1
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"Points West" by Steve Lopez...

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A construction foreman in Griffith Park
heard the crash.

3
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Hey!

4
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He saw a cyclist cartwheel off his bike

5
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and slam face-first into the u nforgiving
asphalt of Riverside Drive.

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Good morn ing , ladies and gentlemen .

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As we begin ou r descent
into Los Angeles,

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we ask that you please be su re
that you r seatbelts are fastened . . .

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A 9 1 1 call brought out the troops
from Fire Station 76.

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-What happened ?
-You had an accident.

11
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- Do you know what happened ?
- N o sh it, l had an accident. What?

12
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l don 't remember any of th is,
nor do l recall the cause of the spill .

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-O u r batteries are off.
- l 've been i n here six hou rs now, and . . .

14
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Listen to me . Wait a m i n ute .
We' re ready to go . . .

15
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Hypochond riac.

16
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O R 2 .

17
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Cou nty-U SC was
the closest emergency room ,

18
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and l q u ickly realized

19
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that if you find you rself there

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with noth ing more than
a bu m p on the head ,

21
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you are one lucky Angeleno.

22
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Wow.

23
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Ready.

24
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l'm not entirely comfortable with this.

25
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Thank you.

26
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You have no new messages.

27
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Okay.

28
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Really?

29
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Doctors told me to expect
up to four weeks of disorientation.

30
00:04:49,789 --> 00:04:51,790
Christ. All right.

31
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l'm not asking for sympathy.
l just want you to know, l just...

32
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l'm not asking for sympathy.

33
00:04:57,297 --> 00:04:59,089
l just want you to understand
what's going on

34
00:04:59,173 --> 00:05:01,633
if l start writing about
what a bang-up job

35
00:05:01,718 --> 00:05:03,135
Governor Schwarzenegger's doing.

36
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S-C-H-W-A-R-Z. . . Scratch that.

37
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Passé. Lacks context.

38
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Right. So the question is...

39
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Hey, Tommy.

40
00:05:31,998 --> 00:05:34,458
Theoretically could l,
seeing as how the Governor has retired

41
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his position at the muscle magazine,
could l interview him?

42
00:05:37,670 --> 00:05:41,840
Right. And will my non-Teutonic lineage
be an issue?

43
00:05:42,675 --> 00:05:47,304
See, no, that's. . . That's. . .
lt gets to be funny. lt's just an article.

44
00:05:47,388 --> 00:05:49,681
Do l need to have been on steroids
for a long time to even apply?

45
00:05:49,766 --> 00:05:51,099
Good.

46
00:05:52,935 --> 00:05:55,854
Gail, l like
the "attention must be paid" reference.

47
00:05:55,938 --> 00:05:58,065
l might move it down a paragraph,
though.

48
00:05:58,149 --> 00:06:01,068
Thanks. l'm getting you a new desk.

49
00:06:02,612 --> 00:06:04,613
Good morning, gentlemen.

50
00:06:06,949 --> 00:06:09,868
-Thanks.
-Hey, guys. Check it out.

51
00:06:10,536 --> 00:06:13,121
l got a study here that says
the number of Americans under 35

52
00:06:13,206 --> 00:06:15,582
who read a newspaper
is now down to 40%.

53
00:06:15,666 --> 00:06:16,833
-Forty?
-Forty.

54
00:06:16,918 --> 00:06:19,044
And the group we're losing mostly
are college-educated women.

55
00:06:19,128 --> 00:06:20,587
-Pull my finger.
-Jesus Christ.

56
00:06:20,671 --> 00:06:22,005
Hey, honey.

57
00:06:22,090 --> 00:06:23,423
"Welcome back, Steve."
That would have been nice.

58
00:06:23,508 --> 00:06:25,884
Thank you. You know, when Lopez
and l started out together. . .

59
00:06:25,968 --> 00:06:28,053
You had to walk 20 miles to school
in the snow with no shoes?

60
00:06:28,137 --> 00:06:29,429
. . .people cared about
what went on in the world.

61
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-Am l right, Steve? l mean, Christ.
-Back when people cared.

62
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We're at war, and the only thing
that sells papers

63
00:06:33,226 --> 00:06:34,559
is a Lindsay Lohan cooch shot.

64
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Jesus, did someone
actually run that in print?

65
00:06:36,145 --> 00:06:37,854
-l thought that was just on the Web.
-All right, all right.

66
00:06:37,939 --> 00:06:39,189
-All l am saying is. . .
-l didn't see that.

67
00:06:39,273 --> 00:06:41,525
. . .that if you run an excellent,
if l do say so myself,

68
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front-page piece about how corporate
America is profiting from this war,

69
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and the only reader response you get
is on two hands. . .

70
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-Meanwhile. . .
-That was a good piece, by the way.

71
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-Fine. Thanks. You read it?
-l read that.

72
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-Did you really?
-l didn't read it, but l loved it, Curt.

73
00:06:52,954 --> 00:06:55,705
Meanwhile, Lopez here
scrapes his forehead,

74
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and gets, what,
l'm guessing about 75 e-mails

75
00:06:58,543 --> 00:06:59,584
from readers worried about his safety?

76
00:06:59,669 --> 00:07:02,838
-l chased this piece.
-Then l'm sorry. l'm sorry.

77
00:07:02,922 --> 00:07:06,091
There is something
very wrong in this world.

78
00:07:06,175 --> 00:07:07,884
Newsflash, something wrong
with the world.

79
00:07:07,969 --> 00:07:09,469
Yeah.
Your face hurts my feelings, Steve.

80
00:07:09,554 --> 00:07:10,595
That's harassment.

81
00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:12,305
-Mary?
-An environmental group studying. . .

82
00:07:12,390 --> 00:07:13,432
-Please.
-. . .chemical contaminants

83
00:07:13,516 --> 00:07:14,599
-in people's bodies.
-l literally. . . No.

84
00:07:14,684 --> 00:07:16,643
-Give some blood and write about it.
-Let me check my e-mails.

85
00:07:16,727 --> 00:07:18,145
l think it would be a good idea for you.

86
00:07:18,229 --> 00:07:19,813
l'm glad you feel that way. l just did that.

87
00:07:19,897 --> 00:07:20,939
What do you think?

88
00:07:21,023 --> 00:07:22,649
The thought in my mind is,
"No, thank you."

89
00:07:22,733 --> 00:07:25,318
lt was funny.
People love it when you bleed.

90
00:07:25,403 --> 00:07:26,570
-Readers.
-Busted.

91
00:07:26,654 --> 00:07:28,113
What is that? What do you call that,
what you just did?

92
00:07:28,197 --> 00:07:29,823
-Transference.
-Freud.

93
00:07:29,949 --> 00:07:31,366
Freud. Thank you. No.

94
00:07:31,451 --> 00:07:32,659
Sorry about the face.

95
00:07:32,743 --> 00:07:35,328
-l hate needles.
-So use it.

96
00:07:37,915 --> 00:07:40,167
Originally used as a camp by settlers

97
00:07:40,251 --> 00:07:42,961
outside of what was then
the village of Los Angeles,

98
00:07:43,045 --> 00:07:47,299
it was called La Plaza Abaja,
or the Lower Plaza.

99
00:08:45,107 --> 00:08:46,399
Stevie Wonder fan?

100
00:08:46,484 --> 00:08:49,319
My Cherie Amour is the song of my life.

101
00:08:49,403 --> 00:08:50,403
Signed, Sealed, Delivered.

102
00:08:50,488 --> 00:08:52,030
But you really shouldn't write
on a violin like that

103
00:08:52,114 --> 00:08:54,533
because you have to treat a violin
like a child, you have to protect it.

104
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You only got two strings.

105
00:08:58,454 --> 00:09:00,038
All l want to do is play music,
and here's the problem

106
00:09:00,122 --> 00:09:01,289
that l'm having right here.

107
00:09:01,374 --> 00:09:04,459
This one's gone, this one's gone,
this little one's out of commission.

108
00:09:04,544 --> 00:09:06,503
But you get that in
Cleveland public schools.

109
00:09:06,587 --> 00:09:07,796
A lot of military statues in Cleveland.

110
00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:09,589
-A very military-oriented city.
-ls that where you're from?

111
00:09:09,674 --> 00:09:11,383
You're not gonna get musicians
on parade there.

112
00:09:11,467 --> 00:09:14,052
You got Severance Hall there.
You have The Music Settlement.

113
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Ohio State University.

114
00:09:15,179 --> 00:09:18,515
Whereas in Los Angeles, you have
Los Angeles PD, you have LA Times,

115
00:09:18,599 --> 00:09:20,016
you have Los Angeles Lakers.

116
00:09:20,101 --> 00:09:22,894
Those are armies, too.
Military regimentation, experimentation,

117
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Roman gable, Roman Catholicism,
Colonel Sanders,

118
00:09:25,356 --> 00:09:26,439
-but this guy right here is. . .
-Colonel Sanders.

119
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. . .the quarterback with the orchestra.

120
00:09:27,733 --> 00:09:29,484
Now the cello could back this guy
with the same moves,

121
00:09:29,569 --> 00:09:30,902
but the cello can't be concert master.

122
00:09:30,987 --> 00:09:34,531
No. He leads out, this was
ltzhak Perlman, Jascha Heifetz.

123
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You can't play music
in the winter in Cleveland

124
00:09:36,492 --> 00:09:37,492
because of the ice and the snow.

125
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That's why l prefer Los Angeles
to Beethoven City,

126
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because it never rains
in Southern California,

127
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and if it does, all l have to do
is just go in the tunnel,

128
00:09:43,583 --> 00:09:44,916
l could play to my heart's content.

129
00:09:45,001 --> 00:09:48,753
l'm flabbergasted about the statue.
Aren't you flabbergasted about this?

130
00:09:49,422 --> 00:09:51,881
-Anyway, nice to meet you.
-Do you have any idea how it got here?

131
00:09:51,966 --> 00:09:54,134
-No.
-Maybe they dropped it off late at night.

132
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'Cause it's just astonishing to sit here
for hours and just. . . Just gaze at it.

133
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-lt. . . lt just blows me away.
-No idea.

134
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lt really blows me away

135
00:10:00,516 --> 00:10:04,561
that someone as great as Beethoven
was the leader of Los Angeles.

136
00:10:07,064 --> 00:10:08,356
Yeah.

137
00:10:11,861 --> 00:10:13,528
l'm Steve Lopez, LA Times.

138
00:10:13,613 --> 00:10:15,071
-Lopez, L-O-P-E-Z?
-Yeah.

139
00:10:15,156 --> 00:10:17,782
Lopez, Los Angeles Times. Mr. Lopez.

140
00:10:17,867 --> 00:10:19,117
-What's your name?
-Lopez.

141
00:10:19,201 --> 00:10:20,619
Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Junior.

142
00:10:20,703 --> 00:10:23,038
N-A-T-H-A-N-l-E-L A-N-T-H-O-N-Y

143
00:10:23,122 --> 00:10:25,040
A-Y-E-R-S J-U-N-l-O-R.

144
00:10:26,459 --> 00:10:28,126
Or J-R-period.

145
00:10:31,756 --> 00:10:35,383
l apologize for my appearance.
l've had a few setbacks.

146
00:10:36,260 --> 00:10:37,719
Me, too.

147
00:10:43,267 --> 00:10:46,102
Who are Nancy, Paul, and Craig?

148
00:10:46,187 --> 00:10:48,938
Those were my classmates at Juilliard.

149
00:10:51,067 --> 00:10:52,901
Good afternoon, JuiIIiard SchooI.

150
00:10:52,985 --> 00:10:55,070
Registrar's office, please.

151
00:11:01,494 --> 00:11:02,869
What's up?

152
00:11:03,537 --> 00:11:06,373
lt's highly classified. l can't tell you.

153
00:11:06,957 --> 00:11:10,210
-How many?
-More than we can afford to lose.

154
00:11:10,294 --> 00:11:11,961
Evidently, it goes like this.

155
00:11:12,046 --> 00:11:14,089
Stock price sinks, we lose reporters.

156
00:11:14,173 --> 00:11:15,965
Stock price sinks more,
we lose more reporters.

157
00:11:16,050 --> 00:11:17,175
That won't produce more or less. . .

158
00:11:17,259 --> 00:11:19,594
Hi, this is Steve Lopez from
the LA Times. l'm calling to enquire

159
00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:22,555
as to whether a Nathaniel Anthony Ayers
attended your school.

160
00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:24,599
A-Y-E-R-S. l'm sorry.

161
00:11:25,017 --> 00:11:26,976
Freaking child lock.

162
00:11:31,023 --> 00:11:33,316
-How is our son, by the way?
-He's good.

163
00:11:33,401 --> 00:11:36,194
He likes his classes.
He likes his pre-gay roommate.

164
00:11:36,278 --> 00:11:37,570
You should call him.

165
00:11:37,655 --> 00:11:38,988
-l call him.
-ls a lie.

166
00:11:39,073 --> 00:11:40,615
l call him. He doesn't call me back.

167
00:11:40,700 --> 00:11:41,991
-He calls me back.
-Mary. . .

168
00:11:42,076 --> 00:11:44,411
-Just try again.
-Yes, Mary.

169
00:11:44,495 --> 00:11:45,537
-Yes, Mary.
-Yes. Yes, Steve.

170
00:11:45,621 --> 00:11:47,455
-l gotta take this call.
-Great.

171
00:11:47,540 --> 00:11:49,791
-Because l don't have a story. Hello?
-Call him.

172
00:11:49,875 --> 00:11:51,501
l'm sorry, we have no record

173
00:11:51,585 --> 00:11:54,087
of a Nathaniel Anthony Ayers
ever attending Juilliard.

174
00:11:54,171 --> 00:11:55,547
Really?

175
00:11:56,674 --> 00:11:59,134
But then l don't have a story.

176
00:12:00,845 --> 00:12:02,762
Thanks for checking.

177
00:12:10,813 --> 00:12:13,356
l'm not doing the blood thing.

178
00:12:14,525 --> 00:12:16,651
l got too many other good ideas.

179
00:12:18,112 --> 00:12:22,240
My dad is gonna freak
when he finds out l met you.

180
00:12:22,324 --> 00:12:24,242
He loves your column.

181
00:12:24,326 --> 00:12:25,994
What about you?

182
00:12:27,329 --> 00:12:30,415
-Well, l don't really read the newspaper.
-Sure.

183
00:12:31,500 --> 00:12:33,501
But when l do. . .

184
00:12:37,214 --> 00:12:39,924
Hey! Those aren't all for me, are they?

185
00:12:40,009 --> 00:12:42,385
l'm also going to need a clump of hair
and some urine.

186
00:12:42,470 --> 00:12:44,012
That's easy.

187
00:12:45,890 --> 00:12:47,682
-All right.
-Okay.

188
00:12:48,184 --> 00:12:50,185
Make a fist for me.

189
00:13:00,529 --> 00:13:01,613
Come on.

190
00:13:01,947 --> 00:13:03,198
Crap.

191
00:13:07,578 --> 00:13:08,912
-Lopez.
-Mr. Lopez?

192
00:13:08,996 --> 00:13:10,371
Yeah, can you just hold on one second?

193
00:13:10,456 --> 00:13:12,123
l'm having a little
technical difficulty here.

194
00:13:12,208 --> 00:13:15,376
This is Rosie Delgado
from the Juilliard School.

195
00:13:16,420 --> 00:13:17,921
Mr. Lopez?

196
00:13:18,005 --> 00:13:19,798
Yes. Please continue.

197
00:13:19,882 --> 00:13:23,885
After we spoke yesterday, l realized
l only checked our graduates.

198
00:13:23,969 --> 00:13:26,638
So I Iooked in our matricuIates,
and there he was.

199
00:13:26,722 --> 00:13:30,141
Nathaniel Anthony Ayers
enrolled in 1 970

200
00:13:30,226 --> 00:13:33,686
and he dropped out toward the end
of his second year.

201
00:13:33,771 --> 00:13:34,771
Thank you.

202
00:13:35,815 --> 00:13:40,652
"Points West" by Steve Lopez.
Nathaniel was shy in our first encounter.

203
00:13:40,736 --> 00:13:43,238
He stepped back... He backed away.

204
00:13:43,906 --> 00:13:47,742
He... Nathaniel is... ls what?

205
00:13:47,827 --> 00:13:51,412
Nathaniel is...
A great column is what Nathaniel is.

206
00:13:51,497 --> 00:13:54,290
Nathaniel is missing.

207
00:14:17,565 --> 00:14:18,857
Son of a bitch.

208
00:14:18,941 --> 00:14:22,068
-Raccoons.
-Oh, yeah?

209
00:14:22,152 --> 00:14:24,445
-That's the culprit.
-Oh, boy.

210
00:14:24,905 --> 00:14:26,781
What are they doing?
They eat the grass?

211
00:14:26,866 --> 00:14:28,575
No, they eat the worms in the grass.

212
00:14:28,659 --> 00:14:29,951
They eat the worms in the grass?

213
00:14:30,035 --> 00:14:32,495
Yeah, we had them.
lt's a God-awful mess.

214
00:14:32,580 --> 00:14:34,581
-Wanna know how l got rid of them?
-Yes.

215
00:14:34,665 --> 00:14:36,374
Coyote urine.

216
00:14:36,458 --> 00:14:40,378
-Wow. Coyote urine?
-Seriously. ln powdered form.

217
00:14:40,462 --> 00:14:42,755
-Remarkable.
-lt's a whole industry, you know.

218
00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:43,882
Funny.

219
00:14:43,966 --> 00:14:46,342
-Hey, l'm Neil, by the way.
-Okay.

220
00:15:56,288 --> 00:16:01,709
Anxiety, restlessness, euphoria.
lf you're experiencing...

221
00:16:01,794 --> 00:16:03,920
l would spend every night tossing
and turning...

222
00:16:06,006 --> 00:16:09,133
Wow. Okay, and what is the proper
method of application?

223
00:16:09,218 --> 00:16:10,385
Should l sprinkle it in the yard?

224
00:16:10,469 --> 00:16:13,304
First, you wanna dilute
the urine powder in water.

225
00:16:13,389 --> 00:16:16,641
-Wait, I want to?
-Well, maybe l should say "have to."

226
00:16:16,725 --> 00:16:20,979
And then you're gonna have to hang
the liquid from trees in plastic bags.

227
00:16:21,063 --> 00:16:23,439
So, people are doing this
all over Southern California?

228
00:16:23,524 --> 00:16:26,567
Oh, yes, sir.
Last month, I soId some to PauIa AbduI.

229
00:16:26,652 --> 00:16:30,822
But no Simon Cowell?
'Cause that would be exciting. Figure?

230
00:16:32,074 --> 00:16:36,035
l'm gonna call you back a little later.

231
00:16:52,344 --> 00:16:53,428
Hey.

232
00:16:55,764 --> 00:16:57,432
Hey, Nathaniel.

233
00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:01,060
Remember me?

234
00:17:03,272 --> 00:17:04,439
Sorry.

235
00:17:08,527 --> 00:17:11,112
Maybe have a minute when you're done?

236
00:17:13,449 --> 00:17:14,907
Let me know.

237
00:17:44,813 --> 00:17:46,773
l just saw you, so l. . .

238
00:17:49,318 --> 00:17:50,568
Nothing.

239
00:18:01,747 --> 00:18:03,956
Mr. Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles, California.

240
00:18:04,041 --> 00:18:05,374
Hey, Nathaniel.

241
00:18:05,459 --> 00:18:06,584
l've been searching for Mr. Beethoven,

242
00:18:06,668 --> 00:18:07,668
but he's slipping away like a dream.

243
00:18:07,753 --> 00:18:09,921
l'm trying to get back into shape,
but l don't have any sheet music.

244
00:18:10,005 --> 00:18:12,298
Beethoven's String Quartet,
Opus 59, Number 1 ,

245
00:18:12,382 --> 00:18:14,634
Violin Concerto, Opus 61 in D,

246
00:18:14,718 --> 00:18:17,303
Fifth Concerto, Opus 73 in E Flat,
red car, green car,

247
00:18:17,387 --> 00:18:20,431
there goes a police car, and God is right
on the other side of that wall.

248
00:18:20,516 --> 00:18:23,101
l had to dig a hole
to bury some human defecation.

249
00:18:23,185 --> 00:18:24,268
But they didn't have
the human decency. . .

250
00:18:24,353 --> 00:18:25,353
l was looking for you.

251
00:18:25,437 --> 00:18:27,313
-. . .to use the proper facilities.
-l noticed that you've moved.

252
00:18:27,397 --> 00:18:29,107
Well, it's beautiful here,
because you can play music

253
00:18:29,191 --> 00:18:30,858
and have pigeons clapping
as they take off,

254
00:18:30,943 --> 00:18:32,777
and right there
is The Los Angeles Times Building.

255
00:18:32,861 --> 00:18:34,779
-Right, that's where l work.
-Mr. Steve Lopez, staff writer.

256
00:18:34,863 --> 00:18:35,822
New York, Cleveland, it doesn't matter.

257
00:18:35,906 --> 00:18:36,948
All l have to do is
look up at that building

258
00:18:37,032 --> 00:18:37,990
and l know exactly where l am.

259
00:18:38,075 --> 00:18:39,117
l was thinking about. . .

260
00:18:39,201 --> 00:18:40,368
l'm in Los Angeles,
Los Angeles, California,

261
00:18:40,452 --> 00:18:41,494
-Los Angeles Lakers.
-. . .writing about you

262
00:18:41,578 --> 00:18:42,578
for the paper.

263
00:18:42,663 --> 00:18:43,788
Magic Johnson,
Magic Johnson Theaters.

264
00:18:43,872 --> 00:18:46,290
Magic Johnson is a basketball player,
but he's also a big, black man.

265
00:18:46,375 --> 00:18:48,459
What if l were to wanna write a story
about you for the newspaper?

266
00:18:48,544 --> 00:18:50,837
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles newspaper.

267
00:18:50,921 --> 00:18:53,923
-Staff writer, Mr. Steve Lopez.
-Yeah. Yeah, that's me.

268
00:18:54,007 --> 00:18:57,927
Do you mind if l record this?
And l wanna write a story about you.

269
00:18:58,011 --> 00:19:00,096
A column about how a guy like you
winds up on the street.

270
00:19:00,180 --> 00:19:01,347
-What do you think of that?
-Mr. Lopez needs to do

271
00:19:01,431 --> 00:19:02,557
what Mr. Lopez needs to do.

272
00:19:02,641 --> 00:19:04,684
No one could ever stop Mr. Lopez
from doing what he wants to do.

273
00:19:04,768 --> 00:19:06,894
Are you flying that plane?

274
00:19:07,604 --> 00:19:09,564
No. No, l'm right here.

275
00:19:10,983 --> 00:19:11,983
l don't know how God works.

276
00:19:12,067 --> 00:19:15,111
l called Juilliard, and they said
you went there, but you didn't finish.

277
00:19:15,195 --> 00:19:17,113
l bombed right out of there.
l bombed out of Juilliard.

278
00:19:17,197 --> 00:19:18,823
-Yeah, what happened?
-l just. . . lt didn't happen.

279
00:19:18,907 --> 00:19:21,826
l don't know.
l don't know what happened.

280
00:19:21,910 --> 00:19:23,911
Anyone l could contact? Family?

281
00:19:23,996 --> 00:19:26,205
Family? Miss Floria Ayers, my mom.

282
00:19:26,290 --> 00:19:28,875
She's a beautician.
Beauty is art. Music is beauty.

283
00:19:28,959 --> 00:19:30,918
l don't do hair. l do my own hair,

284
00:19:31,003 --> 00:19:33,504
but obviously, my mom does
everybody's hair in the community.

285
00:19:33,589 --> 00:19:37,133
They would come for her.
She's quite a woman.

286
00:19:37,217 --> 00:19:40,178
But l don't know how you're gonna talk
to her, though, because she passed.

287
00:19:40,262 --> 00:19:42,471
Okay. Sorry to hear that.

288
00:19:44,433 --> 00:19:45,933
Who could l call?

289
00:19:46,018 --> 00:19:48,728
21 6-962-6746.

290
00:19:50,022 --> 00:19:51,063
Whose number's that?

291
00:19:51,148 --> 00:19:54,025
You know,
it's a dream out here, Mr. Lopez.

292
00:19:54,109 --> 00:19:56,235
The sun is shining.
The nights are cool and serene,

293
00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:58,779
and l notice that everyone is smiling.

294
00:19:59,448 --> 00:20:02,241
-Delivered just hours before...
-Americans are asking...

295
00:20:03,285 --> 00:20:04,994
Hi, l'm calling for Jennifer Ayers-Moore.

296
00:20:05,078 --> 00:20:07,288
How will we finally win this war?

297
00:20:07,372 --> 00:20:08,372
Hello?

298
00:20:08,457 --> 00:20:10,166
Hi, this is Steve Lopez
from the LA Times.

299
00:20:10,250 --> 00:20:14,295
l spoke with your aunt, l believe, earlier.
She suggested l give you a call.

300
00:20:14,379 --> 00:20:17,340
-About what?
-About your brother, Nathaniel.

301
00:20:19,092 --> 00:20:20,343
ls he dead?

302
00:20:20,427 --> 00:20:23,596
What? No, no, no, he's alive.

303
00:20:24,223 --> 00:20:25,973
ls he all right?

304
00:20:27,768 --> 00:20:33,105
He's. . . Yeah. He's homeless.
l don't know if you're aware of that.

305
00:20:33,649 --> 00:20:35,775
But he seems very bright, and. . .
May l record this?

306
00:20:35,859 --> 00:20:37,693
And talented, obviously.
Juilliard and all.

307
00:20:37,986 --> 00:20:39,070
l'm, l'm. . . l'm sorry.

308
00:20:39,154 --> 00:20:41,489
-Your name again, please?
-Steve Lopez.

309
00:20:41,823 --> 00:20:43,324
Mr. Lopez, why are you calling?

310
00:20:43,408 --> 00:20:46,869
l'm gonna write
a column about Nathaniel.

311
00:20:46,954 --> 00:20:48,079
Why?

312
00:20:50,666 --> 00:20:55,169
Because that's what l do. Everyone has
a story, and it's interesting,

313
00:20:55,254 --> 00:20:58,422
you know, that a Juilliard alum
is now homeless.

314
00:20:58,966 --> 00:21:02,718
But he seems smart
and kind, and. . . And. . .

315
00:21:03,220 --> 00:21:07,890
And spends his days filling the city air
with violin music, and l just. . .

316
00:21:07,975 --> 00:21:09,976
He plays the violin now?

317
00:21:11,103 --> 00:21:15,481
He's. . . Yeah. Why?
He used to play something else?

318
00:21:18,402 --> 00:21:20,027
Bye, Mama.

319
00:21:37,546 --> 00:21:41,048
-Good morning, Nathaniel.
-Morning, Miss Little John.

320
00:21:51,184 --> 00:21:52,643
So, what do you want to play for me?

321
00:21:52,728 --> 00:21:56,063
l'm going to play some Beethoven, sir.
l'm crazy about Beethoven.

322
00:21:56,148 --> 00:21:58,149
He was younger than me
when he started playing piano,

323
00:21:58,233 --> 00:22:00,985
and l wanted to play the piano,
but so many kids played it,

324
00:22:01,069 --> 00:22:04,030
and there's only one at school,
so it's hard to get practice time in.

325
00:22:04,114 --> 00:22:08,409
So, l chose the cello. Hardly anyone
at school wanted to play the cello.

326
00:22:08,493 --> 00:22:11,162
And Beethoven was composing
when he was only 1 1 ,

327
00:22:11,246 --> 00:22:12,705
and l'm already older than that,

328
00:22:12,789 --> 00:22:15,166
so l figure l got a lot of
catching up to do.

329
00:22:15,250 --> 00:22:17,084
Let's hear you play.

330
00:22:46,823 --> 00:22:51,952
He had the taIent, that's for sure.
l called his mother that night.

331
00:22:52,037 --> 00:22:56,290
l told her that l thought he was
the most gifted kid l've ever met.

332
00:22:57,167 --> 00:23:00,628
l said that if he made
a fuII commitment to music,

333
00:23:00,712 --> 00:23:06,467
if he really, really gave it all he had,
the whole world would open up to him.

334
00:23:07,719 --> 00:23:09,387
And he did. He really did.

335
00:23:09,471 --> 00:23:12,765
Go see if Martha's rollers are ready.
They should be on the kitchen table.

336
00:23:12,849 --> 00:23:14,308
Okay, Mama.

337
00:23:18,438 --> 00:23:20,523
Miss Florence, l'll be back in 1 0.

338
00:23:20,607 --> 00:23:22,066
He ain't gonna get no sleep.

339
00:23:22,150 --> 00:23:24,568
He gonna kill that little girl
before he kills everybody. . .

340
00:23:24,653 --> 00:23:28,989
$1 0,000! l told him he gotta buy me
something real pretty. Real pretty.

341
00:23:49,344 --> 00:23:51,679
Before long, it got so that was all he did.

342
00:23:51,763 --> 00:23:54,890
No more footbaII, no more basebaII.
Just music.

343
00:23:56,685 --> 00:23:58,811
Day in and day out.

344
00:24:04,693 --> 00:24:07,486
The whole worId
was changing around him.

345
00:24:07,988 --> 00:24:10,030
And that was all he did.

346
00:24:10,949 --> 00:24:12,450
Music.

347
00:26:11,152 --> 00:26:12,778
Hey, you awake?

348
00:26:42,350 --> 00:26:45,519
You know what l hear
when you play your music?

349
00:26:47,063 --> 00:26:49,523
l hear the voice of God coming. . .

350
00:26:50,775 --> 00:26:52,484
l'm serious.

351
00:26:58,491 --> 00:27:01,118
You got something special here, baby.

352
00:27:02,078 --> 00:27:03,537
A way out.

353
00:27:05,957 --> 00:27:09,126
There is a whole world waiting for you.

354
00:27:50,627 --> 00:27:52,878
"Points West" by Steve Lopez.

355
00:27:53,505 --> 00:27:57,549
Nathaniel was shy in our first encounter.
Period.

356
00:27:57,634 --> 00:28:00,469
He took a step back
when l approached him to say

357
00:28:00,553 --> 00:28:03,055
l liked the way his violin music

358
00:28:03,139 --> 00:28:06,892
drowned out the jackhammers
on Grand Street. Period.

359
00:28:08,228 --> 00:28:11,271
Nathaniel's first instrument
was the cello.

360
00:28:11,356 --> 00:28:14,525
Strangely, he has never had
any training on the violin instrument.

361
00:28:14,609 --> 00:28:16,360
He has never had... Period.

362
00:28:16,444 --> 00:28:19,029
He has never had
any training on the violin.

363
00:28:19,114 --> 00:28:21,865
He switched to the latter
after winding up on the streets.

364
00:28:23,243 --> 00:28:26,036
One day, l asked him
about his hopes and dreams.

365
00:28:26,121 --> 00:28:30,165
"That's easy," he said.
"l'd like to get these other two strings."

366
00:28:33,962 --> 00:28:35,879
Dear Mr. Lopez,

367
00:28:35,964 --> 00:28:39,550
this morning l read your article
about the street musician

368
00:28:39,634 --> 00:28:41,468
and was deeply moved.

369
00:28:42,429 --> 00:28:45,055
This cello is one l used for 50 years,

370
00:28:45,140 --> 00:28:47,850
until arthritis got the better of me.

371
00:28:48,643 --> 00:28:51,311
Please pass it along to Mr. Ayers

372
00:28:51,396 --> 00:28:54,648
with my prayers
for his health and safety.

373
00:29:11,332 --> 00:29:12,750
-Nathaniel !
-All l'm trying to do

374
00:29:12,834 --> 00:29:14,084
is work as hard as l can
to clean up the tunnel.

375
00:29:14,169 --> 00:29:16,253
-Hey! Nathaniel !
-But they don't want me to help them.

376
00:29:16,337 --> 00:29:17,421
l won't have it, you know.

377
00:29:17,505 --> 00:29:19,590
-Don't want to have this degradation. . .
-Are you out of your mind?

378
00:29:19,674 --> 00:29:21,008
. . .because they just won't respect
that Beethoven. . .

379
00:29:21,092 --> 00:29:22,217
What are you doing?

380
00:29:22,302 --> 00:29:24,553
. . .and l try to tell every one of them,
l won't have this nastiness. . .

381
00:29:24,637 --> 00:29:27,848
-Nathaniel !
-. . .this degradation, l won't have it.

382
00:29:28,850 --> 00:29:30,017
Don't!

383
00:29:30,852 --> 00:29:32,603
Don't! Don't!

384
00:29:37,525 --> 00:29:40,068
l'm not going to have this nastiness
in this tunnel. This degradation.

385
00:29:40,153 --> 00:29:41,153
Good.

386
00:29:43,323 --> 00:29:45,532
Remember when l said
l was gonna write about you?

387
00:29:45,617 --> 00:29:47,409
Well, l did.

388
00:29:47,494 --> 00:29:51,371
When people heard that you were
just playing with two strings,

389
00:29:51,915 --> 00:29:54,500
some of them thought you might want
something better to work with.

390
00:29:54,584 --> 00:29:57,461
No. l can't cover that.

391
00:29:57,545 --> 00:29:59,129
You don't have to pay for it.

392
00:29:59,214 --> 00:30:01,173
-l'm sure it's a very beautiful instrument.
-Free and clear.

393
00:30:01,257 --> 00:30:03,300
People are very, very generous.

394
00:30:03,384 --> 00:30:04,551
But, look, here's the deal.

395
00:30:04,636 --> 00:30:07,221
lt's not safe for you to have something
this valuable on the streets. . .

396
00:30:07,305 --> 00:30:08,555
You don't have to worry
about that, Mr. Lopez.

397
00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:09,973
l've been mugged 1 4 times.

398
00:30:10,058 --> 00:30:11,725
l will fight to the death
to protect this instrument.

399
00:30:11,810 --> 00:30:13,310
Right, that's my point exactly.

400
00:30:13,394 --> 00:30:14,561
So, apparently there's a place

401
00:30:14,646 --> 00:30:16,480
that's a couple of blocks down
that's called Lamp.

402
00:30:16,564 --> 00:30:18,023
-l can't go. . . No, l can't go there.
-And l. . . Hold on.

403
00:30:18,107 --> 00:30:19,149
l can't go. . . No, l can't go there.

404
00:30:19,234 --> 00:30:20,192
-They smoke cigarettes.
-l talked to the guy.

405
00:30:20,276 --> 00:30:22,444
-He says you can keep it there.
-They drop the butts on the ground.

406
00:30:22,529 --> 00:30:24,571
They do it to torment me. They just. . .
They do it to torment me.

407
00:30:24,656 --> 00:30:27,407
That's the deal. You wanna play this,
you gotta do it there.

408
00:30:27,492 --> 00:30:29,785
-l can't do that.
-Oh, yeah.

409
00:30:34,791 --> 00:30:39,419
Except for this one time. Take it out
and give it a test drive or whatever.

410
00:30:39,921 --> 00:30:41,505
-So l can play it here?
-For a couple minutes,

411
00:30:41,589 --> 00:30:44,258
and then we're gonna bring it to Lamp.

412
00:31:02,819 --> 00:31:05,445
Laying in there like a pig in a blanket.

413
00:31:06,322 --> 00:31:08,574
Only. . . Only the greats.
Really, only the greats.

414
00:31:08,658 --> 00:31:11,159
Yo-Yo Ma, Jacqueline du Pré,

415
00:31:12,036 --> 00:31:15,122
and the coolest cucumber of them all is

416
00:31:15,206 --> 00:31:16,623
Janos Starker.

417
00:31:17,750 --> 00:31:21,461
Gotta put rosin on your bow.
lt's just like feeding a parakeet.

418
00:31:21,546 --> 00:31:25,299
A bow needs rosin
just like a police car needs prisoners.

419
00:35:08,189 --> 00:35:10,941
So pack it up. We'll bring it to Lamp,
you can get back at it.

420
00:35:11,025 --> 00:35:12,609
l haven't really gotten a chance
to know her yet.

421
00:35:12,693 --> 00:35:14,402
-So. . .
-l'm not saying you can't play.

422
00:35:14,487 --> 00:35:16,488
-You can. Just not here.
-This is the perfect music environment

423
00:35:16,572 --> 00:35:17,614
-for playing music.
-This?

424
00:35:17,698 --> 00:35:18,907
-No.
-Yes.

425
00:35:18,991 --> 00:35:20,408
This is a sidewalk, okay?

426
00:35:20,493 --> 00:35:23,120
-That's the deal. We made a deal.
-No, no, no. You'll break the bridge.

427
00:35:23,204 --> 00:35:25,789
-You'll put water in it, you'll drown her.
-That's what l'll do?

428
00:35:25,873 --> 00:35:26,873
-lt will be ruined.
-Why would l damage it?

429
00:35:26,958 --> 00:35:28,458
-l gave you the damn thing.
-lt won't play right ever,

430
00:35:28,543 --> 00:35:30,293
-because, Mr. Lopez, you'll ruin it.
-l'm not going to. . .

431
00:35:30,378 --> 00:35:31,419
l'm not gonna see you
get killed over this.

432
00:35:31,504 --> 00:35:33,463
You don't know what you're doing.
Let me put it away myself.

433
00:35:33,548 --> 00:35:35,257
Then put it away.

434
00:35:35,842 --> 00:35:37,467
Thank you.

435
00:35:39,720 --> 00:35:42,973
Because when you start
a relationship with somebody. . .

436
00:35:43,057 --> 00:35:44,850
-Don't make a big deal of it, okay?
-lt is a big deal.

437
00:35:44,934 --> 00:35:46,643
ln a minute,
you'll have it set up down at Lamp

438
00:35:46,727 --> 00:35:48,478
and be playing like you never stopped.

439
00:35:48,563 --> 00:35:49,646
-Right?
-lt's brand-new, this relationship.

440
00:35:49,730 --> 00:35:51,731
-l don't want this relationship to end.
-Do you know where it is?

441
00:35:51,816 --> 00:35:53,942
-No, l can't do that.
-Just leave that there. l'll drive you.

442
00:35:54,026 --> 00:35:55,152
l have my cart there.
l could get it in my cart.

443
00:35:55,236 --> 00:35:56,319
What are you doing?
You're gonna let go.

444
00:35:56,404 --> 00:35:57,445
-Just let your fingers go.
-Does anyone. . .

445
00:35:57,530 --> 00:35:58,530
Does anyone see
what he's doing right here?

446
00:35:58,614 --> 00:36:01,199
-He's stealing it.
-l'll. . . l'll meet you there.

447
00:36:01,284 --> 00:36:02,951
San Julian and 6th.

448
00:36:03,035 --> 00:36:04,411
All right?

449
00:36:05,121 --> 00:36:08,373
-l'll drive. You walk.
-l know where it is. . .

450
00:36:08,457 --> 00:36:10,417
See you in a half hour?

451
00:36:28,227 --> 00:36:30,187
For cash money
l got speed, man.

452
00:36:30,271 --> 00:36:31,563
l'm good.

453
00:36:42,617 --> 00:36:43,825
Jesus.

454
00:36:44,410 --> 00:36:45,619
Fine.

455
00:36:46,704 --> 00:36:48,496
Tennis shoes.

456
00:36:49,373 --> 00:36:50,832
Oh, boy.

457
00:37:10,937 --> 00:37:13,146
One at a time. One at a time.

458
00:37:20,780 --> 00:37:22,489
The pusher. Ten cents.

459
00:37:24,575 --> 00:37:26,993
-Say, hey, is David here?
-Yes?

460
00:37:29,038 --> 00:37:30,705
l'm here for David.

461
00:37:30,790 --> 00:37:32,040
-Who?
-David.

462
00:37:32,124 --> 00:37:34,084
David? l can go get him.

463
00:37:35,253 --> 00:37:36,503
Thanks.

464
00:37:39,548 --> 00:37:40,924
David !

465
00:37:41,008 --> 00:37:42,133
Hey.

466
00:37:52,728 --> 00:37:54,938
-Hi.
-Hi. You a volunteer?

467
00:37:55,022 --> 00:37:57,065
Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times.

468
00:37:57,149 --> 00:37:59,609
-Don't be scared. Come in.
-Thanks.

469
00:38:01,195 --> 00:38:02,612
Every staff has a key,

470
00:38:02,697 --> 00:38:05,532
so if he does come by and l'm not here,
then anybody can get it for him.

471
00:38:05,616 --> 00:38:06,950
-Well, he'll be here.
-Okay.

472
00:38:07,034 --> 00:38:08,034
He said he was coming.

473
00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:09,828
Can you sign in for me?

474
00:38:09,912 --> 00:38:11,538
-Sure.
-Thanks.

475
00:38:13,124 --> 00:38:14,416
-Afternoon.
-Hi. How are you?

476
00:38:15,126 --> 00:38:18,962
l mean, it's tired.
lt's like they can't find the medication

477
00:38:19,046 --> 00:38:21,464
that's right for me, you know?

478
00:38:21,549 --> 00:38:23,425
-You know what l'm trying to say?
-Yeah.

479
00:38:23,509 --> 00:38:26,094
When they put me on lithium,

480
00:38:26,178 --> 00:38:29,014
it was like a portion of my brain

481
00:38:29,098 --> 00:38:31,141
was fully functional.

482
00:38:31,892 --> 00:38:33,685
You know what l mean?

483
00:38:33,978 --> 00:38:36,354
Because it's like when l take
the lithium and everything,

484
00:38:36,439 --> 00:38:39,816
it totally eliminates
the voices in my mind

485
00:38:39,900 --> 00:38:41,693
when they first start rising up,

486
00:38:41,777 --> 00:38:44,362
you know, and it stops them, right there.

487
00:38:44,447 --> 00:38:46,406
l don't like that,
because they just stop them.

488
00:38:46,490 --> 00:38:49,743
Because, see, sometimes
those voices comfort me.

489
00:38:49,827 --> 00:38:53,580
And when they comfort me,
if they give me all this lithium,

490
00:38:53,664 --> 00:38:56,291
then l no longer have the voices
to comfort me.

491
00:38:56,375 --> 00:38:57,667
You understand what l'm saying?

492
00:38:57,752 --> 00:38:59,210
Do you feel what l'm saying to you?

493
00:39:05,217 --> 00:39:06,968
-You mind if l sit here?
-Not at all.

494
00:39:07,053 --> 00:39:08,053
All right.

495
00:39:08,137 --> 00:39:10,138
-l'm Steve.
-l'm Steve, too.

496
00:39:10,222 --> 00:39:11,514
Oh, boy. Hi.

497
00:39:11,599 --> 00:39:14,893
-l knew l picked the right spot.
-Yeah, you're good.

498
00:39:17,855 --> 00:39:20,357
So are you a new Lamp staff, or. . .

499
00:39:20,941 --> 00:39:24,152
-No. l'm just waiting for somebody.
-Okay.

500
00:39:28,449 --> 00:39:30,450
l just try to keep Leeann happy.

501
00:39:30,534 --> 00:39:34,120
He is a bright spot in my life.
We value the same things.

502
00:39:35,247 --> 00:39:36,623
And we're comfortable together.

503
00:39:36,707 --> 00:39:40,168
Thank you, Leeann.
That's so nice to hear you say that.

504
00:39:41,545 --> 00:39:43,129
l call him Piggy Boy and stuff like that,

505
00:39:43,214 --> 00:39:45,882
but l shouldn't,
because he's in a bad shape.

506
00:39:45,966 --> 00:39:48,051
We thought his problem was cocaine.

507
00:39:48,135 --> 00:39:50,178
-But it was pancreatic cancer.
-Yeah?

508
00:39:50,262 --> 00:39:53,556
KK's French, Egyptian,
and African-American,

509
00:39:53,641 --> 00:39:55,433
and l am a quarter French.

510
00:39:55,518 --> 00:39:57,894
l know about disease.
l know how to treat it.

511
00:39:57,978 --> 00:40:00,772
Now l understand people.
l can help so many people fast,

512
00:40:00,856 --> 00:40:01,898
and l can comfort them.

513
00:40:01,982 --> 00:40:05,360
They've got ltalian nurses, 6'4",
in the county hospital.

514
00:40:05,444 --> 00:40:07,487
And one of them talked to me
like l was trash.

515
00:40:07,571 --> 00:40:11,741
Now, this is probably that the hour
of power that the Bible speaks of,

516
00:40:11,826 --> 00:40:14,786
somebody who speaks a harsh
language, will have what the computer. . .

517
00:40:14,870 --> 00:40:16,204
The computer is probably the beast.

518
00:40:16,288 --> 00:40:18,164
My aunt ended up with
1 6 shock treatments

519
00:40:18,249 --> 00:40:19,374
because she didn't want to go to bed

520
00:40:19,458 --> 00:40:20,667
with her sex-crazed husband.

521
00:40:20,751 --> 00:40:23,253
He was paying call girls $1 00 apiece,

522
00:40:23,337 --> 00:40:24,587
going to bed with them
and coming home

523
00:40:24,672 --> 00:40:26,297
and giving my aunt all kinds of diseases.

524
00:40:26,382 --> 00:40:28,425
l got sick. l was working over there.

525
00:40:28,509 --> 00:40:31,886
And l got sicker than a dog one day.
l got an infection in my esophagus.

526
00:40:31,971 --> 00:40:35,140
The neighbor's dog was sick one day
and the only thing l had on hand

527
00:40:35,224 --> 00:40:37,976
was a packet of tetracycline
for my chickens.

528
00:40:38,060 --> 00:40:41,604
So they wouldn't. . . They were too busy
to treat her at the moment.

529
00:40:41,689 --> 00:40:43,064
-You're fantastic.
-They'd already given her. . .

530
00:40:52,992 --> 00:40:55,785
lce cold. lce cold.

531
00:40:55,870 --> 00:40:58,246
"Points West" by Steve Lopez.

532
00:40:59,373 --> 00:41:03,543
l put Nathaniel's new instruments
in safekeeping and waited.

533
00:41:06,005 --> 00:41:08,882
Fifteen minutes.
Thirty minutes. An hour.

534
00:41:11,635 --> 00:41:14,971
Too long, in fact,
'cause guess what, schmuck,

535
00:41:15,514 --> 00:41:17,932
you got a deadline tomorrow.

536
00:41:19,268 --> 00:41:22,645
And the story of a guy not showing up

537
00:41:22,730 --> 00:41:24,397
is not a story.

538
00:41:26,275 --> 00:41:28,776
Nathaniel. Nathaniel. Nathaniel.

539
00:41:48,672 --> 00:41:49,923
Okay.

540
00:42:08,400 --> 00:42:11,819
So, you guys are basically united
by non-belief.

541
00:42:12,571 --> 00:42:14,405
-That's right.
-Yeah.

542
00:42:14,490 --> 00:42:16,449
So, do you non-gather?

543
00:42:17,159 --> 00:42:18,701
And non-worship?

544
00:42:18,786 --> 00:42:20,662
We tried, but. . .

545
00:42:22,498 --> 00:42:25,291
-You're not allowed to talk about it.
-Yeah.

546
00:42:25,376 --> 00:42:28,002
-Now we have a website.
-Swell.

547
00:42:31,674 --> 00:42:33,508
Anything else you don't believe in?

548
00:42:33,592 --> 00:42:35,051
-Sorry.
-Yeah, actually. . .

549
00:42:35,135 --> 00:42:36,844
-Sorry.
-Okay.

550
00:42:36,929 --> 00:42:39,097
-Lopez.
-Can you hear this?

551
00:42:39,181 --> 00:42:40,306
Sorry, can't hear you.

552
00:42:40,391 --> 00:42:42,559
l said, can you hear this?

553
00:42:57,575 --> 00:43:00,577
This family thinks it can have
this conversation at every step.

554
00:43:58,135 --> 00:43:59,677
This is my apartment.
This is my apartment.

555
00:43:59,762 --> 00:44:00,928
This is my apartment.

556
00:44:01,013 --> 00:44:03,598
Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Junior.
N-A-T-H-A. . .

557
00:44:34,046 --> 00:44:36,339
-l need Charles for the practice.
-. . .because you're so good.

558
00:44:36,423 --> 00:44:39,550
l am so good, but l still have
to tweak things so l can win.

559
00:44:39,843 --> 00:44:43,012
There's a fine line in performances.

560
00:44:43,097 --> 00:44:45,556
-l mean, l can't let her beat me.
-l really have to practice.

561
00:44:46,016 --> 00:44:47,266
Half an hour is all it takes for me.

562
00:44:47,351 --> 00:44:48,893
Half an hour.

563
00:44:51,188 --> 00:44:53,398
Nathaniel.

564
00:44:55,275 --> 00:44:57,527
-Nathaniel.
-Nathaniel.

565
00:44:57,611 --> 00:44:59,904
-Nathaniel.
-Nathaniel?

566
00:44:59,988 --> 00:45:01,989
-Nathaniel.
-Nathaniel.

567
00:45:02,074 --> 00:45:06,327
-Nathaniel Ayers.
-Nathaniel.

568
00:45:06,412 --> 00:45:08,454
-Nathaniel. Nathaniel.
-Nathaniel.

569
00:45:08,789 --> 00:45:09,831
-Ayers!
-Nathaniel!

570
00:45:09,957 --> 00:45:12,750
Ma, l'm good, honestly, it's just that. . .

571
00:45:13,627 --> 00:45:15,920
-l'm real proud of you, baby.
-Thank you.

572
00:45:16,004 --> 00:45:21,300
lt's just that l'm not always so sure
l know what's going on, and. . .

573
00:45:21,677 --> 00:45:23,761
You are gonna be fine.

574
00:45:24,346 --> 00:45:26,055
lt's so frightening, and. . .

575
00:45:26,140 --> 00:45:29,642
And l'm having trouble
differentiating certain things.

576
00:45:29,727 --> 00:45:32,228
Keeping things separated.

577
00:45:32,646 --> 00:45:35,898
lf you'd like to make a call,
please hang up and try again.

578
00:45:35,983 --> 00:45:37,108
lf you need help...

579
00:45:44,366 --> 00:45:46,868
-That's where your pain will start.
-Nathaniel.

580
00:45:48,662 --> 00:45:51,414
-Nathaniel. Nathaniel.
-Paint your chest white.

581
00:45:51,498 --> 00:45:53,249
Protect her from the pain.

582
00:45:53,375 --> 00:45:54,417
Nathaniel.

583
00:45:54,501 --> 00:45:57,003
l'll be here to protect you from the pain.

584
00:45:57,087 --> 00:45:59,630
-l'll protect you from the pain.
-l'll protect you from the pain.

585
00:45:59,715 --> 00:46:01,174
l'll protect you from the pain.

586
00:46:01,258 --> 00:46:04,093
l'll protect you from their eyes and ears.

587
00:46:04,178 --> 00:46:05,762
Nathaniel.

588
00:46:05,846 --> 00:46:08,431
Are you finding this piece to be
beyond your abilities?

589
00:46:08,515 --> 00:46:10,516
They're listening to you, Nathaniel.

590
00:46:10,601 --> 00:46:12,685
They can hear your thoughts, Nathaniel.

591
00:46:12,770 --> 00:46:15,813
-l can hear your thoughts, Nathaniel.
-Well, then l suggest you do better.

592
00:46:15,898 --> 00:46:18,065
They can hear your thoughts, Nathaniel.

593
00:46:18,150 --> 00:46:20,067
-Don't think, NathanieI.
-Bar 1 79, ladies and gentlemen.

594
00:46:30,871 --> 00:46:32,413
-Run away, Nathaniel.
-Run away, Nathaniel.

595
00:46:32,498 --> 00:46:34,248
Run away, Nathaniel.

596
00:46:34,333 --> 00:46:36,542
-Come on. Run.
-You should run.

597
00:46:36,627 --> 00:46:38,294
-You'II have to hide, NathanieI.
-Run!

598
00:46:38,378 --> 00:46:40,797
-You'll never get out of there.
-You'll never get out of there.

599
00:46:40,881 --> 00:46:43,633
-Run! Run! Run!
-You'll never get out.

600
00:46:43,717 --> 00:46:46,052
-Quick, like a jackrabbit.
-Nathaniel.

601
00:46:46,136 --> 00:46:48,095
They're white, heartless, aren't they?

602
00:46:48,180 --> 00:46:49,347
-Heartless.
-Hide.

603
00:46:49,431 --> 00:46:50,723
Hide for me here, NathanieI.

604
00:46:51,350 --> 00:46:53,267
We see you, Nathaniel.

605
00:46:53,352 --> 00:46:55,144
-They'll see you, Nathaniel.
-Whiteness.

606
00:46:55,229 --> 00:46:56,646
-There's no hiding, Nathaniel.
-Whiteness.

607
00:46:57,064 --> 00:46:58,231
You'll never hide well enough.

608
00:46:58,315 --> 00:46:59,482
-...turn you white...
-Whiteness!

609
00:46:59,566 --> 00:47:01,651
-No hiding for you, Nathaniel.
-Whiteness. Whiteness.

610
00:47:01,735 --> 00:47:03,236
Whiteness.

611
00:47:34,309 --> 00:47:36,477
You'll take it,
because l want my out.

612
00:47:36,562 --> 00:47:38,521
Detroit? Anger management.

613
00:47:38,605 --> 00:47:40,147
lt's amazing, right?

614
00:47:40,232 --> 00:47:41,691
Does it look like
l need some anger management to you?

615
00:47:41,775 --> 00:47:43,442
Yeah. Man, l'll take him any day.

616
00:47:43,527 --> 00:47:45,695
He quiets everybody down.

617
00:47:45,779 --> 00:47:49,073
-What does he have, schizophrenia?
-l don't know.

618
00:47:50,200 --> 00:47:54,412
Well, we should hook him up with
psychiatric services and find out, right?

619
00:47:54,496 --> 00:47:57,415
Yeah, l don't get
too hung up on diagnosis.

620
00:47:57,916 --> 00:47:59,876
What do you mean?

621
00:47:59,960 --> 00:48:00,918
What do l mean?

622
00:48:01,003 --> 00:48:05,047
But how do you help somebody
if you don't know what they have?

623
00:48:05,549 --> 00:48:07,216
Look at these people.

624
00:48:07,301 --> 00:48:10,219
Everyone one of them's been diagnosed
more than you can imagine.

625
00:48:10,304 --> 00:48:12,471
And as far as l can tell,
it hasn't done them any good.

626
00:48:12,681 --> 00:48:15,057
But he needs medication, right?

627
00:48:15,142 --> 00:48:17,768
l'll tell you one thing he doesn't need.

628
00:48:17,853 --> 00:48:20,980
One more person telling him
he needs medication.

629
00:48:25,235 --> 00:48:27,737
Son of a bitch.

630
00:48:27,821 --> 00:48:29,530
-Where'd he go?
-Who?

631
00:48:29,615 --> 00:48:31,908
-Nathaniel.
-Don't ask me, dude.

632
00:48:35,662 --> 00:48:37,371
-Thanks, Steve.
-You're welcome, Steve.

633
00:48:40,584 --> 00:48:43,669
-Keep walking. Keep walking !
-There's a cop over there.

634
00:48:43,754 --> 00:48:46,422
-He'll shoot a nigga with a pop.
-You got that cheese, huh?

635
00:48:46,506 --> 00:48:49,383
-You're right about that cheese.
-Hold on, hold on. Hold up.

636
00:48:50,385 --> 00:48:51,761
Hey, wait!

637
00:48:52,387 --> 00:48:54,347
Want to buy some candy?

638
00:49:55,367 --> 00:49:57,076
Five-o. Five-o.

639
00:49:59,705 --> 00:50:01,747
No way this is gonna be. . .

640
00:50:02,749 --> 00:50:04,333
That boy's not the real police.

641
00:50:04,418 --> 00:50:07,712
Oh, man.
Hell, man. Where's my piece at, nigga?

642
00:50:54,301 --> 00:50:55,551
Back up.

643
00:50:57,179 --> 00:50:58,220
l went over to the library.

644
00:50:58,305 --> 00:50:59,597
l thought l might pick up
some sheet music.

645
00:50:59,681 --> 00:51:01,724
Sonata Number 1 , F Major, Opus 5,

646
00:51:01,808 --> 00:51:04,769
Sonata Number 2 in A Major,
Opus 69 for String Quartet.

647
00:51:04,853 --> 00:51:06,187
What happened?
Somebody get beat up?

648
00:51:06,271 --> 00:51:07,271
Overdose, l think.

649
00:51:07,647 --> 00:51:10,024
The other night, someone. . .
There was a beating over here.

650
00:51:10,108 --> 00:51:13,235
Someone got bones rearranged
in their face. lt was just crazy.

651
00:51:13,320 --> 00:51:17,156
l don't understand why anybody
would do something like that.

652
00:51:17,240 --> 00:51:19,533
-This where you sleep?
-l used to sleep on Wall Street,

653
00:51:19,618 --> 00:51:21,452
but it's too dirty.

654
00:51:37,844 --> 00:51:41,013
You know, Mr. Lopez, my vision. . .

655
00:51:41,098 --> 00:51:43,599
l hate to admit it, but l'm gonna have
to be like Beethoven.

656
00:51:43,683 --> 00:51:47,853
Just do what he did and just die.
Thank you, Mr. Lopez.

657
00:51:48,855 --> 00:51:50,397
My vision is not far-off stuff,

658
00:51:50,482 --> 00:51:52,900
just basically getting
across the street safely.

659
00:51:52,984 --> 00:51:54,443
Honor thy father and mother,
and then, hopefully,

660
00:51:54,528 --> 00:51:57,363
the music will take care of itself.

661
00:51:57,447 --> 00:51:58,739
That's really all you can do.

662
00:51:58,824 --> 00:52:00,157
l mean, when you think about it,

663
00:52:00,242 --> 00:52:02,409
there's not much that
you can do other than that.

664
00:52:02,494 --> 00:52:05,204
-Would you care for a drink?
-l'm fine.

665
00:52:06,915 --> 00:52:08,374
Thanks.

666
00:52:10,377 --> 00:52:13,712
Gotta tuck this guy in here,
nice and safe.

667
00:52:14,005 --> 00:52:17,383
Put that down there.
Make sure this corner. . .

668
00:52:17,467 --> 00:52:18,509
You can rest on this.

669
00:52:24,307 --> 00:52:27,476
Do you think of writers often, Mr. Lopez?

670
00:52:27,561 --> 00:52:31,105
Do you think of writers
the way l think about musicians?

671
00:52:34,234 --> 00:52:37,570
l write for a living,

672
00:52:37,654 --> 00:52:40,739
and it's not like it used to be.

673
00:52:42,075 --> 00:52:43,868
l love thinking about musicians.

674
00:52:43,952 --> 00:52:48,581
l imagine Beethoven and Mozart
in that window where the light is,

675
00:52:48,665 --> 00:52:51,667
and they just hunger and they thirst
like we do.

676
00:52:53,044 --> 00:52:54,587
lt's angelic.

677
00:52:56,840 --> 00:52:59,091
l believe these children of God are
gonna be okay tonight.

678
00:52:59,176 --> 00:53:02,094
They're gonna sleep and dream
as humans do.

679
00:53:27,871 --> 00:53:29,288
Our Father,

680
00:53:32,959 --> 00:53:35,586
who art in Heaven,

681
00:53:35,670 --> 00:53:37,546
hallowed be thy name.

682
00:53:38,798 --> 00:53:40,591
Thy kingdom come,

683
00:53:42,427 --> 00:53:44,386
thy will be done,

684
00:53:45,764 --> 00:53:48,724
on earth as it is in heaven.

685
00:54:03,073 --> 00:54:04,949
Give us this day our daily bread...

686
00:54:05,033 --> 00:54:06,617
Just keep it coming. There's plenty.

687
00:54:06,701 --> 00:54:10,871
And forgive us our trespasses,

688
00:54:10,956 --> 00:54:13,999
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.

689
00:54:19,881 --> 00:54:21,173
l knew only part of his story.

690
00:54:21,258 --> 00:54:24,468
l knew him playing the violin
on a dairy crate in the morning sun,

691
00:54:24,552 --> 00:54:28,973
suspended somewhere between
boy genius and lost traveler.

692
00:54:31,226 --> 00:54:33,811
Every night, my friend Nathaniel tucks
his instruments away

693
00:54:33,895 --> 00:54:36,230
and lays his head
among the predators and hustlers,

694
00:54:36,314 --> 00:54:39,316
among fallen drunks
sprawled in the streets,

695
00:54:39,401 --> 00:54:44,238
as rats the size of meatloaves dart
out of the drains to feed off the squalor.

696
00:54:50,453 --> 00:54:54,290
...lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

697
00:54:54,374 --> 00:54:58,377
For thine is the kingdom,

698
00:54:59,796 --> 00:55:02,631
the power and the glory,

699
00:55:06,219 --> 00:55:07,720
forever.

700
00:55:10,432 --> 00:55:11,515
Forever and ever.

701
00:55:11,599 --> 00:55:15,477
l tell him this is no place for him.
He says he wants to be here.

702
00:55:15,562 --> 00:55:18,272
He says this is his choice.

703
00:55:18,356 --> 00:55:22,276
ShouId I take him at his word,
or should l try to force him inside?

704
00:55:22,360 --> 00:55:25,446
Wouldn't a little arm-twisting be
more humane

705
00:55:25,530 --> 00:55:27,031
than leaving him here on the streets

706
00:55:27,115 --> 00:55:31,076
in this lost colony of broken,
helpless souls?

707
00:55:32,412 --> 00:55:34,913
l hope you sleep well, Mr. Lopez.

708
00:55:37,667 --> 00:55:40,502
l hope the whole world sleeps well.

709
00:55:53,391 --> 00:55:55,517
A-D-A-M C-R-A-N-E.
He wants to meet you.

710
00:55:55,602 --> 00:55:56,602
Who?

711
00:55:56,686 --> 00:55:59,772
The guy from the Los Angeles
Philharmonic, Adam Crane.

712
00:55:59,856 --> 00:56:01,523
Wondering if you wanna come
hear a concert

713
00:56:01,608 --> 00:56:05,027
at Disney Hall some time as his guest.

714
00:56:05,111 --> 00:56:06,695
They're doing Beethoven.

715
00:56:06,780 --> 00:56:10,532
-Ludwig van?
-Beethoven, all season long.

716
00:56:10,617 --> 00:56:12,201
They got one coming up. The Third.

717
00:56:12,285 --> 00:56:15,287
-Well, what's the date today?
-No, the Third Symphony.

718
00:56:17,791 --> 00:56:19,416
l'll cause a scene.
l don't wanna cause a scene.

719
00:56:19,501 --> 00:56:20,918
l don't wanna stick out
or anything like that.

720
00:56:21,002 --> 00:56:23,796
So it's just. . .
lt's impossible. lt can't happen.

721
00:56:28,009 --> 00:56:30,928
What if l could get us in for a rehearsal?

722
00:56:43,650 --> 00:56:45,484
Nathaniel, let's go.

723
00:56:45,568 --> 00:56:46,735
What l did with the keys right here. . .

724
00:56:46,820 --> 00:56:48,028
Come on. Lock up the cart.

725
00:56:48,113 --> 00:56:49,488
-No. You know what, Mr. Lopez?
-Come on, we gotta go.

726
00:56:49,572 --> 00:56:50,739
l can't leave my stuff here
with these rascals.

727
00:56:50,824 --> 00:56:51,907
They can't be trusted.
They'll do anything.

728
00:56:51,991 --> 00:56:54,201
Oh, no. We have an entire orchestra
waiting for us. We are gonna go.

729
00:56:54,285 --> 00:56:55,536
They have drug addicts
and cigarette smokers here,

730
00:56:55,620 --> 00:56:56,787
and they will steal all of what l have.

731
00:56:56,871 --> 00:56:58,372
-No one is going to steal your shit.
-l can't leave it.

732
00:56:58,456 --> 00:56:59,623
No, no. We have to get in touch
with the mayor. . .

733
00:56:59,707 --> 00:57:01,166
-Nathaniel, it's garbage.
-. . .Antonio Villaraigosa. . .

734
00:57:01,251 --> 00:57:02,918
-. . .or the president.
-No one is gonna steal this garbage.

735
00:57:03,002 --> 00:57:04,336
-ln the corner. . .
-No, no, no, Mr. Lopez,

736
00:57:04,421 --> 00:57:05,879
l'm not gonna be
able to make it up there.

737
00:57:05,964 --> 00:57:07,089
Okay. Oh, boy.

738
00:57:07,173 --> 00:57:09,425
Fantasia. Walt Disney Hall.
Donald Duck.

739
00:57:09,551 --> 00:57:11,009
l have to deal with things here

740
00:57:11,094 --> 00:57:13,929
because l wouldn't leave a dog
with these people here.

741
00:57:14,013 --> 00:57:15,139
Right. Okay. Fine.

742
00:57:15,223 --> 00:57:16,598
A cockroach does not tell a greyhound
what to do.

743
00:57:16,683 --> 00:57:21,270
lt's fine! Do you understand? lt's fine.

744
00:57:21,354 --> 00:57:24,982
l do not give a smooth fart
if we go or not. Do you understand?

745
00:57:25,066 --> 00:57:27,818
There are a million other things
l could be doing right now.

746
00:57:27,902 --> 00:57:29,945
Obligations,
things that people pay me to do.

747
00:57:30,029 --> 00:57:32,781
l have a job. l'm a professional person.

748
00:57:46,796 --> 00:57:48,297
-Sorry.
-All right.

749
00:57:48,381 --> 00:57:49,590
What?

750
00:57:51,718 --> 00:57:54,386
Still not gonna leave my cart here.

751
00:57:56,973 --> 00:57:58,223
Okay.

752
00:58:00,393 --> 00:58:01,435
Pick a side.

753
00:58:01,728 --> 00:58:04,646
The company is offering you
a very generous exit package.

754
00:58:04,731 --> 00:58:05,731
Yeah.

755
00:58:05,815 --> 00:58:08,442
-l understand how difficult this is.
-Wait!

756
00:58:09,194 --> 00:58:10,194
Right.

757
00:58:10,278 --> 00:58:13,655
Unfortunately, this is the reality
of our business.

758
00:58:16,242 --> 00:58:19,203
Nathaniel, hard left
coming up right here.

759
00:58:36,596 --> 00:58:37,804
Mr. Lopez, are you okay?

760
00:58:49,776 --> 00:58:52,528
How long has it been
since you've been in a concert hall?

761
00:58:58,743 --> 00:59:00,327
This is great.

762
00:59:02,372 --> 00:59:03,580
There's the conductor.

763
00:59:12,298 --> 00:59:15,467
-Just us.
-Yeah, just us.

764
00:59:16,928 --> 00:59:19,012
lt's the way it should be.

765
01:01:34,982 --> 01:01:38,151
-He's in the room.
-Who is?

766
01:01:38,236 --> 01:01:39,611
Beethoven.

767
01:01:44,117 --> 01:01:45,283
Sing the hate out!

768
01:01:47,245 --> 01:01:48,453
Stop.

769
01:01:48,663 --> 01:01:50,872
-All right.
-Strong finish !

770
01:01:50,957 --> 01:01:51,957
Get up there.

771
01:01:55,795 --> 01:01:58,714
l'm telling you,
it was such an unbelievable experience,

772
01:01:58,798 --> 01:02:01,967
the whole thing, the whole day.

773
01:02:02,051 --> 01:02:06,430
And if you had seen him,
if you could have felt him. . .

774
01:02:06,514 --> 01:02:07,806
l mean, it's the same hall.

775
01:02:07,890 --> 01:02:11,101
We're listening to the same
goddamn music, but. . . But no.

776
01:02:11,185 --> 01:02:13,103
You see him, it's one thing,
but you feel him. . .

777
01:02:13,187 --> 01:02:14,855
l'm watching him.
He's watching the music.

778
01:02:14,939 --> 01:02:16,606
And while they're playing, l say,

779
01:02:16,691 --> 01:02:19,067
"My God, there is something
higher out there.

780
01:02:19,152 --> 01:02:21,987
"Something higher out there,
and he lives in it, and he's with it."

781
01:02:22,071 --> 01:02:25,574
l've never even experienced it,
but l can tell. . .

782
01:02:25,658 --> 01:02:28,869
l don't even know
what you fucking call it.

783
01:02:28,953 --> 01:02:32,247
-Grace.
-What? What is it?

784
01:02:32,331 --> 01:02:35,917
-Grace.
-All right. That's grace?

785
01:02:36,002 --> 01:02:39,212
-Yeah.
-Thank you. Yeah.

786
01:02:44,427 --> 01:02:46,803
To be there with him like that

787
01:02:46,888 --> 01:02:50,599
and see the way that he is transported.
He surrenders.

788
01:02:51,601 --> 01:02:53,226
Damn it, honey.

789
01:02:53,311 --> 01:02:57,230
l mean, l've never loved anything
the way that he loves music.

790
01:03:01,903 --> 01:03:06,031
Hey, come on.
l'm thinking about my day.

791
01:03:06,115 --> 01:03:07,824
l'm thinking about my day.
l wasn't thinking about you.

792
01:03:07,909 --> 01:03:10,202
That l believe, honey.

793
01:03:11,412 --> 01:03:12,746
Call the mayor.
He's been trying to reach you.

794
01:03:12,830 --> 01:03:14,456
-Which mayor?
-The mayor!

795
01:03:14,540 --> 01:03:16,082
Okay.

796
01:03:28,513 --> 01:03:29,554
Call the mayor.

797
01:03:31,557 --> 01:03:32,682
Thank you.

798
01:03:32,767 --> 01:03:35,602
"Points West" by Frank Sinatra.

799
01:03:35,686 --> 01:03:38,563
Every now and then,
in this city of innumerable wrongs,

800
01:03:38,648 --> 01:03:40,482
the powers that be get things right.

801
01:03:40,566 --> 01:03:43,360
Los Angeles has
the ignominious distinction

802
01:03:43,444 --> 01:03:45,695
of being the homeless capital
of the nation,

803
01:03:45,780 --> 01:03:48,448
and skid row is
ground zero of the crisis.

804
01:03:49,575 --> 01:03:51,827
So, l am pleased to announce

805
01:03:51,911 --> 01:03:55,622
that l am increasing the city's
financial commitment to this area

806
01:03:55,706 --> 01:03:57,666
by $50 million.

807
01:03:58,751 --> 01:03:59,793
Every now and then,

808
01:03:59,877 --> 01:04:03,839
the words l write do not leap
straight from this page to the ether.

809
01:04:03,923 --> 01:04:06,716
lnstead, every now and then,

810
01:04:06,801 --> 01:04:09,928
they reach the right reader
at the right time.

811
01:04:11,013 --> 01:04:13,849
Every now and then,
the hearts, minds and waIIets

812
01:04:13,933 --> 01:04:16,935
of the city's officials
open simultaneously.

813
01:04:17,687 --> 01:04:20,480
And when that happens,
every now and then,

814
01:04:21,941 --> 01:04:24,943
the city is a better place for it.

815
01:04:25,027 --> 01:04:27,279
-Steve.
-Yeah?

816
01:04:27,363 --> 01:04:29,573
Your boyfriend is downstairs.

817
01:04:32,827 --> 01:04:34,286
Thank you.

818
01:04:35,955 --> 01:04:37,455
That's funny.

819
01:04:44,672 --> 01:04:47,173
-Nathaniel? You all right?
-l'm good.

820
01:04:47,258 --> 01:04:48,884
-Yeah?
-Yeah.

821
01:04:48,968 --> 01:04:49,968
You need something?

822
01:04:50,052 --> 01:04:51,595
A man only needs
what he can carry, Mr. Lopez,

823
01:04:51,679 --> 01:04:53,847
and l have all l can carry right here.
l have my bedding.

824
01:04:53,931 --> 01:04:55,682
-l have my drums. l have my flower.
-Yeah. Okay.

825
01:04:55,766 --> 01:04:58,143
-l have my water bottle. l have it all.
-Hey, listen, listen. Listen.

826
01:04:58,227 --> 01:05:00,061
You can't hang out here.

827
01:05:00,146 --> 01:05:03,064
-l can't?
-You can't hang out here.

828
01:05:03,149 --> 01:05:05,317
You can't. Sorry.

829
01:05:05,401 --> 01:05:08,695
l don't mind that at all, Mr. Lopez.
Not at all.

830
01:05:08,779 --> 01:05:12,657
You understand, right?
lt's a. . . lt's a thing. Policy.

831
01:05:16,162 --> 01:05:19,581
-l'll be over here if you need me.
-Over there?

832
01:05:20,666 --> 01:05:23,084
Okay. You all right?

833
01:05:25,963 --> 01:05:28,506
Yeah, l just. . . You know, l. . . Yeah.

834
01:05:30,509 --> 01:05:32,260
Sorry. l gotta. . .

835
01:05:35,431 --> 01:05:38,516
All right, Mr. Lopez, l completely
understand that you're working.

836
01:05:38,601 --> 01:05:41,102
You're working. You have to work.
People have to work.

837
01:05:41,187 --> 01:05:43,396
All right, get out of the way
when people are working,

838
01:05:43,481 --> 01:05:44,814
because you don't wanna
stand out there

839
01:05:44,899 --> 01:05:46,983
in front of people,
especially not Mr. Lopez.

840
01:05:47,068 --> 01:05:49,778
You stand in front of Mr. Lopez,
he's gonna tell you to get out of here.

841
01:05:49,862 --> 01:05:51,780
So, it's a lot of work.

842
01:05:52,865 --> 01:05:55,450
-l think he's good. You know, l really do.
-l'm sure...

843
01:05:55,534 --> 01:05:59,496
l mean, l just. . . This is great.
l think. . . l think it'll really help.

844
01:05:59,580 --> 01:06:01,498
l feel like you are exactly what he needs.

845
01:06:01,582 --> 01:06:02,624
Well, thank you.

846
01:06:02,708 --> 01:06:04,876
-Does that make sense?
-Yes, it does.

847
01:06:06,796 --> 01:06:10,090
-Graham Claydon. Thank you.
-At your service.

848
01:06:11,300 --> 01:06:14,386
All we need is a place for them to meet
and rehearse, like an apartment.

849
01:06:14,512 --> 01:06:16,471
You're asking for an apartment
for Nathaniel?

850
01:06:16,555 --> 01:06:19,641
-Yeah.
-Does he want an apartment? Thanks.

851
01:06:19,725 --> 01:06:23,311
-Yes.
-And he told you this?

852
01:06:23,396 --> 01:06:26,314
-Yes.
-You're so full of shit, Lopez.

853
01:06:26,774 --> 01:06:28,984
-l don't want an apartment.
-Good, 'cause it's not.

854
01:06:29,068 --> 01:06:30,485
lt's actually a music studio

855
01:06:30,569 --> 01:06:32,362
for Mr. Claydon to give you
the cello lessons.

856
01:06:32,446 --> 01:06:34,322
Well, why don't we have Mr. Claydon
come down here?

857
01:06:34,407 --> 01:06:35,532
This is a perfect place to play in,
the tunnel.

858
01:06:35,616 --> 01:06:36,616
No, Mr. Claydon doesn't like tunnels.

859
01:06:36,701 --> 01:06:38,159
We'll just have Mr. Claydon come here
to do the lesson.

860
01:06:38,244 --> 01:06:39,661
-He says it has to be quiet.
-Well. . .

861
01:06:39,745 --> 01:06:41,913
lt has to be quiet for the cello lessons,
so your apartment. . .

862
01:06:41,998 --> 01:06:42,998
lt's not my apartment.

863
01:06:43,082 --> 01:06:45,000
l know. l know. The apartment
that belongs to no one.

864
01:06:45,084 --> 01:06:46,876
l don't have an apartment.
l don't wanna be in an apartment.

865
01:06:46,961 --> 01:06:48,044
l don't need an apartment.

866
01:06:48,129 --> 01:06:49,295
Beethoven lives out
in the freshness of the air.

867
01:06:49,380 --> 01:06:50,380
Nathaniel, the apartment
is not the point.

868
01:06:50,464 --> 01:06:51,715
He's the leader of Los Angeles.

869
01:06:51,799 --> 01:06:53,675
-lt's an opportunity.
-"Angeles" means "angels." You can't. . .

870
01:06:53,759 --> 01:06:55,427
-You can't hold down angels.
-Do you want the opportunity?

871
01:06:55,511 --> 01:06:56,511
-You can't clip angels.
-Stop.

872
01:06:56,595 --> 01:07:00,432
-Do you want an opportunity or not?
-Do you have an apartment?

873
01:07:04,854 --> 01:07:07,105
No. l have a house.

874
01:07:15,740 --> 01:07:18,783
So angry. Yelling.

875
01:07:19,744 --> 01:07:21,661
lt doesn't make sense.

876
01:07:45,352 --> 01:07:47,854
-Do you have a family?
-What?

877
01:07:47,938 --> 01:07:49,898
Are you a married man?

878
01:07:51,275 --> 01:07:53,485
-ls there a Mrs. Steve Lopez?
-No.

879
01:07:55,321 --> 01:07:59,574
l did. Mary. But we split up.

880
01:08:01,243 --> 01:08:04,579
We have a son, Thomas.
He's in college now.

881
01:08:04,663 --> 01:08:08,291
Mr. Steve Lopez, Mr. Thomas
Steve Lopez, Mrs. Mary Steve Lopez.

882
01:08:08,375 --> 01:08:12,253
Not Mrs. Lopez. Mary Weston.

883
01:08:12,338 --> 01:08:17,133
-Mrs. Mary Weston Steve Lopez.
-No. Just Mary Weston. Period.

884
01:08:17,218 --> 01:08:21,221
We were married. We're not anymore,
so now she's just Mary.

885
01:08:21,305 --> 01:08:25,225
You were married to Mary,
but you're not married to Mary anymore.

886
01:08:25,309 --> 01:08:28,269
Correct. Don't ask me how.

887
01:08:30,648 --> 01:08:34,275
Mrs. Floria Ayers, Miss Jennifer Ayers.

888
01:08:34,360 --> 01:08:37,112
And then there was
Mr. Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Sr.

889
01:08:37,196 --> 01:08:39,405
He was a big man. He had big hands.

890
01:08:39,490 --> 01:08:42,700
l have very small hands.

891
01:08:42,785 --> 01:08:45,578
Fit around a violin, a cello.

892
01:08:48,207 --> 01:08:51,209
Mr. Ayers was a big man,
but he wasn't a god.

893
01:08:53,129 --> 01:08:55,130
l have my god.

894
01:08:55,214 --> 01:08:56,631
Mr. Steve Lopez.

895
01:08:56,715 --> 01:08:57,674
Oh, boy.

896
01:08:57,758 --> 01:08:59,259
Yeah, you're my god.
Flying around high.

897
01:08:59,343 --> 01:09:01,010
-You're my god.
-l'm not comfortable being your god.

898
01:09:01,095 --> 01:09:02,387
Mr. Steve Lopez, staff writer,
you are my god.

899
01:09:02,471 --> 01:09:04,139
-That it? l'm your god?
-Yes, you are. You're my god.

900
01:09:04,223 --> 01:09:06,516
All right. l am your god.

901
01:09:06,600 --> 01:09:08,101
And as your god,

902
01:09:08,185 --> 01:09:11,062
l command you to be at Lamp,
2:00 p.m. , one week from today

903
01:09:11,147 --> 01:09:14,440
for a cello lesson. Done deal.

904
01:09:17,528 --> 01:09:19,696
And it's a really sweet deal, too.

905
01:09:19,780 --> 01:09:22,115
'Cause if you show up,
l will grant you eternal life.

906
01:09:22,199 --> 01:09:24,826
Hell, l might even make you a disciple.

907
01:09:24,910 --> 01:09:27,579
lf you don't, you're on your own.

908
01:09:29,248 --> 01:09:30,456
This is my apartment.
This is my apartment.

909
01:09:30,541 --> 01:09:31,875
This is my apartment.

910
01:09:31,959 --> 01:09:33,459
This is my apartment.
This is my apartment.

911
01:09:33,544 --> 01:09:34,711
This is my apartment.

912
01:09:34,795 --> 01:09:35,920
Always number one.
Always number two.

913
01:09:36,005 --> 01:09:37,130
Nathaniel.

914
01:09:37,214 --> 01:09:38,840
We've always been here,
Nathaniel Ayers.

915
01:09:38,924 --> 01:09:41,217
l've always been with you, Nathaniel.

916
01:09:41,302 --> 01:09:44,262
l'll never leave you, Nathaniel.
l love you, Nathaniel.

917
01:09:44,346 --> 01:09:46,347
-l love you.
-No one else loves you, Nathaniel.

918
01:09:46,432 --> 01:09:49,184
But l love you, Nathaniel.
l'll protect you, Nathaniel.

919
01:09:49,268 --> 01:09:52,312
When you fell from Heaven,
they laughed at you, Nathaniel.

920
01:09:52,396 --> 01:09:55,940
You're my heart, Nathaniel.
l do love you, Nathaniel.

921
01:09:56,025 --> 01:09:58,151
We'll be together forever, Nathaniel.

922
01:09:58,235 --> 01:09:59,235
l'll protect you.

923
01:09:59,320 --> 01:10:01,196
Look, I'II be here
to protect you from the pain.

924
01:10:01,280 --> 01:10:04,365
-l'll be here to protect you from the pain.
-Fibber. You fibber. You fib.

925
01:10:04,450 --> 01:10:05,700
l'll protect you from the noise.

926
01:10:05,784 --> 01:10:07,202
Fear for you. Fear for you.

927
01:10:07,286 --> 01:10:08,912
l'll protect you from their beady eyes.

928
01:10:08,996 --> 01:10:11,080
-l'll be here to obey.
-l'll protect you from their eyes.

929
01:10:13,125 --> 01:10:15,210
-Step right, Nathaniel.
-No one else loves you, Nathaniel.

930
01:10:15,294 --> 01:10:16,794
You're my boy, Nathaniel.

931
01:10:16,879 --> 01:10:19,547
-Take off the shoes.
-l'll protect you. l'll protect you.

932
01:10:19,632 --> 01:10:21,841
No one can kill the child.
That's what the child is about.

933
01:10:21,926 --> 01:10:23,134
Forget you. Jump off!

934
01:10:42,446 --> 01:10:43,446
Come on.

935
01:10:44,657 --> 01:10:46,866
Hey. Look at that.

936
01:10:48,452 --> 01:10:51,371
Don't see those on the street.
Quick right.

937
01:10:52,665 --> 01:10:54,332
And then, and then. . .
And then right again, right here.

938
01:10:54,416 --> 01:10:57,585
Nathaniel. Come on down.

939
01:10:57,670 --> 01:11:02,131
What are you. . . Come on. We go down
here and then to the end and left.

940
01:11:02,216 --> 01:11:03,758
l think we should do the lesson out here.

941
01:11:03,842 --> 01:11:06,177
No, no, no. lt's just this way. Come on.

942
01:11:06,262 --> 01:11:08,388
Mr. Lopez. . . Mr. Lopez.

943
01:11:08,472 --> 01:11:10,431
Mr. Lopez, l really think
we should do it out here.

944
01:11:10,516 --> 01:11:13,559
No, come on. Let's have a look.
lt's right down here.

945
01:11:13,644 --> 01:11:15,103
Mr. Lopez.

946
01:11:15,521 --> 01:11:17,272
Nathaniel, come on.

947
01:11:17,648 --> 01:11:19,357
lt's really clean.

948
01:11:22,569 --> 01:11:24,362
Come check it out.

949
01:11:25,406 --> 01:11:29,659
We should do it out here. lt's better.
l'm more comfortable out here.

950
01:11:34,498 --> 01:11:39,377
Looks nice.

951
01:11:44,675 --> 01:11:46,134
lt's nice.

952
01:12:21,503 --> 01:12:23,588
Come on. You can do it.

953
01:12:48,322 --> 01:12:49,614
Hey.

954
01:12:54,161 --> 01:12:55,286
l can't live here.

955
01:12:55,371 --> 01:12:57,789
l'll give you a hand with that.

956
01:13:00,626 --> 01:13:01,793
Got it.

957
01:13:04,004 --> 01:13:06,506
Oh, boy. Let's get this in nice.

958
01:13:09,551 --> 01:13:10,635
Good.

959
01:13:15,933 --> 01:13:16,933
lt's great, right?

960
01:13:17,017 --> 01:13:19,644
l mean, l like it. What do you think?

961
01:13:21,730 --> 01:13:25,024
lt's nice. lt's clean.
The bathroom's better than. . .

962
01:13:27,236 --> 01:13:28,736
Except for him.

963
01:13:28,821 --> 01:13:30,446
l don't wanna die in here.

964
01:13:30,531 --> 01:13:31,781
Don't. . .

965
01:13:31,865 --> 01:13:32,949
Somebody could just come in here
and kill me. . .

966
01:13:33,033 --> 01:13:34,909
-You'll be fine. Nathaniel?
-. . .and take all of my belongings.

967
01:13:34,993 --> 01:13:36,536
-Nathaniel, the door locks.
-A fly only lives 1 2 days.

968
01:13:36,620 --> 01:13:39,205
What if in 1 2 days, someone walks
through that door and murders me?

969
01:13:39,289 --> 01:13:40,957
And l don't care
about this Claydon thing, either.

970
01:13:41,041 --> 01:13:42,875
Walt Disney Hall. Disney Duck.

971
01:13:42,960 --> 01:13:44,252
Doesn't make a difference.
l don't need any of that.

972
01:13:44,336 --> 01:13:46,379
lf l'm gonna take a lesson,
l should take the lesson in the tunnel

973
01:13:46,463 --> 01:13:49,382
where l can hear the city sounds
and not be locked off from life,

974
01:13:49,466 --> 01:13:50,591
locked off from the world.

975
01:13:50,676 --> 01:13:52,927
ln the tunnel l can hear the music
the way it's supposed to be played.

976
01:13:53,011 --> 01:13:54,554
Not in this place, there's no city sounds,

977
01:13:54,638 --> 01:13:57,265
there's no Beethoven,
there's no Los Angeles, California.

978
01:13:57,349 --> 01:13:58,850
l don't belong here.

979
01:13:58,934 --> 01:14:00,268
l'm never coming here again.

980
01:14:31,383 --> 01:14:33,384
Nathaniel, that's Graham Claydon.

981
01:14:35,053 --> 01:14:36,762
Pleased to meet you, Nathaniel.

982
01:14:38,056 --> 01:14:40,808
l always love meeting a fellow musician.

983
01:14:43,395 --> 01:14:45,354
l brought you something.

984
01:14:45,564 --> 01:14:48,232
l know you're partial to Beethoven,

985
01:14:48,317 --> 01:14:50,902
so l thought you'd enjoy this,

986
01:14:51,653 --> 01:14:56,532
because, you know,
without Johann Sebastian

987
01:14:56,617 --> 01:14:59,869
there would be no Ludwig van.

988
01:15:15,552 --> 01:15:18,513
The A, the D, the A, the D, the A, the D.

989
01:15:20,432 --> 01:15:23,059
Steady. Don't rush it. Don't rush it.

990
01:15:29,066 --> 01:15:30,358
And. . .

991
01:15:34,780 --> 01:15:36,739
Well, for someone who hasn't had
a lesson in three decades,

992
01:15:36,823 --> 01:15:38,950
you play quite beautifully.

993
01:15:39,368 --> 01:15:40,535
Thank you.

994
01:15:40,619 --> 01:15:41,827
-So. . .
-Thank you.

995
01:15:41,954 --> 01:15:44,455
Work on a smoother rhythm
with the right hand.

996
01:15:44,540 --> 01:15:47,041
And don't stop-start.

997
01:15:47,125 --> 01:15:49,627
Carry a phrase all the way through.

998
01:15:49,836 --> 01:15:50,836
-Great.
-Give you a ride uptown?

999
01:15:50,963 --> 01:15:52,463
-Thank you.
-Mr. Claydon?

1000
01:15:53,298 --> 01:15:55,216
-Yes.
-Sir?

1001
01:15:57,135 --> 01:15:59,637
Do you think l could be good again?

1002
01:16:01,807 --> 01:16:03,307
Yes, l do.

1003
01:16:06,186 --> 01:16:08,729
l like your apartment, by the way.

1004
01:16:09,147 --> 01:16:10,648
-lt's not my apartment.
-lt's not. lt's just a. . .

1005
01:16:10,732 --> 01:16:11,899
l don't live here.

1006
01:16:12,276 --> 01:16:13,526
Well, you should.

1007
01:16:15,070 --> 01:16:18,781
God has blessed you
with a gift, Nathaniel.

1008
01:16:18,865 --> 01:16:22,118
Nothing pains God more
than when we squander his blessings.

1009
01:16:22,369 --> 01:16:24,829
-You owe it to him to care for this. . .
-l don't owe God.

1010
01:16:27,291 --> 01:16:29,417
Mr. Steve Lopez is my god.

1011
01:16:29,710 --> 01:16:31,377
-What?
-Star writer for Los Angeles.

1012
01:16:31,461 --> 01:16:33,671
Higher power flying around
with wings like an angel.

1013
01:16:33,755 --> 01:16:36,173
Mr. Steve Lopez is my. . .

1014
01:16:36,800 --> 01:16:37,800
He doesn't know what he's saying.

1015
01:16:37,884 --> 01:16:40,011
Mr. Graham Claydon is going to tell me
who my god is?

1016
01:16:40,095 --> 01:16:41,095
Down by the car?

1017
01:16:41,179 --> 01:16:42,388
Do you know who my god is,
Mr. Claydon?

1018
01:16:42,514 --> 01:16:44,265
l know who my god is!

1019
01:16:44,349 --> 01:16:45,391
-He's a good teacher.
-l know who my god is.

1020
01:16:45,475 --> 01:16:46,726
You should accept his help gracefully.

1021
01:16:46,810 --> 01:16:48,561
Graceful is the ballerinas at Juilliard.

1022
01:16:49,021 --> 01:16:50,354
Those girls were graceful.

1023
01:16:50,439 --> 01:16:53,065
-Tiny ballerinas just twirling round.
-There's other people in this. . .

1024
01:16:54,026 --> 01:16:55,401
-Twirling round. Angels.
-All right,

1025
01:16:55,485 --> 01:16:57,612
-graceful as little ballerinas.
-l love them flying around

1026
01:16:57,696 --> 01:17:00,031
like l love Mr. Steve Lopez flying around.

1027
01:17:00,115 --> 01:17:02,283
l love God. l love you !

1028
01:17:09,374 --> 01:17:10,708
l love you.

1029
01:17:13,962 --> 01:17:15,087
l don't want him to love me.

1030
01:17:15,172 --> 01:17:17,298
Well, it looks like
you might have to get over that.

1031
01:17:17,382 --> 01:17:18,633
lt's a bad idea.

1032
01:17:18,717 --> 01:17:20,676
"l love you, Steve,"
turns into, "You failed me, Steve,"

1033
01:17:20,761 --> 01:17:22,595
turns into very bad things.

1034
01:17:22,679 --> 01:17:24,847
That's my limited experience.

1035
01:17:25,015 --> 01:17:27,516
l don't want to be on the other side
of that with him. Would you?

1036
01:17:27,601 --> 01:17:30,645
He doesn't know if l'm a ballerina,
if l'm God, if l'm an airplane pilot.

1037
01:17:30,729 --> 01:17:33,230
He has no idea what he's saying.

1038
01:17:34,524 --> 01:17:36,651
ls there something you want
from me, Lopez?

1039
01:17:36,860 --> 01:17:38,986
Or did you just come to show me
your prom dress? You look nice.

1040
01:17:39,071 --> 01:17:40,071
l want you to help him

1041
01:17:40,405 --> 01:17:41,906
because he's sick
and he needs medication

1042
01:17:41,990 --> 01:17:43,699
and you have a team of doctors here.

1043
01:17:43,784 --> 01:17:46,202
Tell them to sit down with him.
lsn't that what you're supposed to do?

1044
01:17:46,620 --> 01:17:49,205
Nathaniel's made it quite clear
he's not ready to speak to a psychiatrist.

1045
01:17:49,289 --> 01:17:50,289
Force him.

1046
01:17:50,415 --> 01:17:51,499
-Force him?
-Tell him to do it.

1047
01:17:51,583 --> 01:17:52,625
Tell him he can't play his instruments

1048
01:17:52,709 --> 01:17:53,709
until he sits down with a shrink.

1049
01:17:53,794 --> 01:17:57,296
-That's not what we do here.
-What you do here is fucked.

1050
01:17:59,424 --> 01:18:00,591
lt is.

1051
01:18:01,510 --> 01:18:06,681
Look, even if l did wanna
coerce Nathaniel into psychiatry. . .

1052
01:18:06,765 --> 01:18:08,140
-Coerce.
-. . .which. . . Whatever.

1053
01:18:08,225 --> 01:18:09,975
-Coerce.
-lf l wanted to do that, which l don't,

1054
01:18:10,060 --> 01:18:12,812
l couldn't force him to take medication.

1055
01:18:12,896 --> 01:18:15,147
The law is the law.
Unless he's an imminent danger

1056
01:18:15,232 --> 01:18:17,024
to himself or someone else. . .

1057
01:18:17,109 --> 01:18:19,110
Are you gonna answer that, or what?

1058
01:18:24,074 --> 01:18:26,534
l'm in the car. What if he was
a danger to someone else?

1059
01:18:26,618 --> 01:18:30,329
-But he's not.
-Mary, l'm on the way. Relax.

1060
01:18:30,414 --> 01:18:32,581
What if someone said he was?

1061
01:18:32,666 --> 01:18:34,792
What if someone dialed 91 1
and said Nathaniel had attacked him?

1062
01:18:34,876 --> 01:18:35,876
They'd put him in psychiatric hospital.

1063
01:18:35,961 --> 01:18:37,878
l know you're not thinking
of lying on him, Lopez.

1064
01:18:37,963 --> 01:18:39,922
And then he would be
in a 1 4-day psychiatric hold,

1065
01:18:40,006 --> 01:18:42,633
they'd put him on meds straight away.

1066
01:18:43,009 --> 01:18:45,469
What if that's all it took
for him to be well?

1067
01:18:45,554 --> 01:18:47,930
What if two weeks of meds,
a two-week window

1068
01:18:48,014 --> 01:18:52,643
into what his life could be,
changed his life? Saved his life?

1069
01:18:53,520 --> 01:18:56,063
Why wouldn't you want to be
part of that?

1070
01:18:57,482 --> 01:19:02,153
Steve, Nathaniel has one thing going
for him right now. A friend.

1071
01:19:03,238 --> 01:19:07,658
lf you betray that friendship, you destroy
the only thing he has in this world.

1072
01:19:07,743 --> 01:19:10,202
l don't want to be his only thing.

1073
01:19:16,376 --> 01:19:18,753
Didn't you just tell somebody
you was in your car?

1074
01:19:24,426 --> 01:19:26,260
Mary, relax. What table are we at?

1075
01:19:26,344 --> 01:19:28,429
This is Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, Jr.,
Mr. Lopez. l was calling...

1076
01:19:28,513 --> 01:19:29,722
-Nathaniel.
-. . .because you promised me

1077
01:19:29,806 --> 01:19:31,974
a hard case for my cello
and l haven't received it yet.

1078
01:19:32,058 --> 01:19:33,893
-Yeah?
-And also l need sheet music

1079
01:19:33,977 --> 01:19:35,352
for Beethoven's Second Sonata.

1080
01:19:35,437 --> 01:19:39,106
And also Opus 131 and Septet for
strings and woodwinds, and Opus 20...

1081
01:19:39,191 --> 01:19:41,233
Can you just. . . One sec.

1082
01:19:41,318 --> 01:19:44,195
-...and also my A string is missing...
-So, we're talking about. . .

1083
01:19:44,279 --> 01:19:46,697
l need my A string replaced.

1084
01:19:46,782 --> 01:19:49,658
Nathaniel, you know, this is not. . .

1085
01:19:52,329 --> 01:19:55,414
...his series in the Times
on the struggles and the triumphs

1086
01:19:55,499 --> 01:19:57,666
of Nathaniel Anthony Ayers

1087
01:19:57,751 --> 01:20:01,086
has brought crucial attention to one
of the most pressing issues in our city.

1088
01:20:01,171 --> 01:20:02,797
...promises you should make good
on those promises...

1089
01:20:02,881 --> 01:20:04,381
Get off the phone.

1090
01:20:04,466 --> 01:20:07,218
...to address this problem
with compassion and commitment.

1091
01:20:07,302 --> 01:20:08,302
And in honor of this,

1092
01:20:08,386 --> 01:20:12,598
it is my pleasure to present this year's
Media Award to Steve Lopez.

1093
01:20:14,226 --> 01:20:15,559
Thank you.

1094
01:20:18,688 --> 01:20:21,148
...you know that l can't leave
my cart anywhere.

1095
01:20:21,233 --> 01:20:24,819
lt houses my violin, my cello,
and my weapons of mass destruction.

1096
01:20:24,903 --> 01:20:27,863
A child needs protection. You don't want
to put a baby in the trunk of a car

1097
01:20:27,948 --> 01:20:30,115
and have it get bashed up
against the wall.

1098
01:20:30,200 --> 01:20:33,202
Bashed up against the wall.
Bashed up against the wall.

1099
01:20:36,915 --> 01:20:39,917
l got a phone call from Mark Rosenthal
today, remember him?

1100
01:20:40,043 --> 01:20:41,085
Book editor?

1101
01:20:41,169 --> 01:20:42,586
Bob Geldof with a crew cut.

1102
01:20:42,671 --> 01:20:46,131
He's been reading your Nathaniel stuff,
thinks it's genius, whatever.

1103
01:20:46,216 --> 01:20:50,177
-Whatever.
-Anyway. He said it's a book.

1104
01:20:50,929 --> 01:20:52,471
What did he say exactly?

1105
01:20:52,556 --> 01:20:56,767
"lt's personal, it's political, it's timely.
l can sell the shit out of it."

1106
01:20:56,852 --> 01:20:59,645
-Oh, boy.
-His words, excuse me, not mine.

1107
01:20:59,729 --> 01:21:02,523
Well, it's complicated.
Nathaniel's complicated.

1108
01:21:02,607 --> 01:21:05,276
Well, yeah, he's mentally ill, l mean.

1109
01:21:07,028 --> 01:21:09,697
Right. But beyond that, it's endless.

1110
01:21:09,781 --> 01:21:11,991
l just. . .
l don't want to take full responsibility.

1111
01:21:12,075 --> 01:21:14,577
By all means, avoid full responsibility.

1112
01:21:14,661 --> 01:21:17,204
Just, you know, keep going
with the partial responsibility

1113
01:21:17,289 --> 01:21:20,416
and exploiting him
like you are now.

1114
01:21:20,500 --> 01:21:21,500
You should stop.

1115
01:21:21,585 --> 01:21:22,668
'Cause that's a slippery slope
right there,

1116
01:21:22,752 --> 01:21:23,836
Lopez.

1117
01:21:23,920 --> 01:21:25,671
-Stop. Stop.
-One day, you're getting a book. . .

1118
01:21:25,755 --> 01:21:27,464
-Please stop.
-. . .from the guy. And the next,

1119
01:21:27,549 --> 01:21:28,549
he's expecting, l don't know,
some sort of. . .

1120
01:21:28,633 --> 01:21:29,717
Mary, stop.

1121
01:21:29,801 --> 01:21:32,803
. . .consistency in the relationship.
Screw that, man.

1122
01:21:32,888 --> 01:21:36,265
Who needs that shit, right? My words.

1123
01:21:36,349 --> 01:21:38,267
-You driving?
-No, l have a car.

1124
01:21:38,351 --> 01:21:39,810
And a driver?

1125
01:21:41,897 --> 01:21:44,148
-Oh, my God !
-Oh, shit.

1126
01:21:44,232 --> 01:21:46,317
lt's Nathaniel for you.

1127
01:21:48,194 --> 01:21:50,404
...as a youngster labeled mentally ill

1128
01:21:50,488 --> 01:21:52,406
because of the underlying
cigarette habit,

1129
01:21:52,490 --> 01:21:54,241
constant disturbance,
constant disturbance.

1130
01:21:54,326 --> 01:21:56,160
You know, bigots have children, too.

1131
01:21:56,244 --> 01:21:57,995
Pens from Steve Lopez. Many thanks.

1132
01:21:58,079 --> 01:22:00,497
Constant disturbance,
constant disturbance.

1133
01:22:00,582 --> 01:22:02,583
Bigots have children.
Bigots have children, too.

1134
01:22:02,667 --> 01:22:06,211
Pens... Paper...
Pens from Steve Lopez. Many thanks.

1135
01:22:09,215 --> 01:22:12,843
And a cello from Steve Lopez.
Steve Lopez... Many thanks to that.

1136
01:22:12,928 --> 01:22:16,513
Without Steve Lopez,
l wouldn't have any of that...

1137
01:22:16,598 --> 01:22:18,223
Constant disturbance.

1138
01:22:18,308 --> 01:22:21,268
Constant disturbance.
Constant disturbances.

1139
01:22:21,519 --> 01:22:24,480
l've had what l think is a beautiful idea.

1140
01:22:24,564 --> 01:22:27,358
l think Nathaniel should give a recital.

1141
01:22:28,193 --> 01:22:31,779
l don't know if l can make that call.
He hasn't been very lucid lately.

1142
01:22:31,863 --> 01:22:34,114
-Right. When is he clearest?
-l don't. . .

1143
01:22:34,199 --> 01:22:36,617
When is he most able
to focus his thoughts?

1144
01:22:36,701 --> 01:22:38,702
-When he's playing.
-Right.

1145
01:22:39,204 --> 01:22:41,956
This could increase his confidence
a thousand fold.

1146
01:22:42,040 --> 01:22:43,832
lt could be transformative.

1147
01:22:43,917 --> 01:22:46,460
How can we not give him that, Steve?

1148
01:22:49,547 --> 01:22:51,298
God bless you, Steve.

1149
01:22:52,759 --> 01:22:54,218
Sure he does.

1150
01:23:07,774 --> 01:23:13,612
My first concert, l was so nervous,
l vomited all down my tuxedo.

1151
01:23:13,697 --> 01:23:16,073
lt was so embarrassing.

1152
01:23:18,451 --> 01:23:21,787
Want to know how l got over
those jitters, Nathaniel?

1153
01:23:22,831 --> 01:23:24,081
l prayed.

1154
01:23:25,375 --> 01:23:27,793
Shall we pray together, you and l?

1155
01:23:29,546 --> 01:23:31,171
Heavenly Father,

1156
01:23:31,673 --> 01:23:33,924
shine your light on brother Nathaniel,

1157
01:23:34,009 --> 01:23:37,261
that he may speak
with your voice tonight.

1158
01:24:34,652 --> 01:24:38,906
Nathaniel, you never have been here,
NathanieI. I'm here, NathanieI.

1159
01:24:38,990 --> 01:24:40,991
-You're not there.
-Nathaniel.

1160
01:24:41,076 --> 01:24:44,286
You never have been here.
You never will be here.

1161
01:24:46,664 --> 01:24:47,915
My voice is all there is.

1162
01:24:47,999 --> 01:24:49,583
Everything's fine.

1163
01:24:49,667 --> 01:24:50,959
-Follow my voice, Nathaniel.
-Tune up and play.

1164
01:24:51,044 --> 01:24:52,211
Run away from these people, Nathaniel.

1165
01:24:52,295 --> 01:24:53,420
They'll laugh at you.

1166
01:24:53,505 --> 01:24:55,130
-You're nothing.
-Nathaniel Ayers.

1167
01:25:06,184 --> 01:25:07,643
Nathaniel?

1168
01:25:09,562 --> 01:25:11,772
l got some soup here for you.

1169
01:25:34,796 --> 01:25:36,171
Nathaniel?

1170
01:25:37,298 --> 01:25:39,758
You think l'm stupid.
ls that what you think?

1171
01:25:39,843 --> 01:25:42,970
You want to kiII them, NathanieI.
They'll kill you first, Nathaniel.

1172
01:25:43,054 --> 01:25:44,054
No.

1173
01:25:44,139 --> 01:25:45,639
They'll string you up, Nathaniel.

1174
01:25:45,723 --> 01:25:48,517
No. You think l can't see everything.
l see everything.

1175
01:25:48,601 --> 01:25:50,477
l know who you are.
l know what you're doing.

1176
01:25:50,562 --> 01:25:52,020
-Dogs, biting at your feet.
-Nathaniel.

1177
01:25:52,105 --> 01:25:54,148
-l thought you might be hungry.
-NathanieI, over there.

1178
01:25:54,232 --> 01:25:57,818
-The dusty open manual.
-NathanieI, come here.

1179
01:25:57,902 --> 01:25:59,027
The manual.

1180
01:25:59,112 --> 01:26:02,489
That's hydrochloric acid. lf l eat that, it'll
burn me up inside and kill me like a dog.

1181
01:26:02,574 --> 01:26:04,408
-Oh, no.
-Nathaniel.

1182
01:26:04,492 --> 01:26:06,743
-Nathaniel, l wouldn't do that.
-Nathaniel.

1183
01:26:07,579 --> 01:26:10,747
Nathaniel.

1184
01:26:12,250 --> 01:26:14,376
You'II eat it, dust and aII.

1185
01:26:15,420 --> 01:26:16,587
Okay.

1186
01:26:17,422 --> 01:26:19,089
lt's good, see.

1187
01:26:28,975 --> 01:26:30,225
Shit.

1188
01:26:35,273 --> 01:26:36,356
Don't put your hands on me!

1189
01:26:36,441 --> 01:26:38,275
-Nathaniel !
-Back the hell off!

1190
01:26:38,359 --> 01:26:40,944
Don't you ever touch me!
Don't ever put your hands on me!

1191
01:26:41,029 --> 01:26:43,322
Please, don't. Nathaniel.

1192
01:26:46,701 --> 01:26:47,868
Don't you ever touch me.

1193
01:26:47,952 --> 01:26:49,077
Stop.

1194
01:27:01,841 --> 01:27:03,217
Nathaniel !

1195
01:27:14,270 --> 01:27:18,232
What am l supposed to do?
l should have support.

1196
01:27:28,660 --> 01:27:30,202
Hi, Nathaniel.

1197
01:27:33,289 --> 01:27:36,667
lt's freezing out here.
Don't you wanna come home?

1198
01:27:36,751 --> 01:27:38,919
l can't go back there. lt's not safe.

1199
01:27:39,003 --> 01:27:41,004
Come on, home, Nathaniel.

1200
01:27:46,261 --> 01:27:47,719
Nathaniel?

1201
01:27:48,805 --> 01:27:50,764
Where are you gonna sleep?

1202
01:27:59,565 --> 01:28:03,235
David, sorry, it's Steve. Listen.

1203
01:28:03,987 --> 01:28:06,446
Can you call me back
when you have a second?

1204
01:28:06,531 --> 01:28:09,783
There was an incident
with Nathaniel tonight. l'm a little

1205
01:28:10,743 --> 01:28:13,829
worried. Anyway, call back
when you have a sec.

1206
01:28:17,583 --> 01:28:19,042
All right, let's go.

1207
01:28:29,554 --> 01:28:33,849
lt's my thing !
l claim my right to those possessions!

1208
01:28:33,933 --> 01:28:35,684
Show me your stuff!

1209
01:28:39,063 --> 01:28:40,605
-Linda!
-What?

1210
01:28:40,690 --> 01:28:42,774
-Hey, where's Nathaniel?
-l don't know. l haven't seen him.

1211
01:28:42,859 --> 01:28:45,027
-l haven't seen him.
-Hey! Hey!

1212
01:28:45,361 --> 01:28:46,862
ls it Darryl?

1213
01:28:46,946 --> 01:28:48,113
Hey, stay back. Who the hell are you?

1214
01:28:48,197 --> 01:28:50,824
LA Times. That's the last guy
you should be arresting.

1215
01:28:50,908 --> 01:28:52,993
-Come on, man ! Come on.
-Skid row cleanup, sir. Let's go.

1216
01:28:53,077 --> 01:28:54,161
Steve! Steve!

1217
01:28:54,245 --> 01:28:57,039
This man is in illegal possession
of a shopping cart and a milk crate.

1218
01:28:57,123 --> 01:28:59,041
Are you gonna arrest him
for possession of a milk crate?

1219
01:28:59,125 --> 01:29:01,626
-Steve! Steve!
-That's correct, sir.

1220
01:29:04,255 --> 01:29:05,714
Take it easy.

1221
01:29:06,674 --> 01:29:08,592
Help! Help!

1222
01:29:17,643 --> 01:29:19,061
Come on!

1223
01:29:19,604 --> 01:29:21,063
Officer, what happened?

1224
01:29:21,147 --> 01:29:23,357
A couple of kids came out here
with some baseball bats

1225
01:29:23,441 --> 01:29:24,858
and beat the shit out of this poor guy.

1226
01:29:24,942 --> 01:29:27,027
-Get a name?
-Negative, sir.

1227
01:29:32,867 --> 01:29:34,993
Sorry, excuse me. l'm sorry.

1228
01:29:37,038 --> 01:29:41,625
ls this Admits? May l make
an enquiry about a. . . Excuse me.

1229
01:29:41,959 --> 01:29:43,543
-This way?
-What?

1230
01:29:43,628 --> 01:29:44,795
Yeah, down here.

1231
01:29:44,879 --> 01:29:48,131
lt's usually on the. . . l'm sorry.
lt's usually on the screen.

1232
01:29:48,883 --> 01:29:52,594
Excuse me, ma'am. Recent ER
admits named Ayers, A-Y-E-R-S.

1233
01:29:52,845 --> 01:29:54,638
Thank you, by the way.

1234
01:29:56,099 --> 01:29:57,224
No.

1235
01:29:58,309 --> 01:30:00,060
Hi. Thank you.

1236
01:30:00,144 --> 01:30:02,813
l'm looking for a recent admission.

1237
01:30:02,897 --> 01:30:06,316
l'm hoping you have a recent admission
with a man named Ayers, A-Y-E-R-S.

1238
01:30:06,734 --> 01:30:10,445
l know. Contreras was the reporting
officer. He was the officer on site.

1239
01:30:12,156 --> 01:30:14,116
lt's not the. . . lt's not the. . .

1240
01:30:17,787 --> 01:30:19,579
Mr. Ayers. A-Y-E-R-S.

1241
01:30:19,664 --> 01:30:22,541
Nathaniel Anthony Ayers.
5'1 0" African-American.

1242
01:30:22,834 --> 01:30:24,292
Hi. lt's me again.

1243
01:30:24,836 --> 01:30:26,420
lt's gonna be a long shift.
What's your name?

1244
01:30:26,712 --> 01:30:29,339
N-A-T-H-A-N-l-E-L A. . .

1245
01:30:30,591 --> 01:30:32,342
l do words for a living. lt doesn't matter.

1246
01:30:32,427 --> 01:30:33,969
Whoever has two stripes
on their arm or more.

1247
01:30:34,053 --> 01:30:36,471
Ayers! A-Y-E-R-S.

1248
01:30:36,556 --> 01:30:41,768
N-A-T-H-A-N-l-E-L
A-N-T-H-O-N-Y A-Y-E-R-S.

1249
01:30:41,936 --> 01:30:43,728
No! Do not put me on hold again !

1250
01:30:43,813 --> 01:30:47,357
A-Y-E-R-S!

1251
01:31:11,757 --> 01:31:13,967
-Lopez.
-Steve, David.

1252
01:31:14,051 --> 01:31:16,344
l got your message, what's up?

1253
01:31:16,429 --> 01:31:19,306
There was a beating of a homeless man
on Winston Street,

1254
01:31:19,390 --> 01:31:22,225
-it was right in Nathaniel's spot.
-lt wasn't him.

1255
01:31:23,352 --> 01:31:24,478
What? How do you know?

1256
01:31:24,562 --> 01:31:28,523
'Cause he's here,
eating a crazy-big breakfast.

1257
01:31:29,525 --> 01:31:32,777
l guess sleeping inside
can give a man an appetite.

1258
01:31:33,654 --> 01:31:34,946
What?

1259
01:31:35,031 --> 01:31:37,491
He spent last night in the apartment.

1260
01:31:38,576 --> 01:31:40,160
He came inside.

1261
01:31:58,763 --> 01:32:00,013
Thank you.

1262
01:32:00,097 --> 01:32:03,433
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you so much.

1263
01:32:03,601 --> 01:32:05,727
l thought l lost it forever.

1264
01:32:06,062 --> 01:32:07,103
Hi.

1265
01:32:08,731 --> 01:32:09,981
You good?

1266
01:32:13,528 --> 01:32:17,572
l literally looked everywhere else
in Los Angeles but here.

1267
01:32:19,200 --> 01:32:21,076
Not that l was worried.

1268
01:32:21,577 --> 01:32:23,537
What happened? What made you
decide to sleep in here?

1269
01:32:23,621 --> 01:32:27,165
Oh, well, a body can only take
so much, Mr. Lopez.

1270
01:32:27,250 --> 01:32:30,043
l'm not young anymore,
l'm a middle-aged man.

1271
01:32:30,127 --> 01:32:32,170
-You know how it is.
-Sure.

1272
01:32:34,131 --> 01:32:35,799
l mean, a body gets weary, a body. . .

1273
01:32:35,883 --> 01:32:37,634
Housewarming gift.

1274
01:32:47,979 --> 01:32:49,688
Thank you, Mr. Lopez.

1275
01:32:51,899 --> 01:32:55,151
Thank you, Mr. Lopez. Thank you.

1276
01:33:00,491 --> 01:33:02,867
l've done good by you, haven't l?

1277
01:33:03,369 --> 01:33:05,870
l mean, things aren't so bad, right?

1278
01:33:10,167 --> 01:33:14,462
Say, things are set for Jennifer
to become your executor.

1279
01:33:14,547 --> 01:33:18,174
l can't believe Beethoven himself
is in my own apartment.

1280
01:33:18,593 --> 01:33:21,428
Are you still okay with that?
Having Jennifer handle things for you?

1281
01:33:21,512 --> 01:33:23,471
lt's all right with me
if it's all right with Beethoven.

1282
01:33:23,556 --> 01:33:25,682
Well, you guys let me know.

1283
01:33:27,184 --> 01:33:31,187
'Cause there's papers you gotta sign.
They just got back from. . .

1284
01:33:31,731 --> 01:33:34,441
You should read them
so you know what you're signing.

1285
01:33:34,525 --> 01:33:37,110
All right, yeah, l'll just sign them
Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, Jr. ,

1286
01:33:37,194 --> 01:33:41,197
apartment B-1 1 6, and the B stands for

1287
01:33:42,992 --> 01:33:44,451
Beethoven.

1288
01:33:46,454 --> 01:33:48,079
-Read them and sign them.
-All right.

1289
01:33:48,164 --> 01:33:49,205
-Okay.
-All right.

1290
01:33:49,290 --> 01:33:50,832
What do you. . .
You got anything to drink?

1291
01:33:50,916 --> 01:33:53,501
Yes, sir, Mr. Lopez.
Absolutely, Mr. Lopez,

1292
01:33:53,586 --> 01:33:58,089
help yourself to some water, it's where
the dripping sound is coming from.

1293
01:34:00,051 --> 01:34:02,177
-At your leisure.
-All right.

1294
01:34:11,395 --> 01:34:12,771
ls there a. . .

1295
01:34:16,067 --> 01:34:18,109
What's with Neil Diamond?

1296
01:34:18,194 --> 01:34:20,070
l thought that was you.

1297
01:34:28,245 --> 01:34:31,247
Well, l'm flattered.
He's a good-looking guy.

1298
01:34:33,834 --> 01:34:35,335
What's wrong?

1299
01:34:37,254 --> 01:34:39,422
What's this business about me

1300
01:34:39,799 --> 01:34:43,259
having a schizophrenic mind?

1301
01:34:45,304 --> 01:34:46,846
lt's, it's. . . lt's legal jargon.

1302
01:34:46,931 --> 01:34:50,266
lt says that l have a schizophrenic mind.
l do not.

1303
01:34:50,351 --> 01:34:51,518
lt doesn't mean anything.

1304
01:34:51,602 --> 01:34:55,063
-l have a schizophrenic mind.
-That's not what l think.

1305
01:34:55,356 --> 01:34:57,941
Nathaniel, they try to put people in a. . .

1306
01:34:58,025 --> 01:34:59,818
-l'm not going anywhere.
-And the good news is that

1307
01:34:59,902 --> 01:35:01,820
it has nothing to do with you.

1308
01:35:01,904 --> 01:35:04,739
l don't go where you say to go.
l go where l want to go.

1309
01:35:04,824 --> 01:35:06,950
You don't put me away, Mr. Lopez.
You don't put me away.

1310
01:35:07,034 --> 01:35:08,410
-Okay. Okay.
-You don't put me away.

1311
01:35:08,494 --> 01:35:09,536
l'm not gonna. . . l don't. . .

1312
01:35:09,620 --> 01:35:11,371
-No, no, you don't have to go. . .
-Yes, you are. Yes, you are.

1313
01:35:11,455 --> 01:35:12,539
. . .to court.
You don't have to go anywhere.

1314
01:35:12,623 --> 01:35:14,040
Jennifer will take care of you.

1315
01:35:14,125 --> 01:35:16,126
My sister's not coming near me.
She is not coming near me.

1316
01:35:16,210 --> 01:35:18,086
-She's not coming near me.
-Okay, remember when you said. . .

1317
01:35:18,170 --> 01:35:19,462
lf l say she's not coming
then she's not coming.

1318
01:35:19,547 --> 01:35:21,715
You said. . . Nathaniel, you said. . .

1319
01:35:21,799 --> 01:35:24,217
Listen, l'm not going to have anymore. . .
l'm not going to have anymore. . .

1320
01:35:24,301 --> 01:35:27,846
l will tell you. l will tell you. l'm sick
of being Nathaniel and you Mr. Lopez.

1321
01:35:27,930 --> 01:35:29,055
Okay. l'm not just. . .

1322
01:35:29,140 --> 01:35:31,850
Wait. l'm not your boy.
l am not Mr. Colonel Sanders's boy.

1323
01:35:31,934 --> 01:35:34,894
You know, l'm sorry l was wrong.
l'm sorry l was wrong.

1324
01:35:34,979 --> 01:35:39,023
l can take care of myself.
l can take care of myself, Mr. Lopez.

1325
01:35:39,108 --> 01:35:43,945
l don't need you. l don't need this city.
l despise this city and l despise you.

1326
01:35:46,949 --> 01:35:49,075
And if l ever see you again,

1327
01:35:50,286 --> 01:35:51,995
l'll cut you open

1328
01:35:52,955 --> 01:35:54,956
and gut you like a fish.

1329
01:36:05,134 --> 01:36:08,678
Because l'm Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Jr.

1330
01:36:10,097 --> 01:36:12,724
Mr. Ayers.

1331
01:36:15,436 --> 01:36:19,481
l'm Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Jr.
N-A-T-H-A. . .

1332
01:36:24,028 --> 01:36:25,445
N-A-T-H-A. . .

1333
01:36:25,529 --> 01:36:30,867
-N-A-T-H-A. . .
-You're of no consequence.

1334
01:36:46,133 --> 01:36:47,884
-Hi.
-Hi.

1335
01:37:17,289 --> 01:37:19,582
So, that was my first mistake.

1336
01:37:24,630 --> 01:37:27,131
The Northridge Quake, '94, remember?

1337
01:37:27,758 --> 01:37:29,425
l smelled the toast.

1338
01:37:32,930 --> 01:37:34,931
We'd been here two days.

1339
01:37:36,141 --> 01:37:38,309
All our crap still in boxes.

1340
01:37:38,394 --> 01:37:40,144
And at 4:00 a.m. it hit.

1341
01:37:40,813 --> 01:37:42,480
God, that terror.

1342
01:37:46,652 --> 01:37:49,362
You, me and Thomas.
What was he, nine?

1343
01:37:49,780 --> 01:37:54,450
All huddled
under that bedroom door frame.

1344
01:37:54,785 --> 01:37:57,078
l told him it was a good omen.

1345
01:38:00,207 --> 01:38:02,458
Welcoming us to our new life.

1346
01:38:03,294 --> 01:38:04,711
Better life.

1347
01:38:06,422 --> 01:38:07,672
ln LA.

1348
01:38:20,311 --> 01:38:23,980
l should have had us
on the first flight back to Philly.

1349
01:38:34,992 --> 01:38:37,201
l thought l was helping someone.

1350
01:38:38,370 --> 01:38:40,622
And it was a guy who's got a gift.

1351
01:38:40,706 --> 01:38:43,041
He's lost his way. l'm gonna. . .

1352
01:38:48,339 --> 01:38:51,633
lnevitably backfired.

1353
01:38:52,301 --> 01:38:54,302
He's backlashed to the. . .

1354
01:38:56,347 --> 01:39:01,351
And the very person l was trying to be of
some redeeming service to turns on me.

1355
01:39:02,102 --> 01:39:04,896
l'm the enemy. You know?

1356
01:39:07,858 --> 01:39:09,150
A stranger.

1357
01:39:10,527 --> 01:39:11,694
And. . .

1358
01:39:13,197 --> 01:39:15,782
l don't know who to fault.

1359
01:39:15,866 --> 01:39:21,079
l can't see any outcome to support.

1360
01:39:25,793 --> 01:39:28,419
Can't believe in anything worthwhile.

1361
01:39:32,299 --> 01:39:35,677
Done trying. l resign. l resign.

1362
01:39:36,595 --> 01:39:38,262
From everything.

1363
01:39:38,889 --> 01:39:40,848
lt's. . . lt's official.

1364
01:39:48,565 --> 01:39:50,942
You couldn't stop that earthquake.

1365
01:39:56,448 --> 01:39:59,659
You can't fix LA in just. . .

1366
01:40:01,370 --> 01:40:03,997
And you're never gonna cure Nathaniel.

1367
01:40:09,253 --> 01:40:11,838
Just be his friend and show up.

1368
01:41:33,170 --> 01:41:35,880
Good? l'll be right here if you need me.

1369
01:41:48,310 --> 01:41:50,269
. . .go, next to the gold store.

1370
01:41:50,354 --> 01:41:53,064
You know what l mean.
He wanted to drink and everything.

1371
01:41:53,148 --> 01:41:55,358
Okay, okay, okay. Bitch, slow down.

1372
01:41:56,193 --> 01:42:00,321
Do you still love me?
Like you did at the start?

1373
01:42:00,405 --> 01:42:02,115
l ain't playing with you.

1374
01:42:02,199 --> 01:42:04,283
l'm saying l do.

1375
01:42:04,368 --> 01:42:07,078
lt means you and me together forever.

1376
01:42:08,872 --> 01:42:12,750
So that's why l'm saying l do.

1377
01:42:14,253 --> 01:42:17,588
-l love you, Lois.
-l love you, too, Darryl.

1378
01:42:20,384 --> 01:42:23,886
Disguise himself now as. . .

1379
01:42:23,971 --> 01:42:28,724
They disguise themselves. . .
Where is Los Angeles?

1380
01:42:29,226 --> 01:42:31,018
Cleveland?

1381
01:42:34,398 --> 01:42:35,690
And. . .

1382
01:43:00,674 --> 01:43:02,175
We. . .

1383
01:43:07,806 --> 01:43:09,974
We had some life, didn't we?

1384
01:43:13,645 --> 01:43:17,273
Yeah.

1385
01:44:01,818 --> 01:44:04,403
Beethoven's Triple Concerto, right?

1386
01:44:04,905 --> 01:44:06,781
-Yeah.
-lt's a good one.

1387
01:44:09,117 --> 01:44:10,326
l liked it.

1388
01:44:10,786 --> 01:44:14,705
Mr. Ayers, l'm gonna give your sister
a ride to the hotel.

1389
01:44:14,790 --> 01:44:17,291
You don't have to
call me that, Mr. Lopez.

1390
01:44:17,376 --> 01:44:21,420
l know. l want to. l should have been
calling you that all along.

1391
01:44:22,047 --> 01:44:23,965
l said such terrible things
to you, Mr. Lopez.

1392
01:44:24,049 --> 01:44:27,802
l. . . l hate myself for saying those things.

1393
01:44:27,886 --> 01:44:30,388
Sometimes friends piss
each other off, right?

1394
01:44:30,472 --> 01:44:32,348
lt's part of the deal.

1395
01:44:32,766 --> 01:44:38,521
l can't imagine that you would want to be
my friend after l said all those things.

1396
01:44:38,689 --> 01:44:39,814
l just. . .

1397
01:44:39,898 --> 01:44:41,232
Mr. Ayers,

1398
01:44:43,527 --> 01:44:45,736
l'm honored to be your friend.

1399
01:45:05,882 --> 01:45:07,925
"Points West" by Steve Lopez.

1400
01:45:08,719 --> 01:45:11,304
A year ago, l met a man
who was down on his luck

1401
01:45:11,388 --> 01:45:14,181
and thought l might be able to help him.

1402
01:45:14,266 --> 01:45:16,225
l don't know that l have.

1403
01:45:16,601 --> 01:45:18,978
Yes, my friend Mr. Ayers
now sleeps inside.

1404
01:45:19,062 --> 01:45:21,605
He has a key. He has a bed.

1405
01:45:22,733 --> 01:45:25,443
But his mental state, and his well-being,

1406
01:45:25,527 --> 01:45:28,738




are as precarious now
as they were the day we met.

1407
01:45:32,159 --> 01:45:34,952
There are people who tell me
l've helped him.

1408
01:45:35,037 --> 01:45:37,288
Mental health experts who say

1409
01:45:37,372 --> 01:45:41,667
that the simple act of being someone's
friend can change his brain chemistry,

1410
01:45:41,752 --> 01:45:44,378
improve his functioning in the world.

1411
01:45:45,130 --> 01:45:48,049
l can't speak for Mr. Ayers
in that regard.

1412
01:45:48,300 --> 01:45:51,594
Maybe our friendship has helped him.
But maybe not.

1413
01:45:54,097 --> 01:45:56,515
l can, however, speak for myself.

1414
01:45:57,351 --> 01:46:00,770
l can tell you that by witnessing
Mr. Ayers's courage,

1415
01:46:01,271 --> 01:46:05,191
his humility, his faith
in the power of his art,

1416
01:46:07,319 --> 01:46:11,072
l've learned the dignity of being loyal
to something you believe in.

1417
01:46:11,156 --> 01:46:14,450
Of holding onto it, above all else.

1418
01:46:14,534 --> 01:46:19,705
Of believing, without question,
that it will carry you home.