The Watsons Go to Birmingham

WILONA (V.O.): He is such a brave boy.

KENNY (V.O.): "I am the young man, full of strength and hope..."

ANNOUNCER (V.O.): I can not sit idly by in Atlanta...

and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham.

You can never whip these birds, if you don't keep you and them separate.

DANIEL (V.O.): That's a Watson noggin.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.): I want you to know we can be outstanding.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill in Mississippi.

BYRON (V.O.): This is about how to survive a tornado.

WAITRESS (V.O.): Y'all be careful, okay?

I draw the line in the dust...

MARTIN LUTHER KING (V.O.): I will not rest...

until we are able to make this kind of witness in this city...

ANNOUNCER (V.O.): We did produce a non-segregated march...

WAITRESS (V.O.): We don't serve your kind here.

GREGORY PORTER ( SINGING ): 1960-what? 1960-who?

BYRON (V.O.): Just shut your stupid mouth.

DANIEL (V.O.): Where's the colored-only bathrooms downtown?

ANNOUNCER (V.O.): There's room here for my children to play and grow...

MR. WILLIAMS (V.O.): Outstanding, Mr. Watson...

ANNOUNCER (V.O.): Without any outside help from the federal government.

TICKET SELLER (V.O.): You know where the entrance is, right?

BEVEL (V.O.): When Birmingham becomes more equal, the entire country becomes more equal.

OLDER KENNY (V.O.): In 1963, when I was 12 years old...

I lived in Flint, Michigan with my dad, my mom...

my angelic, little sister Joetta...

and my troubled, older brother Byron.

And by troubled, I mean he was always getting into trouble.

OLDER KENNY/KENNY (V.O.): I remember a lot about that year.

KENNY (V.O.): Including the major snow storm...

and freezing cold weather we had that first day of spring.

It was so cold, that if you spit, the slob would be an ice cube before it hit the ground.

It was even cold inside our house.

Maybe it was the cold or maybe it was Byron's troubles.

But somehow, on that March day...

when we all sat close together to generate some heat...

the idea of going to Birmingham for the summer was born.

And spring has already sprung down south.

In Atlanta, Georgia, the temperatures are expected to reach the mid-70's this week.

Atlanta... that is right around the corner from my hometown.

From your Grandma Sands. I miss my mama. Wilona.

I haven't seen her in so long.

Maybe I should have listened to Hank Henderson.

Who? Not that sorry story.

You gotta let me tell about what happened to him.

Oh, well, there's not a whole lot to tell...

just a story about a young girl who made a bad choice.

But if you're gonna tell it, make sure you get the facts straight.

Oh, boy, here we go.

Come on, Daddy, tell us.

Yeah, tell us.

Kids, I almost wasn't your daddy.

You almost had a clown for a daddy named Hambone Henderson.

Hambone? What kind of name is that?

Exactly.

Daniel Watson, you stop right there. You're the one who started that Hambone nonsense.

But it stuck with him, didn't it? Hambone Henderson.

Me and your granddaddy came up with that name...

because the boy had a head shaped just like a hambone...

and more knots and lumps on his head than a dinosaur.

So when y'all sit here giving me dirty looks...

ask yourself would you rather be cool like your daddy...

or would you rather be a clown like Hambone Henderson?

Mommy, is that true?

Kenny might be a Hambone.

Naw, Kenny, that's a Watson noggin.

Hambone Henderson proposed to your momma at the same time that I did...

and he fought dirty, too.

He told her a pack of lies about me and when she didn't believe them...

he started telling her a pack of lies about Flint.

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

"Wilona, I heard tell that far up north supposed to be colder than inside an icebox."

Said, "I seen it in a movie, yeah, I think it was made in Flint.

"Movie named 'Nanook of the North'.

"Yup, I think it was made up in Flint. Uh-huh, Flint, Mitch-again."

He said, "Folks up there, they live in these things called igloos."

He said, "You a 'Bama gal, you ain't gonna be too happy living up in no igloo."

Living in Flint is like living in an igloo.

I knew I should have listened to Hank.

Now maybe you would have had some lumpy heads instead of peanut heads...

but at least you'd have been warm.

Now you know Birmingham is a good place.

Life is slower, but people are good, church-going people...

they're friendly.

Yes, it's just a laugh a minute up there.

Let's see, where's the colored-only bathroom downtown?

What? Colored what?

Colored-only.

Nah, you know that's not what I mean.

Things aren't perfect down there...

but people are more honest about the way they feel.

And folks down there do know how to respect their parents.

Mm-hm.

And I really do miss my momma.

Okay, okay, okay...

I'm gonna call the landlord again...

see if he can get over here now and fix this furnace.

But if he can't, I'm gonna call Aunt Cydney...

and we gonna have to go over there and stay with her.

Byron, get up. Kenny, get up. Go scrape off that car.

Byron, get up! Come on! Go!

It's cold.

I'm telling you now, Byron, I'm not doing your part!

You better do it and I'm not playing, either.

BYRON (O.S.): Shut up, punk.

I'm serious, Byron, and I'm only doing half the windshield.

I don't care what you do to me.

Shut your stupid mouth!

I got something more important to do right now.

You know what, square? I must be adopted.

Because there ain't no way two folks as ugly as your momma and daddy...

could give birth to someone as sharp as me. Look at that.

Forget you. Maybe you are a Hambone!

You're not tricking me again! Hitting me with all those snowballs.

And in front of Buphead, too.

Not right.

BYRON (O.S.): Kenny, Kenny, help, help!

Kenny! Kenny! Help me, help me!

Help me!

I'm not playing, Byron! I'm not that stupid.

I'm serious, Kenny, go get help! Go get momma!

Why?

Go get Momma, go get her, help!

Momma! Come on, quick, it's By!

Kenny Bernard Watson, what is all that yelling about?

What on earth is going on? Quick! Quick! Hurry!

Come on!

Come on, I need help! Geh me offa 'ere!

Oh, my word.

It's okay, sweetheart.

How did this happen?

Why you asking how it happened? Can't you tell?

This little knucklehead was kissing his reflection in the window...

and his lips got stuck.

Dad, help! Daniel, what are we gonna do?

What do y'all do when this happens up here?

I don't know, I've lived in Flint, Michigan my whole life...

and I ain't never seen anyone with their lips stuck to a window.

I don't know what to do, let him thaw out.

Pull him off, Dad.

No, no, no, no!

What should we do? Should we pour some hot water on the window...

so it'll warm up and we can pull him off?

Byron, don't worry, baby. We gonna get you off of here.

I don't know, pouring hot water on it might make it worse.

But yeah, get some hot water out of the tap and I'll see what I can do.

Gimme this.

Okay, lover boy...

I guess you won't be getting called hot lips, huh?

The last of the red hot lovers, either.

Don't do that! Oh, no, don't do that!

No! Let me go!

You better stop banging on this brown bomber, boy, I ain't playing.

Hey! Come here.

Okay, come on, okay.

It's okay, it's all right. It's okay.

Oh, no, 'top! 'top!

Daniel,get in the house and call the hospital...

see what they say we should do.

Joey and Kenny, go with your daddy!

Okay, sweetheart, now you know we're gonna have to do something.

I'm just gonna warm up your face a little bit, okay?

WILONA (O.S.): All right, just relax, just relax.

Okay, now you know I love you...

and I wouldn't do anything to hurt you, right?

Right? Okay. Wait, what are you gonna do?

All right, it's okay. It's okay, baby.

No, no, can't-- can't hurt my mouth! Oh! No!

No, no! No! Come on! Get off me!

Yee-ow!

KENNY (V.O.): I didn't see it, but I bet Byron's lips stretched a mile...

before he let go of that window.

I bet his lips looked like a giant rubber band before they snapped away from that glass.

KENNY (O.S.): Hey, Joey, guess what? What?

When I get to Aunt Cydney's...

I'm going to start writing my own comic book.

About what?

Well, it's going to be about this really mean criminal...

who has a terrible accident that turns him into a superhero.

Do you know what I'm gonna call that superhero?

Mm-mm.

The Lipless Wonder.

All he does is beat up other superheroes who are smaller than him...

and the only thing he's afraid of... is a cold window.

You wait, I'm gonna kick your little behind!

KENNY (V.O.): As the weather warmed up, Byron and his friend Buphead...

were happy to be on the streets after being cooped up inside.

We all were, but Byron and Buphead together were dangerous.

There's a problem?

What up, punk?

You want to learn something that may save your stupid life one day?

Er, uh, no.

No? Well, we're gonna teach you anyway.

Yeah, this is called how to survive a tornado.

Byron, why would you do that?

Are you okay, Kenny?

I'm fine, get on the bus.

Give my regards to Clark, Poindexter.

You're not going to school?

School is for punks.