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The Jacksons: An American Dream

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Were embarking on this tour for many reasons, but mainly because of our mother. Our father, too, for the dream that they had... an American dream... that started a long, long time ago, when our ancestors came here... slaves... oppressed people... beaten down, beaten up... You know, we've come a long, long way from 2300 Jackson Street, when my brothers and I used to long for a color TV. We weren't beaten down by poverty, and we're not going to be beaten down by fame, either. Cause this is what it's all about. This tour is a celebration. It's a victory.
—Michael Jackson

The Jacksons: An American Dream is a 1992 biographical television mini-series. It spans five decades, beginning with the rise of the Jackson family, one of the most successful musical families in show business, from a midwestern steel town to the early and successful years of the popular Motown group The Jackson 5.

Directed by Karen Arthur. Written by Joyce Eliason.
There's fame... there's fortune... and then there's family. Sometimes it's hard to choose.(taglines)

Joseph "Joe" Jackson

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  • [after being laid off from his steel mill job] Oh, MAN!! All I need. This is all I need.
  • [to his brother Luther, whilst practicing with his band] I got no time to jam. You know at the rate that we're going, I'm gonna have to put my kids to work. [puts his guitar down] You wanna see somethin'? You wanna see some real talent? I'm gonna show you somethin'.
  • My babies!
  • I have a vision, Katie. I'm gonna get my kids outta here!
  • Kids gotta be strong, Katie. That's the world we live in.
  • [repeated line] Get a switch!

Katherine Jackson

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  • I've had enough, Joseph! All these years, I've had enough! You cannot do it anymore!
  • The boys are young men now. They have traveled all over the world. They have millions of fans. What are you going to do: ask them to go out, get a switch, and bring it back here so you can beat them with it? Go to bed, Joseph. Go to bed!
  • Joseph Jackson, you're a liar and you're a cheat and I don't want you.

Michael Jackson

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  • [giving a small rat under the kitchen table some food] Mister rat, you hungry, something to eat. I won't hurt you, I never would. Be my friend, mister rat. I could use one. Joseph could be so hard. When somebody hits you so hard or takes something out of you, it hurts way inside. See, you can trust me, mister rat.
  • I'm gonna show 'em. I'm gonna show Joseph and my brothers. I'm just burning up, mister rat. I wanna sing with my brothers and everybody thinks I'm too little. But I'm not. I maybe short, but I am the man. I know I can do it. I know I can.
  • Were embarking on this tour for many reasons, but mainly because of our mother. Our father, too, for the dream that they had... an American dream... that started a long, long time ago, when our ancestors came here... slaves... oppressed people... beaten down, beaten up... You know, we've come a long, long way from 2300 Jackson Street, when my brothers and I used to long for a color TV. We weren't beaten down by poverty, and we're not going to be beaten down by fame, either. Cause this is what it's all about. This tour is a celebration. It's a victory.

Jermaine Jackson

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Tito Jackson

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Others

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Dialogue

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[After Joe and Kate leave a movie theatre]
Joseph "Joe" Jackson: Hey, Katie girl. Are you all right?
Katherine Jackson: [pause]... Yeah, of course. I was just... I was thinking about nursing school. Dr. Hayes is arranging it for me.
Joseph "Joe" Jackson: You're not pregnant, are you? [pause, Kate laughs it off] Katie. My mother says you are.
Katherine Jackson: [laughs nervously] What make her say that?
Joseph "Joe" Jackson: You are, aren't you?
Katherine Jackson: [pause, finally admits] I didn't wanna tell you. I never would've told you. [tearfully] I don't wanna mess things up for you. I mean, it's just...
Joseph "Joe" Jackson: Katie, Katie, what are you talking about, woman? I was gonna marry you anyway, you know that.
Katherine Jackson: [tearfully] I don't know, Dr. Hayes maybe he could help me, you know, arrange things?
Joseph "Joe" Jackson: No.
Katherine Jackson: But I don't wanna mess things up for you, Joe. I really don't. I don't want you to be caught, trapped.
Joseph "Joe" Jackson: [calms Katie down] You just hush. [puts his arm around her, they walk] Hey, you and me, we're going down to Crown Point, we're going to find ourselves a Justice of the Peace. We're gonna do this thing right, huh?
Katherine Jackson: But what about your dreams? Aren't you though? All your dreams?
Joseph "Joe" Jackson: I'm proud of 'em, Katie. Now we'll get to California, and I know we will. We'll get there, Katie. We will.
[After Joe returns home to his family from the steel mill]
Katherine Jackson: You uh, you've been laid off? [Joe nods while washing his hands in the bathroom] How long do you think it might last this time?
Joseph "Joe" Jackson: [sighs] It could be a month. It could be six months.
[short pause]
Katherine Jackson: Well, and we will manage. You always do. And you're not going on welfare either, you're too... We won't beg. [Joe walks to their bedroom. He takes out his guitar from a cupboard, looks at it]
Joseph "Joe" Jackson: The kids been touching this?
Katherine Jackson: No, no, of course not.
[Joe begins playing]
Katherine Jackson: [concerned] You're not gonna sell it. It's your music.
Joseph "Joe" Jackson: Who's gonna sell it? I'm gonna round up the fellas, Luther (Jackson, his brother) on sax, a couple of other guys, gonna call ourselves 'The Falcons', see if we can get some gigs. Gonna make me some money. [he smiles]
Joseph "Joe" Jackson: You know, you've got girls screaming over you right now! You get married, and they're gonna look at you different!
Tito Jackson: I don't care. I'm gonna marry DeeDee!
Joseph "Joe" Jackson: You marry that girl, then it's the end of The Jackson 5!
Tito Jackson: No, it doesn't have to be! DeeDee won't cause trouble. She doesn't want to come between me and my brothers. She doesn't want to go on tour. She doesn't want nothing but me!
Joseph "Joe" Jackson: All this work...FOR NOTHIN'! You are going to blow the whole thing!

Taglines

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  • There's fame... there's fortune... and then there's family. Sometimes it's hard to choose.

Cast

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See also

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Wikipedia
Wikipedia

The Jacksons: An American Dream quotes at the Internet Movie Database

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