Bird (1988)

Charlie 'Bird' Parker (Forest Whitaker) is cheered by the audience to a small jazz club in New York City. He goes home feeling exultant, but his wife Chan Parker -née Richardson- (Diane Venora) is in no mood to have sex or be kind to him. During the following row, Chan wonders whether she did good in letting him in. The shouting wakes the baby up, and Charlie says he'll tend to him; however Chan prefers that he keeps away from the baby. Charlie feels heart-broken at that, so he takes another dose of some drugs. His body can't take them anymore, so he falls to the floor all bloodied. Chan doesn't feel any warmth towards him: her attitude is like 'here we go again'. She is emotionally drained. Charlie goes to hospital, but feels the need to take drugs, which leads to a fight with an alcoholic patient (George Orrison). The director of the clinic worries about the finances of the treatment, and Chan blames his painful bleeding ulcers for Charlie's fall into drugs yet again. Charlie has these flashbacks about him seeing a dead body and a relative asking young Charlie (Damon Whitaker) to take some revenge, and of a broken drum flying by. The director wants to give Charlie the shock treatment, but Chan feels that such a thing will end with Charlie's creativity and brilliant performances for good, which will leave unable to prive for himself and his family.