What Goes Up (2009) Movie Script
CAMPBELL: In my line of work
there are two cardinal rules.
Tell the truth,
and never, ever become
emotionally involved with
your subject.
The trouble is, you see, all
truths are in fact half true,
like when you
read the newspaper.
It's never just the facts.
There's always judgment.
It goes all the way
back to when Jesus died.
No one really knew
what to think of him,
not until someone put
it on paper and said,
"Here,
here's the gospel truth."
Legends aren't born,
they're written.
And really, that's what we
all do one way or another,
when someone we love dies,
(LUCY CRYING)
and not just anyone,
when it's someone extraordinary,
your own personal Jesus.
Why not? A hero.
When they up and die,
we're left with nothing.
Nothing but the task.
Make them immortal.
(CAT SCREECHING)
Only a magnificent epitaph
will grant eternal life,
and it's up to us,
the ones left behind,
to write it
however we see fit.
# Rockets away, my boys
Rockets away
# Into the air we soar
and in a blaze of glory ever #
CAMPBELL: This is 1986,
a few days before
the whole Challenger
Space Shuttle mishap.
...for soon-to-be teacher
in space, Christa McAuliffe.
This is her hometown.
Proud, overjoyed.
For a few more days,
at any rate.
(WHISTLE BLOWING)
(BAND PLAYING)
And in the same town, this very
same week, another teacher died.
Their teacher.
They were the unteachable,
the outcasts, the freaks,
the future fuckups
of America,
but their teacher loved them
and they loved him back.
Well, most of them did.
Before their story
collided with mine,
there was another hero
who left this world,
my world, New York City,
three weeks earlier.
I was a newspaper reporter,
and like most, I was a cynic,
but I secretly yearned
to be proved wrong.
MAN:
Hey, Babbitt, nice article.
Thank you.
To believe in something,
someone.
And once you're a believer,
well, what's to say?
It's very potent stuff.
(CAMERA CLICKING)
Perfect.
She was witness to a murder, so
I couldn't use her real name.
I called her Angela,
because Angela saw the face
of the boy who killed her son.
She saw his shock and pain.
"The fullness of his action
coming down on his adolescent face,
"still just a child himself."
I painted her as a hero,
and she was.
I just don't know what she
thought about me saying so.
My baby.
I never got
the chance to ask.
(GAS HISSING)
(DOOR OPENS)
(ANGELA COUGHING)
CAMPBELL: No, no, no!
(GLASS SHATTERING)
(TYPING)
CAMPBELL: I didn't really lie.
All right, fuck it. I lied.
I kept her alive doing the things
I thought she should have done.
I went a bit overboard, perhaps,
but this is what we do.
You want them to live on,
turn the life into a legend.
Your latest,
it's a little baroque.
I'm going to tone it down.
Don't fucking touch it.
It's gotta stop,
and that's that.
You're obsessing,
and frankly, you smell.
But in the workplace, personal
crusades tend to make others...
DONNA: Stop that.
...uncomfortable.
I'm sending you
to New Hampshire.
Local hero, your favorite.
Teacher in space, hometown
hoopla, blah, blah, blah.
You're going to break that.
(BURSTING)
DONNA: I hope you
fucking die up there.
(BAND PLAYING
STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER)
Shit. Shit!
(HORN BLARING)
# Hurrah for the flag
of the free!
# May it wave
as our standard forever
# The gem of the land
and the sea
# And the banner of the right
# Let despots remember the day
# When our fathers
with mighty endeavor
(TESS RETCHING)
# Proclaimed as they marched
to the fray
# That by their might
and by their right
# It waves forever. Hey! #
Don't get on this bus.
(BAND PLAYING)
(FOOTSTEPS)
(DOOR OPENS)
(DOOR CLOSES)
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
ANSWERING MACHINE: Hi, it's Sam.
Leave a message.
(ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPING)
CAMPBELL:
Hello, Sam Callalucci.
If you recognize
my voice,
you're a greater friend to me
than I ever was to you.
It's Campbell Babbitt.
It must be 15 years
at least since we...
Well, since you graduated.
(LAUGHING)
I heard you were
going to become a priest.
That's... I mean, no, I'm
sure you had your reasons.
The reason I'm calling...
Well, I think I'm standing outside
your apartment building.
I was wondering if
you could do me a favor.
I need to borrow a car.
I don't seem to be
able to find a rental,
and it would be
really helpful if you could
find some way of furnishing
me with a set of wheels.
It'll be good to see you and
catch up, find out what went wrong.
So call me. Okay.
(PENELOPE SOBBING)
CAMPBELL: Hold that bus.
Jerk.
And after being chosen
from over 11,000 teachers,
Christa McAuliffe and her
students here were deeply honored.
She will teach her
lesson from spaces...
Space, using two of
the actual mice
sent up in the last
Challenger mission.
And finally...
Fuck this.
DICK: A sad bit of local news.
Last night, one of our
teachers, Sam Callalucci,
died under what can only be described
as unfortunate circumstances.
(BELL RINGING)
Yes, it's the Red Gremlin.
Yeah.
Well, how bad is it?
Could I make it to New York?
Well, right, what, 50-50?
40-70?
That doesn't add up.
Okay. It doesn't matter.
Right, 40-70.
I'll come and pick it up.
I'll catch the bus. Bye.
(CRASHING)
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck!
Fuck! Fuck!
Hey!
LUCY: Hey, Lute,
I want to talk to you.
You found him?
What were you doing there?
Was he alive?
Hey.
Did he say anything
about me?
What do you want from me?
I didn't kill him.
LUCY: I'm sorry.
I know. I'm so sorry.
(LUCY SNIFFLING)
I'll get the next one.
LUCY: Oh! Fuck!
What are you doing?
Oh, hello.
I'm a reporter.
What building is this?
It's the Shed.
It's our classroom.
Right. Is that like
a special ed or something?
Who's Special Ed?
So, you know him?
Who?
Mr. C.
No, I was just...
Mr. Callalucci.
Sam Callalucci? Yes.
We went to
university together.
I knew it.
You could be his brother.
You sound like
James Bond.
I'm British, so...
I was thinking
of popping in.
To the funeral.
It's called a wake.
A funeral is
when you bury him.
Are we going to bury him?
No, we're just going to go sit
next to his body for a while.
Wait, wait.
It's called a wake,
because he was Catholic.
He was almost a priest.
Almost.
- Almost.
(CLANGING)
(EXCLAIMS IN FRUSTRATION)
I just loved him.
Some of us wanted to say a
few words about Mr. Callalucci.
Before he was our teacher,
Mr. C was almost a priest.
Almost.
- Almost.
That's how come he knew all
about what it is to have faith.
Now it's up to us to
have a little faith in him.
It's so hard to believe
that he's no longer here.
He is, you know.
This sort of thing
happens all the time.
People feel that dead person
all around them.
But everybody's like,
"No, you gotta fucking accept it.
"Gotta learn to
move on without him."
And if you listen to them,
well, then, pretty soon
that person really is dead.
He did things.
Good things, mostly.
And actions cause reactions.
So what we do right now is different
because of what he did then.
Because whatever he did,
we're not the same because of it,
and that's never gonna
change thanks to him.
Excuse me.
Aren't you a reporter?
Yes.
You aren't reporting
about this, are you?
No. Sam and I were
at college together.
No. Sam wasn't English.
Yes, I know. Thank you.
No, I was at college
in the US with Sam.
I was kicked
out of Cambridge.
It's a long story.
I was covering the Christa
McAuliffe shuttle thing,
and I thought
I'd stop by.
I'm sorry.
Penelope Little.
Please forgive me.
You understand
I didn't want the press
getting involved
in all of this.
I'm assuming you
knew the circumstances.
Did Sam...
I mean, I notice
that it's not exactly
overflowing
with well-wishers.
Kill the lights.
He hated bad lighting.
Hey, Peg.
- What...
Oh, my God, you guys.
PENELOPE: I live in the rooming house
where you're staying.
If you see me there,
please don't ask me to say anything.
I'm sure others will be more
than eager to talk and talk,
but if you're really his friend,
please don't ask them.
It was nice to meet you.
I like your shoes.
(DOOR OPENS)
(DOOR CLOSES)
# Hold on to the sack robes
of Jesus
# With the light of my eyes...
(DIALING)
Hey, Donna, it's me.
You guys are
fucking nuts.
What...
Fuck!
I think I might actually
have something here.
# Asleep at the wheel of Jesus
I can't.
# ...that fell from the cross
# I woke up on
the last train to Jordan
# Whatever it was
I'm letting you know #
Everyone put something in?
Tess?
(MUSIC STOPS)
Can we help you?
CAMPBELL: Sorry. Sorry,
I didn't mean to intrude.
It's Mr. C's
best friend.
Sorry,
I didn't mean to barge in.
BLYTHE: What's your name?
Campbell Babbitt.
What's your last name?
Babbitt.
BLYTHE: Where are you from?
ANN: He's from Ireland.
England. I'm English.
You must miss him
so much.
Of course he does,
you dink.
Do you want to talk about it?
I mean, like,
you know, your feelings,
the hurt, the loss...
Well...
I mean, we knew him well, but not,
you know, best friends.
Well, I don't know.
I mean, you know,
maybe you guys
were his best friends.
(MURMURING)
Did he say that to you?
SYLVIA: Did he?
SUE: Mr. B? Are you a teacher, like Mr. C?
- Yeah? No.
Why? You think you're gonna
get him to take his place?
Forget it.
The Shed is dead.
We all get new
homerooms tomorrow.
They're reassigning us.
What?
Someone ought to say it.
Excuse me, Tess.
You don't know.
She doesn't know.
And when you don't know,
don't open your mouth,
because the rest
of us have ears
that get filled with your bullshit.
- Okay, come on. Come, come.
Freak.
So you came
to visit him?
Well, I was assigned to
cover the teacher in space.
Wait. So you're
a reporter?
But I thought
he was a teacher.
No, I'm with...
I say, I am a reporter.
That's why I'm here.
I want to talk to you guys.
EZRA: I thought he was a teacher.
Guys, come here.
SUE: No, I won't.
What do you want?
I thought perhaps
I could help out some way.
Help how?
You know, tell his story, tell
the world about him and you all.
What are you
talking about?
I spoke to my editor,
and she thinks
it could be
a very big story, so...
You don't know us
and we don't know you.
And you think
you're just going
to waltz in here and
do some big spread?
It could be his legacy.
We are his legacy.
Mr. Babbitt.
Yes.
You have to understand that
none of us trusted anything.
Mr. C, he made us give
a piece of ourselves,
I mean, something
that touches your soul
so, so deep that you're never,
ever the same.
And after that,
we trusted each other.
JIM: Yeah. We trusted.
Right. Couldn't we just cut our
thumbs and rub them together?
This is weird.
It's very... It's very...
This is very
difficult for me.
Obviously,
I want you to trust me.
Then tell us.
GIRL: Please.
He's got nothing to say.
I knew a single mother
who lost her only child.
He was shot,
a random killing.
He was holding her
hand at the time.
And the thing about Angela was,
even in mourning,
people felt better
being near her, stronger.
I thought if I
wrote about her,
I could recognize
that strength.
She didn't know
what she was.
A lot of people don't know
what they are.
Good people.
The point of
the story is
that people were moved
by the words I wrote
and they were
inspired by her.
And what, she lived
happily ever after?
No. She died.
She died, right?
And you loved her.
(STUTTERING) Well, no.
A journalist isn't supposed
to fall in love
with his subject, so...
But you did.
LUTE: What did he say?
Who? What?
Mr. C, when you
told him about it.
He said,
"Keep telling stories
"and through the stories
we will find redemption."
TESS:
Thanks for giving me a ride.
That's why I have
a passenger seat.
So, what's
your thing, Tess?
What's your field?
Art.
Art. Cool.
So you knew him
really well?
Sam? Yeah.
Did he ever mention me?
Yeah. He spoke
very highly of you.
He said your work
was very strong.
Strong? He said that?
I guess he probably
mentioned that big
arts-and-crafts fair
we had last year, right?
Are you kidding?
He was so proud of the way you
guys put the whole thing together.
He talked about
the crafts and the arts...
God, fuck.
Did you even know him?
- What?
There is no
arts-and-crafts fair.
Okay.
- I think I'm gonna be sick.
Okay.
- What else did you lie about?
Hey. Hey. It was
a long time ago, okay?
I did go to college
with him.
You said best friends.
I know. That was those twins.
They said it.
They're not twins.
- Well, whatever they are.
The girls with the...
The twinsey-type girls said that
and I didn't feel it was
my place to correct...
Oh, so you just lied.
Look, it seemed like
they needed to hear that,
you know, that he
really loved you guys.
And I may not have been
around to hear it firsthand,
but I knew Sam and,
you know, I...
He was a dedicated man,
and I'm sure whatever I said
was entirely true.
I'm going to tell you
something, all right?
He didn't fall off that roof.
He jumped.
He wasn't a hero or a martyr.
He just...
He gave a little too much love,
and he couldn't take it back.
To whom? To you?
Why don't you ask Lucy?
Lucy knows why he's dead.
Second house on the right.
Is that your...
Your dad's waiting for you...
That's not my dad.
(CAR DOOR CLOSES)
(SIGHS)
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Tess? It's Uncle Rick.
(LOCKING DOOR)
It's okay.
Your dad's asleep.
Come on, honey. Open up.
(DOORKNOB RATTLING)
18, 17, 16...
You remember?
I remember.
So take teenagers as
this subpopulation,
these desperate
thrill-seeking beasts.
Sexuality practically
oozes out of them.
They're potent.
Then take the rejects,
the disturbed,
the misunderstood,
the unteachable,
and you set them apart, isolate
them from their peer group.
Are you with me?
Isolated, potent rejects.
Gotcha.
Okay. Then along comes a teacher,
an almost-priest, who says,
"In my classroom you are free from
those repressive societal constraints."
He says,
"You can do whatever you like
"without fear of
being judged,"
and they accept.
And maybe the teacher feels
like a god for doing this,
or maybe he feels
like he's gone too far
and he can't
find his way back.
Maybe this almost-priest
thinks he's Jesus,
and who can blame him with
such loyal and lusty disciples?
Where's
the Christa connection?
CAMPBELL:
Well, that's it, isn't it?
It's the murky
side of heroism.
It's the anti-Christa.
These kids have been touched,
they're unshackled.
It's not really
a newspaper article.
It's more like a novel.
And that doesn't help you,
but you're getting the condensed version.
And what about Angela,
the articles?
Are we done with that now?
Now that's done?
If that's your decision.
She's just one woman,
you know.
I mean, it must've
been pretty exhausting
reading about
herself every night.
I'm not fighting you.
Fine.
But I want to see a draft on
the Christa article by tomorrow.
Okay, but that is
the Christa article.
No, it's not.
Tomorrow. And then you can
dance with the devil all you want.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
PENELOPE: Mr. Babbitt?
Mr. Babbitt, I hope
I'm not disturbing you.
No, no.
Because I was
feeling very guilty
about how rude I was
to you this afternoon.
Don't mention it.
Oh, you're very kind.
I have something for you.
His family,
they're in California.
They asked me to
give away his clothing.
Oh, no, no.
I couldn't possibly.
Don't be silly.
That jacket you
were wearing sure won't
be able to tackle
a New Hampshire winter.
Why don't you try it on?
Try it on.
If it doesn't fit,
I will have to give
it to someone else.
Okay. Sure.
- Put it on.
Let's see. Turn around.
You're just his size.
Warm.
Those kids, they just...
I lose my dignity
when I'm around them.
They know all my secrets.
Well, you know
that Sam demanded
his students be
completely honest with him.
It went both ways.
I don't think Sam would...
I know he did.
He told me he did.
To earn their trust, he had to
be completely honest with them.
You knew that Sam and I
were engaged, didn't you?
No. I mean, no...
I don't think he...
Really?
He never told you?
Yes, he mentioned it.
I remember.
Well, a mention.
This is a nice room.
I used to have this room.
Sam used to visit me here.
(SNIFFLING)
I'm sorry. It's just so
hard to take in sometimes.
It's all right.
- Thank you.
It's okay.
Thank you.
I need a hug.
Okay.
Oh, dear.
Yeah. No.
Oh, God.
You've been very kind.
Okay. That's, you know...
FENSTER:
Mr. B! Hey, Campbell Babbitt!
Hey. What's happening?
Jim stole the coffin.
Mr. C's coffin,
with Mr. C in it.
SYLVIA: We left one in there.
It was from the showroom.
We even put
a stop sign in it.
For weight.
- Yeah.
So, where's the coffin?
CAMPBELL: Did Jim do this
by himself?
FENSTER: No. We helped.
CAMPBELL:
So you all stole the coffin?
Must've been tricky.
FENSTER: It's got handles.
LUCY: Nice coat.
CAMPBELL: Thank you.
Well?
Well done.
Yeah?
Yeah, sure.
LUTE: Isn't he going to
rot or something?
CAMPBELL: It's on ice.
Oh, my gosh.
That's right.
Well, that's
a fucking load off.
Do you have a...
No, I'm good.
Did you ever used to
smoke grass with Sam?
Well, I think Lucy did
one time, right, Jim?
Yo, man, you got a light?
He was irreplaceable,
you know?
There's no one
like him anywhere.
No one could
take his place.
No one's trying to, Jim.
As much as
we might want it.
LUCY: Come, gentle night,
come, loving, black-brow'd night
Bring me my Romeo:
and, when he shall die
Cut him out
in little stars
And he will make
the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will
be in love with night.
Juliet.
Mr. C was her director.
Satellite.
(CHUCKLING)
Hey, man. Want some?
The sensei?
Uh-uh.
- Uh-uh.
Well, if you insist.
I would love to.
Great.
- Great.
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING ON TAPE)
What are you
looking for, Ezra?
I don't know.
I can't believe that McAuliffe
chick gets to go up into all that.
CAMPBELL: Maybe she'll
bump into Sam.
EZRA: Maybe.
I once said his name three
times and it started to rain.
I swear to God.
Oh, can you put
that in your story?
CAMPBELL: Of course, I can.
We saw his face.
In a cloud.
He was smiling.
CAMPBELL: Perfect.
# She opened her hand and
they flew across the room
(LAUGHING)
# How the morning skies
are high
# I watch them as they turn
from black to blue
ANN: Do you think
he might do it?
SUE: Take over for Mr. C?
# I was dreaming
of boats last night
# Boats in the desert and
anchors and bridges and you #
(CHUCKLING)
# Do, do, do, do, do, do, nine
# Do, do, do, do, do, do,
eight
# Do, do, do, do, do, do, do,
seven
# Do, do, do, do, do,
doobie, doobie doobie, six
# Do, do, do, do, do, do, do,
five #
You look ridiculous.
Hey, Lucy!
(DOOR SLAMS CLOSED)
(BABY GURGLING)
# Do, do, do, do, do, do, do,
two
# Do, do, do, do, do, do, do,
one #
(GRUNTS)
(ENGINE STARTING)
Attention all students.
Due to cold water... Weather in Florida,
the Challenger shuttle
launch has been postponed,
so consequently we won't be
having a celebration assembly.
However, I have it
from very good sources
that tomorrow
will be the day.
Please all stand.
STUDENTS: I pledge allegiance to the
flag of the United States of America
and to the Republic
for which it stands.
One Nation under God, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.
(PIANO PLAYING)
# Can you feel
the heat from the boosters?
# Can you feel
the boost from the heat?
# On the Challenger... #
I can't hear you!
Very nice, Lute.
I fixed the spelling.
I see. I see.
Hey, Lute, can you
come and sit down?
I have to ask you a very,
very serious question.
This Mr. Babbitt,
the reporter,
I can't tell
what he's up to. Turn.
Has he been talking to any of the
students, asking them questions?
No. Lute, if you were to be
my assistant choir mistress...
Miss Little, I really don't
know anything about it.
Lute, when do you go
in front of the judge?
Is that tomorrow?
This afternoon.
Well, I wrote you
a very glowing affidavit.
Turn.
Very glowing, despite what I
told you I think of shoplifters.
It was only a pair of jeans,
and just that one time.
I know.
That's why I wrote it.
But it's a...
Turn. ...legal document
that I signed, swearing
to God that you're...
Oh, that's your cue.
Go. Go, go, go, go, go.
# 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 #
Ready, go!
# 2, 1!
# Countdown!
# To a higher place
# Countdown!
# Yeah, we're talking about space #
# Heroes
# Forever and ever
# What d'you say?
# I, I wish you could swim
# Like the dolphins... #
"Sam Callalucci,
Ethics Committee.
"On receipt of this letter, you are
informed of immediate suspension.
"...inappropriate relationship
with a student."
(PANTING)
Lucy and Mr. C
were in love.
How could that
be inappropriate?
Who would tell on them?
Who would do
something like that?
Some jealous dimwit.
Yes, yes,
jealous, definitely.
PENELOPE: ...on the beat.
Oh, my God.
- Oh, my God.
PENELOPE: Listen to the beat.
May I help you?
Yeah, if I wanted to find a newspaper
article, how would I do that?
Do you know
the periodical?
Do you know the author?
Yeah, I know the author.
Huh.
Doesn't say she died.
Hi, Gina.
I need to speak to Donna.
It's Campbell Babbitt.
GINA: Hold on, Babbitt.
Donna will talk to you.
Hi.
- Hi.
A bunch of us are getting
together tonight at Peggy's,
you know, the girl
in the wheelchair.
Her parents are
out of town.
She's got a heated
pool and a hot tub.
Get out of the cold
and wet.
You should come,
you know, for the article.
Of course.
842 Hemlock Drive.
Okay.
You going to
remember that?
Yeah.
How are you going to do that
if you don't write it down?
Half of eight is four,
half of four is two
and Socrates killed himself
by drinking hemlock, so...
The Greek guy?
Indeed.
"Indeed."
(STUTTERING) No, I'm still here.
I'm waiting.
Why did he kill himself?
Well, he was
arrested and he thought
the charges
against him were a joke,
so he did it as
a kind of protest.
I bet you know why
he was arrested, too.
Maybe.
Two charges.
Disrespecting the gods.
They didn't like independent thinkers
then anymore than they do now.
The second reason?
Corrupting the young.
Indeed.
Are you trying to
educate me, Mr. Babbitt?
Just in case your memory
isn't what it used to be.
Come on.
842 Hemlock.
See you tonight.
- Okay.
DONNA OVER PHONE: Campbell?
Campbell, are you there?
Gina, I don't hear him.
Campbell?
Oh, hi, Donna.
Yes, listen...
DONNA: Shut up and sit down.
Are you sitting?
Yeah, sure.
We just got advance word.
You, my dear,
are on the shortlist for...
Are you ready?
What?
The Pulitzer Prize.
(DONNA LAUGHING)
The goddamn
fucking Pulitzer Prize.
What for?
What for? Angela.
What else, you nitwit?
Um.
He said "um."
Listen.
Call me tonight, all right?
You still have
my home phone?
No. Give it to me again.
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
World newsroom.
DONNA: I need you down here
first thing in the morning.
We're going to
hook you and Angela up
to an interview with
one of the affiliates.
(STUTTERING) No.
We can't do that.
We can't?
Angela wouldn't go for it.
What happened? Did the two of
you have a spat or something?
No. Fuck off.
I was bad.
Yeah. Damn right.
Listen, why don't you give me
her number and I'll call her?
Campbell, do you want
to win this thing or not?
No.
No. God, no.
Angela's not dead.
I'm sorry. I don't know where
you would have heard that.
I see. Okay. Thank you.
Huh.
(ROCK SONG PLAYING)
# I don't know what's wrong
with this mess it's my calamity
# Baby, go on,
pleasure me, whisper in my ear
# There is something happening
We're on a different frequency
# Louder than my cavalry
coming on the hills
# I don't wanna cry...
(INAUDIBLE)
Oh, my God.
# I don't want to cry
with people talking
# I don't want to stand here
and feel sorry #
Hi. You must be Peggy.
Oh, lucky guess.
You must be the reporter
everyone wants to fuck.
Hey.
Hello.
Hey, watch the trousers.
(GIRLS CHUCKLING)
I didn't notice that.
Sorry. Hi.
Okay.
You found it.
- Yeah.
This was his copy.
I think he would have
wanted you to have it.
Where did you find this?
It was in his desk.
Those drawers were locked.
I happened upon some keys.
I like your style.
CAMPBELL: I can't stay.
Why not?
I've gotta go
back to New York.
But what about the article?
They don't guarantee they're
going to print everything,
so I don't have any
control over that.
Won't you just sit
down for a minute?
Are you nervous
about something?
CAMPBELL: I'm just antsy.
You know,
I want to get going.
The weather's
terrible, so...
Look at Peggy.
You know what happened?
She got hit by
a Yum-Yum Chicken truck.
Made a bundle
off the lawsuit.
They put her in the Shed because
it's handicapped-accessible.
That really pissed her off,
so she snapped or something
and I guess they decided
she really did belong there.
What made you belong there?
Too many mistakes,
I guess.
Don't worry
about it, Fenster.
Okay.
Hey, you know you've got a
real sleek wheelchair, Peg.
Some of them have
got no style and stuff,
but yours has got
real lines, you know?
My grandpa, he actually,
like, invented stuff
for handicapped people,
like crutches and walkers, and...
You told me he was
a movie director.
Yeah, he did that first.
Hey, that must be
you from...
PEGGY: Fenster, come on.
Yeah. Coming.
They've all just
forgotten him already.
Of course,
we have you now.
The question is,
what are you going to do with us?
(SIGHS)
I really have to go.
No, you can't.
You haven't interviewed me.
Do you need a hand
with that at all?
Keep talking, Fenster.
Tell me about your
grandmother or something.
Okay, yeah. She was
friends with everybody,
you know, like,
everybody in the neighborhood,
like, presidents and
famous guitar players and...
She spoke Latin and
she liked horses a lot.
She actually had a couple of horses,
and she could drive a blimp.
Yeah, she was actually one
of the first to ever do that.
Fenster,
I need you to
do me a favor.
Like?
- Like...
Why me?
Because no one
will ever believe you.
I need you to...
Okay.
Yeah. Sure, Peg.
Okay.
(SUE SCREAMING)
SUE: You run like a girl.
ANN: I am a girl, you dink.
Where's the reporter?
He'll be back.
What does it
feel like, Fenster?
I need to know
what it feels like.
I don't know.
You don't know?
Good.
What do...
What do you mean, good?
You're pulling my...
- Good?
(MUSIC PLAYING)
# A love like that
# Does it have to be
a love like that? #
Ibuprofen. You-buprofen.
We-all-buprofen.
Ah. Mother's little helper.
Hi, Tess.
I know you lied
about that woman, Angela.
Remember? She's dead.
You really fucked me
up with that story.
You really got us all
feeling so bad for you.
But she's not dead,
is she?
So what,
you read my articles?
Yeah.
I went to the library.
I was reading about this
woman and her poor son.
It doesn't say she died.
You just killed her off,
I mean, to buy our sympathy.
I mean,
what kind of asshole lies?
I didn't kill her off.
- Yeah, you did.
You lied about Angela.
I didn't...
You lied about knowing Mr. C.
I mean, what...
I didn't lie.
What's wrong?
Nothing, I'm fine.
(VOMITING)
Are you okay?
You have some...
You've still got some stuff.
It's this stomach
virus that I have.
Maybe you should go home,
(SCOFFS)
unless that's where
you caught the virus.
What's that
supposed to mean?
Just, you know...
Just what I said.
Oh, fuck you.
Seriously, fuck you.
Don't think you know me.
You don't fucking know me.
Hey, hey. Just...
- You don't know anything about me!
Hey, listen, just because
you have problems at home...
Fuck you!
Don't take it out on me.
- Why not you?
Well, okay. You know what?
You know what? You're right.
You're right... You're
right about everything.
Angela's alive and well.
I used her,
I lied, and you win.
I'm out of here.
Have a nice life.
Just stay away from Lucy.
No, don't... You don't know anything
about me, either, sweetheart.
There's nothing
wrong with...
It's none of your business.
Yeah, well,
I'll make it my business.
I swear I will.
That's interesting,
because someone
made it their business
to notify the school
there was an
inappropriate relationship
between a student
and Sam.
You wouldn't happen to know
anything about that, would you?
It's all right.
I won't tell your friends,
even though
they'd be very unhappy.
Yeah, well...
Well, I saw them together,
Mr. C and Lucy,
having sex in the Shed.
What was I supposed to do?
Look, you may have
done the right thing,
but just be careful
where you point that finger.
I'm not Sam.
Yeah, well,
you sure fooled Lucy.
Lucy is a very confused girl.
I'm just...
What, a nice guy?
Yes.
Yeah, and I've got
a stomach virus.
(DOOR OPENS)
(DOOR CLOSES)
Well, Reverend Father,
we hear you,
but we Americans believe with
you that even the humblest...
He's got
really great hair.
...to be free.
My fellow citizens,
Members of the House,
let us not take the
path of least resistance
in Central America again.
Hey, Campbell.
- Oh, hi.
Get us some beer?
I... I... I have to go back
to New York, yeah, so...
It's been great
meeting you guys,
and I'll see you.
(TIRES SPINNING)
(KNOCKING)
Come on.
We can take my car.
No, what I really
need now is a push.
I don't push.
Jim and Ezra are inside, but
after that rude exit of yours...
You know,
you made Sue cry.
Oh, Jesus.
I'm just saying
it'd be a lot better
if you came back
with some beer.
It'll take five minutes.
(DOOR OPENS)
Jim! Jim, wait up.
We figured it out.
We just wanted
to let you know.
It had to be Miss Little who told on them.
- We know who it was.
Who else?
- Who else?
She was jealous.
Lucy and Mr. C
were in love.
But she's not going
to get away with it.
Do you want to
hear our plan?
We have a plan.
- It's really good.
Not really, no.
- No?
Maybe later.
She's not
coming back, James.
Don't call me James.
What?
Do you think those keys you found
would open Mr. C's apartment?
Don't you want to?
No.
Maybe he meant
for us to come here.
You go first.
No, no.
No, I'll go first.
(JESUS PLAYING)
# Jesus, help me find
my proper place
# Jesus, help me find
my proper place
# Help me in my weakness
Oh, my God.
# 'Cause I'm falling
out of grace
# Jesus, Jesus
Did you find anything?
No, no.
I thought I might find this
gold necklace that I gave him.
It was a cross, but...
(CLEARING THROAT) I'm...
I'm going to go on the roof
and take a look.
You want to come?
No, you stay here.
I'll be back later.
# Jesus, help me find
my proper place
# Help me in my weakness
# 'Cause I'm falling
out of grace
# Jesus, Jesus #
Stupid.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Hello?
Yes?
Oh, my God. You're never going
to believe what just happened.
This neighbor woman came in and
thought that I was his niece,
so I said, "Thanks for the coffee cake.
Really sweet of you."
Just like I thought
maybe his niece might say.
Lucy. Lucy. Lucy.
I want to see.
- No, no, no. No.
Come... Come here.
Let your passions
overwhelm your fears.
Is that what he said?
He said it to me.
Look, Lucy, you are a very,
very, very beautiful young woman.
But this would be...
A mistake?
Yes.
Is it Angela?
No.
I understand.
You're afraid to love again.
Me, too.
It hurts so much.
Even when it's right,
it hurts.
But if we were afraid of it,
it would be so sad.
We would be just
like everyone else. Sad.
I can't... I...
No, no, no.
Let's not...
Stop. Look...
Look. You're very young.
I'm 17.
(SIGHS) It's not like it doesn't
happen all the time.
Yeah, well, you know, be that as
it may, there are boundaries. We...
Actions have consequences.
We can't just
flit around saying
we're gonna keep
the dead from dying.
We can't, okay?
I'm sorry if I led you on,
but let's just come out
and say it, right?
Sam's dead.
Angela's dead.
I'm not Sam and
you're not Angela.
Okay, answer me this.
Why did Sam jump?
Perhaps he crossed
a line with you
that he couldn't
come back from.
That's not
what happened.
You can't...
No, you don't know that.
You know, it's not
really love when...
It's never a mistake.
Lucy, let's not...
Let's not do this.
You don't think
that he loved me.
I think he was confused...
- Shut up.
Just... Please.
I went swimming
once at this quarry,
and everyone was jumping off
this kind of cliff thing,
and I got in line
and jumped.
It was high enough
that I had time to think,
to think, like, "I'm still
falling, I haven't landed yet."
Do you think that
he had time to think?
I guess he did.
You think he was
thinking about me?
No.
No?
I thought you understood.
My God.
God!
Someone help!
(SCREAMING)
(DOOR OPENS)
What do you want?
Oh, my God!
Where did you find that?
It was on the roof.
Throw it.
I was wrong.
He was thinking about you.
I thought he was jumping, but he
must've been going for the necklace.
Campbell,
maybe you were right.
Maybe we shouldn't...
Don't... Don't say that.
You know, he was torn
from your life.
The ground
opened up beneath you.
What are you supposed to do, float?
That's bollocks.
You reach out
and you flail,
try and grab hold
of something or someone.
You know,
you reached out for me,
and I didn't take
your hand, and I...
You know, it's...
You need it and I need it.
And it doesn't matter how
crazy that looks on the outside.
I'm not outside, I'm...
You know,
metaphorically speaking.
Obviously, you know, I'm...
Actually...
Where are you going?
(CAMPBELL GRUNTING)
Campbell.
Campbell, what
the fuck are you doing? Hey.
(SHUSHING)
My parents.
Just... Just to talk.
We've said so much already.
We don't have to talk.
I just... Look,
I just know that I needed
to see you.
That's all I knew.
Campbell, no. Please.
Look, I'm sorry.
No, I know.
Look, I know that you would never...
- I didn't mean to...
I would never, you know...
I'm not...
I just thought that if...
That maybe I could...
If I could be whatever
you wanted me to be...
Oh, my God.
Are you okay?
Yeah, I'm fine.
Be careful.
(SIGHS)
Look, I'm sorry, okay?
This is...
I'm going to go. Yeah.
Oh.
Are you still
going to New York?
There's nothing
there for me.
I can't stay here. Can I?
Hey, what about tomorrow?
Tomorrow?
Yeah, tomorrow, after school.
Maybe we should talk.
And we can meet at the lake.
Well, I don't
want you to feel...
I want to.
You sure?
Aren't you?
You do my
thinking for me, okay?
Okay.
Okay.
- Okay.
Okay.
(SHIVERING)
Mr. Campbell,
what are you doing?
I'm just going to my room.
I rented your room
this morning.
You told me you
were checking out.
Fine.
It's very late.
I do have...
Oh, and that woman, Donna,
she keeps calling for you.
Oh.
Don't worry about her.
Not for
a grown man, but...
No, no, it's great, really.
It's...
He's in
military school now.
Oh.
Well, they can be so...
So restless at that age.
Well, at any age.
"You shall go to the ball."
We have to seek
before we can find,
find out what God
meant for us to be.
Don't let them beat
that out of your son.
No, I won't, Mr. Campbell.
Campbell is my first name.
What's yours?
Barbara.
Barbara. Lovely.
Thank you, Barbara.
No, no, thank you, Mr...
Campbell.
Night-night.
Good night.
(UNZIPPING)
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
Fuck.
(GURGLING)
(BABY CHOKING)
Fuck.
It's okay. It's okay.
Okay. It's all right.
Okay. Okay.
(BABY CRYING)
Okay. Okay.
He... He was choking.
He was choking on Mars.
Remote. Little.
Remote.
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
Hello?
PEGGY: Fenster.
Oh, hey.
You going to school today?
No. I don't like it there.
Right.
Can I come over?
Yeah. Yeah, definitely.
Okay.
- Okay.
Bye.
- Bye.
DICK: I'm sure I'm speaking
for all of us
when I say that we
were really looking forward
to this morning's excitement.
I spoke with my man at NASA,
and she assures me and urges
us all to keep our chins up.
So, the celebration assembly
will have to wait for another day.
However, tonight's musical
salute to Miss McAuliffe,
Blast Off, produced by
Miss Penelope Little, is good to go.
Lucy, can I
ask you a favor?
Are you sure? Because I...
I bought condoms.
Yes. I can't get pregnant,
okay? Ever.
Wow.
That must make you
kind of sad, huh?
Yeah, kind of.
Let's just do this.
Yes, ma'am.
The one that smells good.
(CRAZY RHYTHMS PLAYING)
Fenster, honey!
Fenster, honey!
Fenster up there.
# Well, all right
# I don't wanna go
I say, "All right"
# You never listen
to me anyway #
Well, you know, it's kind
of complicated with you.
And what would
you have me do?
I don't know. Like, moan or...
Or something?
Get off. Get off.
I want to get up.
MRS. ITSKY: Fenster!
Oh, God. No, no, no.
Just a second!
Fenster!
Fenster, help me up.
Just a second, Mom!
Fenster. I'm stuck.
(GASPS)
Hi, Mrs. Itsky.
You've been shopping?
(STAMMERING) Mr. Campbell...
Mr. Babbitt...
You have a phone call.
Take a message.
She said it was urgent.
Tell her I'm dead.
Tell her I quit
and I'm dead.
(STAMMERING) Oh.
Mr. Babbitt, I don't think
that I would feel very
comfortable telling...
Oh, fuck.
Do you think you could take the phone?
- Lucy.
DONNA: Gina, get me the thing.
No, the other thing.
Babbitt.
Hey, Fenster,
have you seen Lucy?
Uh-uh.
What are you doing now?
Well, the whole sex
thing is kind of weird,
but I'm not
really sure because
I don't really have
much to compare it to.
Know what I mean?
Wait a minute,
that was your first time?
Don't tell Peggy.
Well, I doubt any
experience is going
to prepare you
for sex with Peggy.
Yeah. It's a whole
different ball of wax.
But, you know,
if you stick enough lubricant
in just about anything,
you're good to go.
Second entrance
on the right.
Sure.
- I used to use mayonnaise a lot.
Mayonnaise is good,
except it makes
your thing smell
like a sandwich.
The thing is,
with Peggy...
The thing is,
I think I love her.
What's her name?
FENSTER: That's Lute.
What's she doing?
Shit.
Hey!
(WHISTLING)
Lute?
Hey! Have you seen Lucy?
Lucy?
CAMPBELL: Yeah.
No.
What is that?
What are you doing?
My punishment.
The judge said I do this,
and it won't go
on my record.
What did you steal?
Do you know
Antonio Calvache?
What, jeans?
Everyone is
wearing Calvache.
FENSTER: Calvache,
Calvache, Calvache.
And I swore I'd never...
Hi, Fenster.
I'd never do it again.
Well, you're done.
What? But...
You're done.
Okay.
Come on. Get in.
My mom's picking me up.
You'll probably find
Lucy at the musical.
Musical? When is that?
7:00.
Okay, fantastic.
I have to be there at 6:00.
I'm the assistant
choral mistress.
Got somewhere to be?
No.
I'll catch him later.
Is it going to hurt?
WOMAN: Tess Sullivan?
Sit with me?
PENELOPE: Yup, yup, yup,
yup, yup, yup, yup.
STUDENTS: Yup, yup, yup,
yup, yup, yup, yup.
Great.
Ten minutes till curtain.
Articulate and project.
And remember, it's all right if
they don't understand the show
as long as they...
STUDENTS: Understand the words.
- Understand the words.
Where have you been?
I've been looking all over for you, Lute.
I drove by
Good Shopping earlier
and I didn't see you.
What is going on?
I'm not doing it anymore.
I said I was sorry and
I gave the stuff back,
and besides, Mr. Babbitt
says I've suffered enough.
If I were you, Lute, I would
steer very clear of Mr. Babbitt.
He is part of the problem.
He is not part of the...
You know what?
I don't even know
why I'm wasting time
with this nonsense!
I have a show to do.
Places, everybody!
Places, everybody!
No. Miss Little,
I think you're wrong.
And if that makes me
part of the problem, too,
then I guess that's
just fine with me.
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
We are here tonight
to celebrate heroism.
And now, I'd like
to introduce the real
creative juice behind
tonight's festivities,
our choir mistress and volleyball
coach, Miss Penelope Little.
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
We would like to dedicate
tonight's performance
not only to our
beloved teacher in space,
but also to the next
generation of heroes.
They could be our neighbors,
or one of our fellow students.
The young man I wish
to honor tonight is both.
He's one of our students,
and he's my neighbor.
He came upon our little Gustav
choking in his cradle
and he screwed his courage to the
sticking place and came to the rescue.
And so, ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to present
tonight's
Exemplary Citizenry Medal
to James Arneson Lement.
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
Jim, you're a hero!
And now, let's blast off!
(PIANO PLAYING)
# And when you find
what you're looking for
# Up there in the stars
# Don't forget why
you went so far
# So far from our hearts
# You are going to
tell us what you see
# You will enlighten us
# Better we will be #
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Take me ashore.
Are you sure?
We don't have to.
I'm feeling optimistic.
Fenster!
(MOANING)
It's a miracle.
(CAMPBELL SIGHING)
Hey. You can breathe.
I'm okay.
You know,
I just want you to know
I don't have
any expectations.
I don't really expect...
Why didn't you come
to the lake today?
I don't know.
You have a change of heart?
No.
I was... I was with Tess.
What were you doing?
Helping her out
with something.
What is it?
What's wrong?
I'm fine.
- No, you're not.
What did she say?
Did she talk about me?
No. Why would she?
This wasn't about you.
Well, I'm sorry.
But, you know,
Tess is very angry.
She has her reasons.
I know she does.
What do you know?
She's pregnant.
Not anymore.
Why did you
go with her?
Because she
asked me to. Jesus.
Yeah, but why you?
She needed a friend and she
asked me to sit with her.
What, through
the whole procedure?
Yeah.
I didn't know
you two were so close.
Well, we're
a lot closer now.
I'm a bit surprised.
It must have been disturbing.
No wonder
you're so distant.
What is your problem?
I don't trust her.
You don't need
to protect me.
You know, actually,
I think I do.
It was Tess
that turned Sam in.
What are you talking about?
You. You and Sam.
She saw you together
in the Shed being intimate.
That's not possible.
Well, maybe it
wasn't the Shed, then.
Well, whatever.
She saw you.
Look, it's not possible that
she saw anything between us.
Not possible?
We never...
- Never what?
Tess lied.
You never what?
- What do you want?
You know, right now, the truth
would be really fucking great.
We never did it, okay?
We never had sex.
Well, okay, fine.
Maybe she saw you
doing something else.
He was my teacher.
That's all.
So what are
you telling me?
I'm sorry.
I'm trying to understand.
What about the necklace?
- What about it?
You gave it to him.
He reached out for it.
It was...
We all gave it to him.
It was from all of us, okay?
I picked it out.
You lied. You said
you were in love.
I was.
And that he loved you.
He did.
Come on! You know what...
You know what everyone was thinking,
what everyone believed,
what I believed,
and what Tess
clearly believed.
Tess was lying.
It seems like everyone was.
Didn't anybody ever assume
anything about you before,
and you just
let it stand?
And when he was gone, even if it was
a lie, that's all I had left of him.
Can you understand that?
Is it a crime?
It can be.
What do I do?
You correct it.
You tell the truth.
I'm sorry.
I have no right.
I have no right
whatsoever. I...
I lied, too.
I don't want to hear it.
Sam and I... Angela.
I don't want to hear it!
(DOOR OPENS)
(DOOR CLOSES)
Oh, hey.
KIDS: # Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six
# ...five, four, three,
two, one!
# Countdown!
# To a higher place
# Countdown!
- # Countdown!
# Yeah,
we're talking about space
# Countdown!
- # Countdown!
# To the Blast-Off
Challenger Show
# Countdown!
- # Countdown!
# To a higher place
- # To a higher place
# Countdown!
- # Countdown!
(STOPS PLAYING PIANO)
# Yeah,
we're talking about space
# Countdown...#
It was you, wasn't it?
Miss Little?
PENELOPE:
Don't you fucking deny it!
How could you?
After all I've...
(AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING)
No, no, no.
Oh!
Hi. Is there a Campbell
Babbitt staying here?
How the hell did you
ever find this place?
Donna.
Campbell.
You never called me.
Yes. No, I'm sorry.
Well, if the mountain
doesn't come to Mohammed,
Mohammed comes
to the mountain.
What?
You won the Pulitzer,
the goddamn Pulitzer.
Congratulations.
And there's no time
for navel-gazing.
You have
an interview with NBC
in the morning,
pre-launch coverage.
They needed filler, so
they're gonna squeeze you in
between NASA geeks
and Christa's Aunt Bitsy.
What do they want me to say?
They want you to
talk about heroes.
You're an expert now.
Here, I bought you a suit.
Well, I guess I'm
gonna have to do it then.
Good. Maybe I'll finally
get an update on Angela.
Angela.
An update from you.
Yes, no, you will.
Everybody will.
Good.
Then I'll take you back.
You don't have to
do the Christa thing.
Fuck it.
I was just trying to
shake you up a little.
Yeah.
Okay, well,
I have a few details
I have to wrap up
for the morning.
So, I'll see you at 8:30?
Okay.
Cam, you could at least...
All right.
8:30. Don't be late.
I'll be early.
Right.
Well, congratulations.
(CHAINSAW WHIRRING)
(DOOR ALARM BEEPS)
Donna, could you have someone
deliver this for me, please?
Kerry, is the water
coming like I asked?
(MAN ANNOUNCING ON PA)
DONNA: Jesus,
I hope that doesn't keep up.
So it's going
to be to camera.
Tom's in New York on a live
feed through your earpiece.
Kerry, where's his earpiece?
You okay?
Yeah, you're okay.
I thought
you were leaving.
Not yet.
You got your souvenir.
Now get the fuck
out of here.
I mean it.
- Don't... Don't do that.
What, am I ruining
that king-of-the-mountain
feeling you must
be having right now?
Tess.
I just hope you
wore a rubber.
And listen,
nothing happened.
Fuck you.
- All right, then.
A lot happened,
more than it should have.
But not what you think.
Is that makeup?
What are you doing?
I'm doing a TV interview.
(SCOFFS) Great.
Look, before I...
(BELL RINGING)
Before I tell the world...
What...
What are you talking about?
Can I... Look.
Come here, come here, please.
MAN ON PA: TVs are set up, we're
gonna watch Christa go, go, go!
Tess.
I want to talk to you
about Angela. You know...
I know.
No. No, no, no.
She... She killed herself.
This is the truth.
When I told you all
she died,
I didn't mean to be honest.
The first article
was the truth.
She lost someone
so dear to her,
more precious
than her own life,
and I loved her.
That's the truth.
At least that's...
That's how I felt.
And the second article
and the ones that followed,
she was already dead.
And now I'm
being given an award
for illuminating a life
which she chose to end.
I don't know if it's
my fault, maybe, or...
MAN ON PA: Come on, people,
settle down.
Take your seats.
She was in pain.
It was her choice.
But I rejected her choice,
and she deserves better.
And I don't know
what I deserve,
but it's not
a fucking award.
What do you want from me?
Sam's dead.
I know.
Thanks. I'm really
not confused on that.
And you didn't
see him with Lucy,
except perhaps in the way
you wanted to see him.
You weren't there.
I know.
You don't know.
Lucy knows.
She doesn't know.
Come on.
What? You didn't see the
way they were together.
After-school
Romeo and Juliet.
It was the way
that he looked at her.
It's the same way
that you look at her.
You have that same look.
And how close
did you come, huh?
I was protecting her.
You lied, and that's okay.
I understand
you were hurting.
You know, I don't
need your forgiveness.
Okay? You have no idea
what I was feeling.
Don't I?
We both believed
what we need to believe.
I'm sorry that
Mr. C is dead, okay?
You have no idea
how sorry I am.
But what am I supposed to do,
go on TV and apologize?
To who?
He's the one that
I need to apologize to,
but he's not here
to forgive me, is he?
No, he's not!
And it just makes me so mad.
Not at him.
Not at him, just at
the way things are.
At the way that
things just disappear.
(PEOPLE CLAPPING)
(CHEERING)
Did you love her?
Yes, I loved her.
So, then why are you
going to kill her again?
So you can get something
off of your chest?
Well, what about
the rest of us?
(DOOR OPENS)
PRINCIPAL:
The TVs aren't working.
We're well aware
of the problem.
And please, please,
settle down, everybody.
(CROWD CHEERING)
She's so fair and
beautiful, a true Juliet.
I especially love when
she turns a pirouette.
MAN:
In ten, nine, eight, seven...
Are you ready?
Yes, I'm ready.
...four...
Yes, Tom, I am.
Of course, no story is
without its omissions.
No journalist is
completely objective.
Because, Tom,
the truth is...
The truth is...
(DOOR OPENS)
What did you tell them?
I told them.
I told them she died.
I told them
she died a hero.
We need as many as we
can get, wouldn't you say?
(SIGHS)
Hey, what about your award?
Award?
Yeah. Did you give it back?
Well, you see, we can't
all be heroes, you know?
Some of us have to just sit on
the curb and clap while they go by.
Did you just make that up?
Think so.
See you.
Okay.
Good.
MAN ON RADIO:
Nine, eight, seven, six...
We have main engine start.
Four, three, two...
MAN ON RADIO: When Jesus died,
God guided the Apostles' pens and
gave us the gospel truth...
(HEROES PLAYING ON RADIO)
# I, I will be king
# And you, you will be queen
# Though nothing will
drive them away
# We can be heroes
just for one day
# We can be heroes
# We can be heroes
# We can be heroes
just for one day
# We can be heroes #
(OTHER DAY PLAYING)
# On a day
like any other day
# Sky so blue it could
take your breath away
# And what could
ever fall apart
# On a day like it is today
# Kind of day you'd climb
to the top of the world
# To see your life unfurl
# Before your very eyes
# But when it falls apart
# Then you realize
# This is all a countdown
# To a higher place
# Countdown into
some outer space
# Maybe it's a day when
the angels will come to sing
# Or maybe it's a day
when the devil comes
# To bring a fate
# You couldn't imagine
in your wildest dreams
# Countdown to a higher place
# Countdown into
some outer space
# Never mind the smoke
and mirrors left behind you
# Don't you go
There's nothing there
# To really bind you
# Just let go
and all your destiny
# Will find you
wherever you are
there are two cardinal rules.
Tell the truth,
and never, ever become
emotionally involved with
your subject.
The trouble is, you see, all
truths are in fact half true,
like when you
read the newspaper.
It's never just the facts.
There's always judgment.
It goes all the way
back to when Jesus died.
No one really knew
what to think of him,
not until someone put
it on paper and said,
"Here,
here's the gospel truth."
Legends aren't born,
they're written.
And really, that's what we
all do one way or another,
when someone we love dies,
(LUCY CRYING)
and not just anyone,
when it's someone extraordinary,
your own personal Jesus.
Why not? A hero.
When they up and die,
we're left with nothing.
Nothing but the task.
Make them immortal.
(CAT SCREECHING)
Only a magnificent epitaph
will grant eternal life,
and it's up to us,
the ones left behind,
to write it
however we see fit.
# Rockets away, my boys
Rockets away
# Into the air we soar
and in a blaze of glory ever #
CAMPBELL: This is 1986,
a few days before
the whole Challenger
Space Shuttle mishap.
...for soon-to-be teacher
in space, Christa McAuliffe.
This is her hometown.
Proud, overjoyed.
For a few more days,
at any rate.
(WHISTLE BLOWING)
(BAND PLAYING)
And in the same town, this very
same week, another teacher died.
Their teacher.
They were the unteachable,
the outcasts, the freaks,
the future fuckups
of America,
but their teacher loved them
and they loved him back.
Well, most of them did.
Before their story
collided with mine,
there was another hero
who left this world,
my world, New York City,
three weeks earlier.
I was a newspaper reporter,
and like most, I was a cynic,
but I secretly yearned
to be proved wrong.
MAN:
Hey, Babbitt, nice article.
Thank you.
To believe in something,
someone.
And once you're a believer,
well, what's to say?
It's very potent stuff.
(CAMERA CLICKING)
Perfect.
She was witness to a murder, so
I couldn't use her real name.
I called her Angela,
because Angela saw the face
of the boy who killed her son.
She saw his shock and pain.
"The fullness of his action
coming down on his adolescent face,
"still just a child himself."
I painted her as a hero,
and she was.
I just don't know what she
thought about me saying so.
My baby.
I never got
the chance to ask.
(GAS HISSING)
(DOOR OPENS)
(ANGELA COUGHING)
CAMPBELL: No, no, no!
(GLASS SHATTERING)
(TYPING)
CAMPBELL: I didn't really lie.
All right, fuck it. I lied.
I kept her alive doing the things
I thought she should have done.
I went a bit overboard, perhaps,
but this is what we do.
You want them to live on,
turn the life into a legend.
Your latest,
it's a little baroque.
I'm going to tone it down.
Don't fucking touch it.
It's gotta stop,
and that's that.
You're obsessing,
and frankly, you smell.
But in the workplace, personal
crusades tend to make others...
DONNA: Stop that.
...uncomfortable.
I'm sending you
to New Hampshire.
Local hero, your favorite.
Teacher in space, hometown
hoopla, blah, blah, blah.
You're going to break that.
(BURSTING)
DONNA: I hope you
fucking die up there.
(BAND PLAYING
STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER)
Shit. Shit!
(HORN BLARING)
# Hurrah for the flag
of the free!
# May it wave
as our standard forever
# The gem of the land
and the sea
# And the banner of the right
# Let despots remember the day
# When our fathers
with mighty endeavor
(TESS RETCHING)
# Proclaimed as they marched
to the fray
# That by their might
and by their right
# It waves forever. Hey! #
Don't get on this bus.
(BAND PLAYING)
(FOOTSTEPS)
(DOOR OPENS)
(DOOR CLOSES)
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
ANSWERING MACHINE: Hi, it's Sam.
Leave a message.
(ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPING)
CAMPBELL:
Hello, Sam Callalucci.
If you recognize
my voice,
you're a greater friend to me
than I ever was to you.
It's Campbell Babbitt.
It must be 15 years
at least since we...
Well, since you graduated.
(LAUGHING)
I heard you were
going to become a priest.
That's... I mean, no, I'm
sure you had your reasons.
The reason I'm calling...
Well, I think I'm standing outside
your apartment building.
I was wondering if
you could do me a favor.
I need to borrow a car.
I don't seem to be
able to find a rental,
and it would be
really helpful if you could
find some way of furnishing
me with a set of wheels.
It'll be good to see you and
catch up, find out what went wrong.
So call me. Okay.
(PENELOPE SOBBING)
CAMPBELL: Hold that bus.
Jerk.
And after being chosen
from over 11,000 teachers,
Christa McAuliffe and her
students here were deeply honored.
She will teach her
lesson from spaces...
Space, using two of
the actual mice
sent up in the last
Challenger mission.
And finally...
Fuck this.
DICK: A sad bit of local news.
Last night, one of our
teachers, Sam Callalucci,
died under what can only be described
as unfortunate circumstances.
(BELL RINGING)
Yes, it's the Red Gremlin.
Yeah.
Well, how bad is it?
Could I make it to New York?
Well, right, what, 50-50?
40-70?
That doesn't add up.
Okay. It doesn't matter.
Right, 40-70.
I'll come and pick it up.
I'll catch the bus. Bye.
(CRASHING)
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck!
Fuck! Fuck!
Hey!
LUCY: Hey, Lute,
I want to talk to you.
You found him?
What were you doing there?
Was he alive?
Hey.
Did he say anything
about me?
What do you want from me?
I didn't kill him.
LUCY: I'm sorry.
I know. I'm so sorry.
(LUCY SNIFFLING)
I'll get the next one.
LUCY: Oh! Fuck!
What are you doing?
Oh, hello.
I'm a reporter.
What building is this?
It's the Shed.
It's our classroom.
Right. Is that like
a special ed or something?
Who's Special Ed?
So, you know him?
Who?
Mr. C.
No, I was just...
Mr. Callalucci.
Sam Callalucci? Yes.
We went to
university together.
I knew it.
You could be his brother.
You sound like
James Bond.
I'm British, so...
I was thinking
of popping in.
To the funeral.
It's called a wake.
A funeral is
when you bury him.
Are we going to bury him?
No, we're just going to go sit
next to his body for a while.
Wait, wait.
It's called a wake,
because he was Catholic.
He was almost a priest.
Almost.
- Almost.
(CLANGING)
(EXCLAIMS IN FRUSTRATION)
I just loved him.
Some of us wanted to say a
few words about Mr. Callalucci.
Before he was our teacher,
Mr. C was almost a priest.
Almost.
- Almost.
That's how come he knew all
about what it is to have faith.
Now it's up to us to
have a little faith in him.
It's so hard to believe
that he's no longer here.
He is, you know.
This sort of thing
happens all the time.
People feel that dead person
all around them.
But everybody's like,
"No, you gotta fucking accept it.
"Gotta learn to
move on without him."
And if you listen to them,
well, then, pretty soon
that person really is dead.
He did things.
Good things, mostly.
And actions cause reactions.
So what we do right now is different
because of what he did then.
Because whatever he did,
we're not the same because of it,
and that's never gonna
change thanks to him.
Excuse me.
Aren't you a reporter?
Yes.
You aren't reporting
about this, are you?
No. Sam and I were
at college together.
No. Sam wasn't English.
Yes, I know. Thank you.
No, I was at college
in the US with Sam.
I was kicked
out of Cambridge.
It's a long story.
I was covering the Christa
McAuliffe shuttle thing,
and I thought
I'd stop by.
I'm sorry.
Penelope Little.
Please forgive me.
You understand
I didn't want the press
getting involved
in all of this.
I'm assuming you
knew the circumstances.
Did Sam...
I mean, I notice
that it's not exactly
overflowing
with well-wishers.
Kill the lights.
He hated bad lighting.
Hey, Peg.
- What...
Oh, my God, you guys.
PENELOPE: I live in the rooming house
where you're staying.
If you see me there,
please don't ask me to say anything.
I'm sure others will be more
than eager to talk and talk,
but if you're really his friend,
please don't ask them.
It was nice to meet you.
I like your shoes.
(DOOR OPENS)
(DOOR CLOSES)
# Hold on to the sack robes
of Jesus
# With the light of my eyes...
(DIALING)
Hey, Donna, it's me.
You guys are
fucking nuts.
What...
Fuck!
I think I might actually
have something here.
# Asleep at the wheel of Jesus
I can't.
# ...that fell from the cross
# I woke up on
the last train to Jordan
# Whatever it was
I'm letting you know #
Everyone put something in?
Tess?
(MUSIC STOPS)
Can we help you?
CAMPBELL: Sorry. Sorry,
I didn't mean to intrude.
It's Mr. C's
best friend.
Sorry,
I didn't mean to barge in.
BLYTHE: What's your name?
Campbell Babbitt.
What's your last name?
Babbitt.
BLYTHE: Where are you from?
ANN: He's from Ireland.
England. I'm English.
You must miss him
so much.
Of course he does,
you dink.
Do you want to talk about it?
I mean, like,
you know, your feelings,
the hurt, the loss...
Well...
I mean, we knew him well, but not,
you know, best friends.
Well, I don't know.
I mean, you know,
maybe you guys
were his best friends.
(MURMURING)
Did he say that to you?
SYLVIA: Did he?
SUE: Mr. B? Are you a teacher, like Mr. C?
- Yeah? No.
Why? You think you're gonna
get him to take his place?
Forget it.
The Shed is dead.
We all get new
homerooms tomorrow.
They're reassigning us.
What?
Someone ought to say it.
Excuse me, Tess.
You don't know.
She doesn't know.
And when you don't know,
don't open your mouth,
because the rest
of us have ears
that get filled with your bullshit.
- Okay, come on. Come, come.
Freak.
So you came
to visit him?
Well, I was assigned to
cover the teacher in space.
Wait. So you're
a reporter?
But I thought
he was a teacher.
No, I'm with...
I say, I am a reporter.
That's why I'm here.
I want to talk to you guys.
EZRA: I thought he was a teacher.
Guys, come here.
SUE: No, I won't.
What do you want?
I thought perhaps
I could help out some way.
Help how?
You know, tell his story, tell
the world about him and you all.
What are you
talking about?
I spoke to my editor,
and she thinks
it could be
a very big story, so...
You don't know us
and we don't know you.
And you think
you're just going
to waltz in here and
do some big spread?
It could be his legacy.
We are his legacy.
Mr. Babbitt.
Yes.
You have to understand that
none of us trusted anything.
Mr. C, he made us give
a piece of ourselves,
I mean, something
that touches your soul
so, so deep that you're never,
ever the same.
And after that,
we trusted each other.
JIM: Yeah. We trusted.
Right. Couldn't we just cut our
thumbs and rub them together?
This is weird.
It's very... It's very...
This is very
difficult for me.
Obviously,
I want you to trust me.
Then tell us.
GIRL: Please.
He's got nothing to say.
I knew a single mother
who lost her only child.
He was shot,
a random killing.
He was holding her
hand at the time.
And the thing about Angela was,
even in mourning,
people felt better
being near her, stronger.
I thought if I
wrote about her,
I could recognize
that strength.
She didn't know
what she was.
A lot of people don't know
what they are.
Good people.
The point of
the story is
that people were moved
by the words I wrote
and they were
inspired by her.
And what, she lived
happily ever after?
No. She died.
She died, right?
And you loved her.
(STUTTERING) Well, no.
A journalist isn't supposed
to fall in love
with his subject, so...
But you did.
LUTE: What did he say?
Who? What?
Mr. C, when you
told him about it.
He said,
"Keep telling stories
"and through the stories
we will find redemption."
TESS:
Thanks for giving me a ride.
That's why I have
a passenger seat.
So, what's
your thing, Tess?
What's your field?
Art.
Art. Cool.
So you knew him
really well?
Sam? Yeah.
Did he ever mention me?
Yeah. He spoke
very highly of you.
He said your work
was very strong.
Strong? He said that?
I guess he probably
mentioned that big
arts-and-crafts fair
we had last year, right?
Are you kidding?
He was so proud of the way you
guys put the whole thing together.
He talked about
the crafts and the arts...
God, fuck.
Did you even know him?
- What?
There is no
arts-and-crafts fair.
Okay.
- I think I'm gonna be sick.
Okay.
- What else did you lie about?
Hey. Hey. It was
a long time ago, okay?
I did go to college
with him.
You said best friends.
I know. That was those twins.
They said it.
They're not twins.
- Well, whatever they are.
The girls with the...
The twinsey-type girls said that
and I didn't feel it was
my place to correct...
Oh, so you just lied.
Look, it seemed like
they needed to hear that,
you know, that he
really loved you guys.
And I may not have been
around to hear it firsthand,
but I knew Sam and,
you know, I...
He was a dedicated man,
and I'm sure whatever I said
was entirely true.
I'm going to tell you
something, all right?
He didn't fall off that roof.
He jumped.
He wasn't a hero or a martyr.
He just...
He gave a little too much love,
and he couldn't take it back.
To whom? To you?
Why don't you ask Lucy?
Lucy knows why he's dead.
Second house on the right.
Is that your...
Your dad's waiting for you...
That's not my dad.
(CAR DOOR CLOSES)
(SIGHS)
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Tess? It's Uncle Rick.
(LOCKING DOOR)
It's okay.
Your dad's asleep.
Come on, honey. Open up.
(DOORKNOB RATTLING)
18, 17, 16...
You remember?
I remember.
So take teenagers as
this subpopulation,
these desperate
thrill-seeking beasts.
Sexuality practically
oozes out of them.
They're potent.
Then take the rejects,
the disturbed,
the misunderstood,
the unteachable,
and you set them apart, isolate
them from their peer group.
Are you with me?
Isolated, potent rejects.
Gotcha.
Okay. Then along comes a teacher,
an almost-priest, who says,
"In my classroom you are free from
those repressive societal constraints."
He says,
"You can do whatever you like
"without fear of
being judged,"
and they accept.
And maybe the teacher feels
like a god for doing this,
or maybe he feels
like he's gone too far
and he can't
find his way back.
Maybe this almost-priest
thinks he's Jesus,
and who can blame him with
such loyal and lusty disciples?
Where's
the Christa connection?
CAMPBELL:
Well, that's it, isn't it?
It's the murky
side of heroism.
It's the anti-Christa.
These kids have been touched,
they're unshackled.
It's not really
a newspaper article.
It's more like a novel.
And that doesn't help you,
but you're getting the condensed version.
And what about Angela,
the articles?
Are we done with that now?
Now that's done?
If that's your decision.
She's just one woman,
you know.
I mean, it must've
been pretty exhausting
reading about
herself every night.
I'm not fighting you.
Fine.
But I want to see a draft on
the Christa article by tomorrow.
Okay, but that is
the Christa article.
No, it's not.
Tomorrow. And then you can
dance with the devil all you want.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
PENELOPE: Mr. Babbitt?
Mr. Babbitt, I hope
I'm not disturbing you.
No, no.
Because I was
feeling very guilty
about how rude I was
to you this afternoon.
Don't mention it.
Oh, you're very kind.
I have something for you.
His family,
they're in California.
They asked me to
give away his clothing.
Oh, no, no.
I couldn't possibly.
Don't be silly.
That jacket you
were wearing sure won't
be able to tackle
a New Hampshire winter.
Why don't you try it on?
Try it on.
If it doesn't fit,
I will have to give
it to someone else.
Okay. Sure.
- Put it on.
Let's see. Turn around.
You're just his size.
Warm.
Those kids, they just...
I lose my dignity
when I'm around them.
They know all my secrets.
Well, you know
that Sam demanded
his students be
completely honest with him.
It went both ways.
I don't think Sam would...
I know he did.
He told me he did.
To earn their trust, he had to
be completely honest with them.
You knew that Sam and I
were engaged, didn't you?
No. I mean, no...
I don't think he...
Really?
He never told you?
Yes, he mentioned it.
I remember.
Well, a mention.
This is a nice room.
I used to have this room.
Sam used to visit me here.
(SNIFFLING)
I'm sorry. It's just so
hard to take in sometimes.
It's all right.
- Thank you.
It's okay.
Thank you.
I need a hug.
Okay.
Oh, dear.
Yeah. No.
Oh, God.
You've been very kind.
Okay. That's, you know...
FENSTER:
Mr. B! Hey, Campbell Babbitt!
Hey. What's happening?
Jim stole the coffin.
Mr. C's coffin,
with Mr. C in it.
SYLVIA: We left one in there.
It was from the showroom.
We even put
a stop sign in it.
For weight.
- Yeah.
So, where's the coffin?
CAMPBELL: Did Jim do this
by himself?
FENSTER: No. We helped.
CAMPBELL:
So you all stole the coffin?
Must've been tricky.
FENSTER: It's got handles.
LUCY: Nice coat.
CAMPBELL: Thank you.
Well?
Well done.
Yeah?
Yeah, sure.
LUTE: Isn't he going to
rot or something?
CAMPBELL: It's on ice.
Oh, my gosh.
That's right.
Well, that's
a fucking load off.
Do you have a...
No, I'm good.
Did you ever used to
smoke grass with Sam?
Well, I think Lucy did
one time, right, Jim?
Yo, man, you got a light?
He was irreplaceable,
you know?
There's no one
like him anywhere.
No one could
take his place.
No one's trying to, Jim.
As much as
we might want it.
LUCY: Come, gentle night,
come, loving, black-brow'd night
Bring me my Romeo:
and, when he shall die
Cut him out
in little stars
And he will make
the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will
be in love with night.
Juliet.
Mr. C was her director.
Satellite.
(CHUCKLING)
Hey, man. Want some?
The sensei?
Uh-uh.
- Uh-uh.
Well, if you insist.
I would love to.
Great.
- Great.
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING ON TAPE)
What are you
looking for, Ezra?
I don't know.
I can't believe that McAuliffe
chick gets to go up into all that.
CAMPBELL: Maybe she'll
bump into Sam.
EZRA: Maybe.
I once said his name three
times and it started to rain.
I swear to God.
Oh, can you put
that in your story?
CAMPBELL: Of course, I can.
We saw his face.
In a cloud.
He was smiling.
CAMPBELL: Perfect.
# She opened her hand and
they flew across the room
(LAUGHING)
# How the morning skies
are high
# I watch them as they turn
from black to blue
ANN: Do you think
he might do it?
SUE: Take over for Mr. C?
# I was dreaming
of boats last night
# Boats in the desert and
anchors and bridges and you #
(CHUCKLING)
# Do, do, do, do, do, do, nine
# Do, do, do, do, do, do,
eight
# Do, do, do, do, do, do, do,
seven
# Do, do, do, do, do,
doobie, doobie doobie, six
# Do, do, do, do, do, do, do,
five #
You look ridiculous.
Hey, Lucy!
(DOOR SLAMS CLOSED)
(BABY GURGLING)
# Do, do, do, do, do, do, do,
two
# Do, do, do, do, do, do, do,
one #
(GRUNTS)
(ENGINE STARTING)
Attention all students.
Due to cold water... Weather in Florida,
the Challenger shuttle
launch has been postponed,
so consequently we won't be
having a celebration assembly.
However, I have it
from very good sources
that tomorrow
will be the day.
Please all stand.
STUDENTS: I pledge allegiance to the
flag of the United States of America
and to the Republic
for which it stands.
One Nation under God, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.
(PIANO PLAYING)
# Can you feel
the heat from the boosters?
# Can you feel
the boost from the heat?
# On the Challenger... #
I can't hear you!
Very nice, Lute.
I fixed the spelling.
I see. I see.
Hey, Lute, can you
come and sit down?
I have to ask you a very,
very serious question.
This Mr. Babbitt,
the reporter,
I can't tell
what he's up to. Turn.
Has he been talking to any of the
students, asking them questions?
No. Lute, if you were to be
my assistant choir mistress...
Miss Little, I really don't
know anything about it.
Lute, when do you go
in front of the judge?
Is that tomorrow?
This afternoon.
Well, I wrote you
a very glowing affidavit.
Turn.
Very glowing, despite what I
told you I think of shoplifters.
It was only a pair of jeans,
and just that one time.
I know.
That's why I wrote it.
But it's a...
Turn. ...legal document
that I signed, swearing
to God that you're...
Oh, that's your cue.
Go. Go, go, go, go, go.
# 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 #
Ready, go!
# 2, 1!
# Countdown!
# To a higher place
# Countdown!
# Yeah, we're talking about space #
# Heroes
# Forever and ever
# What d'you say?
# I, I wish you could swim
# Like the dolphins... #
"Sam Callalucci,
Ethics Committee.
"On receipt of this letter, you are
informed of immediate suspension.
"...inappropriate relationship
with a student."
(PANTING)
Lucy and Mr. C
were in love.
How could that
be inappropriate?
Who would tell on them?
Who would do
something like that?
Some jealous dimwit.
Yes, yes,
jealous, definitely.
PENELOPE: ...on the beat.
Oh, my God.
- Oh, my God.
PENELOPE: Listen to the beat.
May I help you?
Yeah, if I wanted to find a newspaper
article, how would I do that?
Do you know
the periodical?
Do you know the author?
Yeah, I know the author.
Huh.
Doesn't say she died.
Hi, Gina.
I need to speak to Donna.
It's Campbell Babbitt.
GINA: Hold on, Babbitt.
Donna will talk to you.
Hi.
- Hi.
A bunch of us are getting
together tonight at Peggy's,
you know, the girl
in the wheelchair.
Her parents are
out of town.
She's got a heated
pool and a hot tub.
Get out of the cold
and wet.
You should come,
you know, for the article.
Of course.
842 Hemlock Drive.
Okay.
You going to
remember that?
Yeah.
How are you going to do that
if you don't write it down?
Half of eight is four,
half of four is two
and Socrates killed himself
by drinking hemlock, so...
The Greek guy?
Indeed.
"Indeed."
(STUTTERING) No, I'm still here.
I'm waiting.
Why did he kill himself?
Well, he was
arrested and he thought
the charges
against him were a joke,
so he did it as
a kind of protest.
I bet you know why
he was arrested, too.
Maybe.
Two charges.
Disrespecting the gods.
They didn't like independent thinkers
then anymore than they do now.
The second reason?
Corrupting the young.
Indeed.
Are you trying to
educate me, Mr. Babbitt?
Just in case your memory
isn't what it used to be.
Come on.
842 Hemlock.
See you tonight.
- Okay.
DONNA OVER PHONE: Campbell?
Campbell, are you there?
Gina, I don't hear him.
Campbell?
Oh, hi, Donna.
Yes, listen...
DONNA: Shut up and sit down.
Are you sitting?
Yeah, sure.
We just got advance word.
You, my dear,
are on the shortlist for...
Are you ready?
What?
The Pulitzer Prize.
(DONNA LAUGHING)
The goddamn
fucking Pulitzer Prize.
What for?
What for? Angela.
What else, you nitwit?
Um.
He said "um."
Listen.
Call me tonight, all right?
You still have
my home phone?
No. Give it to me again.
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
World newsroom.
DONNA: I need you down here
first thing in the morning.
We're going to
hook you and Angela up
to an interview with
one of the affiliates.
(STUTTERING) No.
We can't do that.
We can't?
Angela wouldn't go for it.
What happened? Did the two of
you have a spat or something?
No. Fuck off.
I was bad.
Yeah. Damn right.
Listen, why don't you give me
her number and I'll call her?
Campbell, do you want
to win this thing or not?
No.
No. God, no.
Angela's not dead.
I'm sorry. I don't know where
you would have heard that.
I see. Okay. Thank you.
Huh.
(ROCK SONG PLAYING)
# I don't know what's wrong
with this mess it's my calamity
# Baby, go on,
pleasure me, whisper in my ear
# There is something happening
We're on a different frequency
# Louder than my cavalry
coming on the hills
# I don't wanna cry...
(INAUDIBLE)
Oh, my God.
# I don't want to cry
with people talking
# I don't want to stand here
and feel sorry #
Hi. You must be Peggy.
Oh, lucky guess.
You must be the reporter
everyone wants to fuck.
Hey.
Hello.
Hey, watch the trousers.
(GIRLS CHUCKLING)
I didn't notice that.
Sorry. Hi.
Okay.
You found it.
- Yeah.
This was his copy.
I think he would have
wanted you to have it.
Where did you find this?
It was in his desk.
Those drawers were locked.
I happened upon some keys.
I like your style.
CAMPBELL: I can't stay.
Why not?
I've gotta go
back to New York.
But what about the article?
They don't guarantee they're
going to print everything,
so I don't have any
control over that.
Won't you just sit
down for a minute?
Are you nervous
about something?
CAMPBELL: I'm just antsy.
You know,
I want to get going.
The weather's
terrible, so...
Look at Peggy.
You know what happened?
She got hit by
a Yum-Yum Chicken truck.
Made a bundle
off the lawsuit.
They put her in the Shed because
it's handicapped-accessible.
That really pissed her off,
so she snapped or something
and I guess they decided
she really did belong there.
What made you belong there?
Too many mistakes,
I guess.
Don't worry
about it, Fenster.
Okay.
Hey, you know you've got a
real sleek wheelchair, Peg.
Some of them have
got no style and stuff,
but yours has got
real lines, you know?
My grandpa, he actually,
like, invented stuff
for handicapped people,
like crutches and walkers, and...
You told me he was
a movie director.
Yeah, he did that first.
Hey, that must be
you from...
PEGGY: Fenster, come on.
Yeah. Coming.
They've all just
forgotten him already.
Of course,
we have you now.
The question is,
what are you going to do with us?
(SIGHS)
I really have to go.
No, you can't.
You haven't interviewed me.
Do you need a hand
with that at all?
Keep talking, Fenster.
Tell me about your
grandmother or something.
Okay, yeah. She was
friends with everybody,
you know, like,
everybody in the neighborhood,
like, presidents and
famous guitar players and...
She spoke Latin and
she liked horses a lot.
She actually had a couple of horses,
and she could drive a blimp.
Yeah, she was actually one
of the first to ever do that.
Fenster,
I need you to
do me a favor.
Like?
- Like...
Why me?
Because no one
will ever believe you.
I need you to...
Okay.
Yeah. Sure, Peg.
Okay.
(SUE SCREAMING)
SUE: You run like a girl.
ANN: I am a girl, you dink.
Where's the reporter?
He'll be back.
What does it
feel like, Fenster?
I need to know
what it feels like.
I don't know.
You don't know?
Good.
What do...
What do you mean, good?
You're pulling my...
- Good?
(MUSIC PLAYING)
# A love like that
# Does it have to be
a love like that? #
Ibuprofen. You-buprofen.
We-all-buprofen.
Ah. Mother's little helper.
Hi, Tess.
I know you lied
about that woman, Angela.
Remember? She's dead.
You really fucked me
up with that story.
You really got us all
feeling so bad for you.
But she's not dead,
is she?
So what,
you read my articles?
Yeah.
I went to the library.
I was reading about this
woman and her poor son.
It doesn't say she died.
You just killed her off,
I mean, to buy our sympathy.
I mean,
what kind of asshole lies?
I didn't kill her off.
- Yeah, you did.
You lied about Angela.
I didn't...
You lied about knowing Mr. C.
I mean, what...
I didn't lie.
What's wrong?
Nothing, I'm fine.
(VOMITING)
Are you okay?
You have some...
You've still got some stuff.
It's this stomach
virus that I have.
Maybe you should go home,
(SCOFFS)
unless that's where
you caught the virus.
What's that
supposed to mean?
Just, you know...
Just what I said.
Oh, fuck you.
Seriously, fuck you.
Don't think you know me.
You don't fucking know me.
Hey, hey. Just...
- You don't know anything about me!
Hey, listen, just because
you have problems at home...
Fuck you!
Don't take it out on me.
- Why not you?
Well, okay. You know what?
You know what? You're right.
You're right... You're
right about everything.
Angela's alive and well.
I used her,
I lied, and you win.
I'm out of here.
Have a nice life.
Just stay away from Lucy.
No, don't... You don't know anything
about me, either, sweetheart.
There's nothing
wrong with...
It's none of your business.
Yeah, well,
I'll make it my business.
I swear I will.
That's interesting,
because someone
made it their business
to notify the school
there was an
inappropriate relationship
between a student
and Sam.
You wouldn't happen to know
anything about that, would you?
It's all right.
I won't tell your friends,
even though
they'd be very unhappy.
Yeah, well...
Well, I saw them together,
Mr. C and Lucy,
having sex in the Shed.
What was I supposed to do?
Look, you may have
done the right thing,
but just be careful
where you point that finger.
I'm not Sam.
Yeah, well,
you sure fooled Lucy.
Lucy is a very confused girl.
I'm just...
What, a nice guy?
Yes.
Yeah, and I've got
a stomach virus.
(DOOR OPENS)
(DOOR CLOSES)
Well, Reverend Father,
we hear you,
but we Americans believe with
you that even the humblest...
He's got
really great hair.
...to be free.
My fellow citizens,
Members of the House,
let us not take the
path of least resistance
in Central America again.
Hey, Campbell.
- Oh, hi.
Get us some beer?
I... I... I have to go back
to New York, yeah, so...
It's been great
meeting you guys,
and I'll see you.
(TIRES SPINNING)
(KNOCKING)
Come on.
We can take my car.
No, what I really
need now is a push.
I don't push.
Jim and Ezra are inside, but
after that rude exit of yours...
You know,
you made Sue cry.
Oh, Jesus.
I'm just saying
it'd be a lot better
if you came back
with some beer.
It'll take five minutes.
(DOOR OPENS)
Jim! Jim, wait up.
We figured it out.
We just wanted
to let you know.
It had to be Miss Little who told on them.
- We know who it was.
Who else?
- Who else?
She was jealous.
Lucy and Mr. C
were in love.
But she's not going
to get away with it.
Do you want to
hear our plan?
We have a plan.
- It's really good.
Not really, no.
- No?
Maybe later.
She's not
coming back, James.
Don't call me James.
What?
Do you think those keys you found
would open Mr. C's apartment?
Don't you want to?
No.
Maybe he meant
for us to come here.
You go first.
No, no.
No, I'll go first.
(JESUS PLAYING)
# Jesus, help me find
my proper place
# Jesus, help me find
my proper place
# Help me in my weakness
Oh, my God.
# 'Cause I'm falling
out of grace
# Jesus, Jesus
Did you find anything?
No, no.
I thought I might find this
gold necklace that I gave him.
It was a cross, but...
(CLEARING THROAT) I'm...
I'm going to go on the roof
and take a look.
You want to come?
No, you stay here.
I'll be back later.
# Jesus, help me find
my proper place
# Help me in my weakness
# 'Cause I'm falling
out of grace
# Jesus, Jesus #
Stupid.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Hello?
Yes?
Oh, my God. You're never going
to believe what just happened.
This neighbor woman came in and
thought that I was his niece,
so I said, "Thanks for the coffee cake.
Really sweet of you."
Just like I thought
maybe his niece might say.
Lucy. Lucy. Lucy.
I want to see.
- No, no, no. No.
Come... Come here.
Let your passions
overwhelm your fears.
Is that what he said?
He said it to me.
Look, Lucy, you are a very,
very, very beautiful young woman.
But this would be...
A mistake?
Yes.
Is it Angela?
No.
I understand.
You're afraid to love again.
Me, too.
It hurts so much.
Even when it's right,
it hurts.
But if we were afraid of it,
it would be so sad.
We would be just
like everyone else. Sad.
I can't... I...
No, no, no.
Let's not...
Stop. Look...
Look. You're very young.
I'm 17.
(SIGHS) It's not like it doesn't
happen all the time.
Yeah, well, you know, be that as
it may, there are boundaries. We...
Actions have consequences.
We can't just
flit around saying
we're gonna keep
the dead from dying.
We can't, okay?
I'm sorry if I led you on,
but let's just come out
and say it, right?
Sam's dead.
Angela's dead.
I'm not Sam and
you're not Angela.
Okay, answer me this.
Why did Sam jump?
Perhaps he crossed
a line with you
that he couldn't
come back from.
That's not
what happened.
You can't...
No, you don't know that.
You know, it's not
really love when...
It's never a mistake.
Lucy, let's not...
Let's not do this.
You don't think
that he loved me.
I think he was confused...
- Shut up.
Just... Please.
I went swimming
once at this quarry,
and everyone was jumping off
this kind of cliff thing,
and I got in line
and jumped.
It was high enough
that I had time to think,
to think, like, "I'm still
falling, I haven't landed yet."
Do you think that
he had time to think?
I guess he did.
You think he was
thinking about me?
No.
No?
I thought you understood.
My God.
God!
Someone help!
(SCREAMING)
(DOOR OPENS)
What do you want?
Oh, my God!
Where did you find that?
It was on the roof.
Throw it.
I was wrong.
He was thinking about you.
I thought he was jumping, but he
must've been going for the necklace.
Campbell,
maybe you were right.
Maybe we shouldn't...
Don't... Don't say that.
You know, he was torn
from your life.
The ground
opened up beneath you.
What are you supposed to do, float?
That's bollocks.
You reach out
and you flail,
try and grab hold
of something or someone.
You know,
you reached out for me,
and I didn't take
your hand, and I...
You know, it's...
You need it and I need it.
And it doesn't matter how
crazy that looks on the outside.
I'm not outside, I'm...
You know,
metaphorically speaking.
Obviously, you know, I'm...
Actually...
Where are you going?
(CAMPBELL GRUNTING)
Campbell.
Campbell, what
the fuck are you doing? Hey.
(SHUSHING)
My parents.
Just... Just to talk.
We've said so much already.
We don't have to talk.
I just... Look,
I just know that I needed
to see you.
That's all I knew.
Campbell, no. Please.
Look, I'm sorry.
No, I know.
Look, I know that you would never...
- I didn't mean to...
I would never, you know...
I'm not...
I just thought that if...
That maybe I could...
If I could be whatever
you wanted me to be...
Oh, my God.
Are you okay?
Yeah, I'm fine.
Be careful.
(SIGHS)
Look, I'm sorry, okay?
This is...
I'm going to go. Yeah.
Oh.
Are you still
going to New York?
There's nothing
there for me.
I can't stay here. Can I?
Hey, what about tomorrow?
Tomorrow?
Yeah, tomorrow, after school.
Maybe we should talk.
And we can meet at the lake.
Well, I don't
want you to feel...
I want to.
You sure?
Aren't you?
You do my
thinking for me, okay?
Okay.
Okay.
- Okay.
Okay.
(SHIVERING)
Mr. Campbell,
what are you doing?
I'm just going to my room.
I rented your room
this morning.
You told me you
were checking out.
Fine.
It's very late.
I do have...
Oh, and that woman, Donna,
she keeps calling for you.
Oh.
Don't worry about her.
Not for
a grown man, but...
No, no, it's great, really.
It's...
He's in
military school now.
Oh.
Well, they can be so...
So restless at that age.
Well, at any age.
"You shall go to the ball."
We have to seek
before we can find,
find out what God
meant for us to be.
Don't let them beat
that out of your son.
No, I won't, Mr. Campbell.
Campbell is my first name.
What's yours?
Barbara.
Barbara. Lovely.
Thank you, Barbara.
No, no, thank you, Mr...
Campbell.
Night-night.
Good night.
(UNZIPPING)
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
Fuck.
(GURGLING)
(BABY CHOKING)
Fuck.
It's okay. It's okay.
Okay. It's all right.
Okay. Okay.
(BABY CRYING)
Okay. Okay.
He... He was choking.
He was choking on Mars.
Remote. Little.
Remote.
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
Hello?
PEGGY: Fenster.
Oh, hey.
You going to school today?
No. I don't like it there.
Right.
Can I come over?
Yeah. Yeah, definitely.
Okay.
- Okay.
Bye.
- Bye.
DICK: I'm sure I'm speaking
for all of us
when I say that we
were really looking forward
to this morning's excitement.
I spoke with my man at NASA,
and she assures me and urges
us all to keep our chins up.
So, the celebration assembly
will have to wait for another day.
However, tonight's musical
salute to Miss McAuliffe,
Blast Off, produced by
Miss Penelope Little, is good to go.
Lucy, can I
ask you a favor?
Are you sure? Because I...
I bought condoms.
Yes. I can't get pregnant,
okay? Ever.
Wow.
That must make you
kind of sad, huh?
Yeah, kind of.
Let's just do this.
Yes, ma'am.
The one that smells good.
(CRAZY RHYTHMS PLAYING)
Fenster, honey!
Fenster, honey!
Fenster up there.
# Well, all right
# I don't wanna go
I say, "All right"
# You never listen
to me anyway #
Well, you know, it's kind
of complicated with you.
And what would
you have me do?
I don't know. Like, moan or...
Or something?
Get off. Get off.
I want to get up.
MRS. ITSKY: Fenster!
Oh, God. No, no, no.
Just a second!
Fenster!
Fenster, help me up.
Just a second, Mom!
Fenster. I'm stuck.
(GASPS)
Hi, Mrs. Itsky.
You've been shopping?
(STAMMERING) Mr. Campbell...
Mr. Babbitt...
You have a phone call.
Take a message.
She said it was urgent.
Tell her I'm dead.
Tell her I quit
and I'm dead.
(STAMMERING) Oh.
Mr. Babbitt, I don't think
that I would feel very
comfortable telling...
Oh, fuck.
Do you think you could take the phone?
- Lucy.
DONNA: Gina, get me the thing.
No, the other thing.
Babbitt.
Hey, Fenster,
have you seen Lucy?
Uh-uh.
What are you doing now?
Well, the whole sex
thing is kind of weird,
but I'm not
really sure because
I don't really have
much to compare it to.
Know what I mean?
Wait a minute,
that was your first time?
Don't tell Peggy.
Well, I doubt any
experience is going
to prepare you
for sex with Peggy.
Yeah. It's a whole
different ball of wax.
But, you know,
if you stick enough lubricant
in just about anything,
you're good to go.
Second entrance
on the right.
Sure.
- I used to use mayonnaise a lot.
Mayonnaise is good,
except it makes
your thing smell
like a sandwich.
The thing is,
with Peggy...
The thing is,
I think I love her.
What's her name?
FENSTER: That's Lute.
What's she doing?
Shit.
Hey!
(WHISTLING)
Lute?
Hey! Have you seen Lucy?
Lucy?
CAMPBELL: Yeah.
No.
What is that?
What are you doing?
My punishment.
The judge said I do this,
and it won't go
on my record.
What did you steal?
Do you know
Antonio Calvache?
What, jeans?
Everyone is
wearing Calvache.
FENSTER: Calvache,
Calvache, Calvache.
And I swore I'd never...
Hi, Fenster.
I'd never do it again.
Well, you're done.
What? But...
You're done.
Okay.
Come on. Get in.
My mom's picking me up.
You'll probably find
Lucy at the musical.
Musical? When is that?
7:00.
Okay, fantastic.
I have to be there at 6:00.
I'm the assistant
choral mistress.
Got somewhere to be?
No.
I'll catch him later.
Is it going to hurt?
WOMAN: Tess Sullivan?
Sit with me?
PENELOPE: Yup, yup, yup,
yup, yup, yup, yup.
STUDENTS: Yup, yup, yup,
yup, yup, yup, yup.
Great.
Ten minutes till curtain.
Articulate and project.
And remember, it's all right if
they don't understand the show
as long as they...
STUDENTS: Understand the words.
- Understand the words.
Where have you been?
I've been looking all over for you, Lute.
I drove by
Good Shopping earlier
and I didn't see you.
What is going on?
I'm not doing it anymore.
I said I was sorry and
I gave the stuff back,
and besides, Mr. Babbitt
says I've suffered enough.
If I were you, Lute, I would
steer very clear of Mr. Babbitt.
He is part of the problem.
He is not part of the...
You know what?
I don't even know
why I'm wasting time
with this nonsense!
I have a show to do.
Places, everybody!
Places, everybody!
No. Miss Little,
I think you're wrong.
And if that makes me
part of the problem, too,
then I guess that's
just fine with me.
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
We are here tonight
to celebrate heroism.
And now, I'd like
to introduce the real
creative juice behind
tonight's festivities,
our choir mistress and volleyball
coach, Miss Penelope Little.
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
We would like to dedicate
tonight's performance
not only to our
beloved teacher in space,
but also to the next
generation of heroes.
They could be our neighbors,
or one of our fellow students.
The young man I wish
to honor tonight is both.
He's one of our students,
and he's my neighbor.
He came upon our little Gustav
choking in his cradle
and he screwed his courage to the
sticking place and came to the rescue.
And so, ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to present
tonight's
Exemplary Citizenry Medal
to James Arneson Lement.
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
Jim, you're a hero!
And now, let's blast off!
(PIANO PLAYING)
# And when you find
what you're looking for
# Up there in the stars
# Don't forget why
you went so far
# So far from our hearts
# You are going to
tell us what you see
# You will enlighten us
# Better we will be #
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Take me ashore.
Are you sure?
We don't have to.
I'm feeling optimistic.
Fenster!
(MOANING)
It's a miracle.
(CAMPBELL SIGHING)
Hey. You can breathe.
I'm okay.
You know,
I just want you to know
I don't have
any expectations.
I don't really expect...
Why didn't you come
to the lake today?
I don't know.
You have a change of heart?
No.
I was... I was with Tess.
What were you doing?
Helping her out
with something.
What is it?
What's wrong?
I'm fine.
- No, you're not.
What did she say?
Did she talk about me?
No. Why would she?
This wasn't about you.
Well, I'm sorry.
But, you know,
Tess is very angry.
She has her reasons.
I know she does.
What do you know?
She's pregnant.
Not anymore.
Why did you
go with her?
Because she
asked me to. Jesus.
Yeah, but why you?
She needed a friend and she
asked me to sit with her.
What, through
the whole procedure?
Yeah.
I didn't know
you two were so close.
Well, we're
a lot closer now.
I'm a bit surprised.
It must have been disturbing.
No wonder
you're so distant.
What is your problem?
I don't trust her.
You don't need
to protect me.
You know, actually,
I think I do.
It was Tess
that turned Sam in.
What are you talking about?
You. You and Sam.
She saw you together
in the Shed being intimate.
That's not possible.
Well, maybe it
wasn't the Shed, then.
Well, whatever.
She saw you.
Look, it's not possible that
she saw anything between us.
Not possible?
We never...
- Never what?
Tess lied.
You never what?
- What do you want?
You know, right now, the truth
would be really fucking great.
We never did it, okay?
We never had sex.
Well, okay, fine.
Maybe she saw you
doing something else.
He was my teacher.
That's all.
So what are
you telling me?
I'm sorry.
I'm trying to understand.
What about the necklace?
- What about it?
You gave it to him.
He reached out for it.
It was...
We all gave it to him.
It was from all of us, okay?
I picked it out.
You lied. You said
you were in love.
I was.
And that he loved you.
He did.
Come on! You know what...
You know what everyone was thinking,
what everyone believed,
what I believed,
and what Tess
clearly believed.
Tess was lying.
It seems like everyone was.
Didn't anybody ever assume
anything about you before,
and you just
let it stand?
And when he was gone, even if it was
a lie, that's all I had left of him.
Can you understand that?
Is it a crime?
It can be.
What do I do?
You correct it.
You tell the truth.
I'm sorry.
I have no right.
I have no right
whatsoever. I...
I lied, too.
I don't want to hear it.
Sam and I... Angela.
I don't want to hear it!
(DOOR OPENS)
(DOOR CLOSES)
Oh, hey.
KIDS: # Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six
# ...five, four, three,
two, one!
# Countdown!
# To a higher place
# Countdown!
- # Countdown!
# Yeah,
we're talking about space
# Countdown!
- # Countdown!
# To the Blast-Off
Challenger Show
# Countdown!
- # Countdown!
# To a higher place
- # To a higher place
# Countdown!
- # Countdown!
(STOPS PLAYING PIANO)
# Yeah,
we're talking about space
# Countdown...#
It was you, wasn't it?
Miss Little?
PENELOPE:
Don't you fucking deny it!
How could you?
After all I've...
(AUDIENCE EXCLAIMING)
No, no, no.
Oh!
Hi. Is there a Campbell
Babbitt staying here?
How the hell did you
ever find this place?
Donna.
Campbell.
You never called me.
Yes. No, I'm sorry.
Well, if the mountain
doesn't come to Mohammed,
Mohammed comes
to the mountain.
What?
You won the Pulitzer,
the goddamn Pulitzer.
Congratulations.
And there's no time
for navel-gazing.
You have
an interview with NBC
in the morning,
pre-launch coverage.
They needed filler, so
they're gonna squeeze you in
between NASA geeks
and Christa's Aunt Bitsy.
What do they want me to say?
They want you to
talk about heroes.
You're an expert now.
Here, I bought you a suit.
Well, I guess I'm
gonna have to do it then.
Good. Maybe I'll finally
get an update on Angela.
Angela.
An update from you.
Yes, no, you will.
Everybody will.
Good.
Then I'll take you back.
You don't have to
do the Christa thing.
Fuck it.
I was just trying to
shake you up a little.
Yeah.
Okay, well,
I have a few details
I have to wrap up
for the morning.
So, I'll see you at 8:30?
Okay.
Cam, you could at least...
All right.
8:30. Don't be late.
I'll be early.
Right.
Well, congratulations.
(CHAINSAW WHIRRING)
(DOOR ALARM BEEPS)
Donna, could you have someone
deliver this for me, please?
Kerry, is the water
coming like I asked?
(MAN ANNOUNCING ON PA)
DONNA: Jesus,
I hope that doesn't keep up.
So it's going
to be to camera.
Tom's in New York on a live
feed through your earpiece.
Kerry, where's his earpiece?
You okay?
Yeah, you're okay.
I thought
you were leaving.
Not yet.
You got your souvenir.
Now get the fuck
out of here.
I mean it.
- Don't... Don't do that.
What, am I ruining
that king-of-the-mountain
feeling you must
be having right now?
Tess.
I just hope you
wore a rubber.
And listen,
nothing happened.
Fuck you.
- All right, then.
A lot happened,
more than it should have.
But not what you think.
Is that makeup?
What are you doing?
I'm doing a TV interview.
(SCOFFS) Great.
Look, before I...
(BELL RINGING)
Before I tell the world...
What...
What are you talking about?
Can I... Look.
Come here, come here, please.
MAN ON PA: TVs are set up, we're
gonna watch Christa go, go, go!
Tess.
I want to talk to you
about Angela. You know...
I know.
No. No, no, no.
She... She killed herself.
This is the truth.
When I told you all
she died,
I didn't mean to be honest.
The first article
was the truth.
She lost someone
so dear to her,
more precious
than her own life,
and I loved her.
That's the truth.
At least that's...
That's how I felt.
And the second article
and the ones that followed,
she was already dead.
And now I'm
being given an award
for illuminating a life
which she chose to end.
I don't know if it's
my fault, maybe, or...
MAN ON PA: Come on, people,
settle down.
Take your seats.
She was in pain.
It was her choice.
But I rejected her choice,
and she deserves better.
And I don't know
what I deserve,
but it's not
a fucking award.
What do you want from me?
Sam's dead.
I know.
Thanks. I'm really
not confused on that.
And you didn't
see him with Lucy,
except perhaps in the way
you wanted to see him.
You weren't there.
I know.
You don't know.
Lucy knows.
She doesn't know.
Come on.
What? You didn't see the
way they were together.
After-school
Romeo and Juliet.
It was the way
that he looked at her.
It's the same way
that you look at her.
You have that same look.
And how close
did you come, huh?
I was protecting her.
You lied, and that's okay.
I understand
you were hurting.
You know, I don't
need your forgiveness.
Okay? You have no idea
what I was feeling.
Don't I?
We both believed
what we need to believe.
I'm sorry that
Mr. C is dead, okay?
You have no idea
how sorry I am.
But what am I supposed to do,
go on TV and apologize?
To who?
He's the one that
I need to apologize to,
but he's not here
to forgive me, is he?
No, he's not!
And it just makes me so mad.
Not at him.
Not at him, just at
the way things are.
At the way that
things just disappear.
(PEOPLE CLAPPING)
(CHEERING)
Did you love her?
Yes, I loved her.
So, then why are you
going to kill her again?
So you can get something
off of your chest?
Well, what about
the rest of us?
(DOOR OPENS)
PRINCIPAL:
The TVs aren't working.
We're well aware
of the problem.
And please, please,
settle down, everybody.
(CROWD CHEERING)
She's so fair and
beautiful, a true Juliet.
I especially love when
she turns a pirouette.
MAN:
In ten, nine, eight, seven...
Are you ready?
Yes, I'm ready.
...four...
Yes, Tom, I am.
Of course, no story is
without its omissions.
No journalist is
completely objective.
Because, Tom,
the truth is...
The truth is...
(DOOR OPENS)
What did you tell them?
I told them.
I told them she died.
I told them
she died a hero.
We need as many as we
can get, wouldn't you say?
(SIGHS)
Hey, what about your award?
Award?
Yeah. Did you give it back?
Well, you see, we can't
all be heroes, you know?
Some of us have to just sit on
the curb and clap while they go by.
Did you just make that up?
Think so.
See you.
Okay.
Good.
MAN ON RADIO:
Nine, eight, seven, six...
We have main engine start.
Four, three, two...
MAN ON RADIO: When Jesus died,
God guided the Apostles' pens and
gave us the gospel truth...
(HEROES PLAYING ON RADIO)
# I, I will be king
# And you, you will be queen
# Though nothing will
drive them away
# We can be heroes
just for one day
# We can be heroes
# We can be heroes
# We can be heroes
just for one day
# We can be heroes #
(OTHER DAY PLAYING)
# On a day
like any other day
# Sky so blue it could
take your breath away
# And what could
ever fall apart
# On a day like it is today
# Kind of day you'd climb
to the top of the world
# To see your life unfurl
# Before your very eyes
# But when it falls apart
# Then you realize
# This is all a countdown
# To a higher place
# Countdown into
some outer space
# Maybe it's a day when
the angels will come to sing
# Or maybe it's a day
when the devil comes
# To bring a fate
# You couldn't imagine
in your wildest dreams
# Countdown to a higher place
# Countdown into
some outer space
# Never mind the smoke
and mirrors left behind you
# Don't you go
There's nothing there
# To really bind you
# Just let go
and all your destiny
# Will find you
wherever you are