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In the 1950s, young Wilgus (William Johnson) comes face to face with a baffling type of adult humor when Fat Monroe (Ned Beatty) gives him a ride home from the movies.
After indulging in cowboy fantasies at the cinema, nine-year-old Wilgus walks home along a country road. He shoots invisible bullets with his index fingers and blows on the imagined smoking tips. Unsuccessful at hitching a ride, Wilgus continues his trek home until a rattle-trap truck approaches from the rear. The driver, Fat Monroe, pulls over and offers the boy a ride. Fat Monroe is a gabby, dirt-smudged country curmudgeon who perplexes the literal-minded boy. He counters everything Wilgus says with a lilting twist of logic, leading the boy into unwanted confrontation.
Unsure of whether or not Monroe is teasing, Wilgus replies to each statement sincerely, eager to communicate in a meaningful way. But Fat Monroe steers clear of meaning, creating an ever-shifting babble that throws Wilgus off guard. He finally goads Wilgus into pounding him on the back to keep him from choking on his laughter, but also so that the boy can release his growing defiance in defense of his father. As they pull into his driveway, Wilgus discovers that Monroe knows his father. He watches in bewilderment as the two men casually slap each other on the back and laugh about Wilgus's spitfire behavior.
With the shutting of the screen door, Wilgus realizes that he's just participated in one of the strange ways adults interact among themselves. The sincerity with which Wilgus approaches the situation hints at the character of the man he will become.
The Stories | The Author | The Filmmaker | The Cast | Resources | ITVS
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