Gerald McRaney: Jim Bancroft

Going for Broke

Jim Bancroft

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?

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.

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!