DEAD POETS SOCIETY 10 страница

I always thought the idea of educating

was to learn to think for yourself.

MR. NOLAN

At these boys' ages? Not on your life!

Tradition, John. Discipline. Prepare

them for college, and the rest will take

care of itself.

INT. STUDY ROOM - DAY

Charlie sits with his bongos as the other boys are all crowded

around him. He hits the bongoes as he mimes Nolan's footsteps.

CHARLIE

Creak. He started walking around towards

my left. Creak. Creak. " Assume the

position, Mr. Dalton. "

The door opens and Keating walks in. Many of the boys get up from

their seats.

KEATING

It's all right, gentlemen.

CHARLIE

Mr. Keating.

KEATING

Mr. Dalton. That was a pretty lame stunt

you pulled today.

CHARLIE

You're siding with Mr. Nolan? What about

Carpe diem and sucking all the marrow

out of life and all that?

KEATING

Sucking the marrow out of life doesn't

mean choking on the bone. Sure there's a

time for daring and there's a time for

caution, and a wise man understands

which is called for.

CHARLIE

But I thought you'd like that.

KEATING

No. You being expelled from school is

not daring to me. It's stupid, 'cause

you'll miss some golden opportunities.

CHARLIE

Yeah. Like what?

KEATING

Like, if nothing else, the opportunity

to attend my classes. Got it, Ace?

CHARLIE

Aye, aye, Captain.

KEATING

Keep your head about you. That goes for

the lot of you.

BOYS

Yes, Captain.

KEATING

Phone call from God. If it had been

collect, it wouldn't been daring.

Keating leaves and the boys gather around Charlie once again.

CHARLIE

All right. Go on.

EXT. CAMPUS - DAY

Neil bikes away as the clock bell tolls.

INT. THEATER - DAY

Neil walks into the back of the theater and watches various

actors rehearsing on stage. A smile fills his face.

DIRECTOR

We're trying to rehearse, okay? Start.

LYSANDER

A good persuasion, therefore hear me,

Hermia.

DIRECTOR

Wait, please. Excitement. I don't hear

any excitement about this play. And take

her hand. Bring her down the stage and

stop. And " There, gentle Hermia. " Okay?

Try again.

INT. HALLWAY - DAY

The bell rings and students rush down the hall.

BOY

What's for dinner?

PITTS

Spaghetti and meatballs!

Neil comes up the stairs as everyone else swarms down to the cafeteria.

NEIL

Save some for me. " But, room, Fairy!

Here comes Oberon. "

Neil opens the door to his room and sees his father sitting at his desk.

NEIL

Father.

MR. PERRY

Neil.

NEIL

Wait a minute. Before you say anything,

please let me ex-

Mr. Perry rises from the desk.

MR. PERRY

Don't you dare talk back to me! It's bad

enough that you've wasted your time with

this, this absurd acting business. But

you deliberately deceived me! How, how,

how did you expect to get away with

this? Answer me. Who put you up to it?

Was it this new man? This, uh, Mr.

Keating?

NEIL

No. Nobody-- I thought I'd surprise you.

I've gotten all A's in every class.

MR. PERRY

Did you think I wasn't going to find

out? " Oh, my niece is in a play with

your son, " says Mrs. Marks. " No, no,

no, " I say, " you must be mistaken. My

son's not in a play. " You made me a liar

of me, Neil! Now, tomorrow you go to

them and you tell them that you're

quitting.

NEIL

No, I can't. I have the main part. The

performance is tomorrow night.

MR. PERRY

I don't care if the world comes to an

end tomorrow night. You are through with

that play. Is that clear? Is that clear?

NEIL

Yes, sir.

Mr. Perry goes to leave and then turns around.

MR. PERRY

I made a great many sacrifices to get

you here, Neil, and you will not let me

down.

NEIL

No, sir.

INT. KEATING'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Keating is seated at his desk. He is writing a letter and occasionally

looks up at the framed photo on his desk of a woman playing the cello.

There is a knock at the door.

KEATING

It's open.

Neil enters and closes the door behind him. He appears to be nervous.

KEATING

Neil, what's up?

NEIL

Can I speak to you a minute?

KEATING

Certainly. Sit down.

Neil goes to take a seat but notices the chair is piled up with books.

Neil picks them up and Keating gets up from his seat to help him.

NEIL

I'm sorry. Here.

KEATING

Excuse me. Get you some tea?

NEIL

Tea. Sure.

Keating goes to a table in the corner and begins pouring several cups.

KEATING

Like some milk or sugar in that?

NEIL

No, thanks.

NEIL

Gosh, they don't give you much room

around here.

KEATING

No, it's part of the monastic oath. They

don't want worldly things distracting me

from my teaching.

Keating gives Neil a cup of tea and they return to their seats. Neil

looks at the photo on the desk.

NEIL

She's pretty.

KEATING

She's also in London. Makes it a little

difficult.

NEIL

How can you stand it?

KEATING

Stand what?

NEIL

You can go anywhere. You can do

anything. How can you stand being here?

KEATING

'Cause I love teaching. I don't wanna be

anywhere else.

KEATING

What's up?

NEIL

I just talked to my father. He's making

me quit the play at Henley Hall.

Acting's everything to me. I-- But he

doesn't know. He-- I can see his point.

We're not a rich family like Charlie's,

and we-- But he's planning the rest of

my life for me, and I-- H-He's never

asked me what I want.

KEATING

Have you ever told your father what you

just told me? About your passion for

acting. You ever show him that?

NEIL

I can't.

KEATING

Why not?

NEIL

I can't talk to him this way.

KEATING

Then you're acting for him, too. You're

playing the part of the dutiful son. I

know this sounds impossible, but you

have to talk to him. You have to show

him who you are, what your heart is.

NEIL

I know what he'll say. He'll tell me

that acting's a whim, and I should

forget it. That how they're counting on

me. He'll just tell me to put it out of

my mind, " for my own good. "

KEATING

You are not an indentured servant. If

it's not a whim for you, you prove it to

him by your conviction and your passion.

You show him that And if he still

doesn't believe you, well, by then

you'll be out of school and you can do

anything you want.

A tear falls down Neil's cheek and he wipes it away.

NEIL

No. What about the play? The show's

tomorrow night.

KEATING

Well, you have to talk to him before

tomorrow night.

NEIL

Isn't there an easier way?

KEATING

No.

NEIL

I'm trapped.

KEATING

No, you're not.

EXT. CAMPUS - DAY

Knox exits one of the doors. The ground is covered with a thick

layer of snow. He looks around to see if anyone is about and then

hurries over to the bike rack. grabbing one of the bikes, he hurries

off.

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY

A crowd of students come in from the cold. Knox pushes his way through

them, carrying a handful of wildflowers. He begins searching for Chris.

KNOX

Chris!

He approaches a girl with hair similar to Chris' and turns her around,

only to realize that it's not her.

KNOX

Chris Noel. Do you know where she is?

GIRL

Um, I think she's in room 111.

The girl points down the hallway and Knox sets off in that direction.

KNOX

Thanks.

Chris is at her locker talking to a friend. She just closes her locker

as she notices Knox coming towards her. She turns away.

KNOX

Excuse me. Chris.

CHRIS

Knox, what are you doing here?

KNOX

I came to apologize for the other night.

I brought you these and a poem I wrote

for you.

Chris pulls him aside, out of the main hallway.

CHRIS

Knox, don't you know that, if Chet finds

you here he'll kill you?

KNOX

I can't care. I love you, Chris.

CHRIS

Knox, you're crazy.

KNOX

Look, I acted like a jerk and I know it.

Please, accept these. Please.

CHRIS

No. No-- I, I can't. Forget it.

Chris walks away. The school bell rings and she enters her

classroom, closing the door behind her. Undaunted, Knox follows,

opening the door and standing before her desk.

CHRIS

Knox, I don't believe this.

KNOX

All I'm asking you to do is listen.

As Knox begins to read his poem, the classroom grows quiet as

everyone stops to listen.

KNOX

The heavens made a girl named Chris

With hair and skin of gold.

To touch her would be paradise.

Chris holds her head in her hands in embarrassment.

INT. CAMPUS KITCHEN - DAY

Knox sneaks in through a side door. He snatches a slice of toast

from the counter and motions to one of the staff to keep secret.

He then begins to eat the toast as he hurries away.

INT. STAIRWAY - DAY

The school bell rings and Knox pushes his way up the stairs past

the slower students. At the top he joins the other boys where they

are grabbing their books.

CHARLIE

Get out of here. Cameron, you fool.

Charlie notices Knox and grabs his jacket.

CHARLIE

Hey, how'd it go? Did you read it to

her?

KNOX

Yeah.

The boys begin to get all excited but Charlie shushes them.

PITTS

What'd she say?

KNOX

Nothing.

CHARLIE

Nothing. What do you mean, nothing?

KNOX

Nothing. But I did it.

Knox walks away down the hall and the others chase after him.