Going for Broke (2003 TV Movie)

Delta Burke: Laura Bancroft

Quotes 

• Laura Bancroft : For me, Reno was a fresh start. A new husband, new house, new job. It was a world full of promise.

• Laura Bancroft : [first time playing video poker]  Did I win?

  Jim Bancroft : Yeah, four whole quarters.

  Laura Bancroft : Oh well, easy come, easy go. I'll try again.

  [3 hearts come up] 

  Jim Bancroft : Now hold, hold hold.

  Laura Bancroft : Well I understand that, I don't understand...

  Jim Bancroft : Now hit 'draw'.

  Laura Bancroft : Draw.

  [full house comes on screen, bells go off] 

  Laura Bancroft : Wait, what happened?

  Jim Bancroft : A full house.

  Bella : Cookie, you just won a hundred bucks!

  Laura Bancroft : I did?

  Jim Bancroft : Yeah, you want to hear it come out?

  [pushes button, quarters fall out of slot] 

  Jim Bancroft : I'll get a bucket.

  Laura Bancroft : Great!

  Bella : Fun, huh?

  Laura Bancroft : Oh that's really good, what's a full house?

  Laura Bancroft : [voice over]  That win was such a rush. I mean a few coins, a couple of minutes of fun, and before the evening was over, I had enough to fix the furnace. I was providing for my family, and I felt high. And I wanted that feeling again, and again. I'm sorry, is it okay if I smoke?

• Laura Bancroft : So Tommy, did you check out the soccer team?

  Tommy Bancroft : Oh yeah, they gave me a form you have to fill out so I can play, and you need to pay with a check.

  Laura Bancroft : Okay.

  Jennifer Bancroft : And I signed up for a thing at school.

  Laura Bancroft : 'A thing'?

  Jennifer Bancroft : Yeah, just this mother/daughter lunch. I'm on the decorating committee.

  Laura Bancroft : On the decorating committee? Honey, you should be hitting it up.

  Jennifer Bancroft : Anyways, it's lunch on a school day, so can you make it?

  Laura Bancroft : Oh sure I'll make it. But listen, don't be afraid to take charge, okay? Show them what you can do.

• Tommy Bancroft : Hey look, slot machines.

  Laura Bancroft : In a grocery store?

  Jennifer Bancroft : Go on, Mom.

  Laura Bancroft : Oh no, that'd be like throwing money away.

  Tommy Bancroft : Yeah, but if you win the jackpot, you could split it,right?

  Laura Bancroft : Oh the jackpot, okay, I'm willing to try that.

  [puts coins in, presses button, gets 3 bars, bells go off] 

  Laura Bancroft : I won? I won? I did?

  [releases coins] 

  Laura Bancroft : Look at that!

  Tommy Bancroft : It's like free money!

  Laura Bancroft : Yeah it is kinda, huh? Well, when I win, everyone wins.

• Jim Bancroft : [teaching Laura to country dance]  Come on, you can do this, it's real simple: slow, slow, quick quick.

  Laura Bancroft : Whatever happened to disco?

• Bella : A tip, always bet the maximum, when you see the payoff, you'll thank me.

  Laura Bancroft : Oh, okay. Better be right.

  [pushes button, bells ring] 

  Laura Bancroft : Oh! Oh! OH MY GOD! Look, I won! I WON $500!

  Bella : How's that for payoff? I want to thank you!

  [shakes her hand] 

  Laura Bancroft : You want to hear it?

  Jim Bancroft : Hit it.

  Bella : 500 smackers.

  Laura Bancroft : Yeah!

  Bella : Good for you.

  Laura Bancroft : YES! I WON $500!

  Laura Bancroft : [voice over]  Looking back, that was the moment I can say it started, that moment when I felt that click. After the hassles of the day, the house, the kids, the office, the million things that needed my attention, this became my escape.

• Bella : [sees Laura at the casino ATM]  Now there's a friendly face!

  Laura Bancroft : Oh hey!

  [sees Bella's wrist wrapped up] 

  Laura Bancroft : What's with the bandage?

  Bella : Damn carpal tunnel, recreational hazard, all this finger action. Ran out of ammunition, got me some more bullets, I'm good as new. So where you playing today, honey? Got me a sweet spot for a couple of empty stools.

  Laura Bancroft : I wish I could, but I've got a family thing.

  Bella : Oh don't talk to me about family. Since my Martin died, all I ever hear from my no good sons and their whiny wives is how I'm blowing their inheritance. Come on, walk me over before I lose my spot.

  Laura Bancroft : Okay.

  Bella : But I tell them 'hey, if there's anything left by the time I keel over, it's all yours, until then, watch out'. Besides I know how to pace myself, not like some of these fanatics that don't know when to say when. For me this is entertainment, it's social, you know, what am I supposed to do at my age? Bungee jump? I don't think so. You sure you don't have a couple minutes? You'll be sorry if you don't, it's like stealing candy from a baby.

  Laura Bancroft : Oh... okay.

  Bella : Atta girl.

• Bella : [Laura gets up to leave]  You okay, cookie?

  Laura Bancroft : [quietly]  Oh sure.

  Bella : Had a run of bad luck?

  Laura Bancroft : Yeah.

  Bella : Ah, it happens, you'll beat them next time. Did you lose much?

  Laura Bancroft : No, not much.

  [as she walks out] 

  Laura Bancroft : Just a thousand dollars.

• Laura Bancroft : [addressing Gambler's Anonymous group]  The time just got away from me, that's how it is in a casino. You can blink your eye and it's an hour later. I mean we've all gotten distracted and missed an appointment, but this wasn't business. This was my daughter.

• Laura Bancroft : [at Gamblers Anonymous]  When I was gambling, I didn't think of anything else, except, the bullets, the coins, the spinning images. I told myself it was recreational, I mean let's face it, everyone has something that they're hooked on to one degree or another, it's human nature.

• Jim Bancroft : Heard you had a rough one today.

  Laura Bancroft : [takes a drag off cigarette]  A small corner of hell.

• Laura Bancroft : [voiceover]  The machines, the video poker and slots, they're called the crack cocaine of gambling because they're cheap, and there's the instant gratification: lights flash, the bells ring, and all you can think of is the next hand you'll be playing. After a while you don't need the lights, it's all you think of anyway.

• Laura's Mother : When did you start smoking again?

  Laura Bancroft : I'm a big girl, Mother. I just have one now and then, helps me relax.

  Laura's Mother : Something's not right, I can always tell.

  Laura Bancroft : It's just, things are just a little tight financially, that's all.

  Laura's Mother : With all you're making at the foundation? And Jim works all the time.

  Laura Bancroft : Well... uh, you know, I had to use a lot of my own money last month in the fundraiser, and they're just taking forever to reimburse me, the cash comes from the east coast and it's just miles of red tape.

  Laura's Mother : Laura, I'm only saying this because I love you, but you could never manage your own money. Other people's, sure, but not your own.

  Laura Bancroft : I really, I really don't need to hear a lecture, Mom, okay? I feel bad enough.

  [pause] 

  Laura Bancroft : Mom, do you think you could, you and Vic... this is so hard... um, could you loan us a little to get through the next couple of months? I really don't know what we're going to do if you can't.

  Laura's Mother : How much do you need?

  Laura Bancroft : Ten thousand.

  Laura's Mother : Laura! We are on a fixed income. We already loaned you money for the down payment.

  Laura Bancroft : I know, I know it's a lot of money, but you know, all the bills came due at once and I'll pay you back before you know it. If not ten then, whatever you can spare.

  [Laura's mother gets her checkbook] 

  Laura Bancroft : And don't say anything to Jim about this, okay? His pride wouldn't allow it.

  [takes the check] 

  Laura Bancroft : Thank you.

  Laura Bancroft : [voice over]  If anyone looked in on us that day, they would've seen a normal family. Sure, we had our problems, what family doesn't? From the outside it was close to perfect, on the inside, I was screaming.

• Jim Bancroft : [Laura's backing the car out]  Hey hon, where you going?

  Laura Bancroft : Grocery run.

  Jim Bancroft : With all the leftovers we got?

  Laura Bancroft : We're low on mayo, but I'll be back before you know it.

  Laura Bancroft : [voice over]  They all suspected what was going on, but I got very good at fooling myself at least. That day, I lost everything I'd just borrowed from my mother.

• Jim Bancroft : [finds Laura at the casino when she said she was going shopping]  What is with you?

  Laura Bancroft : With me? It's a game, Jim. Sometimes, I like to relax.

  Jim Bancroft : It's more than that.

  Laura Bancroft : You think I have a problem, just say it.

  Jim Bancroft : I think you have a problem, I think you gamble too much and you can't stop, and you can't see what it's doing to our family.

  [drags her out of the casino] 

  Laura Bancroft : Hey, Jim.

  Jim Bancroft : Excuse us.

  Laura Bancroft : This is embarrassing, let go of me! I said let go of me!

  [breaks away from him] 

  Jim Bancroft : [takes bills out of his pocket]  I found these today, these bills go back for months. Did you think if you hid them, they'd just go away?

  Laura Bancroft : I didn't hide them, I just set them aside and forgot. Don't you think if I knew they were there, I would've paid them?

  Jim Bancroft : With what? I checked the bank account, there's nothing there. Now I'm working my ass off and I'm wondering where's the money going?

  Laura Bancroft : Is this just about the money?

  Jim Bancroft : It's about everything. It's about you and me and this whole damn situation, you are addicted to those machines!

  Laura Bancroft : Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? If I were, how could I be so successful? I haven't had time to get to the bank, but since it means so much to you, I'll go get them now.

  Jim Bancroft : You're not fooling any of us, Laura.

  Laura Bancroft : I said I'll handle it, and don't you dare follow me!

• Laura Bancroft : [about slapping Jennifer]  I said I was sorry, and I promised it would never happen again. But promises were easy to make, and I never followed through. It was just simpler to ignore the problem, to escape them at the slots, and if I felt I needed a reason, I could always find one. If I was tired, or hungry, happy or mad, if Jim or someone at work upset me, it was their fault I was gambling. And the days and weeks just went by in a haze.

• Laura Bancroft : [after winning the jackpot in video poker]  It took me less than an hour to lose all of my 50 thousand dollars.

• Jennifer Bancroft : [calls Laura at work]  There's no food in the fridge, and the power company called. They said if you don't pay them by tomorrow...

  Laura Bancroft : I'm going to have to call you back. I can't deal with this right now.

  Brad Bradford : [stands up]  I should go.

  Laura Bancroft : Oh no, please, Brad.

  Brad Bradford : I'll think about what you asked and I'll call you next week. Take your call.

  Jennifer Bancroft : [in the phone]  You're not even listening to me!

  Laura Bancroft : This *really* wasn't a good time, Jennifer.

  Jennifer Bancroft : Well then when? At least when Jim was here he wouldn't let us starve! But you threw him away, what, are we next?

  Laura Bancroft : No, no of course not. Look, I'll write a check and drop it off at the power company right now, and I'll go to the store and stock up, okay? I'll be home soon.

  [hangs up] 

  Jennifer Bancroft : Mom!

• Laura Bancroft : [addressing Gamblers Anonymous]  Something had to change, and that's when I came here. I had stolen over a hundred thousand dollars from the foundation. I have no job, no husband, I haven't seen my children in over a month, it's my own choice: I'm toxic to my family. And I've been seeing a therapist to try and understand what caused me to do the awful things I did. I have to set things right, and I can only do that by telling the truth.