The Pride of Jesse Hallam (1981 TV Movie)

Chrystal Smith: Jenny Hallam

Quotes 

• Jesse Hallam : [Jesse has just returned home, to Ted]  So how's the report card?

  [Ted lowers his eyes] 

  Jesse Hallam : That bad, huh?

  Ted Hallam : They flunked me out. I told you, Daddy... at least I tried after the last meet. Runnin's all I got goin' for me. It's just like it was when we first got here... they say I gotta go back to ninth grade. Hey they don't have to know about this down in Muehlenberg, do they? I'm scheduled to be a junior back there.

  Jesse Hallam : Now hold on. Hold on, Ted. The principal said you might not get promoted, but puttin' you back? What'd you do, get all F's or somethin'?

  Ted Hallam : No, I got an A in gym, and a D in math.

  Jesse Hallam : I don't understand it... I've seen you in your books.

  Ted Hallam : It's all a bunch of gobbledygook anyhow, Daddy. And who cares about history? Anyhow, we're going back to Muehlenberg...

  Jesse Hallam : Wait a minute. You got a D in arthmetic, correct? But in biology, geography, history, english, everything you gotta know how to read for, you failed! Sit down... go on, hop to it!

  [Ted and Jesse sit, he hands him a heavy book] 

  Jesse Hallam : Your mama's Bible. Now find me the 40th Psalm.

  Ted Hallam : What for?

  Jesse Hallam : Don't argue, just do it. Read it to me.

  Ted Hallam : Daddy, you know I can read.

  Jesse Hallam : Just read it.

  Ted Hallam : [stammering]  I waited... puh, puh, puh...

  Jesse Hallam : Patiently. I waited patiently for the Lord.

  Ted Hallam : and uh, he... in, in, increased...

  Jesse Hallam : Inclined... you're puttin' words in the Bible that are not there. Read on.

  Ted Hallam : [nervously]  and, and, and heard... my cry. He... brought me up... also... out of... a horrible pit... out of the... me uh, my...

  Jesse Hallam : He brought me also up out of a horrible pit, out of the mirey clay, and he set my feet upon a rock.

  Ted Hallam : 'Cause you got it memorized!

  [throws Bible on end table and storms off] 

  Jesse Hallam : You bet I got it memorized! Now come back here!

  Ted Hallam : Why should I? You can't read for beans, anyway!

  Jenny Hallam : He can too! He reads to me all the time!

  Jesse Hallam : How long have you known?

  Ted Hallam : Always... I thought I did. Mama did the farm books, and you paid cash for everything because you couldn't, wouldn't write a check. Lotta folks down home figured it out that way.

  Jesse Hallam : Well, we fooled ourselves all my life, all the lies.

  Jenny Hallam : But you do read to me, Daddy.

  Jesse Hallam : Just lately, honey. Before that, I couldn't. The truth of the matter is, I've been takin' readin' lessons ever since we came up here, workin' harder at it than anything in my whole life. And I swear, in two months... in just two months, and I read better than you do! You think it's shameful going back to that junior high school? The shame of it all is that they would even take you back in the ninth grade, reading like you do. Maybe you lost a lot of respect for your daddy up here, and maybe you don't look up at me like I'd like for you to. But I tell you one thing... I'm gonna fix it, so you can always look up to yourself.