Nancy Pelosi: Meet the late Mary Alice ("she doesn't write. she doesn't call" *shakin' head)

If you don't like Eunice Stokes, I don't like you. ;-)

So often when I read of Nancy Pelosi's skill at raising money, and think about the Dems' obvious Achilles heel of thinking that spending money alone solves problems -- just keep funneling the dollars in to fix things: more, more, more... -- I think of the scene between Mary Alice and Angela Bassett, playing a reunited mother-and-daughter.*  The former is caring for a young relative -- Terrell, and is not in the best health herself, we learn.  The daughter was sent away long ago as a pregnant teen, and never really returned...

The line (p.35) when Mary Alice's elder mother character (Eunice Stokes) reacts to her now-successful child offering up money to take care of the young man, should something happen to the mother, is absolutely fierce.  If you haven't seen it, figure out how to stream it or rent yourself a copy.  Worth it for that line alone.

You'll never think of Nancy Pelosi's money-making-and-spending skills the same way.

I wish Mary Alice were still around to make the correction...

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* added:  The Jane Alexander-Edie Falco duo is good too, but Alice-Bassett just nail their roles, especially led by the amazing Mary Alice.  What a treat if you have not seen this one yet. (I fast forward through the Mary Steenburgen subplot at this point.  Worth watching -- she gets off a few great lines -- but out of tone with the rest of the film. I would have edited that down a lot, and just communicated the issues with zoning boards in less screen time...) (added: There's a line in there too about "proceeeeeeedure!" that a CivPro prof would likely love.)

Excellent performance by an elder Ralph Waite *Mr. Walton * too.

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Eunice Stokes:  Your father worked so hard...

...to maintain a degree

of respectability.

Everybody was watching him.

White people, black people.

 

Desiree Stokes Perry:  And there I go...

...showing my color.

Isn't that what they used to call it?

I thought it would be better for you,

for all of us.

Young girls get pregnant

and have babies every day.

We were trying to put an end to that.

We were hoping for a better life.

-Moving up.

-Taking care of ourselves.

Taking care of each other.

Talking isn't going to change

what's been done, is it?

How are you doing, Mama?

Dr. Lloyd....

I will live until I die.

If anything should happen...

...and you're worried about money

to take care of Terrell....

Baby, what good is money...

...gonna do for Terrell?