Wild Tigers I Have Known (2006) - full transcript

Junior high in a time of rotary phones. Cougars have been spotted in the area. Logan is 13, the odd kid, with an active imagination and few friends. His young, single mother seems stressed. Latency is giving way to puberty, and Logan, who keeps a tube of lipstick in his dresser, may be gay or, more mysterious, transgender. He stares at himself in the mirror. He becomes friends with Rodeo, older and more mature, good-looking, with girlfriends. They take walks. Logan calls Rodeo and pretends to be a girl. Will he disclose himself to Rodeo? The kids at school talk. The school wants to promote kindness and tolerance. There are stories of child suicide. How do we find our way?

I've been thinking about charity

you know...giving myself to others...

I'm here at
Clausen Middle School,

where only hours ago a mountain lion
was shot dead.

Parents, neighbors and teachers
were all shaken up...

yet thankful that no one was hurt.

Animal Control said that
there was nothing else they could do

that the lion was clearly lost and that
it would never again be able to fully adjust

to extraneous wild life, now that it had
spent time at the middle school

They can be dangerous, and so...

I guess after this incident
they'll probably be...



telling all the teachers and the students,
you know, to really be...

keep an eye out because, uh, uh...
one wrong move...

especially if you run...
then you become the prey.

This is the first lion to be killed on the campus,
but by no means the first sighting for the school...

The school had another sighting last summer...
that time the lion was able to get away

as Authorities arrived too late. Will
there be more? No one knows for sure.

For KAM News...this is...Teresa Morales.

Sometimes...
the most beautiful things...

are the most innocent things,
and they keep passing us by.

I won't let them pass you by.

Rodeo Walker. Everyone knows who you are.
I heard you stabbed a kid with a pencil.

and that you just watched him bleed...
but ... but you didn't get in trouble for it...

like...nobody called on you...
why would nobody call on you?

Hey...



What?

You want to... come over
after school today?

I don't know...

I still got that movie...

It's not due back till tomorrow.

Oh, yeah?

Well, do you wanna?

It centers
on an invented character...

José Jiménez, the reluctant astronaut.

My name is José Jiménez.

I am cheap astronow!

think guys like...Rodeo Walker...or...
Bryce Matthews have... anything to worry about ?

what do you mean ?

other boys,
the ones not like us ?

you think they ever worry about...anything ?

like getting beat up ?
Oh! not like that...

like what ?

well...they just seem so perfect...

They're not perfect.

More perfect than I am.

I don't think anybody's perfect...

They...get a lot of girls ...

so ?

so...girls don't even talk to us...

Those are boring...
they only talk to each other...

I heard Bryce has a big.....penis...

What ?

I heard some girls talking about it.

What girls ?

I don't know...girls from school...

They said that ?

Yeah, one of them said it was like...
size of a forearm or somethin'...

I don't think that's possible...

How do you know ?

It's just not...like ? ? or something...

Even if it's not true,

Girls don't talk about us like that.

What about...... Rodeo ?

I wonder if he's a virgin ?

I doubt it...

Who do you think he's had sex with ?

I don't know, probably like...5 girls

Girls from school ?

I guess...maybe younger ones.

I don't really see him with girls...

cheers inside the Space Center, mingled
with the song of an anti poverty group...

demonstrating outside.
They're a full scale model of the Lab.

They demand more attention
to Amercia's problems on earth...

but also have prays for the astronauts.

Joey ?

Yeah ?

How big, would you say.....your penis is ?

What ?

like....erect, you know ?

I guess...I haven't really ever measured it.

Oh...

And you ?

No.

I guess it ever really ? to.

We could, you know...just to know.

It..seems like something we should know...

Don't you think ?

Well ?

Six!, I got six...!

Yeah, well...you're older.

Six is good right ?

You know how to make it go away, right ?

Yeah

Mee too, if you put a Nickel on it,
it will go away...

Oh...yeah ?

What happened....is no laughing matter.

It's not funny !
Mountain Lions are a very dangerous breed.

OK? At any moment they
could harm...or attack anyone of us.

Without warning...

Whitout warning...!

We hear clausing our purchasing,
somewhat of a...

lion nullification system.

We hope that this new alarm system

will prevent, another...incident, or attack...

from happening , but we're a little short of our goal,
and that's where you come in...

So, what we need is all of you,
to go out there, and sell these safety bands...

which we've already begun distributing to
the Peer Helper's Club...

and what we expect of you
is to support your school...

we hope that you all support the Club...

and together, we can all achieve...
our goal.

and.....well uhhh... promote safety...

( Chicas en el fondo )

Is this mine ?

No, that's mine.

I bought it at Tuberry Silver.

Oh!

For, like seven dollars.

Hello ?

I was sick today...

Did I miss anything ?

At school ?

Yeah

Not really, there was an assembly,
so you missed part of the second period...

Assembly ?

Yeah...but we're not last...

What are you doing right now ?

uh, nothing...just watching TV...

Yeah...me too.

My mom got me a bunch of Gatorade...

Cool...

Yeah.

And there's a Dance on Friday.

Who's Dance, this is stupid...

You've never been...

It's still stupid.

Everyone talks about it like it's such a big deal,
but...it's just...stupid.

A waste of time...

I might go...

I wouldn't

Why ?

Do you like somebody, or somethin' ?

How did you get sick ?

What ?

Like, why'd you get sick ?

Oh...I don't know.

Whatever it is,
made me throw up this mornin'...

Oh.

Did you turn that paper for English ?

Hmmm ?

I could have had that girl...
c'mon...fuck you...

Yeah...fuck you...!

You're a fucking fag, aren't you ?

No, I'm not...

What a fucking fag !

Brice , kick the shit out of this fag...

You like boys ?

Kick his ass !
Punch him !

What... are you doing?

I was going to the bathroom...

You woke me up.

I'm sorry.

Go to bed, Logan.

I had to pee.

I said go to bed, Logan !

Come here.

Give me a kiss.

I'm sorry...

come here...
come give me a kiss, will you?

Did you have a good time
at the dance ?

Did you dance with lots of girls?

Sleep tight, honey.

When I was in my prime

I flourished like a vine

There came along

A false young man

And stole away my time

time

And stole away my time.

The gardener standing by

Three offers he gave me

The pink, the violet
and red rose

Which I refused all three

Three

Which I refused all three.

Can we be evil together ?

I want to be evil with you.

Evil with you... evil with you,
evil with you, evil with you...

You should let me take a picture of you
like that after your fight.

What should I be doing ?

I don't know.
You don't have to be doing anything.

Wait.

What are you doing ?

It'll make a better picture,
don't you think ?

You look weird.

Just take it.

Check it out, I'm popular.

We should take another picture...

My camera has a timer, so we can set it
to take one with both of us.

OK.

Did it take it ?

Are you sure you don't...
remember who it was that...that hit you ?

Bryce, maybe...

Bryce Matthews ?

Yeah, I think it was him.

He was in another fight that night,
did you know that ?

Well, why would he hit you ?

Has he ever hit you before or,
or threatened to ?

No.

Uh, so he just hit you ?

Yeah, he said I was looking
at him funny.

Uh, what do you think he meant by that ?

Funny like, like you were making fun of him ?

I don't know, just funny, I guess...

He shouldn't have hit you.

He won't do it again.

Why won't he do it again ?

'Cause I won't look at him again.

- You think that's what he wants?
- Probably.

Do you feel different, Logan ?

What do you mean ?

Like from the other kids,
do they seem different ?

Yeah...

Does that bother you ?

- Not really.
- No? Why doesn't it bother you?

I don't know.
I don't mind being by myself or anything.

Are you by yourself a lot ?

I guess...sometimes.

Do you ever feel down
about being by yourself?

Sometimes.

What do you do when you feel down ?

I dream.

You daydream ?

Sort of.

What do you dream about ?

Being somewhere else,
not being alone.

Not being alone.

You think they really had to shoot him ?

What, the mountain lion ?

When they shot him, do you
think he knew he was going to die ?

Well, no one... nothing..ever does, I think.

Oh, then, maybe he died peacefully.

Would you like to think that's how he died ?

I guess, yeah.

You like mountain lions ?

Yeah, a lot.

What do you like about lions, Logan ?

I think they're not as bad as we think.

We're just kind of taught to be afraid of them...

I mean...

It's not like we've ever faced them,
or even ever seen them, so...

how can we really know ?

It's like if it has a name, and a face...

we can hate it, and it's just not fair...so...

I don't hate them, and I don't think they hate us...

They're just lost...

They wanna be here as much as we do...

- You're in trouble.
- No, I'm not.

You're not in class.

I was...I was talking to the counselor.

I hate her.

Yeah ?

Yeah, everyone here... they're all stupid.

Yeah.

Why'd you have to talk to her anyway ?

I got punched.

By who ?

Bryce Matthews.

- He's a dick.
- Yeah.

Why aren't you in class ?

'Cause I was late...

You can be late and still go, right ?

Why would I want to do that ?

Why would you want to sit here ?

Why'd he punch you ?

I don't know, he hates me maybe...

Hey, you're not wearing a safety band...

What's a safety band ?

You know...those gold r' bands,
those r' bands

they're supposed to protect us
from the mountain lions.

- How ?
- I don't know.

I'm not afraid of the mountain lions.

You're not ?

No. I've seen 'em.

I, like, know where they live.

Yeah, right.

I do.

Where do they live, then?

Out in the woods.

I want to see 'em.

Meet me in the woods then.

Really ?

If you're not afraid of them.

I'm not.

All right, tomorrow after school.

Hey, where are you going ?

Not to class...

you're a lion just like me...
you're a lion just like me...

Sometimes, I worry...

that I won't have good stories
to tell my kids.

Like...I won't have good stories
about, being a kid...

...that other people like, you know ?

It'll just be boring.
It'll just be boring. It'll just be boring.

It'll just be boring. It'll just be boring.
It'll just be boring...

There is a kid at my school...
this boy, Daniel...

he was always dirty
and got made fun of a lot.

He killed himself one day after school.

His mom found him hung in his closet.

Nobody really talks about him anymore.

It's like, it's just
something that happened.

Like it happened a long time ago
or something.

I bet now he looks down at us.

Maybe he just laughs.

Maybe he was always laughing, inside.

I guess it doesn't really matter.

I'll meet you in the
woods tomorrow, after school.

You've got to be kidding me.

Why is it...

Logan ...

that everything, that you touch
turns to shit ?

Look at me when I'm talking
to you, pay attention!

Look at me!

Do you know how much this cost me ?

Do you have any idea
how much groceries cost ?

And you wonder why I'm never home ?

You broke the eggs.
You broke the eggs, that's great.

Why don't we just break the rest
of the eggs while we're at it, huh?

Dump all the rest of the milk.

I swear to God,
you do not pay attention to anything.

You are constantly off in another world...

and I am the only one that is around
to take care, of everything!

I have had it...
I need, some help from you!

I can't do all of this
on my own all the time!

Are you listening ?

Am I reaching you ?

You know what... I give up.

I give up, I give up.

Are you gonna cry?
You're gonna cry now?

That's rich.

You know, you can't cry about shit
when it's your own fault.

Egg all over my goddamn...

If I could be with you forever...

I would be your only dream.
I would be your only dream.

I would be your only dream.

I would be your only dream.
I would be your only dream...

I could hit him for you,
if you want.

Who ?

Bryce. I could do it, you know.

No, it's not worth it.

Yeah, maybe you're right.

Do you like school ?

Not really.

I hate it, I mean, not as much as I used to,
hate it, because, really, it's almost over.

What's almost over ?

Junior high, it's dumb.

It's just such a dumb time.

Yeah, but it's not really over.

High school will be better.
More kids.

Right, more kids that'll hate me.

Who hates you ?

I don't know, boys like Bryce.

Everybody, really.
Nobody talks to me.

You think I hate you ?

I don't know yet.

Yet. So you mean you will know ?

Yeah, maybe.

Well, I don't hate you.

Yeah, well, you're different then, I guess.

I really want to see lions, or...a lion.

I guess they're not around today.

How many have you seen ?

Like, two.

No, wait... three.

All together ?

No, different times.

Did they see you ?

No.

How do you know ?

You think I'd be here if they saw me ?

I'd be dead for sure.

You can't survive something
like that, you know ?

I thought they lived
in caves or something.

That's total bullshit.

Oh.

Some kid killed himself In one of those
caves, a couple years ago.

They just don't want us
messing around in there.

Don't want any more dead kids, I guess.

I guess I'm not scared of them, because...

I've got to see something

um, right in front of me, to
know what I think about it.

- You are different...
- Yeah.

My favorite's Tigers, really...

Where have you seen a tiger ?

Everyday at school,
tons of'em

Yeah, tigers are blind,
when they're born...

No, I didn't.

Yeah, read that somewhere...

It's like they're taught to see
or somethin'

Hello ?

Jesus, where were you after school ?

I was with Rodeo.

What ?

He said he knows where the lions are
and he said he might take me.

- He's such a liar.
- No, he's not.

Right...
let me know when you see the lions then.

So what are you doing ?

Making a list.

A list ?

A list. Ways to be cool.

Ways to be cool ?

Yeah, so we can be cooler.

So what's on the list ?

Mostly stuff about motorcycles.

Motorcycles ?

Yeah, got anything to add ?

Uh...how about not making lists ?

That'll make you cooler.

Whatever.
Maybe I just won't give you a copy then.

Soo...

So what ?

This Rodeo's, like,
your new best friend now?

I don't really have a best friend.

Oh ...

But you're still mine.

That's OK, right ?

Just call me later, OK?

Well, it's stupid.

Why is it stupid ?

Because... he's lame.

Why is he lame ?

He just is.

He probably, like, wants
to blow you or something.

What if he did ?

Did he ?

What can I say ?

Everyone likes me.

You're so full of yourself.

And you know what ?

If you, like, let him like you,
then you're a fag.

He's just bored with everything.

Except you, right ?

Yeah, he likes me.

But, what's so...

bad about someone liking me ?

Are you jealous ?

God, no.

Sounds like you are.

Well, he can't come over.

You can't bring him over here.

Why is that ?

Well, you just can't, OK ?

He's your friend.
Don't try to make him mine.

- Whatever.
- No, not whatever. I'm serious.

And if he makes you a fag,
then you can't come over either.

If you live as if someone else is always
watching you, you'll be lonely.

lonely...lonely...

When you're a ghost, will you haunt me ?

What ?

A ghost.

I want to know if you'll haunt
me when you're a ghost.

You mean, like when I'm dead ?

Yeah, when you're really dead.

You want me to ?

Well, no.

Well, I guess I'd watch you.

I mean, I'll have to.

I'm your mom.

- You're my mom ?
- Yeah.

So... if you died tomorrow, like, in
the day, could you watch me in the night?

Yeah.

If I died, would I be able to watch you?

Would you want to ?

I guess. What else would I do ?

You better be watching me.

When I'm dead, like, when I'm really dead

there's no other me out there,
that's just the end of it...

and of everything I knew,
the end of people knowing me

all this goes away, or what ?

- You think about this a lot ?
- Yeah.

So, why are you smiling ?

- I'm not smiling...
- You're smiling.

Well...?

Ummm , I don't know, sometimes I do wonder
if it would be better to be dead...

I mean, maybe it would just be like...
like floating.

But you know how when you really,
you're all alone and...

it all gets really, really quiet

and the only sound you can hear
is your heart beating ?

It's like the only sound in the whole world.

But, if you were dead,
there'd be no heart beating...

There'd be no sound...

There'd be no nothing...
just....

Floating ?

Yeah, floating.

- All by yourself...
- All by yourself.

I think I'm gonna come back as a flower.

Yeah ?
What kind of flower ?

A Dalia.

Dalias are very pretty...

- Or a snake. Snakes are cool.
- Yeah.

Can you hold your breath when you're dead ?

We could drown together,
will you drown with me ?

Sure.

Oh . Okay . Good ! We'll invent our
own underwater language.

And the tigers above, they'll be blind.
they can't see us when we're under.

- Are we going under ?
- OK.

- Yes, more than OK ?
- Sure, more than OK.

If we both
pretend that there was an end...

then maybe there really will be
a beginning...

and it will start with us
running away together...

off, off, off...

far, far, far away.

And we'll live with the lions
and sleep in trees.

Just sleep, that's all we'll need.

Do you think about breaking things ?

We could break things.

Hearts ?

Don't break my heart.

So...when I, become a man...

It'll just all make sense.

I guess I'll ride horses...

or motorcycles, or a motorcycle
on my way to my horse.

and my family, my loved ones...

It'll just be all smiles, and whistles
and car horns...

cars coming up de driveway,
it'll all make sense.

and now I'll be happy.

Nothing can break you and make sense...

you just can't be broken.

...most boys just want to get
drunk or go steal something.

They like to get into trouble.

Right.

Yeah.

You never want to do
that stuff, or what?

I don't know, I guess
I didn't really think about it.

That's cool.

Thanks.

How come you don't have a girlfriend ?

I don't know.

I have... a bunch of times.

How come you don't ?

I don't know...

Girls don't really like me, I guess.

They don't really think about me.

Sometimes... girls make me want
to go to sleep.

Yeah ?

I'm gonna go home and sleep.

I got, like, two hours
of sleep last night.

Last couple nights, actually.

Really ?

Yeah, but you can call me
if you're bored or whatever.

I don't really have your number.

Yeah ?

You never really gave it to me.

I don't really like to give it out.

I didn't think you were coming.

Oh!...No ?

I'm glad you did.

Did you miss me ?

I ceratinly have.

You sure know how to talk
to a woman.

You certainly know how to talk
to a man.

Oh!...I do ?

Your voice.
There's something about your voice.

What about it ?

It's all woman,
just they way it should be...

( Moanes excited... )

Hello ?

Hello ?

Is this Rodeo ?

Yeah, who's this ?

Oh, you don't know me.

But you know me.

What are you doing right now ?

Nothing. Who is this ?

I'm... Leah.

Leah.

Do I know you from school ?

You don't know me.

Yeah, but you know me.

I think you're cute.

You do ?
What do I look like, then ?

You look like...River Phoenix.

I don't know who that is.

Oh.

What about you ?

What about me ?

What do you look like ?

I don't know, my friends say I'm pretty.

Do I know your friends ?

Oh, I don't know.

What are their names ?

No, I don't think you know them.

Why are you calling me ?

I just wanted to say that I like you,
that I think you're cute.

Like... you want to blow me or something ?

Do you want me to ?

I don't even know you.

But... would you want me to ?

I want to be more than friends.

Shouldn't we be friends first ?

Oh... aren't we ?

You said you want me to suck you.

I want to know who this is.

I really am pretty.

My friends wouldn't lie to me about that.

So... what are you doing right now ?

Nothing, I guess.

Wanna get off ?

Right now ?

Yeah, like, on the phone.

What are you wearing right now ?

What are you wearing ?

I don't... want to say.

Boxers.

Oh.

I'm wearing this flower dress.

It's yellow and white.

I've got my hand down my pants.

Yeah ?

Yeah.

Hold on.

Have you... done this before ?

Like, with other girls ?

What ?

Like... on the phone ?

Are you touching yourself ?

Yeah.

I wanna see who can come first.

Like a race ?

Yeah.

Ok.

I can... feel you more than
any ghost would ever dare try.

Uh, I've got to go.

If I run, it's due to you...
we'll be together,

we're like bandits on the run.

Can we really get away, with all of it ?

Can we get away with all of it ?

Blue, green colors flashing...

I'm holding my breath 'till we find our way...

Are you going my way ?

Hey.

Hey.

You want some ?

Hey. We should go.

Sometimes, I think about
breaking you into pieces.

Like a million pieces...

You'll be buried..

all buried between blades of grass,
the grass under my feet between my toes.

I'll bury you under and between my feet.

But don't worry, cause,
I'll be in pieces too.

We'll put ourselves
back together...OK ?

Like one...one...like one...

You're not...using me.
You wouldn't use me, would you ?

I just have to know.

I'm swaying...I sway, over you.

Hello ?

Hi, it's Leah.

Hey.

What's going on ?

Nothing.

Bored, like always.

Wanna talk ?

I wanna fuck.

Who ?

Whoever this is.

Oh.

OK...

You can... fuck me.

Where ?

Can't we... do it on the phone ?

No...

Why not ?

Because that's not fucking.

Oh .

You're a girl, aren't you ?

Yeah.

Then why can't I fuck you ?

I'm a girl.

You can, I just... don't know if I'm...
ready for that.

Call me when you are.

If...you don't answer...

I was just, bring it off the wall.

If a voice across the line
gives me a strange sensation....

emotions come, I don't know why.

You keep me hanging on the telephone.

- Hey.
- Hey.

There was another lion...

Really? Thats cool!

- Yeah.
- Cool...how close did it get ?

Close. A bunch of kids saw it.

Did they shoot it ?

No...it ran away, before anyone got there.

- Cool.
- Maybe we could hang out later ?

Oh , I don't know, I have stuff to do.

Well, have you decided about camping yet ?

I don't know yet.

- My mom...
- I'll call you later, OK ?

Hello ?

Hey, it's Leah.

Oh.

Hey.

What's going on ?

Nothing.

What do you want ?

I think...

I'm ready to have you fuck me.

OK, where ?

The caves.

Where the lions live ?

They're not there.

How do you know ?

I've...

been there before.

Ok...

What time ?

Two hours.

I want to tell you something.

You know...

I'm here.

Yeah ?

Why won't you let me see you ?

Take...

off your clothes.

Are we gonna fuck or what ?

You can... fuck me.

You're not Leah.

Yes, I am.

You... really didn't know ?

Hey .

What do you want ?

You're not hanging out with...
Rodeo or whatever ?

No.

Why not ?

Rodeo and I...we're not
really friends anymore, OK ?

Really ?

Yeah.

- Was it Kelly ?
- Mhh? - Kelly Rogers , his girlfriend ?

She hates you, right ?

Girlfriend ?

Kelly Rogers? .... Kelly Rogers.

Kelly Rogers ....Kelly Rogers ( keeps repeating )

Yes ?

Is Kelly home ?

She is...are you a friend of hers ?

sort of...uhh, can I talk to her ?

Uum...sure. One sec.

Kelly there's a friend of yours, to see you...

Can I help you ?

Hi! I'm Leah.

Leah ? You're Logan , right ?

No...I don't think we know each other.

I know who you are, OK ?

Why are you dressed like that ?

I'm just like you...

Well...you look stupid.

Are you stupid ?

What...?

I don't think I look stupid.

What do you want, Logan ?

I...wanted to ask you...

What ?

Do you think I...still have a chance with, Rodeo ?

You're...joking, right ?

No.

You're a boy.
Boys only like girls, OK ?

But I'm not a boy.

You're such a freak !

Rodeo's ...not, gay OK ? I would know.

I'm pretty sure he's in love with me.

Anything else ?

Did you ever wish you were someone else ?

Why would I wanna be someone else ?

Oh...right.

Hello ?

Hey...

it's Logan.

Hey.

What are you doing?

Nothin'.

Can you come over ?

Why ?

I wanna show you something.

Are you...

gay...?

No...

Some...
Someone at school said you're gay.

Who said that ?

Are you ?

I'm not gay.

But...

But, you like boys... right?

I don't know.

If you like...

boys...

then you're gay.

You think your mom would
still take me camping if I looked like this?

...you know...it gets better...

Junior high...

Everybody hates it.

It's up to you...

...how long you want to hate it for.

There's a lion on the campus.

Please find a safe place.

There's a lion on the campus.
Please find a safe place.

There's a lion on the campus.

Please find a safe place.

There's a lion on the campus.
Please find a safe place.

There's a lion on the campus.

Please find a safe place.

There's a lion on the campus.
Please find a safe place.

There's a lion on the campus.

Please find a safe place.

There's a lion on the campus.
Please find a safe place.

There's a lion on the campus.

Please find a safe place.

There's a lion on the campus.
Please find a safe place.

There's a lion on the campus.

Please find a safe place.

There's a lion on the campus.
Please find a safe place.

There's a lion on the campus.

Please find a safe place.

There's a lion on the campus.
Please find a safe place.

We here at Clausen feel it's important...

to respect one another.

I'm talking about tolerance.

We also feel it's important...

to smile, to one another.

Something as simple as a smile.

It's really amazing, the difference
that it can make in a day.

And so we expect all of you
to tolerate one another...

to be kind to one another.

Your teachers and I have come up with...

something to help promote
this idea of...

... Kindness.

Shall we ?

This is our...

Tolerance Totem.

We hope that this...

with your cooperation,
will make Clausen Junior High...

a better place...for everyone.

How about a round of applause for our,
Tolerance Totem.

Logan!