Moonlight Trivia Quiz

Answer: His name

Juan, a crack dealer in Miami, meets Little when he is chased by three bigger boys past one of his corners. Little runs for his life, squeezing past a gap in a fence into the compound of a condemned building that only has life now as a crack house. The windows on all the units are boarded up with plywood. He runs up to the second floor and locks himself inside one of the units just in time. The boys bang on the door, and then run to the side of the building to throw objects at the windows. After the boys leave Little alone, Juan knocks on the door, and when there's no response he removes the boarding from the window and climbs in. "What you doin' in here, lil' man?" he asks. "You don't talk to strangers?" The boy looks up intently at Juan, but remains silent. As Juan takes a step forward, Little instinctively takes a step back. Juan stops and raises his hands. "A'ight. It's cool. We cool," Juan reassures Little as he surveys the room. "Listen, I'm 'bout to go get something to eat. You're welcome to join me, if you want."

Juan brings Little to a diner and sits across from him, watching him eat. "You not gonna tell me what your name is, hmm?" he asks. Little continues eating silently. "How 'bout where you live? I gotta get you home, lil' man. Can't have you just runnin' round these dope holes. You understand?" Juan pulls the tray of food away from the boy to punctuate his point, and Little responds by sitting back and looking down sullenly. Juan lets out a laugh. "Hey, hey, hey. My bad. Oh, man. I ain't gonna do you like that. Hey, man, I apologize, all right? I'm just trying to get you to say somethin'." Little eyes Juan cautiously, sizing up his new acquaintance.

Juan sees no alternative but to bring the boy back to the home he shares with Teresa. They sit at the dinner table, watching him tuck into a plate of fried chicken. "You don't talk much but you damn sure can eat," Juan says with a chuckle. His laugh is genuine and infectious. "That's all right, baby. You ain't got to talk until you good and ready," Teresa says. Without looking up, Little addresses them for the first time. "My name is Chiron. People call me 'Little'," he says. "All right, then, Little," Juan says. Teresa steps in and ascertains that Little lives in Liberty City with his mama. "You want us to take you home, then, after you get finished eating your food?" she asks. "Yeah, you got to tell us where you live, bruh," Juan adds. Little looks up, meeting their eyes for the first time. "No," he says emphatically. "Okay. You can stay here tonight. Would you like that?" Teresa says. Little looks up and nods his assent.

Answer: They wrestle each other.

A group of boys, aged between nine and 15, are playing football in a field using a bunch of wadded up newspaper. The 'ball' lands in front of Little, and one boy begins kicking it slowly towards him. A crowd starts to form around Little as he tries to back up slowly away from the ball, but some older boys behind him block his retreat. He's cornered. Suddenly, a flash of blue breaks through the crowd of boys and snatches up the wad, spiriting it away from Little. The boys give chase.

As Little leaves the field a short while later, someone calls out to him and runs up. This is Kevin, the boy who saved him. They shoot the breeze for a while, until Kevin notices that Little keeps staring at his face. "What? Is it bleedin'?" he asks? Kevin has a scratch on his right cheek from the fracas with the other boys. Little inspects it and continues walking. Kevin begins to smile. "What?" Little asks. "You funny, man," Kevin replies. "Why you say that?" Little asks. "Just is, that's all," Kevin replies with finality. Later, in the same field, Kevin starts circling Little. "Why you always let people pick on you, man?" he asks. "Wha'cha mean?" Little asks. "You always let 'em pick on you," Kevin says, and tells him that he needs to show the other boys that he isn't soft. "But I ain't soft," Little says, defending himself. "I know, I know. But it don't mean nothin' if they don't know," Kevin replies, shoving Little playfully on the "they" in order to emphasize his point. "Come on, you want these fools to pick on you every day?" he asks. Little stares at Kevin for a moment, then lunges at him. The two boys begin to wrestle on the grass. They end up lying flat on their backs next to each other, exhausted. Kevin is the first to get up. "See you later. I knew you wasn't soft," he says with a smile. He helps Little to his feet, and they head off together.

Answer: Swimming

Juan pulls up into his driveway to find Little sitting on his patio furniture. He walks over to him and looks around, wondering what to do next. Juan brings Little to Miami Beach, where they stand in front of a bench, watching the ocean. Juan pulls off his shirt, and looks at Little. "Come on, man," he says. They head into the water, the waves lapping around Little as Juan teaches him how to swim. "Give me your head. Let your head rest in my hand. Relax. I got you, I promise. I'm not gonna let you go," Juan says patiently. "Hey, man. I got you. Feel that right there? You're in the middle of the world, man." He teaches him how to move his arms properly. "I think you ready. I think we got a swimmer. You wanna try? You ready to swim? Go," Juan instructs and watches as Little heads off without his help. His arms and legs guiding him through the water, 10, then 15, then 20 yards away. Juan begins laughing.

Back on shore, Juan is telling Little about his childhood in Cuba. "I was a wild lil' shorty, man, just like you. Runnin' around with no shoes on when the moon was out." He says. "This one time, I run by this old, this old lady. I was runnin', hollerin' and cuttin' a fool, boy. This old lady, she stopped me and she said, 'Running around, catching up all that light. In moonlight, black boys look blue. You blue. That's what I'm gon' call you: Blue.'" Little looks puzzled. "So your name Blue?" he asks. Juan chuckles. "Nah. At some point you gotta decide for yourself who you gonna be. Can't let nobody make that decision for you," he says. Little looks at Juan as this sinks in, then looks down.

Answer: A homophobic slur

Little's mom, Paula, is a crackhead. Little isn't welcome at home on those nights when Paula has company, so he usually stays over at Juan and Teresa's. One night, Juan is working his corner when he spies a couple of crackheads lighting up in their car, which is bad for business. Juan heads for the car and bangs on the driver's window, startling the couple inside. It is Paula and her male friend. Juan circles over to the passenger side, opens the door and pulls Paula out. "What's wrong with you?" he asks. Paula is indignant. "So, you gon' raise my son now?" she asks. "Huh? You gon' raise my son?" Juan just stares back at her. She's high as a kite. "Yeah, that's what I thought," Paula says. Juan suddenly snaps, raising his voice. "You gon' raise him?" he yells. "You gon' keep sellin' me rocks? Huh?" she replies. Paula reaches back into the car for her pipe and lights up in front of Juan. She takes a long, satisfying pull, and exhales in his direction. She laughs. "And don't give me that 'You gotta get it from somewhere shit'," she says defiantly. "I'm gettin' it from you. But you gon' raise my son, though, right? Hmm?" Juan backs away from Paula. He doesn't know where to look. "You ever see the way he walk, Juan?" she asks mockingly. Juan tells her to watch her mouth. "You gon' tell him why the other boys kick his ass all the time? Huh? You gon' tell him?" she asks, before getting back into the car. Juan looks back at Paula with contempt as she leaves with her friend.

The next night, Little shows up at Juan and Teresa's door, and is ushered into their dining room. "I saw your mama last night," Juan says, as he takes a seat next to Little. "I hate her," Little says matter-of-factly. "Mmm. Yeah, I bet you do," Juan says. "I hated my mom, too. I miss her like hell now, though. That's all I'm gon' say about that." Little sits quietly for a minute, then asks about the meaning of a homophobic slur. Blindsided by the question, Juan looks to Teresa, then tells Little that the term is "a word used to make gay people feel bad". Little asks if that's what he is. "No," Juan replies tenderly. "You could be gay," he explains, and goes on to tell Little not to let anyone call him by that name. "How do I know?" Little asks. "You just do. I think," Juan replies. He is unequipped to deal with this. "You'll know when you know," Teresa says sympathetically, before adding, "Hey, you ain't gotta know right now. All right? Not yet." Little looks down and takes this in. After what seems like a long time, he turns to Juan and asks, "Do you sell drugs?" Juan looks down, ashamed. "Yeah," he says quietly. "And my mama, she do drugs, right?" Little continues. Juan nods, still not meeting Little's gaze. "Yeah," Juan says quietly. Little rises without a word and exits the dining room, and we hear the front door open and close. Juan remains sitting at the table, tears in his eyes.

Answer: The Metrorail system

Chiron walks back to his apartment and finds Paula sitting on the couch. "Uh-uh. You cannot be here tonight," she tells him. "I got company coming. Find somewhere for you to be." Chiron is indifferent. This is not the first time this has happened, and it won't be the last. He shows up at Teresa's for dinner, and they make up the guest bed together. Teresa jokes about how Juan used to let Chiron have a little gin when he thought she wasn't looking, and laughs about how Juan and Chiron used to be "thick as thieves". When Chiron looks reflective at the mention of Juan, Teresa catches his look and falls quiet. We later learn that Juan is dead.

The next morning, Chiron returns to his apartment complex to find Paula acting nice, but it's all a ploy to hit him up for some money. She reveals her true intentions once she gets him back into the house. "Don't lie to me, boy. I'm your mama," she says when he denies having any money. "I'm your blood, remember? Now I ain't feeling good. I need something to help me out. Come on, baby." When Chiron asks where he's supposed to get money from, Paula turns mean. "Teresa ain't give you nothing, huh? Your lil' play-play mama ain't put something in your hand?" She hounds her son for money, lunging at his shirt and jeans pocket until he gives her everything he's got and goes off to school in yesterday's clothes. After class lets out, he starts heading for Teresa's when he encounters Terrel and Pizzo, two bullies from school. They tease Chiron for staying at Teresa's, denigrate Paula for her lifestyle, call him names, and leave. Instead of going to Teresa's, Chiron heads for the Metrorail station. He wanders the platforms and rides the train, catching sleep wherever he can. He is slowly learning to be self-sufficient.

Answer: Kevin

Chiron sits on the shore watching the ocean glittering in the night sky. Suddenly, a single voice rings out in the darkness. "You was waitin' for me?" the voice says. Chiron turns to see Kevin standing before him. "Well, nice to see you too," Kevin says when Chiron remains silent. "What you doing out here, man?" When Chiron asks him the same question, Kevin explains that this is his "smoker habitat", and asks if he comes here to smoke too. "Something like that," Chiron replies. "Nah, you don't smoke. Why you pretendin'? Tryin' to put on a show for me, Black?" Kevin says playfully. "Why you always calling me that?" Chiron asks. "What, Black?" Kevin replies, explaining that it's his nickname for Chiron. "What kind of dude goes around giving other dudes nicknames?" Chiron asks. "The kind of dude what just sat down and is about to put you onto this blunt," Kevin replies, as he hands Chiron a joint. Chiron can't help but smile at this. The pair smoke together, joking and laughing through the night, and begin talking about the night breeze coming in from the sea. Kevin remarks that it feels so good that it makes him want to cry, prompting Chiron to ask, "You cry?" Kevin is taken aback slightly, but tries not to show it. "Nah. Makes me want to. What you cry about?" he asks. "I cry so much sometimes I feel like I'mma just turn into drops," Chiron replies. "You could just roll out into the water, right?" Kevin says. "Why you say that?" Chiron asks. "I'm just listenin' to you," Kevin replies. "Sound like somethin' you wanna do." Chiron's response is vague, but loaded. "I wanna do a lotta things that don't make sense," he says. "I didn't say it don't make sense," Kevin says generously. "But tell me: like what? Like what lotta things?" Chiron looks at Kevin and calls him nosy, and Kevin teases him for standing up for himself. "You trying to get smart, Chiron?" he says, as he places his hand on the back of Chiron's neck. Their eyes meet, and moments pass with Kevin leaving his hand where it is. Slowly, they lean into each other and kiss. Kevin takes the lead, and the two share an intimate moment right there on the beach.

Later, as Kevin gives Chiron a ride home, he asks, "You ain't never done nothing like that before, huh?" Chiron shakes his head without saying a word. Kevin nods. "Thanks for the ride, man," Chiron says when he reaches his apartment complex. "No problem, Black. I'll see you around," Kevin replies, as he extends his hand. Chiron reaches in and their hands connect for a lingering moment. "Yeah, see you around," Chiron says.

Answer: He breaks a chair on him.

Chiron sees Kevin sitting alone in the school cafeteria and begins to make his way over, but stops when he sees Terrel sit down across from Kevin. The two used to be friendly in middle school, and Terrel and Kevin spend a few moments reminiscing about old times. Terrel asks Kevin if he remembers a game they used to play called "knock down/stay down", and the time Kevin beat up a white kid named Mauricio. "We was calling you Tyson after that," Terrel says, causing Kevin to blush. When Terrel asks if Kevin will "play" again if he points someone out to him, Kevin says, "That's the game ain't it? You dare me to swing on him and if I do, it's on you." Terrel smiles and heads off.

Later in the school courtyard, Terrel roams about looking for his victim. "Yo, Kev," he calls out. The camera closes in on Kevin, as he spots Chiron. They stare at each other. Terrel and Pizzo each call on Kevin to hit Chiron, and Kevin eventually gives in to peer pressure. He hesitates for a moment, then punches Chiron in the face, sending him down on one knee, holding his jaw. A moment later Chiron gets up, defiant as before. "I think he want another one. Dude, give it to him," Terrel goads Kevin, who hits Chiron again. "Don't you get up, bro. You stay down," Kevin whispers urgently, but Chiron gets up again. "Do it again. Do it!" Terrel yells, as Kevin lands another hit, sending Chiron down. Terrel and the other boys push Kevin out of the way, and commence kicking Chiron. They run off when school security shows up. Chiron is sent to the principal's office, but he refuses to identify his attackers, saying repeatedly, "You don't even know." At home, he submerges his head in a sink full of ice water and looks at his injuries in the mirror.

When Chiron returns to school, we follow him down the hallway as he makes his way to his classroom. He moves swiftly to his desk with a determination we haven't seen before, sets his bookbag down, picks up a wooden chair, and smashes it down hard on Terrel, who collapses onto the floor in a heap. Chiron brings the broken pieces of the chair down on him again, as his classmates pull him off. Terrel doesn't get up. It takes four people to restrain Chiron. He is escorted out of the school in handcuffs by police officers and placed in the back of a police car. Kevin is standing outside the school, watching all this unfold. Chiron looks back at Kevin through the window of the cruiser, his eyes never once betraying his feelings.

Answer: Paula

Paula leaves a voice message for Black saying that "Atlanta ain't but so big" and that he can stop by to visit his mother from time to time. Black goes to the rehab center and sits across from Paula, now in her 40s and looking worse for wear, but there's something different about her - she's clean. "How you been?" she asks apprehensively. "I'm alright," Black replies. "I ain't sleepin'." Paula pushes Black for details but all he will say is that he's been having bad dreams. "Still?" Paula says. "You ever thought about talking about it with somebody? I mean, not even like a counsellor. Maybe somebody like your mama?" Black is unmoved. "You talk to Teresa?" she says, nervously changing the subject. "Yeah," Black replies. "How she doing?" she asks. Black shrugs and says, "Good." Paula mimics Black by shrugging and repeating "Good," in a teasing manner. It doesn't come across as mean but charming, and it works a little. "When you go home?" he asks. "Home?" she asks. "This is home. I mean... they 'lowin' me to stay and work as long as I like. I figured, might as well help other folks, keep myself out of trouble." She really seems to have changed. "So, you still in them streets?" she finally asks. Black goes quiet, and looks down and away from his mother. When Paula says that they didn't come all the way to Georgia for him to fall into his old ways, Black decides he's had enough. "I'ma go," he says, and makes to leave. "No, you gon' listen," Paula tells him, as he pushes back from the table and rises to his feet. Paula grabs his hand before he can go. "To who, ma?" he asks. "To you? Really, though?" Paula pleads with her son until he returns to his seat.

"I messed up," she says, her eyes welling up. "I know that. But yo' heart ain't gotta be black like mine, baby. I love you, Chiron. I do. I love you, baby. You ain't gotta love me - Lord knows I did not have love for you when you needed it, I know that - so you ain't gotta love me, but you gon' know that I love you, you hear?" Black looks away from Paula, but we can see that tears are running down his cheek. "I hear you, mama," he finally says, as he wipes his face. He still can't bear to look at her. Paula takes up a cigarette and tries to light it but can't, and breaks down in tears. Black takes it and lights it for her. He wipes the tears from her cheeks as she takes a drag. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry," she sobs. Black finally relents. "Come here, mama," he says, as he gets up and embraces Paula.

Answer: A cook

Black thinks that it's Paula calling again about visiting at the rehab center, but is surprised to hear Kevin's voice on the other end of the line. "Been a while," Black says awkwardly. Kevin apologizes for everything that went down all those years ago in Miami, and asks Black what's he's up to in Atlanta. "Not much," Black replies. "Just trouble." Kevin chuckles. "Chiron and trouble always found a way," he says. "Yeah, something like that. What about you?" Black says. "Me?" Kevin replies. "I'm a cook, man." This provokes a genuine laugh from Black. "You a cook?" he says disbelievingly. Kevin explains that he picked it up in prison. "They put me on the kitchen line, man, and I kinda took to it," he says. "Anyway man, I just thought about you, man." He explains that he works in a place with a jukebox, and one night a man came in and played a song that reminded him of Black. "So, uh, if you ever come to town, you come hollerin'. I'll cook you somethin', maybe play that song for you," he says.

Black drives from Atlanta to Miami, and only makes it to the diner after dark. He crosses the parking lot and enters the restaurant, the door making a jingling sound as it opens and hits a bell. The place has several customers but isn't crowded. Aretha Franklin's "One Step Ahead" plays on the jukebox. Black takes a seat at the counter and waits. "How you doin' tonight, what can I get you?" Kevin says as he steps up in front of him. His demeanor changes when he finally looks up from his notepad and recognizes the face of his childhood friend. "Chiron?" he asks. Black just stares back at Kevin. "Damn man why you ain't say nothin'?" Kevin says, as he rounds the counter and walks right up to Black. He takes Black's hand in his and pulls him in close for a hug. "'Sup, Kev'," Black says awkwardly. "Man, what you doin' down here?" Kevin begins, but stops himself when he catches Black looking nervous. "Hey, you here now, man, that's all that matter," he says warmly. Black nods in agreement and smiles. "You ain't changed one damn bit. You still can't say more than three words at a time, huh?" Kevin says with a chuckle. "Said you was gon' cook for me, I know how to say that," Black replies. "Yeah I did say that, didn't I?" Kevin admits. He tells Black that he can order off the menu, or he can just go for the chef's special. Black watches Kevin from across the counter, and doesn't say a word. "Yeah. We here, Chiron," Kevin says. "One chef's special coming right up."

Answer: "You're the only man that's ever touched me."

Kevin emerges from the kitchen with a plate of rice, beans, and grilled chicken breast covered in a mole sauce, and sets up a booth for Black. He pours a drink for each of them, then leaves Black to finish his meal and tends to the other customers. They catch each other up on their lives, and there's a tense moment when Kevin learns how Black makes his living. "What?" Kevin says in disbelief. "That ain't what it is. That ain't you, Chiron," he says disapprovingly. "You don't know me," Black points out simply. "I don't know you?" Kevin replies, raising his voice a little to emphasize the point. Black just stares back at Kevin, until a customer at the register breaks the silence between them. Kevin gets up to ring up the customer's bill, and for a few moments there's nothing between Black and the door. Black stares out into the street and contemplates leaving, when Kevin takes his seat, downs his wine, and tilts his head back in exhaustion. "Why'd you call me?" Black finally asks. "I told you, man. Dude came in," Kevin begins. "He played this song, man." Kevin gets up, goes to the jukebox, and plays Barbara Lewis' "Hello Stranger". The song lyrics fill the nearly empty diner:

"Hello, stranger.
It seems so good to see you back again.
How long has it been?
It seems like a mighty long time."

Kevin leans his back to the jukebox and stares back at Black as he listens to the song. Later, Kevin locks up the diner and follows Black across the parking lot to his car. Black drives Kevin back to his place, and pauses for a moment in the parking lot to listen to the sounds of Miami Beach in the distance. Kevin and Black cross the compound and enter Kevin's modest flat. While Kevin is making some tea in the kitchen, he turns around to look at Black with a smile. "Who is you, man?" he asks. "Them fronts? That car? Who is you, Chiron?" Black shrugs. "I'm me, man. I ain't tryna be nothin' else," he says. "Oh, ok. So you hard now?" Kevin asks. "I ain't say that," Black replies. "Well, then what?" Kevin goes on. "I ain't tryna hem you up. It just, I ain't seen you in a minute, and it's not what I expected." Black just stares back at Kevin. "Well what did you expect?" he asks. Kevin thinks for a moment, then says, "You remember the last time I saw you?" Black looks back at Kevin vulnerably. "For a long time, I tried not to remember. I tried to forget all those times," he tells him. "When we got to Atlanta, I started over. Built myself from the ground up. Built myself hard. What about you?" Kevin starts to tell Black about how he never really did anything he wanted to do and how he was never really himself, but now he has a steady job and a life. "I ain't got no worries, man. Not them kind what I had before," he says earnestly. Black goes quiet, building up the courage to say something. "You're the only man that's ever touched me," he tells Kevin. "You're the only one. I haven't really touched anyone since." Kevin turns to face Black, who looks like a weight has been lifted. Kevin smiles.

Kevin and Black sit next to each other on Kevin's bed, fully clothed. Black rests his head on Kevin's shoulder, as Kevin caresses Black's hair gently. We hear the sound of waves crashing, as the scene changes to show 12-year-old Little standing on the shore looking out at the ocean, his back to the camera. He turns to look back, his gaze open and unexpecting, and in the moonlight his skin looks almost blue.