The Book of Ruth

Policeman:
[siren wails in the background and men speak as the camera is trained on a beaten, traumatized Ruth] Who called it in?

Policeman 2:
A man across the way heard screams; said it wasn't the first time.

Policeman:
I need to see him. So, what do we got?

Policeman 2:
A dead body and a mute. [walks over to Ruth] Talk to me, Ruth. Those bruises are pretty bad. How'd you get those bruises, Ruth? What happened, Ruth?

Ruth:
[voiceover] I'm the only one that can tell the story from beginning to end. What it begins with is Maylene, my mother, and the lessons she taught me.

DeeDee:
[offscreen]... two whole days!

Maylene:
[hands her a drink she poured] Here, drink up, DeeDee; it's good for the nerves.

DeeDee:
[shaking head] Probably hooked up with some trucker and is off gone on down the interstate.

Maylene:
Oh, honey...

DeeDee:
Aren't you going to have one?

Maylene:
Oh, no. [raises hand in refusal] Never before 5:00. [DeeDee speaks indistinctly while Ruth is shown in the background, with a voiceover]

Ruth:
My mother's friend DeeDee thought Maylene had a TV show life.

Maylene:
[gasps in the middle of the voiceover] There you are, Honey.

Ruth:
Being blessed with a son who was a recognized genius.

Maylene:
Look at you, Honey. I pressed your suit, Mark. Oh, and I snipped off all those little stray threads; there's always stray threads on new suits.

DeeDee:
Mm, mm.

Maylene:
Can I just get this one last...

Mark:
Mom, Mom!

Maylene:
I'm sorry; sorry!

Ruth:
When Mark looked at me, I could see him searching me for signs of lief.

Mark:
[looking at Ruth] Is that what you're wearing?

Maylene:
Yeah; it-it's from the Goodwill. She looks as good as she ever... will. Goodwill. [bursts into laughter with DeeDee]

Ruth:
[voiceover] When is it that her heart turned to stone? Or was she just born with unhappiness inside her?