“Don't try to pull that shit on me! You know, it ain't true.”
Why it's great
It refuses the lie and names it in one breath, leaving no room to argue.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
Don't try to pull that excuse on me; I saw the whole thing.
00:00 / 03:51
00:00 / 03:51
Bradley Shows His True Face, Explained
An American Crime · 2007
Chapter 6 of 16 · 3'51"
Paula corners the married man she's been seeing, hoping he'll choose her. Instead he waves her off and blames her mother for the truth. "I already told you, my wife is back from her cousin's house," he says, and the rejection turns ugly fast.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:19–0:53
❝ Monologue · 10 lines War documentary voiceover
Short lines stack danger on danger until the war sounds unavoidable and enormous.
34s - 2:31–3:43
Bradley Dumps Paula and Denies Everything
72s
Bradley Shows His True Face, explained
What happens
At a fairground, fifteen-year-old Sylvia is left to mind the younger kids while the others go off to watch a show. Paula slips away to meet Bradley, the married man she's been involved with. Ricky sneaks up on the girls and is scolded. When Paula finds Bradley, he coldly ends things, and the encounter turns violent.
What's really going on
The scene is about a girl learning exactly what she is worth to a man. Paula treats the affair as a relationship; Bradley treats it as something to be managed. He hides behind respectability—"I already told you, my wife is back from her cousin's house"—and when she pushes back, he reframes her anger as childishness: "be a good girl, and go play with your friends." Then, when someone shouts that she's pregnant, he refuses even to entertain it: "Don't try to pull that shit on me! You know, it ain't true." The cruelty isn't the breakup; it's how quickly warmth becomes control, and how little he thinks he owes her. The men in the scene—Ricky sneaking up on the girls, Bradley cornering Paula—both take what they want and apologize only when caught.
Key lines & what they mean
- “Don't try to pull that shit on me! You know, it ain't true.”
- Bradley's flat denial. "Pull that on me" means trying to deceive or manipulate him; he refuses to accept the pregnancy claim and insists it is a lie.
- “You should listen to your mother, Paula, she knows best.”
- A condescending way of ending the argument. He hides behind her mother's judgment instead of answering Paula himself, making her the unreasonable one.
- “You shouldn't sneak up on girls like that.”
- A direct rebuke to Ricky for approaching without warning. "Sneak up on" is to move toward someone quietly and unseen, often to startle them.
- “You know, my Mama's been calling you trash.”
- Paula repeats her mother's insult to hurt him back. Calling someone "trash" is a harsh judgment of their character and worth.
Theme
- Betrayal — Paula expects loyalty and gets brushed aside the moment the married man's wife returns. His apology never admits any fault.
- Power — An adult man controls the exchange: he decides when it starts, when it ends, and denies anything that makes him look bad.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level6/7
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“You should listen to your mother, Paula, she knows best.”
Why it's great
It sidesteps the insult and hides behind motherly authority, ending the argument.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
Just listen to the doctor, she knows best.
“You shouldn't sneak up on girls like that.”
Why it's great
It draws a clear boundary without shouting, making the other person the problem.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
You shouldn't talk to clients like that.
“You know, my Mama's been calling you trash.”
Why it's great
She quotes her mother to deliver an insult while dodging blame.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
My sister's been calling you lucky, you know.
Monologue
One character carrying the scene — shadow the whole passage❝ War documentary voiceover
Freedom was in jeopardy... when the struggling people had been brought... almost to their knees, by aggression. When William Westmoreland, was called to urgent duty. $20.00. Pay to: Gertrude Baniszewski His mission was to deny aggression, it's conquest. Please give us a call. Love, Mom and Dad. It was a mission, simple enough to stake. But to execute that mission... he had to fight the most complex war... in all American history.
Short lines stack danger on danger until the war sounds unavoidable and enormous.
Up next · 07narrow gateThe scene: Paula Accuses Sylvia of Spreading LiesTakeaways
What you walk away with- Casual grammar signals where a character comes from.
- A crude line can end a talk faster than an argument.
- Short questions carry more threat than long speeches.
- Advice can be a way to dodge a fight.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy does Bradley reject Paula at the fair?
He has been seeing her on the side, and now his wife is back. Rather than take any risk, he ends it immediately and tells Paula to go play with her friends.
Is Paula actually pregnant?
The film never confirms it. When the claim comes up, Bradley refuses to believe it—"You know, it ain't true"—so it stays ambiguous whether Paula is lying to keep him or telling the truth.
Who is "she" in "She is pregnant!"?
It most likely means Paula herself. The line is shouted as Bradley turns rough with her, and he answers by denying it outright.
What does "pull that shit on me" mean?
"Pull something on someone" is slang for trying to trick or manipulate them. Bradley is saying he won't fall for the pregnancy claim.