Racing for Time

You go, take care of that thing. I'm gonna go meet this pick-up.

Be back in about 15 minutes. All right?

I'm gonna go in here, take care of this, all right?

-You want me to come with you?

-No. Be right back.

Fine!

OK, bye!

POLICE SIREN

Wassup?

GUNSHOT

WOMAN SHRIEKS

SHE SHOUTS

Hold on to this, quick. Just hold it!

TYRES SQUEAL AND HORN BEEPS

POLICE SIREN WAILS

No!

No!

Get away from me!

No!

No! Feel.

BUZZER

Come on in, ladies.

First time to the left for orientation, repeaters to the right.

Come on in, move it. I ain't got all day.

I want to get back to my career as a Paris fashion model.

Miss Turner...

-back again, I see.

-Mam.

Look at you, all hoochie mama doll.

Hair all did. Mm-hmm, nails did.

Yeah, I'm gonna have a good time taking them off.

-Stack!

-Yeah?

Come here.

This one...

Yeah, treat her REAL special.

She's going to rack up enough points one day

to get her a free roll of toilet paper.

Woo!

Come on, Turner.

You know the way.

Yes, sir.

Come on, miss.

Let's go. Fill it up.

Get to, step up. Let's go.

Next. Next.

Turn to the right.

-How does being back at TCPY make you feel?

-Familiar.

Why did you go back to banging?

I wasn't banging, I was just riding in the car.

Assaulting that officer probably added three months to your sentence.

Three months, ten, 12, 20, what? What's the difference?

I heard the judge was willing to give you just six months

if you gave up the name or the gun.

I ain't no snitch, Miss Campbell. Besides, ain't nobody got hurt.

I understand that but if he were caught would he have protected you?

Have you learnt anything since the last time you were here?

Run faster, jump higher.

Miss Vanessa Turning.

Welcome home. Right this way.

Room five waiting for you.

Still living rent-free, I see.

Hmm, everybody ain't able.

Got some sheets special order for you. Egyptian. 600 count.

-I got the same cell. Denise still here?

-Yeah.

Just like you left it. Your old cell mate is still around.

Still doing the same stuff, smoking. Selling that heroin-soaked reefer.

You don't think I know about that but I do.

But you see, I'm going to get her.

I'm going to find her stash and I'm going to bust her.

-Now, maybe, you could be the one to help me out with it.

-Help you?

You lost your mind.

Close five.

GENERAL CHATTER

Never.

Nobody messes with my territory cos they know...

They know it's my place. What? They know.

-Hey, Tray.

-What the hell you doing back up in here?

They're trying to flip me so they can lock up my man.

At least she got a man.

-So, what they snap you with this time?

-They gave me a deuce.

Damn, two years for a man.

-I wonder if it was worth it.

-He was worth it. I'm in love, OK, girl.

She in love.

-What's going on?

-What's going on?

-Same old, same old, here.

-We're cell mates again.

-I heard.

Are you high?

-That's what I do, Ness. Or did you forget that fact?

-No.

Miss Baker said she would knock you off sooner or later.

-Tried getting me to drop a dime on you.

-Can you blame her?

Girl, you was the only one who could find my stash.

-They searched my cell twice a week and couldn't find nothing.

-Hmm.

As a matter of fact, the last time they were searching my cell,

I told them when they finished cleaning my suite,

there'll be a dollar on the pillow waiting for them.

Man, who you kidding, Denay?

If you had a dollar, you'd use it for rolling paper.

-Ton-ya.

-What up, babe?

-You're back to, huh?

-Yeah, Nessa.

They allege I stole a motorcycle

and went joyriding through the rich-folk neighbourhood.

Hey!

You got something to say to me, you say it to my face.

I don't give a rat's arse how many there are of you,

just bring it, one at a time.

-Who that?

-Some half-brain, new, white girl.

Yeah, man, she's something else.

Ain't scared of no-one, not even the sisters. They know she's bad as hell.

-Or just crazy as hell.

-I think she killed somebody.

BELL RINGS

Hey, y'all, how y'all doing?

-She has a rash.

-Really?

-Really she does, why?

Why does she have a rash, Maria? Did you give her milk?

Maria, you know she can't have any milk. She's allergic to milk, Maria.

I couldn't find the other stuff.

The other stuff is called soy and it's right next to the milk, Maria.

It's OK, baby.

Let me see your hand. Let me see your hand.

-You smoking pipe again?

-You shouldn't say anything.

You're the one that's in here for selling it.

You're supposed to be taking care of my baby, Maria.

And you're smoking crack.

Oh, my God.

Cut me a break, OK?

It's OK.

I was so messed up, yo.

I was really, really tore up

that I had to throw myself out the window.

LAUGHTER

You tripped out. You tripped out.

Cogedme esa rata.

You've got some good stuff tonight.

Nah, Nessa, I know you, I know what you're thinking.

But just leave it alone. We've got a truce going on.

You two, stay here, I'm going to check on...

Not today, Nessa, I got cramps.

What the hell, it's on.

-You're lucky you're not dead.

-That's right.

They could have killed her.

SHOUTING

Alex!

Alex!

ALARM RINGS

Stop it.

SHOUTING

Alex, get out of there.

Hey, hey, hey. Cut it out.

Cut it out. Cut it out.

Get down, get down. Get down, Tray.

Stay down, all of you, get down. Everybody, down.

Tonya, Tonya, Tonya. Stop.

-You should know better than that.

-I'll still whip that arse.

You get down. Get down. Stay down.

You all right? You all right, Daniels?

-I saw you, Tray.

-I said, stay down. Stay down.

I saw you, I saw you.

Hey, hey, Baker, come on. Baker. Baker!

Come on, sit down, get down! Baker, come on. Baker, stop.

Put the stick away before someone gets hurt.

You don't have to point, Lieutenant.

Listen to me, these girls are pissed off enough already.

Now, just calm down. Help Daniels to he infirmary.

Try me, little girl, try me.

You'll do this with Daniels but try me, I want you to get up.

I want you to get up.

Come on, come on, you got something to say, come on.

Go. Go, Nessa!

Damn.

Argh!

Get off of me.

-You ain't got to hold me like that.

-I sure do, I've seen you run.

Mr Stack. Mr Stack, No, for real, don't put me in there,

my man's coming to see me tomorrow.

-I've got a visitor tomorrow.

-You should have thought of that before you started fighting.

Mr Stack, it really wasn't me who started it, you know.

Lights out.

You know what, you don't even care.

A lock in a sock. How did an inmate get access to a combination lock?

Oh, come on, Baker, that's just a way not to deal with them.

We need to ship 20 or 30 girls out of here, at least.

There will not be any mass transfers.

I want a 48-hour lock down and a dorm-to-dorm check.

I will not tolerate any violence in my facility.

Not inmate-on-inmate, not inmate-on-staff

and not staff-on-inmate under my watch.

I was not brought here to keep the status quo

and there will not be any lawsuits with my name on it.

Is this clear?

Lock it down.

Sergeant Daniels is going to pull through but she was very lucky.

Now, I want to know what we're going to do about today's fight

because I do not want this to get out of control.

-Gatesville, that'll set them straight.

-Gatesville.

-Gatesville.

Look, Superintendent Flores, these kids can't handle Gatesville,

three juvies tried to kill themselves last year at Gatesville.

And one of them made it.

Now, the state allows the M cases to remain here

till the age of 25 for a reason.

The state allows us to use our discretion

when it comes to dealing with wards who pose a threat to the facility.

This weren't the first time for Turner or Williams

and it won't be the last.

-That'd make your job a lot easier, wouldn't it?

-This job is never easy,

why don't you go ask Sergeant Daniels about that?

You know as well as I do that we're these girls' last, best hope

to make something of their lives.

And one of ours almost died here today, Lieutenant Stackhouse.

-I won't have that.

-And you shouldn't, superintendent. You shouldn't.

But these girls belong to us as well.

We shouldn't just run away from any challenges.

We should exhaust ourselves,

trying to find different ways to reach these girls.

Like sending their troublemaking arses to Gatesville, like I said.

You're starting to sound like a broken record.

You should start concentrating on your wing in this prison.

Now, by the end of tomorrow, I want a proposal on my desk

from both of you, suggesting how we can do more for these girls.

'Attention, all officers, prepare for full facility lock down.

'Attention, all officers, prepare for FFLD.'

-Nessa, your toilet working?

-I don't know.

Mine ain't even flushing.

Vanessa? You all right in there?

Yeah, I'm all right.

You know I can handle it.

That's right, girl. This ain't crack.

Just keep telling yourself this ain't nothing.

Yeah, this ain't nothing.

This ain't nothing.

This ain't nothing.

Nothing.

Mum.

Mum.

Y'all think I'm scared of Gatesville? Hell, no.

Y'all could bring me to Alcatraz and I wouldn't give a damn.

I'm still going to be me, I'm still going to be Tray.

Man, you've all got to be kidding,

I got two cousins up in Gatesville and they run that joint.

I just wish I had one of you punks up there with me.

Especially you. I'd make you my girlfriend.

You'd be washing my drawers up in Gatesville.

Tray! Tray!

Hey, Ness, don't you worry about me.

This going to be a piece of cake. I've got this.

-I don't see it. Why running?

-My daughter ran track.

-I know that.

She was AAU champion, two years in a row, I trained her.

-Yeah, I know that too.

-Yeah.

The streets almost got her but running saved her.

And not just running, supe, it's a way to reach them.

I mean, that's the goal, right?

Even if we reach one, keep one from throwing away their life.

I hear you.

But if you're looking for a physical activity

to redirect their aggression, we've got baseball and basketball here,

two team sports and those aren't working either.

Yeah, but running is different.

Running is in a world of its own. The team part of running is great.

But it's the individual aspects of it that sets it apart

from any other sport.

As a runner, you learn something about yourself,

something about your soul.

Come on, supe, just give me this one thing.

OK, I promise I won't ask anything else.

I'll give you permission to see if this is something

-that the girls would buy into.

-OK. I'm going to need equipment,

-I'm going to need running shoes, starting blocks.

-Woah, slow down.

Slow down. You're getting way ahead of me.

Don't worry, you'll catch up in time.

-How many girls do you think you can get involved?

-I don't know.

-About a dozen.

-You double that and I'll see what I can do.

All right, done.

Look.

Tracy Williams was transferred to Gatesville last night.

And if I don't see an improvement in Vanessa Turner,

and I mean a SIGNIFICANT improvement by the end of the month,

she will be joining her.

BELL RINGS

Any of you girls want to join a running team?

Anybody want to learn how to run?

Hey, come here. You all right?

-Yeah, I'm fine.

-You sure?

-Yeah.

Good. Want to join a running team?

Hey, don't leave me hanging. Anybody want to join a running team?

Doors.

All right, Turner, let's go.

Hey, Turner.

I hope your cell's clean cos they're going to search it.

-Yeah, it's plenty clean. I just mopped the hell out of it.

-Yeah.

I see that the detention cell hasn't changed your attitude much.

Whatever.

When I'm working, I like to be alone, you know what I mean.

-Feel free to take it as a hint.

-Look, I got the hint, no problem.

I just thought I'd talk to you about your transfer to Gatesville.

What transfer? Nah, I thought you had to be 18 to go to Gatesville.

Oh, no, used to be, not anymore, it's changed.

Gatesville is now an adjustment centre

and you obviously need an adjustment.

You know, I've got a buddy that works up there,

he said they cram 13 women at a time in a hot cell with no ventilation.

Yeah, cos Gatesville's for hard cases, I ain't hard like that.

-Yeah, you've been acting like a church lady, huh?

-I didn't say that.

You know, Sergeant Daniels could have lost her life during the fight that you started.

And it's not the first time you've started something

that someone got hurt.

So, you asked for it and you got it.

Now, we're going to see what you're really made of.

That's the transfer?

You know...

..I feel halfway bad for you cos a lot of decent girls,

of which you're not one of them, who deserve a second chance

get totally brutalised at Gatesville or leave in a body bag.

Mr Stack, please, I don't want to go up there.

-I'm in here for no reason anyway.

-No reason.

-No reason.

Ask around, everybody knows I didn't do nothing.

They don't send girls up here for no reason.

If you weren't in the middle of trouble,

then you must have been circling it.

You know...

This may be a reach...

..but I might be able to squeeze out one last chance for you

but you're going to have to work with me.

OK.

You know, Mr Stack, I ain't about no snitching, though.

I need some girls to start a running team.

All right.

Let's see if we can find us some drugs today, huh?

Yes, indeed. I've been waiting to get up in here.

Door.

THEY ALL SHOUT

Hey, hey, hey. Hey!

Hey, hey, hey. Hey, what's going on here? What's going on?

-We were here first, sir.

-When we getting out of here, Mr Stack?

What you mean by every Saturday night, huh?

I mean, is this for real? Because I need to know before I join.

"Movie and burgers at the mall every Saturday night." Oh, man.

Vanessa. Vanessa, get over here.

-What did you tell them?

-You told me to get you some girls, right?

You ain't tell me how to do it. So, I had to come up with my own way.

-They're here.

-That's right, that's right.

All right. Shut up, shut up, shut up. Shut up!

-Shut up!

-We're not running with them.

Then you're not running.

You've got questions, fine.

I've got answers.

-But first, we're going to run. OK, line up.

-Line? Run where, sir?

Once around the compound is nearly a mile.

Anybody who makes it back can hear what I've got to say.

Follow Mr Freeman, let's go. Let's go.

Great job, great job.

Push through it, push through it.

Great job, ladies. Great job. That's right.

We lost only about eight, we lost all the quitters.

Now, come on, girls, push through, push through.

Good, Denise, good. Push through it, Denise, make it all the way.

That's the way to tough it out, yeah. That's what I'm talking about.

You've got to be special, ladies.

All right, all right, that's the way to do it, that's the way to do it.

All right. You all right, Denise?

I'm good, Mr Stack. Probably going to kill my cell mate, though.

You OK, Rene?

Don't I seem OK?

-You're not your, you know, your typical...

-Relaxed self.

No day of this programme will be harder than what you've done today.

And you all might be wards of the state of Texas

but out here, out here you're runners.

Athletes.

In time, you'll all find freedom in that and pride.

The pain in your legs, the burning in your lungs,

that's the price you pay.

In fact, you'll learn to love it. You'll begin to feel the difference.

You'll get stronger and stronger.

Can we go now?

Not yet. We're going to learn how to run a special race.

The 4 X 100 relay.

-Anybody know what a relay is?

-When your man get it up a second time.

-THEY ALL LAUGH

OK, Miss Mouth, over here. Over here.

Let's see you get excited about running around those cones.

Nah, man, I don't think so. I just...

Carmen, join her.

-What? What I do?

-Come on. Over here.

Over here, come on, on the line. Come on, let's go, let's go.

Come on, on the line.

You're going to race around the cones, all right?

On your mark...

..get set...

go!

CHEERING

Lieutenant Baker, how many we got today?

We got eight, Superintendent Flores.

Door.

Hey, how's it going?

-Going great, supe.

-That's great to hear.

How is it exactly that you've managed to get all those girls

to give up their free time to run for you in this heat?

-I had a little help from Vanessa Turner.

-Really? How'd you manage..?

You know what, on second thought, I don't want to know.

Just leave shoe and short sizes on my desk by the end of the week.

-Thank you. One more thing.

-Ha-ha. One more thing.

When I was out here with the girls today I had this crazy thought.

I don't entertain crazy thoughts after five PM.

I was thinking, what could be a better goal for these girls

than to have an honest-to-goodness track meet.

-No.

-So, you'll think about it?

Oh, the silent treatment, that's how you're going to do me, huh?

Don't take the whole candy store when you've only got a penny to spend.

OK.

These jerseys, shorts and shoes are from Superintendant Flores

for making it through the first two weeks of practice

without giving up or dying.

THEY LAUGH

Now that we've got rid of the quitters,

we're going to have some fun.

Do we get to keep these?

As long as you stay in the running programme.

-Wow. They really got this for us?

-Yeah.

Yeah, I'm sure Superintendent Flores would appreciate hearing

how grateful you all are.

We're going to split up into four teams of four.

You'll train with your team. You'll practice hand-offs with your team.

You'll learn to trust your team.

And when I think you're ready,

-we're going to have a race.

-Yeah.

Before you touch these,

I want you to understand exactly what they cost.

They cost you showing up as a team. You fight, you give them up.

You show up drunk or high, you give them up.

But the biggest expense is this.

You can't quit.

By picking up this equipment, you're saying to me

that you're ready to push through all the hard stuff.

On this field, you're not allowed to say I can't do it.

Now, if you're willing to pay that price, come and get it.

-That's mine. Don't be taking my...

-Woo.

What are you doing?

Writing to my congressman. What does it look like I'm doing?

Getting high.

It's either that or I'll kill you for making me run.

Nobody held a gun to your head.

Nessa, don't mess with me. I'm sore, I'm tired and I just want to smoke.

Well, you're a good runner too.

Shouldn't be wasting your life.

Hold on. Shouldn't I be reading this in a letter

from someone who's not sitting in a cell with me?

Yeah, but I ain't wasting my life.

-I ain't even supposed to be up in here.

-Yeah, me neither.

And none of the other prisoners in the whole, damn country.

We all innocent.

-I don't even know why I bother trying to talk to you.

-Good.

Now, let me enjoy my high.

Yeah, well, never mind. Look, the race is roughly a quarter mile

which each of you running a little more than 100 yards.

For now, we'll use this as a baton.

You used up all the paper towels cleaning up after Denise.

And if I come down here and shove it down your damn throat.

All right, you two, all right. Come on, cut it out.

You have a space of ten yards in which to make the hand-off.

If the hand-off occurs out of that space, you're disqualified.

Now, watch Mr Freeman and Carmen. Come on.

OK, you can do this. This is real easy.

-When I tell you to go, just start running.

-OK.

-Don't look back. OK.

Don't worry about him until I yell stick. Then, put out your left hand.

-OK.

-OK.

Go.

Stick.

If the hand-off occurs out of that space, you're disqualified.

Well done, Carmen, yeah.

Now, this is important, this is something you cannot forget.

When I called go, Carmen didn't look back.

When I called stick she didn't look back.

Carmen trusted that it would be there and it was.

Now, you don't have to use stick and go as your calls.

You can come up with your own.

We had our own call when I ran in college.

-When was that? Like 1905?

-Oh, ha-ha.

I bet Mr Stack was a player back then.

He probably had all the girls and the staff screaming,

"Run, Stack, run."

THEY LAUGH

OK. Who's your mamma?

Ooh.

When you get as good as we were, then you can talk.

And maybe I'll let you know our call.

OK, come on, let's see what you got, come on.

Take it.

Hey, stick. Hey, Alex.

Stick.

Stick.

Take it.

All right, let's bring it in.

Bring it in.

-All right. Enough baton work, time to sprint.

-Ah.

-Where are you going, Denise?

-I'm done.

-You heard what I said earlier, no quitting.

-Watch me.

-Denay, you quit? We need you.

-To hell with you and Mr Stack.

Denay, try to stick it out.

When you're not high, you're one of the fastest runners.

Nessa, open your eyes.

Look at me. I'm not Jackie Joyner.

I'm a drug addict.

Denay.

Don't quit.

Nessa, you're not out here cos you, all of a sudden, found religion.

The only reason you out here is to keep your arse out of Gatesville.

I'm cool.

Watch it.

What? No-one touches me. You can't touch this. You can't touch this.

-Where's Rene?

-Dying of a broken heart.

They wouldn't let her boyfriend come visit her.

Stick.

Go.

Come on, come on.

Stick.

You've got a big target, big target with that hand. Stick.

Stick.

Stick.

-Hey, hey. Oh, oh.

-Stick.

-Hey, Mr Stack, Mr Stack. We got a problem.

-What's going on?

-Rene, oh.

-Rene, what?

-Rene, what ha...?

-What is it?

-What have you done to yourself?

Freeman, call the infirmary, call the infirmary.

-What's wrong with her?

-She all right?

They say it's about control.

Who says it's about control?

People who study it, write about it.

-They also say it's a way of getting high.

-That's silly.

Don't make me high.

Maybe not you but the endorphins send shockwaves through your body

when the cut is made and you see blood.

Seeing blood can be addictive.

When's the nurse coming back?

When we're done talking.

Who's the BabyGirl for?

My boyfriend.

Boyfriend?

My pimp.

All right?

You happy now?

I ran away when I was 13 and he took care of me.

I was his babygirl.

Tell me how he took care of you.

What do you mean?

Well, was he generous? Was he tender?

A great lover? Did he read you poetry?

Poetry?

Tell me how he was good to you.

I can't.

Why not?

He tried, in his own way, to be nice sometimes.

Besides...

..he treated me better than...

Than who?

-I hope she's all right.

-I know, man.

What's one less I-wanna-be-black white girl in this world?

-Yo, what did you say?

-You heard me.

No, I don't think I did. Say it again.

-Hey, hey, hey, what's going on?

-You'll be kissing the floor.

SHOUTING

Alex, cut it out.

We've gone this long without a war,

let's just try to extend it a little longer, please.

For anybody who cares, Rene is going to be OK.

-Why's she got to be so hateful?

-I can be more than hateful.

-Well, bring it on, then.

-Alex, Alex, come on, on, stop it.

Come one. I'm sick of this. I'm sick of it.

You know, you all act worse than the men.

You blacks and browns ever come together.

You can run the world.

Get together with them?

Not in my lifetime.

Not in mine either.

OK.

OK. OK.

This is how we're going to handle this. Come with me. Come with me.

-We're going to settle this with a race.

-I am not racing with her.

-Why not?

-She ain't no competition.

I could beat that whole, pitiful team by myself.

All right, you heard that, ladies?

She can beat the whole, pitiful team.

We're going to find out. We're going into the big yard.

Let's have a race. Everybody.

You wanted a race, you've got it.

This is the starting line and the finishing line.

I'm going to say mark, set, whistle.

On your mark.

Get set.

CHEERING

Vanessa, too strong out the box. Too strong, pace yourself.

Pace yourself.

I can't believe she's going to race the whole, damn team.

All right. Come on, then. Come on.

Go, Nessa!

Come on.

All right. Come on. All right, come on, come on.

Pick it up, pick it up.

OK, now you've got to turn it on. Now, you've got to turn it on.

All right, come on. Come on, Carmen.

Come on, Vanessa.

That's how it's done around here. That's how it's done.

-You all right? You OK?

-Tonya, leave her alone. Thank you.

Get back. Get back.

We do it today.

Right now.

Remember, not in the face.

Slice her behind her ankle on her Achilles.

Let's see her run after that.

Carmen, you were racing a tired runner

so you winning is nothing to brag about.

Both of you are good, real good, I mean that.

Hey, listen to me, listen to me. Look at me.

Look, what do you have to gain by hating each other so much? Tell me.

What do you gain? What?

I don't know.

All of that energy for a negative.

You put that energy into something positive,

I mean, you two can grow up to be something special.

Last time I checked,

both of you lived in the Texas Correctional Prison for Youths.

So, from now on...

..in this programme...

..we're one team.

We're one team.

-I got.... I think I'm going to be...

-Mr Stack, Mr Stack!

Mr Stack.

Hey, hey, what's the matter? You all right?

-OK, you've got a cramp, which leg?

-Right here.

Adonde vas?

Mr Stack, Mr Stack.

Down. Everybody, down!

Carmen, Carmen!

Carmen!

-Carmen!

-You're next, girl. I'm telling you, you're going down.

-Carmen, put the knife down!

-Ah-ha-ha.

-Carmen, put it down!

Argh.

Stop it! Alex!

Get off. Get off. Get up.

Come on, come on. Come on, Carmen.

You with her now? You're with her?

-You're both dead.

-Get her out of here. Get her out of here.

-What happened out here, lieutenant?

-Alex's crew set me up.

It was a slick move. They faked me out real good.

Superintendent, all due respect,

Lieutenant Stackhouse's runners are walking away

with the security of this institution.

And that's a lot of risk for a bunch of wards who'll never see a race.

I asked you to give me a suggestion and you gave me none.

However, you do have a point. Let them have their race.

And then let's go on with the business of running this institution.

Baker, what Lieutenant Stackhouse needs is someone to watch his back.

So, now, that's your assignment.

Wherever he's training these girls, that's where I want you to be.

Ooh. Ha.

-What happened to your neck?

-For once in my life, I did the right thing.

Thank you so much for bringing her to me.

OK, high-five.

Ah! Yeah, you know how to do that. There you go.

WHISTLE BLOWS

Yeah, that's the way to be special, Vanessa. Enjoy it.

That's the way to be special.

That's the way to be special, yeah. Great time, great time.

Hey, the girl who anchored the winning team, what was the split?

-Hey, Keith, what you doing here?

-Your boss.

-My boss?

-Your boss.

She called the paper, asked for coverage and they gave it to me.

-Baker, do your job. How you been, man?

-What's up, man?

-Hey, man, some of these girls can run.

-Yeah.

Reminds me of when we used to stretch it out.

-Yeah, it'll be a good story too.

-Yeah, you're not lying.

Hey, I got some nice shots.

You know, if you took that girl

and that girl and a couple of others...

Well, I got one in the infirmary who can really move.

..man, you'd be competitive on a regional level.

You ever thought about that?

Yeah, it crossed my mind. Let me tell you about it.

You ran a good race.

You too.

-I know you're under a lot of pressure.

-Look, I've got somewhere to be.

Why did you look out for me like that?

Because you didn't deserve that, all right?

And really because I'm just tired of all the damn hate.

Yeah, hey.

So are we cool?

Have you seen the paper?

"The East Texas correctional prison for youth girls have the talent

"to win a formal track meet and they're ready to show it."

Do they really have the talent to compete against organised track teams?

They do. They do.

But this article is going to get them to believe

they can get a real race against a real team.

We don't know if we can make a qualifying time without

-the right team of girls...

-Then we should organise the team

and train the hell out of them.

-Thank you very much.

-You're welcome.

-There's one more thing.

I knew that was premature.

Our girls have never seen a regulation track,

-let alone run on one...

-Wait,

is it me, or are your "one more things" getting bigger and more complicated?

I'm going to take that as, you really want me to leave right now.

No more requests. Right? Tomorrow. I will be back tomorrow.

Thank you very much.

Come on. Come on, girls.

Come on! Come on, push through it!

Come on, enjoy it! Enjoy it, enjoy it!

Ah, damn it.

You could always put on a wig, wear a dress,

give up on this ridiculous idea.

Yeah, I may have to.

Listen, even if you three run the perfect race,

we still don't have anybody fast enough to make the fourth split.

-Man, there's got to be someone.

-What about Denise?

-Oh, she has her own problems.

-But she was one of the fastest.

You're right, but can you guarantee she won't show up at the race high?

I can't rely on Denise.

Frankenstein in the house.

What's up? What's up, baby?

-Are you feeling good?

-Hey, hey, hey. When you get released?

-Couple of minutes ago.

-You feel like running?

-Yes.

Listen, all right, look, we'll rest up today but starting tomorrow,

53.3, that the number I want inside your heads every second of the day.

I'm going to tell you right now, we've got a lot of work to do.

52.3. That's right.

Let's do it, baby. 53.3.

No-one told me I was up for early parole today.

You haven't had any infractions for a year, they considered that.

They left your name out of that fighting incident.

You should consider yourself lucky.

You worried I'm not going to recommend you for an early release?

I'm not worried about that. They'll do whatever they want to do anyway.

I can't control this. I mean...

I ain't afraid of no failure.

My record says that I'm an incorrigible, defective delinquent.

That's all I've ever been told, was I was a failure.

-You know what, what really scares the hell out of me?

-What's that?

Success.

Hey, y'all, what's up? How are you all doing?

What's up, girl?

They called me up for early parole.

I'm going home.

What?

I can't believe you're going to leave us hanging like that.

OK, look, I've got mixed emotions about this.

But please, don't ask me to postpone my freedom for a track meet.

I don't blame her.

If I got parole, I wouldn't stay a second longer in this place than I had to.

Thank you very much, Miss Black America.

That's the last time I will try to cheer you up.

-You never cheered me up.

-What about you?

I know you're not talking to me.

-Can you run?

-You hear somebody talking?

Denise, you've been straight for a while now.

That's only because I've been ducking and diving.

Got a new package coming in though

and neither you or anyone else is going to be to find it.

Denise, you're so close to kicking that stuff.

Why don't you help us out and train?

There's the problem, I'm not going to train. I'm going to get high.

That's what drug addicts do, get high, not run.

-You see that?

-She could kill somebody with that kick.

Man, that girl has got a skill. You had better give it up to her.

Them soccer players can run all day.

And somebody has got to try and get her on the team.

Not me. No, I ain't messing with you. No.

Where are you going?

Hey, are you crazy? Don't go near that girl.

-Have you lost your mind?

-Just watch my back.

Hey! Come here, let me talk to you.

Don't walk away from me. Come here. Let me talk to you for a minute.

-What?

-Let me talk to you for a minute.

-What the hell do you want?

-What did you say?

-You heard me!

-Listen, I just came over to...

THEY SHOUT OVER EACH OTHER

-How did you get so fast?

-Soccer coach made us run track.

-So are you in?

-I'm in.

-Good.

Let me ask you a question.

Did you really kill somebody?

I said I'd run with you. Keep my personal life out of it.

OK, my bad.

I... Just keep running like that, all right, we'll have no problem.

Good.

I'll be over there with my girls, staying out of your business.

You do that.

I can tell you this much.

It wasn't my fault.

I believe you.

It doesn't really matter now, does it?

Hey, Vanessa? Damn, girl, you don't look half as good as you used to.

Don't they let you have any make-up in here?

-Where the hell have you been?

-Miami, Dallas, Chicago.

-Doing my thing, you know, trying to survive.

-Trying to survive?

Yeah, I know what that's like. I'm trying to survive too.

Don't trip, Vanessa. I'm here now. Right?

Yeah, you're here now... after three months.

Some of the girls get a visitor every day.

They must be some jive suckers, all right?

Now, you do understand I've got things to do.

Yeah, I got things to do too,

like think about you every second I'm in here.

I don't think you've even come up here to see me.

You just came to make sure I've kept my mouth shut.

Look, I know you've kept your mouth shut

because that's what you're supposed to do, you know that.

As far as you and me are concerned, I mean, we're still good to go.

No, we ain't close to good.

-I don't even know what I feel any more.

-What?!

I wasn't supposed to be in here this time.

Hold on to this, just hold it.

Because of you, I got a two-year sentence.

You can't even come up here to see me or write me a letter

or send a money order.

Next time somebody asks me why I'm here, I'll say my only crime

was wanting to be with my man.

-Somebody ought to talk some sense into me.

-I know what this is.

You're getting all high-minded and philosophical

-because you've been in the paper?

-What?

-Yeah, I read the jive article.

Listen, just because you run fast, don't make you somebody you ain't.

Yeah, keep talking. So now I'm seeing the real you.

So you run a race. What you gonna do when you get out, huh?

Where you gonna go?

-I'm gonna be just fine.

-You ain't got no schooling.

What, are you in the here getting your eighth grade degree?

I saw your sorry mother. She didn't even ask about you.

She was too busy chasing rock.

-Thanks for the love.

-Just remember who you are and where you came from.

-I know who I am.

-That way, you'll still have me in your corner.

Because from the looks of things, you need me. I'm all you've got.

-I don't need you. You needed me.

-Crazy.

-You needed me to keep your sorry ass out of prison.

-You crazy!

I'm in here because of you, protecting you.

You ain't protectin' me.

You never had nothing, you ain't never gonna be nothing.

-All you skanks in here is crazy.

-What?! I hate you!

See, I told you she was crazy!

Get off me!

I don't need you anyway. Get off of me! I don't need you!

You got me in here! You're lucky ain't snitching on your ass!

You, you couldn't even answer... I hate you!

I never want to see you again! I don't need you or your money!

Man on the floor, everybody get decent. Man on the floor.

All right, ladies.

All right, listen up.

Superintendant Flores convinced the state to give us a time trial, but...in five days.

-How long is Vanessa in detention?

-Vanessa is in lockdown for seven days.

I thought Sup Flores was behind us?

She's behind us 100%, but she's got a facility to run.

But all she needs to do is let her out for one day for the time trial,

-that's it.

-She got in a fight in the visiting room, of all places.

For that, you get detention. We can't pull her out just for a race.

But you know, you know we're not going to make the time without her.

Tonya's gone the day after tomorrow, what are we gonna do?

BUZZER IN DISTANCE

Look, I'm sorry, but...

..it's over.

You know... Just be proud of what you've done.

No-one can take that away from you.

Hey, Mr Stack?

I don't know what I'm thinking - I must be out of my damn mind,

but what the hell, I'm gonna run.

-I don't care. I'm running.

-Wait a minute, hold on.

Are you sure, Tonya?

It's my life.

Two more days in this joint after a two-year stay?

Ain't gonna kill me.

You'd voluntarily prolong your incarceration

to make the time trial?

For Vanessa?

For my team?

You damn right.

-But only if I can bring my magic lipstick.

-Whoa, whoa.

-Is this just lipstick?

-It's Ruby Red.

-Just remember, I never saw that.

-OK.

-All right.

If we do qualify, if we post that time out there,

will you let Vanessa back on the team?

You post 53.3 or better,

and I'll...consider letting Vanessa back...

-Mr Stack, please! You know you can do better than that...

-All right, all right.

-You post the time, she's back.

-THEY SCREAM

BUZZER

Did they make the time?

No. They didn't.

The new girl on the team couldn't handle the first split,

so y'all were behind the entire race.

-Carmen had to do the fourth split and she don't have as strong a kick as you.

-I let the team down.

Let the team down? Girl, you did more than that. You ruined the entire programme.

Let me tell you something.

Only thing I know about this racing stuff is what you guys

have shown me and I admit, I didn't want this programme at first.

But watching you compete, seeing the unity among you guys,

that did something to me.

Changed my mind about you girls.

So Vanessa, I'm very, VERY disappointed in you.

But let me tell you something else and I hope you take this as words of wisdom - don't you ever let

a man get in your head so much that you wind up hurting yourself cos of him.

It ain't worth it.

All right, come on. Let's go. Come on.

-BUZZER

-Door.

Mr Stack... I'm sorry I let the team down.

Yo! You're lying!

-When?

-This morning.

-Tonya ran?

-Sure did.

-Yo!

THEY CHEER

-You all made signs and stuff!

-Hey, Tonya!

Yo!

-Where's Cheryl?

-Upstairs with visitors, she'll be back.

I'm out of here in the morning, Slick - it's your show now.

-And lookie here, baby.

-Ah! She gave me the magic lipstick.

No, I'm just letting you hold it. Captain of the team gets a few special privileges.

CHEERING

I sure wish I could go.

I've been clean for a while now.

I swear!

I know. You're looking good too, girl.

-Did you ask Mr Stack?

-Yeah. But he said no.

I bet if I ask Superintendent Flores, she'd let you.

Don't do that. I might get in trouble for going over Mr Stack's head.

And he is a hard man sometimes, but he's fair.

-And it ain't like you didn't warn me.

-But he did cut me some slack.

He let me back on the team. Now that you're clean, maybe...

It ain't the same, Ness - you started the team.

You were serious - you trained hard, and regardless of the fight you had...

And by the way, he is lucky I was not there, cos girl, we would've both beat him down.

Girl...

Serious!

You're reliable, Vanessa. And that's just not one of my strong points.

So I don't blame him for not letting me come back.

I've been screwed up for a long time.

And my way just wasn't working.

And I realise that now.

Damn.

This the first time I ever been honest with myself.

Be like Flo-Jo, girl. Kick butt.

Bring back the medal, OK, Ness?

You know I'm gonna try.

And just to think, I was the fastest on the team.

-What? I was!

-No, I know.

Kinda.

SHE MUMBLES

-Que paso, mi hermana?

-What do you want?

I came out here to say that I'm glad for you.

You're glad? I'm supposed to believe that from you?

Nobody's been messing with you, right?

I mean, you haven't had any more trouble? Right?

Right.

This is who I am. I don't know any other way.

From when I was a little girl,

if...

If I didn't have hate in me,

I'd get my ass kicked...or raped.

Just for being so soft.

There's another way. You just have to want it.

Ever since I've known you, I thought you were a leader.

But you're not. You're a follower, just like the rest of us in here.

I just can't do it any more. You know?

I have a daughter to take care of.

And I can't let her grow up to be like you and she can't be like me.

Represent me, corazon.

Carmen.

-Can I have a word?

-Hey, Sup.

Hey, Alex. You doing OK?

You know me, Sup. I'm squeaky clean and filled with innocence.

When I think of innocence, you don't always come to mind, Alexandra.

What did you want to talk to me about?

-You OK?

-Yeah.

-Um...

-Your sister's in the hospital.

-Is she OK?

Maria overdosed,

and Child Services has temporarily placed your daughter in foster care.

I'm so sorry, Carmen.

We will get checked in and we will go to the reception.

-Let us talk about this.

-I am leaving. I have to find my baby.

Where are you going?

You cannot...

SHOUTING

-Do not touch me.

-Get away from me!

Calm down!

No, you are not going to jeopardise this race for us.

You don't know what I am going through.

We started this together. We'll finish it.

I do not even know where my baby is sleeping right now.

I am in the nicest hotel, I am sleeping in the nicest bed

I ever slept in and I do not know whether she has a blanket.

They took my baby to foster care. They may not give her back to me.

-Don't say that. It is not true. I was in Foster care.

-Yeah, right(!)

-My mother had a drug problem.

For years, there was always the worst kind of people at that house.

I was in and out of foster homes until I was six.

-They put me back with my mother.

-Till you were six?

You are telling me I may not see my baby until she is six?

That is not what I'm saying. That is not what I'm saying.

They could give her back to you at any time.

You have got to get help first.

You leave this hotel and you are going to Caseville.

You're never going to see your baby.

I know we don't know each other that well.

-I believe your baby is going to be fine.

-How do you know?

Because you have changed.

Most girls who get stuck in TCPYA never change.

You had the courage to be different, to act different.

You are the one who inspired me to try to stop hating.

That day saved me from getting cut,

I decided I was through with all of that.

If we want to do anything in our lives, we have to start now.

I have got to get my life back together.

I am smart, I can get a job. I want to be a good mother.

I will be a good mother.

I have just got to leave the drugs alone.

You will. Everything will be fine.

-Mr Stackhouse?

-Yes.

Mr Stackhouse, I am Ralph Connelly with the high school athletic club.

-Nice to meet you. This is Miss Baker.

-Can we have a word?

Sure.

Let me start by saying I admire what you have done with your girls.

It is inspirational.

That's not quite why you have come to talk to me.

No, it isn't. Truth be told,

we wish you would load them back on the van and go home.

-Reggie!

-Let's be honest.

The fact is that when the commission issued

your invitation, they failed to consult us.

There is a number of issues we have with allowing your girls to run.

-Such as?

-Such as the message that it sends to our teams.

That excellence and hard work deserve to be rewarded.

In light of this situation,

the board is meeting in the hotel conference room tomorrow morning at seven.

We will hear opinions from both sides and make a decision in the room.

Good morning. We have a busy day, so why don't you start?

Thank you, Ralph.

First, let me say that I represent every coach save one here at the meeting.

None of us have anything at all against Mr Stackhouse.

I think it is admirable what he had done with his girls.

But the bottom line is that if these girls are convicted criminals,

the girls from the TCPYA team scheduled to compete in the relay

this afternoon are serving time for assault with a deadly weapon,

prostitution, possession of narcotics, murder.

What kind of message does that send to our girls?

They stayed in school, made responsible choices,

worked hard and risen above. I think the answer is evident.

I just hope the board sees fit to rescind the invitation.

Thank you.

-Mr Stackhouse?

-I would like to clarify a few things, if I may.

One, Cheryl Richards did what tens of thousands of young people do

in this country every day, drive a car after drinking alcohol.

Irresponsible, yes. Tragic, yes.

Her best friend, a passenger in the car, was killed.

Cheryl's blood-alcohol level was barely above the state's legal limit.

What happened in that car was not the actions of a totally

impaired drunk driver, but rather that of a concerned friend

who turned away from the wheel to stop

two of the passengers from arguing and then lost control of the car.

Two, Renee Di Angelo was sexually abused continually by her mother's boyfriend.

Renee ran away at 13 and lived on the streets.

She eventually fell into prostitution.

Three, Carmen Avalos was doomed from the day she was born.

She is the child of two heroin addicts

and she had to suffer through narcotic withdrawal symptoms as an infant.

She was selling drugs at 13 and using at 15.

Vanessa Turner, who is by any stretch of the imagination no angel.

But her only crime this time was simply being in love with

a young man who didn't give a damn about her.

A young man who shoved a gun into her hand

while he was fleeing from the police.

I'm not trying to defend what these girls did.

They were all convicted and are serving their time.

Mr Nash takes for granted that every girl is given the tools.

The support needed to succeed. But that's just not true.

In our programme at the prison, we try to give them those tools.

We've taught them about hard work.

We've taught them about discipline, and for what?

For someone to decide that they don't deserve a chance?

Mr Connolly, don't be the last in a long list of people

to walk out on these girls.

Ask yourself, what are you really afraid of?

Come on.

Let them run.

I really do admire how you changed these girls' lives.

You got it backwards.

All right, come on in, come on, come on, we've got places to go,

people to see and a race to run, so come on in and look at this.

All right. This is compliments of Superintendent Flores.

OK. I don't know what painted nails and pretty hair

has to do with running fast, but THIS I get.

Ha-haa!

Hey, hey, listen up. Listen up, everybody.

Look, um...

..I just want to say that, um...

..no matter what happens out here today...

-..I'm proud of you.

-'Second call, women's 200 metres...'

And um...

I'm proud of how hard you've worked.

And I'm proud of how hard I know you're gonna compete.

You belong here.

You've got your magic lipstick?

-How are you feeling?

-Like throwing up.

-OK. Perfect.

Remember everything, right? Stay hard out of the blocks but low. OK?

And everybody, big hand. Big target for the baton. OK?

Come on. Let's go get 'em.

OK, we've got lane two. It's a great position.

You can see the entire track.

It looks like you're behind the whole race but trust me,

you are at an advantage.

OK, remember, deep, deep breaths, OK?

Run the race you know you can run.

Lt Baker has something to say, I think.

Um, well, um, I just want to say...

Oh, we love you too, Miss Baker.

Hey, hey, hey, one more thing.

What's your call word?

Stack.

All right.

OK, you ready? All right, let's go get 'em.

All right, now.

-Hello.

-Hey!

-Howdy.

Hey.

Have a good race.

Hey, Babygirl, are you nervous?

-Yeah.

-Can I tell you something?

If I were running against me today, then I'd be nervous, too.

What did you say?

You getting smart with me?

Hey, Renee!

Renee!

Hey, you all better run it! Better get it out there, gotta take it!

I don't care what them other girls do.

I'll be waiting for your team at the finish line.

Runners, take your mark...

..get set...

STARTING PISTOL

CHEERING

Steph!

Push it, Tammy, push it, push it, Tammy. Push it all the way.

Vanessa! Vanessa!

Come on, Vanessa!

'Go for it Vanessa. Push through the things that hold you back.

'You're a winner. It's all yours now.

'Just take it.

'Take it.'

Yeah, baby! Yeah, Vanessa! Yeah! Yeah! Ha-ha

Yes, look at that!

CROWD CHEERS

Yeah, Vanessa!

Got a flag? Who's the flag on? Oh, no, not two?

Not two!

Damn.

What's going on?

What's going on?

We're disqualified.

The last handoff occurred outside the zone.

You know what, it wasn't even your fault.

I'm so pumped, I didn't know I could start that fast!

'There has been a new decision by officials.

'Lane two has been disqualified.

'Lane three is the winner.

'Attention coaches and runners.

'There has been a new decision by officials.

'Lane two has been disqualified. Lane three is the winner.'

You know what? I don't care what nobody says. We won this race.

We won this race.

Y'all my girls.

-What you say?

-Yeah.

-Let's go be good sports?

BUZZER

Come on in, ladies.

Let's move it. Come on. Come on. Come on. First timers to the left for orientation.

Repeaters on the bench.

Come on. We ain't got all day.

Let's move it.

Stack!

-Yeah?

-Come here.

All right, come on.

You know the way.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd