Original subtitles

In case of local government.

What? James.

Huh? What?

Why don't you get up and go to bed?

Huh?

Oh, God. Oh, no. I fell asleep. I can't believe it. Yes, but you kept right on

working. Not a moment wasted in this dedicated student's day. No, no, I've

got to finish this thing.

This is the quintessential Kingsfield paper.

I mean, this is the paper Kingsfield's been waiting for all his life. This is

the paper that when I present it in his seminar, Kingsfield is going to be so

thunderstruck, he'll be able to utter only one word.

Pizza. God, I'm famished.

Oh,

it might be... Hot,

hot. Uh, something cold to drink.

Yeah.

James. Why don't you take a break?

Like a real break, where you sit down, you have a full meal. I can't. This

paper must be finished. Oh, this paper, this paper. I am sick hearing about this

paper. It can't be that important.

I want him to say it's brilliant.

You're hopeless.

This is a neurotic thing, you know.

I mean, you get better grades from the man than anybody, but no. He's got to

read your paper and die.

You're sick.

I know, but all great men are.

You two deserve each other.

Or take the idea of causation.

Someone works in a shipyard in 1943 and contracts a lung disease 40 years later.

Scientists can tell us only that there is a 51% statistical correlation between

exposure to the chemicals in the shipyard and the lung disease.

Is that enough?

Does that satisfy our traditional concept that there must be proof that

the defendant caused the plaintiff's injuries?

The answers are still evolving, but I submit that these are some of the most

interesting legal issues of our time or any time.

It is, as you say, an interesting subject.

One that has not gone entirely uncovered.

However, you have obviously given it an... a good deal of thought, and you

have presented it with certain new insights.

However, let us not forget that we are lawyers, not philosophers.

There are certain dilemmas in life, which it is for the artist and the

thinker to discover and question.

We, as lawyers and judges, are the ones for the convenience and protection

of society.

who must decide what is right and what is wrong.

To say, as you have, Mr. Hart, that it is interesting is not enough.

To say, as you did, Mr. Hart, that it is interesting is not enough? Well, what I

want to know is what the hell is enough? Calm down. I want to calm down and piss.

No kidding. Mr. Hart, Professor Kingsfield would like to see you.

He knows I deserve better, but he's going to apologize.

Oh, you've got to be joking.

Kingsfield wouldn't apologize if he ran over his own mother.

This was the first time.

Mr. Hart.

Yes, sir. In the next issue of the Law Review, we want to do an article about

the influence of literature on the law.

In view of the paper you delivered this morning, I have confidence that you are

a very suitable candidate for this assignment.

Thank you, sir.

What specifically about my paper made you think that?

Oh, just that you seemed rather less illiterate than most of your peers.

Yes. Have you read much 19th century literature?

Yes, quite a bit, sir.

That's good, because I would like to do a piece on the Victorians, on Charles

Dickens and his contemporaries and their influence on the law, extending this

into the 20th century and finding parallels if they exist.

Now, does that interest you?

Yes, sir, quite a bit.

Okay, go to it.

Is that it, sir?

I would have thought that was more than enough.

No, I meant, um, I meant, uh...

Nothing.

Good day, sir.

Good day.

James, are you still having trouble facing that law review article?

Kingsfield gave it to you three days ago.

Hey, look, I get plenty of that from Golden, all right?

Look, Ford, I just want to relax this weekend. I want to have some fun and

blow off some steam.

In other words, I don't feel terribly motivated to do anything for him.

But why?

Just because he didn't agree with your brilliant assessment of your own paper?

No. Because he knows I did better than he said.

Hold him back.

Son of a bitch.

God, you make terrible coffee.

That's not mine. That's yours from yesterday.

Usable.

Ford, when are you getting out of here?

Kathy's going to be here any minute.

You mean I can't watch?

Ford, we haven't seen each other for a few months. It's going to take us a

little while to...

Get familiar again. At least half an hour. Ford, I need this weekend!

Oh, shit.

Oh, Hart!

What? It's still dripping.

Didn't you call the landlord?

Yes, I called the landlord. The fact that he didn't come isn't my fault. Pull

the chain.

You pull it.

Oh, for God's sake.

Oh. Aha!

Oh, big deal. There's something wrong with this thing up here.

You couldn't do this yourself.

I can't touch the innermost workings of a toilet. I just can't bring myself to

do that.

Oh, my hands are good enough.

My hands are good enough to stick into this toilet. Is that it?

You do need this weekend.

Oh, no cab, sir.

You don't think you should wait and see what happens to the weather before you

try to drive? I think I should go now.

Before it gets worse.

Well, you probably should wear some boots or something. I don't have boots.

I have rubbers.

I'll get them.

We should have thought of that before we put all this stuff on.

Are you sure this dinner is all this important? Oh, nothing have.

Well, do you have your speech revisions?

Yes. And your gloves?

Yes.

Well, then, you better go, for the roads are impassable.

Ford! I'm coming, I'm coming.

Ford!

I can't find my suitcase.

I can't go out in public like this. I look like a vagabond.

Can I borrow your suitcase?

Yes! Borrow, take, go!

I want you out of here by the time Kathy gets here. God forbid I should meet the

woman. Espresso. She loves espresso.

You're sure you're not expecting too much from this weekend?

Get out. No, no. Think about it. I mean, you had such high hopes for your King

Seal paper, and then, of course, you were so bitterly disappointed.

Ford? Yeah.

Go.

Right.

But most side streets are quickly becoming impassable.

And we just have a bulletin. The Massachusetts turnpike is very slow.

Stalled cars blocking most lanes.

With towing equipment also caught in the traffic snarl.

Visibility is down to zero.

And now stay tuned to 1-1-1-0 for up-to-the-minute news.

And now... Hello?

No, Golden.

Yes, I've started it.

It's coming along.

What? No, do not come over here, Golden. No, I'm expecting company any minute.

When it's finished next week, end of the week.

Well, trust me.

I wish I believed that.

Another hot toddy would make it very hot.

Let's see.

Uh, uh, something hot. That looks great.

Yeah, well, this is the last cinnamon stick in the place. You better nurse it,

because we might have to spend the whole night here.

You know something, Forge? You're the only asshole I know who would go out

into a snowstorm with a full change of clothes.

Actually, Willis, Hart has an assignation with a woman. I have been

summarily dispossessed, and I cannot get where I'm supposed to be.

Well, me, I just had to get the hell out of the dorm.

Neither of the 1Ls were driving me nuts. It's like a zoo there. They've been

stuck too long.

Have you seen who's back there?

I wonder why she didn't come down here, put her feet up and have a drink.

Maybe she's shy.

Maybe she thinks she needs an appointment.

I've never seen old Nottingham out of her office, not even in the hallway.

What kind of a life she lives.

As far as we know, when she's away from Kingsfield, she could be wild and

uninhibited.

Mrs. Nottingham?

I'm Franklin Ford.

I'm in one of Professor Kingsfield's seminars.

I recognize you, Mr. Ford.

Are you waiting for someone?

Well, I was waiting for a bus, but it's off its schedule and it was so cold

outside. I don't imagine much at all is working out there tonight.

Would you care to join Willis, Bell, and me for a cocktail? We could wait it out

together. That's very kind of you, Mr. Ford.

Over here.

Can we buy you a drink?

No, I'd never let a student spend money on me. Get all bent out of shape. We can

split it.

I would like a hot toddy, though.

Oh, on second thought, make that a brandy.

I do hope Professor Kingsfield got off all right. He had an important meeting

to attend in New York.

Do you think the planes can take off in all this?

Oh, I hope so. Otherwise, he'll be stranded at the airport all night.

Well, I'm sure he'll be all right. Professor Kingsfield can take care of

himself. He's a big boy.

Oh, God, she's here!

Shit, I don't believe it.

Whoa.

I cannot wait to hold you in my arms.

Professor Kingsfield?

Yes, Mr... Hart, sir.

Yes, of course.

I did not expect to find you here.

I live here.

I intend to come here.

Ah. Car stuck in the snow.

Telephone. I was not aware that this was your apartment.

Oh.

May I use your telephone?

Of course.

Oh, God, come in, sir. It's right here.

Oh, uh, sir, uh, please take this chair. Much more comfortable, sir.

I need a tow truck.

Yes, sir.

Uh...

May I take your coat?

No. I'll leave you here a minute.

The line's busy.

I suppose it'll remain so till the weather improves.

Yes, they said on the radio that the weather may not clear up till tomorrow.

So I understand. So maybe you'd better take this coat.

I'll, uh...

I'll hang it up in the bathroom. It'll drip dry there.

It's a conspiracy.

That is rinses as punishment.

You would think an emergency service would have sufficient lines to deal with

an emergency.

My recording has just assured me.

My call will automatically be referred to the next available operator.

Am I keeping you from anything, Mr. Hart?

No, no.

Well, because this is the second time you've taken a discreet look at your

watch since I entered. What is the problem?

Uh, actually, I'm expecting someone.

A friend.

I hope I won't be in the way.

No problem, sir.

Mr. Hart, would you mind if I removed my rubbers?

They are soaking.

Go right ahead, sir.

Sir, let me help you with those. Thank you.

We'll have to lose the shoes as well, sir. They're filled with water.

They didn't do me much good when I was in the snow up to my knees.

I'll put them with your coat.

Thank you. Kathy, if you've ever been late.

Be late now.

How dare they?

Sir?

Rachmaninoff!

My goodness, listen to that music. It brings back memories of when I was a

young woman. I'll get him to turn it down.

No, no, no, no. This music is to be played louder.

It's for dancing.

So, Mrs.

Nottingham, what's it like working for the Great One?

Yeah, has he always been the way he is?

He's mellowed somewhat.

Call that mellow?

It's all relative, Mr. Bell.

Mrs. Nottingham, can I ask you a personal question?

Has Professor Kingsfield ever made you feel incompetent and stupid and

irrelevant? Well, only on the good days.

I mean, how do you take it?

We only have to deal with this guy for three years. You've had to deal with it

for... 33 years come next spring.

Thank you.

Well, some days it is difficult, and it's also a great challenge every single

day to be in the presence of a great man, a great law professor

who has trained just hundreds and hundreds of law students and who is

respected throughout the world.

Well, I tell you, it does keep me on my toes.

Do you realize that I am due in New York City in 45 minutes?

Something that can't be rescheduled, sir?

It's a dinner.

Oh. Oh, a special dinner?

The 25th anniversary of the Harper decision. The Harper decision. It's a

landmark case.

I mean, that was a precursor to Gideon. Some still perceive it as that.

So the dinner is in your honor.

I forget that my professor...

pleaded the case.

Is it still exciting, sir, thinking about shaping history?

Much has happened in those 25 years to somewhat temper my excitement.

You're not saying you're having second thoughts about a man's right to counsel

in criminal trials.

Of course not.

I wish I could say it was an unequivocal advance.

But like any advance, it did not arrive unentangled with complications.

More lawyers mean more delays.

Cases take more time.

The overcrowded docket groans under the weight of a well-intended process.

An unfortunate medium in which to capture the subtleties of Debussy.

I can't believe you're not still proud of what Harper accomplished.

I most certainly am.

Fortunately, I'm also a perfectionist.

Well, congratulations.

I beg your pardon?

For the honor being paid you.

Hello? Hello?

Yeah, I wonder if you could help me. My car is caught in a snowdrift at... Uh,

1033 Peterborough Street.

1033 Peterborough Street.

My name is not Mac!

And I am not prepared to hold anything right now but my temper.

So, just how long can I expect you to be?

And if I am not lucky?

Well, at Kingsfield,

5557973.

How long is the list?

Well, what's the likelihood of my getting to the top before the evening is

out?

Thank you. Thank you very much.

I seem to be on a rather long waiting list.

Will they come? He said, and I quote,

We'll try and get around to you, Mac, but don't hold your breath.

Maybe I could get some friends and push you out. You think so?

Uh, which is it?

The one in front.

All I see is mounds of snow.

The mound in front?

Ah.

Think you could move that?

Uh, you mean with help?

Maybe with help.

I don't think so. Maybe not.

Well, I guess we'll just have to wait for the tow truck.

No school today.

I beg your pardon?

Whenever there's a storm like this, especially when I wake up to one,

the first thought that runs through my mind is, no school today.

It's what these storms meant to me as a child. That thrilling thought was so

strong, it persists to this day.

I would have thought you loved school.

I did.

But I loved staying home and playing in the snow even more.

I was a boy once, Mr. Hart.

Yes.

Well... What do you think?

I think we're going to be here for a while, so... What do you think when you

see snow?

Oh!

Well, um...

And you shouldn't have to think about it.

It's in your system.

Snow.

Carver's Hill.

Carver's Hill.

It was a hill on Mr. Carver's lawn.

Down the street where we always went sledding.

I used to think it was mountainous when I was a kid.

A few years back, I was in my old hometown, walking down my old street,

and I saw it again.

It was just a sloping lawn.

That was it.

Would you like a drink?

I wouldn't mind.

I've got some white wine. Sounds lovely.

I didn't want to deprive your guests.

No, no, no problem, sir. I got plenty. It was on sale, so I kind of stocked up.

Shit.

I beg your pardon?

Um, there might be some cork in it, sir.

That doesn't hurt a good Pouilly, if you may.

Um, to summer.

To summer.

You know, I think I'd like a cup of tea.

Oh, too much cork?

No, I didn't taste any cork. I could open another bottle, sir. Same wine?

Yes.

I think I'll stick with tea.

Sure, the bottle could be bad. The guy at the store told me this was a

particularly good buy.

1980 was a bad year, and I never heard of Chateau de Montpre.

Other than that, it's fine.

Um, any particular kind of tea?

Oh, anything that's hot and steady.

Dirty.

Earl Grey, sturdy enough?

Earl Grey will be fine.

Sir, would you excuse me for a minute? I'd like to call my guest. I'm starting

to worry about her.

Earl Grey tea.

No answer. She's probably left.

I think I'd like to try the air portion.

Charles Grey II, Earl Grey, leader of the Whig opposition and largely

responsible... for the repeal of the African slave trade. Still ringing.

Probably only one guy on duty.

He became Prime Minister of England in 1830.

Who?

Earl Grey.

Ah, yes, hello.

Could you tell me if the 5 o'clock Eastern show from New York arrived?

Uh, well, is there any way of knowing if it left New York?

I see.

Fine, thank you.

I don't even know if she's left yet. She could be anywhere.

Maybe they rerouted her.

No, sir. All the airports are closed.

The airports are closed?

Yes, sir.

Then I'm not going anywhere this evening.

Ah.

Mrs. Nottingham.

Mrs.

Nottingham. You may not see the professor without an appointment.

Mrs. Nottingham.

You're in the tavern.

It's late. You fell asleep.

Oh, I had some brandy, didn't I?

I hope I didn't say too much. The stuff about Dean Perry was pretty racy.

Oh, you're just pulling my leg, Mr. Bell. I hardly know the dean.

The hardest thing is it comes to a boil.

Right.

Of course, if anyone can make it, Kathy can.

She's a pretty determined type.

Would you like some tea?

No, thanks. I'll stick with the wine.

She's not stranded at the airport.

Sir, would you like to watch television?

There might be something on the news about this storm.

I can see the storm perfectly well through that window.

Sir, could I cook you dinner?

What are you serving?

Well, I bought some veal.

I'm preparing it.

Piccata?

That's good.

I only ask because deeply fried food has a very serious effect upon my digestion.

No, sir. I cook a very light veal piccata.

Mr. Hart, may I use your bathroom?

Of course, sir. It's right through there.

Thank you.

Not too much lemon.

My God.

Professor Charles W. Kingsfield is using my bathroom.

Mr. Hart, there's something wrong with your plumbing. Oh!

The water will not stop running. Oh, Christ!

Oh, God, Kirk.

Oh, God.

Your suit's all wet. Yeah, I'm wet because... Soak now.

Yes, sir. Let me see what I can do.

Oh, yeah, I think I see the problem.

Sir, could you...

Could you hold this chain right here, keep it from filling up?

Yeah, the ball's fallen off.

The threads are all stripped.

See, without the ball, sir, the arm won't float up and stop it from running.

Can anything be done about that?

Uh, yes.

Uh, yes. I'll... I'll be right back, sir.

What do I do? Just hold this?

Just hold it, sir.

Am I doing something wrong? No, sir, you're doing fine, sir, just fine.

You know, one of the things I've never mastered is household repairs.

Years ago, just as I was leaving the house to argue downs versus metro

railway before the United States Supreme Court, a pipe burst in our basement.

My wife was beside herself. She seemed to rely on me to do something about it.

I said, my dear, just call the plumber.

Well, we suffered thousands of dollars' worth of damage, and although I won the

case that day, there was no celebration dinner waiting for me at home.

Oh, well, sir, I grew up on a farm, and everything needed fixing, sir.

If we couldn't do it ourselves, the whole place came to a grinding halt.

There.

Is that how to keep the bugger up?

Can I let go now? Yes, sir.

You know, I'm glad you studied law.

As a plumber, I don't think you'd have been a great success.

It works, sir.

I know, but it just doesn't look good.

Oh, God, sir.

I'm sorry.

I mean... I accept your apology.

Perhaps you could find something dry to substitute for these.

Yes, of course, sir. I've got a very nice bathrobe, sir. I just had it

laundered. And the sooner, the better. Yes, sir.

Black watch.

My mother's family colors.

I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of borrowing a pair of your

slippers.

They're a little large for me, but that's a lot better than my wet socks.

Anything you find in there, sir, is fine.

Dinner's almost ready.

I'm starved.

Nothing like a swim before dinner to stimulate the appetite.

You know, I have some red wine, sir.

It's a Beaujolais, if you'd like to try that with dinner. Same sale?

Uh, yes.

It's Bulgarian.

Oh, I hadn't noticed that, sir.

You know, the Bulgarians make some quite good wines these days.

I'll open it.

Sir,

I hope you're not too disappointed about the fact that you didn't make that

dinner. The weather sort of discouraged me about that.

At least there's no rush to get to the airport.

None at all.

With this weather, we should count our blessings.

That's right. A few plumbing problems notwithstanding, we're in the pleasant

position of enjoying each other's company.

Looking forward to what I'm sure will be an excellent dinner.

You'll even get a pleasant surprise.

It's quite nice.

Well, there's no stopping those Bulgarians. That's quite nice.

You know, I should call my secretary.

She's going to be worrying about me.

The way my wife used to.

And that is the fascinating thing about these long-time relationships.

You wish they'd stop fussing about you, and at the same time you hope that they

won't.

Where'd you get those?

Beautiful. They were my mother's. Italian.

She gave them to me. I love espresso.

And her mother gave them to her.

They're lovely.

I never use them.

Why not?

I'm afraid I'll break them.

You should always use beautiful things.

I keep thinking I should wait for a special occasion.

No occasion is special enough.

My father was given a very fine brandy.

And he kept putting off opening it, waiting for some more important

occasion.

Then finally, on his deathbed, he asked for it, and it was brought, and we

opened it, and we drank it, and it was wonderful.

And it was too late.

How are you coming with your piece for the law review?

Sorry, sir.

That's why I don't use the cup, sir.

I'm glad you're hungry. I've made quite a bit.

Bleak House.

The best writing about the law courts in the whole of literature.

Remember the beginning part?

Opening section?

This is the court of the Chancery, which has its decaying houses and its blighted

lands in every shire, which has its worn-out lunatic...

every madhouse, and it's dead in every churchyard, which gives to moneyed might

the means of wearing out the right, which so exhausts finances, patience,

courage, hope, so overthrows the brain and breaks the heart, that there

is not an honorable man among its practitioners who would not give, who

does not often give the warning.

suffer any wrong that may come to you rather than come here.

You know it. Fog everywhere.

Fog up the river, where it flows among the green eights and meadows.

Fog down the river, where it rolls defiled among the tears of shipping.

And the waters hide pollutions of a great and dirty city.

You remember, he brings that fog into the court, where the Lord High

Chancellor looks in the lantern that has no light in it, where the attendant wigs

are all stuck in a fog bag.

Well, our courts are still fog-bound today.

That's why I wanted that article.

Today, we only have shoddy exposé fictional.

dull scholarly tracts.

No one like Dickens, who was both popular and provocative, who was not

only a storytelling genius, but a social reformer. And I think his own life was

the basis for his interest in social justice. I mean, when he was 12, after

his father had been sent to debtor's prison, he wound up in, uh, he wound up,

uh, labeling jars in a shoe polish factory.

Yeah, and then when he was 15, he was a law clerk in London. Yes, right.

Yeah, well, if you want to discuss Dickens in relation to this article of

yours, we have the time for it now.

Okay, maybe.

Yeah,

that's a good idea. I'll look over my notes, and maybe we'd better eat while

it's still hot, sir. Yeah, it looks excellent.

It's veal. It's tender.

It's not easy to come by.

And expensive.

This young friend of yours can come here today.

She's missing a little treat.

Thank you.

This Bulgarian red is quite a find.

Thank you.

This girlfriend of yours, where is she studying?

NYU.

But she's not a girlfriend. We just met this summer.

Summer's a dangerous time to meet someone.

As I recall, summer warps all your perceptions.

I remember after I'd met my wife and fallen in love with her, I went off one

summer to a resort to wait on tables, and I met a young waitress. There we

were, on this beautiful lake, Pine Grove, with those long, cricket-filled

summer evenings.

And suddenly I thought, my God, I've fallen in love with another woman.

What will I tell my wife?

Well, she wasn't my wife then.

What did you tell her?

Nothing. Oh.

I stayed in delirious pain the entire summer.

Then when I went back to the city, I prepared to tell my first romance about

my second romance.

Then I found that when the crickets had gone in the grove and the lake, suddenly

I found that my wife, whom I'd known in the... cold light of winter seemed a

much more substantial and singular choice.

Well, this may turn out to be a summer romance.

Today should be a good test for it. Still think she'll make it?

Well, she's very determined.

So you tell me.

Actually, this could work out.

She's a very...

intelligent, perceptive woman.

Mm-hmm. Well, most girls on meets nowadays are.

Because here we get the very brightest of them.

Your companion last semester.

Connie Lehman? Yeah. She was handsome and astute.

Yes, well, there are other things in a relationship.

I think one...

One thing is to be ready. I don't think she was ready for anything permanent

yet. That seems to be a disease of our time.

Nobody wants anything permanent.

Let me tell you something.

All those years I was married, of course, I kept thinking I should have

spent longer sowing my wild oats.

But the longer my marriage lasted, the more convinced I became that being

married to someone...

No matter how banal it might seem on the surface, it was infinitely more

satisfying and more exciting than the wildest of affairs.

I think my greatest fear would be to look back over my life and to realize

that I hadn't really loved, really loved somebody.

I doubt if that will be your retrospective, Mr. Hart. It just isn't

something I want to take for granted.

I was under the impression that most young people of your generation were

afraid of commitment.

Well, I have to admit, it's a conflict.

As much as I want a lifelong partner, I fear that passions will die.

How do you keep those feelings alive over the span of a lifetime?

I know it's possible. My parents still have a kind of vitality in the way they

love each other, but...

It seems so rare.

I was married to the same woman for more than 50 years.

I never thought of myself as committed or not committed.

I just felt that I was living with someone who knew more about me than

anyone else in the world.

And that, when it works, is in itself a kind of miracle.

and people are still getting married.

Or now they're never.

I'm not sure I understand it. Maybe it's the bomb. The bomb?

Well, for some people anyway, I think they don't believe the world's going to

be around much longer, and they want to get to the important things in life.

Marriage, children.

I thought fear was a discouraging marriage.

I thought no one wanted to raise a family on the doomsday era. Well, that's

what they say, but it's not what they do.

Now, crises seem to bring people together like snowstorms. Oh, defective

plumbing?

Yes.

Yes.

I haven't started it.

I beg your pardon?

I haven't started the Law Review article. I haven't done anything about

it. You haven't?

No, sir.

I have been trying, but... Well,

I'll tell you, Professor Kingsfield, if I told you the trouble I was in, you

wouldn't know what kind of trouble I was talking about.

Why do you presume I wouldn't understand when you don't even tell me what's the

matter? Are you having trouble with your research?

Having trouble establishing a premise.

What is your trouble? My trouble, sir, is you.

Well, me.

Well, me in relationship to you.

I think I've made a terrible mistake.

You come back to the table and tell me what in God's name it is that you're

trying to say. I'm trying to say yes.

Can't.

James, say it, please.

Did you just call me James?

Yes, I sometimes do that when I'm angry.

Please get to the point.

Do you remember my presentation, my last paper for your seminar?

Yes.

I worked harder on that paper than any I've ever worked on before, and I was

sure you'd be bowled over that you'd think it was the finest paper you'd ever

read. It was quite good.

Was it?

Yes, it was one of the better papers I've heard recently.

Why didn't you say that? Say what?

That it was one of the better papers you'd read recently. Why should I say

that? I'm your professor. My job is to get the best work out of you, not to wet

nurse you with lavish praise.

A little praise never hurt anyone's ability to do their best.

Are you trying to tell me that you are sulking? over my response to your paper

and that you are therefore unmotivated to do the review article?

You might say that.

I'm deeply disappointed in you.

Yeah, well, I need that.

James, for God's sake, stop sulking.

You're an adult.

You're one of the better students in this institution.

You should not need to be told that.

You know your work is good.

That's all that matters.

Doing your best should be its own reward, and you shouldn't need me to

tell you about it.

But it's nice to get awards, isn't it, sir?

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to say that.

Maybe it's the difference in our generations.

There's so much hyperbole today, and everyone expects it.

A star is a superstar.

A sizable income is megabucks.

And our presidents refer to every incident as one of the most significant

incidents in the history of the world.

The word significance has lost its significance.

When I was a boy, I used to shovel snow on the walk for my father.

Other boys got paid by their fathers.

A nickel, a dime for shoveling.

I did it without pay.

Simply doing something for my father was my reward.

His occasional smile, good work, was enough.

Then, when I became a lawyer, and later a teacher, I loved what I did so

that I would have done it without... pay of any kind.

I loved it so.

My father had taught me the worth of taking satisfaction in what I do.

And that was and remains the most valued lesson.

But he did smile and he did say good work.

That was all.

That was all I wanted.

James, I am not your father.

Yes, sir, I know that.

I know, but you see, in a way, you are.

To all of us, whether you want to be or not.

And, sir, if I may... There's a responsibility that goes with that.

Would you like some coffee?

Yes, I would.

I have some espresso.

Wonderful.

What are you doing? I thought you said... I considered

this... to be a special occasion.

I have a saw.

Triple letter.

24, 28...

30, double word, 60 points.

Vavasor? I have never heard of Vavasor.

If you'd studied Middle English, you would know the word. Oh, Middle English.

Is that valid?

Would you care to look it up in the dictionary? No, I'm sure it's there.

Vavasor, Vavasor alternate, medieval term for tenant, slightly below a baron,

and worth 60 points. Vavasor, huh? Okay.

Freebie. Freebie is not a word. Ah, it is a word. Freebie is a slang

expression. It is used. It may be slang.

But it is now a word. You can't look it up in the dictionary. Oh, are you going

to make me look up a word for a lousy 13 points? If you insist on using that

word, yes.

Hello?

It's Professor Kingsfield. Who's calling?

Uh-huh.

Just a minute, please. It's the tow service, sir.

Hello?

Could you please stay calm?

I apologize if I did not go down and stand by my car in sub-zero weather and

freeze to death.

I shall do so now as soon as I get on my rubbers and my overcoat.

Thank you.

I hope he wasn't rude, sir.

Maybe his mood will improve with the weather.

Listen, do you think my clothes are dry?

If they're not, you're welcome to some of mine.

Something as stunning as this, I hope.

While you're changing, I'll go outside and wait for the tow truck.

Thank you.

I guess we'll have to continue this game some other time.

What is the score?

Um, 342 to 63.

I guess we'll just say you won this one. I'll wait for you outside.

Hello? No, no, he just stepped out.

I'll take a message.

Yes.

Kathy, yes.

You went all the way to LaGuardia and back.

You hope to make it next weekend.

All right. Now, do you want me to read that back to you?

No, I'll tell it.

Yes.

What? What was that?

No, no.

This is a friend.

Good coffee.

I mean, it was unbelievable.

It was like we were all drinking buddies.

Hell, we were. We polished off two bottles of wine.

He loved that veal piccata. And he went wild for that Bulgarian wine, you know?

And he told me stories about dating in college. I mean, it was unbelievable.

I'm sure you're not remembering this through an alcoholic haze. And we were

not drunk. Kingsfield wouldn't get drunk. He'd never be drunk.

But he was loose, you know?

Loose? I mean, he was calling me James, my first name.

Yes, I know that. And I felt as if I could have called him Charles.

Yes, I'm sure if he'd been there a few hours more, that's what I would have

called him.

I mean, it was like we weren't teacher and student anymore. I mean, I think

we're really friends.

Mr. Hart.

Hi.

How are you today? All dried out?

I was wondering, Mr. Hart, if you're still going to have trouble completing

that article for the law review.

Oh, I don't think so.

Well, it would help if you could be absolutely sure.

Because if you're not, I shall suggest to Mr. Golden that he find a substitute.

Oh, I'll finish it, sir.

On time.

On time, sir.

Thank you, Mr. Hunt.

Yes, sir.

I am really impressed.

Loose? Boy, was he loose.

Boy, were you loose.

You two have redefined the word loose for me.

All right, all right. I think loose now has a completely new meaning. All right.

I mean, I thought you two guys were going to give each other high fives. All

right.