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♪ That's my mama ♪
♪ That's my mama ♪
rength ♪
♪ Oh, yeah ♪
♪ That's my mama ♪
♪ That's my mama ♪
♪ A blue-ribbon homemaker ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ That's my mama ♪
♪ That's my mama ♪
♪ That's my mama ♪
♪ I'm talking about my mama ♪♪
[ Muttering ]
[ Clicks Tongue, Chuckles ]
[ Speaking Foreign Language ]
All right.
[ Man Speaking Foreign Language On Tape ]
[ Clears Throat, Speaking Foreign Language ]
- [ Sneezes ] - [ Speaking Foreign Language ]
an.
[ Chuckles ] I just said, "It appears that the ginseng harvest...
will be spoiled by the monsoon this year, baby."
[ Both Laughing ]
Hey, Cliff. Dig this, man. This bad.
[ Man Speaking Foreign Language On Tape ]
Karate!
[ Earl ] Junior, down. Down, Junior. It's just my "Vietmamese" lesson, man.
Oh. I thought somebody was playing a Wayne Newton album at the wrong speed.
No, brother. I wouldn't do that to ya.
Hey, Why
Well-- Let me get Junior straight here.
All of a sudden, Clarence,
there are these thousands upon thousands of "Vietmamese" people in America, right?
Now, the way I figure it,
if I learn their language, brother, I stand to make me a fortune.
Well, uh-- Maybe I'll sell me some used cars.
And has as my motto, "Se habla ‘Vietmanese,' baby."
How you dig it?
Earl, after all the time we spent over in the 'Nam,
I figured you'd learn how to say Vietnamese.
Right. "Vietmanese."
God bless you, man. What's wrong with you, brother?
Maybe he's O.D.'ing on my Brut.
No, turkey. I'm allergic to oysters.
Mama's expecting somebody, an old friend, over for dinner tonight,
so she's cookin' up some oysters au gratin.
Man, that smelled so good, I had to take me a bite. Been sneezin' ever since.
Man. You know, Cliff, I have an allergy too.
herited?
Yeah, we both allergic to gunshot wounds.
Say, Cliff, uh-- Who you think you inherited your allergy from, brother?
Nobody. I'm the only one in the family who's got it.
God
Mmm, mmm, mmm. Man, I sure hope this thing stops before the big rally tonight.
I'd hate to be sneezing all over Jesse Jackson.
Jesse Jackson? Ooh-whee!
Are you kiddin', man?
I've been followin' Jesse ever since she was singin' with the Ikettes.
Junior, boy. Listen. You got the wrong Jesse Jackson. Now, pay up.
try preacher.
Right. Thank you.
Yeah, that Jesse Jackson is the best.
Man, I sure wish I was able to do what that man does.
[ Imitating Jesse Jackson ] "I believe that black is beautiful.
"But I also believe that green is beautiful.
"In order to have black power,
you got to have green power."
[ Normal Voice ] What you guys think?
Ooh.
That's cold, Junior. [ Laughi
en power, ave the Ikette--
[ Cliff ] Earl. Earl, I have to be leaving soon,
so want you to stay late and lock up the shop.
Oh, come on, Cliff. Man, I closed up the shop last night, brother.
Now they didn't treat me this bad at the post office.
Yeah? Well, you want the treatment,
-time.
[ Laughing ]
You wouldn't fire me, woul
Oh, okay.
ight.
Yeah, okay.
[ Chuckles ] All right.
[ Laughs ]
F
Mama. [ Chuckles ] Can I ask you somethin'?
doin'
Oh, Clifton. I know it's silly,
but I guess I feel kind of guilty about entertaining Jake Rawls...
in front of your papa's picture like this.
But Oscar would understand, now wouldn't he?
You're right. He'd never understand.
He was always jealous of Jake and me.
Well now, Mama, Papa always told me that--
I know what you're saying, and you're right.
You think Jake won't understand.
After all, I did marry your papa fairly soon after I broke off with Jake.
Three days.
Well, that's the way it happened.
Let's see now. I broke up with Jake on a Saturday morning.
r on Sunday, Monday.
I bet you never heard of anybody getting married on a Monday night before.
As a matter of fact, I have. Rhoda did it just last season.
Ha. It's been over 25 years since I've seen him.
Mmm.
[ Chuckles ] Why, half the girls wouldn't go out with him because he was too dangerous.
- Mama, maybe I should stay home tonight. - I can handle myself, Clifton.
Oh, I see. ♪ Papa was a rolling stone ♪♪
Oh, he was notorious until he settled down with me.
Then he was still notorious, but nobody knew about it but me. [ Laughs ]
Mama--
rning,
I want you to remember what you just said now.
I'm a victim of heredity. A... chip off the old block.
I'm trapped in my biological genes.
And I'd feel a lot better when you go out on a date...
if you stayed trapped in your jeans.
[ Doorbell Rings ]
Hello, Eloise.
Oh. Come in.
You know, it's funny. Thinkin' about you, I got kind of nervous.
But now that I'm here, I'm feelin' right good.
Oh. Well, we always did have a lot in common, Jake.
I'd like for you to meet my son, Clifton. Clifton, this is Jake Rawls.
Clifton, boy.
Oh, wine. How thoughtful.
I'll go put it on ice.
"The wine that made Herford City famous."
Sure.
xcuse me just a second.
Hey, brother.
I hope you ready for a lot of high boogyin' foxy ladies.
[ Scoffs ] Man.
Everybody knows women into causes do not wear "brases."
Oh, Freddie, I'd like you to meet an old friend of Mama's.
- This is Mr. Jake Rawls. - [ Freddie ] Hey, what's happenin'?
Freddie, boy.
Jake, I didn't know a minister.
d friends
along.
Whew. Yeah. Um, uh-- You two have a good time, hear?
Hallelujah, Mama.
Well, Jake, we've got over 28 years of catching up to do.
awls
.
[ Laughing ]
[ Both Chuckling ]
Remember how we all used to get into Leon's old Hudson and ride out to Rock Creek Park?
Oh, sometimes there would be 13 of us in that car.
And everybody would be able to see the road except Leon. [ Sneezes ]
Why, thank you.
That was over 25 years ago. Hmm.
Yes.
Mmm-hmm.
And you've got two grandchildren.
And you'll be a grandmother one of these days, Eloise.
, ready.
[ Chuckles ] I don't think it's my sense of humor that's getting to you, Jake.
[ Laughs ]
h.
2:00 in the morning.
Why, yes. It, uh-- It certainly is.
y
without puttin' them to sleep.
I was having such a wonderful time, I never noticed the hour.
.
my pleasure, get
Poor Clifton is allergic to it.
Well, now-- I'm only gonna be in town a short time,
like
Oh, I'd like nothing better. We had such a good time tonight.
[ Sneezes ]
ne
You been sneezin' all night.
Uh-- Eloise, I have a confession.
Uh, that's not a cold.
I have an allergy here like, uh, Clifton. [ Sneezes ]
And a bad one too.
I knew I would start sneezin' soon as I ate those oysters au gratin,
Uh, Jake-- Uh, how long have you had this allergy?
y have it?
Oh, no. Just the men.
Come on now, Clifton.
You've been going around and around about this thing all week.
Well, it's my thing, so let me go on around it, all right?
Well, you're wasting your time reading those allergy books.
You should be reading psychology books,
because this whole thing just shows how insecure you are over your own sense of identity.
What does not knowing who my father is have to do with my identity?
Clifton. Now, deep in your heart,
she--
Of course not. Mama's a religious woman.
Well, Jake is a preacher.
Look, I know my mother. She's just not the type.
Tracy, you remember. Before you married Leonard,
Mama wouldn't even let you talk to him on the phone with the lights out.
There's just no way that Jake could be my father.
Listen, I've got it, Clifton. I know what is bothering you.
You're starting to doubt that you were really born a month early.
Yeah.
But, Clifton, there are lots of eight month babies.
h
,
self,
You'll be a self-made illegitimate man.
Maybe you're taking this too seriously, Clifton.
ited time.
That means that there's almost half a chance that your papa is actually your daddy.
Clifton.
Now, the only way to get rid of a fear is to face it.
Now, this is interesting. According to these symptoms here,
be allergic ls.
Huh? Oh, no, Mama.
Mmm-hmm.
Boy, Mama, you and Jake have been going at it eriously.
Um, I think she means this time around.
Jake and I re old friends,
Now, Clifton. Right now,
Uh, Mama--
Good book.
[ Indistinct ]
Okay. Oh, Mama--
Uh--
Well, we'd like to ask you a couple of questions about Ja
Come on, Leonard. It's time to go.
Tracy.
No, I wanna stick around and see if Clifton's one of the 4
What is this? Now Clifton, what about Jake?
Oh, Mama. We were just talkin' about you and Jake and Papa and the old days,
ake?
Well, back then, Jake was anything but a minister.
We had some wild times.
[ Laughing ] How wild?
Well, I reme very differe
He's just not the man he used to be, and that's the problem.
Problem? What problem?
Well, Clifton, that's somethin' I've got to figure out for myself.
Ten pounds, three ounces, huh?
right.
[ Chuckling ] I know who my father is.
You know, all my life there's three things I've always been certain of:
that Mama is my mama, that you're my sister, and that somebody is my father.
Hello.
Uh-oh, I'm afraid we really have to go, Tracy.
It's Tuesday, and the car wash closes in 10 minutes.
You see, I like to get my car washed every Tuesday.
Oh, Tracy, remind me to tell them. This time, no spray wax.
bly tell
I'm the kind of man who likes paste wax protection.
Yes.
Call me, Reverend. We'll have lunch.
dy?
Oh, uh-- No, she, uh-- She just got in a little late from shopping.
Well, that's good. [ Clears Throat ] Give us a chance to chat.
Ah.
Yes, I've been, uh... meaning to ask your advice about something.
You know, uh--
It's true we ain't known each other very long, but, uh...
e in you.
It's as if-- Why, yes. It's as if you were my own son.
Real bad example, Jake.
Pardon me?
Well-- [ Clears Throat ] as you can imagine, I've, uh--
nely man ife passed away,
and, uh, since Eloise has lost her husband,
she's, uh, feelin', uh... a certain emptiness also.
Sure, she misses my father-- Uh, Oscar-- My husband-- Her husband.
ime.
Time? It's, uh--
Uh, Jake. Jake, I'm gonna ask you somethin' straight out, no punches pulled.
your chest.
Now Jake, I'm not gonna hedge on this.
I understand.
Jake-- What are the names of your kids?
Well, Jake--
I was born eight months u and Mama broke up.
And, well, I am allergic to oysters, just like you.
Clifton, the other night, when your mama fixed those oysters au gratin,
in.
The cheese? Is that the truth?
truth.
w
and the gospel's my bag, and so is the truth.
Now, I might have been sowing my wild oats,
but your mama wouldn't have anything to do with that premarital farming.
No way.
omethin'
v
I don't know, Jake. It's Mama's decision.
But there's one sure thing you should do.
Jump right in with both feet and ask her point-blank.
Mmm.
Jake! Clifton didn't tell me you were here. I'm sorry to keep you waiting.
[ Chuckles ] That's all right, Eloise.
Uh,
I think I'd better get, uh, goin' along.
You know what they say. [ Speaking Foreign Language ]
Oh, that?
That's a little "Vietmanese" Earl taught me.
It means, uh, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
Eloise, why don't you come have a seat?
.
Oh, over here, darling.
Uh, I've often regretted not having a son like him.
Well, Clifton's been one of the great pleasures of my life,
e Oscar died.
That's more or less what I've been meanin' to talk to you about.
Well, he did go d of sudden.
Uh, as you know, I'm leavin' town tomorrow,
and, uh-- Well--
I just can't leave without askin' you to marry me.
Yes you can, Jake.
That ain't exactly the answer I was lookin' for.
hrilled.
times.
We've spent this whole week reminiscing. The past is over.
I
That's right.
l.
end
And, you don't know Eloise the fiftyish-- I mean fortyish widow and mother.
We've gone our separate ways.
Eloise, is what you're tryin' to say you can't marry someone because of what they used to be?
Yes, I am.
Yes, it is.
I always felt sorry for people who lived in Detroit
No, I mean it's a shame I don't live here,
so I could come to see ya, get to know each other better.
Well, you can write. Can't you, Jake?
Yeah, all right.
But this time, everything's gonna be in the present tense, and nothin' in the past.
And the next time you come to dinner,
I'm gonn my speci
.
I'm allergic to shrimp too.
Oh, that's funny. So is Clifton.
[ Laughs ]