Willard

Willard.

There are rats in the basement.

Ow!

Willard...

what are you doing?

I'm going to bed.

It's late.

Yes. I'm going to bed.

Good night, mom.

What were you doing down there?

You, uh, said there were rats.

Well, did you see them?

Well... there aren't any rats.

There are.

All our neighbors moving away...

and all these new people remodelling the houses.

They're stirring up rats.

Well... have you been to the basement?

No. You know I can't.

I know they're there.

I can smell them.

All my life I could smell mice.

Smell... mice?

And hear them.

Don't you hear them down there?

It's... it's just the wind.

There aren't any rats.

Come in here. Hmm?

Come in here.

I'm sorry I've been such a bad mother to you.

Well, you've... you've been a...

Well, you are... a wonderful mother.

It's my fault your life was wasted.

Willard.

What an awful name... Willard.

Maybe if you had a stronger name...

that Frank Martin wouldn't push you around...

or maybe you'd have found a girlfriend...

if you had a more handsome name...

Mark or Kyle or...

Clark.

Willard, from now on, your name's Clark.

Good night, Clark.

Pardon me.

That you?

Sorry. They told me to sit here.

Willard, he wants to see you.

Oh. Well, um...

Ms. Leach, it seems that someone...

this girl, is sitting at my desk.

Maybe that's why he wants to see you.

OK.

Hey. Pay attention.

Yeah?

Who's that at your desk out there, Willard?

I... I don't know her.

Sit.

Who did you say that was at your desk out there, Willard?

I... I... I don't know her.

Well, you should know, because it's your fault she's there.

You've fallen at least a week behind...

processing the purchase orders.

You know, when that happens, Willard...

everything comes to a standstill...

my salespeople up on the floor...

shipping, receiving, inventory.

Everybody's standing around...

with their thumbs up their asses...

because you have allowed the purchase orders...

to bottleneck at your desk.

Your father built this company, Willard.

Hell, your family name is still out there...

on the side of the building...

"Martin Stiles Manufacturing."

Ah, hell, it just seems to me like...

that alone would make you take...

a little more pride in your work.

Well, I...

Oh, my mother is sick.

I see.

So, it's your mother's fault that you've fallen behind?

Willard, I'm an old friend of the family.

Hell, I've known your mother since before you were born.

She's a fine lady, and she deserves to be kept comfortable.

Your dad was like a father to me.

And I promised him that I would always...

Look after you and your mother...

and as long as she was alive, you'd have a job right here.

And in keeping with that promise...

I must insist that you find...

a good rest-care facility for mom.

We can't afford that.

But, hell, I guess you could always sell the house.

Here's an idea... I'd tear it down and build apartments on it.

I'm sorry, Mr. Martin. I'll... I'll... I'll...

I'll catch up. I'll stay late.

Oh, yeah. You would love that, wouldn't you, Willard?

Suck up on more overtime than it even costs me for a temp.

You'll catch up, all right, asshole...

and you'll catch up on your own damn time!

There's one thing that you will never understand, Willard...

business is a rat race.

Promise or no promise, I will not allow myself...

to be devoured by all of those other rats because of you!

Clark! What is it? What is it?

Shh, shh, shh.

It's OK. It's OK. It's OK. It's OK.

Here we go.

What was all that noise?

Rats?

No.

A bird got stuck in the house somehow, and I let it out.

It's all right now, so go back to bed.

What are you doing in there?

I'm going potty.

You've been in there a long time.

I'm not feeling well, mom.

Is it loose or hard?

I'm OK. I'm OK.

So just... just go to bed.

Let me see. I'm still your mother.

Clark! Clark!

You should be in bed.

You're feverish.

I get afraid, Clark.

Your father was in that bathroom late that night.

Yes, I know. I'm never going to do anything like that.

What is that on your hand?

It's... it's soap.

It's cooking oil.

Oh, Willard, you're too old for that.

When will you find yourself a girl?

Well, other than getting caught in the trap...

you seem pretty... pretty smart.

You should be called... Socrates.

What do you think?

Yeah? All right. Socrates.

Whoa. Like it in here? Oh.

Where are you going?

Bye, Socrates.

Say hello to your family.

You're reunited with your brother and sister and mom.

Look. Look, everybody.

Food. Food for everybody.

There you go. Very good.

Bye.

Socrates...

I will never let anyone harm you ever.

I promise.

I promise.

I promise.

Martin, I have to cover your damn car every day.

"Cover my car. Cover my car." Ugh!

Do you like my new S-55, Willard?

My new car. My new Mercedes. I saw you drooling over it.

Oh.

Uh, yes, Mr. Martin. It's...

Do you know why I have that car?

I'm driving that 350-horsepower, V-8 masterpiece...

for you and your fellow employees.

You see, buyers feel a sense of security...

when they can see proof...

that they're dealing with a successful man.

So, when I whip into that parking lot behind the wheel...

of my brand-new Mercedes AMG-class...

they'll buy from us over the slob in the Jaguar S-type.

Do you know why I can afford to plunk down 90,000 bucks...

for that little edge over the competition, Willard?

Because I'm a successful man!

Because I have never been late for work a day in my life!

Because when I come to work, I don't show up...

in one of my dead father's cheap suits!

Because I have never given my boss such grief.

Maybe it wouldn't hurt you to find out what pleases me!

Are you OK?

Hi, Socrates.

It's been a bad day.

Tear it, Socrates.

All right...

you teach them.

They listen to you, Socrates.

Tear it.

Tear it.

Tear it up.

Jeez. You're big.

Big Ben.

Do you know him, Socrates?

Ben, this looks like the beginning...

of a beautiful friendship.

Tear it.

Tear it.

Tear it.

OK, everybody, that was really good.

Speed. Speed.

Very good.

Rope... up.

Tear it.

You go down there. Go on now.

Down. Down. Tear it.

In.