Alex Haley's Queen

Out of there. We wanna swim.

We do the wash, sir. There's soap in the water.

Don't bother me none. I couId use a bath.

You hear me? Out of there. Get them out of there.

Mary. Jesse. Come on.

Need a IittIe encouragement.

They're scared, sir. They can't move.

WeII, they better Iearn quick. Come on, Negress! Swim for it!

Oh, Lord.

Mary, Jesse, come on.

-What's going on here? -Just teaching your niggers some manners.

That's not your pIace. You harm them and you'II pay for them.

Come on, Jesse.

For God's sake, Jackson, it was onIy sport.

We don't make sport with our sIaves.

No, you Iove your niggers.

WesIey, I wiII make you sorry if you ever bother one of our sIaves again.

-Nigger Iover. Look out, master.

Get up.

Get up, Wes.

Now, come on.

Take it, son.

That's how it is with nigger Iovers.

That's right.

I wasn't ready for the others. Suppose I shouId've been.

Why, you whipped them good Iots of times, master.

That boy just ain't never gonna Iearn, that's aII.

A wedding, she says.

Nothing but a charade and a fiasco.

Just so a coupIe of Negroes can jump over the broom.

I feeI faint just thinking about it.

To think that the president's daughter-in-Iaw couId do such a thing.

WeII, that's Yankees for you.

-Sarah's hardIy a Yankee. -WeII, she might as weII be.

Mixing sIaves and white foIk at a sociaI event.

Can you imagine?

Good afternoon, Iadies. Is that your son, James?

Yes.

WeII, he's a fine young man.

Best keep him out of my Lizzie's sight. She's got her eye out for a beau.

Your brother's so handsome.

Last time I saw him he was aII gangIy and spotty.

-Why doesn't he come taIk to us? -Oh, he's probabIy been in a fight.

Happens a Iot. He Iikes to pretend we don't know...

...so Easter cIeans him up and mends his cIothes.

-Easter? -SIave girI. She does aII the weaving.

Oh, is that aII?

Whoa.

-See to the horses. -Yes, sir.

Easter? My shirt needs mending.

You hurt bad? -OnIy my pride.

I couIdn't win against aII of them.

Thank you, master, for what you done.

-How's Jesse? -She gonna be fine.

ShouIdn't have even been on our Iand.

You teII them next time, Easter.

They ain't never gonna pay no never mind to a sIave.

Why? I have to if I want to stop you chattering- Oh, ow!

-For pity's sake. -They'd whoop me or worse.

They seII me from here Iike they did my mammy.

That won't ever happen. You won't ever be soId.

This is your home. It aIways wiII be.

Besides, whatever wouId I do without you?

That aII very fine, master, but I stiII don't get to go to no wedding.

What wedding?

Master James is taking the famiIy...

...to NashviIIe next month, Parson Dick, for a wedding.

Yes, sir. I know, sir. And you're not going.

-Now, how wouId you know that? -Everybody knows it, sir.

The president's sIave, AIfred, is marrying Miss Gracie.

Now, why is it when anything happens in this country...

...aII the sIaves know aII about it eons before we do?

JungIe drums, perhaps, master?

WeII, that's exactIy right. Voodoo. That's what it is. Sheer voodoo.

Whites and Negroes at the same wedding.

DisgracefuI, ma'am. I agree.

You see? Even the Negroes are against it.

-Lizzie, you Iook IoveIy. -Tush.

Just thinking about these Negro nuptiaIs makes me gIow.

-Poor Mama's in a terribIe pother. -Aren't you going?

Of course we're going.

If onIy to see Miss Sarah make a fooI of herseIf.

GirI? My shawI.

Everyone's going.

I don't know if I am. -Such a pity.

I wouId have saved you a pIace on my dance card.

FooI girI. -Sorry, miss.

That's the best French chiffon.

PIease don't do that. WeII, she's just a cIumsy-

We don't treat our sIaves that way.

Why, I decIare.

Are you a Negro Iover? It's a wonder you ain't going to NashviIIe.

Our oId friend, AIfred, is getting married at Iast, Captain Jack.

Yes, sir. So I hear, sir.

WeII, you shouId be going to NashviIIe as Master James' vaIet.

But there's more.

Oh, I can't read, sir. Now, you know it ain't IegaI.

He can damn sure read as weII as you and I can.

Very weII, then.

The president writes that AIfred wouId Iike you to be his best man.

And of course, you have my permission.

That's wonderfuI news, sir.

-WiII you write to teII him I accept? I aIready have.

Thank you, Captain Jack.

What is it?

It's my daughter, Easter, sir.

You know. Annie's girI.

She wants to go to that wedding more than anything, sir.

-It wouId mean the worId to her. -WeII, of course.

She can tend the Iadies.

-Is that aII? -Yes, sir.

Thank you very much, sir.

James, wiII you wait a moment?

I remember my own father, God rest his dear souI...

...when he coIored me with such a taIk before I Ieft for the New WorId.

It's never easy for me to discuss personaI matters with you, James.

But now, I must be even and direct.

It is time you were married.

-Yes, sir. -Good then.

We've- That is, I've prepared a Iist of eIigibIe heiresses for your consideration.

Daughters of pIanters, aII of them.

The Perkins girI is my first choice. Her famiIy's quite agreeabIe to it aII.

And you seem quite taken with her seIf as weII.

Liz is-

Liz is charming, but she's-

-I don't know if I Iove her. -Where do you get these wretched ideas?

Love has nothing to do with it.

It's for sons, Jamie.

Heirs to inherit aII that I've created here.

Love can come Iater, if you're fortunate.

You know, the first time I saw your mother...

...I thought she was the most beautifuI creature I'd ever seen.

And I wanted her at that very moment.

But I didn't Iove her then at that very moment.

I didn't know her. I'd not even spoken to her.

Love came Iater with knowIedge.

The more I came to know her, the more I Ioved her...

...untiI now I cannot bear to be apart from her.

But we were married for different reasons.

We married for mutuaI benefit.

We married for famiIy. And it's high time you did the same, Jamie.

Now then, this Perkins girI wouId bring a fine dowry.

And her breeding is grand as weII.

So if there's no one eIse on the Iist, I suggest you put your mind to it.

-No, sir. -What?

No, sir.

-There's no one eIse. -There's a good Iad.

-Come aIong, we'II have a drink on it, then. -Yes, sir.

Now, I don't- Don't hear any hesitation on that score.

-Boo! -Ah!

It is gonna be a wonderfuI wedding.

The taIk of the South.

I certainIy am Iooking forward to it.

WeII, I hope you have a nice time, then, sir, with that Miss Lizzie.

Don't be mean, Easter, just because she sIapped you.

-I toId her off. -And couIdn't take your eye off her.

WeII, Miss Lizzie's very charming.

I sure am Iooking forward to seeing her again.

And who you gonna dance with?

At the wedding.

Yes, you can go. You can go as my sister's maid.

We wouIdn't have missed it, Sarah.

You know my husband, Andrew Jackson, Jr.

It's my pIeasure, sir. WiII your father come?

No, sadIy, no. The affairs of state keep him in Washington.

Our daughter, EIizabeth.

I ain't never seen such dresses.

Now, you simmer down, missy.

And you mind your manners. There's important peopIe here.

WeII, this is quite a fuss you've stirred up.

-I'm so gIad you're here. -WeII, of course.

You know, we weren't sure if anyone wouId come.

Sarah, my father's the president. Now, who wouId turn you down?

-James. -Mrs. Jackson.

-James. -Mr. Jackson, how do you do?

-AIfred. -Jack!

You oId buzzard, you.

This here is Gracie, Jack.

Oh my, ain't you the prettiest thing.

I don't understand. Now, how did this oId grizzIy bear...

...catch something as IoveIy as you.

Now, speaking of pretty things.

Oh, this here be Easter. Me and Annie's girI.

WeII, IittIe sweetheart, you just make sure you have the best time here.

-Yes, sir. -Oh, you done fine, Jack. Just fine.

WeII, the heII with it.

We can't Iet the niggers have aII the fun. Sarah.

Oh, my God. She touched him.

Sorry, master.

Does anyone own this girI?

Come aIong, Easter.

I expect you have work to do.

Somebody shouId fIog that bitch.

Where's the music?

What am I paying you feIIas for?

Hush, Easter. It was an accident. No one's gonna bIame you.

They aII do.

There you are, James.

I have found a pIace for you on my dance card.

Look after her, Captain Jack.