Finding Forrester 2000 Full Movie

MAN:
Marker.

Yo, nothin' can
Keep me detained

I've retained
To numb pain

Brain insane
The opposite of humane

To go against this Animus,
lyricist

And you shall bear witness
For the end of your existence

I've rapped gloom
Give niggas cap wounds

And pack 'em in catacombs

'Cause your lives will expire
when you test the empire

A.K.A. body out, Lana
I sense a win

And feast when I release
The beast within

It's time to meet
The reaper's twin

So run from the truth
And you might get boost

My dezzy goose will abuse
And misuse your bulletproof

Then watch you spit red juice
When your bones rip loose

Niggas that's full of it

Bite the bullet and get
Their lead hit and split

Seeds get eaten in this apple
I'm the type of nigga

That'd clap you while
You prayin' in your chapel

Fillin' caskets with cattle
'Cause bastards try to battle

For example
I told this chump to stop

Didn't know the pump cocked
Till the pump was up the block

So you guys better realize
Inflammation what you facin'

From hell, I'm armed well

Test the vest
I got a medal to chest

Execution-style sentence
To death, no other choice

Weapons are useless 'cause
Verse murders with the voice

[]

That's cool.

WOMAN:
Hey, Jamal!

Jamal, you awake?

Jamal, I know
you hear me, boy.

Jamal, I'm writin'
all this down,

but I've got that thing
with your teacher.

And they got me workin' late,

so take care of yourself
for dinner.

Okay? Okay?

Okay.

Hey, I thought you wanted
to get up by 7:30.

MAN:
Play ball.

Baby, hear the chains singin'?
Check that up, man.

Stop cryin'.
Hold on, hold on.

What up, J? Where you been?

Sleep, yo.
What's up, man?

Up late, wondering how
I was gonna save your ass.

What are you savin'?
What up, Damon?

Let's go.
J!

Break him up, man.

Oh, he broke
your ankles, man!

[Softly]
Can't give him that.

Can't give him that.
I'm awake now.

Come on, yo.

Come on, man.
You got something for me?

Souffle, baby!

JAMAL: Got nothing for me.
Lot of good that's doin'.

[CAR LOCK CHIRPS]

Bringin' something
for The Window.

DAMON: You ever seen him?
The Window?

Yeah.
No. But he see us, man.

Come on, man.
Y'all don't wanna play ball?

All right.
Wake up.

DAMON:
You got to help me out, man.

In 1845, Poe wrote his most
famous piece, "The Raven,"

a poem he wrote while
he was strung out on coke

and obsessed with death.

"The Raven" is like
the football team.

A team obsessed with death.
Always get their ass kicked.

[EVERYONE CHUCKLES]

TEACHER:
Baltimore Ravens,

only pro football team
named after a classic poem.

Anyone read it?

"Once upon a midnight dreary,
while I pondered,

weak and weary--"

Jamal, how 'bout it?

Nah. I never read it.

[BELL RINGS]

I need those essays
by next Tuesday.

Yo,
man, my dad saw The Window.
'Bout 20 years ago.

Just like a ghost,
like the ones
in our science books and all.

Just like that.
So what? He was white?

Ain't milk white?
Seen a ghost
that wasn't white?

I'm just playin', man.
He killed somebody.

That's why he has
to stay inside.

You gotta kill an army
to hide here.

Y'all play too much, man.

Remember Shurrita? The one
that lived below The Window?

She calls me up
this one night, buggin', dog.

Talkin' 'bout
she heard tapping
from upstairs by The Window's.

Tap, tap, tap.
[KNOCKING ON TABLE]

While she was on the phone,
man,
she started screamin', dog.

'Cause now the tappin',
made its way down the stairs.

Tap, tap, tap.

Listen to him, fool.

And now it was on the other
side of her door, dog.

She could tell there was
some knife he
was tappin' with.

She didn't know.
Before she can even hang up,

the phone disconnected.
That was

the last time
we seen Shurrita.

Shurrita across the street.

Oh!
That girl is a crack ho.

No, no. She was nice.
She'd be pissin'.

All I know is that
The Window is bad news.

Rules was if you wanted
to go outside,

stay away
from The Window's place.

We need to stay away
from your lyin' ass.

J, what you feel?
You believe me?

You full of shit, dog.
[LAUGHS]

Damn.

Let me guess. So you'd
go up in there, right?

Ooh.
Old man lookin' out a window.

Superman, you'll go, right?
He won't go.

Let them know, J.
DAMON: He's not gonna go.

This nigga's scared.
Yo, I got the next call.

So?
So...

I dare you to go
up there, right?

Right, right?
Whatever, man.
I'll go up there.

He's going.
Big shot.

Bring it, son.
That's my dog.

You feel me.
D, I believe you, dog.

Man, shut up, dog.
Go to class or something, man.

Here, man,
sit over here, son.

Stop playin' with me.

It's a vibrant thing. Go.
Fine. Not sittin' next to you.

Take your apple too.

[]

[KNOCKING]
Ms. Joyce?

Yeah. Hi.
Good to see you.

Have a seat.
Thank you.

Okay.

So, we got Jamal's
test scores back this week.

Test scores?
Assessment tests.

The state education department
requires all kids take them.

He didn't tell you,
did he?

Mrs. Wallace, Jamal
maintains a "C" average,

which means he does
just enough to get by.

It also means he does just
enough not to stand out.

What makes Jamal's case
unusual are his test results.

Oh, my God.

I see him reading
all these books all the time--

books I never read,
some I never even heard of.

And he's always writing
in his notebooks.

Ever since his father left.

But that's what I see.

All he ever talks about
is basketball.

Well, basketball is where
he gets his acceptance.

Kids here don't care about
what he can put down on paper.

MAN:
Let's go! Between
the yellow lines. Let's go!

Yo, T.
What up, Fly? How you, baby?

Maintainin'.
Look.

You lookin' for tickets,
little bro? Dead tonight.

Sorry 'bout that, fellas.

Come on, man.
We know you got tickets.

I got four words for you.
Bos-ton Red Sox.

All right?
The Yanks and Sox tickets,

they damn near been
sold out almost a month now.

All right, Mr. Fly?
And by the way, why don't you

go tell Camry boy over there
that he need to go and back up

his cheap ass bumper
on that Mercedes over there.

Go handle that.
Let's go, Fly! Let's go.

What up, Jamal?
Moms called.

Told me about
the test you took.
What's up with that?

Nothin', man.
What you mean, nothin'?

This gettin' in the way
of your plans?

Remember, it was
your plan first, T.

I know. A little college ball
and all of that.

Start signin' checks, solving
everybody else's problems.

Look at me, though.

Whoa. Hold a minute.

Hold onto these.

I guess this makes it
our plan now.

One thing.
What up?

Don't say nothin' about
them test scores to nobody.

Don't worry about that.
I'm your brother, dog.

Whatever me and you discuss
stay between me and you.

Right.
Love you, dog. All right?

You just make sure you keep
one thing in mind.

Mom's gonna know when the game
is over,
so take your ass home.

All right.
Don't get into no trouble.

Be careful.
Stay safe.

Love, dog.
All right, T. Good lookin'.

All right, Jamal.
Be careful, man.

Stink in here.

J, see that window? He keeps
that one cracked sometime.

Light's been
out for two hours.
FLY: You sure he asleep?

Listen. That Methuselah's
like a thousand
years old, man.

That's all he ever do.

Yo, J, man.
For the reals, son,
I don't know about this.

[RAT SQUEAKS]
I'm thinkin'-- Shit!

I think I'm gonna
pull the call, yo.

No, yo, I got this one.
Rats.

Yo, Fly.
Keep it.

You gotta bring
somethin' out.

DAMON: You hear us, drop down.
All right.

Make sure you don't
stay in there too long, dog.

I got you.

Damn, this thing's rickety.

[]

[VOICES ON TV]

[TV CONTINUES]

[MAN YELLS]

Look, look, look.

Oh, shit.
Yo, got somethin'?

Oh, shit!
What happened?

MAN: You son of a bitch!
FLY: Shit!

He wasn't asleep.
He was right there.

DAMON: Did you see him?
Nah, not for long, yo.

Jamal, would you stop bouncing
that damn ball in the house?

I got Michael Jordan's name

written in dirt
all over my floor.

Don't worry. I'll clean it.

I got a better chance
of Michael Jordan cleaning it.

Hey, if you're
thinkin' of a shower,

the hot water's
taking a few minutes.

I wasn't thinking about it.
Hey, where's your pack?

I don't know.
Don't know?

What do you mean,
you don't know?

We wanted you to bring
something,
not leave something.

Why don't you leave
this one alone?

What was in your bag, anyway?

I'm not talkin' about
the damn bag.

Bet you ain't, man.
Let me teach you somethin'.

Now watch the eyes.
Watch the eyes.

He's probably watchin' you
right now.

Stop, stop. See?
You don't know
about that, man.

Here's how you do it.

You saw that, right?

[]

[CAR LOCK CHIRPS]

I'm not gonna do anything
to your car, man.

I'm sorry?

You look like I'm about
to do something to your car.

I worry about this car
everywhere,

so don't take it personally.

It's just a car, man.
It's not just a car.

It's a, uh-- a B.M.W.
Oh.

As anybody who knows anything
about that company

knows that
it's more than just a car.

Anybody who knows anything
about that company.

I wouldn't know
anything like that?

That's not what I meant.

Last thing I knew
about B.M.W.

is they used to make plane
engines when they started.

A guy by the name of
Franz Popp started it all.

Franz Popp.
I like that name.

Made this one engine
before 1920.

Flew six miles up.

Popp and his boys, they was
just gettin' started, man.

Made this one engine,
the 801, World War II,

fourteen cylinders,
2,300 horsepower,

seven miles up.

If they had more time, they
would've been bombing England

and maybe even won the war.

That's where this comes from.

White propeller zippin'
around a blue sky.

So after the war, we told 'em

they couldn't make
plane engines anymore.

That's when B.M.W. gave some
serious thought
to makin' cars.

Kinda like this one.

But you
probably knew all that,
being as you lease one.

Thanks for
the history lesson.

No problem, man.

[LOCK CHIRPS]

[]

Messin' with my stuff, man.

Hey, um,
the other night was--

It was just this dare thing
me and my boys do.

Um--

Well, I was wonderin'
maybe I could bring you

some more of my stuff,
or maybe
I could write somethin' else.

How about 5,000 words

on why you'll stay the fuck
outta my home?

[WOMAN MOANING,
HEADBOARD BANGING WALL]

WOMAN:
Fuck me! Fuck me!

[MOANING LOUDLY]

[]

[SOFTLY]
Come on, man.
I know you in there.

Take your goddamn hand
off my door.

Um, I-- I just came to--

to drop off that thing you--
you asked me for.

What thing?

The 5,000 words on why
you wanted me to stay out.

At least that's kinda
the way you said it.

Try remembering it
exactly as I said it.

[SIGHS]

I got a crown
Up in-a the kingdom

Ain't-a that good news
Ain't-a that good news

I got a robe
Up in-a the kingdom

Ain't-a that good news
Ain't-a that good news

I'm gonna lay down this world
Gonna shoulder up-a my cross

Gonna take it home to my Jesus
Ain't-a that good news

Good news

Come on in, Jamal.

MRS. WALLACE:
Hi, honey. It's okay.

Sit down.

Mrs. Wallace, Jamal, when
we got your
recent test scores,

we figured there might be
interest from private schools.

Well, it turns out
we were right. Mr. Bradley?

Jamal, Mrs. Wallace,
my name's David Bradley.

I'm with the Mailor school
in Manhattan.

Mailor?
Mailor-Callow?

That's right.
You familiar with us?

Yeah.

Mailor-Callow is not only
the best school in the city,

it's one of the finest private
schools on the East Coast.

Only the best go there.
As you might imagine,

we're a few weeks
into our fall term,

but every year we like
to hold some openings

while we wait for
the test scores to come in.

Jamal, your test scores,
to put it mildly,

caught our attention.

I'm here to see
if you'd be interested

in attending our school.

Jamal, we know leaving
for another school,

especially a private school,
is not gonna be easy.

But this isn't the right
place for you anymore.

It's not a difficult choice.
Mr. Bradley, um...

there is no way that
we could ever pay for this.

We're not asking you to.

Jamal, when Dr.
Simon mentioned
only the best go to Mailor,

he neglected to mention
our commitment to excellence

extends beyond the classroom.

[LOCK CHIRPS]
I figured that.

We thought you might.

Mrs. Wallace, about 40
of our students

have gone on to play
college ball,

and three have made it
to the professional level.

We evaluated your play
last year,

and while this would be
strictly an academic offer,

we won't be disappointed
if you choose to play.

Come out for a couple days,
take a look, think it over.

Okay.
Mrs. Wallace.

Thank you.
Jamal.

Good-bye.
We'll be in touch.

CHOIR:
I got a crown
up in-a the kingdom

Ain't-a that good news
Aint-a that good news

I got a crown
up in-a the kingdom

Ain't-a that good news
Aint-a that good news

I'm gonna lay down this world
Gonna shoulder up-a my cross

Gonna take it home
to my Jesus

Ain't-a that good news

Good news
Good news

Good news
My Lord

[DOOR SLOT OPENS]

I didn't knock
this time, man.

To whom were you speaking?
I'll tell you that

when I get
my 5,000 words back.

[SLOT SLAMS SHUT]

[DOOR UNLOCKING]

Bolt the door,
if you're coming in.

[LOCK CLICKS]

The man in the car?

Um--

He was from
this private school.

They want me
to go there.

We don't have to pay
anything though.

We live a couple of blocks
from here, me and my mom.

Well, brother was there
a couple of years ago,

but he left
after my dad left.

Uh, well,

my mom got tired of waitin'
for my dad to
get himself clean.

Then my dad got tired
of trying.

But that's when
I started writing.

What's your name?
Jamal Wallace.

Sounds like some kind
of marmalade.

How old are you?

I'm 16.

Sixteen!
And you're black.

It's remarkable.
Remarkable? What?

It's remarkable
that I'm black?

I mean,
what does me being black
got to do with anything, man?

You don't know what to do
right now, do you?

If you tell me what you really
want to tell me,

I might not read
any more of this.

But if you let me run you down
with this racist bullshit,

what does that make you?

I-I'm not playing
this game, man.

Oh, I say
you are playing it.

An expression is worth
a thousand words.

But perhaps in your case
just two.

Hmm?

[GRUNTS]

Here.

[SOFTLY]
Bum-ass old man.

[DOOR CLOSES]

One hand to give,
one hand to receive,

as we eat together in unity.

May our minds, bodies
and spirits grow strong.

And congratulations
to Jamal. Amen.

Amen.
Amen.

Did you see this?
Let me see.

Don't mess it up, now.
Let me see. Let me see.

Wait a minute.

From the cover this look like
the funny-man school.

Terrell, eat your food.
Jamal, you gonna be just fine.

Being broke. Mommy don't
make nothin' but soldiers.

You coulda done
the same thing.

I work at a parking lot,

and I ain't just
no regular attendant.

I am the supervisor
of all the attendants.

You don't know how much money
you gonna make week to week.

One week $50. One week $100.
That's not a real job.

Leave him alone.
Look, I rap, I get busy.

I got my rap thing going.
Don't bring up the rap.

Eat your food.
Wanna hear one of my songs?

Eat your food.
I'm gonna sing it for you now.

When I come due
And I blow the spot

Your son, the supervisor
Of the parking lot

[LAUGHING]

Tell her, Jamal. My joints
is hot. Right, dude?

[]

Jamal Wallace?

Yeah?
Hi. I'm Claire Spence.

Bradley asked me to show you
around this morning.

All right.

Come on.

Don't worry about answering
any questions or anything.

Not till you decide
what you're gonna do.

Besides, the teachers here

aren't all that into
student participation.

They're too busy
listening to themselves talk.

What you mean?
You'll see.

This morning we begin

our third required reading
of the semester,

the study of a novel
that offers everything...

and an author who could've
offered much more.

[SOFTLY]
That's Robert Crawford.

He's been here as long
as most of the buildings.

When William Forrester
was 23, in 1953,

he set out to write
his first book.

A lot of aspiring authors

talked about writing
the great 20th century novel.

Well, William Forrester
did it on his first try.

Have you read this?

Yeah. You?
Only about a dozen times.

This was the only one
he chose to publish.

For all we know, it was
the only one he
chose to write.

Your job over the next week--
[STUDENTS GROANING]

Your job over the next week,
is to read it and tell me why.

So, you gonna be
back tomorrow?

Yeah. They want me to spend
some time on the court.

Yeah, I heard.

Graduation was a little rough
on last year's team,
that's all.

But it's just like
college, right?

You get an education,
and they get what they want.

Or maybe you both get
what you want.

Yeah, maybe.

Well, it was very nice
meeting you, Jamal.

You too, Claire.
You gonna be around tomorrow?

Not where you'll be, but...

you might be able
to find me for lunch.

[EXHALES]

I didn't say those two words
the other day.

Why didn't you?

'Cause I want you to read
some more of my stuff.

You know, they talk a lot
about you out there, right?

All this legend bullshit.

They got some stories, though.

People wonder
if you killed somebody.

That and wondering why
you been in here so long.

I wouldn't move, though.
I'd stay for the quiet.

You don't hear
nothin' in here.

Our place got
these noisy neighbors.

Their kid's always yellin'
'cause he's only a year old.

Or the pops is yelling
'cause the kid's makin' noise.

And then moms
on top of that is yellin'.

But then that's
a different kind of yellin',

'cause that's when the man's
playing the tunes for her

and she got her head
bangin' up against the wall.

She be screamin' like,
"Ah! Ah!" And then--

You better stir that soup.
What?

Stir the soup
before it firms up.

How come ours never
gets anything on it?

Come on, come on. Closer.

Closer.

Now.
You got somebody yellin'?

What I have here
is an adult male.

Quite pretty.

Probably strayed
from the park.

A Connecticut warbler.

You ever go outside
to do any of this?

[CASE SNAPS SHUT]
Stay with the soup question.

The object of a question
is to obtain information

that matters to us
and to no one else.

You were wondering why
your soup doesn't firm up.

Probably because your mother
was brought up in a house

that never thought about
wasting milk in soup.

Now, that question
was a good one,

in contrast to
do I ever go outside,

which fails to meet
the basic criteria

of obtaining information
that matters to you.

All right, man. Guess I don't
have any more soup questions.

No?

Why'd you say all that stuff
before about me being black?

It had nothing to do
with you being black.

It had everything to do
with me finding out

just how much bullshit
you'd put up with.

Oh, so you knew I'd come back.
Yes.

Just like I know you'll go
to this school.

Well, how you know that?

Because there's a question
in your writing

suggesting what is it
you wish to do with your life.

And that is a question

your present school
cannot answer for you.

Let's match up.
Wallace, you take Hartwell.

[PLAYERS CHATTERING]

What's up, man?
I'm Jamal.

Just check it, all right?

Check the ball.
COACH: Let's go, guys.

Come on, now.

Ball's in.

COACH:
Play him tough,
play him tough.

[PLAYERS CHATTERING]

Way to go.
Way to go, gang.

Oh, D up. Let's go, garbage.
Come on, come on.

Step up, step up.

Why don't you leave the trash
talkin' back home. All right?

Huh? What? Get that goofy look
off your face. What?

Gonna make you
my son right now.
Right.

You're gonna be my son now.
Come on. Huh?

Let's go.

Come on, man.
What?

You too small.
What? You go.

Nice handles. Nice handles.
Whoa.

COACH:
Hartwell, a little defense
would be nice.

Coach, you're right.
A little defense. Let's go.

Try and get past the line.
What did you say?

I said get past the line.

[CHUCKLES]
Pressure.

Too much. Too much.

I need some help!
Ten seconds. Go the other way.

Shit.

I'm taking your spot?
Taking what?

I'm taking your spot.
Take nothin'.
Come on. Come on.

Ooh. Ooh.

Let's go.
All right.

[PANTING]

My court, man.
My court.

That's how we play it
down here, man.

PLAYER:
That's right.

John Hartwell's
just a rich kid who wants

as much of the spotlight
as he can get his senior year.

That's all it is.
They take things serious here.

Well, it's a serious place.

Serious enough that I end up
getting lunch on my books.

What's that
you're workin' on?

Forrester's book.

I thought you read it
a dozen times.

Yeah, I know,
but look at this.

My dad got it for me.
It's-- It's an early printing.

Um...listen. I gotta go.

But you just got here.
I know, but...

I forgot something--
I gotta check up on something.

I'll see you later.

"Born 1930...

in Scotland."

"Moved to New York with
his family in his late teens."

"Mr. Forrester was
unavailable for comment."

Yeah, I bet he was.

Are we now planning to make
these visits a habit?

Well, you said you knew
I'd be coming back.

Yes, but I thought
you meant once.

I need some help
with this thing
they got us doing at school.

Ah, yes, this thing at school.

And what thing are we
talking about now?

You ever read that?

I'm trying, man.

I just can't seem to get past
the first ten pages though.

[CHUCKLES]
As I recall...

quite a while to get past
those pages myself.

Oh, Christ, you've
dog-eared one of them.

Show a little respect
for the author, huh?

That's you, isn't it?

You're the author.

I read the whole thing.
It's not bad.

Especially the part--
Hey! I know what it is.

The last thing I need
is another person telling me

what they think it is.

I wasn't gonna say that.
What were you gonna say?

I should tell you
everything about me?

Well, I told you about me.

You could learn something
about, uh, holding back.

[BREATHING UNEVENLY]

If I ask you not to say
anything to anybody...

about here, us,

is that something
I can trust you on?

Yeah. I promise.

Fine.

And if I ask you to keep
helpin' me with my writin'?

There'll be no questions
about me, my family...

or why there was
only one book.

Then I won't ask.

Hmm. Good.

And good night.

What's it feel like?
What?

Writin' something
the way you did.

[SIGHS]
Perhaps you'll find out.

[HIP HOP MUSIC PLAYING]

Listen,
you five-foot-nothin'.

[LAUGHS]
Yo.

DAMON: That's what I'm saying.
Probably sleepin' in the crib.

FLY:
Kenzo, how old are you again?

Why?
'Cause look at your face!

Your moms didn't do
that to you, did she?

She started you young?

Know where that starts from?
Eating too much cookie.

Leave it go.
CLAY: Yeah, Teresa told me.

I like 'em big.
You got a problem with that?

Nothin' wrong with a big girl!
But that big?

It's like when I'm home
with all three
of your mothers.

So it don't really matter!
Not talkin' about my mother.

Hold on, Oscar Mayer wiener.
Stop playin' with me.

You got beat like Tina
in school one day.

I seen Duke smack you.

Listen, throw it at your mama.
Every day towards your mama.

FLY: In your tank.
Stop throwing your mama.

It's all in your tank,
brother. Son.

You laughin'?

DAMON:
Your glasses
are like Coke bottles.

Classics.

[ALL LAUGHING]

You ever met somebody famous?
How famous?

Like, I don't know.

Like somebody
people would know.

Nobody like that
comes around here, man.

So, you here for good now?

Yeah, I'm just trying
to get started.

Well, at least
they look good. Right?

You'll be pleased
this year's
writing competition

has now been scheduled.

For those who take part,
all entries must be turned in

before spring break.

Which means you have
a few months of
procrastination.

[EVERYONE CHUCKLES]

Feel free to experiment
with a more
proactive approach.

[BELL RINGS]
The-- Oh.

Mr. Wallace. Please.

Mr. Wallace, I had
a chance this morning

to review the files sent
by your former school.

Test scores, impressive.

Actual classroom work,
not so impressive.

Is this the, uh, level of work
I should anticipate?

Hmm?

Because if it is,
it will go a long way toward

helping me determine whether
to treat you as a student

or as someone who is here
simply to pursue--

How should I put it?
Other endeavors.

Your work will give you
ample opportunity to respond.

Good day, Mr. Wallace.

Mmm. Just so you know,
you handled
that the right way.

How's that?
Well, you didn't say anything.

It's the ones that do
that run into trouble.

John Coleridge.
Jamal Wallace.

So how many people
do say something?

And actually stay
in Crawford's class?

[SOFTLY]
Not many.

Um, I missed what you said.

I didn't say anything.

You read all these?
No.

I just keep them
to impress all my visitors.

[SCOFFS]
All your visitors.

We've been talking
about your book at school.

People have been talking
about it for years.

They just haven't been
saying anything.

Yeah. I think
I got it down, though.

I figure you were writing
about how life
never works out.

Oh, really?

You had to read a book
to figure that out?

Yeah, but Crawford's
messed up on it anyhow.

Says the guy having trouble
after the war is really you.

Some symbolism shit

for all the problems
you were having
with everybody.

Robert Crawford?

Yeah. I think
it's bullshit, though.

I think there really
was somebody else.

[KNOCK AT DOOR]
MAN: Mr. Johannsen?

Here. Mr. Massie.

Another trip to your
favorite destination, hmm?

I've got four bags today.
I can leave them if you like.

Oh, no, no, no.
[DOOR OPENS]

Come right in.

How you doin',
Mr. Johannsen?

It's at least a half hour
before the sun goes down.

Then you can begin
your panic-driven quest

back to Manhattan.

This should last you
till next week.

Your mail is in,

uh, this one.
Mr. Johannsen?

The essentials are in, uh--
Essentials?

[BOTTLES CLINK]
I took care of your bills,

and put the copies
in this one.

Mm-hmm.
And the phone company

wants to know if you want
to continue service,

as you haven't had
a call in six weeks.

Okay. Mr. Johannsen,
I got your socks

for the next couple of weeks,
which are in this one.

And I have your latest check
from Accounting.

They wanted to know if
you cashed the last one,

'cause it's still
showing up outstanding.

Not as outstanding
as it once was. Hmm?

Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't
realize you had company.

Oh, yes, we were just
having a discussion

on, uh, German
automobile history.

Care to join us?
Uh, no. I'm in a tow away.

Of course you are.
So I'll see you next week.

Not if I'm lucky.

Why not give that guy a break
and do your own shopping?

And why are your socks
inside out?

Because socks
are badly designed.

The seams are on the inside.
Hurt the toes.

In some cultures,
it's considered good luck

to be wearing something
inside out.

And you believe that?
No.

But it's like praying.
What do you risk?

And I do go outside.

How do you think
these windows get cleaned?

[LOCK CLICKS]

Now, about this professor
of yours.

How did it feel having him
tell you what you can't do?

Like he knew he was
better than me.

Then let's show him
what you can do.

Why is it the words
we write for ourselves

are always much better than
the words we write for others?

Move.

Sit.

[KEYS TAPPING]

Go ahead.
Go ahead and what?

Write.

What are you doing?

I'm writing,
like you'll be...

when you start
punching those keys.

Is there a problem?
No. I'm just thinking.

No. No thinking.
That comes later.

[]

You write your first draft...

with your heart.

And you rewrite
with your head.

The first key
to writing is...

to write, not to think.

Jesus.
[BOTTLES CLINKING]

Is there any chance
you might sit down?

"A Season of Faith's
Perfection."

What's this?
Start typing that.

Sometimes the simple
rhythm of typing

gets us from page one
to page two.

And when you begin
to feel your own words,

start typing them.

Punch the keys,
for God's sake!

[TAPPING LOUDER]

Yes!

Yes!

You're the man now, dog.

[CHUCKLES]

[]

Jamal, whatever we write

in this apartment,
stays in this apartment.

No exceptions.

MAN NEXT DOOR:
That's my angel. There you go.

[WOMAN MOANING PLEASURABLY]

[HEADBOARD BANGING WALL]

[WOMAN MOANING LOUDLY]

Okay, let's push it, guys.
Come on.

BOY:
Yo, D.

That's a foul.
What? I had the spot.

I'll let you know
when you got the spot.

Hey, hey, hey.
Gentlemen, gentlemen.

Our season begins in one week.
If I see this one more time,

I'm gonna have you shooting
fouls to see who runs today.

Is that understood?
Is that understood?

One.

Two.

Three.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Thirteen.

Twenty-nine.

Forty-eight.

Forty-nine.

Hold it.

One more.

That was one of the most
impressive things

I've ever seen
on a basketball court.

Why do I know it was not good
enough for either one of you?

Shower up and get out of here.

You may think we're
the same. We're not.

Oh, Mr. Wallace.

Mr. Wallace.
Professor Crawford.

The latest paper
you turned in,

it displayed quite
a bit of improvement

from your earlier work.

Thank you.
Yes.

How long did it take
to write?

I wrote it last night.

[CHUCKLES]
Last night?

Well, I have some, uh,
things to finish up here.

Good day, Mr. Wallace.

That's right. Select again.
"Birds of a feather" for 600.

TREBEK:
Answer: Vibrant in color,

its name borrows
from Vivien Leigh.

The scarlet tanager.

It's, "What is
the scarlet tanager?"

What is the scarlet tanager?
See?

Gotta know the rules
if you wanna play.

It was written by a writer
you have never heard of.

"Thy duty,
winged flame of spring,

is but to love and fly
and sing."

He was writing about
the song of the tanager.

A song about new seasons,
new life.

That's James Lowell, man.

I know who he is.

I'll stay with "Poor
Assumptions" for 800, Alex.

You ever seen any
scarlet tanagers around here?

They don't stray that far
from the park.

So, your professor

wasn't exactly
full of praise this afternoon.

No, not exactly.

There's something you should
know about Robert Crawford.

He wrote a book
a few years after mine.

And all the publishers
rejected it,

which was
the right decision.

And instead of
writing another one,

he took a job teaching
others how to write.

How you know all that?
Just keep in mind

that bitterly
disappointed teachers

can be either
very effective

or very dangerous.

[]

[POLICE RADIO, INDISTINCT]

[THUNDER]

All right, this is
the first step tonight, guys.

Mailor, on three.

One, two, three.
Mailor!

[HEART BEATING]

[CROWD CHEERING]

[WHISTLE BLOWS]

Gold. Black.

Here we go. Straight
and high, boys. Not yet.

[CROWD CHEERING, SHOUTING]

What up, J?
You was in there tonight?

Twenty-six points.
Eight out of ten
from the floor,

ten for ten from the line.
I'm supposed to miss that?

All right, it was hot.
Serious ink on that stat page.

What's going on?
Yo.

Brothers was
going by Red Rose.
Told 'em we'd catch up.

Friday night, kid.
Come on. Come on.

Hi, Jamal. You plan on
doing that every night?

Worked out, I guess.
I'd say it worked out.

This is Fly.

Hi, Fly. I'm Claire.
How you doin'?

You a friend of Jamal's?
Claire! Come on.

I'm coming. Hey, don't
hold that bus up too long.

Nice meeting you, Fly.

All right. What the hell
you working there, man?

Shut up, man.

Yo, about Red Rose--
I ain't gonna make it.

I gotta go to
this dude's house.
They do it every year.

Hey, don't be goin' off
on this, man.

You big-time. Best be goin'.
Don't wanna hold your bus up.

You gonna be around
this weekend?

Where you think
I'm gonna be? The Hamptons?

[PLAYING SLOW JAZZ]

[CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY]

It was very nice
talking with you.

Remember, anything you need,
please give me a call.

Okay? Anything.

Okay.

Building up a collection
of those things?

Yeah, a few.

Do you wanna get outside
for a while?

Yeah. You know
this place?

I live in this place.
Come on.

They'll be in there
till midnight

congratulating themselves
on your game.

Which means that
I get to cram tomorrow

for this test on Monday.

Test on what?
On the Sherlock Holmes books.

They've got us tracking down
completely worthless stuff,

like who introduced
Watson to Holmes.

They give it to you 'cause it
forces you to read everything.

[PARTY GUESTS LAUGHING]

Looks like
it might be a while.

Maybe so.
So, this friend Fly,

how long have you
known each other?

For a while.

He was born there,
and I was born there too.

In the Bronx?
Yeah.

Must be hard.
What?

I don't know,
new people, new school.

It's not?

No. What's hard
is growing up in a place

where the cops don't even
want to be in after dark.

What's hard is knowing
that you're safe there,

'cause the people
you need to worry about,

they know you got
nothin' to give 'em.

So, it's a good thing
you're here.

Yeah, but these people
don't think

I got anything
to give 'em either.

Don't let me get by you now.

Once I get by you,
I'm gonna score.

Okay.
You ready?

Ready.
Now stay in front of me now.

Yeah.
All right?

I got by you, man.

You're bigger
than I am.

Doesn't matter.
You still gotta play defense.

How do I do that?

How do you play def--
I'll show you one right here.

Turn around. Turn around.

Feel that?
I feel it.

I know where
you're gonna go

'cause I can feel
where you're gonna move.

All right.
Now try and move left.

Okay, see, I'm still here.

You can't get around me
'cause I feel you movin' left.

Try and go right.

See, I'm still here.

I feel when you go right,
so you can't go there neither.

Now try and get by me.

Hold on.

You gotta dribble first.
Dribble.

Mm-hmm.
Dribble. Okay.

Like this?
Yeah.

Sorry.
Claire.

Daddy?

Some of our guests
are leaving.

I'll see you
on Monday, okay?

Oh, Claire.
Yeah?

It was Stamford.
Excuse me?

At the bar in London.

He's the one who introduced
Watson to Holmes.

Might save you some time
after
everybody's done in there.

You know how long
I been working on that, man?

It ain't one season
of Faith's perfection.

Feel like I been working on it
for two or three seasons.

You're in that place where
you can't even hear me, huh?

I could ask you why you never
moved out, and you wouldn't--

Paragraph three starts
with a conjunction, "and."

You should never start
a sentence with a conjunction.

Sure you can.
Oh, no. It's a firm rule.

No, no, no, see.
It was a firm rule.

Sometimes if you use
a conjunction at the start,

it can make it
stand out a little bit.

And that may be what
the writer's trying to do.

And what is the risk?

Well, the risk is
doing it too much.

It's a distraction,

and it could give your piece
a run-on feeling.

But for
the most part, the rule
on using "and" or "but"

at the start
of a sentence is shaky,

though it's still taught
in too many schools.

Some of the best writers

have been ignoring that rule,
including you.

Well, you've taken
something which was mine...

and made it yours.

That's quite
an accomplishment.

Thank you.

The title is still mine,
isn't it?

I guess.

Now, it was the neighborhood
that changed, not me.

I ain't seen nothing change.
"Ain't seen nothing"?

What in the hell
kind of sentence is that?

When you're in here, don't
talk like you do out there.

I was messing with you, man.
It was a joke.

[SIGHS]

I wanna hear
about the neighborhood

back when people were
still reading your book.

[COUGHS]
What did you say?

Nothin'.
You said,

back when people
were still reading my book.

Didn't you?

WOMAN:
We have 24 copies,
but I'm sorry.

They're checked out.

Oh. Well,
thank you anyway.

You're welcome.

[DOOR CLOSES]

Any luck?

Did you get on
the waiting list?

Yeah, man, your book
was checked out.

And yes, I did pay
for dinner.

It cost me $13,
so I guess you
made your point.

I tried to call you to see
what kind of food you wanted,

but the phone kept ringing.

I took the bell out
20 years ago.

Let me ask you somethin'.
How come a guy like you...

wastes his time reading
the National Enquirer?

What's wrong with it?

I mean, it's trash, man.

You should be reading
like the Times or something.

I read the Times for dinner.
But this--

this is my dessert.

They got some contest
at school, this writing thing.

You ever enter one of those?

A writing contest?
Yeah.

Once, a long time ago.
Did you win?

Well, of course I won.

Like money or something?

The Pulitzer.

Oh. Well, they make
all the students

get up and read
in front of everybody.

What the hell's that
got to do with writing?

Writers write
so that readers can read.

Let someone else read it.
You ever read your own book?

In public?
Hell no!

Barely read it in private.

You know
those things they do,

that, uh, coffee shop
reading shit?

You know why they do it?

Sell books, I guess.
'Cause they wanna get laid.

Oh, really?

Women will sleep with you
if you write a book?

Women will sleep with you
if you write a bad book.

Did it ever happen to you?
Sure.

Did you ever get married?

Not exactly
a soup question, is it?

No. No, I never did.

But I learned a few things
along the way,

which might be of help
with this young lady

you're always talking about.

Like what?

The key to a woman's heart

is an unexpected gift
at an unexpected time.

You're giving me
advice on women?

Unexpected gift,
unexpected time.

This is so unexpected.

Oh, Jamal.

It's not a first printing
or anything, but--

Oh, my God!
What happened?

This is a signed copy.

I can't accept this.
It must have
cost you a fortune.

It didn't cost
that much, really.

Maybe the bookstore
missed it.

Bookstores don't usually
miss this stuff.

JAMAL:
So, how'd you end up
going to Mailor?

Mailor was originally
an all-boy's school.

So my father did what anyone
in his position would do.

He got on the board
and changed the rules.

And every kid there
knows it.

They would've
done it anyway.

That doesn't change anything.
I'm still Dr.
Spence's daughter.

Jamal?
Yeah?

That night at my home,
after the game,

when you were showing me
how to play basketball,

was that all
you were showing me?

Listen, I don't think
that's gonna work.

What?

That.
Why not?

Ask your father.

Jamal...

I'm not asking for some kind
of prenuptial agreement here.

It's just a question.

Why does everything have to be
so black and white with you?

I forgot what
the question was.

You don't forget anything,
Mr. Stamford.

[CROWD SHOUTING, CHEERING]

MAN:
You don't think
he wrote it?

That's a serious accusation,
Robert.

You come to the faculty board
with this--

I'm aware
of how serious it is.

It's remarkable work.

You recognize any of it?

It smacks of something.
But I don't know.

The boy does well in my class.
He had good scores coming in.

Maybe all he needed
was some direction.

Carl, he's a basketball player
from the Bronx.

Who just happens
to have won 17 straight.

For a school
that likes winning--

Robert, have you considered
he might just be that good?

Not this good.

[NUMEROUS SPEAKERS OVER TV]

[TYPING RESUMES]

Do you know what
the absolute best moment is?

It's when you've finished
your first draft,

and you read it by yourself...

before these assholes...

take something that they
couldn't do in a lifetime...

and tear it down
in a single day.

People love that book, man.

[CHUCKLES]
I didn't write it for them.

And when the critics...

started all this bullshit...

about what it was I was
really trying to say,

[SCOFFS]
well, I decided then...

one book was enough.

William, that was
50 years ago, man.

[GROANS]

William.
[GRUNTS]

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

[]

William, I actually spent
money on these tickets.
Come on.

Is it still light outside?

It's nighttime, man.

Well?

You look good, man. I mean,
it's not
the latest stuff out--

I wasn't asking how I look!

I was asking,
are we ready to go?

Oh, yeah.
Come on, man.

Let's go.

Come on.

We're playing here
in two weeks.

I said, we're playing
here in two weeks.

State tournament.

Come on.

Hold on. They got programs.
Let me get a program.

[AIR HORN BLOWS]

[]

[STADIUM ORGAN PLAYING]

William.

Yo, William!

Damn.

Hey, William!

Hey, William!

[CROWD CHATTERING]

William.

Come on.
Let's get you out of here.

I got you.

You used to get out,
right?

Yeah, a long time ago.

What happened?
How the hell should I know?

I didn't keep track
of the time.

Sorry for losing
you back there.
No apology needed.

Well, good, 'cause I got
one more place.

It's quiet,
and it's on the way home.

You only got ten minutes, yo.
All right.

Keep it goin'. It's all good.
Take that.

Thanks a lot.

Ah, ground level.

House that Ruth built.

Why did you bring me here?

Because it's
your birthday, man.

I looked it up
in the almanac.

They don't even have you
in the dead
people section yet.

I figure with all the games
you watched,

with whoever
you watched 'em with,

you probably never
got down this close.

What the hell are they
doing on the dirt?

What you worried about, man?
You acting like

they gonna play a World Series
championship game. Relax.

My brother and I,
we were here for every game.

Till he left for the war.

I thought it would be the same
when he came back, but, uh,

he talked a little less,

he drank a little more.

I promised my mother
I would...

help him
get through it all.

So I caught up with him
this one night...

and I was already
a half a dozen drinks behind.

So we had a few more.

And after a while,
he tells me he wants to...

drive me back
to the apartment.

[CHUCKLES]
I said, "No thanks."

We were all still
living there then.

I just stood there and...

watched him drive off.

[CHUCKLES]

Makes it through
the whole goddamn war.

I let him drive.

Later that night,

the nurse was typing--
well,
whatever it is they type.

And you know what
she tells me?

She tells me how much
my book meant to her.

My brother's getting
cold in the next room,

and all she can talk about
is a book.

Well, everything changed
from there on.

Within five months,
I buried him, my mother,

my father.

All of them here,
in the Bronx.

We'd spend our summers here.

And if we were lucky,
the fall.

A lot of falls
with those teams.

Yeah.

Well, not enough.

"The rest of those
who have gone before us...

cannot steady the unrest
of those... to follow."

You wrote that
in your book.

[]

Jamal, I realize that
if I give you enough time,

you'll find a way
to amaze even me.

Does he know?

No, he doesn't know.

This was one
of the best evenings

I've had
in quite some time.

All of it?

Yes, all of it.

Well, I--

This guy, man.

So, how you say
you know this guy again?

He's my teacher.
Oh, yeah?

Yeah.

Seem like a different
kind of a dude, man.

CRAWFORD:
Anyone in particular?

I sometimes come here
in the morning.

Just me,
the aspiring...

and all of them.

There was a note downstairs,
said I should
come and see you.

Mr. Wallace,

I think it's time you and I
had a very honest...

and very open discussion
about your writing.

I thought you liked it.

Your recent work?
Heh, heh.

I liked it very much.
No, Mr. Wallace,

the question concerning
your most recent work...

isn't whether it's good.

It's whether it's too good.

The acceleration
in your progress

from your old school
to this one is unusual

to the point I'm faced with
drawing one of
two conclusions.

Either you've been blessed
with an uncommon gift

that has suddenly decided
to kick in,

or...

you're getting
your inspiration
from elsewhere.

Given your previous education
and your background,

I'm sure you'll forgive me

for coming to some
of my own conclusions.

I wrote those papers, man.

Then you won't mind
showing me.

The next assignment
is due in two weeks.

I'll schedule some time
for you to come to my office.

I, uh--

I'd like to have you
write it there.

In the meantime,

if there's anything
you wish to talk about--

I'm not writing anything, man!
Which proves what?

Think if one of his two-comma
kids was writing these papers

he'd be doing this shit?
"Two-comma kids"?

A million dollars.
One comma, two commas.

No, I don't.

Do you know what people
are most afraid of?

What?
What they don't understand.

And when we don't understand,
we turn to our assumptions.

Crawford cannot understand

how a black kid from the Bronx
can write the way you do.

So, he assumes you can't.

Just like I assume
he's an asshole.

You knew him, didn't you?

Crawford? No.

But he thought
he knew me.

What's all this
about his book then?

A lot of writers know
the rules about writing,

but they don't know
how to write.

So?
So, Crawford wrote a book

about four authors
who did know.

I was the only
one still alive.
And?

Well, he convinced
a publisher to buy it.

So, I made a polite
telephone call to...

this publisher
telling him and others,

that I was in the process
of writing a second book,

and if they wished
to bid on it--

Oh, so that's why
Crawford's book went away.

[CHUCKLES]

But you already knew there
wasn't gonna be a second book.

Yeah, but they didn't.

Interesting what happens

when the resources aren't
close at hand, isn't it?

CRAWFORD:
Sounds like the rich tradition

of handing in
competition entries

on the final day continues
for yet another year.

Ladies and gentlemen,

may I have your attention,
please?

If you don't mind.

"Ere sin could blight
or sorrow fade,

"death came
with friendly care.

The opening bud
to heaven convey'd and--"

How nice of you to join us.

That's not part
of the poem. Hm?

"And bade it blossom there."

Anyone?

A little more early morning
reticence than usual.

Mr. Coleridge.

Please. Mr. Coleridge,

how many
students would you say
we have here today?

Uh, I'm not sure.

Perhaps you could, uh,
humor us with a guess.

Thirty.
Thirty? And of that 30,

there isn't one
person who knows
the author of that passage.

I find that remarkable,
don't you, Mr. Coleridge?

Perhaps we should
back into this.

Mr. Coleridge,
in looking at this,

what, if any, conclusions
might we be able to draw?

Um, you mean
about the author?

About anything.

Um--

Do any of the words
strike you as unusual?

Mr. Coleridge,
feel free to view this

as the appropriate time
for a response.

Um, "ere."

"Ere." And why is
that unusual?

Because... it sounds old.

It does sound old,
doesn't it?

And you know why
it sounds old, Mr. Coleridge?

Um--

It's because it is old,
more than 200 years old.

Written before you were born,
before your father was born,

before your father's father.

But that still does not
excuse the fact

you don't know who wrote it,
now does it, Mr. Coleridge?

Um, I-- I'm sorry, sir.
I don't--

You,
of all people, should know
who wrote that passage.

And do you know why,
Mr. Coleridge?

I repeat, do you know why?

Just say your name.

Excuse me. Did you have
something to contribute?

I just said that
he should say his name.

And why would
it be helpful for
Mr. Coleridge to say his name?

Because that's who wrote it.

Very good, Mr. Wallace.

Perhaps your skills do extend
a bit farther than basketball.

Now if we can
turn to-- You may
be seated, Mr. Coleridge.

Turn to page 120.
The blue book
I'm certain all of you--

Further.

I'm sorry?

[WHISPERS]
Don't.

You said my skills extend
farther than the court.

"Farther" relates to distance.

"Further"
is a definition of degree.

You should have
said "further."

Are you challenging me,
Mr. Wallace?

Not any more than
you challenged Coleridge.

Perhaps the challenge should
have been directed elsewhere.

"It is a melancholy truth
that even great--"

"Great men have
poor relations."

Dickens.

"You will hear the beat
of a horse's--"

Kipling.

"All great truths begin--"
Shaw.

"Man is the only animal--"
"That blushes...

or needs to."

It's Mark Twain.
Come on, Professor Crawford.

Get out!

Get... out.

Yeah, I'll get out.

Jamal.
Leave it alone, Claire.

Hold on, please.

That's what they do? Kick you
out if you know something?

You have no idea what Crawford
does to students.

You're right about that.

Jamal!

Think you should apologize?
No.

Do you?
No. You did nothing wrong.

Just beat him
at his own game.

But, uh, however, it'd be
a good time to be careful.

Careful?
Mm.

Careful about what?

You've been blessed with
a gift that should allow you

to do remarkable things
with your life.

That is, if you don't
screw it up

by being a 16 year old
right now, okay?

Jamal.

Yeah?
Got a call from the office.

All right.

Mr. Wallace, please.

As you know,

Professor Matthews
is on the faculty board,

and Dr. Spence is chair
of the trustees board.

The three of us have been
reviewing work

submitted for this year's
writing competition.

And we were hoping
you might clarify

a couple of points
concerning your submission.

The, uh, "Season
of Faith's Perfection."

Your piece, correct?

Yeah, that's it.

Mr. Wallace, it is standard
policy to ask our students

if they wish to credit
any source material

or acknowledge other writers
when turning in an assignment.

Um, do you wish
to do that?

CRAWFORD:
1960.

An essay titled,
"Baseball's Best Year,"

with a subtitle that reads,

"A Season of Faith's
Perfection."

Published in the New Yorker
and written by one...

William Forrester.

Your version is actually
quite original,

but there is the title and
the first
paragraph to consider.

Isn't there?

MATTHEWS:
Jamal,
either you happen to have

the permission
of William Forrester or--

Have you
some other explanation?

No. That's my paper.

Well then, your entry's
now withdrawn,

and this becomes a matter
for the board to consider.

And bear in mind the board
does have the authority

to place you
on academic probation,

which would prevent you
from playing basketball here.

DR. SPENCE:
Jamal,

look, being as the board
doesn't meet until next week,

we've decided to let you play
this weekend's championship.

But the board has a history
of taking these matters...

quite seriously.

So, we would like to suggest

what we feel is a solution
that may satisfy
these concerns.

Robert.

The most important thing

is making certain
this doesn't repeat itself.

So, you will be required
to write a letter of apology

to the students
you took advantage of

by submitting this piece.

And you are to
read that letter
in front of my class.

I'm not reading anything.
The board will consider that

deciding whether to renew
your scholarship.

DR. SPENCE:
You haven't left us
with too many options.

Excuse me.

Don't ever embarrass me
in front of my class.

Please return the pen
when you're finished.

No conventional
greetings today?

How come you had me rewrite
something you published?

Be careful
where you take this.
Why didn't you tell me?

Why the hell should it matter?
You should have told me.

What did you do with it?
I turned it in.

I turned it in.
I had to show 'em something.

You promised me anything
we wrote here would stay here.

I know.

I just thought--
Shut up.

What are they telling you?

I go on
probation unless I write

some letter
saying I was wrong.

Then write the letter.

I told you
I'm not writing anything.

You got him, he gets you.
Write the letter.

And you'd let him
do that?

[GROANS]

This is supposed to be
another lesson, huh?

I'm getting tired of all
these lessons,
man, every time.

So the title of your essay's
at the top of my paper.

What's the lesson in that?

I'm not the one
who turned it in.

But you talked all this trash
when all you had to say was,

"Keep this one here 'cause it
got printed in
the New Yorker."

That's all you had
to say, man.

I could use a little help
on this one.

Oh, no.
That's not an option.

You don't have to go anywhere.
I said, that's not an option!

That's all right.

Got a nice little history
of people not helping me.

[MUTTERING]
Oh, Christ. Not that
self-pity father bullshit.

What'd you say?

Man, fuck you, William!

You wanna hear
the real bullshit?

How about you let me
take it on this one

'cause you're too scared
to walk out the door

and do something
for somebody else.

You're too damn scared, man.
That's the only damn reason.

[GLASS SHATTERS]

You don't know a thing
about reasons.

There are no reasons!
Reasons why some of us live

and why some of us don't.

Fortunately, you have decades
to figure that out.

What's the reason having
a file full of writin'

and keepin' the shit locked
so nobody could ever read it?

What is that, man?

I'm done with this shit.

[DOOR CLOSES]

Oh, look. Jamal Wallace,
here to pay us a visit, man.

What's up, J?
What's up?

What's up, y'all?

Come on, Hill.

[BOYS CHATTERING]

BOY:
That should do it, Ash.

[CROWD SHOUTING, CHEERING]

How's your first game
in the Garden feel?

A little closer
than I thought.

That's why I
thought it might be
a good time for us to talk.

Listen, I know it's difficult
handling all of these classes

with all the time they ask you
to spend on the court.

I couldn't handle that load.
Not at this school.

And maybe it was unfair of us
to ask you to do it.

I've been talking to other
board members and to Crawford,

and the bottom line is,

we don't want to pursue this
any more than
you do, any of it.

So I'm here to present you
with an offer.

We forget about
the whole thing.

We set you up with an academic
schedule that's
less demanding.

You mean Crawford
wanted that?

Crawford wants what's best
for you, and for the school.

So then what am
I supposed to do?

You hold up a trophy
at the end of this tournament.

You make that happen.
I'll make
the rest of it happen.

All right?

Now go finish up
what you came here to do.

Let's go, Pilgrims!
Let's go, Pilgrims!

Okay, let's go!
Throw it to Jamal.

CROWD [CHANTING]:
Defense! Defense!

Three!

[CROWD GROANS]

Damn, man. Come on, man.

CROWD [CHANTING]:
Defense! Defense!

Oh, oh, oh, oh.
Jamal, get the ball!

Yeah! Yeah!

Good pass, man. Good pass.

Pick it up.

REFEREE:
Offensive foul! That way!

Ten gold, offensive.
That way.

Okay, you got 'em now.
Let's go.

[WHISTLE BLOWS]

Five.

COACH:
Time-out! Time-out!

Okay, this is still our game.

We make a stop here,
and they'll
have to put us on the line.

And when that happens,
it's all over.

Don't lose your composure
out there.

If they score, we're not
gonna call a time-out.

I want the ball to go
to Hartwell or Wallace.

Okay? Hartwell or Wallace.
Let's go, guys.

Go!

Come on, man.
What's the score?

Ain't looking good, Ma.
It ain't looking good.

REFEREE:
Foul! Twenty-two, blue.
Two shots.

Foul, blue team,
twenty-two.

Hit two.
Go line up, guys.

Two shots.

Come on.
We're gonna make these.

I can't look.

He's gonna be all right.

MAN:
Put it in, baby!

Do it.

[CROWD GROANS]
Damn.

One shot.

[CROWD SIGHS]
REFEREE: That's game.

[]

[]

Ma.

MRS. WALLACE:
Oh, thank God! He must've
come in after we left.

Just let him sleep.
I'm gonna turn his light off.

Turn the light
off and come on.
All right.

You started cleaning up
your room, Jamal?

MAN ON TV:
He looks happy with himself,
that coyote. Ears down.

[KNOCKING]

So this is how they avoid
that problem.

Because he might be
Wile E. Coyote,

but he's also wussy coyote,

because they don't like
getting their feet wet.

Hey!

Jamal, he wrote that for you.

When?
After the game.

He's going back
to the school this morning.

It's funny, though.

They always let you get
but so far...

before they take
everything away from you.

God,
he's such a good kid, man.

Then he gets to come back
to this shit.

[FOOTSTEPS]

That seat open?

Think so.

This isn't exactly where
I thought I'd find you.

Still my school, man.

They want me out, they gonna
have to do it themselves.

They will.

Whatever.

"The winter's darkness
and cold

"is but a momentary prelude
to the new day of spring.

"While its grip seems endless,
our perseverance proves equal.

"We renew
ourselves once again,

"seeking out
the bright moments
that will serve, uh--

"that will
serve therefore, uh,

"uh, uh--

therefore serve as
the foundation of our future."

Thank you.

FORRESTER:
Professor Crawford?

May I read a few words?

What's he doing here?

Yes, of course,
by all means.

Thank you, Professor.

My name is William Forrester.

[STUDENTS WHISPERING]

Excuse me.

I'm that one.

"Losing Family.

"Losing family obliges us
to find our family.

"Not always the family
that is our blood,

"but the family
that can become our blood.

"And should we have the wisdom

"to open our door
to this new family,

"we will find
that the wishes we
once had for the father

"who once guided us,

"for the brother
who once inspired us,

those wishes are there
for us once again."

[]

"The only thing left
to say will be,

I wish I had
seen this or I wish
I had done that or I wish--"

Well,
most of you are too young

to know
what your wishes will be.

But when I read these words,

words of hope and dreams,

I realize that the one wish
that was granted to me,

so late in life,

was the gift of friend--
of friendship.

Mr. Forrester, I'm sure
I speak on behalf of everyone

in thanking you
for this unexpected visit.

The quality of your words

is something we should
all aspire to reach.

Mr. Forrester.

Mr. Forrester.
May I ask,

to what do we owe this honor?

Professor Crawford,

I spoke here today because...

a friend of mine
wasn't allowed to.

A friend who had
the integrity to protect me

when I was unwilling
to protect him.

His name is Jamal Wallace.

Jamal Wallace
is a friend of yours?

Yes. Yes, he is.

I helped him to find
his own words

by starting
with some of mine.

And in return,
he promised

never to say anything
to anybody about me.

A promise which he kept.

Mr.
Forrester, while your visit
appears to be heartfelt,

I'm sure you
will appreciate that...

it will not
change or interfere
with this institution

reaching a fair and proper
decision in his case.

Oh, there's one more
issue here.

Those words
that I read today,

I didn't write them.

Jamal Wallace did.

CRAWFORD:
Quiet. Shh, shh.

Quiet! Quiet, please!
Be still.

Shush, shush, shush!

Quiet, please.

That has no bearing
on the decision--

Robert.
I--

As director of
this competition,
I have final say.

Robert, sit down.

I have been a teacher
for more than 30 years.

That's long enough to know
integrity
counts for something.

I'd say that Mr. Forrester
has cleared up

this matter very nicely
for us all.

And as chairman
of the faculty board, I have

the last word
in that matter.

Mr. Wallace, you are excused
from next
week's board meeting.

Mr. Forrester,
should you ever

have an interest
in a teaching position--

Oh, no.

Jamal, these are your words?

Sixteen.

[SMACKS LIPS]
Remarkable.

Well done!

Whoo!

I'm thinking you'll make your
own decisions
from here on, hmm?

I'm thinking you're about
to say, "I always could."

Oh, no.
No more lessons.

But I have a question,
though.

Those two foul shots
at the end of the game,

did you miss them,
or did you miss them?

Not exactly
a soup question, is it?

[CHUCKLES]
Let's go.

Do you think
our vaudeville act today

will merit
the National Enquirer?

Oh, yeah, definitely.

Well, whatever happens,
I'm off.

What's, uh, the word

you and your friends
would use for that?

Leaving?
Oh, God.

Where you off to?

Well, I have a homeland
I haven't seen for too long.

You mean Ireland.
Scotland, for God's sake!

I'm messing with you, man.

Be sure to write.

[]

Hey, Jamal.
What's up?

Hey.

What's up, John?
Have you heard from William?

Yeah, but I don't know
what he's doing.

But he keeps sending letters
checking on
college recruiters.

I was just downstairs.
Looks like you
got another one.

Word?
Heh.
Yeah. I'll see you around.

All right.

MAN: Jamal? Hi.
Yeah.

Steve Sanderson.
Hi, how ya doin'?

Good.
Thanks for coming down on
such short notice.

No problem. Uh, so what
school are you from?

Oh, no, I'm a lawyer
here in town.

I work with
Roberts and Carter.
Oh, a lawyer.

Yeah. But congratulations
with all that. That's great.

That's really, really,
really great.

We got a bunch of the guys
in the office following you.

So-- But we're
the legal representation

for William Forrester.

How is he?
Here.

Sit down.

Um...

we've received word that,
uh, William passed away.

I'm sorry.

He wanted you to have...

these things right away.

What happened?

William had cancer.

Uh, they found it
a couple years ago.

[]

Jamal, this is crazy.

Oh, my God!
Wow!

Look at all these books.
Don't touch anything.

FORRESTER:
"Dear Jamal,
someone I once knew

"wrote that we walk away
from our dreams

"afraid that we may fail,

"or worse yet,
afraid we may succeed.

"You need to know that
while I knew so very early

"that you would realize
your dreams,

"I never imagined I would
once again realize my own.

"Seasons change, young man,
and while I may have waited

"until the winter of my life

"to see the things I've seen
this past year,

"there is no doubt
I would have waited too long

had it not been for you."

Hey.

You gonna be here
a while, man?

Just can't watch
the eyes this time.

You're gonna be okay,
man. Come on.

Come on, man.

Get up.

[]

Somewhere

Over the rainbow

Way up high

Messing up lay-ups now?
What happened to you, boy?

And dreams
That you dream of

Once in a lullaby

Where'd the first
step go, man?

Oh, somewhere

Over the rainbow

Bluebirds fly

And the dreams
That you dream of

Dreams really do come true

Someday you'll wish
Upon a star

Wake up where the clouds
Are far behind

Where trouble melts
Like lemon drops

High above
The chimney top

That's where

You'll find me

Oh, somewhere

Over the rainbow

Bluebirds fly

And the dreams
That you dare to

Oh, why, oh, why can't I

Well, I see trees of green

And red roses too

I'll watch them bloom
For me and you

And I think to myself

What a wonderful world

Well, I see skies of blue

And I see clouds of white

And the bright blessed day
I like the dark

And I think to myself

What a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow

So pretty in the sky

Are also on the faces

Of people passing by

I see friends
Shaking hands

Saying how do you do

They're really saying

I, I love you

I hear babies cry

And I watch them grow

They'll learn much more

Than we'll know

And I think to myself

What a wonderful world

Somewhere over the rainbow

Way up high

And the dreams
That you dare to

Why, oh, why can't I

I

[]