The Breaking Point

You know how it is early in the morning on the water?

Everything is quiet,

except for the seagulls a long way off.

And you feel great.

Then you come ashore and it starts.

And in no time at all, you're up to your ears in trouble

and you don't know where it began.

- I need some gas. 200 gallons. - I can't carry you, Harry. I got strict orders.

We carried you long enough, the boss says.

Look, I got a three weeks' charter to fish in Mexico. Some rich Joe.

- When I get... - Didn't the Joe give you a deposit?

Yeah, yeah.

Forget it.

Here.

When he gets through, take the boat back to the landing, huh?

See you later.

- Did you get the gas? - Uh-huh.

I put all the groceries aboard last night.

Most of it's stored under the bunks up forward.

I hope you put in plenty of coffee. And tomatoes.

You know how I like tomatoes.

Uh-uh. No tomatoes. They're bad for you.

I had to give the store all the money you gave me from the deposit.

They wouldn’t wait.

That's great. That makes it perfect.

Everybody in town is squeezing me for money.

They act like I'm gonna cheat 'em out of it.

It's been a bad season. Nobody's got much.

Yeah.

Better eat your breakfast.

Morning, Dad.

You know, you're getting old enough not to wander around like that.

If I've told you once, Connie, I've told you a thousand times.

- You're not to go around like that. - Aw, I don't see what difference it makes.

Don't talk fresh to your mother.

What's the matter with the bathroom all of a sudden?

- Amy's in there. She's always in there. - Well, get her out. It's nearly time for school.

Okay.

Kids got no respect these days. You try to teach them something.

- What's the matter, Harry? - I had to pay for the gas.

Took all the money I had left from the deposit.

Doesn't leave much for you while I'm gone.

Don't worry about it. We’II get along somehow.

I know, I know. You always do.

I feel like a knothead asking you all the time.

- Hi, Pa! - Hi, punkin!

- Give me a smoocher. - Mmm!

- Say, you have whiskers. - I do not. You have.

- Yes, you do. - No!

Eat your breakfast. I better get my gear.

- What's the matter? - You heard. Eat your breakfast.

- Hurry up, darling. - Okay. I'll be dressed in a minute.

- We’II be all right. I said don't worry about it. - I get teed-off sometimes.

No sooner do I get my head above water when somebody pushes me down again.

Is it us, me and the kids? Are we a drag on you, Harry?

Is that it?

You know better than that.

It's only that, well, ever since I took that uniform off,

I'm... I'm not exactly great.

I thought by this time I'd have the world on fire.

Bands playing, kids yelling. Big hero. Remember?

We had egg in our beer then.

Nobody ever got rich taking people out to catch a fish.

Now wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Don't start giving me that propaganda about your old man's lettuce ranch.

Do me a favor, please. Don't tell me how happy I'd be on a tractor.

When you came back you had big ideas about this fishing business.

You were gonna have a whole fleet of boats. It hasn't worked out, has it?

Let it go, darling. Try something else.

What else do I know? What else am I good at? I'm a boat jockey.

And that's all I know.

All right. Anything you say.

You're some woman.

I lay awake hours last night just thinking about you.

I can think about you anytime and get excited.

Hold me. Just hold me. That's it.

Hey, we’II be late for school!

- Connie, fix my dress! - Oh, you're always so sloppy.

Hey.

One of these days remind me to show you kids how to knock.

You go on along. We’II be right out.

Come on.

Okay. Come on, Connie.

Oh!

Let me fix your belt. You're always such a slowpoke.

Darling, if you run short, these are worth a hundred apiece.

We’II get by.

Okay.

- It's Wesley! Hi, Wesley! - Good morning, good morning, good morning.

Don't be so shy. Say hello.

- Yeah, say hello. - Yeah.

- He's shy. - Hello.

- Want us to feed the gulls? - Good morning, Wesley.

- Good morning, Mrs. Morgan. - Well, let's go, huh?

You and Harry go ahead. The girls will take Joseph to school.

Hey, kids!

- So long! - Bye.

- Bye! - Bye-bye.

- Come on. That's enough. Off to school. - Oh, we won't be late.

- Here they come. - What do you mean, they?

- All right, eh? - Mm-hmm.

This is Captain Morgan, Leona.

Miss Charles is going with us.

I always wanted to meet a captain.

Let's get something straight, Mr. Hannagan. I only hire this boat for fishing.

If I do anything wrong, you be sure to tell me.

Do you fish?

Ooh, I don't think I like you.

A lot of people don't.

- What about it, Mr. Hannagan? - You're the captain, Captain.

Come on, Happy.

We're off to sunny Mexico.

Let's shove off!

I love Mexico.

- You're cute. - It's the way I comb my hair.

You got a weak chin though. Has anybody ever told you you got a weak chin?

- What are you sore about? - You make me sore.

Why don't you relax? You're getting a nice tan.

I got work to do, and you make me nervous.

I don't usually get complaints.

You're his friend. In a few days I'll never see you again.

- You're a nice girl. Now be nice. - Yeah, nice.

No future in it.

Here.

Muchas gracias.

Oh, Mr. Hannagan, when do you figure on starting back?

Tomorrow maybe. Or the day after. I've had enough fishing.

Well, uh, we might as well settle up then.

I'll need money for gas and the clearance papers.

Sure thing, Captain. I shouldn’t have kept you waiting this long.

I didn't think you'd have any place to spend it down here.

Oh, I can use it.

We're going over to that rooster place. Come by and have a drink and we’II settle up.

El Gallo? I'll see you there.

Precios populares.

Vean la pelea de gallos.

Vean pelear a Los gallos de sangre azul.

No dejen de perder la pelea de gallos.

Mire mi Gallo, señora.

No dejen de ver la pelea de gallos en el bar El Gallo.

Hey, Señor Capitan.

- Long time no see. - Yeah.

I'm with a party. Americans. You seen 'em?

- Maybe in back. Cockfight. - Ah.

Morgan. Nice to see someone from back home, friend.

- I've been down here a couple of weeks already. - Cheating who?

Aw, don't talk like that, Harry.

I've been handling a divorce case. You ought to hear the evidence.

- I'm busy. - Say, just thought of something.

Come here.

Business. For both of us. Something good.

Want to take a couple of passengers back with you on the boat? There's money in it.

- I got passengers. - You can name your own price.

No trouble. I guarantee it.

- You can do a lot with that money. - Not in jail, I couldn’t.

Think it over. You can name your own price.

An honest man like you with an honest boat, worth a lot to some people.

Me, I don't care. I can take it or leave it, being honest.

But it's worth money to some people.

You got me crying.

When you gonna realize I'm a friend of yours?

Hey, you want to meet a nice girl? She just got a divorce.

You're poison.

Think it over, what I said.

- Gracias. - Encantado, señorita.

Vámonos, muchachos.

- Don't you like cockfights? - All that trouble for an egg.

- Sit down. - Thanks.

Waiter.

I'll have a daiquiri.

Two beers.

- May I? - Oh, sure.

Here.

Uh, gold, huh?

- My fiancé. - Oh.

Hooray for him.

That's the nicest thing you've ever done for me.

The only thing.

Everything in Mexico is nice. It's romantic.

Except you.

You haven't even been friendly to me. Don't you want to be friendly?

Sure, I want to be friendly.

My wife wouldn’t like it.

- You're kidding? - No.

Oh, so you're one of those.

Uh-huh.

I don't meet many.

- Is she pretty? - She's got something for me.

We're something together. Spoils everything else for me.

How do you know till you try?

You two get along all right, don't you? You get along fine.

Sporting blood here lost a lot of money in back.

- He's sore. - Maybe I got a right.

- Oh, speaking of money, you - - How much do I owe you?

Well, it figured out to $830.

Oh, I need cash.

I don't carry that kind of money around with me.

I can get it for you when the bank opens tomorrow, or if you'd rather -

No, never mind. I can wait. You can give it to me in the morning.

We can shove off anytime after 10:00.