交流
有时你得讨好她们
那就是…
加里先生 很抱歉这样再次打扰你
- 我只需要一分钟 - 怎么了？你迷路了？
你疯了吧
还是他在电梯旁炒了你鱿鱼？
好吧 也许是这样 但听着 我只想占用你一分钟
- 一分钟？ - 一分钟 仅此而已
你只有一分钟 我们很忙 说吧 哈尔
杰里是个理想的客户
他的故事很棒 他是战争英雄
获得过很多功勋 参加过二战
他因为为国家服役 而被授予了杰出飞行十字勋章
- 你就想说这些吗？ - 兄弟
就这？
二战不是五十年前的事吗？
- 是的 伙计 没人在乎 - 那是古老的事情了 哥们
好吧 那这件事呢？1976年
杰里在他的家乡 比洛克西担任了两届市长
三K党曾试图组织一场游行…
他阻止了他们买那些白色头套？
好家伙！
我猜他现在成了我们的白人救世主了
- 三K党 - 听起来你爱上了他
不 我不是那意思 我的意思是
我们希望能在海因兹县处理此案
- 三比一… - 等等 让我打断你一下
哈尔 我喜欢你 我觉得你出身名门
但你得了解我们的工作方式
第一 我们不接合同法诉讼案
- 第二 我们没有白人客户 - 没有
第三 钱不够
钱不够！
钱不够 哈尔
我爱你 兄弟 但我们觉得钱不够
兄弟 看看四周 你看到自己身处何方了吗？
你没看到这种镀金的桃花心木吗？
- 最好看看 宣扬一下 - 这可厉害了 宝贝
我们每月处理五千万、三千万 八千万的官司
好吧
但你怎么知道 这起官司就不能做大呢？
我们不知道
你了解一些我们不知道的内幕吗？
雷洛温刚好位于这个国家
最大的行业之一的顶端
我说的是 每年价值两百亿美元的丧葬产业
有两家大型企业正要进驻并接管一切
洛温集团就是其中之一
他们现在对杰里的所作所为 真的很可怕 但…
我有一种预感…
不对 是我知道 这只是冰山一角
我可以继续说了吗？
当然可以
这才是你一开始该说的话
你们处理这些价值八千万的官司
有私人飞机 我理解 没问题
我确实有 正义之翼
很好 你跟我都很清楚
对这个国家法律界更上层的精英来说
你只不过是个外表光鲜的 追着救护车跑的律师 无意冒犯
别逼我揍你
这话太不尊重人了 孩子
如果这场官司能让你名声大振呢？
如果这场官司 能让你成为国民律师呢？我是说…
像威廉肯斯特勒那种
克拉伦斯丹诺
瑟古德马歇尔
我是说…
我是说约翰尼科克伦那种级别的
正义之翼
我从没听说过他
顺便问一句 多金斯先生 这是你的主意吗？
不 不是他的主意 是我的主意
我知道 迈克 我这样
再请一位律师来 可能会让你生气 但…
让我生气？完全不会
别气…我看起来像生气了吗？
我没生气
这是你的钱 你想干嘛就干嘛
我只是觉得你这是在犯下大错
我是想给我们最终上法庭
提供最好的条件
知道了 不过我们上不了庭
说真的 这个人 到底有什么特别之处？
哈尔和我去佛罗里达 看他在陪审团面前打官司
我想跟你说这个人绝对可以
刺激陪审团采取行动
是的 先生
如果你们这么相信他 那我当然可以跟他合作
我以前也跟人合作过
只是我要说清楚 我仍然是首席律师
迈克 感谢你的大度
没事
他应该什么时候到这里？
事实上 我觉得他们现在到了
现在？
耶利米哀歌 你还好吗？
- 很高兴见到你 威利 - 很高兴见到你 看起来不错
- 你在这里做什么？ - 这是我的荣幸
你变年轻了？ 你在学习永葆青春的道林格尔吗？
威利 让我介绍一下 这位是迈克奥尔雷德
迈克 我知道我们要合作了 对吧？
我也知道 你好吗 加里先生？
看起来怎么样？
你看起来好极了 威利
是的 这就是我所说的 我感觉很好
这是你的“备战”室？
我们有会议室
我喜欢那边那些 我喜欢这些书 我喜欢所有这些
不过这很好
不过 在我们开始工作前
我有一些问题要问
希望你不会觉得冒犯
当然不会 想问什么就问吧 我洗耳恭听
太好了
问题是
跟黑人合作 你感觉如何？
坦率地说？
不然呢？
不 先生 你想听实话
- 我需要诚实的回答 - 好吧
如果你想要诚实的答案
说实话 我觉得我心存偏见
- 好吧 - 我不是说我为此感到骄傲
我很欣赏你的诚实
我一直在非常努力地克服
- 很高兴你在努力克服 - 是啊
你见过我的团队吗？
嗨 我是克里斯
嗨 克里斯
我是达沙安
达沙安
艾尔
雷吉道格拉斯
先生们
好了 既然现在都清楚了
我们去会议室吧
团队的其他人员在等着呢
- 杰里 我们会解决的 好吗？ - 好
- 他会没事的 - 好的
下午好 先生们！大家还好吗？
还好吗？
很好 我要对所有不认识我的人说
- 我叫威利加里 - 跟他们介绍一下自己
我从佛罗里达 请来了我律所的几个合伙人
来帮你们打赢这场官司
我要对所有不熟悉 威利加里式诉讼的人
解释一下
我们即将开战
因为我觉得诉讼就是战争
诉讼就是战争！这是一场战斗！ 是生死之战！
我没打胡乱说
我说的是功夫大师的那些真功夫！
我知道你们现在都觉得我疯了 但这就是我喜欢的效果！
如果我们不和这些混蛋一起疯狂
我跟你们说 这个洛温集团很厉害
他们很有钱 也很有影响力
我们没有的 他们全都有
但我们不能让他们吓到我们
因为我没被吓到
在过去的12年里 我从没败诉过 这也不是秘密
我是怎么做到的呢？
你们能告诉我为什么吗？
因为我讨厌输
我讨厌败诉！
我宁愿别人拿枪指着我 爆掉我的头
也不愿意败诉
话虽如此
我要告诉你们 有一件事我不会屈服
这个案子 我不打算和解
- 我们不会退缩 - 不好意思
介意我说两句吗？
迈克 请说吧
加里先生 说到和解
恐怕这根本就不是 我们这儿制定的策略
事实上 我已经起草了 一封给洛温先生的信
提议以八百万和解
但是就我们这间屋子里的人私底下说
如果需要的话 我们愿意降到七百万
迈克 谢谢你告诉我最新进展 非常感谢
但很不幸 情况有变
我们不会和解
不管你说什么 这仍然是个选项
在我选定最佳方案前 我们仍然可以考虑采用此方案
在你选定前？
迈克 什么情况？
谁负责？
不 说真的 谁负责？
因为你们让威利加里来接手这起官司
现在你告诉我你要做什么
我说我们不会和解 这是首席律师说的
- 再说一遍？ - 再说一遍什么？
怎么了？你耳朵不好使吗？
不好意思 先生
- 你要是敢举手… - 你不是
…我会揍死你 别耍花招
加里先生 你不是首席律师
- 那我是什么？ - 你可是在我的地盘
- 你的地盘？ - 在我的会议桌上
- 这一切都是我的地盘 - 和我的客户
显然不是 否则他们不会打电话叫我来！
先生们 你们能稍微冷静点吗？
- 我不是来跟你争的 迈克 - 什么？
我说我不是来跟你争的
我是来完成工作的
现在 奥基夫先生
我上次了解到 他想打赢这场官司
而不是为了区区八百万就点头哈腰
像狗一样
天啊 杰里 怎么回事？
我认为我们应该给他个机会
你听到他刚才说的话了吗？ 他不知道自己在做什么
他已经12年没输过官司了
那都是人身伤害案
他显然不了解真正的法律 不懂合同法
首席律师呢？
你不会是想给他首席律师的位置吧
是的
我就是
我们说好了吗？
是的
迈克 你还好吗？
好吧 既然我们都同意了
有人来做记录吗？
辛西娅 你可以 帮加里先生做记录吗？
好吧 辛西娅 非常感谢
好的 收信人为洛温集团董事长 雷洛温先生
“亲爱的洛温先生 我叫威利E加里
“我刚被任命为耶利米奥基夫
“起诉您的诉讼案的首席律师
“关于先前的和解方案中
“向您提议的八百万美元
“我在此撤销该提议
“在我们起草这封新的信件之日为止
“新的和解金为
“一亿美元”
- 这才像话嘛 - 他说一亿美元？
- 八个零？ - 一亿美元
你们为何不放松一下？ 听听我的说法？
这比我们最初索要的钱 多了九千四百万
我觉得是你们最初的和解金额 少要了九千四百万
- 是的 加里先生 也许你可以… - 一亿？
太荒唐了 而且你自己也知道 你是想毁了这个官司吗？
迈克 有没有人告诉过你 你胆子只有针尖大？
威利 恐怕我同意大家的看法
这可是一大笔钱
我们给出这种数字就是在自取其辱
我理解你的感受 杰里 但你得信我 好吗？
- 好吗？ - 好的
大家都得相信我 好吗？
现在 辛西娅 我们说到哪了？
“截止这封信为止 我们新的和解金额为
不列颠哥伦比亚省温哥华
“一亿美元”
- 不是吧 - 什么？
拜托 在逗我吧 一亿美元？
- 他疯了吗？ - 就是 八个零呢 数数？
这可不就是个笑话嘛！
- 这就是个笑话 - 看起来像一打鸡蛋一样
不开玩笑
天啊 这个奥基夫 可真是个“人才” 对吧？
他聘请的这个律师是谁？
显然是个叫威廉加里的人
谢谢你 鲍勃 我也看了信
但我的问题是 他是什么人？
有什么来头？ 奥基夫从哪里找到他的？
据我们所知
他是佛罗里达州的 一个浮夸的人身伤害律师
- 追着救护车跑的那种… - 人身伤害？
这是合同纠纷
他到底为什么要聘用 一个人身伤害律师来解决合同纠纷？
可能在密西西比那种深山老林里
没有正规律师吧
- 你应该多那样说话 - 结果这个诉讼案是
在该州下层地区的 一个叫海因兹的偏远县城提交的
所以呢？
海因兹县也刚好是最贫穷的县城之一
大约七成人口
是黑人
这就是聘请他的原因吧
因为他是黑人
加里是黑人
他是非裔美国人
我的祖父曾说：“无论那是谁…”
够了 我不用担心他
雷吉 你不明白这整个…
抱歉 打扰了
我们刚刚收到了你要的信息 是关于洛温任命的首席律师的信息
- 能让我看看吗？ - 是谁？我们认识吗？
- 是她 - 她？
你说什么 是她？
对 那是什么意思 她？
- 她就是一个… - 一个女人？
她叫马梅唐斯
她毕业于霍华德大学学士学位
那意味着她不仅是个女人 还是个黑人女性
她是姐妹
你怎么知道？他们一次性凑齐了 黑人和女人两个有利条件
我们完了
以全年级第一的成绩 毕业于哈佛法学院
天啊
然后又为最高大法官
桑德拉戴奥康纳做了两年书记员
在宝维斯律所做了三年非合伙律师
现在是克布阿律所最年轻的合伙人
真厉害
我朋友曾经跟她一起在克布阿工作
而且
他跟我说 他们办公室给她取了一个绰号
什么绰号？
是对的吗？
蟒蛇
名字来源于 她在交叉询问时的独特风格
- 好吧 - 好的
她会在你最意想不到的时候出手
好吧 蟒蛇女士 但你知道吗？
非常形象
你知道吗？我可是巨蟒
让我们看看你的能耐吧
我觉得我们可能需要 给有线电视公司打电话
我每次试着打开特纳广播时
会出现一些奇怪的空白屏幕
我觉得有点问题
这没问题 我取消订阅了
什么意思 你取消了？
安妮 那些保险监管人员 前几天又来了
他们这次吊销了我的执照
我将不得不将公司停业一段时间
什么？
你在说什么？
只是暂时停业 官司一结束
洛温给出赔偿 我们就能东山再起…
杰里 听听你自己说的话吧
雷洛温一给出赔偿？
你真的确定你能打赢官司？
而且你还没告诉我 我们要怎么支付这些费用？
你刚从佛罗里达 请的那个牛逼的新律师
你不必担心他
我只是不明白
你为什么还要继续打这场荒唐的官司
你可以另寻买家购买这三家殡仪馆
你知道的
显然 这对你来说有其他意义
也许吧 也许我只是不想看到他逍遥法外
谁？雷洛温？
天啊 杰里
你为什么抓着这个人不放？
你想让我做什么 安妮？
就躺平了让他肆意践踏我？
让他践踏我们家？
我希望你…
在某个时候想起我
你觉得我们赢不了
如果你想知道我要怎么付钱
我拿这房子申请了第三次抵押贷款
但我已经做了一切我能做的事
- 怎么样？ - 我现在有点头绪了
告诉我 威利
你怎么会成为一名律师？
这要看情况 你想听长篇大论还是短故事？
随你
当我还是个年轻的丈夫
年轻的父亲时 我和我的妻子有点钱
所以我们开了一家小型景观设计公司
真的很不错
我们把各种庭院弄得非常漂亮
但后来我妻子说 “我想搬到更大的地方去”
我说：“好吧 那我们就搬吧”
所以我拿着报纸 看到了一个广告
三居室公寓 真的很不错
是在白人社区的一栋漂亮的新大楼
在雨树
我说：“这就是我们需要的”
我给房主打电话说：“兄弟
“我和我的家人在找新住处
“我们搬去你那地方”
我说：“你们有空屋子吗？”
他说：“有 我有很多空房
“事实上 等月底
“你就可以搬进来 签订租约”
我们都很期待那一天的到来
我们非常兴奋 把它当作全新的开始
所以当那一天到来时 我们所有人都上了车
我载着孩子和老婆去那里 我甚至还带着狗狗去了
我们都很开心
我们听着福音音乐
边听边唱 精力充足
但我们到达时
那个人出来
我说：“你好吗？” 他说：“什么事？”
我说：“我就是 打电话问你有没有空屋子的那个”
他说：“什么空屋子？”
我说：“我是威利加里 打电话问你有没有空屋子的那个”
他说：“没有空屋子了”
你做了什么？
告诉你我当时想干什么
我想伤害他
他竟敢在我的孩子们面前 那么不尊重我
孩子们都很崇拜我的
我是他们的一切 我怎么跟他们说？
说他们的爸爸不够好 都不能住进公寓？
我怎么跟我的老婆交待？
说我们不够好？
但我当时没有表现出来
我当时回到了那家酒店
翻开了电话薄
在这件事发生以前 我甚至都没想过要成为一名律师
我翻开电话簿 我…我看到的 第一家法学院 我就说自己要去那儿
我真去上学了
我入学、刻苦学习 毕业、通过出庭律师考试
我有了自己的律所
我做的第一件事
就是回到雨树公寓
用五项歧视行为罪名起诉了他们
为自己维权
你是个战士
是的
我是个战士 你也是 杰里
你是个战士 伙计
你知道我为什么说你是个战士吗？
你要跟强大的洛温集团对抗
而你是只是小企业主 这很了不起
这就是我们的共同点
你为什么想这么做？
因为他想搞砸我生命中最重要的事情
那就是在我去世时
给我的孩子和孙子孙女们 留下一些东西
他们有遗产 威利
我真的想把这生意传承给他们
- 我们放点音乐吧 - 我喜欢音乐 威利
很好 史蒂夫 你去放点音乐吧
好的 老板 有什么特别想听的吗？
你知道我的喜好 兄弟 三个托尼组合！
- 选得好 兄弟 - 我喜欢
知道令人难以置信的是什么吗？ 他们三个没有一个叫托尼
就是这首
我喜欢这首 你喜欢吗 杰里？
- 杰里 你喜欢吗？ - 喜欢 很好
是的 你感觉还好吗？
尽情享受我们的音乐吧！
朋友 你现在是我的人了
密西西比州杰克逊
- 嘿 - 嗨
欢迎光临洲际酒店
谢谢 我以加里的名字订了房间 威利加里
好的 加里先生 欢迎来到杰克逊
- 谢谢 - 如果你有信用卡
我就可以继续安排你们入住了 谢谢
好吧 现在别看 但洛温的律师团队在那边
等等 哪儿？
天啊 这就像是全国
杰出黑人律师名人录
你真能认出他们所有人？
好吧 那个人是霍华德菲佛
他是前任州代表
以及华盛顿律师协会的现任主席
那里的那位先生是理查德梅菲尔德
他是反垄断和复杂商业诉讼方面的
顶尖专家之一
那边的那位先生是沃尔特贝尔
他是密西西比最高法院前法官
妈呀 洛温肯定是花了大价钱 才请到这些人的
她看起来不像我想象中那么厉害
她叫什么？玛咪？马梅？玛咪唐斯？
说真的？这就是你要说的？
是啊 这就是我要说的 因为他们在我看来都像蠢货
事实上 你能帮我个忙吗？
你能把你们最好的香槟 送到那张桌子上吗？
- 当然可以 有偏好吗？ - 你们有什么？
- 我们有香槟王、酩悦、水晶 - 水晶
那就是我们需要的 送瓶水晶香槟
一定要告诉他们 这是威利加里先生送上的问候
嘿 说真的 别这样
说真的 哈尔 闭嘴
听我说 我总是这么说
你见过我略施小计 激怒对手
我们这就是在激怒对手
或者我们坚持采用简单的策略 让陪审团的心中形成牢固的观念
确立文件作为合同的有效性
这也将是辩护方的策略
不过他们的重点是证明合同无效
关于这点 实话实说
这是他们的专业领域
肯定会比我们做得好
要我说就别管什么合同不合同的了
让陪审团淹没在 我们知道他们不感兴趣的信息中
我个人认为 我们要做的是
我们要证明的是动机
我们把讨论点直接集中在
洛温集团拖延完成交易的问题上
并展示他们可以得到的利益
我不确定
- 什么 哈尔？你不确定什么？ - 什么？哈尔？
我的意思是 我不太确定
我们是否能证明 洛温集团有此动机 对吧？
除非我们能拿到某种公司内部文件
或者有人公开承认这一点
不然你怎么证明他们故意拖延时间？
显然 我们永远都无法证明这一点
事实上 我们打赢这场官司的机会 微乎其微
嘿 你好啊
- 还好吗 先生？ - 我很好 兄弟
请给我最烈的姜汁汽水吧
没问题 马上就来
你今晚过得怎么样？
不太好 还活着
是啊 很好
密西西比最烈的姜汁汽水
谢谢
还不错 所以…
她在这里待了一段时间了
你一定是唐斯小姐吧？
我是威利加里
你比电视上看起来更瘦
介意我坐下吗？
我以前从没做过这种事
从没与对方律师坐下来交谈…
喝酒之类的 还有音乐和烛光相伴
这就像约会一样
也许不像
你说你来自康普顿 但我想知道
你为什么会接这些花哨的白人的案子
这个问题 我也可以问你 对吧？
是啊 但我其实 相信我的案子 唐斯小姐
我也相信我的 加里先生
那这让我们处于非常危险的境地
因为我们之中 一个会赢 一个会输
我觉得事情就是这样
但我的情况不同 因为我的雇主其实是个黑人
我不是为那个男人工作
我替威利加里工作 也就是我自己
- 我受雇于我自己 为自己而做 - 跟我说说
我应该在哪里工作呢？
你来告诉我 来教教我呗
蛋糕就那么大
你还愿意把蛋糕分给我这样的人吗？
怎么？我应该做公益项目吗？
或者我应该去什么破检察官办公室 处理驱逐案件
那会让你舒服些吗？让你更开心？
等等 我们现在还没开庭呢
你说你想教导我 所以现在开始吧 来教我吧
我不知道你对我了解多少 但我是佃农的儿子
我八岁时 在甘蔗地里
干活 这就是我
但现在 我有…
豪宅、劳斯莱斯和宾利…
- 有私人飞机 - 你这话听起来像是在说
我们都在过着自己的美国梦生活
不过少一些红白蓝美国旗帜的感觉
多一些焦糖色条纹…
虽然我的确认为黑人美国梦
和白人美国梦截然不同 这是个恰当的例子
- 这花了五到十五分钟 - OJ辛普森案
- 这会是“世纪大审判” - 这就是个笑话
你想接那种案子吗？
不 那可是灰色地带
你倾向于哪一方？
他是无辜的吗？他有罪吗？
这不重要
因为现在受审的不是OJ
这是白人推行的外围正义
才是受审的原因
我明白
要是逼着你回答呢？
- 逼我吗？哦 没门 - 逼着你回答 唐斯小姐
来啊 拿枪指着我的脑袋啊
- 现在拿枪指着你脑袋 - 有人听到这话吗？没
如果让你在担任首席辩护律师 和首席检察官中选择
你会选择哪一个？
那…这问题还真难回答
- 是的 很难 - 辩护律师
他有罪
我从来没为我知道有罪的人辩护过
你知道他们怎么说 律师至少得尝试一次
记住这些话 如果证据跟控诉不符 那就得判无罪
你呢？
我们要讨论…
- 控方 - 是吗？
我一直反复做一个梦
在梦中 我要起诉 那个狡猾的约翰尼科克伦
起诉他和所有那些穿西装的人…
梦里结果如何？
我大获全胜
我来买单吧
不用
你太…
你好心且慷慨地送了我一瓶…
- 叫什么来着？ - 水晶香槟
让我回请一次吧
但我可不会一直这么友好 加里先生
庭审一旦开始
哥们 我会毁了你
祝你夜晚愉快
1995年9月12日
早上好 密西西比州杰克逊
今日气温23到25度
天气预报说未来几日都不会下雨
首先说你们即将听到的
这场官司是一起…
威利威廉 意大利威廉
陪审员 这…
这个审判涉及到 人类已知的最古老的罪恶
指得太多了
这根本不是针对个人的行为
这只是生意 他们有…
操
- 嘿 等等 - 怎么…
我们不能分成几波走
- 来吧 朋友们 - 你们懂的
- 你之前不知道吗？ - 晦气
这样不吉利
我们走 来吧
全体起立
根据休庭令 法庭现在开庭
听着
所有与本庭有关联的人
请靠近注意听我说
本庭由密西西比海因兹县 第一司法区巡回法官
尊敬的詹姆斯E格雷夫斯法官主持
陪审团的女士们和先生们 你们还好吗？
非常感谢你们的到来
这场官司其实关乎人类已知的 最古老的罪恶
合同 简单明了
加里先生 会让你们相信这场官司是关于…
- 贪婪 - 这听起来很有趣
也有点戏剧化…
我们知道这笔交易 已经获得了洛温集团
和其董事会的批准
他们精心设计了每一个细节 拟好了要点 并将其写了下来
那是一份合同
如果合同双方有一方没签字
那这份合同怎么会有约束力呢？
各位 这些人撒谎了
归结起来就是这样
那么奥基夫先生为何如此恐慌？
如此着急？
如此迫切地想完成这笔交易呢？
为什么？
因为他生活中的一切 都取决于他的交易
一切
对于洛温集团而言 情况并非如此
他们心中只有一个目标
拖住他
这并非针对他个人 他只是不耐烦了
事实上 有一种情况
叫预期违约
即实际违约行为尚未发生
其中一方
迄今为止被称为即将违约方
将不履行
协议条款规定的义务
当出现这种情况时
我认为
这完全属于本合同的争议范围
- 快给我醒醒！ - 天啊
醒醒！
我们在干什么？我们每天
坐在这些书本面前讨论合同 为了什么？
我们让他们昏昏欲睡
我们失去了联系 失去了优势
我从你们身上得到了什么？ 什么都没有
我必须做出决定
我要让杰里出庭作证
- 不行 - 是的
- 让他出庭作证 没错 - 别那么做
- 我要让他下周出庭 - 不行
你们聋了吗？我要让他出庭作证
我们得做出根本性改变 他是个很好的证人
你自己说的 他是个好证人
他很诚实 是个顾家的男人
是战争英雄
公民权利？他为黑人所做的一切？
他会在陪审团面前作证
现在让杰里出庭作证还为时尚早
太早了 我们掌握的信息不足
迈克 对我来说永远不嫌早 我这儿就没有“为时尚早”这说法
我们还对那位马梅一无所知
我们只看过她盘问技术证人
我们对她真正的 交叉询问风格一无所知
也不知道她到底有多危险
我真不知道原来你们蠢得离谱
现在我做了一个决定
要么按我说的做 要么就滚蛋
我们谈谈你的一些价值观
因为如果我没记错的话 杰里 你是个英雄 获得过八次勋章
你获得过空军勋章、海军勋章 还有飞行十字勋章
你所做的这一切
都是为你的祖国做出的牺牲
我觉得战争没什么好庆祝的
但我确实为我的国家服过役 而且非常骄傲
谢谢你的服役
但你并没有停止步伐
你回到自己的家乡 接手了家族企业
然后你做了我称之为 跳出油锅却掉进火坑的事
你想从政
你在你的家乡比洛克西竞选了市长
我参加了两次竞选 在1974年到1982年期间
担任了两届市长
据我所知 在其中一届任期里
一群非常“友好”的人去拜访了你
三K党
反对 法官大人
这一系列问题与本合同案…
- 反对无效 唐斯女士 - …有何关联 法官大人？
你可以回答那个问题
我拒绝给他们在比洛克西示威的许可
你在密西西比州比洛克西 拒绝了三K党
驾驶战机是一回事
但拒绝当时的三K党 那是另一种勇敢行为
杰里 我有机会认识你
你和你的家人
但这里的好人没机会了解
我只想问你 你的价值观是什么？
对你来说重要的是什么？
奥基夫先生
日安 你好吗？
我很好 谢谢
那太好了
刚听了你给出的证词
我认为可以说 你的证词关注的是你的个人品行
你同意吗？
我同意
我听不见 你能大声点吗？
我说是的 女士 我同意
好的 品行
我们来聊聊品行
总的来说 这里是在暗示
你是个有荣誉感
很有道德原则的人
根据你的说法 我的当事人并非如此
我认为洛温先生和我在生意场上
与人打交道的方式相差甚远
在生意场上 没错 好的
有些事我很好奇
你为什么最终沦落到
需要将这些殡仪馆 卖给洛温先生的地步？
我遇到了一点财务困境
哪种财务困境？
因为我很确定当时
你迫切需要卖掉殡仪馆的真正原因
是因为密西西比州保险委员会
即将吊销你的执照
对吗？
事实上 你在密西西比州 销售保险的执照
目前处于已被吊销的状态
奥基夫先生 我们同意 这是个真实的陈述吗？
不 不同意 因为情况更加复杂
跟我讲讲 怎么个更复杂法？
- 你的执照是否被吊销了？ - 反对 法官大人
原因很简单 她恼羞成怒了
- 这就是个“是或否”的问题 - 反对无效
- 我们知道他遇到麻烦了 - 他说了反对无效
反对无效
真相是你失去了执照
这是因为你跟一个男人 参与了一些不正当的储蓄和贷款业务
我没记错的话
那个人现在已经入狱了
- 反对 - 我能问你些问题吗？
- 你用来… - 反对无效
…做这笔交易的钱是你的钱吗？
我要为那笔钱负责
你用了别人的钱
事实上 你是用你客户的钱
来为你与现已定罪的重罪犯之间的 上述交易提供资金
- 反对 法官大人 - 我说得对吗 奥基夫先生？
- 这与本案无关 - 反对无效
- 我说得对吗？ - 我不这么认为
我的意思是 有没有可能 这整起案子源于嫉妒呢？
反对 我们在谈感情吗？
- 嫉妒？ - 反对无效
奥基夫先生 你说过 你和洛温先生做生意的方式不同
这可能是你整天说得最真的话了
因为洛温先生跟你一样 也继承了他父亲的生意
但是与你不同
他将那个企业 打造成了价值数百万美元的帝国
与此同时 你父亲的遗产变成了什么呢？
杰里！等一下 杰里
等等 好吗？杰里！
那到底是怎么回事？
你在说什么？
我不理解 你生我的气了？
我生你的气了吗？ 你本来应该在法庭上保护我
你本来应该确保我在交叉询问 等程序中的安全
我不知道她会问你这些问题
你的工作就是搞清楚这些
你没跟我说过
你跟我说了储蓄、贷款还有钱的事
但你没跟我说他入狱了
我跟他做交易时 他还不是重罪犯
我当时有充分的理由相信 那是一笔不错的交易
我又不会读心术 这不是我的错
当然了 从我雇用你的第一天起
你就一直试图把这场官司 变成你自己的单人马戏团表演
我受够了收拾你的烂摊子
我把我所有的钱都花在这场官司上了 而你却在胡闹
我没胡闹 这不公平
你接这个案子不必承担任何风险
当结案时 是赢是输 亦或是平局
你都能登上飞机 一走了之
我会留在这里 我押了很多进去
我的生活岌岌可危 我不知道还能撑多久
我知道 杰里
我在做决定
什么决定 杰里？
我要撤掉你首席律师的职位
让迈克来当首席？你要这么处理？
我就跟你说了吧 杰里 这是个大错误
见鬼！
嘿 宝贝
你在干什么？
只是在看些东西
你听起来有点沮丧 宝贝 一切都好吗？
没事 我很好
我很好
- 好吧 嗯… - 不
不 我…
- 我被换掉了 - 你说什么？
我说我被换掉了
他们把我换掉了
什么？
- 对 杰里… - 把你换掉了？
宝贝 这话是什么意思？
意思是他们想…
他们想让其他人 来担任首席律师 所以…
所以他们把我换掉了
亲爱的 真的吗？
但等等 我不理解 他为何要这么做？为什么啊？
我…我搞砸了
我搞砸了
我搞砸了 我…
我让杰里出庭作证 但我没让他做好充分的准备
进行交叉询问时 他们把他击垮了
他们…情况很糟
这让我很沮丧 我很沮丧
我觉得自己沮丧是因为我…
看见杰里那么伤心 我也很难过
所以我就…
- 原来如此 - 我对此很伤心
听上去你真的很在乎这个人
在乎杰里？
- 是的 - 是啊
对 我在乎他 杰里很好 而我…
嗨 不好意思
你是洛林麦克格拉斯太太吗？
是的 但我…
对不起 我不是故意无礼
但我在等一名律师
对 我就是律师
就是我跟你在电话里沟通的 哈尔多金斯
对不起
希望我没有冒犯到你 只是…
说实话 你看起来很年轻
- 给你们 - 谢谢
我在洛温旗下的 一家殡仪馆工作了13年
在那段时间里 我看到了很多
了解到了那家公司的运营模式
在我们继续聊下去之前 我不得不问你
你愿意出庭作证吗？
麦克格拉斯太太 你好 你今天下午过得怎么样？
- 很好 谢谢 - 没事 那很好
麦克格拉斯太太 你能告诉我们 你在密西西比南海文的
德宾父子殡仪馆工作了多长时间吗？
在我辞职前 我在那家殡仪馆工作了大约13年
在此期间 你是否 目睹过所有权转让的情况？
德宾父子殡仪馆 是洛温集团在1990年左右收购的
那时我在那里
在洛温集团接手后 你注意到
公司的运营方式有什么变化吗？
最显著的变化是他们如何实施政策
在没有竞争的地区
提高某些商品的价格
大多数情况下 结果都是
在有很多贫困人口的贫困地区
你能给我们举一个 这种选择性提价的例子吗？
有一种让我记忆特别深刻的棺材
叫威尔伯特铜棺
它的零售价本来是750美元
在麦迪逊等地方 确实是按这个价格卖的
但然后在例如科林斯等
很穷的地方…
是的 知道
在那些地方 他们疯狂抬高价格
大概涨到了原价的三倍
因为他们可以为所欲为
他们知道客户只能在他们手上买
所以基本上 我没理解错的话
洛温集团存在选择性哄抬价格的行为
- 什么？ - 反对
法官大人 证人怎么 可能知道她从没见过的人
心里的意图？
反对有效
好吧 那让我这么问你吧
你在德宾父子工作期间 有没有觉得
洛温集团可能
特别针对少数团体…
- 反对 - 真的吗？
- 天啊！ - 这是猜测 奥尔雷德先生
这个问题的依据是什么？
奥尔雷德先生？
你知道吗？我要道歉
没有依据
这只是猜测 仅此而已
请将其视为无效问题
但法官大人 我强烈反对唐斯小姐的语气
- 你开玩笑吧 - 我的语气？
- 知道了 - 她的语气？
- 谢谢你 麦克格拉斯夫人 - 好的
没有问题了
知道了 好了
早上好 杰里
威利 你还好吗？
我猜你还在生我的气吧
那天很糟 我们就此翻篇吧
好的 我们翻篇吧
听我说 我搞砸了 好吗？
我做错了 搞砸了
我只是想说对不起 我要道歉
很好
我接受你的道歉
很好 我们冰释前嫌了
这是你第一次这么向别人道歉吗？
老实说 我妻子 她帮我措辞的
她做得很好 你得替我感谢她
好的
你知道我不喜欢那个男人哪一点吗？
什么？
他的脸
我知道你的意思 只是…
- 你知道我在说什么 - 他的表情
不 这是一代又一代的 白人特权和优越感
全都浓缩在一个狡黠的微笑中了
但他今天让那女人出庭作证
装腔作势 假装自己 是我们这种人的救世主
很不幸 陪审团似乎确实信了
是啊 这是个问题
我不是在证人名单上 看到过他的名字吗？
据说加里本来打算把他当作…
传唤他作为奥基夫
和洛温的协议的重要证人
这意味着我可以交叉询问他
这意味着你得好好问问他
嘿 你们有人读过洛温集团
与一个叫全国浸信会的组织 达成的协议吗？
全国浸信会？
那是什么？
就像是黑人教会的一个分支
但真的很大 可能是最大的分支
抱歉 你刚才是说洛温集团
与黑人教会有笔交易？
全国浸信会 但没错
怎么会？这怎么说得通呢？
我不知道 都在这儿了
显然他们在大约一年前 建立了某种合作伙伴关系
但很难说是为了什么
好吧 你能多给我找些 这方面的信息吗？
好的
原告准备好传唤下一位证人了吗？
是的 事实上 法官大人
我们想传唤奥基夫先生的 长期律师迈克尔奥尔雷德出庭作证
法官大人 认真的吗？
道格拉斯先生 你为何想要他出庭？
法官大人 我们知道此举可能有点不寻常
但是奥基夫先生跟洛温做交易时
奥尔雷德先生作为律师与其在一起
我们认为他的证词很重要
迈克尔奥尔雷德
见鬼 我们是朋友 我会叫你迈克
随你 雷吉
那么迈克 在你30年的律师执业生涯中
你专攻合同法
在你起草奥基夫先生 和洛温先生的合同时
你有没有想过…
搞他
…那份文件的性质
可能存在任何误解？
没有 先生 文件很清楚 大家都知道那是什么
那是份合同
合同 是份合同
在语言方面是否存在暗示性语言
表明约定的交易完成时间 是没有期限的？
出庭作证感觉如何？
有点不自在
想象一下
我们都还没开始呢
你担任奥基夫先生的律师 已经有一段时间了 对吧？
我当了30年了 将近30年
你跟奥基夫先生算是好友吗？
杰里是我最好的朋友之一
我们有很多共同点 我很佩服他
奥尔雷德先生 你觉得这是一起关于种族的案子吗？
- 反对 - 反对
- 反对无效 - 有什么关联？
我会说这是一起关于种族的案子吗？
不会 我不觉得这个案子与种族有关
真的吗？
好吧 种族这个话题 似乎一直在出现 不是吗？
几乎都是贵方提到的
比如 关于奥基夫先生
据说有某种民权记录 以及他拒绝给三K党发许可证的
整个英雄事迹
给我解释一下 这与这起合同案有什么关联
这些事体现了杰里的品质 展示了他的正直和体面
他为黑人做了那么伟大的事 是吧？
- 反对 起立 - 反对 法官大人
我不允许出现这种提问 唐斯小姐 反对有效
- 我反对 - 在这个官司中
还有一件事很清楚 那就是家庭、家族遗产
对奥基夫先生有多重要
你也有同感吗？
家庭对你来说也很重要吗？
这对我来说不仅重要 还是我的一切
一切 那是你和奥基夫先生的共通点
- 反对 法官大人 - 因为你们是好友 对吧？
反对无效 证人可以回答这个问题 但我们切入正题
当然 这是我们的共通点
这真的是你想问我的问题吗 唐斯小姐？
是的 没错
但谢谢你
你爱你的家人吧？
你的大家庭、直系亲属 你爱你所有的家人 对吧？
- 我家的每一位成员 - 是吗？
所以你心里没有 想与之断绝关系的人吗？
- 某个让你蒙羞的人 - 反对
- 他的感受并不重要… - 要否认？
我有想断绝关系的家庭成员 但你没有
- 我来处理 - 没有？你没有？
没有
比如你的祖父
我的祖父？
对 你的祖父
他是我的祖父 这跟这场官司有什么联系？
提醒我一下 你祖父当了多久的三K党成员？
- 反对 - 反对 法官大人
- 我会继续说反对 - 你得阻止这事 这样不对
反对
你和你祖父在三K党这事上 有联系吗？
- 你们有联系吗？ - 问题是什么？
你们都喜欢燃烧的十字架吗？
你跟你的祖父一起参加过 三K党的集会吗 奥尔雷德先生？
你知道这事不合时宜 它与本案无关
- 反对 - 反对无效 加里先生
你怎么能说反对无效？
这跟这场官司一点关系都没有
- 回答问题 - 什么问题？
你是问我 我是否知道
我的祖父曾经是三K党的成员吗？
迈克 你不必回答那个问题 反对
你第一次说我就听到了 加里先生
是的 我之前是在问那个问题 不过我不再问那个问题了
没有问题了
他祖父的行为与此案无关
太过分了 唐斯小姐
伪善 伪善让人无法容忍 法官大人
现在满屋子都是黑人兄弟
谴责你的祖父
对 说啊 迈克
说出来
说吧 很简单的
说啊 迈克 谴责他
你们知道吗？对不起
好了吧？对不起 她的行为是不对的
你不能让人为其祖先的错误负责
迈克 你的祖父是种族主义者 是偷窃土地、强奸奴隶的混蛋
拜托 雷吉道格拉斯 那是不对的
他仍然是我的祖父 我不会…
别不把我当回事
全都住手 现在停！别吵
雷吉 你住手 你们都住手
迈克 我们不会因为过去的事 而惩罚你
他不能弥补他祖父的过错
但你知道我们能弥补什么吗？
这场官司
等等
所以你就这么放过他了？
- 就这样吗？ - 是的
你对他的过去了解不够 所以你输得一塌糊涂
- 去他妈的破官司 - 我觉得我们能赢
我要回佛罗里达了
做我们一开始就应该做的事
我有个问题要问你 雷吉
你怎么还没出去？
- 威利 - 你不必告诉我两次
跟这些白人玩得开心
- 雷吉！ - 嘿 雷吉
你也想走了吗？
你知道吗？
我不干了
- 我受够了这破事 - 我也不干了
反正我也想家了
威利 我已经老了 不适合干这种事
迈克 对不起
我真的非常抱歉
我也是
你不能这样
哪样？我有官司
得打赢
我大概应该…
- 我大概应该回避一下 - 不 迈克
- 我可能应该这么做 - 你不能这样
我们还有很长的路要走 但我们可以打赢这场官司
如果我胆敢再次踏进那间审判室
陪审团只会觉得 我是个头上蒙着床单的人
听我说 我们给自己挖了个坑
我们给自己挖了坑 但能爬出去的
对不起 威利 我做不到
我们俩都知道如果我留下来
我的存在只会 对这场官司造成更大的伤害
我不能那样对你 我也不能那样对杰里
好吧
- 那我得在没你的情况下打赢官司 - 你会赢的
哈尔伯特 乖一点
你在这里 我一直在找你
这个庭审跟我想的不一样
我感觉自己犯了个严重的错误
我应该及时止损
我以为正义是公正的
我以为我能在法庭上 让雷洛温信守承诺
让他付出代价 但结果是我盲目行事
很抱歉让你经历了这一切
你不必道歉 耶利米
不必对我道歉
我知道你是什么样的人
- 你跟威利说了吗？ - 没呢
我想他周末会回佛罗里达
我觉得我应该亲自告诉他
我觉得这是正确的做法
嘿 抱歉 等等 那箱子里面是什么？
这是洛温集团 与全国浸信会的交易信息
你介意把那堆资料留给我吗？
你真的觉得一切都结束了吗 老大？
我觉得我们不可能打赢这场官司
我猜杰里也开始这么想了 所以…
- 你一定是加里太太吧 - 是的
希望你能原谅我不请自来
我是耶利米奥基夫
- 你就是杰里 - 是的 夫人
那个杰里！我丈夫经常提到你
顺便问一句 威利在家吗？
抱歉他不在
他在印第安敦的母亲家里 他通常周六都会去那里
- 好的 - 嘿 我跟你说
请稍等我一下 我去拿车钥匙
- 我开车载你去那儿 - 不用
我不想麻烦你
杰里 一点都不麻烦
你现在是家人 快走吧！
现在刚进入印第安敦
这是威利的故乡吗？
是我们俩的故乡
威利和我有分歧
但我想让你知道 我觉得他是个很了不起的男人
- 他屁股朝上倒立着 - 没错 是的
对
不
我糟透了
说每个人都会死
没错
- 我的天啊 - 老天啊
威利有没有告诉你 他有11个兄弟姐妹？
- 是的 - 他排行老六
信不信由你 我自己有13个孩子
- 天啊 - 是吗？
是的
好家伙
你们一共有26个孩子
好吧 那你知道总有那么一个宝宝
不管你做什么 他总是紧紧缠着你 生怕失去你
抱着你的腿 就不松手
天啊
那就是我的威利
看看那对爱的渴望与渴求
现在把他带到了什么地步
我祖父是一名佃农
我的祖父与我同名
我八岁时
就在外面的甘蔗田里
工作 是我
早上4点半 她会叫醒我 带我出去
我当时还没这些草高呢
一切就这么开始了 就在这甘蔗地里
我大老远跑来是因为我…
听我说
我先说吧
你想放弃诉讼
我知道这一定让你很失望
- 但如果有任何我认为… - 听我说 杰里
你不明白 朋友
我知道你得采取必要的行动
但与此同时 你得知道在我内心深处
我知道我们两人联手 一定可以成功！
我们能搞垮那家公司
我只希望你知道我很高兴认识你
这次我们没能顺心如意
但我非常开心能认识你
那是什么声音？
听我说…
稍等一下
嘿
喂？嘿？
- 哈尔？ - 喂？你能听到吗？
哈尔 我听不太清楚
嘿 你现在跟杰里在一起吗？
是的
很好 太好了 别让他撤案
喂？
哈尔 你听到了吗？这里信号不好
我说别让他撤案！
相信我 好吗？我可能有所发现
鲁本索姆斯
好的 我会给你打电话
密西西比南部
谢谢你们抽出时间与我们沟通
索姆斯先生 各位
关于洛温集团
与全国浸信会达成的交易 你们能告诉我们相关情况吗？
达成协议以后没什么好结果 至少对黑人来说是这样
这是事实
大约一年前 洛温集团联系了
NBC的一些高层领导
就是全国浸信会
对 这是黑人教会的最大分支之一
代表着三万三千多个教会 拥有超过八百万名成员
总之 他们给了NBC一个提议
跟他们说如果他们能说服黑人教会
选择洛温集团作为 他们的首选丧葬服务供应商
那他们就会把一些成员变成推销员
教他们如何销售从坟墓到地穴
再到墓碑和丧葬保险等给他们自己人
他们每售出一件产品 可以获得佣金
等等 所以洛温集团
利用贫穷的黑人 让他们向其他贫穷的黑人
销售丧葬产品以得到佣金？
他们当然说这是双赢
帮助人们摆脱贫困 促进经济赋权
但当然除了洛温集团 没人从中获利
是啊
他们只是想找另一种方式
在黑人同胞最脆弱时 剥削利用他们
你们知道这里是什么地方吗？
不知道
这是一座墓地
虽然你们看不出来
因为没有墓碑
为什么啊？
因为那是另一种墓地
这是古老的奴隶墓地
每个人都知道奴隶自己没钱
给他们的挚爱修建墓碑
虽然你们看不出来
但我们整个历史
南方黑人的历史
美国黑人的历史
我们的奴隶先祖全都被埋在这里
在地底深处 你们看到的所有地方 都是我们的历史所在
在这广阔空旷的田野里
在某些地方 他们立了所有这些雕像
就像到处都能看到的 那些南方纪念碑和雕像一样
很多纪念碑和雕像 都是建在奴隶墓地之上的
这就像是将一段历史 凌驾于另一段历史之上
也像是把一个人的遗产 置于另一个人的遗产之上
直到有一天 它被压得很深
被埋得很深
再也没人能找到它了
他们的一些成员告诉我
埋葬父亲的实际费用要比我买保险时
他们所说的要高得多
我跟他们说我没有多余的钱
不知道我要多久才能搞到这么多钱时
他们高兴地说 他们会把尸体保存在冰里
派来指导我的那个助祭 并没给我带来任何安慰
反而借此机会塞给我一堆宣传册
试图招募我成为洛温的销售代表
突然 这个NBC的人就出现了
问我是否已经安排好了葬礼
还问我对洛温丧葬套餐有没有兴趣
他说预先付款更划算
在我儿子死之前
等我丈夫最后真的去世了
他们说我购买的套餐不包含
尸体防腐处理或搬运的费用
我给母亲买的棺材是最便宜的
后来发现 他们卖给我的那个 比均价高出三倍
当你自己的传教士来找你 告诉你你需要一些东西时
你信教 所以你相信他的话
我知道你是洛温集团的分析师之一
你负责处理一些高层交易
- 对吗？ - 是的 没错
而且你是洛温集团和全国浸信会
最新交易的设计者之一
- 对吗？ - 是的 没错
好的 你是浸信会的吗？
- 不是 - 不是
- 但是是基督徒？ - 是的
我们都是基督徒 对吧？
我们都相信上帝 阿门
但问题来了
洛温集团计划 从他们与NBC的交易中
捞多少钱？
记住
你宣过誓 得说实话
我们最初对这笔交易的长期预测
是在十亿美元左右 也许十二亿
120万美元？
- 十二亿美元 - 十二亿…
十二亿美元？
十二亿美元
这对洛温集团来说 是很大一笔钱了 对吧？
- 是的 - 是很大一笔钱
这是很大一笔钱 十二亿
我还以为你说的是百万 但是是十亿美元
你们付给他们多少钱？
抱歉？
我说你们付给他们多少钱
洛温集团给了全国浸信会多少钱
作为交易的报酬？
我相信我们捐赠了大约二十万美元
陪审团听到了！
我们没有为此辩护
真他妈一团糟
我得给洛温打电话
诚实地与人打交道 对我们来说一直很重要
我们是否寻求在日益动荡的市场中 成为强大的竞争对手？
是的 但我们不骗人
那不是我们的经营之道
没有问题了 法官大人
- 轮到你问了 加里先生 - 好的
- 洛温先生 你还好吗？ - 我很好 谢谢你 加里先生
朋友 你穿这身西装很好看 是阿玛尼的
隔着一公里我都能看出来
我想谢谢你远道而来
我知道你真的很忙
但有这种大人物在场真好
因为我们想在这黑暗的地方 有一些光芒
我就直接开始了 我想知道
从你的角度来看
你跟奥基夫先生之间的交易是什么？
大约在一年前
我们收到了奥基夫先生的代表的询价
事实上我很确定是奥基夫先生的律师
奥尔雷德先生联系的我们
我觉得他们非常迫切地想抛售
所以我们开始研究这笔交易
深入调查
试图确定这笔交易
是否符合我们企业的利益
过了一段时间 我邀请 奥基夫先生和他的同事们来到温哥华
如果我没记错 他们来我的船上
吃了晚餐 我们讨论了一些事
之后 就不好说了
通常在那个阶段 我会把事情交给我的收购团队处理
这很愉快
我是说真的
你很幸运 洛温先生 我没有很多后续问题要问
我只有一个问题想问你
是哪种船？
你能重复一遍吗？
我说 是哪种船？
你之前提到你们一起在船上
你们一起用餐 度过了美好的时光 吃了最棒的鱼
我只想知道是哪种船？
我不明白 你是在问特定品牌 还是…
事实上 我是想问…
我能读出来吗？ 上面写着：“九个日光浴甲板”
“六间优雅的豪华房间”
- 反对 法官大人！ - “五间豪华客舱”
- 此案与证人的船有什么关系？ - 反对无效
- 这船很不错 - 反对无效
我只是想确认…
让大家都知道这是一艘很不错的船
你有一个直升机停机坪
你可以让直升机 降落在那艘船上 对吧？
这是另一回事 那很贵
你这艘船花了多少钱？
我真的不知道
我觉得我们…你不明白这个问题
让我重新组织一下语言 好让你更好地理解
我是问你花了多少钱买这船？
- 我不知道 - 反对
- 我能问你一个… - 问了 也答了
算了吧 让我问你这个问题 你的飞机花了多少钱？
因为你记得一些事 却忘了别的
你的飞机多少钱？
加里先生 你的飞机多少钱呢？ 我看到它停在跑道上
你知道吗？我们可以聊聊 我花了多少钱买飞机
我知道确切的价格
我们不是在说我的飞机
我们是在聊你的船
让我再问一次 这样大家都能听见并明白
我跟这位亿万富翁说的话 洛文先生之前与他和他的同事
在船上共进晚餐 但他并不知道自己的船的价格
我再问你一次
你花了多少钱买船？
我不知道
我觉得他没听我说的话
我会再问你一次
你的船多少钱？
你想说什么？
我想说什么？
当你坐在那艘价值两千五百万的 船上晒太阳
吃着三十美元一头的龙虾时 你可曾觉得困扰？
因为这一切 都是由穷人和赤贫者支付的
而你的公司每一天都在利用他们
- 从他们身上获利 - 反对！
不仅如此 你的公司还在他们最困难
被压迫、失去某人
哀悼时利用这些人
现在回答我 谁必须为此负责？
是像耶利米奥基夫这样的小商贩
在这个国家辛勤工作以支付一切费用
努力保持领先并维持生计的小商贩 还是这些贪婪的大公司
他们倾尽一切…
- 这些贪婪的大公司 - 反对
- 这就是你所做的事 - 我受够了
坐下
你坐下
等我把话说完 因为我还没说完呢
- 我还没说完呢 - 加里先生！
那种性质的语言 不允许在我的法庭上使用
洛温先生 除非有我的许可 否则你不能离开证人席
明白了吗？
你可以继续了 加里先生 但我警告你要谨言慎行
好的
我只想知道一件事
这件事是否曾让你困扰呢？
没有
我没问题了
你可以走了
混蛋！
那是什么情况？
我在庭上被羞辱了！
好吧 士兵妹妹 有何贵干？
我来通知你 我们做出了决定
我们？我们做出了什么决定？
鉴于最近发生的事情 我们认为
所有相关方最好重新开始和解讨论
换句话说 我们…
我们准备给你的当事人 一个非常慷慨的报价
我知道你没法透漏 但我们说的是有多慷慨呢？
跟我合作 威利 这不会是一亿美元
你在说什么？
不用说 如果有了这笔钱
杰里、他的子子孙孙 再也不必担心任何事了
- 那听起来不错 - 是的
但我跟你说
我们几小时后在你房间里见面吧
一定要叫上你们最好的谈判代表 你知道原因吗？
你们真的很需要
通常在侵权行为中 损害赔偿仅仅是为了让原告
恢复到侵权发生之前的状态
然而考虑到这整件事情的拖延程度
我们认为最好的解决办法就是
一劳永逸地解决这个问题
我们愿意给出一个 我们认为非常慷慨的报价
显然 如果你决定不接受
我们明天就可以回到法庭 你可以在陪审团面前试试运气
但坦白地说 你打赢官司的几率
或者再次拿到这个数额的几率 会让我怀疑你是否愿意冒这个风险
好吧
这是我们的报价
我拒绝
你认真的吗？
- 他认真的吗？ - 我说了我拒绝
你的意思是你真的要拒绝吗？
你确定你不想 多花点时间考虑一下吗？
- 我已经考虑得够充分的了 - 是吗？
我们都知道这个金额 比你一辈子能见到的钱都多
我们要谈正事 还是说你们要继续浪费我们的时间？
这个人拒绝了
- 我们得给出最好且最后的报价 - 好吧
- 你确定？ - 是的
最好且最后的报价
我还是不同意
真他妈太令人难以置信了
你到底怎么回事 奥基夫？
别跟我说钱不够
这对我来说金额绰绰有余 但对你来说还不够
- 对我来说？ - 还不够让你破产
拜托
我跟你讲讲道理 朋友
要让我破产所需要的金额
真正的数额
是你根本无法计算的
接受这笔钱吧 杰里
- 你已经八十岁了 - 七十五岁
你能跟你的当事人谈谈吗？
- 谈什么？ - 谈他拒绝…
他拒绝了 据我所知 拒绝就是拒绝了 对吧？
作为一个濒临破产而无足轻重的
丧葬承办人
刚错过了自己唯一能赚到 七千五百万美元的机会
感觉如何？
这是什么感觉？
感觉很好
- 感觉很好 - 感觉很好 耶
对 就是这样
- 感觉很好 - 感觉很好
就是这样 他拒绝了
- 我们审判庭上见 - 你们可以离开了
- 谢谢 - 这就是个笑话
感觉很好
感觉很好 嘿
惊喜！
- 猜猜是谁！ - 你在干什么？
我以为你需要陪伴
- 宝贝 - 我好想你
没错
- 我们就是这样 - 没错
来吧 再快点
- 再快点 够了 - 没错
够了 嘿
那都是我的
明天要做结案陈词
你以为我不知道吗？
我打过很多大官司
但这一起很特别…
很多人的生活都掌握在我手中
而且…
我觉得我也有点那种感觉
特别是…
特别是涉及到杰里的时候
所以…
我不想输
我不…我想…
要是我输了
让这些人失望了怎么办？
好吧
你不会让他们失望的
所以你不必担心
你确信这一点吗 格洛丽亚小姐？
我不确定 但我很了解你
我了解我的丈夫
是啊 宝贝
但我有个建议 宝贝
嗯？什么建议？
你明天出庭时
- 做结案陈词时… - 做结案陈词
尽量不要以第三人称称呼自己
好吗？
什么？你这话是什么意思 姑娘？
我不那么称呼自己
- 你有 - 我没有
有时会这么说
我觉得我不会
“姑娘 准备好 现在威利加里要上楼了”
- 相信我 你会这么说话 - 好吧
我猜威利加里确实偶尔会这么说话
陪审团的女士们和先生们
我有个小问题要问
你们介意我把事情简化吗？
就普通而平常的说话
陪审团做出裁决了吗？
1995年11月1日
经过慎重考虑
我们作为海因兹县地方法院
第9661号诉讼案的陪审团
决定在耶利米J奥基夫
诉洛温集团有限责任公司一案中
支持原告耶利米奥基夫
我们进一步决定判决
被告洛温集团有限公司 向奥基夫先生支付
一亿美元的补偿性赔偿金
并且
判决被告洛温集团…
- 我就说吧！ - …向奥基夫先生
支付四亿美元的惩罚性赔偿金
这是你应得的 好啊！
五亿美元 杰里
我知道 威利
我知道
嘿 威利
嘿 马梅
你在干什么？来最后一击吗？
我的最后一击？不是的
- 我想恭喜你 - 真的吗？
- 是的 - 恭喜我？
拜托 你是认真的？
听我说 我讨厌败诉
但这场胜利是应得的 我可以诚实地说
应得的？现在是五亿美元
我知道你心里一定觉得金额太高了
是的 也许我心里还觉得这不够呢
我能接受更多
祝你好运 威利加里
保持联系 希望以后法庭上见
嘿 马梅
我得跟你说些事
你是我遇到过的最难搞的律师之一
你也是
难怪约翰尼会印象那么深
约翰尼
在提出上诉后 洛温集团最终同意
支付1.75亿的和解金
两年后 雷洛温被迫
辞去自己公司的总裁 兼首席执行官的职务
不到一年后 洛温集团申请破产
布拉德福德奥基夫殡仪馆 海湾国家保险公司
审判结束后 杰里和安妮特 创办了一个慈善基金会
帮助社会弱势群体
奥基夫基金会百分之四十的钱
给了美国黑人社区团体、教会和学校
布拉德福德奥基夫殡仪馆蒸蒸日上
成为了密西西比州南部 最大的家族殡仪馆
- 总有一个 - 总有一个
威利加里成为了 全国最著名的出庭律师之一
打赢了多场起诉 美国大型企业的重大官司
包括安海斯-布希 诉华特迪士尼公司案
众所周知 他称自己为“巨人杀手”
威利和杰里一直都是亲密好友 直到2016年8月
杰里去世
怎么了 朋友？
还好吗？威利加里 真不敢相信
- 你好吗？ - 很高兴见到你
我长大后会像你一样的
- 你会超过我的 - 要走了
- 很高兴见到你 - 保重
("Trust in the Lord" playing)
- (cheering) - ♪ ♪
Uh-huh. Yes, Lord.
MAN: Yes, sir.
I'm Willie Gary.
All right, now, you know my brother's Albert, he preaches here,
but he asked me to come down and-and, uh, share a bit with y'all.
- But I say like this, when God calls... - (congregation agreeing)
...you have to answer.
- That's right. -Mm-hmm. - And that's what it is.
- God was on my heart and on my spirit today, -(slaps pulpit)
so that's why I came here to speak to you.
I say to myself, what sustains us?
What gives us a feeling of, of a spirit that, where we,
we feel safe?
(congregation murmurs encouragement)
I believe it's home.
(congregation exclaiming)
If I could just get home.
(congregation agreeing)
Even saying the word "home" makes you feel a kind of way.
- Where do I need to get? - CONGREGATION: Home.
- Where do we want to be? - Home.
- Home is where the heart is. Amen. - Amen.
- Hallelujah. - Hallelujah.
'Cause when you home, your family's there,
everybody's there, you home.
And where's home for us?
Black church.
- (congregation exclaiming) - Huh?
CONGREGATION: Black church.
I don't hear you. Where are we?
CONGREGATION: Black church!
- Speak to it. - (exclaiming)
In Black church, they don't say that I fit the description.
In Black church, they don't judge me because of the color of my skin.
(congregation agreeing)
In Black church, they don't call me out my name.
And if they do call me out my name,
you know what they call me?
- CONGREGATION: What do they call you? - I said, do you know what they call me?
- What do they call you? - They call me a child of God.
- (cheering) - You are one. Yes, sir!
♪ ♪
- All right. - Thank you.
All right, now, doc. Good to see you.
Now, y'all take care, okay?
- All right, now. All right. - Have a good week.
- All right, doc. - All right.
All right, you take care.
- That was a wonderful message, you hear me? -Right.
(chatter, laughter)
- (dog barks) - ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
♪ Happy birthday, dear Grandpa ♪
♪ Happy birthday to you. ♪
Happy birthday, Grandpa.
I made it just for you.
Well, aren't I lucky?
Let's have a look here.
WOMAN: 13 children, 24 grandchildren.
I'd say you done good, Mr. O'Keefe.
And you have done well...
Mrs. O'Keefe.
Very well indeed.
(chuckles)
Not one felon in the whole damn bunch.
(laughing)
Are you... Hey.
- Hmm? - Hey, are you okay?
- Yeah. - Uh-huh. Yeah.
I'm just checking in on you.
I'm still allowed to do that.
- Yes, you are. Yes, you are. - That's good. Good to hear.
I could not be happier with this day.
♪ ♪
WILLIE: The well-being of this man's life depends on y'all.
Can I just talk simple to y'all?
Hmm? Plain, ordinary talk?
'Cause I think they trying to talk over y'all head.
And we not gonna allow that.
Now, I got some secrets about my client.
And I'm gonna tell you right now,
- my client ain't no good. - (murmuring)
He ain't.
My no-good client, Clovis Tubbs, on the day of the accident,
was drunk.
That's right. Drunk.
Uh... tanked.
Wasted. Toe up from the flo' up.
Matter of fact, you want to check the numbers?
The numbers say, uh, 0.4 percent blood alcohol level.
It's right here.
Inebriated, if you want to say a big word.
Not only that,
he was going through mental things.
He said he was suffering from depression.
Some would say that he was suicidal, and we have the proof of that,
because when he was talking to his therapist,
he'd told his therapist, "I'm feeling so bad I wish I could get in my car
and ride straight into a tree."
But he couldn't do that.
My no-good client couldn't do that. You know why?
His license is revoked.
(chuckles)
Ain't even got a license.
So what'd he say? "I'm gonna get me a bicycle
and I'm gonna do it that way."
And that's exactly what he did.
He got on his bicycle and rode over there to Alberta and Vine.
Y'all know the liquor store over there, huh?
And he got him a big old bottle of Scotch and he downed it, and what'd he do?
Get on that bicycle and he rode straight towards the highway, towards traffic.
Hmm?
And then, here comes Mr. Eighteen-Wheeler,
Finch and Company, not paying no attention.
To nothing. Coming down Elm.
And what did he do? Bam!
He hit Clovis.
He hit him.
He should be dead.
Y'all know that song, um...
♪ I'm looking for a miracle ♪?
- WOMAN: Mm-hmm. - Hmm?
That's a miracle, right here.
That's why we asking for you to look in your hearts and your soul
and award him that mere $75 million.
You know why? They got it.
They got it.
They got the bank to do it.
But they know they big, trying to step on the small man.
And then you say, "Well, why $75 million, Willie Gary?"
I'm-a tell you why.
Because we have the evidence.
The evidence will prove that there was negligence.
Because no-good Clovis
had one thing going good for him,
at that time.
Even though he was drunk,
tanked, toe up from the flo' up,
depressed and suicidal,
my no-good client, Clovis Tubbs...
...had him a green light.
(gallery exclaiming)
MAN: Yes, he did.
WILLIE: I rest my case, Your Honor.
(cheering)
("Whatta Man (feat. En Vogue)" by Salt-N-Pepa playing)
♪ ♪
♪ All right ♪
♪ Ooh, what a man, what a man, what a man, what a mighty good man ♪
- ♪ Gonna say it again now ♪ - (elevator bell dings)
♪ What a man, what a man, what a man ♪
♪ What a mighty good man ♪
♪ He's a mighty, mighty good man ♪
♪ What a man, what a man, what a man ♪
♪ What a mighty good man... ♪
I'm Willie Gary. Y'all come on in.
Listen, I apologize for keeping y'all waiting out there so long.
Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gary. I'm Jeremiah O'Keefe.
"Jeremiah." I like that.
That's biblical. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations. That's biblical.
- Now, who's this? - Hey...
JEREMIAH: He's my junior counsel, Halbert Dockins.
Well, H-Hal's fine.
- Uh, it's an honor, Mr. Gary. - You're too young
to be a lawyer, Negro.
I thought you was his foster child.
Really? Come on, no, I'm just kidding with you.
Come on in here.
This is, this is my, uh, partner, Reggie Douglas.
He runs my point.
So, what y'all got? What y'all got for Willie Gary?
Hmm? P.I.?
I beg your pardon?
P.I. Personal injury. Y'all got some personal injuries?
Didn't y'all see the sign outside?
That's the only kind of law we practice round here.
Uh, well, yes and no.
Um, I guess... I guess we sort of have a...
a P.I. case, but with a bit of a twist.
Bit of a twist? Okay, what-what kind of twist?
What kind of case is it?
It's a contract law case.
Contract law? Oh, come on, man.
- We don't do no contract law here. - REGGIE: Hell, nah.
That sound like a nap waiting to happen.
- Yeah. Yeah, we don't do no contract law. - REGGIE: I mean, hell.
R-Right, but look, we understand it's not necessarily your field,
but perhaps you could just hear him out.
I think you'll find the case compelling.
I am a, um, funeral director
from Biloxi, Mississippi.
I have a business there-- Well, actually, I have several businesses there.
I have eight funeral homes and one burial insurance company.
We are a family business,
and have been for over a hundred years.
And we are not about to lose that without a fight.
After I returned from the war,
my father passed the business to me,
which I considered a sacred trust.
Annette and I were blessed with 13 children,
and we intend for them
to carry the business into the future.
But about a year ago,
I ran into some financial trouble.
Good afternoon, gentlemen. How can I help you?
We're here on behalf of the state insurance commission.
Mr. O'Keefe, as a registered burial insurance broker
in the state of Mississippi,
I'm sure you're aware you're required to maintain
a certain minimum funds in your account at all times.
Well, yes. Of course I'm aware.
Insurance regulators?
You gotta be kidding me.
What'd they say they want, exactly?
Truth is, I may have gotten myself into a lot of trouble.
Trouble?
Jerry...
I've been your lawyer, what, coming up on 30 years?
Was your friend even before that.
You and I both know
I've been in debt up to my neck for years,
trying to make this business strong,
make it last,
so I have something to leave my children.
(sighs)
Let's not panic just yet.
I get how stressful this is,
but I'm pretty sure we can find a way out of it.
Hold up a second.
Excuse me, son.
- Do you want another drink? - No, no.
Whenever you get a chance, could I get another bourbon over here?
- Yeah. - Yes, sir.
So, look,
have you considered selling off part of the business?
No.
Just part of it. Okay?
Well, I'm not saying I want to, but if I did,
where would I find a buyer?
Canada, actually.
They made an inquiry.
Loewen Group? Oh, yeah.
They've been on a pretty significant acquisition spree.
Going all across the country,
buying up every independently owned funeral chain they can get their hands on.
These guys, they're really big players.
Now, you know how I feel about these big corporations, now.
Yes, I do. But all I'm saying is it's an option.
And it's out there.
Might be a way out.
You could think about it.
- (plane flying overhead) - (car horns honking)
(indistinct announcement over P.A.)
Jerry.
Perfect timing.
- Hey, you need a hand with that? - Oh, no, I got it.
Hey, so, listen.
You're sure about this, right?
No, I've given this a lot of thought,
and I believe this is the right thing to do for my family.
All righty, then.
Next stop, Vancouver. You ready to go inside?
No, we got to wait for Hal.
- Who? - I told you about Hal.
He's a friend of my son's from college,
very bright young man
just getting started out as a lawyer and, uh...
Well, hell, here he comes now.
Recently passed the bar exam.
Hungry for experience.
Who, which one?
That tall kid?
Hey, hey, sorry. So sorry, Mr. O'Keefe. Um...
My taxi just dropped me off at the wrong terminal, so...
Oh, don't worry about it. Halbert Dockins, I want you to meet Mike Allred.
Really great to meet you, Mr. Allred.
I'm very excited to be a member of the team.
- Hi, there. Nice to meet you, too. - Yeah.
So you're a lawyer?
(chuckles) Uh, yeah.
Well, that's just great. Good for you, son.
I'll see you guys inside.
Come on. We're going to Canada.
BOB: I work for Ray Loewen.
He's really looking forward to meeting you.
As I'm sure you can gather,
Ray's a very hands-on kind of guy.
One of the only CEOs in the industry
who likes to meet with every seller personally.
Hey, Ray!
Allow me to introduce Mr. Jeremiah O'Keefe
- and his colleagues. - It is a pleasure to meet you, Jerry.
So, boys, how do you like the way we do business up here in Canada? (laughing)
Come on on board. Get you a drink.
(seabirds screeching)
BOB: At present, we own 1,115 funeral homes,
427 cemeteries,
354 insurance companies.
RAY: My strategy is simple.
Buy as many funeral homes as I can
and put myself in a position
for what I like to call
the Golden Era of Death.
Sorry?
It's when all the baby boomers across the U.S.
finally reach their age of demise.
RAY: Resulting in a minimum 60% increase
in death rates nationwide.
Do you have any idea how many people are living in the U.S.,
right now,
over the age of 65?
51 million.
(Bob and Ray laugh)
JEREMIAH: That sounds kind of cynical to me.
Aren't you worried about losing sight of your customer?
RAY: My customer?
What customer? My customers are dead guys.
(laughing)
I'm just kidding.
I'm just kidding, Jerry.
Look, the more funeral homes I own,
the more money I make,
the more I am able to meet the demands of my customer.
And provide for his... growing needs.
Maybe it's time that we drop all this chit-chat
and start talking about a deal. What do you say, gentlemen?
I'm interested to hear what you have in mind, Ray.
My understanding
is that you're having a bit of trouble
with the state regulators down there.
How'd you come to that understanding?
RAY: You own... what?
Nine homes across the state?
JEREMIAH: Eight.
I own eight funeral homes across the state.
And my insurance business, of course.
So what about this?
You sell me three of your homes,
at a fair market value to be agreed upon later.
Then, not only do you get to keep
the bulk of your assets,
but it would also provide you with more than enough fresh cash
to deal with the regulators.
Now, there's something else I want out of this deal.
I make most of my profits from selling burial insurance.
There's no way I can survive if you have a monopoly
on that, too, so what I propose
is that I sell you three of my funeral homes,
fair market value...
...but you're going to have to promise, here and now,
to no longer sell burial insurance in southern Mississippi.
Okay.
So does this mean we have a deal?
I'll get my lawyers to draw up the contracts
so we can get it done immediately.
What the hell is taking so long?
We closed on this deal, um...
Coming up on four months now.
They keep trying to re-trade the terms.
When we left Vancouver, they said it would take 30 days max.
- It just doesn't make sense. - I don't know, makes perfect sense to me.
MIKE: Why?
Have you considered the possibility
that Loewen has no intention of closing this deal at all?
Son, with all due respect, you don't have the faintest idea
what you're talking about.
I think I do.
Think about it.
The longer he stalls, the worse you're screwed.
First, the insurance commission takes your license,
effectively destroying your livelihood,
until, sooner or later, you have no choice but to file for bankruptcy.
Now not only does Loewen get the three homes,
he can actually buy your entire business out from under you
at yard-sale prices.
You really think he's trying to bankrupt me?
Hell, he can't do that; I got a signed contract.
It was only signed on our end.
With no closing date attached.
And, by the way, I heard Mr. Loewen
is actually still selling insurance in the region.
Oh, come on. Stop with the conspiracy theories.
Son, I'm sorry, but you really are paranoid.
Okay.
Um...
would you mind doing me a favor?
Would you mind stop calling me son?
I am not your son, Mike.
Whoa.
Just take it easy, okay?
You really want to be taken seriously
- as a lawyer in this town? - Okay. Who says I'm not?
Enough of that, y'all.
Do you really think Mr. Loewen has the intention of running me into the ground?
I do.
Why the hell should he be on our clock anyway?
Well, that's it. I'm gonna sue him.
You've never sued anybody before in your whole life.
Well, I'm liable to, just about any minute now.
Yeah. Well, you think 75 years of age is a good time to start suing people?
Old men don't file lawsuits.
The way I see it, if somebody tries to take advantage of you,
and you know it's wrong, it don't matter how old you are.
This fellow tried to bully me out of business.
And I don't think I should be expected to stand for it.
♪ ♪
I'm here to file a lawsuit.
That the complaint right there?
May I see it, please?
"Jeremiah J. O'Keefe Sr. v. The Loewen Group LLC."
Ooh.
Sounds juicy.
Who do you think's gonna win?
- Excuse me? - (doorbell rings)
Well, goodness, Hal,
what are you doing here?
- You know what time it is? - Look, uh,
I know it's late. I'm really sorry about that.
I-I found something I think will be really useful for our case.
ROBIN LEACH (over TV): The thrills continue with another
opulent episode on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.
You won't believe the amazing journey of famed
personal injury lawyer Willie E. Gary,
a man who refused to accept a life sentence of poverty
because he believed in the American dream.
Born to a family of migrant sharecroppers
working the sugarcane fields of Florida,
life wasn't always a bed of roses for Willie Gary.
I just always had this burning desire to be something, you know?
And I-I knew I was going to make something of myself.
LEACH: And make something of himself he did,
as now Willie regularly wins multimillion-dollar cases...
Are you suggesting I hire this guy as one of my lawyers?
Seems like a crazy idea,
but this guy wins cases. I mean...
LEACH: He not only owns his own private 737 jet,
called Wings of Justice,
he also lives the high life in a 50-room mansion
along the luxurious Florida coast.
But Willie can't take credit for the decorating,
as that job belongs to Willie's childhood sweetheart,
his gorgeous and alluring wife Gloria.
GLORIA: One thing
that I always try to remind Willie of is to...
- is to never forget where he came from. - Mm.
- Stay humble. - LEACH: Yes,
"humble" is Willie Gary's middle name.
Don't never let nobody tell you you can't do something, okay?
Willie Gary told you that.
Give me a pound.
LEACH: Never forgetting his roots...
(tape stops)
Believe it or not, he's got an absolutely flawless trial record.
He supposedly hasn't lost a case in over 12 years.
What does he know about contract law?
This is a contract law case.
The case was filed down in Hinds County.
That's a three-to-one Black/white ratio.
That means there's a 70% chance we'll get a Black judge,
and if we do go to trial,
likely a Black jury as well.
- So what? - With all due respect,
you-you can't put a guy like Mike Allred in front of a Black jury.
Why the hell not?
He has been my attorney for 30 years.
He knows contract law better than anybody.
You're really gonna make me spell this out.
Um...
He literally reeks self-satisfied, good ol' boy Southern bigotry.
I mean, a Black jury sees a guy like that coming...
The idea of us pandering to a jury like that, Hal, it's not...
It... (sighs)
This is not a discrimination suit.
You and I both know that race has nothing to do with this.
I happen to know, for a fact, that Mr. Gary is trying a case
down in Florida this week.
What if... what if...
you and I went down there, just for the day,
and try to meet him in person?
Essentially, we just want to hold the Loewen Group
responsible for their actions.
WILLIE: Nah, nah, nah. That ain't what you want.
What you want to do is you want to make 'em pay.
- REGGIE: Make 'em hurt, make 'em pay. -Yeah, yeah.
So, how much money y'all trying to get, hmm?
- JEREMIAH: Uh, $6 million. - $6 million.
That's full, fair market value plus damages,
and I've already filed a civil claim in Hinds County, Mississippi.
HAL: Well?
What-what do you think, Mr. Gary? Do you like the case?
I'm gonna give you my personal opinion.
Honest.
Look, Mr. O'Keefe, I'm sorry for what this Loewen guy did to you--
he sounds like he's a big asshole and everything like that--
but, um, this ain't no Willie Gary case.
It just ain't. It ain't...
It ain't a Willie Gary case.
Uh, wait, what-what do you mean? Why-why not?
It ain't a Willie Gary case
- 'cause it ain't for Willie Gary. - No, but...
I'm sorry, what is a "Willie Gary case," then?
- I don't... - In other words, what he's saying is
a Willie Gary case is the type of case where I have the upper hand.
Where I feel that I can take this case to trial. Understand?
- All the way. - And-and once I get 'em in that trial,
I mean, y'all seen my tape.
When I get 'em in front of-- especially in front of people
that-that look like me-- I'm-a play 'em like a symphony.
Mm. Mozart.
A Willie Gary case is where I could take that judgement
and push it all the way up, to the heavens if I need to,
and get as much money as I can for my client.
Uh, what he's saying is, a Willie Gary case
is a case we know we can win.
This case... not so much.
Matter of fact, your case a little bit iffy.
And, uh...
the other thing is this.
Don't take this the wrong way, but, uh...
He, uh, he's-- you're white-- he's white.
And I don't have white clients.
I've never had any, so...
No offense or anything like that, but this is just unusual for me.
No offense taken, Mr. Gary.
That guy's too rich and famous for us, Halbert.
Uh-huh.
Um, you know what, Mr. O'Keefe? Just, um...
- What? - You know, just-just give me one second.
- All right? - Where you going?
I'm-I'm gonna talk with him one more time.
G-Give me five minutes, okay?
The green light scenario,
when I was talking to the, the one juror, uh, uh...
What'd she have on?
I'd have maybe looked at her a little bit longer.
You know, gave her some eye contact.
- Sometimes you got to romance them. - Listen, I'm not...
- That's the thing, I don't know that... - Look, Mr. Gary,
I'm so sorry to come back in here like this, I really am,
- but I just need a minute of your time. - WILLIE: What's going on with you, man?
- You lost? Huh? - Yeah. Lost your mind...
Or did he fire your ass out there by the elevator?
Okay, yeah, maybe so, but listen, I... I...
- I just need a minute of your time. - You need a minute?
- One minute. That's all I ask. - Well, you know what, that's all you got.
'Cause we busy. Then, come on, Hal.
I mean, Jerry's a... a dream client.
He's got a great narrative.
He's a war hero.
A decorated war hero.
He served in World War II.
- He was, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross... -Yeah.
- ...for service for his country. - Hmm.
- Is that all you got? - Man.
That's it?
- Wasn't World War II about 50 years ago? - Yeah, man.
- Hal, don't nobody give a shit except them. -That's old news, nigga.
All right. All right. How about this?
Okay, um...
In 1976,
Jerry was serving as a two-term mayor in his hometown of Biloxi.
The KKK tried to organize a march...
And he stopped 'em from buying white sheets.
(Willie and Reggie laughing)
- Shit, man. - I guess, I guess he's supposed to be
- our white savior now. (laughs) - Yeah, yeah, yeah. KKK, man.
REGGIE: You sound like you in love with him, man.
(laughing)
No, that's not my point. I'm saying we're hopefully trying the case in Hinds County.
- There's a three-to-one... - Hold-hold on. Let me stop you, Hal.
Now, listen, Hal, I like you-- I-I think you come from good stock--
but you got to understand how we work here.
One, we don't do contract law.
- Two, we don't have no white clients. - REGGIE: No.
And three, that ain't enough money.
My, not enough money.
It ain't enough money, Hal. You know, I-I-I love you, man,
but it ain't enough money for us.
Brother, look around. You see where you are?
You don't see this mahogany wood?
- Gold finish? - Got to see it.
- Preach. Yeah. - REGGIE: It's the big time, baby.
We doing cases for $50 million, $30 million,
- $80 million cases monthly. - Yeah.
HAL: Okay. Okay.
But how do you know this case can't be something bigger?
Well...
we don't know.
You know something we don't?
Ray Loewen happens to sit at the top
of one of the biggest industries in this country.
Hmm.
I'm talking about the $20 billion a year death care industry.
There are two huge corporations moving in and taking over everything,
and the Loewen Group is one of them.
Now, what they did to Jerry is truly terrible, but...
I have a feeling it's just... it's-it...
No. I know. It's the tip of the iceberg.
- Hmm. - HAL: Can I keep going?
Sure. Shit.
Well, that's where you should've started.
You guys try all these $80 million cases, and...
and you have your private jet and all that, I get it, that's fine, but...
Yeah, I do. Wings of Justice.
HAL: Great. Look, you know as well as I do
that as far as the more elite legal community in this country goes,
you're nothing more than a glorified ambulance chaser.
- No offense. -Now, Hal, now don't make me whoop your ass now.
- Disrespectful, boy. - What if...
What if, what-what if...
what if this case is the one that puts you on the map?
What if this case takes you to a nationwide level?
I'm talking, um...
William Kuntsler,
Clarence Darrow,
Thurgood Marshall.
Look, I'm talking...
I'm talking Johnnie motherfucking Cochran.
("Everybody Everybody" by Black Box playing)
♪ ♪
Well, I've never heard of him.
Was this your idea, by the way, Mr. Dockins?
- Yes. - No, it was not his idea,
it was mine, and I realize, Mike, it might piss you off,
me bringing on additional counsel like this, but...
MIKE: Piss me off? Not at all.
Doesn't piss me-- Do I seem pissed off?
I'm not pissed off.
Hell, it's your money, you can do what you want to with it,
I just think you're making a big mistake.
I am trying to put us in the best possible position
in the event we end up going to trial.
Got it.
Except we're not going to trial.
Seriously, what's so special about this guy, anyway?
Hal and I went over to Florida to watch him try a case in front of a jury,
and I want to tell you, this man can absolutely,
(laughing): positively galvanize a jury.
(laughing)
Yes, sir.
Well...
if you believe in him that much,
then sure, okay, I'll work with him.
I've partnered up before.
Just as long as it's clear
I'm still lead attorney.
Appreciate you being a good sport about this, Mike.
No problem.
So what time is he supposed to get here, anyway?
You know, actually, I think this is them now.
Now?
("DWYCK" by Gang Starr (feat. Nice & Smooth) playing)
♪ Greg N-N-N, N-N-N ♪
♪ Has gots to be the sure shot ♪
♪ Gang Starr has gots to be the sure shot ♪
♪ Nice & Smooth has gots to be the sure shot ♪
♪ Greg Nice, Greg N-I-C-E ♪
♪ Oka-yay, o-o... ♪
Jeremiah Lamentations. How you doing, Jerry?
- Good to see you, Willie. - Good to see you, doc.
Good to see you. You looking good.
- Thank you. - Hey, Hal, what you doing over there, huh?
- It's a pleasure. - You gettin' younger on me, man?
Huh? What, you on some Dorian Gray shit?
Willie, let me introduce you to Mike Allred, right here.
Mike.
Now, I understand we working together, hmm?
So I understand. How you doing, Mr. Gary?
(chuckles) I look like a million, huh?
You look like ten million Yankee dollars, Willie.
(chuckles) Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.
I feel good.
This your war room here, huh?
- Uh, well, we got the conference room, you know. -Mm-hmm.
I like these over there. I like these books. I like all those.
This is nice, though.
(clears throat) Before we get to work, though...
I hope this doesn't make you feel uncomfortable, but, uh...
I got some questions I got to ask you.
Oh, sure. Feel free to ask me anything. I'm all ears.
Good.
Um, question is, uh...
how do you feel about working with Black folk?
Man-to-man?
Is there any other way?
No, sir. You want an honest answer?
- I need that. - All right.
Well, if you want an honest answer,
truth be told, I suppose I am a little prejudiced.
Mm. Okay.
I'm not saying I'm proud of it or anything.
- I appreciate your honesty. - In fact, I've been working real hard
on trying to overcome it.
Mm. Well, then you should.
- I'm glad you're working on it. - But yes.
Did you meet my team?
Hi. I'm Chris.
Hi, Chris.
Yes. Dashaan.
- Dashaan. - Mm.
Al.
Reggie Douglas.
Gentlemen.
Okay. Uh... now that that's all cleared up,
why don't we all just head over to the conference room,
where the rest of the team is waiting, yeah?
Jerry. We're gonna work this out, all right?
- Yeah. - He's gonna be okay.
Okay, that's fine.
WILLIE: Afternoon, gentlemen. How you feeling?
You good? Huh? Good, good, good.
For all y'all that don't know who I am, my name is Willie Gary.
Tell 'em who you are.
Now, I done brought a couple of partners of mine from my firm up here from Florida
to help y'all win this case.
And for all of y'all who are unfamiliar with the Willie Gary style of litigation,
let me break it down to you.
We 'bout to go to war.
'Cause that's what I think litigation is.
Litigation is war.
It's a battle, a battle to the death.
And I'm not talking about no bullshit, either;
I'm talking about some Jean-Claude Van Damme ass-kicking shit.
Now I know y'all looking at me crazy, but that's how I like to get.
And if we don't get crazy with these motherfuckers,
I'm telling you, this Loewen Group?
They're powerful.
Got a lot of money, got a lot of influence.
They have everything that we don't.
But we not gonna let them intimidate us.
'Cause I'm not intimidated.
Now, it ain't no secret.
For the past 12 years, I have not lost a case.
And why is that?
Can you tell me why?
'Cause I hate to lose.
I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!
I'd rather somebody pull a gun on me and blow my head off
than to lose a case.
Now, that being said...
...there's one thing I'm-a tell you I'm not gonna bend on.
I do not plan on settling this case.
- We don't do that, no. - MIKE: Excuse me.
Anyone mind if I say something here?
- Go ahead, Mike. - Mr. Gary,
when it comes to the matter of settling, I'm afraid that's not at all
the strategy we've developed here.
In fact, I've already drafted a letter to Mr. Loewen
offering to settle at $8 million.
Though, just between us here in this room,
we'd probably be willing to drop to seven if need be.
WILLIE: Well, Mike, thank you for the update--
appreciate that-- but, unfortunately, things have changed.
We're not settling.
No matter what you said,
the discussion is still on the table
and will remain so until I've decided what the best course is.
Huh.
Till you decided, huh?
What's going on here, Mike?
Hmm? Who's in charge?
No, seriously, who's in charge?
'Cause you done have Willie Gary come down here to take over the case
and now here you're telling me what you're gonna do.
I said we're not settling the case and that comes from the lead attorney.
- Come again? - Come again what?
What's the matter? You need your ears checked or something?
Excuse me, sir.
- No, you're not. - Mike, you raise a finger to me,
- you'll get your ass whupped in here. - Boss, calm down.
- MIKE: Believe me, Mr. Gary, you are not lead attorney. -AL: Come on, settle down.
- Then what am I, then? - May I remind you
- you are in my town... - Your town?
- ...sitting at my conference table... - Every town I go to, Mike, is my town.
- ...across the table from my client. - Evidently it ain't your town,
- or they wouldn't have called me. - JEREMIAH: Gentlemen. Gentlemen.
Gentlemen, could y'all let the temperature down a little bit?
WILLIE: I didn't come here to fight you, Mike.
- MIKE: What? - I said, I didn't come here to fight you.
I came here to get a job done.
Now, Mr. O'Keefe...
Last I checked, he wants to win this case.
Not toot his ass up in the air for a funky little $8 million.
Like a bitch.
MIKE: Jesus Christ, Jerry. What's going on?
I think we ought to give him a chance.
Did you hear that speech he just gave?
He has no idea what he's doing.
He hasn't lost a case in 12 years.
For personal injury cases.
He clearly has no idea about real law, about contract law.
What about lead attorney?
You're not considering giving him lead attorney.
Yeah.
I am.
We good?
(sighs) Yeah.
Mike, you good?
All right, since we're all good,
uh, does anybody here mind, uh, taking some dictation?
Cynthia, would you mind taking dictation for Mr. Gary?
WILLIE: All right, Cynthia. I sure appreciate it.
All right.
Address to Mr. Ray Loewen,
Chairman, Loewen Group.
Dear Mr. Loewen, my name is Willie E. Gary.
I've just been appointed lead counsel
in the suit brought against you by Jeremiah O'Keefe.
In regards to the prior settlement,
the offer you received of $8 million,
I hereby rescind that offer.
As of the date of this new letter we have,
the new offer is in the amount of $100 million.
- Whoo. That's what I'm talking about. - (scattered laughter)
Did he just say $100 million?
- As in eight zeros? - $100 million.
Why don't y'all just relax? Hear what I'm saying?
It's literally $94 million more than our original claim.
Sounds to me like your original claim was about $94 million short.
Uh, yeah, Mr. Gary, perhaps you could
- help us understand... - MIKE: $100 million?
It's absurd and you know it.
What you trying to do, destroy this case?
Mike, anybody ever tell you you got balls the size of a garden slug?
W-Willie, I'm afraid that I agree with everybody's concerns.
That's a hell of a lot of money.
We throw out a number like that, we're gonna humiliate ourselves.
WILLIE: Listen, I understand how you feel, Jerry.
But you got to trust me, okay?
- Mm-hmm. Trust him. - Okay?
Everybody's got to trust me.
- All right? - REGGIE: Amen.
Now, Cynthia, where were we?
MAN: "Starting as of the date of this letter,
"our new settlement demand is now
$100 million."
- (men laughing) -(man whistles) - MAN 2: Oh, what?
MAN 3: Oh, come on. You got to be kidding me.
- $100 million? - MAN 4: Who the hell does he think he is?
- MAN 2: Is he crazy? - MAN: Eight zeros, did you count that?
- Eight zeros. - There's no way that is not a joke.
- That is a joke. - It looks like a fucking dozen eggs.
(laughter)
No joke.
Jesus Christ, this O'Keefe guy, he's a piece of work, no?
Yeah.
Who is this clown he's hired as a lawyer?
Apparently, some guy by the name of William Gary.
Thank you, Bob, I also read the letter.
But my question is,
who is he?
What's his story?
Where did O'Keefe find him?
From what we could dig up,
he's this kind of flashy personal injury lawyer,
uh, out of Florida.
- Ambulance-chaser type. - Personal injury?
This is a contract dispute.
Why the hell would he hire a personal injury lawyer
for a contract dispute?
Maybe they don't have any regular lawyers
(Southern accent): down in backwater Mississippi.
You should talk like that more.
Turns out, the case was filed in some remote county
in the lower region of the state, called Hinds County.
RAY: Yeah? So?
So, Hinds County also happens to be
one of the poorest, and about 70%, uh...
...Black.
Oh.
So that's why he was hired.
Because he's Black.
Gary's Black.
He's an African American man.
("Hold On" by En Vogue playing) ♪ When... ♪
♪ I... ♪
♪ When I ♪
- ♪ Had you ♪ - ♪ Had you ♪
- ♪ I treated you bad ♪ - ♪ Bad ♪
Well, like I said, like my grandfather said,
- "Who in so ever it is..." - (knocking at door)
I ain't worried about it.
Reg, you're not understanding the whole...
MAN: Sorry to interrupt.
We just got the info you requested
on who Loewen appointed as lead counsel.
- HAL: May I see that, please? Thank you. - Well, who is he?
Do we know him?
- She. - WILLIE: She?
What you talking about, "she"?
Yeah, what does that mean, "she"?
- "She" as in, like, a... like a... - A woman?
Her name is Mame Downes.
♪ Ooh... ♪
She graduated with her BA from Howard University.
Oh. That means she just ain't a woman,
- she's a Black woman. - She's a sister.
Well, what do you know?
We done got out-Blacked and out-womaned, all in one go. (chuckles)
("Hold On" continues)
Graduated top of her class from Harvard Law School.
Jesus Christ.
Then went on to clerk two years
for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
Three years associate at Paul, Weiss
and now currently the youngest partner ever
at Cranston, Brown and Atwell.
- Mm-hmm. - Okay, that's impressive.
Friend of mine used to work with her, over at C, B and A.
And, um...
well...
he told me they had a nickname for her around the office.
Mm. What was it?
Ain't that right?
"The Python." (chuckles)
On account of her particular style during cross?
- Yes. Yes. - You know, how she used to strike
- when you least expect it. - (murmuring)
Mm-hmm. Okay, Ms. Python.
- But you know what? - REGGIE: Very descriptive.
You know what?
I'm the boa constrictor. (grunts)
REGGIE: Let's see what she got.
ANNETTE: I think we may need to call the cable company.
Every time I try and turn on Turner Broadcast,
it's just some weird, empty screen.
Think there's something wrong with it.
There's nothing wrong with it. I canceled the subscription.
What do you mean, you canceled it?
Annie, those insurance regulators came by again the other day.
They suspended my license this time.
I'm gonna have to shut the business down for a while.
What?
What are you talking about?
It's only temporary.
Soon as we get this trial over with, Loewen makes his restitution,
- we gonna be up and... - Jerry. Jerry.
You hear yourself?
As soon as Ray Loewen makes restitution?
Do you really know for sure that's even gonna happen?
I mean, you still haven't told me how we're paying for all this.
That fancy new lawyer you just brought in from Florida.
You don't have to worry about him.
(soft chuckle)
Well, I just don't understand why you're continuing with this ridiculous lawsuit.
You can find another buyer
for those three homes.
You know that.
Clearly, this is about something else for you.
Maybe it is.
Maybe I just don't want to see him get away with it.
Who? Ray Loewen?
My God, Jerry.
What is your obsession with this man?
What do you expect me to do, Annie,
just lay back and let him walk all over me?
Let him walk all over our family?
What I expect you to do
is to think of me,
at some point.
Hmm.
You don't think we can win.
If you want to know how I'm paying for it,
I took out a third mortgage on this house.
(indistinct chatter)
How you doing?
JEREMIAH: Tell me, Willie, how'd you wind up being a lawyer?
Mm. (chuckles)
Well, that depends.
You want the, um, long or the short story?
That's up to you.
- (chuckles) - Well,
when I was a young husband,
young father,
me and my wife, we had, you know, we had a little money,
so we had a little landscaping business.
Real nice, too.
You know, kept-kept all the yards...
fantastic.
But then my wife was like, "You know what?
I want to move into a bigger place."
I said, "Well, all right. Let's do that, then."
And so... (inhales)
...got the paper, saw this ad.
Three-bedroom apartment, man. Real nice.
Uh, nice new complex.
Over there in a white neighborhood at, uh, Raintree.
So I said, "Yeah, that's what, that's what we need."
So I called the owner, I said, "Hey, man.
"Me and my family are looking for a new place.
We want to come to where you are."
I said, "Do you have any vacancies?"
And he says, "Uh, yeah. Yeah, I got plenty of vacancies, you know?
"Matter of fact, uh, at the end of the month, you can move in.
Get your lease."
We all looking forward to that day, man.
I mean, we just excited.
You know, just brand-new beginnings, if you would.
So when the day comes,
I pack everybody in the car.
I got the-the-the, the boys in there,
I got my-my wife, I even got my dog in there, man.
And we just happy, man. We happy.
Uh, and we listening to gospel music.
You know, singing, rocking and rolling.
(sighs)
But, um...
when we get there, guy comes out.
I said, "How you doing?" He barely speaks.
He says, "What do you need?"
I said, "I'm the one that, uh, called you about the vacancies."
He said, "What vacancies?"
I said, "I'm Willie Gary. I called you about the... the vacancies."
He says, "Oh.
We don't have no more vacancies."
What'd you do?
Tell you what I wanted to do.
Wanted to hurt him.
I mean...
disrespecting me like that in front of my boys, man.
My boys look up to me.
I'm their everything.
What-what do I tell 'em?
That...
they daddy ain't good enough to be in an apartment?
What I tell my queen?
That we not good enough?
But I didn't act out.
What I did was,
I went back to that hotel,
and I opened up the phone book.
Now, I hadn't even thought about being a lawyer until this happened.
I opened it up and I...
First law school I saw, I said, "Mm. I'm going right there."
And I did it.
I enrolled, worked hard,
I graduated, I passed the bar.
And I got my own practice.
And the first thing I did was
went down to Raintree Apartments
and bitch-slapped him with a five-count discriminatory practices lawsuit.
(chuckles)
Take that for your vacancies.
You a fighter.
Yeah.
Oh, I'm a fighter.
You are, too, Jerry. You're a fighter, man.
You know why I say you're a fighter?
Going up against this big Loewen Group, man--
small business owner, man, that's something, doc.
That's why we connect.
What made you want to do it?
'Cause he tried to mess with the one thing that means the most to me in life:
being able to leave something behind for my children
and my grandchildren when I go.
They have a legacy, Willie.
And I do mean to pass it on to 'em.
- Let's play some music. - I like music, Willie.
(laughs) Good.
Steve, look, why don't you go up there and turn on some music?
Sure thing, boss. Anything particular you want to hear?
You know what my jam is, man. Tony! Toni! Toné!
- Wise choice, my brother. - I like that. Like that.
You know what's crazy about Tony! Toni! Toné!?
Ain't none of 'em named Tony. (laughs)
- ("Feels Good" playing) - WILLIE: Oh, there it is.
- Hey. - Hey. All right.
- ♪ It feels good ♪ - Hey.
- ♪ Yeah ♪ - WILLIE: Yeah. (laughs)
- Hey. - ♪ It feels good ♪
I like that.
- You like that, Jerry? - ♪ Oh, it feels good ♪
- Jerry, you like that? - Yeah, it's good.
WILLIE: It feels good?
(sings along): ♪ It feels good ♪
(laughs)
- (chuckling) - ♪ Oh, it feels good ♪
Come on to our side!
Oh, you're-you're my man now, doc.
- You're my man now, baby. - ♪ It feels good ♪
- ♪ It sure feels good to me. ♪ - (music ends)
- (bell dings) - This is nice.
(soft music playing in background)
- Hey, hey. - RECEPTIONIST: Hi.
Welcome to Hotel Intercontinental.
Well, thank you. I have a reservation for Gary, Willie Gary.
Absolutely.
- And welcome to Jackson, Mr. Gary. - Mm-hmm. Thank you.
If you have a credit card you'd like me to run,
I can go ahead and get you all settled in.
- Mm-hmm. - Thank you.
Hey, hey, so don't look now, but that's, over there, that's Loewen's legal team.
Where-where's that? Hmm.
(indistinct conversation)
HAL: Jesus Christ.
It's like a who's who of every prominent Black lawyer in the country.
You actually recognize all of them?
HAL: Okay, so, that guy over there, that's Howard Pfieffer.
- Mm. - He's a former state representative
- and current president of the DC bar association. -Mm.
That gentleman there, that's Richard Mayfield.
He's one of the leading experts on antitrust
and complex business litigation.
And that gentleman, right over there, that-that's Walter Bell.
He's a former Supreme Court Justice of Mississippi.
Fuck.
Man, Loewen must have spent a fortune on these dudes.
You know what? She don't actually look as bad as I thought she was gonna look.
What's her name? Uh, uh, Mammy, May, Mame?
Mammy, Mammy Downes?
- Seriously? Is that all you have to say? - Yeah.
That's all I got to say 'cause they all look like chumps to me.
Matter of fact, could you do me a favor?
Could you send your finest bottle of, uh, champagne over there to that table?
Certainly. Do you have a preference?
- What you got? - We have Dom, Moët,
- Cristal... - Cristal.
- That's what we need.
Send some Cristal over there.
Make sure that you say that it's, uh, compliments of Mr. Willie Gary.
Hey. Seriously, man?
- Please don't do that. - Oh, seriously, Hal.
- Shut up. - Uh...
Listen, I always say this:
You see me fighting a bear? Pour honey on me.
We're just gonna pour a little honey.
(horn honking in distance)
WENDELL: Well, we keep the strategy simple.
Firmly cementing the validity of the document
as a contract in the jury's mind.
That's definitely gonna be the defense strategy, too.
Except they'll be focused on proving how it's not a contract.
Okay, look, we got to be honest about this.
They're likely gonna be a lot better at this than we are,
considering this is their area of expertise.
REGGIE: I-I say we just forget about all that contract mumbo jumbo.
Bog the jury down with a whole bunch of information
that we know they ain't interested in.
CHRIS: Personally, what I think we gotta do--
what we gotta prove, rather--
is motive.
We center our argument squarely on the issue
of Loewen Group stalling on closing.
And show what they had to gain from it.
- Uh, I'm not so sure. - What? What, Hal?
- What-what you ain't sure about? - DASHAAN: What? Hal?
HAL: What I mean is, I'm not so sure we can actually prove
that the Loewen Group had motive.
Right? Unless we have some kind of internal company memo.
Or someone just openly admits it.
Like, how do you actually prove
that the stalling was intentional?
Well, we're obviously never going to be able to prove that.
Truth is, we don't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning this case.
("Let a Woman Be a Woman - Let a Man Be a Man" playing)
♪ Some people call me ♪
♪ Broadway Tramp now ♪
- ♪ They even said, yes, they did ♪ - WILLIE: What's happening, doc?
- ♪ I had no place to stay... ♪ - BARTENDER: Yeah, how you doing, boss?
I'm good, Max. Hey, how 'bout you give me your...
your strongest ginger ale?
Sure thing.
Coming right up.
How's your night been?
BARTENDER: Not too bad. Livin'.
Good. Good, good.
- ♪ Gotta let a woman be a woman ♪ - Strongest ginger ale in Mississippi.
- Thank you. - ♪ And let a man be a man ♪
Yeah, it's not too bad, so... I...
- ♪ Gotta let a woman be a woman ♪ - Yeah, she's been here for a while.
♪ And let a man be a man ♪
♪ Well, listen... ♪
I believe it's Ms. Downes, isn't it?
I'm Willie Gary.
(gentle piano music playing in background)
You look thinner on TV.
Mind if I sit down?
(Mame scoffs)
You know, I've actually never did this before.
Where it's sitting down with the opposing counsel, the...
drinks and things like that, you know.
Music, candles.
It's like we almost, uh,
on a date.
Or maybe not.
- ♪ ♪ - (indistinct chatter)
You say you're from Compton, but I'm trying to understand
why you taking all these fancy white cases.
I could ask you the same question.
- Couldn't I? - Yeah, well, I actually believe
in my case, Ms. Downes.
Oh, well, I actually believe in mine, too, Mr. Gary.
Well, that puts us in a very
- precarious situation then, all right, - Does it?
because one of us gonna win and one's gonna lose.
- I think that's how this goes, yes. - Mm-hmm.
But it's different in my situation, because
I'm actually Black employed.
See, I don't work for the man.
- Oh. - See, I-I work for Willie Gary,
which is myself. I'm employed
- to myself... - Tell me, tell me.
- ...for myself. - Where should I be working, huh?
You tell me. Come on. School me.
What-what tiny little piece of the pie
would you be comfortable allotting to someone like me?
What, should I be working pro bono?
Or maybe I should be in some shitty DA's office,
trying eviction cases.
Would that make you comfortable?
- Would you be more happy with that? - Hold on a second.
Hold on, hold on. We-we-we not at trial right now.
You said you were trying to school me, so come on, now, school me.
I don't know how much you know about me, but I'm the son of a sharecropper.
I was eight years old
out there in them sugarcane fields, you know.
Working. Me.
But now, you know, I got...
you know, mansions and...
Rolls-Royce and Bentleys.
- My own private plane. - I mean,
what it sounds like is
we're both living our own little version of the American dream.
A little less red, white and blue
and a little more, uh, um...
caramel and stripes and...
(both laughing)
MAME: Although, I do believe that the
Black American dream is quite different than the white American dream.
Case in point.
(speaking indistinctly)
WILLIE: O.J. trial, hmm?
Supposed to be the "trial of the century."
- (chuckles) - It's a circus.
You want to go there?
Nah, that's murky territory.
Where you leaning?
Is... is he innocent? Or is he guilty?
Doesn't matter.
'Cause O.J.'s not the one that's on trial right now.
White frontier justice,
- that's what's on trial. - Mm.
I hear that.
Gun to your head, though.
- Gun to my head? - Gun to your head.
- I don't know now. - Gun to your head,
- Ms. Downes, gun to your head. - Come on, trying to put a gun to my head.
- Does anyone hear this? - Got a gun... gun to your head now.
Oh, hell nah.
Opportunity to be the lead counsel on the defense
or a opportunity to be the lead prosecutor,
which one do you choose?
Oh, that's... that's a tricky one.
- Yeah, I know. It's tough, it's tough. - Defense.
His ass is guilty.
And I've never defended someone who I knew was guilty before.
You know what they say:
Lawyer's got to try that at least once.
Remember these words:
- if it doesn't fit... - WILLIE: Hmm.
...you must acquit.
(Cochran continues indistinctly)
Prosecution.
(laughs) Yeah?
I have this reoccurring dream
that I'm prosecuting a case
against that slick-ass Johnnie Cochran.
- (chuckles) Mm. - Him in all them fancy suits and shit...
Okay. Well, how does this dream end?
I wipe the floor with him.
- (laughs) - I wipe the floor with his ass.
(both laughing)
Oh.
Let me get that.
Oh, absolutely not.
You were so, uh,
you were so kind and generous to send me
a bottle of...
- What was that called? - Cristal.
Allow me to return the favor, just this once.
(chuckles) Although, I wouldn't get too used
to me being kind to you, Mr. Gary.
Once we begin that... trial...
nigga, I will destroy you.
Have a good night.
♪ Hold tight... ♪
WEATHERMAN: Good morning, Jackson, Mississippi.
73 degrees, going up to a high of 78.
No rain in the forecast for the next few days.
(exhales)
(muttering)
Let me start off by saying that this case
that you're about to hear
is a case...
(muttering)
(babbling)
♪ If you want to make this feeling stay ♪
♪ Hold tight... ♪
(takes deep breath)
Jurors, this... this trial
deals with the oldest sin known to man.
You're pointing too much, Gary.
You're pointing-- you're pointing too much.
♪ Stay ♪
♪ Hold tight ♪
This just simply wasn't personal, it was just business.
And they had...
- ♪ Stay, hold tight ♪ - Fuck.
♪ Hold tight ♪
- ♪ Don't let this moment fade away ♪ - (elevator bell dings)
♪ Hold tight. ♪
♪ ♪
Hey, hey, hey. Wait, wait.
- What's the matter? - We can't split the pole.
Can't split the pole. Now come on.
- No, come on, we can't split the pole. - This new to you?
WILLIE: Huddle up.
Be unlucky. Let's go.
Come on.
(bell tolling in distance)
BAILIFF: All rise, all rise.
The court is now in session, pursuant to the adjournment.
Hear ye, hear ye.
All persons having business with this honorable court, draw near.
Give your attention and you shall be heard.
The Honorable Judge James E. Graves,
circuit county judge for the First Judicial District
of Hinds County, Mississippi, presiding.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury...
How y'all doing?
Thank you for being here.
This case here is really about the oldest sin known to man.
MAME: Contracts.
Plain and simple.
Now, Mr. Gary would have you believe
that this case is about...
- Greed. - And while that sounds,
uh, entertaining and a bit dramatic...
We know for a fact that the deal had already been approved
by Loewen and his board.
They crafted every single aspect, outlined it,
and put it down in writing.
That's a contract.
How can it be a binding contract
between two parties
if one of the parties didn't sign the contract?
Y'all, these people lie.
That's what it boils down to.
So why did Mr. O'Keefe have such a-a-a panic,
such an urgency,
such a desperation
for this deal to close?
Why?
Well, because everything in his life
hinged on this deal.
Everything.
For the Loewen Group, not so much.
They had one goal in mind.
Stall him out.
It wasn't personal.
He just got impatient.
(whispering)
(bell tolling)
(bell continues tolling)
MAN: In fact, there is such a thing
uh, as an anticipatory breach of contract.
And this is when,
though the actual breach has not yet occurred,
one of the involved parties,
heretofore referred to as the "soon to be breaching party,"
will not fulfill their obligations
set forth by the terms of the agreement.
When a situation like this arises,
- it is my opinion that... - (sighs)
...it is well within the means of dispute
for this contract.
- Wake your ass up! - Whoa!
- Whoa. - Jesus Christ.
Wake up!
What are we doing? We sit up in these books,
talking about contracts every single day.
For what?
We putting 'em to sleep.
We done lost our connection, lost our edge.
And what do I get from y'all? Nothing.
I gotta make the decision.
I'm-a put Jerry on.
(overlapping arguing)
- No, no, no. - You can't do that.
- WILLIE: We put him on next week. - (overlapping arguing)
WILLIE: You hard of hearing? I'm putting him on.
We got to shake it up. And plus, he's a great witness.
You said it yourself. He's a good witness, he's honest, he's-he's-he's,
he's a family man,
he's-he's a war hero.
To civil-civil rights.
Everything he did for Black folk?
We put him in front of that jury, he gonna play 'em.
MIKE: It is much too soon to put Jerry on the stand.
It's much too early in the trial. We don't have all the information yet.
It ain't never too soon with me, Mike.
- It's never too soon with me. - HAL: Willie.
We know nothing about Mame yet.
We've only seen her interview, what, technical witnesses?
We know nothing about her real cross-examination style.
Nor know how actually dangerous she is.
WILLIE: Y'all don't know y'all ass from a hole in the ground.
Now I made the decision.
You can either get on board or you can get the fuck out.
♪ ♪
WILLIE: Let's talk about some of your values.
Because, if I'm not mistaken, Jerry, you an eight-time decorated hero.
You got the Air Medal, the Navy Medal.
You got the, you got the Flying Cross.
And you did all of that in the sacrifice for your country.
Well, I don't think war's anything to be celebrated.
But I did serve my country and quite proudly.
Hmm. Thank you for your service.
But you didn't stop there. You came back to your county,
you took over the family business,
and then, uh, you did what I call
you jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire, man.
You wanted to be in politics, didn't you?
You ran for mayor in your home town in Biloxi.
I ran twice and served two terms as mayor,
from 1974 until 1982.
And I understand, in one of those terms,
that a very friendly group of people came to visit you.
The Ku Klux Klan.
Objection, Your Honor.
What is the relevance to this line of questioning?
- Overruled, Ms. Downes. - MAME: We are in a case about contracts,
Your Honor.
You may answer that question.
I denied them a permit to demonstrate in Biloxi.
You told the Ku Klux Klan
in Biloxi, Mississippi, "No."
Now, flying warplanes is one thing,
but to tell the Klan "no" at that time, that's a different type of bravery.
Jerry, I've gotten an opportunity to know you.
You and your family.
But these good folks here have not.
I just want to ask you, what are your values?
What is important to you?
Mr. O'Keefe.
Good day. How are you?
JEREMIAH: I'm doing well, thank you.
You are? Good.
(pages rustling)
Uh...
having just listened to the testimony you gave,
I think it's fair to say that the real, material substance
centered on character. Would you agree?
Yes. I-I agree.
I couldn't hear that. Can you speak up?
I said yes, ma'am, I agree.
MAME: Okay, character.
Let's talk about character.
The overall insinuation being made is that,
while you are a man of honor,
of strong moral principles,
according to you, my client is not.
I think Mr. Loewen and I have very different approaches to--
as to how to deal with people in business.
Ah. "In business."
Yes. Right, okay.
Something I'm curious about...
How did you end up needing to sell those funeral homes to Mr. Loewen?
Well, I had run into a little bit of financial trouble.
What kind of financial trouble?
Huh?
Because I'm, uh, pretty sure
the actual reason you so desperately needed to sell at the time that you did
is because the Mississippi state insurance commission
was about to revoke your license.
Is that correct?
As a matter of fact, your license
to sell insurance in the state of Mississippi
is currently under suspension.
Can we agree that that is a true statement,
- Mr. O'Keefe? - JEREMIAH: No, we cannot.
Because it's a lot more complicated than that.
Enlighten me. How is it more complicated?
Was your license suspended
- or was it not? - Objection, Your Honor,
- on the simple fact that she's just angry. - Overruled.
- MAME: It's a yes or no question. - We already knew
- that he was in financial trouble. - MAME: He said "overruled."
Overruled.
MAME: Well, the real truth here is that
you lost your license
because you got involved in some shady savings and loans business deal
with a man that, if I'm-I'm not mistaken,
is currently in jail right now.
- WILLIE: Your Honor, objection. - MAME: Can I ask you something?
WILLIE: This is not on trial here today.
- GRAVES: Overruled. - MAME: Was the money that you used
to finance this deal, was that money yours?
I was responsible for that money.
You used other people's money.
Actually, you used your clients' money
to finance your involvement in said "business deal"
with a now-convicted felon.
- Am I correct? - WILLIE: Objection, Your Honor.
Am I correct, Mr. O'Keefe?
- WILLIE: This has nothing to do with this case. -Overruled.
- Am I correct, Mr. O'Keefe? - That's not how I would characterize
- this at all. - MAME: I mean, is it possible
that this entire case
stems from jealousy?
WILLIE: Objection, Your Honor. We're talking about emotions?
- Jealousy? - MAME: I mean,
- Mr. O'Keefe... - GRAVES: Overruled.
...you said yourself that you and Mr. Loewen have
very different ways of doing business,
and that might be the truest statement you've said all day long,
because, like you,
Mr. Loewen inherited a business from his father.
However, unlike you, he was able to build
that business into a multimillion-dollar empire.
Meanwhile, what has become of your father's legacy?
(door closes)
♪ ♪
Jerry! Hold up, now!
Jerry! Wait up, will you?
Jerry.
What in the hell was that?
What you talking about?
I-I don't understand. You angry with me?
Am I angry with you?
You were supposed to protect me up there.
Supposed to make sure I was safe
under cross-examination and all that shit.
That ain't my fault. I didn't know she was gonna ask you all that.
It's your job to know what she's gonna ask me.
You didn't tell me all this shit.
You told me about the-the savings and loan, you told me about the money,
but you didn't tell me nothing about him going to jail.
When I made the deal with him,
he was not a felon.
I had every reason to believe that
- that was a good, solid deal. - I understand.
But I can't read your mind. That's not my fault.
Of course it is. Since the first day I hired you,
you have been trying to turn this case
into your own, personal one-ring circus.
I've done everything I can to try to save your ass.
I put every dime I have into this deal,
- and you're still fucking around. - I understand. I'm not fucking around.
Listen, that ain't fair. That's not fair, Jerry.
You don't have anything on the line here, Willie.
When this case is over, win, lose or draw,
you're gonna get in your airplane and fly away.
I'm gonna be here. I got plenty on the line.
I got my damn life on the line,
and I don't know how much of that's left.
I know that, Jerry.
I'm making a decision.
A decision for what, Jerry?
I'm gonna replace you as lead attorney.
For Mike?
That's what you're doing? Huh?
I'm telling you right now, Jerry,
that's a huge mistake!
(cart wheels rattling)
♪ ♪
Shit.
Hey.
Hey, baby.
What you doing?
GLORIA: Just doing a little bit of reading.
You-you sound a little down, baby.
Is everything okay?
No, I'm, uh, I'm, uh, I'm good. I'm good. Uh...
- Okay. - No, no.
- Well... - No, I, uh...
- I got replaced. - What?
I said, I got replaced.
- They replaced me. - No.
What?
- Yeah, Jerry... - Replaced you?
Baby, what does that mean?
It means that, uh, they want...
they want somebody else to be lead counsel and so, uh...
...so they replaced me.
- Uh... - Honey, really?
But wait. I don't understand.
Why would he do that?
Why?
I, uh...
I screwed up. Screwed up.
I screwed up.
I screwed up by, uh...
I put Jerry on the stand and I-I didn't have him prepared enough,
and when they, uh, did the cross-examination, they, uh...
...they annihilated him.
They, uh... It was bad.
It's got me upset. I'm upset.
The-the reason that I'm upset is because I...
Seeing... seeing Jerry so upset,
it-it's got me upset, so I'm just...
- I see. - I'm upset about it.
You sound like you really care about this man.
Jerry?
- Yeah. - Yeah.
Yeah, I care. Jerry's a cool guy.
(sighs)
(entry bell jingles)
Hi. Pardon me.
Are you, by any chance, Mrs. Lorraine McGrath?
Well...
well, yes, but I...
I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, I...
It's just I was kind of expecting a lawyer.
Yeah, I am a lawyer.
I'm the guy you spoke with on the phone, Hal Dockins?
Oh.
I'm so sorry. Uh...
I hope I didn't offend you.
It just... uh, well, to be honest, you look very young.
- WAITRESS: Here y'all go. - LORRAINE: Thank you.
I worked at a Loewen-owned funeral home for 13 years.
(quietly): Just... in all that time,
I saw a lot, you know,
about how that company operates.
Before we go any further,
I just have to ask you:
would you be willing to testify?
MIKE: Mrs. McGrath, hi.
How you doing this afternoon?
Um, very well, thank you.
MIKE: That's fine. That's just fine.
Mrs. McGrath, would you mind telling us
how long you worked as an employee
for the Durbin and Sons Funeral Home in Southaven, Mississippi?
LORRAINE: Um, I worked at that funeral home
for about 13 years before I quit.
MIKE: Mm-hmm.
And did you witness any transfer of ownership during this time period?
LORRAINE: Um...
(clears throat)
Uh, uh, Durbin and Sons was bought by the Loewen Group
sometime around 1990.
And I was there during that time.
And did you notice any changes
in the way the company was run
after the Loewen Group took over?
Uh, the most significant was, uh,
how they implemented this,
this policy of-of raising prices on certain items
in areas where they, uh, didn't have any, any competition.
Mostly, this turned out to be, um,
poor areas, where there was a lot of-of poverty.
Could you give us an example of this type of selective pricing?
There was this one, uh, casket in particular I remember.
The, um, the Wilbert Copper Trubune.
It, uh, was supposed to retail for $750.
Uh, which it did in-in some places,
like, say, Madison.
Uh, but then in other places, like Corinth,
which, as you know, is-is very poor...
Yes, of course.
Over there, they hiked the price up to something crazy.
Like three times what it was supposed to cost.
Just because they could.
They knew customers didn't have anywhere else to go.
So, basically,
if I understand you,
the Loewen Group was involved in a form of selective price gouging.
Of what?
Objection. Your Honor, how could the witness possibly know
the intentions of people she's never even met before?
Sustained.
All right, then.
Let me ask you this.
In your time at Durbin and Sons, were you ever left
with the impression that the Loewen Group
might have been specifically targeting
- minority communities... - MAME: Objection.
- Your Honor. - Wow! Really?
- My God. - MAME: Speculation.
Mr. Allred, what is the basis for this line of questioning?
Mr. Allred?
You know what?
I apologize.
No basis. It was just speculation, is all.
Please, consider it stricken.
But Your Honor, I do take exception to Ms. Downes' tone.
- You've got to be kidding. - My tone?
- GRAVES: Noted. - Her tone.
- MAME: Oh, yeah. - MIKE: Thank you, Mrs. McGrath.
No further questions.
MAME: It was noted, all right.
♪ ♪
Morning, Jerry.
Willie, how are you?
(sucks teeth)
I guess you're still mad at me, huh?
It was a very bad day. Why don't we just leave it at that?
All right, here we go.
Look, I-I messed up in there.
Okay? I-I did the wrong thing and I, and I blew it
and, uh, I just want to say I'm sorry, and I...
I apologize.
Very well.
Apology accepted.
Good. We got that over.
Is this the first time you ever apologized to somebody like that?
Mm.
Huh. Be honest with you, my wife, uh,
- she helped me with the phrasing. - Mm-hmm.
Well, she did a very nice job. I want you to thank her for me.
All right.
(siren wails in distance)
And you know what I can't stand about that man?
What?
(overlapping chatter)
- His face. - (laughter)
(laughter)
I know what you mean. It's, uh...
You know what I'm talking about.
...in the expression.
- Mm-hmm. - RICHARD: No,
it's generation upon generation of white entitlement
and privilege all encapsulated in one, single,
simpering grin.
(laughter)
But him with that woman on stand today,
posturing and pretending like
he's some sort of savior for our people... Ooh!
- (laughs) - RICHARD: Unfortunately,
the jury did seem to eat it up.
(sighs) Yeah. That is a problem, isn't it?
Didn't I see his name
on the witness list at some point?
WALTER: Supposedly, Gary was planning on
calling him a...
Calling him as a material witness to the agreement between O'Keefe and Loewen.
Which means I will have him on cross.
Which means you're gonna have him on cross.
(printer whirring)
PETER: Hey, have any of you guys read about this deal
that the Loewen Group made with something called
the "National Baptist Convention"?
The National Baptist Convention?
What... What is that?
It's like, um, you know, like...
an arm of the Black church.
But a really big one.
Probably the biggest, actually.
Sorry, did you-- did you just say
that the Loewen Group has a deal with the Black church?
The, uh, National Baptist Convention. But yeah.
Yeah, how? How does that make any sense?
I don't know.
But it's all right here.
Apparently, they created some sort of partnership
about a year ago.
Hard to say why, though.
Okay, can you get me some more information about this?
PETER: Yes, sir.
GRAVES: Are the plaintiffs ready to call their next witness?
REGGIE: Yes. Actually, Your Honor, we'd like to call
Mr. O'Keefe's longtime attorney, Michael Allred, to the stand.
MAME: Your Honor.
Seriously?
Where are you going with this, Mr. Douglas?
Your Honor, we-we recognize how this might seem a little unusual.
However, Mr. Allred was with Mr. O'Keefe,
as his attorney, the entire time he was dealing with Loewen.
And, uh, we feel like his-his testimony will be essential.
REGGIE: Michael Allred.
Oh, hell, we friends. I'm-a call you Mike.
- You bet, Reggie. - (chuckles)
So, Mike,
in your 30 years of practicing law,
specializing in contract law,
did it ever occur to you, when you were drawing up the contract
between Mr. O'Keefe and Mr. Loewen, that there could be
any kind of misunderstanding as to what that document actually was?
MIKE: No, sir.
It was extremely clear to everyone exactly what it was.
It was a contract.
Contract. It's a contract.
Now, was there anything that suggested, in the language,
that the, uh, agreed-upon time for the deal to close
would be... open-ended?
How's it feel to be sitting in that chair?
- It's a little uncomfortable, yeah. - MAME: Mm.
Imagine, we haven't even gotten started yet.
You've been Mr. O'Keefe's attorney quite some time now, yes?
MIKE: I have.
For 30 years-- nearly 30 years.
MAME: Mm.
And would you say you and Mr. O'Keefe are good friends?
- Sure. He's one of my closest friends. - Hmm.
Yeah, we share a lot in common.
I admire him.
Mr. Allred, would you say this is a case about race?
- (quietly): Objection. Objection. - Objection.
Overruled.
Would I say this is a case about race?
No, I would not say this is a case about race.
(exhales)
Really?
Okay, well, the subject of race does seem to keep coming up, doesn't it?
Almost exclusively from your side.
Uh, for instance, this whole heroic narrative
about, uh, Mr. O'Keefe supposedly having some sort of civil rights record
and denying the KKK a permit...
Uh, explain to me what relevance that has to a case about contracts.
Uh, about Jerry's character.
It's more about his integrity
- and his decency. - MAME: 'Cause he does
such great things for Black people, huh?
- Object-Objection. - REGGIE: Objection, Your Honor.
- WILLIE: Stand up. - Objection. I'm not standing up.
- I said "objection." - GRAVES: I will not allow
this line of questioning, Ms. Downes.
- Sustained. - REGGIE: I'm-I'm objecting.
MAME: Another thing that has been made quite clear in this case is
how important family, family legacy,
is to Mr. O'Keefe.
Is that something you share?
Family important to you as well?
Well, it's not just important to me, it's everything to me.
It's everything. Well, that's something you and Mr. O'Keefe have in common.
- Objection. - Objection, Your Honor.
- (arguing over each other) - MAME: Because you're best friends, yeah?
GRAVES: Overruled. The witness can answer the question,
but let's try and get to the point.
Absolutely, it's something that we share in common.
I-Is this really what you want to be asking me, Ms. Downes?
It is.
Actually.
But thank you.
You love your family.
Yeah?
Your extended family, your immediate family--
you love all of your family, yes?
Every member of my family.
MAME: Yeah?
So, there-there's no one that you secretly wish you could disown?
- MAME: Someone that you're maybe - Objection, Your Honor.
- a little ashamed... - It doesn't matter what he feels.
- MIKE: Disown? - She doesn't know what...
'Cause I know I have some family members I would love to disown.
- But you don't. - REGGIE: I'm-a take care of this.
- MIKE: No. - No? You don't.
No.
Say, for instance, your grandfather.
- My grandfather. - MAME: Yes.
Your grandfather.
He was my grandfather. What does that have to do with this case?
Remind me:
how long was your grandfather a member of the Ku Klux Klan?
(gallery murmuring)
- Objection. Objection. - Objection. Objection.
- Objection. - (gavel pounding)
- We gonna stop this right now. - WILLIE: Your Honor, I am gonna continue
- to say "objection." - This is wrong.
- Objection. - (gavel pounding)
Objection. Objection.
- Did you bond with your grandfather - (Willie continues)
about the KKK?
- Did you share some bond? - What is the question?
- Did you share some love
about the burning cross?
You go to any, uh, KKK rallies with your grandfather,
- Mr. Allred? - WILLIE: Now, you know
this is out of line, it has nothing to do with this case.
Objection.
- Overruled, Mr. Gary. - How can you overrule that?
Answer the question, Mr. Allred.
With all due respect, Your Honor, this has nothing to do with the case.
- Answer the question. - What's the question?
Are you asking me was I aware that my grandfather was once a member of the KKK?
Mike, you don't have to answer that question.
Objection.
I heard you the first time, Mr. Gary.
Yes, I was asking that question.
I am no longer asking that question.
- No further questions. - (gavel pounds)
- WILLIE: What his grandfather has done... - MIKE: You know, lawyer to lawyer,
that was completely out of line, Ms. Downes.
Oh, the hypocrisy.
The hypocrisy.
- It's quite outrageous, Your Honor. - (whispering)
REGGIE: Room full of brothers right now.
- Denounce your granddaddy. - CHRIS: Yeah.
Say it, Mike. Say it.
Go on. It's easy.
- Come on, Mike. Denounce him. - Yeah.
You know what?
I'm sorry.
All right?
I'm sorry.
Her behavior was unconscionable.
You cannot hold someone responsible
for the mistakes of their ancestors.
Mike, your granddaddy is a racist,
land-stealing, slave-raping
- piece of shit. -Oh, come on now, Reggie Douglas, that's not right!
That's not right. He's still my granddaddy.
- I wouldn't say that about... - Don't you bring...
- Hey, hey, hey, hey! - Don't you bring up on me!
- Hey, hey, hey, hey. - Stop all this.
Stop it right now. Stop it.
Reg, you stop. All of y'all.
Mike, we not fixin' to crucify you...
about what happened in the past.
He can't fix his grandfather or anything else.
But you know what we can fix?
This case.
REGGIE: Hold on.
Hold on, man.
So you-you fixin' to give him a pass?
- That was this is? - I'm-a give him a pass
because you didn't know enough about his past
and that's why you got your ass kicked.
- Fuck this case, man. - I think we can win.
No, man, I'm going back to Florida. Nah.
- Doing exactly what we should've did in the beginning. -Come on, man.
WILLIE: I got a question for you, Reggie:
What's taking you so long to get out the door?
REGGIE: Wow.
- Willie... - You don't have to tell me twice.
Have fun with these white folks.
- Reg. - Hey, Reggie.
Reg!
You want to go, too?
You know what?
I'm out.
I'm tired of this shit.
AL: I'm out, too.
I miss home, anyway.
Willie, I'm gettin' too old for this shit, man.
Mike, I'm sorry.
I'm truly, truly sorry.
Me, too.
MIKE: Can't have this.
Have what?
We got a case.
To win.
I should probably...
- I should probably recuse myself. - Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
- Mike, no, you can't do that. - Yeah, I probably should.
- No, Mike, you can't do that. - I should, shouldn't I?
Now, we got a long way to go, but we can win this case.
MIKE: If I even dare to step foot in that courtroom again,
the jury's never gonna see me,
they're just gonna see a guy with a sheet on his head.
Listen, listen. We dug a hole.
We dug a hole, but we can dig out of it.
I'm sorry, Willie, I can't do it, 'cause we both know if I stay on,
my presence is just gonna hurt the case more,
and I can't do that to you and I sure can't do that to Jerry.
Mm-hmm.
MIKE: All right.
We'll have to win it without you.
You're gonna.
Halbert. Be good.
(siren wails in distance)
♪ ♪
Well, there you are. I've been looking for you.
(sighs)
This trial's not going the way I wanted it to.
I feel like I made a bad mistake.
And I ought to be cutting my losses.
I thought justice was blind.
That I could hold Ray Loewen to his word in a court of law.
Make him pay. But hell, I was the one turned out blind.
I am sorry for putting you through all this.
You don't need to say sorry, Jeremiah.
Not to me, anyway.
I know who you are.
- Have you told Willie yet? - No.
I think he goes home to Florida on the weekends.
Feel like I ought to tell him in person.
I think that would be the right thing to do.
Hey, sorry. Um...
- Wait, what's-what's in this one again? - Um...
It's that info you requested on Loewen's deal with the National Baptist Convention.
Actually, would you mind leaving that one here with me?
PETER: Really think it's over, boss?
I don't think there's any way we can win this case,
and my guess is, Jerry's starting to see it that way as well, so...
(seabirds screeching)
(doorbell rings)
You-you must be Mrs. Gary.
- Yes. - I hope you'll forgive me
for just showing up like this, but, uh,
I'm Jeremiah O'Keefe.
Oh!
- You mean Jerry. - Yes, ma'am.
The Jerry that my husband keeps going on about!
(chuckles) Uh, is Willie home, by the way?
Oh, no, I'm afraid he's not.
He's over at his mother's in Indiantown, where he usually goes on Saturdays.
(quietly): Okay.
Hey, I tell you what. You give me a minute
to grab my car keys.
- I'll drive you there myself. - Oh, no, please, no.
I-I don't want to impose.
Jerry, absolutely not.
You family now.
- (laughs) - Come on, now.
("Just for a Thrill" by Peggy Lee playing)
Just entering Indiantown now.
This where Willie's from?
Where we're both from.
Willie and I have had our differences.
I want you to know I think he's a remarkable man.
(children shouting, laughing)
- ...upside-down on a ledge. - Right. Exactly.
(laughter)
- No. - (laughter)
I'm a mess.
- (laughing) -WILLIE: Know what I'm saying? Everybody's going to Dallas.
Ah... (laughing)
- Oh, my. - MAMMA GARY: Oh, my goodness.
Hmm.
Willie ever tell you he's one of 11 siblings?
- (smacks lips) - Mm-hmm.
- Surely. - Number six out of 11.
Well, believe it or not, I have 13 children of my own.
- GLORIA: Oh, my God. - Do you now?
I do.
I say.
- Ooh. - (laughing)
Y'all have 26 kids between you.
Well, then you know,
there's always that one baby
that, no matter what you do,
is always clinging to you for dear life.
Wrapped around the bottom of your leg,
and can't let go.
- Oh, man. - (laughing)
MAMMA GARY: That's my Willie.
And look at where all that longing
and desperation for love
has gotten him now.
JEREMIAH: My grandfather was a sharecropper.
WILLIE: Uh-huh.
JEREMIAH: My paternal grandfather.
- Mm-hmm. - My namesake.
I was eight years old,
out there in them sugarcane fields, you know?
Working.
Me.
(train horn blowing)
4:30 in the morning, she'd wake me up, man, get me out here.
I wasn't no taller than this grass, man.
That's how it all got started, out there in the sugarcane.
JEREMIAH: Reason I came all the way out here, Willie, is 'cause I...
Look, listen, listen, listen, listen.
'Fore you even get there. I know.
You want to drop the case.
I know it's got to be a disappointment.
But if there was any way that I thought...
Look, look, listen, listen, Jerry.
You-you... you don't understand, doc.
Look...
Now, I know you got to do what you got to do.
But at the same time,
you just got to know that I know,
down deep in my heart, that me and you together, we could've did it.
We could've took that company down, man.
I just hope you know how much I've enjoyed getting to know you.
This one didn't roll our way.
But getting to know you...
was a... highlight.
(phone ringing)
What-What's that noise?
- Listen... - (ringing continues)
Man...
Hold on a second.
Hey.
HAL (breaking up): Hello? Hey.
Hal?
- HAL: Hello? Can you hear-- - Hal, I can barely hear you.
Hey, are-are you with Jerry right now?
WILLIE: Yeah. Yeah.
- Good. Yes. Okay. - Yes, I am.
Do not let him drop the case.
Hello?
Hal, can you hear me?
- It's a bad connection. - I said, do not let him drop the case.
Just-just trust me, okay?
I... I may have found something.
WILLIE: Okay. Good, I'll call you.
(chuckles)
♪ ♪
HAL: Thank you all for taking the time
to speak with us, Mr. Soames.
Everyone.
What can you tell us about the deal
that the Loewen Group made with the National Baptist Convention?
Well, nothing good ever come out of it.
At least not for Black folks. That's the truth.
'Bout a year back,
the Loewen Group connected with some of the top leadership
of the NBC.
- National Baptist Convention? - RUBEN: Yes, sir.
One of the largest single branches of the Black church.
They represent over 33,000 churches
and more than eight million members.
Anyway, they made a proposal to the NBC,
told 'em that if they could convince the Black church
to endorse the Loewen Group as their death care provider of choice,
then they'd turn some of its members into salesmen.
Like, uh, teach 'em how to sell everything
from graves to crypts to headstones
and, uh, burial insurance straight to their own people.
And for every product they sold,
- they could keep the commission. - WILLIE: Hmm.
Wait a minute now, so the Loewen Group
was taking poor Black people, having them sell their funeral products
to other poor Black people for a commission.
Course, they said it was all win-win.
Help people out of poverty,
boost economic empowerment.
But it never did much for anybody.
Except the Loewen Group, of course.
Yeah.
MATTIE: They was just trying to find another way
to exploit Black folks
in their most vulnerable moments.
♪ ♪
You know what this right here is?
Not sure.
What it is, is a cemetery.
Now, you can't tell from looking at it
on account of the fact that there's no headstones.
Why's that?
RUBEN: That's 'cause it's a different kind of cemetery.
It's an old slave burial ground.
Everybody knows slaves didn't have no money of their own
to ever bury their loved ones with a headstone.
Though you can't really tell by looking at it...
...our entire history,
history of Black people in the South,
history of Black people in America...
(sighs) ...of our slave ancestors, it's,
it's all buried everywhere out here.
Deep underground.
Pretty much everywhere you look, that's where our history is.
In these vast, empty fields.
In some places, they put up all these statues.
You know, like all these Confederate monuments
and statues you see everywhere.
All the lot of 'em is put up right on top of a slave burial field.
Mm-hmm.
It's like taking one history
and putting it right on top of another.
It's like taking one man's legacy,
putting it on top of another.
Till, one day, it gets pushed down so deep
buried so deep...
...can't no one ever find it no more.
WOMAN: Some of the members came to me
and told me that
the actual cost of burying my father
was gonna be much more than what they said when I bought the policy.
When I told them that I didn't have the extra money,
and I didn't know how long it would take me to get it,
they happily said they'd keep the body on ice.
Rather than give me any comfort,
the deacon assigned to be counselor
used it as an opportunity to shove a bunch of brochures in my face
and try and recruit me as a Loewen sales rep.
Then, suddenly, this man from the NBC shows up,
asking if I've made funeral arrangements and...
if I'd be interested in a Loewen burial package.
He said I'd get a much better deal if I paid upfront.
Before my son died.
Once my husband finally passed,
that's when they said that the package that I bought
didn't cover the cost of embalming or moving the body.
The coffin I bought for my mom
was the least expensive one.
Come to find out
the one they sold me was three times more than average.
Your own preacher come to you, telling you you need something,
and you religious, you believe it.
WILLIE: Now, I understand that you are
one of the analysts for the Loewen Group.
You deal with some of the high-level deals.
Is that correct?
- Yes, that's correct. - WILLIE: Mm-hmm.
Also that you were, uh,
one of the architects of this latest deal
that you had between the Loewen Group
and the National Baptist Convention.
- Is that right? - Yes, I was.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You Baptist?
- No, not Baptist. - No.
- Christian, though, right? - Yes.
Yeah, yeah. We all Christian, right?
We all believe in God. Amen?
Amen.
(Willie exhales)
Here's the question, though.
How much money did the Loewen Group
project to make from this deal
of them and the NBC?
And remember...
you're under oath.
Uh, our original long-term projections for that deal were somewhere around
1... maybe $1.2 billion.
$1.2 million?
- $1.2 billion. - $1.2...
$1.2 billion?
$1.2 billion, that's-that's good money.
That's good money for the Loewen Group, correct?
- Yes. - That's good money.
That's good money. $1.2 billion.
I thought you said "million," but you said "billion dollars."
Uh...
How much did you pay 'em?
I'm sorry?
I said, how much did you pay 'em?
How much did the Loewen Group
pay the National Baptist Convention
as compensation as a result of the deal?
I believe we made about a $200,000 donation.
The jury heard it.
We didn't have a defense for it.
Oh, what a fucking mess.
I'm gonna have to call Loewen.
♪ ♪
RAY: Dealing with people honestly
is something that's always been important to us.
Do we seek to be tough competitors
in an increasingly volatile market?
Yes.
But we don't cheat people.
- That's not how we operate. - MAME: Mm.
No further questions, Your Honor.
- Your witness, Mr. Gary. - WILLIE: All right.
Mr. Loewen, how you doing?
- I'm very well, thank you, Mr. Gary. - You look good in that suit, doc.
That's that Armani, I can tell that
- a mile away. - (chuckles)
Listen, I just want to thank you for coming down here.
I know you're really busy,
and we appreciate it, but it's good to have the big man here.
Because, um, you know, we want to shine some light on some of these dark places.
And, uh, I'll just start right off with it.
I want to know, from your perspective...
(clears throat)
...what was the deal that you had between you and Mr. O'Keefe?
I believe it was roughly a year ago
when we received an enquiry
from a representative of Mr. O'Keefe's.
In fact,
I'm pretty sure it was his lawyer, Mr. Allred, who contacted us.
My understanding is
they were very anxious to sell.
So we started looking into the deal.
Sussing it out.
Trying to determine if it was something
that would be a good fit for our business.
Sometime after that, I invited Mr. O'Keefe and his associates
up to Vancouver.
If I recall, they came for dinner,
at my boat, and we discussed things.
After that, uh, hard to say.
Normally, at that stage, I turn things over to my acquisitions team.
Well, that's pleasant.
I mean, that really is.
And... (clears throat)
...lucky for you,
uh, Mr. Loewen, I don't have a lot of follow-up questions.
I just have, uh, one thing I want to ask you. Uh...
What kind of boat?
Come again?
Oh, I said: "What kind of boat?"
You-you said earlier that you guys were all on the boat together,
and y'all was eating and having a good time,
having the best fish,
and I just wanted to know, what kind of boat is it?
I don't understand.
Are you asking about the particular make, or...
Matter of fact, I was asking...
Can I read from this? It says, "Nine sunning decks."
Mm. "Six elegant staterooms."
- Uh... - Objection, Your Honor.
- What is the relevance... - "Five luxury guest cabins."
- ...of the witnesses' boat? - Overruled.
Your Honor, can I just read what the boat is?
- Overruled, Ms. Downes. - It's a nice boat.
- Overruled. - I just want to recognize
and let everybody see that it's a very nice boat.
You got, uh, helicopter, helicopter pad.
You can land a helicopter
- on that thing, huh? - Mm-hmm.
That's something else right there.
That's high grass.
How much did, uh, how much did this boat of yours cost?
I really don't know.
I think we're...
You're not understanding the question.
I'm... Let me frame it again so you can understand it better.
I'm asking you
how much did you pay
for your boat?
I don't know.
- MAME: Objection. -RAY: I don't know. - Can I ask...
- MAME: Asked and answered. - You know what? Forget about that.
Let me ask you this:
How much you pay for your plane? Huh?
Since you can remember some things and you forget other things,
how much you pay for your plane?
How much did you pay for your plane, Mr. Gary?
I saw it on the runway.
Oh. You know what?
We could talk about how much I paid for my plane,
'cause I know exactly how much it was,
but we not talking about my plane right now.
We talking about your boat.
So, let me ask one more time,
so everybody can hear and understand what I'm saying
to Mr. Loewen, the billionaire
who doesn't know the price of his own boat
that he had dinner on with his colleagues.
I want to ask you again: how much did you pay
for your boat?
I don't know.
I think he's not hearing what I'm saying.
I'm gonna ask you one more time, Mr. Loewen.
How much did your boat cost?
What is your point?
What's my point?
What is my point?
While you were sitting there sunning on that $25 million boat,
eating your $30 a head lobster,
did it ever bother you that it was all being paid for
by all the poor people and destitute people
that your company was systematically taking advantage of
and profiting from every single day?
- MAME: Objection! Counsel is testifying. - Huh? Not only that,
they were taking advantage of 'em at their worst time,
when they're downtrodden, when they lost somebody,
when they're mourning somebody.
And now, who has to pay for it?
The small businessman like Jeremiah O'Keefe.
The small businessman in this country,
who worked so hard to pay for everything
and stay on top and keep afloat
while these greedy corporations
do everything they can and...
Objection, Your Honor!
I think I've had quite enough of this.
Sit your ass down!
- (gavel pounding) - You sit your ass down
until I finish what I'm saying, because I'm not done.
- I'm not done with my question by a long shot. -Mr. Gary!
Language of that nature will not be tolerated in my court.
Mr. Loewen, you may not leave the witness stand
unless you're excused by me.
Do you understand?
You may continue, Mr. Gary,
but I warn you to tread lightly.
I just want to know one thing.
Did it ever bother you at all?
No.
(gallery murmuring quietly)
- (lightly slaps stand) - That's all I need.
(murmuring increases)
You're dismissed.
RAY: Motherfucker!
What was that? What was that?!
I was skewered out there!
Well, Sister Souljah, what you got for me?
Well, came to let you know we've come to a decision.
Mm. We have? And what have we decided?
Well, in light of recent events,
it does feel that it would be best for all parties involved...
- Oh. - ...to reopen a settlement discussion.
In other words, we are...
we are prepared to make your client
- a very generous offer. - (chuckling)
I know that's hard for you to, uh, get out, but how generous are we talking?
I mean, work with me, Willie. It's not gonna be $100 million.
Work with you? What are you talking about?
I mean, needless to say,
- it's gonna be in the range in which neither Jerry... -Uh-huh.
...nor his kids nor his grandkids would ever
- have to worry about anything again. - Okay.
- That sound good. That sound good. - Yes.
I'll tell you what.
Why don't we meet in your room in a couple hours?
And make sure you get your best negotiator. You know why?
Your ass gonna need it.
NEGOTIATOR: Generally, damages in tort are awarded
simply to restore the plaintiff back to the position
he or she was in before tort occurred.
However, given how protracted this whole matter has become,
we believe that it is in all our best interests
just to resolve this once and for all.
We'd like to make you what we consider
a very generous offer.
Obviously, should you decide not to take it,
we can all go back into court tomorrow.
You can roll the dice with the jury.
But, frankly, uh, the chances that you will win
or come anywhere close to this number,
is a risk I doubt you want to take.
Okay.
Here's our offer.
The answer's no.
MAME: Are you serious?
He's serious?
JEREMIAH: I said the answer's no.
RAY: You mean to tell me you are really going to turn that down?
You sure you don't maybe want a little more time to think it over?
- JEREMIAH: I've thought it over enough. - RAY: Have you?
I think we both know that's more money than you'll ever see in your lifetime.
We gonna get down to business or y'all gonna keep wasting our time?
- (Ray sighs) - The man said no.
Hmm?
(Ray clears throat)
- (whispering) - Mm. Okay.
- You sure? - Yes.
(pen scratching)
- MAME: Best and final. - WILLIE: Mm-hmm.
(soft grunt)
Answer's still no.
(coughs)
Well, this is just fucking unbelievable.
What the hell's your problem, O'Keefe?
You can't honestly tell me that is not enough.
It's more than enough for me.
It's just not enough for you.
For me?
As in enough to put you out of business.
Ah. (scoffs)
Come on.
Let me tell you something, pal.
The amount of money it would take to put me out of business--
the real, actual amount--
is a number you can't even calculate.
Take the money, Jerry.
You're 80 years old.
- Seventy-five. - Can you please talk to your client?
WILLIE: Talk to him about what?
- About the fact he just turned down... - Oh, he said no.
Last I checked, "no" means "no," right?
RAY: What does it feel like
to be some small-time, nobody funeral director
on the verge of bankruptcy
who just passed on his one and only chance
at $75 million?
- What's it feel like? - RAY: Mm.
(rhythmic tapping)
♪ It feels good ♪
- (laughing) - ♪ Feels good ♪
BOTH: ♪ Feels good ♪
WILLIE: Yeah. (grunting in rhythm)
♪ Feels good ♪
("Feels Good" playing) ♪ It feels good ♪
- Yeah. That's it. - ♪ Yeah ♪
He said no. We see you all in court tomorrow.
Okay, you can leave now. Thank you.
MAME: I mean, it's... it's a circus.
- ♪ Oh, it feels good ♪ - JEREMIAH: ♪ Feels good ♪
- (Willie laughing) - ♪ Feels good, feels good ♪
- ♪ Feels good ♪ - WILLIE: ♪ It feels good, hey ♪
(doorbell rings)
(fading): ♪ It sure feels good to me. ♪
(laughing)
Surprise.
Guess who it is?
- What you doing? - I thought you could use some company.
- Oh, baby. - Missed you so much.
("I Like" by Guy playing) ♪ You do to me, you know I like it ♪
- Go on over there. Now, go on over there. - ♪ I like ♪
- ♪ Don't stop now ♪ - Yeah, that's right. -That's how we do it.
- That's right. - ♪ I like ♪
- Ah. Mm. - ♪ Ooh ♪
I'm gonna come on past you now.
- Come on past you now. - ♪ Hey ♪
- That's right now. - Oil the engine up. Oil the engine up.
- Hey. - ♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪
- Ah. - ♪ I like ♪
Ah. Ooh! That's all mine.
WILLIE: Closing arguments tomorrow.
GLORIA: You think I don't know that?
Done a lot of big cases, but...
...this particular one is...
Lot of people's lives in my hand. And...
I think I kind of feel that a little bit, you know.
Especially...
especially when it comes to Jerry.
(sighs)
So...
I don't want to lose.
I mean, I don't...
I-I think...
...what if I don't win
and...
...I let all these people down?
Well...
you're not going to let them down.
So you don't need to worry.
(sighs)
You know that for a fact, Miss Gloria?
I don't know it for a fact.
- I know you for a fact. - Mm.
I know the man I married.
Yeah, baby.
(gasps) Oh, but...
One suggestion, though, baby?
Yeah? What's that?
When you're up there in court tomorrow,
- doing your thing... - Doing my thing.
...just...
try not to refer to yourself in the third person.
Okay.
- (laughs) - What, um... (clears throat)
What you, what you talking about, Gloria?
(smacks lips) I don't, I don't do that.
- Yeah, you do. - Go on.
- Nah, I... - Just a little.
I don't think I do that.
I don't.
"Girl, get ready. Willie Gary coming upstairs now!"
- (laughing) - Trust me.
You do.
I... I guess Willie Gary does do that every once in a while.
(bell tolling)
(shoes scuff on floor)
(pacing footsteps)
WILLIE: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury...
...I just have one small question to ask.
Do y'all mind if I keep things simple? Hmm?
Just plain and ordinary talk.
(clock ticking quietly)
GRAVES: Has the jury reached a verdict?
After careful consideration,
we the jury in case number 9661,
of the Hinds County District Court,
Mr. Jeremiah J. O'Keefe v. the Loewen Group, LLC,
have decided to side in favor of
- the plaintiff, Jeremiah O'Keefe. - (gallery murmuring)
We have further decided to award a verdict of
- $100 million in compensatory damages... - WOMAN: All right! Oh!
...to be paid to Mr. O'Keefe by defendant Loewen Group, LLC.
And...
...a verdict of $400 million in punitive damages
to be paid to Mr. O'Keefe by defendant Loewen Group.
WILLIE: You deserve it.
Come on!
(cheering, excited chattering)
♪ ♪
(excited chatter continues)
♪ ♪
$500 million, Jerry.
(sighs) I know it, Willie.
I know it.
(sighs)
(footsteps passing overhead)
(indistinct chatter)
Hey, Willie.
Hey, Mame.
What you do, you, uh...
come down here for your last licking?
- Oh, my last licking? - (chuckles)
(chuckling): No.
I actually just wanted to congratulate you.
Really?
- Yeah. - Congratulate me?
Mm-hmm.
Now come on. You mean that?
(scoffs) Listen, I hate losing.
But it was a well-earned victory. I can be honest about that.
Well, I venture, but that's $500 million.
Now, somewhere inside, I know you think that's way too much.
Yeah, maybe there's a part of me that thinks it's not enough.
- Well, I can take more. - (chuckles)
Good luck to you, Willie Gary.
Ah. Keep in touch.
Hope to see you on the trail.
Well...
Hey, Mame?
I gotta tell you something.
You one of the toughest lawyers I've ever had to go against.
You, too.
No doubt Johnnie would be impressed.
("Better Days" by Le'Andria Johnson plays) ♪ Sometimes it feels cold ♪
- ♪ And you feel all alone ♪ - Johnnie.
♪ But hold on ♪
♪ Better days are coming ♪
♪ It can be rough ♪
♪ In this world ♪
♪ I know ♪
♪ It ain't easy ♪
♪ But hang on in there ♪
♪ I know better days are coming ♪
♪ You seen good, you seen bad ♪
♪ You've been hurt beyond sin ♪
♪ But just remember ♪
♪ That better days ♪
- There's always the one. - ♪ That better days ♪
- There's always one. Just... - ♪ Are coming ♪
♪ Friends... ♪
♪ Will leave you ♪
♪ All by yourself ♪
♪ But don't cry ♪
♪ 'Cause better days ♪
♪ Are coming ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ Better days ♪
♪ I'll see, yeah ♪
♪ Better days ♪
♪ Are coming. ♪
(song ends)
(laughter, chatter in song)
("Stand By Me" by Jimmy Ruffin and David Ruffin playing)
- ♪ When the night ♪ - ♪ When the night ♪
♪ Has come ♪
♪ Mm ♪
♪ And the land is so dark ♪
♪ And the moon ♪
♪ Is the only light we'll see, my brother ♪
♪ No, I won't ♪
♪ Be afraid ♪
- ♪ No, I won't be afraid ♪ - ♪ Mm ♪
- ♪ Just as long ♪ - ♪ Just as long as you ♪
♪ As you ♪
- ♪ Stand by me ♪ - ♪ Stand by me ♪
♪ Oh, stand by me ♪
- ♪ Oh, stand by me ♪ - ♪ Oh, stand by me ♪
♪ Hmm, mm ♪
♪ Ah ♪
♪ Stand by me ♪
♪ Oh, if the sky ♪
♪ That we look upon ♪
♪ Should crumble and fall ♪
♪ Or the mountain ♪
♪ Should crumble down to the sea, oh, yeah ♪
♪ I won't cry ♪
♪ I won't cry, I won't cry, no ♪
- ♪ Oh, no, I won't cry ♪ - ♪ I won't, I won't shed a tear ♪
♪ Just as long ♪
♪ As you ♪
♪ Stand by me ♪
♪ Don't you worry ♪
♪ Oh, stand by me ♪
♪ Oh, stand ♪
♪ By me... ♪
- Hey, what's happening there, doc? - Hey, what's up?
- Willie Gary. I can't believe it. - Yeah.
- How you doing, man? - Nice to see you, Dr. G. How you feeling?
I want to be just like you when I grow up.
You know what? You're gonna be better than me.
- Get out of here. Take care now. - All right. Good seeing you now.
♪ Stand by me ♪
- ♪ Ooh ♪ - ♪ Come on and ♪
- ♪ Stand ♪ - ♪ Stand by me ♪
♪ Oh, stand... ♪
(song fades)
("Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by Bach playing)
♪ ♪
(music ends)
♪ ♪
(music ends)