Original subtitles

dream. You want fame.

Well, fame costs.

And right here is where you start paying in sweat.

Are you done or are you taking a nap?

I'm done.

Good.

Would you mind telling the class what you were doing?

It's a piece of bacon frying.

How is a Jewish girl from Brooklyn supposed to guess that?

I was 13 before I realized that BLT wasn't bagels, lox, and tsuris.

Okay, okay.

What does everybody think about that?

About what Tara said?

Yes. It was a good line. I wish I thought of it. It was a good line, but

also an attitude.

Very prevalent attitude.

Hey, it was just a joke. On one level, yes.

But on another level, it's what we call schtick.

Now, that's something that you do, and you do well.

But it's safe, secure, easy.

Amatullo does one -liners and impressions.

Montgomery analyzes things to a fare -thee -well.

And Julie, she would like to play every sweet, quiet ingenue ever written.

But there is no risk, no stretch.

No guts.

You're kidding.

Let me show you how much I'm kidding. In three weeks, I want you all to come in

with a scene or an improv in which you portray a character that is as far

removed from you and what you think you are as possible.

Sounds like a contest.

What's the winner get? A little more knowledge as to how talented you are.

Or are not.

The reason this isn't working is that you're the person I'm looking for.

I really don't want to let you buy.

I'm flattered, but I'm also late. Could we put this off till lunch, whatever it

is? We don't have to put it off at all, because now it's done.

Loan application for the credit union for a car, Mr.

Shirovsky? You're going to buy a car?

Why is this such a shock? Well, for starters, do you know how to drive?

They have schools, courses.

They teach you.

What do you need a car for? We're subway people around here.

Friends of mine are moving to some place called Cody, Wyoming.

I don't know why. They seem perfectly fine otherwise.

The point is, they want to sell their car, which is 20 years old and a

It goes up in value every year.

An investment.

And a way to see the leaves turn in the fall in Connecticut.

A way to visit the Berkshires, where students are appearing in the music

festival. And a way to get a lazy old man out and about and doing.

I'll get it into the credit union and start the wheels turning.

Miss Sherwood, you know how to drive. Yes.

And you obviously know how to teach.

Why should I give my money to strangers when there's a friend close at hand who

could help?

Mr. Sharofsky, assuming, of course, there is a friend close at hand who is

willing to help.

I want you to come in with a scene where you portray a character as far away

from you...

as possible.

Doris?

Doris, unless there's a giant ape crawling up the side of the building, I

know what you're doing there.

Mr. Crandall, do you think I'm a nice girl?

Sugar, spice, everything nice.

But dull.

Never. But not a seductress, not a femme fatale.

Well, not your standard model, let's say.

That's it.

Oh, and you do believe in research, right?

And motherhood and flag.

Once again, returning from the Bermuda Triangle known as Doris Schwartz.

What are you doing?

I'm new here.

Yeah, I probably would have remembered if you'd been hanging around here

No, actually, I'm looking for some information.

Yellow pages, sweetheart. That is not my style.

No, I just want to talk.

Talk? Please, give me a break.

Actually, in reality, I'm an actress. Which one? Lassie?

I wasn't looking where I was going.

Did you only have one heel? Does Donnie Love know you're here?

Who?

Donnie Love.

This is his corner.

He controls it. And he'll be real mad if he finds out somebody new is working

it. Working it?

Mm -hmm.

No.

No. I'm not working it.

I'm just... This is really a dumb idea when you think about it.

I'm just going to take my one... I heard you tell Shirley you're an actress.

Is that true?

Yeah.

I'm kind of young to be an actress.

I'm 16.

Me too.

Isn't that kind of young to be a... Can I buy

you a cup of coffee?

Yeah, you could have gotten into a bad scene if Donnie Love had come around.

He's got a mean streak.

Donnie, he's your... He's the man in charge.

What do you want to know?

I don't really know where to begin.

How about you begin by opening up this purse and showing me you don't have some

police ID?

You think I'm a cop?

Look, not every cop looks like Angie Dickinson, you know? I mean, maybe it's

silly.

Okay, it's silly. There's no maybe about it. But look, I just can't go around

trusting everybody I meet on the street.

A person like me just can't do that.

Look, fair enough.

Want to check me out?

Student ID.

Brush.

Gum.

House keys.

Half a candy bar. Must have been there for six months. Don't touch it.

Student bus card.

Anything in there says you're over 18.

I'd like some ID from both you girls.

Dillinger Juvenile Vice. That's far enough. I gotta go!

Well, let's do our laughing down at JDH.

JDH? Juvenile Detention Hall.

What?

My mother's gonna kill me.

That's if she's in a good mood.

Oh, I am in so much trouble.

If you hear a dripping sound, it's my heart bleeding for you.

It's weird.

You and I being the same age, but we're so different.

You think we're that different?

Well, yeah.

Because with me, it's pretend.

But with you, it's... Finish that sentence without making me feel like a

of meat, and I'd say you're some kind of talker.

What'll happen to you now?

Donnie Love will find out where I am and come and try and post bail.

He's the one with the mean streak.

But they won't let him take you. No.

They say if there's room at Father Ritter's, it's like a halfway house for

street kids.

And if he's booked up, which I heard he is, they look around for a foster home.

Foster home?

Why not your own home?

Because I've run away every time that they send me back there, and I'll do it

again, and they know it.

But don't you folks be sure to ask a lot of questions?

Any good at answering him?

I'll try.

We were back having coffee.

The vice was after me, and you tried to slow the guy down.

Why?

Your mother?

Nice meeting you. Have a nice life.

What in heaven's name do you think... Mom, just be quiet for a second, okay?

It's really important that you just listen to me. All right, I really don't

to be mean, but I just need you to sit down and shut up and listen to me.

Okay, you remember Van Cortlandt Parkway three years ago on Thanksgiving?

No. We were stopped at a light by the park. We were going to Aunt Ada's and

Uncle Jack's for Thanksgiving dinner.

And I was looking through the window at the park, and I saw this baby bird fall

out of a tree out of its nest, and it looked like it had broken a wing and it

had died. And I asked Ed if we could stop, and he said that we couldn't

there was too much traffic. And you said that Aunt Ada would be furious if we

were late. Do you remember this?

Anyway, so I kept talking about it all through dinner and sniffling and

sniffling until finally you gave in and you said that we could go back. And we

went back after dessert, and we found it, and we got it better, and we gave it

to the kids at the school on Riverside Drive, and they raised it as a pet.

Do you remember that?

Yes. And do you remember what you said about it?

Well, I'm sure I said a lot of things. You said the next time something like

that happened, you weren't going to waste your breath arguing with me

I'm just as stubborn as Dad when it comes to those kind of things. Remember

that?

Yeah.

Well, Ma, I just found another baby bird with a broken wing.

Cool down.

I'm slowing to 20 miles an hour.

School bus ahead.

Any light flashing?

No.

I proceed at a safe rate of speed.

Turn left at the next corner.

Fire engine behind us with the signal going.

I stop and pull over.

You pull over and stop.

You knew what I meant.

I knew what you meant, yes, but it's still the wrong answer.

Do you think I believe it's possible to first stop the car and then pull to the

curb? Of course not, but the answer's still wrong.

I pull over and stop.

Don't forget to signal your stop and use the parking brake.

With my left hand, I signal stop.

With my right hand, I pull the parking brake.

Should I steer with my chin?

Sarcasm is not going to help matters, Mr. Sharofsky.

Has the fire engine passed?

It has.

I check for oncoming traffic. It is safe.

I signal I'm pulling out.

I check the rear -view mirror, and I slowly and carefully pull out into

You forgot to disengage the parking brake.

God damn it, are you like this with your students?

I'm thorough with my students, and they learn.

No wonder they call you what they call you.

What did you say?

Don't bother me while I'm driving.

Who calls me what?

What's coming up? Railway crossing, stop sign, divided highway. What? I asked

you a question.

I'm pressing down on the accelerator and exceeding the speed limit.

Who calls me what, I said?

I am making a left -hand turn and to hell with the signal. I am driving

the playground for handicapped orphans at a high rate of speed. Mr.

Sharofsky, you will stop this car and answer my question.

I signal I'm slowing.

I check to make sure the car sees my signal.

I pull off onto the shoulder of the road. I come to a complete halt. I turn

the engine.

And I fully engage the parking brake.

Now, what do they call me?

Captain Queek.

They don't.

Whatever you say, Captain.

I'll be right back.

Yeah.

Let's just lay it on the line so there won't be any misunderstandings.

Regardless of what my mother told Julie's mother, I was not arrested for

soliciting. Me and my friend Tracy were pulled in for being underage and nothing

else. My friend Tracy isn't what you think, and even if she is, she's my

and that's all you have to know about it. Got it?

Dorothy.

What are you talking about?

You got arrested for soliciting? No, I wasn't. Look, you fill the middle.

line, I got a friend over there named Tracy.

Period. Oh, I thought you could sit down in your classes.

Me? Just now.

Wait, what happened?

Yeah, what happened? Be careful.

Remember the assignment that Crandall gave about finding a character really

from yourself?

Does that kind of stuff go on all the time?

Yeah, just like I told you.

School of the arts. Music, acting, dancing.

Plus all the regular stuff.

Like a combination kindergarten and zoo.

Each of you is unique and irreplaceable.

Keep that in the back of your mind.

So that when you see a Pacino, a Robarts, a McCall,

you think to yourself, I can't do that.

Bear in mind, they probably can't do what you do either.

We're not looking to make you into copies of anybody.

We're looking to create originals.

Are all your teachers this kind?

Not exactly.

That was the laziest, sloppiest, dumbest performance I have ever seen in my

life. And Cynthia, girl, what are you doing? Come here.

Dancing like a piece of wedgewood china?

Pose it and sit down.

Now, you can strut on your own time, but we're dancing in this class.

All right, everybody in the top positions, let's go again.

I was lost on a winding road

Given to die.

Assuming you are here to apologize and to explain.

Apologize and explain?

That's correct.

Apologize why and explain what?

For yesterday.

Yesterday you had a friend here observing some of our classes. You told

Sherwood I approved it. You told me Mr. Sharofsky gave the okay, and you told

Mr. Crandall that Miss Sherwood gave her permission, when in fact you hadn't

talked to anybody, had you?

Well, not officially, no.

Mm -hmm.

How about unofficially?

Well, I guess they didn't do that either.

That's why I asked to see you today.

Well, I wanted to kind of make up for not talking to anybody yesterday.

How?

I wanted to ask you about arranging an audition for my cousin. She just moved

here. From where?

Cleveland.

Where are her parents?

Well, her father was a policeman, but he was killed chasing a bank robber, and

when that happened, her mother had a nervous breakdown.

That's why Tracy came to stay with us.

Doris, how terrible for your family.

Is it your mother's brother or your father's brother that was killed?

It happened pretty recently. It's kind of hard to talk about.

Well, Doris, you know there are procedures for auditioning.

And I don't think we can make exceptions just because... I hope you're not

building up to a no, because I don't think she could take that right now.

I mean, I'm the only person she knows in New York.

She even had to leave her puppy back in Cleveland.

Does the puppy have a terminal illness that I should feel bad about, too?

Too much, huh?

Please.

Doris, if you were writing a soap opera, honey, maybe.

Now, let's not waste each other's time. What are we talking about here, Doris?

I guess I better tell you what happened.

Because there's a lot of stuff that you should know.

Okay, I'm listening.

I was thinking of scheduling a production for next semester of

Frogs, but now I'm afraid Doris will take off for the swamps.

I don't think it's anything to joke about.

Look, that thing about give me your tired, your poor, that's on the Statue

Liberty, not the front of this place.

Greg's right, you know.

We're not social workers, Lydia. We're not trained for it. Fine. We'll just

our backs on the girl.

We run the school the way the school is set up to be run, the way it's supposed

to be run.

If the girl wants to audition, we will audition her the next time around.

The next scheduled auditions aren't for three months from now. I am well aware

of that.

What is it that that girl does?

She sings, dances, what?

I'm not sure.

Doris knows.

Oh, for Pete's sake.

Well, what, is the whole world going to come to an end because we've been one of

our precious rules to let the girl audition a couple of months early?

No, but if we bend the rules, we have to have a reason.

I mean, if somebody asks what makes this kid so special, we have to have an

answer. An answer that isn't draped in well -meaning intentions and wanting to

be a do -gooder.

Well, I'm afraid that's the kind of answer I can't deliver.

And I'm not so sure why wanting to do good is such a terrible thing.

If this girl goes out and hits the street again because we can't show some

flexibility... Well, I'm not going to be the one that explains it to Doris,

because I don't think I could look her in the eye.

Could we possibly agree on the following?

We allow the girl to audition early, but we do not lower our standards in the

slightest. We have a reputation that's based upon excellence, not on being

If she qualifies, wunderbar. If not, we will explain to Doris as best we can and

proceed to concentrate on the people that truly belong here.

Okay. Okay.

But I get the feeling she's going to have to be sensational in order to

you. Miss Grant, that feeling is properly correct.

As I said, the school is based on excellence, and that is more important

any one person.

Well?

Well, I'll go tell Garth.

Thank you.

See you guys tomorrow.

Pretty chilly between those two.

A compromise never receives a standing ovation.

However, I have good news to brighten your mood.

What's that?

Tomorrow I take delivery on my car. We can take our first test drive.

It's called belly breathing.

Belly breathing?

Yeah, well, in the olden days... They used to call it supporting a tone by

your diaphragm, but I guess everybody started to giggle at that, so the

called it belly breathing.

But what does it do for you? Well, it helps you sustain a note.

Um, hold it longer and keep it steady.

Uh... I just wish that I had more time before I had to audition.

You're gonna be fine.

You hope so, or you think so?

Both. Hi.

Hi, Ma. How was Grandma?

Okay.

But at her age, you know, even the sniffles can cause you a little concern.

But she was complaining about my not being there often enough to visit her,

obviously she's feeling better. Did you check the bulletin board in the kitchen?

Forgot. Was there a message?

Not for you, but for Tracy.

Oh, Tracy, you didn't let any grass grow under your feet. Your boyfriend called.

Mrs. Schwartz, um, the person who called, did he leave his name?

Yes, as a matter of fact, he did.

Donnie Love, if you can believe that.

If you want, I could probably get my folks to change our number.

No, don't bother.

He won't call back.

He won't?

Then why'd he call in the first place?

Just to let me know he's still out there.

And that...

If things don't work out for me at the school, then he'll still be out there.

Mr. Zhuravsky, it's beautiful.

Thank you very much. I do believe it has some merit.

It also has the steering wheel on the right -hand side.

Is this a problem?

I'm not sure. Let's get in.

Mr. Swarovski, it has a four -speed stick shift.

I see that.

Well, we've been doing our lessons on the assumption it would have an

transmission. A second problem, yes?

It could be.

You told me you knew how to drive.

I do know how to drive.

Two tiny problems seem to have you panic -stricken, if I may say so.

Mr. Swarovski, these are not tiny problems.

However... I think we will not give in to this problem.

We are bigger than that.

Driving along.

Residential street.

30 miles an hour.

There's an intersection coming up. You want to make a left -hand turn.

Make that a right turn.

There's a stop sign at the intersection.

Get your hand off my knees. I'm sorry.

Mr. Sharofsky, have you finalized the transaction regarding the car?

I mean, is it yours legally, 100 %?

All of it.

Every nut and bolt mine.

I even bought this little cap.

Is it waterproof?

Waterproof? Why?

Because it is my considered opinion that you will swim the English Channel

before you learn how to drive.

Some of us got it, and some of us don't.

And you own it, but you don't got it.

How about one last drive around the park?

I'd love to.

Are you ready, Tracy?

For my audition, I would like to sing Blue Moon.

Blue Moon.

The first ones for free, Tracy.

Try it again.

Take your time.

We'll be here.

Thank you very much, Tracy.

Martelli, you did everything you could. We appreciate it.

You know, there are times when I could do this job for free.

This is not one of those times.

Here he is.

Not even close.

Your opinion.

Look, Doris, she was terrible.

I mean, even if she sang as well as she could, there's no way she belongs in the

school. Her voice is average, Doris, just average.

The same goes for her dancing.

Why didn't anybody say anything before?

Because you wouldn't have heard it.

Where's she now?

I don't know.

She left right after. She wasn't in the hall when I left the auditorium.

We got to find her.

I got to find her real quick.

Mom, I'm going to stay here until 8 o 'clock when the janitors kick me out.

Now, if Tracy comes home before I do, have her call me at this number, okay?

No.

Yeah, or if she calls before, have her call me, or it's really important that I

talk to her.

No.

Ma, I got other people out on the streets looking for her. They're going

check in with me here.

I'll be home when I get home.

That's all I know right now.

You want some company while you're waiting?

No, thanks.

I got into this myself. I'd like to get out the same way.

You know, I hope you're not going to get all down in yourself about the thing

with Tracy.

She made a lot of promises I couldn't deliver on. Hey, if she could have

in here, she'd be the happiest kid in the world.

She'd never want to leave.

You couldn't give her your talent, Dara. She gave you what you could, a chance.

Dumb thing to do.

A Doris thing to do.

And that's something very special.

And don't you forget it.

You're right.

Hmm?

You said she wouldn't leave the school, and you're right.

Cover the phones. I'll be right back.

Does this sound like Dora Schwartz's child?

How long have you been here?

Most of the afternoon.

Why are you getting made up like that?

You're going back to the guy on the corner.

But you've been here all afternoon, so you don't really want to go back.

Not really.

Where else is there?

Your folks?

Home?

They won't talk to me.

You don't know that until you talk to them.

I'm scared.

And I'll tell you something else. I'm getting sick and tired of being scared

the time. Let me tell you something now.

You remember when you asked me why I was helping you when the vice cops were

chasing us?

My ma.

She calls me the world's twin sister.

Because a lot of times when one twin feels bad, the other one does too.

When I see somebody start hurting, I start hurting for them.

And that's true a lot of the times.

But when I stopped hurting for you and started hoping was when you decided to

audition. And you started trying like anything to get it together.

Because trying...

That's all they really teach here.

You keep trying until you find something that works.

You can call your folks, or you can call that slime who runs the corner.

I don't care which.

Part of what I just said is a lie.

I do care who you call.

So do a lot of other people.

You don't have to watch the phones anymore.

I found her.

She was in the makeup room.

Is she all right?

I don't know.

Hello, I'd like to place a collective call, please.

To Cleveland, Ohio.

I don't know what the area code is.

Mrs. John Alexander.

Just say that it's Tracy calling.

Okay. Doris, tell us your name.

My name doesn't matter.

Because most of the time, people don't remember it anyway.

And the other half of the time, I change it.

So let's just pass on the name thing, okay?

I guess what you call me is a runaway.

That doesn't get it either.

Because most of the time, we're running to someplace.

As much as running away from it.

Running to somebody who will understand and listen.

Without judging us when we foul up.

You're supposed to be allowed to foul up. That's what I thought.

That's how you learn.

When you're working so hard to be daddy's little princess and mama's pride

joy, that sometimes you just want to scream to be left alone.

And then you scream and nobody hears you.

And you just want to find a place where it's okay to be you.

You could be scared.

Or confused.

Or angry.

Just quiet.

Or he can just be you and it'll be all right.

Because it's you that you want him to love.

The you part of you.

That's why my name doesn't matter.

Because until you love me...

Neither do I.

Doris.

A plus.

Take a bow.

Thank you for watching.