Yussi, I'm a block away.Uncut Gems · 2019 — Chapter 1 of 14 · 3'00" · C1
Collectors Come to Howard's Showroom, Explained: in your best interest
Howard's showroom is busy with a rapper and his crew when the collectors arrive looking for money. Howard stays cheerful, insisting everything is under control and that they are "on the same page," then gets on the phone to Arno, who will not take his call. Someone takes a watch worth $20,000.
What happens
Howard's showroom is full of visitors, including the rapper Ca$h Out and his crew, when the collectors arrive. Howard tries to keep the mood light, promises that everything is under control, and tells the men they are on the same page. He calls Arno for help and gets no answer, and before the scene ends a watch is taken from him.
Listen for
be on the same pagein your best interestout of your fucking mindhandle it
00:00 / 03:00Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
Tap a line to replay it
Phrase of the scene
in your best interest
the best thing for you
催债人菲尔不肯走，霍华德想抽身，菲尔却说抽点时间跟他谈谈是 in your best interest，把逼谈包装成好意。
It's in your best interest to keep a copy of every receipt.
Also in this scene
- be on the same page
to share the same understanding
- out of your fucking mind
completely crazy and irrational
- handle it
to take care of a problem yourself
Everything marked in this scene
22 notes across 61 lines
liaison
Yussi, I'm a block away.Where the fuck are you, man?They said they're gonna be watching the business the whole day.future continuous
They said they're gonna be watching the business the whole day.What the fuck is going on?This is my nigga, Ca$h Out, I was telling you about.So we promise, man, to come spend some money with you.the best thing for you
I think it's in your best interest that you find some time for you and I.extraposition
I think it's in your best interest that you find some time for you and I.to share the same understanding
We're right on the same page, right?to take care of a problem yourself
It's good. I'll handle it. I'll handle it.He knows you're calling. He doesn't want to deal with you anymore.- I understand. Give me one second. - I don't think you do.Fucking mutt.completely crazy and irrational
Are you out of your fucking mind?liaison
Are you out of your fucking mind?I'm literally minutes away from closing the biggest deal of my goddamn life, and when I do, you're gonna be embarrassed.distance from an action
I'm literally minutes away from closing the biggest deal of my goddamn life, and when I do, you're gonna be embarrassed.weak form
I'm literally minutes away from closing the biggest deal of my goddamn life, and when I do, you're gonna be embarrassed.I want that deducted from the hundred grand.You understand? Call me back!Collectors Come to Howard's Showroom, explained
What's really going on
The scene shows Howard doing what he does best and worst: performing calm while everything falls apart. He has guests in the showroom, a deal he is convinced is minutes away, and a group of men waiting for money, and he tries to handle all three at once. His line about the men being "on the same page" is pure confidence trick; nothing in the room is agreed, and the caller on the other end will not even speak to him. When the watch is taken, Howard does not fight — he immediately turns the loss into an accounting entry that benefits him. The scene is a portrait of a man who can turn any disaster into a negotiating position, which is both his gift and the reason he is never out of trouble.
Theme
MoneyGuests, debts and a watch worth $20,000 are all converted by Howard into moves in a negotiation he believes he is winning.
DeceptionHoward performs calm and agreement while the room is chaotic and the money is gone, keeping the act going for the guests around him.
What you'll learn
- Use on the same page in the same situation
- Hear in your best interest as pressure, not small talk
- Catch who the line is aimed at
Listen for
- block away — liaison
- out of — liaison
- deal of — weak form
I'm literally minutes away from closing the biggest deal of my goddamn life, and when I do, you're gonna be embarrassed.Howard's grandest bluff: he claims a life changing deal is almost done, and that the men threatening him will end up looking foolish.
It's not a fucking soap opera. Listen. Enough.His refusal to treat the moment as drama: he tells the caller to stop performing, which is exactly what Howard does all day.
I think it's in your best interest that you find some time for you and I.A demand wearing the clothes of advice: he frames the meeting as something the other man needs for his own good.
He knows you're calling. He doesn't want to deal with you anymore.The flat refusal from the other end: Arno is done with Howard, and the message reaches him through a third party.
Questions about this scene
Why are the collectors at Howard's showroom?
Because Howard owes money and has not paid. They arrive during business hours and make clear that they are not leaving until he deals with them.
What does "in your best interest" mean?
It means something is good for you, and it is often used to make a demand sound like advice. Howard uses the phrase while pressuring the other man to meet.
Why does Howard say everything is fine?
Because he needs the guests and the collectors to believe he is in control. Admitting trouble would hurt the deal he is trying to close and the image he is protecting.
Why does someone take Howard's watch?
As payment, or part payment, against what he owes. Howard does not stop them; instead he turns around and asks for the value to be deducted from the larger sum.
What happens at the end of the scene?
Howard leaves a message for Arno demanding a callback, and a watch worth $20,000 has been taken from him, which he insists must come off the hundred grand.
Uncut Gems · 14 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 2so extraHoward and Dinah Fight Then Make Up
Watching · Chapter 1in your best interestCollectors Come to Howard's Showroom
Chapter 2so extraHoward and Dinah Fight Then Make Up
Chapter 3a moot pointKevin Garnett Shops for Jewelry
Chapter 4get your hands on somethingHoward Pitches KG the Black Opal
Chapter 5a memorabilia pieceHoward Pawns the Championship Ring
Chapter 6play mind games with meHoward Tells Julia to Move Out
Chapter 7give someone another shotHoward Begs Julia for Another Chance
Chapter 8bent over backwardsHoward Blows Up at the Auction House
Chapter 9jack upHoward Riggs the Opal Auction
Chapter 10copaceticHoward Owes Gooey After the Auction
Chapter 11you're my homeJulia Comforts Howard After the Auction
Chapter 12give someone the runaroundHoward Bets Everything on KG
Chapter 13get yourself togetherArno Traps Howard in the Store
Chapter 14right out the gateHoward's Live Parlay on Kevin GarnettChapter 1 of 14 · about 44 min to go