Where the Heart Is

You're gonna actually drive this deathtrap from Tennessee to California?

You're sayin' I'm not? I'm sayin' you won't make it past that tree.

Hey, Novalee, you plannin' on leavin' today? She's in the bathroom, Willy Jack.

Why don't she just move in to the damn bathroom?

Get all those pictures and knickknacks. I'm ready.

I'm ready to go. Now, hold on, hold on.

Now I gotta go.

We'll miss you, Novalee. You know the floor's missin'.

Willy Jack got the whole car for eighty bucks. He had to fix everything on it.

And here's the best part. No fives.

You and your fives. What fives?

On my fifth birthday, my mama ran off with a baseball umpire named Fred and never came back.

After I dropped out of school and was waitin' tables at Red's,

one of the regulars there named Gladys went crazy.

When I tried to calm her down she jumped at me with a steak knife...

and cut me from my wrist to my elbow.

And what's that got to do with fives?

It took fifty-five stitches to close her up.

I don't like fives.

That's it. Let's hit it. Let's go, let's go! Hon...

will you take a picture of us with my new camera?

Wait! All around, let's go. Come on, come on!

I'm gonna miss you. Call me, okay? All right. Bye.

All right. Bye.

Jesus, finally. It's already five! Five !?

I hope we can a place to live that overlooks the ocean.

Hell, Novalee, you can't see the ocean from Bakersfield.

Well... well, maybe a pond then.

I wanna get one of those patio tables with an umbrella over it...

where we can sit with the baby, and drink chocolate milk and watch the sun go down.

I've never lived anyplace that didn't have wheels under it.

Hey. Hey!

Sometimes I wonder

Will I ever make it home

Sometimes I wonder

Will I ever make it home

I been gone so long Hey!

Hey, Novalee, wake up! You sound like a damn pig.

Jesus. What the hell's the matter with you?

And where are your shoes?

That's just great. That's great.

My feet are swollen. I had to take' em off.

Ooh!

Wanna feel the baby?

Here.

Feel that? No.

Right there. Feel that little bomp-bomp-bomp?

That's where the heart is.

Couldn't prove it by me.

Ooh!

Would ya - The hell...?

Wal-Mart. I can go to the bathroom.

All right. Hurry up. Hon, I'm gonna need some money.

They gonna charge you to pee? I have to get some house shoes.

I gotta get some kind of shoes.

All right. Get you some house shoes. Come on.

Get you some green polky-dot house shoes.

That way everyone will be sure to notice you.

Bathroom, bathroom? All the way to the back.

Thank you.

You all got yourself a beautiful child here. Be an award-winning picture.

I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up on a cereal box. Steve, look at me.

Say "cheese" for me. Cheese.

Do you mind?

Thank you.

Mommy!

Ma'am, here's your change. Hmm? Oh, sorry.

Five dollars and five cents.

No! Ma'am!

Ma'am? Ma'am?

You left these at the counter.

And your change.

Are you all right? Uh-huh.

I... just...

My boyfriend... went to get the car fixed.

He'll pick me up.

Well, have a nice day.

Well, Ruth Ann Mott.

Why, honey, just look at you! Little Ruth Ann Mott.

Honey, I haven't seen you since your mama passed. What's that - 10, 11 years?

I'm not - Don't you remember me? I'm Sister Husband.

Oh, you remember me. You used to call me "Telma" because you couldn't say Thelma.

Can you say " Thelma"?

Thelma. Good!

Oh, Lord, look at you - havin' a baby.

So, you just move back home, Ruth Ann? See, I'm not who -

Oh, you know what they say: "Home is where your history begins.

Home is where they catch you when you fall."

That's what the late Brother Husband used to say.

Brother Husband - was he your husband?

No, he was my brother, a real man of God.

You read the Bible, Ruthie? Not as much as I should.

Good. I think that's good.

Folks read too much of it. They just get confused.

That's why I like to hand out just one chapter at a time.

That way, folks can deal with their confusion as it comes.

Come on. Come on. You're comin' with me. Come on.

I'm not gonna let you get away empty-handed.

Now, on behalf of the Merchants and Businessmen's Association...

of the city of Sequoyah, Oklahoma,

I do present you with this basket of gifts and merchandise.

Thank you. Looky here, Ruth Ann, you got, um, discount coupons...

and matches, a map of the city, emery boards - oh, oh, yeah.

Now, you see this little appointment book? I ran out of these last week,

so I had to put two or three of my own appointments in this one,

but if you're not an alcoholic, you'll know those meetin's aren't for you.

No, ma'am, I'm not. Good. I think that's good.

Oh, yeah, one more thing.

What is that? This is a buckeye tree. Brings you good luck.

Here, take it. There.

Well, good-bye, Ruth Ann.

You know it was real nice to see you again. Hmm. And welcome home!

I'm in the phone book. You come and see me any time you want.

And bring that baby.

Excuse me.

Would you like a picture of your baby? Hmm?

I'm not - I mean, I'm still - Oh, well, I mean, after.

Oh! Of course.

Wow! What kind of camera is that?

This is a Rollei.

There aren't many made like this here. It's a beauty.

My name is Moses - Moses Whitecotton.

Novalee Nation.

Novalee Nation - that's a good strong name.

You know, a name's important.

Have you picked out a name for your baby yet?

Well, I was thinkin' about "Wendi" with an "I"

Oh, don't you dare.

Give that baby a name that means somethin', a good, sturdy name.

Here.

I'm here the first Friday of every month, 12:00 to 6:00. Take care.

And remember: Give that baby a name that means somethin', you hear?

I will, I promise.

Attention, Wal-Mart shoppers.

It is 9:00, and Wal-Mart is closing.

Please bring your final selections to the checkout counters.

Wal-Mart will open again at 9:00 tomorrow morning,

and, as always, thank you for shopping Wal-Mart.

Oh. Oh.

You said you was the king of love

Hi. Hey.

You, uh - you need a hand?

I need a lift.

So, where you goin'?

Anywhere but here. Where you goin'?

Vegas. Cool.

Whoa-whoa-whoa. Hey, hey. No. No.

Thanks.

We could wait on that plan make all new strategy

And when it hits the fan make it what we want it to be

And wanna get higher then higher than you've ever been

What about you What about you

Shake it up, shake it down You can feel it all around

I know that your memory lives

You know, you're almost out of gas. Yeah.

Some son of a bitch stole my wallet last night right out of my damn hotel room.

Maybe this'll help.

Hey!

Well, I tell you what. You want it?

Glide on over here and get it.

Maybe I will.

Maybe you'll get yourself a nice big surprise.

Shit.

$218 in your pocket and 14 cartons of Winston Light 100s...

in a plastic sack in the trunk of your car.

By the strangest damn coincidence, that's exactly what someone stole...

from the 7-11 store about two hours ago.

Not to mention - Jolene, how old are you these days?

Fourteen. Oh? Fourteen.

[Alarm Clock Rings, Clicks Off]

I cleaned the bathroom the other day. And you did such a good job...

...you get to do it again!

Hey, sweet thing.

Comes down to just one moment

No way you can control it

Somehow your heart will know the place and time

It won't change your world but it just might change your life

What do you want? Uh,

I'm lookin' for - for a book.

What kind of book?

About... about trees.

Trees?

Yeah.

You know.

Forestry? Environment? Agriculture? Botany? What do you want to know about trees?

Well, a few weeks ago somebody gave me a buckeye tree.

Buckeye - horse chestnut -

belongs to the genus Aesculus, of the family Hippocastanaccae.

I- I think it's dyin' - my tree. I could show it to the people who gave it to me,

but I'm embarrassed to let them see how sick I let it get.

There. Look up "buckeye" in the index. The what?

I'll start slower. These are called "books."