Original subtitles

How many of you here have ever heard a friend say that they were thinking of

killing himself or herself? Don't tell me. You know who wrote the suicide note?

Jacob. Connie Nash.

It's Rogers, the big, fat, ugly kid.

Going to help just isn't what it used to be.

We're talking about trying to prevent someone from killing themselves.

I think the wrong move is no move, and I don't want to take responsibility for

that.

Miss Grant,

don't you think this is a little above and beyond the call of duty?

No, dear.

If a few more of you had showed up for yesterday's rehearsal, we wouldn't have

to be doing this before school.

Well, whatever we're going to be doing, I wish we could get started before I

freeze.

All right, people, let's go. Starting positions right away.

I like winter. Me too.

You know what I like? What?

Being in Central Park right after it snows.

So pretty and white.

In New York?

Julie, honey, you ever heard of acid rain?

Yeah. Well, in New York, we got something called... No.

So much for the poetry of winter.

All right, people, let me have you in your opening positions. Let's go.

Is it just me, or is it kind of cold up and through here?

Doris, why don't you and Leroy go and ask Mr. Karpinski to please turn the

furnace on early this morning? Go on.

All right, people, let's take it from the crisscross splits, all right? And

Kelly, sweetheart, try to dance with the music this time, not against it.

All right, let's go.

Oh, excuse me.

Hi, Timmy. What are you doing here so early?

I'm putting the finishing touches on my petition.

Hey, how about you guys being the first to sign it?

Keep the Mikey series on the air?

The series you were in when you were a kid?

Mm -hmm.

Well, this series ain't been on the air in about four years now.

We run syndication, sign it, and freezing.

Okay.

Channel 8 thinking of dropping Mikey?

Well, I figure if I can get enough names on the petition, maybe they'll listen.

Got to keep old Mikey going, you know? Keep those residuals rolling in. Yeah.

Thanks. Take care. Come on, Doc. We've got to go.

Thanks a lot.

Miss Grant, Beamer's waiting downstairs.

I think you better come. There's something you should see.

Dear God.

Who would do something like that?

Somebody with a grudge, probably.

Yeah, well, they're going to have more than a grudge when I find out who did

Have things like broken arms and broken legs.

All right, people, no need to stand around gawking. Let's organize a cleanup

crew and help Mr.

Karpinski sort this mess out. I'll take care of this. Why don't you go on? It's

all right. All right, dancers, let's go back to rehearsal. Right away, people.

Let's go. Come on.

Let's go.

Kelly.

Come on.

Let's get back to rehearsal.

All Leroy needs is another excuse to walk.

Come on.

All right, you all. Why don't you put all the books together? We'll drive them

out later and try to salvage whatever you can.

I sure would.

I found it with all the stuff that came out of the locker.

During the cleanup this morning, in the downstairs hallway, something was found.

Something that came out of one of the lockers.

The thing that was found appears to be important.

Well, we don't want to embarrass anybody.

Maybe the person who it belongs to...

Would like to discuss it with, if not myself, then one of the other teachers.

The important thing is that you contact one of us as soon as possible.

Is this about the suicide note?

Hi, my name is Janet Hammond, and I'm from the Suicide Prevention Center.

And I'm here to do just that, to try and prevent someone from committing

suicide.

Whoever trashed those lockers on the second floor did us a favor.

The note that was found had to come out of one of those lockers.

And that's why we're here.

Let me ask you a question.

How many of you here have ever heard a friend say that they were thinking of

killing himself or herself?

Hey, I'm not asking for names. I just want to show you that... At some time or

another, a lot of people have had that thought.

Come on.

Come on, everybody. Anybody.

Teachers, too. Come on. Come on.

Okay, hands down.

Let's try another one. How many of you know someone...

who has attempted suicide.

Well, that's about average.

What I'm trying to get across is it isn't all that weird to have those

From two to five percent of the American population will at some point attempt

suicide. That's a lot of people.

A lot of people who hurt.

So if there's someone in this room that's hurting that bad, I want you to

to me very carefully.

You think that nobody cares, but you're wrong. A lot of people care.

Your teachers do. They called me.

I care. I care very much.

You are not alone.

My brother committed suicide.

He had a problem, and as far as he was concerned, there was no other way out.

He was 20 at the time, and that's how...

I got interested into this kind of work. You see, if we had talked, I

might have been able to help him, but he never opened up. He never gave me the

chance to share his pain. I never got the chance to say, please, don't.

My brother would have been 30 this year.

And what ripped him apart at 20...

Might not have seemed so bad at 30.

That's what you have to remember.

You kill yourself today, then you, like my brother, will be killing a potential

30 -year -old.

Talk to somebody.

Somebody you feel safe and comfortable with.

Maybe one of the teachers. You know who the good guys are.

We're here to help.

And listen.

But... We need you to talk so we can listen.

Well, unless somebody has some questions, that's about all I have to

say.

Okay.

We're here if you need anything.

And remember...

There will be a next week.

And a next year.

Are you okay?

Yeah. You raised your hand both times. You really knew someone who tried?

I think so.

You think so?

Well, I knew somebody who was thinking about it.

And nobody knew what to do, including me.

So nobody did anything.

Two weeks later, she died in a car accident.

She was driving.

Nobody ever knew if it was an accident or not.

I just don't want to go through something like that again.

That was very impressive.

What? The way you talked to the kids.

Do you do that often?

Not as often as I wish I could.

But more often than I wish I had to.

Why not?

Look, I know you're going to think this is a dumb idea, but hear me out.

I think we can find out who wrote the suicide note.

And what kind of time are we looking at?

As much time as it takes.

Hey, look, I'm carrying a full load of academics this semester, plus reading

class, plus Miss Grant got me in that clutch dance class, and plus I'm stage

manager for the senior project, all right?

Anything else?

Plus I think it's a dumb idea.

Yeah, well, that's why I thought of you for the job.

Coco? I can't.

Why not?

Because suicide goes against what I believe about the universe.

Huh? Listen, the stars tell us what's going to happen, and that's fate.

And to me, life is like a huge dance, and fate is the choreographer.

Now, fate gives us our own individual dance, but we choose how to dance that

dance. And I don't want to interfere with the power of fate.

Coco! Yeah, Doris?

No way. What do you mean, no way?

Like I said, no way.

That's no answer. Give me a good reason.

Give me a good reason why I gotta give you a good reason.

Bruno, you're my last hope.

Why does it have these feelings of resentment about being someone's last

I'm sorry. That came out wrong.

It's just that everybody has these excuses for not helping out.

Danny's too busy, and Julie has this thing about privacy, and Leroy's too

stubborn, and Coco's too Coco.

Bruno's too cautious.

Cautious? Like how?

I think certain things should be left to professionals, like Janet Hammond.

Yeah, but... I mean, what if we were to make the wrong move, make things worse?

I wouldn't want to take on that responsibility, would you?

We're talking about trying to prevent someone from killing themselves.

I think the wrong move is no move, and I don't want to take responsibility for

that.

Am I interrupting?

Hardly. What's up?

I thought while we were waiting, I might be able to help.

I don't know. No, use every tool we can. What do you have?

I made a list of all the kids whose lockers were broken into, and then I

through the files and wrote down any information I thought might be

For instance, we have a student, Leroy Johnson.

Now, Leroy's parents are separated.

He never sees his father. His mother works in Detroit. And unless the 7th

subway has added a couple of new stops, I take it he doesn't see her much

either. No, he doesn't. He lives uptown in a small, barely furnished room across

from a pool hall.

Well, I'd say he certainly could be at risk.

At risk?

It's a term for someone who's a potential suicide.

No, you see, that's just the point. Leroy isn't the type.

If you knew how often I heard that phrase, and it's always in the past

No. You have to know Leroy.

He's arrogant, quarrelsome, extremely talented. Well, you got that last part

right, but anybody that calls me arrogant and quarrelsome's got a fight

hands. Well, I was talking about Leroy, but I can see the resemblance. Oh, girl,

you better look up.

I was trying to explain to Janet that Leroy is not the suicidal type. Tell me.

Leroy is a carrier. He doesn't do it, he makes you do it.

That's true.

On the other hand, Kelly Hayden... What about Kelly?

Well, from all her records, she appears to be in a pretty erratic state.

Well, that describes half the student body of the school.

I know.

But lately, Callie seems to be having a particularly rough time.

Rough is right.

I'm about to recommend that she be dropped from the dance department.

Uh, maybe it'd be best if you could hold off on that for a while.

Suicide and adolescence.

Research.

You're really determined about this, huh?

Very. Oh.

You want to hear something?

Sure.

What if the fate of that person that wrote that note of mine is supposed to

connect?

Mm -hmm. I mean, what if you're the instrument that's supposed to bring our

fates to a certain point where his fate becomes a part of my fate?

Good point. Yeah, because when you're dealing with the cosmic force, which is

fate, the balance is really delicate, you know?

So what can I do?

Do?

Help? You want to help? Yeah.

Didn't you hear what I said?

No, sometimes the problem isn't hearing you.

Never mind. Okay.

This is a list of all the people's lockers who were broken into.

Now, I've crossed off the obvious people like you and me and Leroy and Bruno.

Now, I've divided the rest into two columns.

Not sure is pretty good bets.

Okay. What do you think? I think him down and her up.

Him? Mm -hmm. Them?

Mm -hmm.

Really? Yeah. Really?

Yeah.

And her.

Okay, good.

Good. All right, now, there are a bunch of warning signals that the book talks

about. Depression, loss of appetite, preparation.

That's giving away a valued object or possession.

It's kind of a way of reaching out to someone.

I got to go to chorus rehearsal.

You chorus?

Yeah. All those voices blending together in harmony.

It's really satisfying.

Satisfying. How can something so tame be satisfying, huh?

Coco, your whole life doesn't have to be standing up doing a single.

Sometimes working together on something, like you and I are working together on

this, can be very satisfying.

Very satisfying.

Any dreams I have, I...

I want to be able to put in the cash register.

Look, I just never had a house that I could call my own.

Really call home.

You ever feel that way, ever?

And tomorrow, when we get the money?

It doesn't have to be a big house.

As long as we can call it ours, you know?

Yeah, we'll take it. The money and buy this horse I saw. I love horses.

Riding the range.

This is not working.

Why don't we hold it right there, okay?

You're right. It's not working.

Is there a problem, Timmy?

Yeah, the problem is I'm an actor, not a writer.

Improvisation isn't concerned with how well you can create dialogue.

It's to see how well you can react to what the other person is doing.

Well, I reacted.

Maybe it just didn't come across.

You're right. It didn't.

What came across was you worrying about what Timmy was going to do next.

To do this exercise right, you go with what Julie's doing. That tells you what

to do next.

Look, is this making any sense?

Come on, talk to me. Is this making any sense?

Yeah. You know, too many people think that all acting is is getting up on a

stage and saying a bunch of lines and making a few simple facial expressions

indicate some emotion that you're supposedly having, like anger or

pain.

Happiness.

You think I do it that way? Look, I'm not pointing at you. Do you? Yes, I do.

Sometimes.

Look, let's face it.

It's a whole lot easier to go with the tricks.

Recreating honest emotion.

Standing up there on a stage and reacting honestly.

That ain't easy.

Let me tell you something.

I've been working in this business since I was seven years old. And getting paid

good money to work as an actor.

Not showing other people how to act. Doing it. Acting.

Right now, this minute, I'm up for a good part in a Broadway play.

Me, Timmy Ellis, Broadway.

Then don't you think it's about time you learned the right way to play a scene?

Now let's go again, whenever you're ready.

letter to channel eight insisting to keep mikey on there what happened to the

petition i already sent it in but i just got a look at the weekly rating bad

if i don't change your mind by the end of the week it's all over for me oh

that's a tough assignment it's a good letter though uh especially the part

the fan club but i think it's going to take more than one Well, if I get

everybody in Reardon's class, plus my geometry section to write in, that'd be

maybe 60, 70 letters.

How are you going to get 70 kids to write letters?

Well, I do the writing. All they have to do is sign them.

Why so intense about this?

Why don't you just let it go? Move on to other things.

You have that Broadway show that you were talking about in Reardon's class.

No, I don't.

I was just blowing smoke.

And he knew it, too. If Reardon thought it was true, he would have said

something. It's illegal for students to work professionally, remember?

I remember.

It just goes to prove how bad an actor I am.

You are not a bad actor.

What's this?

It's Pegasus.

It's the name of a play I did when I was a kid.

The producer gave one to everyone in the cast.

It's always kind of been a special good luck charm.

Was it a hit?

Closed after a week.

I'm sorry.

But I loved it. I love everything about this business, you know?

Even if I'm not any good at it.

Will you stop putting yourself down?

Hey, look, I wish I was real good looking, you know, like Redford or had

Newman's eyes.

Something special, you know?

You're Timmy Ellis.

And that's special.

To most of the people out there, Timmy Ellis is Mikey, period.

Just another rerun, running out.

When you go down on one, be ready to come right back up on two and turn this

knee out. If you don't have this knee turned out, you cannot hit that six and

hit the seven on the fourth.

All right, I'm going to show you one more time.

So you have five, six, turn seven, eight, one.

Two, come right back up. Three, four, five, six, crotch.

Okay, let me see this side go.

And five, six, seven, eight, and one. Right, Eartha, three, four, seven.

Right, okay, that's exactly right. Okay, let me have this one.

And five, six, seven, eight, and one, two, three, four, five,

six.

No, Kelly, Kelly.

It's, um, it's coming.

Sweetheart, if you could dance just a little more rhythmically for me, it

help me an awful lot.

People, in your opening positions.

All right, people, I'm ready to go.

Sharon.

Hey, Jimmy, better hurry up. It already started.

Aren't you staying?

No, there's something wrong with the heat up in the auditorium. I guess I'm

going to have to miss Mikey for today.

Uh, listen, do me a favor. Make sure everything's turned off when you leave,

okay? Don't worry, I'll take care of it. Good boy.

Look it, Dad. Look what I can do. Not in the house, son. Not with a basketball.

But watch, Dad. Just like, well, the cell. Be careful. Oh, no!

Mother's gonna have a fit. Really?

Mom? You mean like Speckles did when she ate that bad food?

Well, not like the dog, Mikey.

Can I watch? Come on, let me tell her a second watch. Huh, Dad? Huh? Mikey.

You ready?

For what?

I figured out who wrote the note.

Who? Connie Nash.

She fits everything you gave me on the list.

Did you talk to her?

Not yet. I figured we'd get together and go over there.

Guys, we gotta talk.

I think that Bobby Weston is the person we're looking for.

Bobby Weston? He's so typical.

It's not even funny. Connie Nash.

What's Connie Nash? The person who wrote the note.

You're crazy. You're too Bobby Weston. Shh, shh, shh. Go down low. I found out

who wrote the note. Bobby Weston? No, no, no. It's Jacob. You know the guy who

plays the tuba from Jackson Heights?

Talk about dumb.

What are you talking about dumb? What are you talking about? All right,

everybody, pay attention.

Don't tell me. You know who wrote the suicide note?

Half right. I know, and I'm going to tell you. Did nothing pay attention?

It's Rogers, the big, fat, ugly kid.

Hey, Rogers, what are you talking about?

I ride the train with Rogers.

He's not like this. Why don't you ride the train with him?

I talked to him.

He doesn't fit any of the things I'm talking about.

But it helped just isn't what it used to be.

Take a shower.

Could you come back and see me?

We need to talk.

Talk?

Yeah.

Relax, child. It's just talk, not the death sentence.

Maybe we can talk now. I'll just take my shower later.

Okay. Come on.

Thank you for coming, Kelly.

Well, if there's a wrong way to do this, I'm sure I'm about to do it now.

But I have to be able to judge my students on how well they learn to

by what they might do when they leave class.

How are you feeling?

Scared.

Boy, do I know that feeling.

Want to talk about it?

Yeah. Yeah, I guess I better.

We didn't stay. Really, I don't mind.

Okay, but understand this. I don't care about the dance program or the school or

whatever. Only you and how you're feeling right now.

I'm, uh... I'm feeling better.

Well, that's a promising start.

It was something you said at the meeting.

About not being alone.

That helped a lot.

Were you feeling alone?

Can you tell me why?

You see, I come from a family where success means everything.

And everybody's successful.

My parents are successful.

My brother successful, my sister successful.

It became so important.

It started to scare me.

I mean, really scare me.

So I started setting myself up to fail.

That way I wouldn't have to deal with it.

But now...

that I'm here, I'm afraid I'm not good enough today.

I'm afraid that, um... That you'll be dropped from

the dance program?

Uh -huh.

Okay.

If that happens, what are you gonna do?

I'm not sure.

I'll admit I've... Thought about it?

About what?

About suicide.

But I think it's like you said.

A lot of people think about it.

You see, with me, it just seemed like the

more the dancing went bad,

Everybody was over here.

And I was left over here.

All by myself.

I know.

But you're not alone now.

There are a lot of us who care.

I know.

I do, and that's why I know a fine way to perform.

With your help?

You got it, baby.

Oh, you got it.

Can we forget about that note, then?

Note?

I never wrote a note.

You... You didn't write this.

You know how to type.

We're right back where we started.

Oh, no, we're not.

Not by a long shot.

Bye -bye, Mikey.

What now?

Why don't we go back over your list? You were right about Kelly.

Maybe you can convince me about the Johnson boy.

You're really going to have to give up on that one.

You busy?

What's the problem?

This.

This is a history test.

It's a D minus.

Still a history test.

Well, I know it's a history test. Can you tell me why Miss Clemens gave me a D

minus? Was she trying to fail me or something?

I can't answer that.

You're a teacher.

I teach English, in case you've forgotten.

Yeah, well, usually all you teachers stick together. I don't understand why I

have to teach history anyway. It's not going to make me a better dancer.

Perhaps it will make you a better person.

You sound just like a teacher.

How you doing? Oh, fine, thank you.

Guess who that was?

Leroy Johnson.

You got it. Uh -uh, you got it.

Over here.

Hi.

Hi. I was just talking to Bruno.

Mikey's canceled.

All finished.

I'm sorry.

It's okay.

At least it'll make my dad happy. He hated that series.

How can you hate a TV series?

It's what split him and my mom up.

She said it was because he couldn't handle the fact I made more money than

They're back together now.

Yeah, I'm not sure he didn't take us back just so he could gloat.

God, I can't tell you what it was like going out on auditions knowing if I

didn't get the part, my mom was miserable. If I did get it, my old man

miserable.

How did you feel?

No matter which way I came out, I was miserable.

How do you feel now?

Empty. Hey, I never thanked you for all your help.

Yeah, a lot of good it did.

Well, we tried.

What are you doing?

Here. Oh, no, no, no. I can't take that. Please.

I want you to have it.

As a friendship gift.

Please.

It's you.

You wrote the note.

Give me a break. Why would I do something like that?

Doris, you're making a big mistake.

I know you're going to do something stupid.

You're right. I'm on my way to Reardon's class, and he's going to let the whole

class know how bad an actor I am. I'd say that was pretty stupid.

Well, I have Reardon's class to... Will you slow down?

We got a lot of work to do today. Mr. Reardon. Yeah.

I'd like to do an improv.

Oh, I don't know. I had something else planned for today. Please.

Uh, I'd like to do it with Timmy.

Um, he's, uh, he's on a ledge, and he's gonna jump.

And I'm a cop trying to talk him down.

Okay. I like it. That's a good situation. I like it a lot.

All right, we'll put the, uh, potential suicide victim over here.

We'll place the cop over here. We'll give him the opening line, which is,

are you doing out there?

Jimmy, come on.

Maybe you better get somebody else.

No, now, come on. No.

Don't give me a hard time. Get up here. Let's go.

I can't.

You can't.

Okay, maybe you're right.

No!

No. He's got a point. It's all wrong.

So what I want you to do is switch roles.

You're the suicide.

You're the cop.

And the opening line is, what are you doing out there?

Mr.

Reardon, please.

The opening line is... Look, I know the line.

Then say the line.

What are you doing out there?

Repeat it and mean it this time.

Hey, you, did you hear me? I asked you what you're doing.

This isn't working.

Dammit, Timmy, you are supposed to be an actor.

Acting is doing, and you know what has to be done. So do it.

Once again.

Hey, you on the ledge.

Why?

What are you... I'm thinking.

I'm deciding whether or not to jump.

Why are you up here?

I'm a cop.

Yeah? You gonna give me a ticket?

No.

You planning on jumping, too?

Stay with her, Timmy.

Answer it.

Of course not, and I don't want you to.

Why not?

Because it doesn't solve anything.

It doesn't?

No.

It'll get rid of the pain. No, it won't. It will for me!

Look, what about the people you leave behind? What about... My parents?

Yes.

I don't think they care very much about me.

They're your parents.

I think they'd be glad if I was gone.

Come on, that's not true. They'll be sorry.

Sorry?

Which one will be sorry?

I don't know.

Maybe both. Maybe this time... All I have to do is step off this.

No, wait, don't.

What if they were both sorry? You'd never know.

You don't understand.

There's no reason for me to be on this earth.

Don't talk like that. You're special.

Why, in the whole world, there's no one just like you.

I'm nothing.

And it hurts to be nothing.

Look,

I know it hurts.

But you've got to hang in there.

Someday you could be a famous actress. You might win an Oscar. No!

Well, you might.

Don't you think you might?

I don't want to win awards.

I want to get rid of the pain.

Look, I know it gets so bad sometimes, but... But you've got to hang in there.

You've got to be strong. You can't let it get to you.

I don't want to be strong. I want to die.

Come on!

Jump, jump. It'll be over. Look,

I know.

I know.

How could you know?

know what you're feeling.

I hear you We hear you

and we care