Jay, I don't know what your issue is.
Stop, man.
Baby, maybe.
Tickle him.
That boy is...
That boy grab the stick!
Hey, man, how you doing?
Have a light?
You have a light?
Oh, yeah.
Thanks.
Yeah, you... where you headed?
Where you headed, New Orleans?
Yeah. Yeah?
I'm on my way back to New Orleans, too.
Just leaving Lafayette, visiting my seven-year-old.
Going back... going back to New Orleans,
where I'm in the progress of... In the process of a project.
I'm trying to write a book on the homeless situation,
and, you know, how the economy affects it,
and how it's not really the economy's problem.
It's just a problem without the economy being bad.
I think everybody should have a home, you know?
Yeah.
I was talking to a policeman earlier today.
She said, you know, with America being the best country
in the world... We still the best country...
Every person should at least have one room.
You know?
And I... I wasn't even thinking that generously.
But that makes sense to me.
Police woman told me that.
Anyway, I'm writing a book about the homeless culture.
With the uprising in Egypt, and Tunisia, and all that going on.
Yeah.
You know, that's all about democracy, right?
They want democracy over there.
They don't want dictatorships.
And, uh, but that still wouldn't make it perfect, you know?
We've got democracy here, and that's what we've had,
And we still got a lot of problems.
The homeless thing is really... you know, is...
Is in my heart to write, and try to
at least...
shine some light on.
You know?
What's... what's your, uh... What's the... what's the point?
Is it kind of like under the thought of, like, the weakest link?
Kind of strengthen the weakest link of a nation?
I mean, God bless America.
Yeah.
Well, it's not... it definitely...
I'm not thinking like from a socialistic point of view.
But, uh, you know, the rich are getting richer.
The poor are getting poorer.
I mean, there are people out there
who'd gladly take a job... I mean, would work.
And they're homeless.
And they would work.
But even if they had a job, it wouldn't... you know,
they can't afford housing.
You know what I mean?
Since Hurricane Katrina,
the price of rent has gone up.
It's, like, tripled. You know?
It was hard enough to pay your rent before Hurricane Katrina.
Myself, I was making pretty good money.
But when I think about somebody working at Burger King,
and when rent was $500 before the storm.
Now it's $1,100 for the same apartment.
Something's wrong.
It's just... it's hard, man.
It's hard, you know?
I mean I think it's something that I should be doing.
You know, I should be...
God put it in my heart that I should do more.
You know, I can take care of my family.
Mom.
Jaden, hey.
Look, look at that.
You guys, just sit down. Okay?
Sit down?
You are sitting down. Just stay right here.
Like that.
Now dry your hands.
Dry my hands.
Can I get my plate?
You know, I got to work in the morning if he going be sick.
Mimi can't take him?
No, he probably got sick from Mimi or her kids.
And you know he's not going back over there until he gets better.
So what you gonna do?
I was thinking about going to acting class.
They have lessons on Tuesday.
What? An actor?
Jamaine.
Gotta do something.
Yeah, you gotta do something with a steady paycheck.
What about the job at the cellphone place?
It didn't work out.
All right, what about on Bourbon?
Didn't work out either.
I need you to bring a steady paycheck in
so you can at least buy me a car.
Take me out once in a week.
Wait, Nick.
You need to look for the cars.
Hi, can you take us somewhere to get something to eat?
I'm sorry, I'm not allowed to take children
Because we don't have child restraint seats.
There is a Borden's Ice Cream Shop
at the corner of Jefferson and Johnson.
It's within walking distance, a few blocks.
Where is that?
Turn right on Johnson Street.
And it's a few blocks.
It's a Borden's Ice Cream Shop.
- All right, come on you guys. - I'm sorry.
Come on, you guys.
Nick, come on, up here.
Come on, Nick.
Come on, guys.
Oh, Jay, you're so heavy.
Can you get down and walk?
You're heavy on Mommy.
Jay, you need to get down.
Come on, you're heavy, come here.
Come on, guys.
Nick, I need you to stay by me.
There's cars and everything else.
I need you to stay closer to me.
Come on, Lexa, closer to me.
Come on, guys.
Hold your sister hand.
We're about 100 miles...
I have a credit card.
I have no... cash.
Drake, what do you have?
All right, dude, bottom line is, we scooped you.
And, um, I got a little bit of cheddar on me.
- You've got your card, right? - I got my card.
All right, we're a little shy to make this awesome trip down to New Orleans.
So, can you spot us a little bit of bones, dude?
Like what?
Like, you got like 20 bucks maybe we can borrow from you?
I got... I got 20 on gas.
You got 20 on gas, dude? Yeah, that's cool.
You want to fork it up, dude?
Thanks, all right, now I got to find a gas station
and get some more Tostitos. I'm getting kind of low.
Uh, so...
What are you doing in New Orleans?
I came down here to meet up with this girl.
I'm from New York and...
And she moved down here.
And I'm coming down here to meet up with her in New Orleans.
Yeah, dude, me too, man.
My girlfriend's down there right now, man.
She has class today.
So we gotta, like, freakin' hurry or she's going to, like, skin me alive.
She gets out of class in, what?
Like... like, hour and a half.
And I don't know how often you're late with your lady friend, dude.
But if I'm late like one more time, she's going to drop kick me in the face.
Um, are you from New York the city?
Yeah, like New York, New York.
Cool.
It's pretty... yeah, it's cool.
Excuse me, who's the manager?
The manager.
Are y'all hiring?
What? No, no.
OK, thank you.
Excuse me.
How you doing, sir? Are y'all hiring today?
Oh, 444 Canal Street, thank you.
He's in essence proving the same thing to me too.
Because I see him as nothing but a liar from the beginning.
He ain't nothing but a snake oil salesman.
He's got everything he needs to get the customer
to buy his shit, even though there ain't nothing in that bottle.
And from the beginning, I've watched him pick you up just to drop you down.
That's because he's scared, Mom.
You know, I feel like...
maybe it's just a matter of trust.
Gaining his trust.
Maybe trust only comes with time.
I don't know. Maybe...
Maybe trust never comes at all.
I haven't figured it out yet.
But I feel like...
We have kids together.
So I should give him another chance.
Maybe I should give him 1,000 chances.
I don't know when it'll be over, Mom.
But I know that...
In my heart I will know when it's over.
I'm just going to work on this trust thing.
I'm a work on...
Showing him that he can trust me.
And then...
Then we will have our happily ever after.
You know, Mom, I remember when I was 16.
And I did Model Search America.
And that woman, she did my hair.
And she put all that professional makeup on my face.
And then I went in the bathroom.
And when I looked in the mirror, I just thought, oh my God.
'Cause that didn't look like me.
At all.
But it was me.
And that reflection in the mirror, Mom...
Yeah?
I just thought I was so beautiful.
All right, Jay.
I really... I just want to have that feeling again.
Blocking foul and everything.
Get that dog.
Come here, Chrissy.
Let me hit you back up, all right?
What up, son?
Nothing, just talking to BM, bro,
About to land a job, security job.
She better get that.
Oh, you worrying about that, we need to get that TWIC, you hear me?
What that is?
TWIC card is like the master cards to getting all jobs,
like any job you want. You know what I'm saying?
Man, stop it, man.
Man, I'm serious, bro.
For real, bro, you could get any one you want.
So what it is?
It's the TWIC card.
It's a card.
Is like an ID card. But it have a little chip on it.
Right, dude was telling me about that.
- Yeah. - Dude was telling me...
But I thought you couldn't be a convicted felon getting that.
Can't listen to everything you hear.
He took what people was telling him.
That mean that stopped him from getting his money right.
You feel me?
Like all people, like most of the people on their own
On the river, you can... You can... you can get 'em.
My dad, my uncle, all of them convicted felons.
Well, how I'm a get that.
And I can't even vote.
I'm a convicted felon for seven more years.
I don't even know how that goes, son.
Because they letting inmates vote.
Last time I was in that bin, know what I'm saying,
inmates was voting.
Know what I'm saying?
So I don't know.
It... it be a certain conviction.
Like if you got a murder conviction,
something like that, they don't let them vote.
But if it's a drug conviction...
So I can vote? Yeah, you can vote.
Don't never let nobody tell you that.
Know what I'm saying?
We go on what niggas be saying sometimes.
Because they heard that from somebody else.
But you can vote.
I voted last time.
For Obama? I vote right there. Yeah.
That was the only time I heard they was letting people vote, convicted felons.
'Cause we... we, us being young black men,
we don't be worrying about city council.
We don't be worrying about the district attorney.
When we should be worrying about the district attorney.
Because that boy's sinking everything.
Right, right, right, right.
Feel me?
He's sinking everything, son.
Man, we got to take care of that card, man.
Because everyone go and get that TWIC card.
Because that right there a problem the whole A gasket gone on that.
What they want us to do, son?
A job, like... like that broke my back,
like how we been working for.
The lighthouse.
Four months straight, yeah, bro.
And they just laid us off like that, like got us on call.
And you know ain't making nothing.
Yeah, nothing at all.
He just called me, matter of fact.
He just called me.
I'm not even answering for that boy, seriously.
- For real. - He just called me.
We can't live on no $40 a week, though.
That's not even $40 a week, fool.
Deliveries is $20.
That's crazy.
We get 10 deliveries, we making $25 a piece a week.
That's not what's up.
Know what I'm saying?
Know what I think it is, though?
I think it's them goals, dog.
That's what I really think.
Me, personally, I'm going to take mine's out.
Know what I'm saying? It's just me.
Man, I'm not taking nothing out, for the simple fact, son,
I know how to conduct myself as a businessman.
Know what I'm saying?
Exactly, but they stereotype us.
I'm not about to let nobody put me down.
Like, I got this because I wanted this.
You can't judge me for this.
It ain't like I have tattoos on my face. You feel me?
Know what I'm saying?
Dudes with tattoos on they face - chefs at restaurants.
So how you going to just see... And they have goals.
Well, I don't know what you doing.
I'm going to take mine.
That's just me.
It's something I want to do.
So I'm going to take care of that.
I think I'd be better off like that anyway.
But yours been at the top,
Mine at the bottom. I'm good.
Because I can smile with just my teeth showing at the top.
You feel me?
I know how to talk without opening my mouth.
See at the top, that's all open.
You know what I'm saying?
So, you know, I feel you should do that.
I'm not doing it though.
You know, I can't... I ain't letting them judge me.
I'm not letting them stereotype me.
Know what I'm saying?
Basically, it's all about how you coming.
See, if I come in there with some baggy pants,
some baggy slacks... Know what I'm saying?
Fresh, smelling good, like some good cologne,
or whatever like that, cheap cologne, they can tell.
They can read you before you even must hit the door.
You know what I'm saying?
See, we like to come in there with button down
Without our shirt in our pants.
Right, right.
And you know that's how we do it.
We feel we got a button down on,
we don't have to put our shirt in our pants.
But you have to put your shirt in your pants no matter what.
Right, I stayed doing this.
And with the cuffs, we always won't have.
Cuffs on our pants... they allow us to wear jeans.
But you gonna need to put cuffs in your jeans.
You feel me?
I should have just told them to come over.
Okay, so I think we might be getting good on the balloons.
$5 off, I got like a 30% discount.
She's like... I was like, well, because if you order
over $1,000, you get 5% off.
Oh, all right, I'll tell her.
But then I thought they were doing a 10% discount.
But they're doing a Valentine's discount for 15%.
So I was like, do I get an extra 5% off on top of that?
And I was like, you know what? I didn't even worry about it.
I said, I trust it.
Because she was like, don't worry, I'll do you right.
And I was like, I'm not even worried about it, I know you'll hook it up.
She hooked it up.
Six balloons to get a...
Buzz?
Just don't pass out, Mom.
Sit down while you're doing that.
That's it.
Get me some more gigs.
And you sell gigs for me, I'll give you a percentage.
Every job you get me out of there I'll give you 10% of.
What are you carrying?
This.
It looks like a heart, man.
It's like... it's like.
Yeah, I found this when I was, uh... I was just in Columbia.
I was walking on the beach.
And I found this in the sand.
It's good, huh?
It is, man.
It's hollow.
There's this one quote they have.
They say, uh...
Where were you first prepared to be made a mason?
And you say, in my heart.
And they say, why do you want to become a mason?
And you say, because I want to subdue my passions,
and immerse myself into something greater than myself.
It's crazy.
The first question is, where you first prepared to be made?
And you go, in my heart.
So the more hollow your heart,
the more you can fill it up and let the world in, you know?
I gotta go, though, man.
I'll see you later.
Word, thank you.
Yeah, yeah, no problem.
I'm finished with the application.
Hey, Rob, you want to come see for a sec, man?
Hey, how's it going?
I'm Rob.
I don't know if you want to check this out.
All right, thanks.
I'm Greg, by the way.
Um, have you ever worked in a coffee shop before or?
No, but I can learn.
And so, if you hadn't worked in a shop before,
what had made you interested?
My girlfriend seen the ad on the window,
and suggested I apply.
So I just came in to fill the application out.
It been kinda hard for us, you know?
So just kind of like anything to pay the bills right now?
Basically.
We have all your information on the application.
Um, we got your phone number on here.
We'll give you a call back as soon as we can, all right?
Nice meeting you, man.
Go!
What's happening, Jamaine? Long time, no see, dude.
How it's been?
Man, shit been hard, right.
It been hard for me, to tell you the truth, bro.
I hadn't seen you in the neighbor...
I hadn't seen you around in a while, man.
How the kids doing?
Well, you know, I don't know you know,
but we ain't seen each other in a long time.
You know I have another one, right?
Oh, wow, another kid?
Another kid.
Man, you better slow your roll, Daddy.
It just, man, shit been crazy.
I don't have any job.
I don't have a job right now or nothing, bro.
How your folks doing? How's your brothers?
Oh, they doing good. They doing good.
They're in Houston right now.
They ain't coming back to New Orleans no time soon.
Good, good to hear, good to hear.
So how's your finances?
How's your financial stability in life going now?
I hadn't seen you in a while. Where you working?
What you... I mean, you got another kid now.
I don't work anywhere right now.
I just came back from a job interview.
And they never... uh, they didn't even want to hire me.
They had one dude wouldn't even...
He was looking at my gold teeth.
He was like, whatever.
You know, I hate to say it.
But appearance has a lot to do with job preference,
and how your rate of pay is going to be determined.
And...
The first thing he look at was my gold.
Well, when you first did that when you was...
I forget how many years ago you did that.
And I saw you.
I wanted to tell you that, you know. that's a downer.
And it's something that... It just has to be a chapter,
I guess, in life that a young man has to go through.
But, you know, I think you'd go further if you got 'em taken out, to be honest.
I think you'd get a better paying job.
You could probably get on with a good company,
maybe get you a nice little work truck, and paid insurance.
Right.
But, uh, you definitely... Your stature would go up.
If you got your teeth removed, I promise you,
you'd get a better job.
It's an image.
It's all about an image.
You got me think... You got me thinking
to do some things with myself, like personally,
with my appearance, really.
So and it's like, basically, it's hard right now.
So are you, uh, you renting, are you owning?
What are you... How's your living?
How's your living status?
I'm living with my mother-in-law right now.
Oh, wow.
Basically, I can't help her pay the bills.
My girlfriend.
It's sad.
You ain't on the right road, little brother.
You ain't on the right paths, the right roads.
You got to change your image.
You got to change your lifestyle, your habits,
people you associate with.
You gotta get you a face lift... A new face lift on life, dude.
I think you're a good guy.
And I know that you are, but...
You know, you got to prove it to yourself.
I know I'm excited that it's your birthday.
My baby's seven today.
You look so much grown.
She is so grown.
I know.
She is so grown.
You're hilarious.
She grown.
Come on, Nick. Put my stuff in here now.
Bubba's gonna be the big six in a couple months.
Nick! Put my stuff in there!
I said, put it away.
If you hang a six-year-old upside down, does he become a nine-year-old?
Put my marker in there.
Put the top on.
You won't take a marker with the top off.
I have four!
Three!
Come here! Look it.
Stop it, Jaden. I know that's you.
Don't pull it.
No, no, no, just... over here.
Yeah.
Mom!
Be careful.
So I was thinking that one, or that one...
Sitting down.
- This one? - Yeah.
Yeah, that one.
Well, both fine, but I seen the other one.
This one's straighter.
Okay.
That's it right?
Salam panini! Panini.
You guys got any more deliveries today?
Uh, yeah, I have one.
I'm going to give it to you in a second.
This is a small tomato right here.
Check this, please. Check this over there.
Yeah. Just...
All right, all right.
Do something, thank you.
Why do I gotta go on four... why do I gotta go to 14th Street after this?
You are not going to 14th, you're done with 14th Street.
Do you understand that?
I have to go to 14th Street after I'm done.
Okay.
Listen to me. There's something to learn here.
You can't live on ideas alone.
Yeah, keep on making fun of me.
Look at your hands for a second.
What? Look at them.
Look at your hands.
Perfect.
You can't live on ideas alone.
But you can live on sandwiches.
Now, take your... Look in your hands.
Look at them!
And figure out what to do with them.
How's it going?
What's up?
- What's up? - How you doing?
How you doing?
- What's happening? - I'm on my job.
What we got going on today?
Not much, same thing, same day.
Shit.
Same thing it is every day.
All right? All right.
All right, take care.
Same thing every day, never been a big fan of that saying.
It's fucking bullshit.
Who says same thing... Same thing every...
Must be from fucking Jersey.
Excuse me.
Are you hiring?
I'm looking for a job. Are you hiring?
Are y'all hiring?
Do you know any place I could go around here that's hiring?
Okay, thank you.
That's right, what's so good about love,
it's void where prohibited by law.
All the protection says, your love is void!
The man didn't mean to say that Irish people drink liquor.
What he meant to say was, they make it for sale!
The man didn't mean to say Irish people drink liquor.
What the man meant to say was
They make liquor in Ireland for sale.
That's right. Irish whiskey is for sale.
I always told the man, don't say. And don't sign nothing.
Say nothing, sign nothing, and you stay out of trouble.
I told the man, say nothing, sign nothing,
You stay out of trouble.
This is what the man meant to say.
Irish people make liquor, not drink it.
Irish people make liquor for sale.
That's what the man meant to say.
Hopefully it'll come off now.
How you feeling?
What's going on, my brother?
Jamaine?
OK, my name is Arthur.
Have you ever worked around a funeral?
No, I'm willing to learn, though.
Okay...
Are you willing to give up some long hours to work here at the funeral home?
Yeah.
Okay.
Do you have a valid... Valid driver's license?
And, uh, whatever you see in the embalming room must stay.
We don't go out and discuss matters.
You know, we have a lot of homicide victims here.
And it's imperative that you do not
discuss it with family members.
The biggest problem that I'm having was
when I surrender my keys to employees
they have a tendency, every time you send them out on an errand,
they stop by they house, girlfriend,
or invite some friends.
And the automobiles are strictly for funeral home purposes.
You know?
And, uh, I'm going give you an opportunity.
It's, uh...
The ball is in your court.
I'm just asking that you be very responsible.
Abide by the speed limits.
We just can't afford any tickets.
These red light...
I paid two in the past.
And I'm just in a position to keep paying tickets like that.
Okay.
When we give you a time to be here at the funeral home,
it's imperative that you be on time.
Because families are not paying for excuses.
Right.
They're paying for us to perform
in a professional manner.
You know?
I'm gonna take a chance.
Somebody gave me an opportunity.
And you being a young, black male,
you need to be given an opportunity.
I hope that this relationship works out.
Now, as for the money,
Let's look in terms of...
I know you've probably been unemployed for a while.
Right.
I'm going to pay you on a day-by-day basis
until we can kind of help you get yourself situated.
And we gonna start off at $10 an hour,
at least eight hours a day.
Some days, you may have to linger.
Some nights you may have to make removals.
When we speak in terms of removals,
we actually saying picking the body up
from the hospital, the residence, coroner's office.
And bringing it here?
Bringing it here.
And, uh, I have an employee by the name of George.
You'll be working side by side with him.
And we'd like for you to kind of clean up your appearance.
You know?
Because all those things work in your favor.
And I always share this with people,
that corporate America is not going anywhere.
You can determine your future.
You can determine your whole life is by your actions.
So, and I hope we can, uh...
Have a good, what I call, family relationship here.
You know?
And, uh, tomorrow you come in for 8:30.
And we'll get started.
Okay?
Thank you.
Do you have a coat and tie?
No, I can get one though.
Okay, all right, okay, all right
Alright well, Mr. Jamaine...
I'm going to have the insurance company to run
your driver's license to make sure that you in good standings, okay?
Okay.
So I'll see you in the morning, okay?
- Thank you. - Thank you, my brother.
Take your hair down...
Please.
OK, like it.
What's your name?
Leanne Miller.
And how old are you, Leanne?
I'm 26.
And where are you from?
I'm originally from Buffalo, New York.
How would you define your generation, Leanne?
I see a lot of people struggling
in different ways, some people more than any others.
What do people your age care about?
Success?
Making it?
That's what I care about.
How'd you get into modeling?
I started when I was very young and wanted to be a model.
And things throughout my life have...
taken me in other directions.
But I always come back to that's what I'd rather be doing.
- So... - So just searching, and finding myself jobs.
What things?
Hm?
What things in your life?
Growing up,
childhood difficulties and...
choosing the wrong friends, and then having kids.
And a lot of things happened to try to take me off my path.
But I always go back to where my dreams are:
Being a successful actress and model.
I'm cleaning my cheese!
Nick! What?
I said that's enough!
I know that.
You just said it.
And you still won't stop.
I would when I'm done with this half.
And then you'll do some more.
Nuh-uh. Mm-hm.
Uh-uh.
Mommy's home.
Mommy? Mommy.
Hey, baby.
Hey.
What's up?
What's going on?
What are you all doing?
I'm making a sandwich.
And I'm doing my homework.
Oh my God, what a mess.
Will you watch the kids for me tomorrow
so I can go look at this house?
Yeah, if you got the money for it.
Look Alexa!
Ma!
I'm going to take a bath.
Mommy!
Leanne. Yeah.
I know you're busy right now.
But, Leanne, we need to talk about what's going to happen
here in the next couple weeks.
'Cause I got people that are coming in to stay here and stuff.
And I need to know when you're gonna be moving, you know?
Have you made a decision yet about where you're gonna go?
I told you I'm going to look at a house tomorrow.
Yeah, but, man, you said you're gonna move to another city.
And then you think you're gonna stay.
And nothing sounds real solid.
Like, what do you think you're gonna do?
What one's looking better?
I don't know yet.
I'll probably go to Atlanta.
Yeah, you think you got enough money to get out there and get set up?
Can we talk about this later?
No, man, we gotta talk about this now.
No, we don't have to talk about this right now.
Look, man, I'm just trying to figure out when you think you're gonna go.
Because the date keeps getting back.
You know, I thought you were gonna be out of here by the first.
And now we're looking at the 10th.
Really, Mom, can't you just stop for a minute?
No, man, you know I can't keep going through this.
You know, I just want you to make a decision
and figure out where you're gonna go.
You know?
Y'all need to get your own place.
You need to get on your own.
I'll be back on my own so soon.
So soon.
I love you.
But you just gotta pick a path and follow it.
- Leanne. - Oh, I can't wait to get out of here.
Leanne, man, when you gonna go?
Just leave me alone for now, Mom.
I'll be out of here really soon.
Me and the kids are gonna go and...
Yeah, but you been saying that for...
We'll be gone. Don't worry.
You've been saying that for months, man!
You keep telling me, oh, I got this plan.
I got that plan. This is gonna work. That's gonna work out.
I mean, how are you gonna get to...
How are you gonna go out to a city you don't even know.
And you're just gonna pick a house randomly, and do what?
What are you gonna do out there?
Me and the kids'll be fine.
Well, I need to know what's happening.
You need to tell me tomorrow.
Because I got things going on.
I got people coming in.
And I can't wait any longer.
You need to make a decision. You need to give me a date.
And you need to stick to it.
You hear me?
I said, did you hear me?
Yeah, I fuckin' heard you.
All right, Leanne.