DEAD POETS SOCIETY 4 страница

For what we are about to receive, may the

Lord make us truly grateful. Amen.

Mr. Keating and Mr. McAllister are seated next to one another at the table.

MCALLISTER

Quite an interesting class you gave today,

Mr. Keating.

KEATING

I'm sorry if I shocked you, Mr. McAllister.

MCALLISTER

Oh, there's no need to apologize. It was

very fascinating, misguided though it was.

KEATING

You think so?

MCALLISTER

You take a big risk by encouraging them to

be artists John. When they realize they're

not Rembrandts, Shakespeares or Mozarts,

they'll hate you for it.

KEATING

We're not talking artists George, we're

talking free thinkers.

MCALLISTER

Free thinkers at seventeen?

KEATING

Funny, I never pegged you as a cynic.

MCALLISTER

(taken aback by the comment)

Not a cynic, a realist. Show me the heart

unfettered by foolish dreams, and I'll

show you a happy man.

KEATING

But only in their dreams can man be truly

free. 'Twas always thus, and always thus

will be.

MCALLISTER

Tennyson?

KEATING

No, Keating.

Keating winks and Mr. McAllister can't help but laugh.

INT. CAFETERIA TABLE - DAY

Neil joins the others at the table. He pulls out a yearbook.

NEIL

Hey, I found his senior annual in the

library.

He hands the annual over to Cameron who laughs at the younger picture of Keating.

NEIL

Listen to this, captain of the soccer team,

editor of the school annual, Cambridge

bound, Thigh man, and the Dead Poets Society.

CAMERON

(reading from the annual)

Man most likely to do anything.

CHARLIE

Thigh man. Mr. K was a hell-raiser.

KNOX

What's the Dead Poets Society?

NEIL

I don't know.

MEEKS

Is there a picture in the annual?

NEIL

Nothing. No other mention of it.

MR. NOLAN (O. S. )

That boy there, see me after lunch.

Cameron quickly puts the annual away and the others all return to their meal.

EXT. WELTON GROUNDS - DAY

Keating is walking down towards the lake, whistling the same tune as before.

The boys emerge from the building and chase after him.

NEIL

Mr. Keating? Mr. Keating? Sir? Oh Captain,

My Captain?

Keating immediately turns around.

KEATING

Gentlemen.

NEIL

We were just looking in your old annual.

He hands Keating the annual and Keating looks at his old photograph.

KEATING

Oh my God. No, that's not me. Stanley

" The Tool" Wilson-

Keating crouches down and continues looking through the book.

KEATING

God.

Neil crouches down next to Keating.

NEIL

What was the Dead Poets Society?

KEATING

I doubt the present administration would

look too favorably upon that.

NEIL

Why? What was it?

KEATING

Gentlemen, can you keep a secret?

NEIL

Sure.

The other boys crouch down around Keating.

KEATING

The Dead Poets were dedicated to sucking

the marrow out of life. That's a phrase

from Thoreau that we'd invoke at the

beginning of each meeting. You see we'd

gather at the old Indian cave and take

turns reading from Thoreau, Whitman,

Shelley; the biggies. Even some of our

own verse. And in the enchantment of the

moment we'd let poetry work its magic.

KNOX

You mean it was a bunch of guys sitting

around reading poetry?

KEATING

No Mr. Overstreet, it wasn't just " guys",

we weren't a Greek organization, we were

romantics. We didn't just read poetry,

we let it drip from our tongues like honey.

Spirits soared, women swooned, and gods

were created, gentlemen, not a bad way to

spend an evening eh? Thank you Mr. Perry

for this trip down amnesia lane. Burn that,

especially my picture.

Keating hands the annual back and walks away, whistling once again. Neil remains crouched.

NEIL

Dead Poets Society.

CAMERON

What?

The school bells begin ringing and everyone heads back towards the school.

Neil stands up.

NEIL

I say we go tonight.

CHARLIE

Tonight?

CAMERON

Wait a minute.

PITTS

Where's this cave he's talking about?

NEIL

It's beyond the stream. I know where it

is.

PITTS

That's miles.

CAMERON

Sounds boring to me.

CHARLIE

Don't go.

CAMERON

You know how many de-merits we're talking

Dalton

CHARLIE

So don't come, please.

CAMERON

Look, all I'm saying is that we have to

be careful, we can't get caught.

CHARLIE

No shit, Sherlock.

HAGER

(yelling)

You boys there, hurry up.

Neil turns around and faces the other boys.

NEIL

All right, who's in?

CAMERON

Come on Neil, Hager's right-

NEIL

Forget Hager, no. Who's in?

CHARLIE

I'm in.

HAGER (O. S. )

I'm warning you, move.

CAMERON

Me too.

PITTS

I don't know Neil

NEIL

What? Pitts-

CHARLIE

Pitsie, come on.

MEEKS

His grades are hurting Charlie.

NEIL

You can help him Meeks.

PITTS

What is this, a midnight study group?

NEIL

Forget it Pitts, you're coming. Meeks,

are your grades hurting too?

MEEKS

I'll try anything once.

CHARLIE

Except sex.

MEEKS

Ha ha ha.

CAMERON

I mean as long as we're careful.

The boys run into the building.

CHARLIE

What about you Knox?

KNOX

I don't know Charlie.

CHARLIE

Come on Knox, it'll help you get Chris.

KNOX

Yeah? How?

CHARLIE

Women swoon.

Charlie laughs and runs inside. Knox chases after him.

KNOX

But why do they swoon? Charlie, tell me

why they swoon. Charlie!

INT LIBRARY - DAY

The boys are all gathered around one of the tables with a map laid out

on it.

NEIL

(whispering)

Okay, follow the stream to the waterfall.

It's right there. It's got to be on the

banks.

CAMERON

I don't know, it's starting to sound dangerous.

CHARLIE

Well, why don't you stay home?

MCALLISTER

For God's sake stop chattering and

sit down.

The boys take their seats once again and Neil goes over and sits next to Todd, who is sitting by himself.

NEIL

Todd, are you coming tonight?

TODD

No.

NEIL

Why not? God, you were there. You heard

Keating. Don't you want to do something

about it?

TODD

Yes, but-

NEIL

But? But what?

TODD

Keating said that everybody took turns

reading and I don't want to do that.

NEIL

Gosh, you really have a problem with

that, don't you?

TODD

N- no, I don't have a problem. Neil,

I just- I just don't want to do it,

okay?

NEIL

All right. What if you didn't have to

read? What if you just came and

listened?

TODD

That's not how it works.

NEIL

Forget how it works. What if - what if

they said it was okay?

TODD

What? What are you gonna do, go up and

ask them?

Neil shrugs.

TODD

No. No, Neil.

NEIL

I'll be right back.

TODD

Neil, Neil!

Neil gets up and rejoins the others. McAllister hears the boys whispering again.

MCALLISTER

Oh shut up, will you.

INT BATHROOM - NIGHT

Various boys are crowded around the sinks getting ready for bed. Someone is playing snake charmer music on a kazoo while someone else is bothering Spaz with a red sock puppet acting like a snake.

SPAZ

That's my- that's for my asthma, okay.

Could you give that back please? Could

you give that back?

BOY

What's the matter? Don't you like snakes?

Neil enters and taps Todd on the shoulder.

NEIL

You're in.

SPAZ

Get away from me, okay?

BOY

Spaz, why don't you check your pocket,

huh? Come on Spaz I have to brush my

teeth

SPAZ

Get a- get off,

Hager walks past the bathroom and into his room.

HAGER

Cut out that racket in there.

The kazoo player lets out a rude squeek before finally stopping. Hager

glares at them for a moment.

INT NEIL'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Neil stands in his doorway. He looks across the hall to the other room

where Cameron and Charlie are standing. Cameron gives a thumbs up. Neil closes his room door and takes out his cloak and a flashlight. Setting

the flashlight down on the desk, he notices a worn book, " Five

Centuries of Verse", sitting there. Opening it up, he sees John Keating's name at the top followed by " Dead Poets". Below the title of the book, is written: " To Be Read At The Opening of D. P. S. Meetings. " Along with several lines from Thoreau, beginning with " I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately…"

INT STAIRWAY - NIGHT

The shadows of hooded figures can be seen moving throughout the darkened halls.

INT HAGER'S ROOM - NIGHT

Hager hears a dog barking.

INT HALLWAY - NIGHT

Someone drops a number of dog biscuits by the dog's feet. He stops

barking and immediately begins gobbling them down. Hager looks out

into the hallway with his flashlight but sees nothing.

EXT SCHOOL GROUNDS - NIGHT

The boys quietly leave the building and set off running across the

fields towards the woods.