Original subtitles

I want you to stop following me around, buying me corsages, and telling me you

love me. For how long? You're supposed to be tutoring me in music. I know.

The laws of harmony, not sex.

Mrs. Berg, you're reading the National Siddler?

Of course not.

Love is a story you want to hear again and

again.

Why did you tell everyone we spent the night together?

We did.

big dreams.

You want fame.

Well, fame comes.

And right here is where you starve pain and sweat.

is what warm -up is for, and you never warm up properly, ever, ever, ever.

Oh, sweetheart, I think you might have pulled a hamstring.

Somebody get her to the nurse's office. Let her take a look at it. I'll do it.

Sorry, sweetheart.

When people see those two coming out of my classroom... They're really going to

know how tough mean old Miss Granny is.

Come on, y 'all. Let's go again.

I don't have a hall pass.

Oh, hi, Troy.

Me neither. Don't worry about it.

I thought you were, like, checking.

No, I'm, like, hiding.

See, the way not to get busted for not having a hall pass is to find a spot and

just look like you belong.

So why don't you just sit down with me and look like you belong on account of

your do?

So, uh, what are you doing here? I thought you'd just come in the

You're skipping from that other school you go to, right?

Troy, I know you never skip. I was only joking, you know, joke, ha, ha, ha, and

all that.

No, I'm here because I'm supposed to be.

I'm meeting Julie Miller in the library next period.

She's going to be my tutor.

In what?

Mr. Shrofsky's class.

Laws of harmonics.

Laws of harmonics and melodic progression.

I love that.

Joke. A big one, believe it.

Make way for the walking wounder. What happened?

I pulled something in Miss Grant's class.

It's no big thing.

Take two aspirin and call me in the morning.

Waka, waka, waka.

Hey, uh, why did you do that?

Do what?

Stand up.

Isn't that what you're supposed to do? I thought it was polite to stand up when

ladies entered the room.

Troy, you got a lot to learn about women. Man, that stuff don't go no more.

What does?

What does what?

What does go with women.

Because you're right.

I don't know that much about them.

I mean, I have friends that are girls.

But I don't have any girlfriends.

You know what I mean?

See, it's mainly attitude, right?

Attitude and confidence. And you gotta be direct.

And if you get shot down, you get shot down.

But you're not doing too bad in that department. I mean, you got a nice cozy

hour up in the library with Julie the Fox.

And that's further than I ever got with her.

I gotta go.

Don't want to keep your girl waiting, right?

I guess.

Must be nice having a locker that makes you smile.

Mine doesn't do a thing for me. I just had a conversation with Troy. I mean,

that kid puts me away sometimes.

Conversation about what? Well, he asked me to give him some advice about girls

and dates and all that stuff.

What'd you tell him? I was cool. I told him just keep plugging away.

Well, kind of. He's upstairs in the library studying with Julie.

You know, it's a shame. He can't appreciate his luck.

Hey, Matulo, he appreciates.

Hey, what are you talking about? I mean, I love the kid.

But facts are facts. And the fact is, you know, he's retarded.

So that doesn't keep him from liking girls.

Yeah, but he acts like a little kid.

Yeah, in some ways. Yeah, but physically, he's what he is. He's a 16

guy. I mean, he wants to be normal. What can be more normal than wanting to be

around a pretty girl?

A little quiet, please.

This is the library, Miss Sherwood.

I try to keep a low profile.

You have bats under your eyes.

Well, I suppose there was a more diplomatic way of putting it. You sure

not working too hard?

No, I'm not working too hard.

But what I am doing is having a house guest who's driving me a little bit

My ex -roommate from college.

Reunions can be a lot of fun, so they say.

But you're supposed to reunite with someone you know.

This guy has developed an attitude with a capital A. He's gone through four

marriages and is presently a roving reporter for three, uh,

newspapers.

Why is it, uh, newspapers?

Scandal sheets.

If he lined a garbage can with them, he'd have to apologize to the can.

How much longer is he still?

Two days. Two more days and I'm out from under.

I can make it.

Oh, you can make it.

So, in harmonic progression, the bass often moves up a fifth or down a fifth.

For example, here's a one, to a four, to a five, to a

six, to a four, to a two, then it goes to the five, and then back to the one.

Am I going too fast for you?

Uh -uh.

Okay, let's move on to triads.

Julie, I lied.

About what?

You are going too fast.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Do you want to go back to the head of the chapter?

What I was thinking was...

It's a stupid idea.

Troy, I want you to stop saying stupid. You're not stupid.

We're all smart in different ways and about different things.

I'm slow about some things and I'm fast about others.

Same with you.

I think the term is we compliment each other.

Do you know what that means?

Oh, really?

Well, it's like this assignment.

I need the extra credit I can get by tutoring you.

And you need the help I can give you.

So you plus me makes a complete package. We complement each other.

You plus me?

That's it, yes.

What were you going to ask?

I was wondering, maybe some night you could come over to my house and we could

study there.

Super.

Okay, once more.

When is the median triad most effective?

None of this stuff is going to make me sing any better.

It's not supposed to make you sing better. It's supposed to help you pass

exam. I got a key for Mr.

Shroff's. Do you want to see it?

Yeah, later.

It's the key to the school.

so I can get in any time and rehearse my song.

Mr. Swarovski trusts me, but I won't use it.

I mean, I'm afraid of the school and nobody's there.

Well, it's having the key that counts.

It's a sign that he trusts you. Anyone for milk and cookies?

Buy the TV.

Troy, it's almost bedtime.

Isn't Julie wonderful? I mean, really wonderful?

Uh, I can't stay too late.

Um, I'll have one cookie and half a glass of milk.

Okay.

And you pick what we watch.

Oh, now, use your passkey and fill your thing.

What would I ever do without you, Louie?

Bernie!

Yeah, oh, yeah, I'm back here.

Bernie, what's that smell?

I don't smell anything.

Bernie, I asked you not to smoke these things.

Oh, gotta smoke them, man.

They'll kill you if you eat them.

Damn it, Bernie, I'm serious.

Okay. All right, I'll leave.

What? I'll leave. I'm out of here, man.

Come on, Bernie. Don't get bummed out just because I don't like cigars.

Look, I can leave right now. I'm already packed.

What do you mean you're packed?

I started about 3 o 'clock this afternoon when the paper called and said

to go to Cleveland on an assignment.

Cleveland.

They didn't offer me any hardship pay, either.

I admit it. You almost had me going. Yeah.

Well, it seems some rock star from Cleveland got himself killed in a

accident.

They want me to cover the funeral.

You know, if I can get any pictures of the groupies or lovers that might show

up.

Come on, it's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it.

Why is it necessary to cover some guy's funeral just to see who he was or wasn't

involved with? I mean, who does it help? Who benefits?

my pocketbook benefits yeah just seems kind of ghoulish to me i remember all

that talk about responsible journalism and the role of the investigative

reporter oh oh yeah yeah i was gonna be a great reporter and you were gonna be a

great actor remember i guess we both had to make some compromises along the way

that's life man yeah it's true it's true

But when I do my job well, I'm proud of what I've accomplished.

Because that means I've helped a kid somewhere along the way.

And I don't see where you can say anything like that.

Yeah, well, that pride stuff, that's a little hard to come by in my racket.

Oh, come on, man.

Look, before I go, I'm going to put together a wall of photographs back on

place on the coast.

You know, kid pictures, old sweeties, people who worked at things like that.

Do you have any pictures of you and me when we were in school together?

I don't know.

There's a box down here on the bottom shelf. Check it out. Thank you very

All right.

Oh,

yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Look at this.

You and me on the waterfall, O .T.

Sorry to imagine me on a water polo team, innit?

Yeah.

Times change.

People change.

Yeah. Yeah, they sure as hell do.

Seems a shame to wake Julie, Mrs. Miller.

She'll be fine here.

Of course, I'll give her a ride home in the morning.

After breakfast.

Okay. Bye -bye.

I hear singing and there's no one there.

I smell blossoms and the trees are bare.

You're not sick, you're just in love.

All together now.

I hear you singing and there's no one there.

But you feel...

Bruno,

I've been looking all over for you. Hi, Doris.

You just missed the duet of the century.

Guess what?

I got a hunch that even if we don't guess, you might tell us.

I'm in love.

That's terrific.

Anyone we know?

You bet.

Julie.

Julie?

Julie? Our cello playing Julie?

Your music tutor.

Great, huh?

What can I say? Julie's a terrific girl.

I had to come tell you first, Bruno. You're my best friend.

It is okay, isn't it? Me in love with someone beautiful like Julie.

You can love anyone you want, right, Doris?

Yeah, it's free country.

Like Bruno said, Julie's a terrific girl.

This is my very first time in love with somebody.

He wants to be like anybody else.

Damn, he's gonna get hurt.

Just like anybody else.

You're kidding. You?

Julie, I need to talk to you.

Uh -oh. What you need to do is buy a ticket or get out of line.

Great. How many?

I don't know. What's on the program?

Bruno.

How's it going between you and Troy?

Pretty good.

You know, we're going to this concert tonight. I thought if he could hear some

of the harmonic progression Shirovsky keeps talking about.

He really might be able to understand the whole relationship.

Hey, Julie, I think you're making a mistake.

Hey, Bruno.

Hi, Troy.

Hi, Julie.

Look, Bruno, do you want a ticket or not?

Not.

Rachel.

I need to talk to you. Yeah, I need to talk to you.

I need to talk to you about two things.

You remember the song you gave me last week?

Yeah.

There are some words in there. I don't quite know what they mean.

Well, we could talk about it in study hall. I mean, I probably misspelled them

or something.

Okay.

I'm going to the concert tonight with Julie.

I heard.

And I need you to tell me what to wear.

I think it's really important to look nice for her.

Yeah, well, I don't think Julie really cares what you wear.

I mean, whatever you wear, she's still gonna feel the same way about you.

Really?

You got a free period after Mr. Reardon's class, right?

I'll meet you in the wardrobe room. We'll see if we can't find something.

Maybe talk over some stuff, too, okay?

You're my good friend.

You're my real good friend.

Mrs. Berg, do you have a pincers or a pliers or something?

Earth to Mrs. Berg.

Come in, Mrs. Berg.

Come back later.

Much later.

Mrs. Berg, you're reading the National Fiddler?

Of course not.

I never even knew such a thing existed.

But someone, some horribly twisted person, must have put one in my shopping

last night.

And you just had to read it cover to cover to see how awful it really was.

Exactly. In this issue, there's an article about sex and the single men in

big cities. Some such thing.

And there are pictures.

A young man in swim trunks.

I mean, we're talking Mark's... Bits eat your heart out.

Mrs. Berg, what you do in the privacy of your own home is up to you. I'm getting

to the good part.

The young man is Mr.

Reardon.

This blonde tiger is a perfect example of the predatory contemporary male

presently roaming the urban sexual jungle.

You've got to let me borrow this. Life and death, a month.

Well, I don't know. I was thinking of framing it.

Oh, I'll bring it back good as new as I promised.

Concentration. At all times, you must concentrate on what's taking place up

on stage.

Because in real life, there are all kinds of things and people who cause

distractions that take our attention away from where it's supposed to be.

And the more you exercise these powers of concentration, the sooner you'll feel

more comfortable with them.

So, to begin exercising your powers of concentration, as some of you obviously

need, let's practice focusing on an object.

Now, if you're really focusing, you'll learn to see things that aren't there.

Because you're using your imagination, not only your eyes to see.

Everything around us has any number of levels.

And as you'll come to realize, what you see is really only one of those levels.

The more levels you see, the more interesting your work will become.

Now, won't each of you... find something to look at. It can be anything. An

article of clothing, a pencil, chair, whatever.

Choose an object and concentrate on it. I want you to observe every single

detail of what you're looking at.

But don't stare. That's not the point.

Coco, your eyes are bulging. Come on, don't stare. Just look.

Any for your thoughts?

He helped me pick it out.

Looks macho tough, huh? What are you doing here?

You can't cafeteria food three days in a row. It might become healthy for you if

you're not careful.

So do you like the jacket or not?

Fashion's never been one of my strong points.

It's you, I'm telling you.

A real macho, huh?

Julia will love it.

I love her.

Hey, don't rush it. She's just your music tutor.

It's okay. She loves me, too.

Why do you think that, Troy?

Danny said when girls come over to your house and cook for you, they're crazy

about you.

Julie made breakfast at my house.

Troy, Julie always makes breakfast for music students before tutoring.

Not before tutoring.

After.

From the night before.

After we slept together all night.

It really means something.

Who says so?

All the people I told about me and Julie sleeping together.

How's the flower?

Still alive.

It was the biggest one in the whole store.

Your hair smells real nice.

I can't hear, okay?

Me neither.

I don't like this music.

Pretend.

So how come you don't want to wear it home?

Well, it really overheats those buttons.

It never lasts.

I better put it in the cooler.

That's a good idea.

That way you can wear it to school tomorrow.

Oh, I don't know, Troy.

You know how the other kids are.

They might get envious.

Well, you're not just going to leave that in the cooler, are you?

I just want to make sure it lasts as long as possible. That's all.

Julie.

I like you.

A lot.

I like you too, Troy.

Your friendship means a lot to me.

I had a good time tonight. Did you have a good time?

Yes.

I love that music.

Troy.

I love you.

Hey.

It's after 11 o 'clock.

Do your decking someplace else. I got work to do.

My last bus leaves at 11 .13.

Go catch your bus, Troy.

I'll get myself home.

Go on. It's okay.

Okay.

See you tomorrow, okay?

Fine. See you tomorrow.

Dear God.

Well, when do you expect him back in?

And you better get out of Pat and Pencil, pal, because I want to leave a

message. Yes, I'll wait.

Good morning.

All right.

You tell that cigar -sucking hypocrite that if ethics were dynamite, he

blow his nose.

You tell him that if I'm ever driving and see him in a crosswalk looking the

wrong way, it's all over.

You tell him that... Hello?

Hello?

That only works in movies.

Tapping the button like that will only break the connection.

If it isn't broken already.

You're right.

You know, I spent 45 minutes yesterday going to every bulletin board in this

place, taking down that picture.

Waste of time.

They're already back up.

David. If you just look at it with a certain sense of humor, I mean, a lot of

people would be flattered to have a picture like that in a national

Would you be flattered?

Well... No, I suppose not.

But that doesn't mean everybody would be disapproving.

Actually, I talked to my mother last night. I told her about the picture.

And what did your mother say?

She asked if I could get your autograph.

I've got to get ready for first period.

See you later.

Still waters run deep.

She's got the power that keeps making you high.

She's got the body jumping.

Cheese the bomb!

Too late, Robert.

I thought I knew you.

What are you talking about?

Troy Phillips isn't just anybody.

I know.

You're supposed to be tutoring me in music.

I was, and I guess I still am.

The laws of harmony, not sex.

The subject is harmony.

I think I resent the hell out of what you just said.

Saturday night when you slept together.

Oh, that.

Oh, that.

Troy didn't really say that, did he? He didn't say, I slept with Julia.

Look, we had milk and cookies when we were studying. When we watched TV, we

asleep on the couch.

You mean when he said slept together, he meant slept together?

I bet he told you I made breakfast for him.

Me and Danny and half the Manhattan phone.

Hi, Julie.

You guys should have seen the dance number I just saw. It was so great.

Julie, be nice.

Troy, why did you tell everyone we spent the night together?

We did.

But we didn't sleep together the way people think we slept together.

I didn't mean anything bad.

Listen, okay?

You are my friend.

I'm your friend. That's it.

Nothing more than friends.

Understand?

I want you to stop following me around, buying me corsages, and telling me you

love me.

For how long?

For good. Forever.

Listen, Troy.

I'm sorry. I just don't feel the same way about you.

The whole thing's been a dumb, stupid mistake.

Where are you going?

I don't know where I'm going.

I do know what you said the other day isn't true.

I am dumb.

And I am stupid.

And I'm never going to be anything else as long as I live.

Troy.

What are you doing?

You always have your lunch in here?

I have some thinking to do before I eat.

I see.

Well, listen, I've got some thinking to do myself.

Mind if I share the room?

Sure.

I come here a lot.

It's sort of like a hiding place.

Sounds good to me.

Bet you can't hear the girls whistle at you back here.

I see you heard about my little problem.

Girls whistling at you is a problem?

Are you making a joke?

Fact is, I'm not very comfortable getting whistled at in the halls.

How about outside?

Do you like whistles better there?

No. I'd give anything to have girls like me.

Yeah?

Mr. Reardon, you're lucky. You got to have your picture in the newspaper.

Lucky?

No way.

If I had luck like yours... I could have Julie.

Troy.

No matter how much some people like each other, it may be they're only meant to

be friends.

But everybody has a girlfriend but me.

Danny's got loads.

Come on, Troy.

Just give it time.

Is that what you're going to do with your problem?

Are you going to give it time?

Don't see as I have much choice in the matter.

Besides, it's pretty tough for a teacher to hang on to a problem for very long

around here.

Why?

Well, because there's usually someone else who's hurting

a little bit worse.

Someone who needs some help.

You start helping that person, pretty soon your problems don't seem so

anymore.

Do you mean if you help somebody, your problems go away?

No.

No, not go away exactly.

It just helps to remind you that nobody in this world gets a free ride.

And we've all got problems.

And knowing that is what ought to bring us together, not drive us apart.

Do you like liverwurst?

One of my favorites.

My mom.

You think you should put a lot of lettuce and mayonnaise on it. I won't be

to tell what it is.

But I can spot liverwurst a mile away.

Thank you very much.

I gotta go now.

Where to?

I'm not going to a place.

I'm going to a person.

I'm going to a person who can help me.

It ain't never worse.

He wasn't in Reardon's class this afternoon, and he never cuts Reardon's

Who said he was cutting? Maybe he was sick.

He was in all his classes this morning. I checked.

You checked? Doris, that's butting in. You're not the FBI.

That's a friend trying to help.

And that's guilt talking.

Yeah, and if we don't do something, then we're all going to feel guilty.

Why?

The truth is we shouldn't do anything about it. Yeah, the deal was we were

supposed to treat Troy like anyone else. I mean, if it was me and I was trying

to... Amatulo, let's try and pretend there were ladies present.

Be with.

If I was trying to be with some chick, even some chick you hated. Oh, yeah, you

hated her. Did you hate her as much as we hate the term chick?

You still wouldn't barge in. I mean, you'd let me get my lumps, and that's

in the big city.

That's right. I agree with Amatulo. Kids don't go around in this school telling

other kids what to do.

All right, well, wait a minute. There's a difference, all right? Because, all

right, we're kids, but, I mean, Troy is a child, you know?

Yes, he's a child emotionally, but love and sex, first time, it's tough for

everybody. And how do you know so much about Troy? I read a lot. Good for you.

Typical male action.

Typical female.

Ah, good.

Oh, hi, Mrs. Phillips.

No, was he supposed to be?

Oh, yeah, I forgot.

He probably just missed the bus or something.

Sure, I'll tell him.

Yeah, I'll tell him if he comes in.

When he comes in.

Okay. Sure. Bye -bye.

What?

He told his mother that he went to get Melanie and that he was coming here for

rehearsal and that was hours ago.

He's gonna hit on her.

He'll get shot down like a bad rocket.

Mr. Sharofsky gave him a key to the school.

Sharofsky gives lots of kids keys to the school.

Never used it before.

Want to see if it works?

Hey, first place to check is the makeup room. There's lots of mattresses there.

And I don't read much. I just happen to know.

What

are you

guys doing here?

We need somebody to think of something.

Your mom called for you at my place.

She thought you'd be there. We came looking for you, see if you were okay.

Why wouldn't I be okay?

We were worried about you.

There's nothing to worry about. Me and Melanie were just helping each other.

I don't understand.

Well, Mr. Airden, he said the way to help with the problem you have... is you

help someone else with the problem they have.

So I went to Melanie and told her I'd help her rehearse and make up for the

she lost on account she hurt her leg.

And she'd help me understand some of the words in Bruno's song I don't quite

know about.

And that way we could help each other fit in.

Troy, you don't think you fit in?

I fit in.

But not everybody knows it yet.

Well, as long as we're all convened here, you might as well tell me the

you don't understand.

See, it's this word.

Intrinsic.

Intrinsic means

Something that is so much a part of something else that without that, the

thing would change completely.

Like, nicest is intrinsic to a guy named Troy Phillips.

And trust is a part of friendship.

You couldn't have Mickey without Mouse.

Exactly.

Want to take a shot?

intrinsically part of life.

Everyone knows.

Everyone knows.

I get that now.

ABANDON

Not much we can do.

Love is a giant.

Quote a greater being.

Phone home.

My mom!