A Little Game (2014) - full transcript
Ignored by the rich kids at her new school and shaken by the death of her beloved grandmother, a 10-year-old girl finds an unlikely friend in the form of a feisty chess master, who uses the game to teach her about life.
(light dramatic music)
(upbeat music)
- [Narrator] Our story begins,
as so many do, in a doctor's office.
- You're 100% sure, Doc?
- Well, in my line of work,
nothing's 100%, but I'm sure.
Oh, we're having a boy.
- [Narrator] Which led to
one name being settled on,
a very popular name, as it turned out.
Max!
I didn't do it!
Not you.
Max!
He bit me first!
No. Max Kuftinec!
Coming, Ms. Winter!
And in China, it's considered
polite to burp when you eat.
It shows you like the food.
Cool!
Gross.
Max, your father is
picking you up early today.
Get your things ready.
Yes, Ms. Winter.
Max, it's been nice
having you in my class.
I'll be back tomorrow, Ms. Winter.
Hey, we're just checking it out, okay?
No decisions yet.
Obviously Max is very bright.
What can you tell me about her
that her test scores can't? Hmm?
Well, uh, Max has always been...
She's been a self-starter ever since...
- [Narrator] Sarah felt
foolish reducing their daughter
to a bunch of words that
a thousand other parents
must have said about their kids.
We can't describe what's
so great about Max,
you know, any more than I can tell you
what's great about the color blue,
but you would be lucky to have her.
What do we do?
I don't know.
She's happy now.
I know.
And even with the scholarship,
we would still have to come up
with at least another couple thousand.
That's just this year.
Well, I could ask for a raise.
They just gave you one.
I could ask for a raise.
They owe me one.
I guess my first question is why?
I mean, I like PS 41.
And you always tell me how lucky we are
to have a great local public school.
Yes, and that's true,
but you're the smartest kid
in your class right now, right?
Maybe.
Well, maybe it would
be good to be somewhere
where you weren't the smartest kid.
Someone's gotta be.
I know, Max.
I know.
Who knows how far you could go in life?
We just want to give you
every opportunity to do that.
Right, and ultimately,
this is your decision.
Mm-hmm.
But Papa and I think this
would be very good for you,
and if you don't like it, you
can always go back to PS 41.
That's right.
Okay.
So how would I get there?
Okay. Well, you would take the subway,
and Papa would go with you.
When I can.
Hang on a sec.
What do you mean, "When I can"?
I can't be late to the
restaurant every day.
No, I'm not talking every day.
I'm talking a couple times a week.
Well, how... this is not
what we talked about.
It is what...
I told you...
Look. Look. Look.
I'll just go alone when
Papa can't take me.
It's fine.
It's fine.
I walk to PS 41 by myself.
I take care of Jez by myself.
I'm not a baby anymore.
- [Narrator] Tom lay in bed that night
wondering if they'd
made the right decision.
Sarah wondered if she
was a good parent or not.
Max wondered what the
library would be like
at the Blackstone Academy.
Jez slept.
I'm going to a new school today.
Really?
Yes.
I'm not a baby anymore.
If I don't see my daughter,
at least I get to see
my granddaughter, huh?
It's your fault, Yaya.
Fault? How?
You were such a good cook that
you made Mama into a chef.
You're a tricky one, matia mou.
Your brains you get from your
mother, not from that one.
Go round and round.
Yaya's got no energy today.
Come on. Tea.
Let's get some tea.
So, this new school, it's better, right?
You know...
they're smart, they take you.
I don't know.
I think it'll be good, but...
(speaking in foreign language)
Uh, I'm sorry.
I don't speak Greek.
You work in Greek cafe. Why?
I don't know.
Cold. Tea ice-cold!
I'm sorry.
I'll heat it up for you.
In Greece, never serve
tea like that, never.
But it was steaming in your...
Maxine, you don't contradict Yayas.
Maybe they teach you
that in your new school.
But I didn't...
Eh!
What I tell you all your life?
If you make a mistake, admit it.
Right. So?
I apologize, Yaya.
Good.
You're not a baby anymore, matia mou.
You must make your own decisions.
Like my Yaya said,
"You don't let life happen to you.
You happen to life."
Sounds better in Greek.
Hi.
Hey.
They're all freaked out about something.
They said the last thing they
could do is give me a raise.
So what do we do?
I don't know.
We could take out a loan.
Not with our credit.
Well, we could borrow money from somebody.
From who?
You want to go door-to-door
in the building,
ask people to loan money to the super?
You gotta get real here, Tom.
I'm gonna take extra shifts.
No.
There's no other option.
I love you so much.
There's nobody who's loved more than you
in this whole world.
You hear me?
I mean, there might be some
people loved as much as you,
but nobody is loved...
I know, Dad.
Now go away.
I hate it when you need them
more than they need you.
Laura Langer.
You're new here.
Tom Kuftinec.
You'll be happy here.
It's a great place.
And 40% of graduates go
to Ivy League schools.
Not that we're thinking
about that kind of thing yet.
Heh.
- [Narrator] A new routine was soon set.
Tom would drop Max off in the morning,
and she would come home
by herself after school.
Can't let things get you down.
Listen, things will get better.
No, but I'm telling you it's... Watch it!
No. It's a totally great show.
You have to watch it.
What are you wearing? (laughs)
Hey, Maxie.
Hi.
Hey, you want to come along?
I gotta fix the lock on 16D.
Um, no, thanks, Papa.
Hey, how was school today?
Fine.
Well, what'd you do today?
Nothing.
Okay, I'll be back as soon as I can.
You call me if you need me.
Excellent.
There's a choice period
after lunch today, Max.
You might consider visiting
the chess club then.
There are other girls
there with your skills.
But I don't know how to play chess.
That's okay.
They can teach you.
Do you have a book that could teach me?
Heh. It's much better
to learn from a person.
The advisor is Mr. Eckhard.
He's an excellent teacher. Okay?
Before you came,
I was the third-best math
student in the class.
Now I'm the fourth.
And who might you be?
I'm Max Kuftinec.
I'm here for the chess club?
Excellent.
What's your level?
I've actually never really...
Mr. Eckhard, Max is a friend of mine.
I'll play with her.
Well, thank you, Isabella.
That's very hospitable of you.
Let's see how smart you are now.
Go ahead. You're white.
Oh, my God.
You don't know how to play.
You don't even know how
to make the first move.
That's pathetic.
One day, I'm going to come back here,
and I'm going to teach you some manners.
Yeah, well, good luck with that.
What happened?
Why did she leave?
To be honest, Mr. Eckhard,
I don't think she liked you very much.
I'm sorry.
Hey, kids!
Hi.
Papa, do you think you could
teach me how to play...
Maxie, I gotta run.
Mrs. Rosenhirsch has mice.
One of them's in the bathtub
with Mrs. Rosenhirsch.
Okay, listen, if I'm not back by 7:00,
get dinner out of the fridge, okay?
I love you two! Call me
if you need me, all right?
Becky Langer.
Sophie Glass.
Isabella Diaz.
Max Kuftinec.
She's has a boy's first
name and a stupid last name.
I know it's hard to do,
but sometimes you gotta
take a chance, man.
Yeah, I know.
No, you should go for it.
It can't take too long to learn, can it?
I've always wanted to
learn another language.
Just find the right guy.
Pick the one you want to learn from.
All the little league coaches are good.
Go away.
You're still here.
Fine. Let's play.
I'll let you win,
for a while.
Costs five bucks.
I don't know how to play chess,
and I don't usually talk to strangers.
Not talking to strangers is smart,
but not playing chess, that's just stupid.
What's 25 times 14?
Something tells me I'm about to find out.
350, I'm not stupid.
Fine.
But you're, like, what, six years old,
and you don't know how to play chess yet?
What kind of crappy school you go to?
I want to learn how to play,
and I'm not 6, I'm 10.
When I was 10, I was
carrying blocks of ice
up 5 flights of stairs.
I don't think that's possible
unless you're, like, 90.
Fine. My father did that, not me.
But I certainly knew how to
play chess when I was 10.
Hell, I won the city
tournament when I was 10.
Why don't you use that Google?
I hear it can teach you anything.
I don't know.
I just had a feeling you
might be able to teach me.
Plus you're two blocks from my house,
and you seem to have some free time.
Well, kid, you gotta play for something.
Any city kid knows that.
And these days, I play for money.
Hmph.
Fashion show.
Fashion show.
Max, how come Mama isn't
home for dinner anymore?
Because she's working.
Why does she work?
So she can make money for our family.
But Papa works, too.
Well, both Mama and Papa have to work
so that we have enough money.
Let's call Mama.
She's busy.
Then let's call Papa.
He's busy, too.
We should only call him
if it's an emergency.
Oh.
Then let's call Yaya.
All right.
Hi, Yaya.
I'm good.
Okay. Here.
Hi, Yaya.
Matia mou, what your
little sister doing awake?
It's after bedtime, right?
Yeah, but...
What, you have an excuse?
Sort of. I mean...
Matia mou, what I'm going to say?
You're going to tell
me not to make excuses.
I'll put her to bed now.
Good girl.
And you don't stay up late.
Nothing good happens late.
Okay.
Matia mou, go.
Hi.
Hi.
How were the girls?
They were fine,
no problems.
Think they even remember my name?
They love you.
Sweetie, could you please
remove my shoes at some point?
It's $5.00.
I get a dollar a week.
I'll pay you the rest in two weeks.
At least you can do a little math.
It's lucky for you I'm such a softie.
But if anybody else
wants to play, you scram.
You got it?
I'm not too worried about that.
You hear me?
Yeah, I scram.
Whatever that means.
Okay.
I'm Norman.
What's your name?
Max.
What's with names these days?
It's like roll call at a tenement in 1920.
Max, Samuel, Zachary, Nathan.
I'm gonna call you Shmuel.
I don't know if you noticed.
I'm a girl.
Come back tomorrow, Shmuel.
What?
You, (speaking in foreign language).
Why are you speaking Spanish?
Because you don't seem
to understand English.
And don't use that
Google to learn anything.
You told me before to use it.
You want to learn my way or their way?
Who's "they"?
Everybody else.
I don't know.
Whose way is better?
You want your money back?
Okay.
I won't use that Google.
Or that Bingo or that Skitter.
I have no idea what you're talking about.
Just don't.
I'll know if you do.
Now get out of here.
Come on. You can help me with this.
Just play along, okay?
Don't say anything.
Just look cute.
Hey!
Hey!
Look little sis, it's Jeremy Lin!
No, I'm not.
It's Jeremy Lin, your favorite
person in the whole world.
You were so sad when he left
the Knicks, but here he is!
Look, I'm not Jeremy...
Jeremy, it's so great that you're here.
My poor sister, she's been so sick.
Look, could you just
give her an autograph?
It'll mean the world to her.
Look, uh, I...
Just one autograph to make
a sick little girl happy.
Okay.
Here you go.
Thank you so much, Jeremy.
Hang on a minute.
That's not how you spell "Jeremy."
You're not really Jeremy Lin!
Now look what you've done, fake Jeremy!
You've broken my little sister's heart.
Are you happy now?
No. I, I was trying to tell you I'm not.
Look, you gotta make this right.
Give me some money so I could
buy my sister some candy.
I don't know who you think you are,
impersonating Jeremy Lin in public
and misleading a little girl.
Here.
Here's a five, okay?
Okay?
I saw a 10 in there.
Fine, 10.
Give me half, or I'll tell your mom.
Here is two.
You didn't have to do anything.
Give me half, or I'll tell both your moms.
Fine.
Hey, how's that new
fancy-pants school of yours?
No way it's better than PS 41.
I don't think it's better,
but it's different.
Are the kids smarter?
No, but they're more the same.
Of course they are.
They're all girls.
Yeah, but...
they're all the same kind of girls.
Hey, look. It's little orphan Annie.
Annie, I'd like you to meet my friend Mel.
Except he's not really a friend of mine.
And his name's not really Mel.
I got my allowance early.
Scram.
I was winning.
Bull oney, you were winning.
I was six moves from checkmating you.
I was four moves from checkmating you.
Oh, you couldn't beat me
if I gave you a bullwhip and Jake LaMotta.
I've been beating that guy
since before you were born.
That's not very long.
Okay, since before your father was born.
You got an answer for everything?
Most things.
Great.
Lucky for you I love kids so much.
Okay.
Let's get started.
What do you know about chess?
Not much.
Do you know how the different pieces move?
Not really.
Do you know what each piece is called?
Not precisely.
Not precisely.
Do you know anything about chess?
I know it's a good game for smart people.
Now that is the first sensible
thing I've heard you say.
Okay.
This is called a pawn.
It's barely worth the space it occupies,
a lot like a kid.
Like a kid, a pawn can't move very fast,
only one space at a time,
except for its first move,
when it can go two.
Like a kid, excited at first, then lazy.
Lucky for me you love kids so much.
You're a cocky kid.
Where'd you say you're from?
Over there, in the Village.
I grew up in Brooklyn.
Now Brooklyn's a place yuppies move to.
I didn't think there
were any city kids left.
What are you talking about?
There are lots of city.
Just living in the city
doesn't make you a city kid.
These kids might as
well be in Westchester.
Their nannies take 'em everywhere.
A city kid, he's cocky,
but not too cocky,
knows how to play things.
And a city kid sees the
way it all goes together.
You know what I'm talking about?
I think so.
Well, we'll find out.
You know why all the best players
are city kids?
No.
Because they're used to
different kinds of people
bumping into each other every day
in different ways, always changing,
just like a chessboard.
What do you mean?
For instance, I already told
you pawns are like kids.
So this pawn is you.
You just started a new school,
so you move forward.
How'd you know I started a new school?
Your fancy new duds,
and you don't look very
comfortable in 'em.
Only, you're not sure
about this new school,
so you only go one square
forward instead of two.
Once you take your hand off
the piece, your move is done.
It's my turn.
I'm playing against you?
You're not playing yet.
You're just moving the pieces.
Come back tomorrow.
One move a day is plenty.
One move a day?
Come on!
Go.
Okay, class, open to page 41, geography.
Today we're talking about
the United States of America,
but we're talking about
all of the Americas,
which includes.
Hold on just one second.
Hi.
Hi. Yes.
Go away. Go away.
Go away. Go away.
Go away. Go away.
Go away.
Thank God.
Max, your father wants you to
wait for him here after class.
Class!
Girls, enough!
Let's get back to the lesson, okay?
You know, my bedroom window's stuck.
Maybe your dad can come
over later and fix it.
Maxie.
It's Yaya.
Hi.
Listen, honey, I know
you're having a tough time,
but it'll get better.
I promise.
I was just thinking about
how things always change, you know?
I was thinking about how we're all born,
and then we get older and older, until...
I can't stop thinking about it.
I see.
Well, you know I'm always
gonna be here for you,
and Mama's always gonna be here for you.
Not always.
As long as you need us, we'll be here.
I'm gonna sit over there for a bit
if that's okay with you.
All right?
That's right.
Another kid's coming at you.
What do you mean?
This is you, right?
You've stepped out on your own,
out onto an island a little bit,
and you could move further on your own,
but that'd be stupid, right?
Even you can see that.
So you take your best friend,
bring her up next to you.
I don't have a best friend.
Then any friend you
have at that new school.
I don't have any.
You don't have any?
Then you better get some.
You can't win a chess
game with just one piece.
Well, there's my little sister.
That's pathetic.
But you gotta move something.
Not that your little sis can
help you much over there.
Look, your board is your city,
and your city is your board.
You understand?
No.
Never mind.
That's enough for today.
Get out of here.
You can't just keep
moving your little sister.
Well, I'm thinking about
going back to my old school.
I have friends there.
They kicking you out of
that fancy new place?
No, I just don't know if
it's the right school for me.
So you're just gonna quit
before you give it a fair chance.
Right.
That's a great idea.
You're behind, so you should quit now.
I didn't say I was quitting.
Thinking about quitting
is the same as quitting.
Maybe you should just go
play checkers instead.
They play a lot of
checkers in Westchester.
Did you ever notice that Miss
Bailes looks like a walrus?
Heh. Not before,
but now I won't be able to
observe her without laughing.
Thanks a lot.
That's Becky.
She's got my back.
One final thing about pawns.
If a pawn manages to do something great,
if it gets all the way to the other side,
then it changes, turns into a queen.
So a worthless little kid
can turn into a queen.
Interesting.
Don't get too excited.
It almost never happens.
Okay, now that you're actually
moving more than one piece,
you gotta think strategically.
Strategically?
Yeah, you need a plan.
When you walk out the door,
you have a plan, right?
You don't just walk outside
and wander around, do you?
Uh, no.
No.
So, what's your plan?
Um...
to move me and my friends forward?
All right.
I guess that's a plan, barely,
but you gotta keep an eye on the board,
come up with a new plan if things change.
But things always change.
That's right.
Things always change.
So what do you do about that?
I mean, what if you don't
want things to change?
Tough.
Forget it.
I don't know why I would ask you.
Hey, listen.
Change isn't a bad thing.
Sometimes it is.
Man, when was the last
time we had a date night?
I don't know. 1998?
Oh, it feels that way, doesn't it?
It probably has been a year.
That's so bad.
No, it's not bad.
We're busy.
Yeah. Everybody's busy, but you make time
for the things that are important,
and, you know, I can certainly
take a night off every six months.
You're not worried about
the babysitter, are you?
No. No, no, no.
She's fine.
Come on.
Okay.
I told you not to move!
You're a closet.
Closets don't move.
She's right.
Closets don't move.
Dad?
Mom?
Are you asleep?
Why don't you answer?
Yaya?
Shh.
Don't wake up your sister.
Go back to sleep.
But you're dead.
Tell me something I don't know.
What are you doing here?
Sitting with you.
What, that's a problem?
Uh, no. No.
I got no other plans,
and I gotta keep an eye
on that lazy father of yours.
He's not lazy.
Well... Heh.
Go back to sleep.
Yaya?
Still here.
You know, if you were
anyone else sitting there,
I'd be pretty scared right now.
I mean, you're dead.
That would be really scary,
to have a dead person sitting in my room.
Mm, yes, that would be really scary.
So are you a ghost?
No. No, no.
You know better than that.
I'm just a pigment of your imagination.
I always thought the word was "figment."
Maxine, you don't correct Yayas.
Okay.
Well, good night, Yaya.
Good night, matia mou.
♪ Tic, tac, toe ♪
♪ Gimme an X, gimme an O ♪
♪ Gimme a three in a row ♪
♪ Row, ship, boat ♪
Hey, that's weird.
Look at Olive.
Yeah.
Why isn't she with the rest
of her catastrophic friends?
Go over and talk to her.
Why?
You go over and talk to her if you want.
No, you do it.
You're prettier than me.
She'll like you better.
Okay.
Tell her you like her drawings.
She's proud of them.
Cool.
Cool animals.
So, any ideas on your move?
Why do you seem so excited today?
You're never excited.
Because I see a piece
that's been left out
alone to fend for itself.
So what are you gonna do?
Becky's gonna take it
like she took Olive.
Wow.
Downtown.
I've been downtown,
like, twice in my life.
What's it like down there?
It must be mesmerizing.
It's nice.
I mean, it's a little
busier than it is up here.
I wish I lived downtown.
And I cannot believe your parents
let you ride home on
the subway by yourself.
That is totally scintillating.
I guess.
There's no way my mom
would let me do that.
I'm not allowed on the
streets without a grown-up,
and she won't let me
ride the subway at all.
You've never been on the subway?
Nobody I know gets to ride the subway.
So do you want to come over to my place
with your nanny on Friday?
Uh, why don't we go somewhere fun instead?
Home is so boring.
Yeah, that's a stunning idea!
Your nanny can take us
and drop me off at home
when we're done.
Uh, my nanny's no fun.
She doesn't do anything.
It's got to be your nanny.
Okay.
Becky!
Gotta go.
Your dad has a nice car.
Dad?
You're funny.
The rook,
also known as a castle.
Cool.
A good piece, useful piece.
Now go learn about it.
What are you talking about?
Go out there.
Find a castle.
Learn how the piece moves.
Let me get this straight.
To learn how this piece
moves on a chessboard,
I'm supposed to go look around
New York City for a castle?
Right.
And somehow that's going
to teach me something?
Yeah, if you got your eyes open.
Look, you can learn my way,
or you can learn from somebody else.
Well, can you at least give me a hint
about what I'm looking for?
A hint?
You mean, like, is it
bigger than a bread box?
Bigger than an Xbox?
What's an Xbox?
What's a bread box?
Oh, get out of here.
Xbox.
It's gonna take a little imagination.
Do you have a little imagination?
I'm a 10-year-old girl.
What do you think?
Then stop being so literal.
Chess player needs to think creatively.
And don't come back till you find it.
You need to be inspired.
Inspired?
Sweetie, I am sorry,
but we just can't do it.
And I gotta get back to work, so kiss.
Come on.
Just one day.
Honey, we can't afford a nanny.
We just can't.
Don't you want me to have playdates?
Or would you rather I just be a hermit
for the rest of my life?
Of course we want you to have playdates.
Well, other parents don't let their kids
walk the streets alone.
Look, it's great that you trust me.
This isn't about you.
I can't have a playdate without a nanny.
Okay, Here's an idea.
What if my sister picked you up one day?
She said she'd be happy to
do it if we ever needed her.
No. No one has their aunt pick them up.
That's so uncool.
What do you care what people think?
That doesn't matter.
Dad, I'm 10 years old.
It matters.
I need a nanny to pick me up,
not my Aunt Diane.
Why can't Aunt Diane be your nanny?
Are you sure your nanny
is coming today, Max?
You could always just
come over to our house.
Oh, no, she's definitely coming.
She's very reliable.
Mom, you don't have to remain here.
I'm sorry, honey.
I know it's embarrassing to you,
but I don't let my
daughter walk the streets
with someone I haven't met.
Hey, Max!
Come on.
You have to be my nanny.
Oh, yeah, I heard, so I'm not your aunt.
I'm just your nanny.
Got it.
And you can't be American.
Nannies are never American,
unless they're young dancers.
I've got a dancer's body.
They're in their 20s.
I've got a dancer's body, okay?
This is my nanny, Diane.
Hi, Diane.
Uh, (speaking in foreign language).
Oh, no. No.
(speaking in foreign language)
Oh. Well, where are you from?
Oh, I from.
Eh, I from Kazakhstan.
(speaking in foreign language)
Um... Ahem.
So, Diane,
where do you take the girls today?
Uh, I take girls,
eh, wherever they want to go,
except if it not safe.
Then I do not take them.
Excuse me one second.
Is she drunk?
Well, have fun.
Call me at the first sign of trouble.
(upbeat music)
I mean, can you believe it?
You know, I can't believe he'd do it.
I still have to throw things out.
He's watching the
decluttering show, I guess.
Oh, I gotta refill my MetroCard.
I forgot my wallet.
Do you have any money?
Jeez.
Your mom's going to kill me.
Okay.
My student MetroCard can be
used once every 17 minutes,
so we'll just wait for that.
No. I'm not gonna use your
student MetroCard, okay?
That's illegal.
Come on.
No one's watching.
They have cameras everywhere.
There aren't any cameras here.
No, they disguise them, see?
You can't trust 'em.
You don't realize that.
You didn't live through the '60s.
Neither did you.
Come on already.
No, put that away!
Okay. Then ask for some money.
Excuse me.
This is ridiculous.
Excuse me!
My aunt needs to borrow a couple dollars.
You should be ashamed of yourself,
bringing your little girl out here to beg!
Disgraceful.
I could've taken the subway by myself.
I do it every day.
No. Not when I'm supposed
to be watching you.
I'd never hear the end of it.
"Diane, just 'cause you
decided not to have kids
doesn't mean you can just..."
What?
Inspired.
What?
It's a castle.
Heh.
No, that's a church.
You don't have much of an imagination.
This is strange.
Yeah.
I'm going to move him to here.
Then next turn, I can capture the pawn.
Good.
Now I want you to learn
how to move the knight.
Listen, Norman, this has been,
uh, interesting,
but you could save us both some time
by just telling me how.
I could teach you all the
rules of chess in two minutes,
but the rules are nothing.
What's important is how you see the board.
Now tell me about the rook.
It sweeps across the
board in straight lines.
See? I'm teaching you how
to see the whole board,
not just a single piece.
Anybody can move a piece.
Takes a city kid to make sense
of what seems like chaos.
And I could tell you
that this is a good move,
but you would learn absolutely nothing.
Is it better to earn five bucks
or to find it in the street?
Finding it in the street would be okay,
especially if it kept
me from running around
like a crazy person.
You're not a crazy person.
You're a weird person,
like most good chess players.
I'm not a good chess player.
Not yet, but you might be someday
if you learn my way.
I gotta admit that was a pretty cool way
to learn about the rook.
How did you do that, anyway?
Eh.
So tell me about the knight.
An unusual piece.
Moves very strangely.
How?
Your board, your city.
So what am I supposed to do,
go look for a knight or a horse?
Figure it out yourself.
That's the whole point.
Don't let life happen to you.
You happen to life.
Now get out of here.
Scram.
(upbeat music)
You look like a knight.
Okay.
Can I ask you a question?
Yeah, her name's Andromeda.
Who?
It's the horse.
That's what you were gonna ask me, right?
Um, no.
I wanted to ask how you, uh, move.
How I move?
Yeah.
Do you have a special way you move?
I don't know what you're
talking about, kid.
Right.
Well, sorry.
Max, that would've been too easy,
but here's a clue.
You look for horses that really move.
Hey, bug, stop running back and forth.
You know how much Mr.
Shawn downstairs hates it.
Hey, Bug!
Do you want us all to go to jail?
Kids don't go to jail,
Papa, they go to juvie.
30,000.
What's that, a math problem?
Sort of.
How long do you think it would take
to count to 30,000, Papa?
I don't know.
Couple hours, maybe, why?
Because that's how many days
an average person lives 30,000.
That's it.
And I've already used up,
like 4,000 days, almost.
Maxie, I...
I don't know what to tell you, honey.
Nothing, Papa.
Nothing.
Papa.
Yeah, Maxie.
Where are those horses racing?
Oh, that's from today's races at Aqueduct.
Where's Aqueduct?
It's in Queens.
This is ridiculous.
Look, I asked you because I thought
you wouldn't be scared to do this.
If you want to go back.
Please, don't play your
fourth-grade mind games on me.
Let's go.
So what's happening at PS 41 these days?
Same as usual.
Oh, uh, there's a new gym teacher.
Coach Z left?
Yeah.
And, uh, the new gym teacher's a girl.
Wow, that's cool.
No, it's lame.
Whoever heard of a girl gym teacher?
Oh, and the chess team
just finished second
at city championships.
Really?
Maybe I'll play against them someday.
Heh.
They'll kick your butt.
They're good.
I said I was sorry.
Could have made us some fake IDs.
I'm sorry.
I didn't realize you
had to be 18 to get in.
Well, will you at least tell
me now why we came here?
We came to watch the horses.
Of course we came here
to watch the horses.
Why?
To see how they move,
what direction.
They move around the track in a circle.
Well, it's not exactly a circle.
Okay. An oval.
Please don't tell me that's
all you needed to know.
Only $1.00!
Get it here!
Get it now!
Get it while it's still on
ice, ladies and gentlemen.
So, moving in an oval.
You know, some people might
think it was a bad idea
to send a 10 year-old-kid to a racetrack.
I didn't send you to a racetrack.
You sent yourself.
It's a small horse.
You have to make a small oval.
Think of a horse in the city.
It can't cut through a block.
It's gotta make turns at the corner.
Try going a different way.
Okay. I got it.
What's next?
I want to see your diarrhea.
You mean diary.
Mmm, macaroni and dirt, my favorite.
Not macaroni and dirt,
Papa, macaroni and cheese!
Mm-mm-mm. I saw Mama
cooking it this morning,
and this is definitely macaroni and dirt.
You're silly, Papa.
Papa, why doesn't Mama eat
dinner with us anymore?
Because Mama's gotta work, bug.
What's Mama's work?
I've told you before,
bug, she cooks for people.
She cooks for us.
Why does she have to cook
for other people, too?
Well, it's complicated, honey.
It's not that complicated.
Jez, other people give her
money to cook for them.
Unless you have any money to give her,
she can't just cook for you.
I have some money.
No, you don't.
Yes, I do.
I have a nickel and a penny and a dollar.
That's not real money.
That's just like.
Jesus, Max, stop!
Yeah, Max, cheeses!
Hey, hey, both of you!
The important thing is
that both of you girls know
that your Mama loves you more
than anything in the world, okay?
And when you eat the food
that she cooks for you,
it's like you're eating her love.
That's kinda gross.
I'm not hungry anymore.
Okay.
You're ready.
Make your own move, any piece you like.
Are we going to play?
No, we're just going to work on openings,
just the first five moves.
But I'm ready to play a real game.
I know how to move all the pieces.
Fine. If you're ready to play a real game,
then you don't need me anymore.
I know how to drive a car.
Doesn't mean I'm ready for the Indy 500.
What do I move first?
What are you, two years old?
Pick a piece, and move it.
Brilliant move.
People will be talking
about it for decades.
Now, we already talked about
the Earth and the moon, right?
The sun is 4.5 billion years old.
Know what else is 4.5 billion years old?
What?
Those shoes.
Hey, do you want do some
more exploring today?
Well, I kinda have to play chess today.
I can play chess.
For real?
Like, can you play well?
No, but I can play a little.
Great. Will your mom let you come?
I told her your ludicrous
nanny was picking us up.
I don't think that word means
what you think it means.
You ever think about
how random things are?
I mean, Isabella could
have been my best friend
instead of you.
I doubt that.
What I'm saying is that everything in life
is just...
I don't know, luck.
Those people could have been my parents.
That could have been my grandmother.
Or I might have had two dads
and maybe lived somewhere else.
For that matter, I could have been a boy.
Eww.
I mean, why is your name Becky?
Because Rebecca is too long and boring.
What's your point?
Nothing. Come on.
Great.
Two six-year-olds.
That should equal one 12 year-old.
We're not six years.
Don't bother.
Here's how I'm starting today.
Pawn to E3.
Almost as earthshaking
as your last opening.
E3?
That's how you describe moves.
The squares go across from A to H,
and the squares up and
down go from 1 to 8,
so that square is E3.
Hey, I'm impressed.
You can count to eight.
Just ignore him.
Not terrible.
Actually, not terrible.
Papa!
Max?
Max.
Hey.
Come on, Maxie.
Talk to me.
Did you know that the sun
is 4.5 billion years old
and that in another 5 billion
years, it'll burn out?
I don't think we need to
worry about that, honey.
Why not?
Because we won't be here.
But where will I be, Dad?
Where will I be in 5 billion years?
I don't know, honey.
But I can promise you one thing.
Wherever you are, I'm gonna be there, too.
Huh?
How 'bout a little beard scratch?
Heh.
Dad.
Yeah, honey?
I wish I didn't think about these things.
I know, honey.
I think about 'em sometimes, too.
But you know when I never do?
When I'm with you and your sister.
That must mean something, right?
Good night, sweetie.
Hey.
Hey!
What's going on?
I told him we could only
play the first five moves,
but he wouldn't stop.
We'll stop when I'm ahead.
It doesn't look like that
is ever gonna happen.
Scram.
Scram!
Come on!
All right,
we're gonna play the first 20 moves each.
Try not to lose before then.
Hello.
Hey.
How were the girls?
Oh, fine.
Do you remember when Max was born,
like five minutes ago?
I remember three minutes
ago, when Jez was born.
They're closing the restaurant.
When?
It's already done.
You know, apparently
they've been losing money.
But they offered me a
job at their other place.
In Boston?
No, no, no. You could get a
job at another restaurant here.
There's nothing out there.
You know how many people
were coming in every day
looking for work?
It's just.
We are really lucky they
offered me this Boston gig.
Well, then you could not
work for a while, then.
Yeah, so we can not pay
Max's tuition for a while.
I know how to rotate my schedule.
I can come back twice a month.
The Chinese bus is only $15.
They need me to start next week.
Well, you thought of everything then.
Are you mad at me?
You think I want to do this?
You know, I think you don't
want to talk about it,
is what I think.
What is the point of
going round and round?
You're gonna change your mind five times
when we both know this
is the right thing to do.
Great. Fine.
Fine. It's not like the kids
see you around here anyway, so fine.
Oh.
If you had a decent job,
I wouldn't have to do this.
Mama?
Who's awake down there?
What are you doing?
You have tiger scratches.
I also have a secret I want to tell you.
I love somebody in this room.
Is it me?
You guessed it.
Actually, I love two people in this room.
I love you, and I love Max.
You also love yourself,
so that's three people.
Right, but I love you and Max
and Papa even more than I love myself.
Me, too, Mama.
I can't stop loving you.
Ohh.
How'd I get so lucky?
Tell me a story, Mama.
Okay. What about?
About Cinderella, Ariel,
Spider-Man, and Max.
And Max, okay.
Well, one day, Cinderella, Ariel, and Max
were walking through the park,
and all of a sudden,
Spider-Man went swinging by.
And Spider-Man stopped
as soon as he saw Max,
because he knew he needed her
for a very important mission.
I wouldn't have done that.
So you've learned how to move the pieces.
I've been taking lessons.
I'm ready to play you.
Who've you been studying with?
He can't be better than my teacher,
Vadim Alexeyevich.
I'm sure you know who that is.
He teaches me in Russian.
You speak Russian?
Not really,
but he's such a genius,
it doesn't even matter.
Anyway, why should I play you?
What's in it for me?
At this school, I'm here, and you're here.
You're scared.
Please.
Okay.
If you win, I'll leave the school.
And if you win,
which could only happen
if I go into a coma.
Then you have to leave the school.
Not a chance.
Okay.
Then you have to stop bothering me.
That's pretty broad.
I'll stop insulting you in public.
That's acceptable.
Okay.
Today I'm gonna go first.
Listen, Norman, I need
to tell you something.
Tell me later.
Move first.
I'm going to play a real chess match.
The hell you are.
No, I am.
I'm going to play against someone else.
What?
I'm going to play a real chess match
against someone else.
I told you you weren't ready.
Well, I thought I was.
Then I guess we're done.
Hey, Maxie.
How was school today?
It was fine.
Yeah? What'd you do?
The usual,
nothing.
I see.
Hey, Maxie, do you like your new school?
You're not supposed to like school, Papa.
Oh, really?
At best, you're supposed to tolerate it.
Okay, then.
Do you tolerate your new school?
I tolerate it.
That's good,
I guess.
You know, parents, they always think
they know better than their kids.
Duh.
And they do for a while,
but pretty soon you're
gonna be coming home
with math homework that
I don't understand,
that you're gonna know the
right answer way before I do.
You know what I mean?
I'm only doing multiplication.
It's a metaphor.
Oh.
I don't like metaphors.
All right, listen.
I'll be back in a few
minutes, okay, honey?
You call me if you need me.
Sleep.
Sleep, matia mou.
I might have made a mistake, Yaya.
Everybody makes mistakes.
Your mother married your father.
Why do you keep doing that?
Habit.
Don't worry about it.
Make the best choice you can.
That's what your mother did
when she went to Boston.
She made her best.
You make a choice, then go on.
Life's too short.
Compared to what?
What do you mean?
I mean, compare our lives
to the life of a spider.
They must think we live forever.
Huh. You're right, matia mou.
Life is also very, very long.
So what should I do?
You know what I'm gonna say.
Yes.
Now go to sleep, matia mou.
Karaniecta, matia mou.
Look, it's my life, not yours.
I'm entitled to play
against somebody else.
Seriously, the silent treatment?
Now who's the six-year-old?
I need to start making my own decisions,
but I'm sorry that I didn't
tell you in advance, Norman.
That was a mistake.
This is not what I expected.
This is your great teacher?
She called you Norman.
What's your last name?
It doesn't speak.
Why am I not surprised?
His name is Norman Wallach.
(speaking in foreign language)
That's my Tibetan nanny, Tashi.
My parents insist I only
speak Mandarin with her.
I have tae kwon do class now.
Let's play tomorrow here.
I want Norman to see me beat you.
I'll bring the clocks.
She's the one you're gonna play against?
You gotta beat her.
Tell me about it.
She said she's bringing clocks.
What does that mean?
Chess clocks.
You only get a certain
amount of time to make all your moves.
It makes the game move faster.
I always liked that you can control
how fast the game changed.
Hey, look, chess is change.
It'd be pretty boring if
the pieces never moved.
But sometimes you want
things to stay the same.
You know that great
pizza place on West 11th?
Sure.
I been there a hundred times.
Seems like that place
has been around forever.
Yeah, it has been.
But sooner or later, it'll close.
Every place has to, eventually.
You just have to enjoy it while it's here.
Enough with the metaphors.
Then listen.
You can't just use the
same pieces you always use.
Find new ones.
Look for one that could be
more valuable than you think it is.
You can't lose.
You think you're gonna lose,
give me a signal, and
I'll knock the board over.
I'm serious.
Back in a sec.
Here's the plan.
I'm going to pretend to
be blind, and you ask.
No.
Come on, I'll go 50-50 with you.
You're underutilized.
Huh?
Come with me.
All right, 6 to 1 1/2.
That can't be right.
All right, 164 to 41.
What?
Ooh!
What's the count?
It's, uh, 10,016 to 2,504.
Or it's eight to two.
It's about as simple as I'm gonna make it.
This is B-ball, after all.
I don't get it.
The city is going to help me beat her.
Go ahead. You're first.
It's eight to two.
This is B-ball, after all.
So, B4.
You know, that pawn is you.
What?
(speaking in foreign language)
He's not allowed to coach you.
It doesn't matter.
I have no idea what he's saying.
Remember, your board, your city.
That's the stupidest
thing I've ever heard.
You're a sucky teacher.
Go back to the suburbs where you belong.
I'm from the Upper West Side, if you.
Like I said, go back to the suburbs.
I'm sure they never heard of
the Mexican defense there.
There's no such thing
as the Mexican defense.
Says you.
(singing in foreign language)
C, C, C, C.
C4.
Pawn takes pawn.
(speaking in foreign language)
I wish I understood him.
Checkmate in three moves.
Unless you find the one move
that wins the game for you.
Hey, he said it.
I'm just translating.
You don't speak Russian.
Oh.
(speaking in foreign language)
I don't see it.
Look harder.
I don't see it.
Look harder.
You have 20 seconds to make your move,
or you lose.
I do not get that.
10 seconds.
Take responsibility.
You happen to life.
Of course.
I'm going to turn into a queen.
My pawn will become a queen in two moves.
Then checkmate.
She can't stop me.
You're gonna win!
Put it down!
What's wrong? Is there
a problem with the move?
No.
Congratulations.
Enjoy school without me.
Very good player.
I don't understand.
She's coming back to PS 41.
Just when I was about to win,
I realized that I didn't want to.
You didn't want to win?
No, I didn't want to go back
to the Blackstone Academy.
Nothing against it, it's just
I've got a fantastic school
that's a five-minute-walk from my house.
I love it there.
It's my neighborhood school.
That's what a real city
kid would do, isn't it?
Plus they've got the second-best
chess team in the city.
Maybe I can put them over the top.
Yeah.
Yes, I do.
You do not.
That means your wish
will, in fact, come true
18 years from now.
- Mama!
You're back!
Ohh! Hi, honey!
Oh, I couldn't be away from my girls.
Yaya.
What, you're surprised?
I wasn't sure I'd see you again.
This is the last time.
You don't need me no more.
I'll always need you.
Oh, no, that didn't come out right,
but you know what I mean.
Thank you, Yaya.
Everything worked out okay with your help.
You did it all yourself.
But I want to answer
that question of yours.
About why things have to change?
Hmm.
I think I know the answer.
Tell me, matia mou.
Because sometimes a great old pizza place
has to close so that a new one can open.
I hate metaphors.
Say hello to Norman for me.
What do they want?
They're trying to convince me to come back
to the Blackstone Academy
after I graduate from PS 41.
You'll have your choice of schools.
They also want you to teach them.
They're not city kids.
Maybe we can teach them how to be.
I guess I could teach you all together.
Three six-year-olds
almost makes a grown-up.
We're not six.
He knows.
We'll start tomorrow.
Three kids at once.
I must be an idiot.
It's lucky for you I'm such a softie.
Get out of here!
Hey, Shmuel!
Don't worry about the next game.
Enjoy this one.
Know what I mean?
Yeah.
I'll try.
I'm going to enjoy beating
you, that's for sure.
You couldn't beat me
if I gave you a bag of
oranges, three hammers,
a baseball bat, and the Brooklyn Dodgers!
Anybody want to play some chess?
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
(singer vocalizing)
♪ Four months ago I thought ♪
♪ How sad if I could not ♪
♪ Take everything you
taught me and walk on ♪
♪ Learn to live today ♪
♪ Tomorrow's just too late ♪
♪ And when all is said and done ♪
♪ I finally have learned somehow ♪
♪ To live in the here and now ♪
♪ Things will never, ever be the same ♪
♪ The world goes round and round ♪
♪ You can't stop or slow it down ♪
♪ I've grown since you went away ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ And life begins today ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ Life begins today ♪
♪ I feel a little stronger now ♪
♪ I feel a little wiser now ♪
♪ I know that I can
make it through it now ♪
♪ I finally have learned somehow ♪
♪ To live in the here and now ♪
♪ And things will never,
ever be the same ♪
♪ The world goes round and round ♪
♪ You can't stop or slow it down ♪
♪ I've grown since you
went away, yeah yeah ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ And life begins today ♪
♪ Life begins today ♪
♪ Oh yeah, life begins today ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ Life begins today ♪
♪ Oh yeah ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ Life begins today ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ Life begins today ♪
(upbeat music)
(singing in foreign language)
(upbeat music)
- [Narrator] Our story begins,
as so many do, in a doctor's office.
- You're 100% sure, Doc?
- Well, in my line of work,
nothing's 100%, but I'm sure.
Oh, we're having a boy.
- [Narrator] Which led to
one name being settled on,
a very popular name, as it turned out.
Max!
I didn't do it!
Not you.
Max!
He bit me first!
No. Max Kuftinec!
Coming, Ms. Winter!
And in China, it's considered
polite to burp when you eat.
It shows you like the food.
Cool!
Gross.
Max, your father is
picking you up early today.
Get your things ready.
Yes, Ms. Winter.
Max, it's been nice
having you in my class.
I'll be back tomorrow, Ms. Winter.
Hey, we're just checking it out, okay?
No decisions yet.
Obviously Max is very bright.
What can you tell me about her
that her test scores can't? Hmm?
Well, uh, Max has always been...
She's been a self-starter ever since...
- [Narrator] Sarah felt
foolish reducing their daughter
to a bunch of words that
a thousand other parents
must have said about their kids.
We can't describe what's
so great about Max,
you know, any more than I can tell you
what's great about the color blue,
but you would be lucky to have her.
What do we do?
I don't know.
She's happy now.
I know.
And even with the scholarship,
we would still have to come up
with at least another couple thousand.
That's just this year.
Well, I could ask for a raise.
They just gave you one.
I could ask for a raise.
They owe me one.
I guess my first question is why?
I mean, I like PS 41.
And you always tell me how lucky we are
to have a great local public school.
Yes, and that's true,
but you're the smartest kid
in your class right now, right?
Maybe.
Well, maybe it would
be good to be somewhere
where you weren't the smartest kid.
Someone's gotta be.
I know, Max.
I know.
Who knows how far you could go in life?
We just want to give you
every opportunity to do that.
Right, and ultimately,
this is your decision.
Mm-hmm.
But Papa and I think this
would be very good for you,
and if you don't like it, you
can always go back to PS 41.
That's right.
Okay.
So how would I get there?
Okay. Well, you would take the subway,
and Papa would go with you.
When I can.
Hang on a sec.
What do you mean, "When I can"?
I can't be late to the
restaurant every day.
No, I'm not talking every day.
I'm talking a couple times a week.
Well, how... this is not
what we talked about.
It is what...
I told you...
Look. Look. Look.
I'll just go alone when
Papa can't take me.
It's fine.
It's fine.
I walk to PS 41 by myself.
I take care of Jez by myself.
I'm not a baby anymore.
- [Narrator] Tom lay in bed that night
wondering if they'd
made the right decision.
Sarah wondered if she
was a good parent or not.
Max wondered what the
library would be like
at the Blackstone Academy.
Jez slept.
I'm going to a new school today.
Really?
Yes.
I'm not a baby anymore.
If I don't see my daughter,
at least I get to see
my granddaughter, huh?
It's your fault, Yaya.
Fault? How?
You were such a good cook that
you made Mama into a chef.
You're a tricky one, matia mou.
Your brains you get from your
mother, not from that one.
Go round and round.
Yaya's got no energy today.
Come on. Tea.
Let's get some tea.
So, this new school, it's better, right?
You know...
they're smart, they take you.
I don't know.
I think it'll be good, but...
(speaking in foreign language)
Uh, I'm sorry.
I don't speak Greek.
You work in Greek cafe. Why?
I don't know.
Cold. Tea ice-cold!
I'm sorry.
I'll heat it up for you.
In Greece, never serve
tea like that, never.
But it was steaming in your...
Maxine, you don't contradict Yayas.
Maybe they teach you
that in your new school.
But I didn't...
Eh!
What I tell you all your life?
If you make a mistake, admit it.
Right. So?
I apologize, Yaya.
Good.
You're not a baby anymore, matia mou.
You must make your own decisions.
Like my Yaya said,
"You don't let life happen to you.
You happen to life."
Sounds better in Greek.
Hi.
Hey.
They're all freaked out about something.
They said the last thing they
could do is give me a raise.
So what do we do?
I don't know.
We could take out a loan.
Not with our credit.
Well, we could borrow money from somebody.
From who?
You want to go door-to-door
in the building,
ask people to loan money to the super?
You gotta get real here, Tom.
I'm gonna take extra shifts.
No.
There's no other option.
I love you so much.
There's nobody who's loved more than you
in this whole world.
You hear me?
I mean, there might be some
people loved as much as you,
but nobody is loved...
I know, Dad.
Now go away.
I hate it when you need them
more than they need you.
Laura Langer.
You're new here.
Tom Kuftinec.
You'll be happy here.
It's a great place.
And 40% of graduates go
to Ivy League schools.
Not that we're thinking
about that kind of thing yet.
Heh.
- [Narrator] A new routine was soon set.
Tom would drop Max off in the morning,
and she would come home
by herself after school.
Can't let things get you down.
Listen, things will get better.
No, but I'm telling you it's... Watch it!
No. It's a totally great show.
You have to watch it.
What are you wearing? (laughs)
Hey, Maxie.
Hi.
Hey, you want to come along?
I gotta fix the lock on 16D.
Um, no, thanks, Papa.
Hey, how was school today?
Fine.
Well, what'd you do today?
Nothing.
Okay, I'll be back as soon as I can.
You call me if you need me.
Excellent.
There's a choice period
after lunch today, Max.
You might consider visiting
the chess club then.
There are other girls
there with your skills.
But I don't know how to play chess.
That's okay.
They can teach you.
Do you have a book that could teach me?
Heh. It's much better
to learn from a person.
The advisor is Mr. Eckhard.
He's an excellent teacher. Okay?
Before you came,
I was the third-best math
student in the class.
Now I'm the fourth.
And who might you be?
I'm Max Kuftinec.
I'm here for the chess club?
Excellent.
What's your level?
I've actually never really...
Mr. Eckhard, Max is a friend of mine.
I'll play with her.
Well, thank you, Isabella.
That's very hospitable of you.
Let's see how smart you are now.
Go ahead. You're white.
Oh, my God.
You don't know how to play.
You don't even know how
to make the first move.
That's pathetic.
One day, I'm going to come back here,
and I'm going to teach you some manners.
Yeah, well, good luck with that.
What happened?
Why did she leave?
To be honest, Mr. Eckhard,
I don't think she liked you very much.
I'm sorry.
Hey, kids!
Hi.
Papa, do you think you could
teach me how to play...
Maxie, I gotta run.
Mrs. Rosenhirsch has mice.
One of them's in the bathtub
with Mrs. Rosenhirsch.
Okay, listen, if I'm not back by 7:00,
get dinner out of the fridge, okay?
I love you two! Call me
if you need me, all right?
Becky Langer.
Sophie Glass.
Isabella Diaz.
Max Kuftinec.
She's has a boy's first
name and a stupid last name.
I know it's hard to do,
but sometimes you gotta
take a chance, man.
Yeah, I know.
No, you should go for it.
It can't take too long to learn, can it?
I've always wanted to
learn another language.
Just find the right guy.
Pick the one you want to learn from.
All the little league coaches are good.
Go away.
You're still here.
Fine. Let's play.
I'll let you win,
for a while.
Costs five bucks.
I don't know how to play chess,
and I don't usually talk to strangers.
Not talking to strangers is smart,
but not playing chess, that's just stupid.
What's 25 times 14?
Something tells me I'm about to find out.
350, I'm not stupid.
Fine.
But you're, like, what, six years old,
and you don't know how to play chess yet?
What kind of crappy school you go to?
I want to learn how to play,
and I'm not 6, I'm 10.
When I was 10, I was
carrying blocks of ice
up 5 flights of stairs.
I don't think that's possible
unless you're, like, 90.
Fine. My father did that, not me.
But I certainly knew how to
play chess when I was 10.
Hell, I won the city
tournament when I was 10.
Why don't you use that Google?
I hear it can teach you anything.
I don't know.
I just had a feeling you
might be able to teach me.
Plus you're two blocks from my house,
and you seem to have some free time.
Well, kid, you gotta play for something.
Any city kid knows that.
And these days, I play for money.
Hmph.
Fashion show.
Fashion show.
Max, how come Mama isn't
home for dinner anymore?
Because she's working.
Why does she work?
So she can make money for our family.
But Papa works, too.
Well, both Mama and Papa have to work
so that we have enough money.
Let's call Mama.
She's busy.
Then let's call Papa.
He's busy, too.
We should only call him
if it's an emergency.
Oh.
Then let's call Yaya.
All right.
Hi, Yaya.
I'm good.
Okay. Here.
Hi, Yaya.
Matia mou, what your
little sister doing awake?
It's after bedtime, right?
Yeah, but...
What, you have an excuse?
Sort of. I mean...
Matia mou, what I'm going to say?
You're going to tell
me not to make excuses.
I'll put her to bed now.
Good girl.
And you don't stay up late.
Nothing good happens late.
Okay.
Matia mou, go.
Hi.
Hi.
How were the girls?
They were fine,
no problems.
Think they even remember my name?
They love you.
Sweetie, could you please
remove my shoes at some point?
It's $5.00.
I get a dollar a week.
I'll pay you the rest in two weeks.
At least you can do a little math.
It's lucky for you I'm such a softie.
But if anybody else
wants to play, you scram.
You got it?
I'm not too worried about that.
You hear me?
Yeah, I scram.
Whatever that means.
Okay.
I'm Norman.
What's your name?
Max.
What's with names these days?
It's like roll call at a tenement in 1920.
Max, Samuel, Zachary, Nathan.
I'm gonna call you Shmuel.
I don't know if you noticed.
I'm a girl.
Come back tomorrow, Shmuel.
What?
You, (speaking in foreign language).
Why are you speaking Spanish?
Because you don't seem
to understand English.
And don't use that
Google to learn anything.
You told me before to use it.
You want to learn my way or their way?
Who's "they"?
Everybody else.
I don't know.
Whose way is better?
You want your money back?
Okay.
I won't use that Google.
Or that Bingo or that Skitter.
I have no idea what you're talking about.
Just don't.
I'll know if you do.
Now get out of here.
Come on. You can help me with this.
Just play along, okay?
Don't say anything.
Just look cute.
Hey!
Hey!
Look little sis, it's Jeremy Lin!
No, I'm not.
It's Jeremy Lin, your favorite
person in the whole world.
You were so sad when he left
the Knicks, but here he is!
Look, I'm not Jeremy...
Jeremy, it's so great that you're here.
My poor sister, she's been so sick.
Look, could you just
give her an autograph?
It'll mean the world to her.
Look, uh, I...
Just one autograph to make
a sick little girl happy.
Okay.
Here you go.
Thank you so much, Jeremy.
Hang on a minute.
That's not how you spell "Jeremy."
You're not really Jeremy Lin!
Now look what you've done, fake Jeremy!
You've broken my little sister's heart.
Are you happy now?
No. I, I was trying to tell you I'm not.
Look, you gotta make this right.
Give me some money so I could
buy my sister some candy.
I don't know who you think you are,
impersonating Jeremy Lin in public
and misleading a little girl.
Here.
Here's a five, okay?
Okay?
I saw a 10 in there.
Fine, 10.
Give me half, or I'll tell your mom.
Here is two.
You didn't have to do anything.
Give me half, or I'll tell both your moms.
Fine.
Hey, how's that new
fancy-pants school of yours?
No way it's better than PS 41.
I don't think it's better,
but it's different.
Are the kids smarter?
No, but they're more the same.
Of course they are.
They're all girls.
Yeah, but...
they're all the same kind of girls.
Hey, look. It's little orphan Annie.
Annie, I'd like you to meet my friend Mel.
Except he's not really a friend of mine.
And his name's not really Mel.
I got my allowance early.
Scram.
I was winning.
Bull oney, you were winning.
I was six moves from checkmating you.
I was four moves from checkmating you.
Oh, you couldn't beat me
if I gave you a bullwhip and Jake LaMotta.
I've been beating that guy
since before you were born.
That's not very long.
Okay, since before your father was born.
You got an answer for everything?
Most things.
Great.
Lucky for you I love kids so much.
Okay.
Let's get started.
What do you know about chess?
Not much.
Do you know how the different pieces move?
Not really.
Do you know what each piece is called?
Not precisely.
Not precisely.
Do you know anything about chess?
I know it's a good game for smart people.
Now that is the first sensible
thing I've heard you say.
Okay.
This is called a pawn.
It's barely worth the space it occupies,
a lot like a kid.
Like a kid, a pawn can't move very fast,
only one space at a time,
except for its first move,
when it can go two.
Like a kid, excited at first, then lazy.
Lucky for me you love kids so much.
You're a cocky kid.
Where'd you say you're from?
Over there, in the Village.
I grew up in Brooklyn.
Now Brooklyn's a place yuppies move to.
I didn't think there
were any city kids left.
What are you talking about?
There are lots of city.
Just living in the city
doesn't make you a city kid.
These kids might as
well be in Westchester.
Their nannies take 'em everywhere.
A city kid, he's cocky,
but not too cocky,
knows how to play things.
And a city kid sees the
way it all goes together.
You know what I'm talking about?
I think so.
Well, we'll find out.
You know why all the best players
are city kids?
No.
Because they're used to
different kinds of people
bumping into each other every day
in different ways, always changing,
just like a chessboard.
What do you mean?
For instance, I already told
you pawns are like kids.
So this pawn is you.
You just started a new school,
so you move forward.
How'd you know I started a new school?
Your fancy new duds,
and you don't look very
comfortable in 'em.
Only, you're not sure
about this new school,
so you only go one square
forward instead of two.
Once you take your hand off
the piece, your move is done.
It's my turn.
I'm playing against you?
You're not playing yet.
You're just moving the pieces.
Come back tomorrow.
One move a day is plenty.
One move a day?
Come on!
Go.
Okay, class, open to page 41, geography.
Today we're talking about
the United States of America,
but we're talking about
all of the Americas,
which includes.
Hold on just one second.
Hi.
Hi. Yes.
Go away. Go away.
Go away. Go away.
Go away. Go away.
Go away.
Thank God.
Max, your father wants you to
wait for him here after class.
Class!
Girls, enough!
Let's get back to the lesson, okay?
You know, my bedroom window's stuck.
Maybe your dad can come
over later and fix it.
Maxie.
It's Yaya.
Hi.
Listen, honey, I know
you're having a tough time,
but it'll get better.
I promise.
I was just thinking about
how things always change, you know?
I was thinking about how we're all born,
and then we get older and older, until...
I can't stop thinking about it.
I see.
Well, you know I'm always
gonna be here for you,
and Mama's always gonna be here for you.
Not always.
As long as you need us, we'll be here.
I'm gonna sit over there for a bit
if that's okay with you.
All right?
That's right.
Another kid's coming at you.
What do you mean?
This is you, right?
You've stepped out on your own,
out onto an island a little bit,
and you could move further on your own,
but that'd be stupid, right?
Even you can see that.
So you take your best friend,
bring her up next to you.
I don't have a best friend.
Then any friend you
have at that new school.
I don't have any.
You don't have any?
Then you better get some.
You can't win a chess
game with just one piece.
Well, there's my little sister.
That's pathetic.
But you gotta move something.
Not that your little sis can
help you much over there.
Look, your board is your city,
and your city is your board.
You understand?
No.
Never mind.
That's enough for today.
Get out of here.
You can't just keep
moving your little sister.
Well, I'm thinking about
going back to my old school.
I have friends there.
They kicking you out of
that fancy new place?
No, I just don't know if
it's the right school for me.
So you're just gonna quit
before you give it a fair chance.
Right.
That's a great idea.
You're behind, so you should quit now.
I didn't say I was quitting.
Thinking about quitting
is the same as quitting.
Maybe you should just go
play checkers instead.
They play a lot of
checkers in Westchester.
Did you ever notice that Miss
Bailes looks like a walrus?
Heh. Not before,
but now I won't be able to
observe her without laughing.
Thanks a lot.
That's Becky.
She's got my back.
One final thing about pawns.
If a pawn manages to do something great,
if it gets all the way to the other side,
then it changes, turns into a queen.
So a worthless little kid
can turn into a queen.
Interesting.
Don't get too excited.
It almost never happens.
Okay, now that you're actually
moving more than one piece,
you gotta think strategically.
Strategically?
Yeah, you need a plan.
When you walk out the door,
you have a plan, right?
You don't just walk outside
and wander around, do you?
Uh, no.
No.
So, what's your plan?
Um...
to move me and my friends forward?
All right.
I guess that's a plan, barely,
but you gotta keep an eye on the board,
come up with a new plan if things change.
But things always change.
That's right.
Things always change.
So what do you do about that?
I mean, what if you don't
want things to change?
Tough.
Forget it.
I don't know why I would ask you.
Hey, listen.
Change isn't a bad thing.
Sometimes it is.
Man, when was the last
time we had a date night?
I don't know. 1998?
Oh, it feels that way, doesn't it?
It probably has been a year.
That's so bad.
No, it's not bad.
We're busy.
Yeah. Everybody's busy, but you make time
for the things that are important,
and, you know, I can certainly
take a night off every six months.
You're not worried about
the babysitter, are you?
No. No, no, no.
She's fine.
Come on.
Okay.
I told you not to move!
You're a closet.
Closets don't move.
She's right.
Closets don't move.
Dad?
Mom?
Are you asleep?
Why don't you answer?
Yaya?
Shh.
Don't wake up your sister.
Go back to sleep.
But you're dead.
Tell me something I don't know.
What are you doing here?
Sitting with you.
What, that's a problem?
Uh, no. No.
I got no other plans,
and I gotta keep an eye
on that lazy father of yours.
He's not lazy.
Well... Heh.
Go back to sleep.
Yaya?
Still here.
You know, if you were
anyone else sitting there,
I'd be pretty scared right now.
I mean, you're dead.
That would be really scary,
to have a dead person sitting in my room.
Mm, yes, that would be really scary.
So are you a ghost?
No. No, no.
You know better than that.
I'm just a pigment of your imagination.
I always thought the word was "figment."
Maxine, you don't correct Yayas.
Okay.
Well, good night, Yaya.
Good night, matia mou.
♪ Tic, tac, toe ♪
♪ Gimme an X, gimme an O ♪
♪ Gimme a three in a row ♪
♪ Row, ship, boat ♪
Hey, that's weird.
Look at Olive.
Yeah.
Why isn't she with the rest
of her catastrophic friends?
Go over and talk to her.
Why?
You go over and talk to her if you want.
No, you do it.
You're prettier than me.
She'll like you better.
Okay.
Tell her you like her drawings.
She's proud of them.
Cool.
Cool animals.
So, any ideas on your move?
Why do you seem so excited today?
You're never excited.
Because I see a piece
that's been left out
alone to fend for itself.
So what are you gonna do?
Becky's gonna take it
like she took Olive.
Wow.
Downtown.
I've been downtown,
like, twice in my life.
What's it like down there?
It must be mesmerizing.
It's nice.
I mean, it's a little
busier than it is up here.
I wish I lived downtown.
And I cannot believe your parents
let you ride home on
the subway by yourself.
That is totally scintillating.
I guess.
There's no way my mom
would let me do that.
I'm not allowed on the
streets without a grown-up,
and she won't let me
ride the subway at all.
You've never been on the subway?
Nobody I know gets to ride the subway.
So do you want to come over to my place
with your nanny on Friday?
Uh, why don't we go somewhere fun instead?
Home is so boring.
Yeah, that's a stunning idea!
Your nanny can take us
and drop me off at home
when we're done.
Uh, my nanny's no fun.
She doesn't do anything.
It's got to be your nanny.
Okay.
Becky!
Gotta go.
Your dad has a nice car.
Dad?
You're funny.
The rook,
also known as a castle.
Cool.
A good piece, useful piece.
Now go learn about it.
What are you talking about?
Go out there.
Find a castle.
Learn how the piece moves.
Let me get this straight.
To learn how this piece
moves on a chessboard,
I'm supposed to go look around
New York City for a castle?
Right.
And somehow that's going
to teach me something?
Yeah, if you got your eyes open.
Look, you can learn my way,
or you can learn from somebody else.
Well, can you at least give me a hint
about what I'm looking for?
A hint?
You mean, like, is it
bigger than a bread box?
Bigger than an Xbox?
What's an Xbox?
What's a bread box?
Oh, get out of here.
Xbox.
It's gonna take a little imagination.
Do you have a little imagination?
I'm a 10-year-old girl.
What do you think?
Then stop being so literal.
Chess player needs to think creatively.
And don't come back till you find it.
You need to be inspired.
Inspired?
Sweetie, I am sorry,
but we just can't do it.
And I gotta get back to work, so kiss.
Come on.
Just one day.
Honey, we can't afford a nanny.
We just can't.
Don't you want me to have playdates?
Or would you rather I just be a hermit
for the rest of my life?
Of course we want you to have playdates.
Well, other parents don't let their kids
walk the streets alone.
Look, it's great that you trust me.
This isn't about you.
I can't have a playdate without a nanny.
Okay, Here's an idea.
What if my sister picked you up one day?
She said she'd be happy to
do it if we ever needed her.
No. No one has their aunt pick them up.
That's so uncool.
What do you care what people think?
That doesn't matter.
Dad, I'm 10 years old.
It matters.
I need a nanny to pick me up,
not my Aunt Diane.
Why can't Aunt Diane be your nanny?
Are you sure your nanny
is coming today, Max?
You could always just
come over to our house.
Oh, no, she's definitely coming.
She's very reliable.
Mom, you don't have to remain here.
I'm sorry, honey.
I know it's embarrassing to you,
but I don't let my
daughter walk the streets
with someone I haven't met.
Hey, Max!
Come on.
You have to be my nanny.
Oh, yeah, I heard, so I'm not your aunt.
I'm just your nanny.
Got it.
And you can't be American.
Nannies are never American,
unless they're young dancers.
I've got a dancer's body.
They're in their 20s.
I've got a dancer's body, okay?
This is my nanny, Diane.
Hi, Diane.
Uh, (speaking in foreign language).
Oh, no. No.
(speaking in foreign language)
Oh. Well, where are you from?
Oh, I from.
Eh, I from Kazakhstan.
(speaking in foreign language)
Um... Ahem.
So, Diane,
where do you take the girls today?
Uh, I take girls,
eh, wherever they want to go,
except if it not safe.
Then I do not take them.
Excuse me one second.
Is she drunk?
Well, have fun.
Call me at the first sign of trouble.
(upbeat music)
I mean, can you believe it?
You know, I can't believe he'd do it.
I still have to throw things out.
He's watching the
decluttering show, I guess.
Oh, I gotta refill my MetroCard.
I forgot my wallet.
Do you have any money?
Jeez.
Your mom's going to kill me.
Okay.
My student MetroCard can be
used once every 17 minutes,
so we'll just wait for that.
No. I'm not gonna use your
student MetroCard, okay?
That's illegal.
Come on.
No one's watching.
They have cameras everywhere.
There aren't any cameras here.
No, they disguise them, see?
You can't trust 'em.
You don't realize that.
You didn't live through the '60s.
Neither did you.
Come on already.
No, put that away!
Okay. Then ask for some money.
Excuse me.
This is ridiculous.
Excuse me!
My aunt needs to borrow a couple dollars.
You should be ashamed of yourself,
bringing your little girl out here to beg!
Disgraceful.
I could've taken the subway by myself.
I do it every day.
No. Not when I'm supposed
to be watching you.
I'd never hear the end of it.
"Diane, just 'cause you
decided not to have kids
doesn't mean you can just..."
What?
Inspired.
What?
It's a castle.
Heh.
No, that's a church.
You don't have much of an imagination.
This is strange.
Yeah.
I'm going to move him to here.
Then next turn, I can capture the pawn.
Good.
Now I want you to learn
how to move the knight.
Listen, Norman, this has been,
uh, interesting,
but you could save us both some time
by just telling me how.
I could teach you all the
rules of chess in two minutes,
but the rules are nothing.
What's important is how you see the board.
Now tell me about the rook.
It sweeps across the
board in straight lines.
See? I'm teaching you how
to see the whole board,
not just a single piece.
Anybody can move a piece.
Takes a city kid to make sense
of what seems like chaos.
And I could tell you
that this is a good move,
but you would learn absolutely nothing.
Is it better to earn five bucks
or to find it in the street?
Finding it in the street would be okay,
especially if it kept
me from running around
like a crazy person.
You're not a crazy person.
You're a weird person,
like most good chess players.
I'm not a good chess player.
Not yet, but you might be someday
if you learn my way.
I gotta admit that was a pretty cool way
to learn about the rook.
How did you do that, anyway?
Eh.
So tell me about the knight.
An unusual piece.
Moves very strangely.
How?
Your board, your city.
So what am I supposed to do,
go look for a knight or a horse?
Figure it out yourself.
That's the whole point.
Don't let life happen to you.
You happen to life.
Now get out of here.
Scram.
(upbeat music)
You look like a knight.
Okay.
Can I ask you a question?
Yeah, her name's Andromeda.
Who?
It's the horse.
That's what you were gonna ask me, right?
Um, no.
I wanted to ask how you, uh, move.
How I move?
Yeah.
Do you have a special way you move?
I don't know what you're
talking about, kid.
Right.
Well, sorry.
Max, that would've been too easy,
but here's a clue.
You look for horses that really move.
Hey, bug, stop running back and forth.
You know how much Mr.
Shawn downstairs hates it.
Hey, Bug!
Do you want us all to go to jail?
Kids don't go to jail,
Papa, they go to juvie.
30,000.
What's that, a math problem?
Sort of.
How long do you think it would take
to count to 30,000, Papa?
I don't know.
Couple hours, maybe, why?
Because that's how many days
an average person lives 30,000.
That's it.
And I've already used up,
like 4,000 days, almost.
Maxie, I...
I don't know what to tell you, honey.
Nothing, Papa.
Nothing.
Papa.
Yeah, Maxie.
Where are those horses racing?
Oh, that's from today's races at Aqueduct.
Where's Aqueduct?
It's in Queens.
This is ridiculous.
Look, I asked you because I thought
you wouldn't be scared to do this.
If you want to go back.
Please, don't play your
fourth-grade mind games on me.
Let's go.
So what's happening at PS 41 these days?
Same as usual.
Oh, uh, there's a new gym teacher.
Coach Z left?
Yeah.
And, uh, the new gym teacher's a girl.
Wow, that's cool.
No, it's lame.
Whoever heard of a girl gym teacher?
Oh, and the chess team
just finished second
at city championships.
Really?
Maybe I'll play against them someday.
Heh.
They'll kick your butt.
They're good.
I said I was sorry.
Could have made us some fake IDs.
I'm sorry.
I didn't realize you
had to be 18 to get in.
Well, will you at least tell
me now why we came here?
We came to watch the horses.
Of course we came here
to watch the horses.
Why?
To see how they move,
what direction.
They move around the track in a circle.
Well, it's not exactly a circle.
Okay. An oval.
Please don't tell me that's
all you needed to know.
Only $1.00!
Get it here!
Get it now!
Get it while it's still on
ice, ladies and gentlemen.
So, moving in an oval.
You know, some people might
think it was a bad idea
to send a 10 year-old-kid to a racetrack.
I didn't send you to a racetrack.
You sent yourself.
It's a small horse.
You have to make a small oval.
Think of a horse in the city.
It can't cut through a block.
It's gotta make turns at the corner.
Try going a different way.
Okay. I got it.
What's next?
I want to see your diarrhea.
You mean diary.
Mmm, macaroni and dirt, my favorite.
Not macaroni and dirt,
Papa, macaroni and cheese!
Mm-mm-mm. I saw Mama
cooking it this morning,
and this is definitely macaroni and dirt.
You're silly, Papa.
Papa, why doesn't Mama eat
dinner with us anymore?
Because Mama's gotta work, bug.
What's Mama's work?
I've told you before,
bug, she cooks for people.
She cooks for us.
Why does she have to cook
for other people, too?
Well, it's complicated, honey.
It's not that complicated.
Jez, other people give her
money to cook for them.
Unless you have any money to give her,
she can't just cook for you.
I have some money.
No, you don't.
Yes, I do.
I have a nickel and a penny and a dollar.
That's not real money.
That's just like.
Jesus, Max, stop!
Yeah, Max, cheeses!
Hey, hey, both of you!
The important thing is
that both of you girls know
that your Mama loves you more
than anything in the world, okay?
And when you eat the food
that she cooks for you,
it's like you're eating her love.
That's kinda gross.
I'm not hungry anymore.
Okay.
You're ready.
Make your own move, any piece you like.
Are we going to play?
No, we're just going to work on openings,
just the first five moves.
But I'm ready to play a real game.
I know how to move all the pieces.
Fine. If you're ready to play a real game,
then you don't need me anymore.
I know how to drive a car.
Doesn't mean I'm ready for the Indy 500.
What do I move first?
What are you, two years old?
Pick a piece, and move it.
Brilliant move.
People will be talking
about it for decades.
Now, we already talked about
the Earth and the moon, right?
The sun is 4.5 billion years old.
Know what else is 4.5 billion years old?
What?
Those shoes.
Hey, do you want do some
more exploring today?
Well, I kinda have to play chess today.
I can play chess.
For real?
Like, can you play well?
No, but I can play a little.
Great. Will your mom let you come?
I told her your ludicrous
nanny was picking us up.
I don't think that word means
what you think it means.
You ever think about
how random things are?
I mean, Isabella could
have been my best friend
instead of you.
I doubt that.
What I'm saying is that everything in life
is just...
I don't know, luck.
Those people could have been my parents.
That could have been my grandmother.
Or I might have had two dads
and maybe lived somewhere else.
For that matter, I could have been a boy.
Eww.
I mean, why is your name Becky?
Because Rebecca is too long and boring.
What's your point?
Nothing. Come on.
Great.
Two six-year-olds.
That should equal one 12 year-old.
We're not six years.
Don't bother.
Here's how I'm starting today.
Pawn to E3.
Almost as earthshaking
as your last opening.
E3?
That's how you describe moves.
The squares go across from A to H,
and the squares up and
down go from 1 to 8,
so that square is E3.
Hey, I'm impressed.
You can count to eight.
Just ignore him.
Not terrible.
Actually, not terrible.
Papa!
Max?
Max.
Hey.
Come on, Maxie.
Talk to me.
Did you know that the sun
is 4.5 billion years old
and that in another 5 billion
years, it'll burn out?
I don't think we need to
worry about that, honey.
Why not?
Because we won't be here.
But where will I be, Dad?
Where will I be in 5 billion years?
I don't know, honey.
But I can promise you one thing.
Wherever you are, I'm gonna be there, too.
Huh?
How 'bout a little beard scratch?
Heh.
Dad.
Yeah, honey?
I wish I didn't think about these things.
I know, honey.
I think about 'em sometimes, too.
But you know when I never do?
When I'm with you and your sister.
That must mean something, right?
Good night, sweetie.
Hey.
Hey!
What's going on?
I told him we could only
play the first five moves,
but he wouldn't stop.
We'll stop when I'm ahead.
It doesn't look like that
is ever gonna happen.
Scram.
Scram!
Come on!
All right,
we're gonna play the first 20 moves each.
Try not to lose before then.
Hello.
Hey.
How were the girls?
Oh, fine.
Do you remember when Max was born,
like five minutes ago?
I remember three minutes
ago, when Jez was born.
They're closing the restaurant.
When?
It's already done.
You know, apparently
they've been losing money.
But they offered me a
job at their other place.
In Boston?
No, no, no. You could get a
job at another restaurant here.
There's nothing out there.
You know how many people
were coming in every day
looking for work?
It's just.
We are really lucky they
offered me this Boston gig.
Well, then you could not
work for a while, then.
Yeah, so we can not pay
Max's tuition for a while.
I know how to rotate my schedule.
I can come back twice a month.
The Chinese bus is only $15.
They need me to start next week.
Well, you thought of everything then.
Are you mad at me?
You think I want to do this?
You know, I think you don't
want to talk about it,
is what I think.
What is the point of
going round and round?
You're gonna change your mind five times
when we both know this
is the right thing to do.
Great. Fine.
Fine. It's not like the kids
see you around here anyway, so fine.
Oh.
If you had a decent job,
I wouldn't have to do this.
Mama?
Who's awake down there?
What are you doing?
You have tiger scratches.
I also have a secret I want to tell you.
I love somebody in this room.
Is it me?
You guessed it.
Actually, I love two people in this room.
I love you, and I love Max.
You also love yourself,
so that's three people.
Right, but I love you and Max
and Papa even more than I love myself.
Me, too, Mama.
I can't stop loving you.
Ohh.
How'd I get so lucky?
Tell me a story, Mama.
Okay. What about?
About Cinderella, Ariel,
Spider-Man, and Max.
And Max, okay.
Well, one day, Cinderella, Ariel, and Max
were walking through the park,
and all of a sudden,
Spider-Man went swinging by.
And Spider-Man stopped
as soon as he saw Max,
because he knew he needed her
for a very important mission.
I wouldn't have done that.
So you've learned how to move the pieces.
I've been taking lessons.
I'm ready to play you.
Who've you been studying with?
He can't be better than my teacher,
Vadim Alexeyevich.
I'm sure you know who that is.
He teaches me in Russian.
You speak Russian?
Not really,
but he's such a genius,
it doesn't even matter.
Anyway, why should I play you?
What's in it for me?
At this school, I'm here, and you're here.
You're scared.
Please.
Okay.
If you win, I'll leave the school.
And if you win,
which could only happen
if I go into a coma.
Then you have to leave the school.
Not a chance.
Okay.
Then you have to stop bothering me.
That's pretty broad.
I'll stop insulting you in public.
That's acceptable.
Okay.
Today I'm gonna go first.
Listen, Norman, I need
to tell you something.
Tell me later.
Move first.
I'm going to play a real chess match.
The hell you are.
No, I am.
I'm going to play against someone else.
What?
I'm going to play a real chess match
against someone else.
I told you you weren't ready.
Well, I thought I was.
Then I guess we're done.
Hey, Maxie.
How was school today?
It was fine.
Yeah? What'd you do?
The usual,
nothing.
I see.
Hey, Maxie, do you like your new school?
You're not supposed to like school, Papa.
Oh, really?
At best, you're supposed to tolerate it.
Okay, then.
Do you tolerate your new school?
I tolerate it.
That's good,
I guess.
You know, parents, they always think
they know better than their kids.
Duh.
And they do for a while,
but pretty soon you're
gonna be coming home
with math homework that
I don't understand,
that you're gonna know the
right answer way before I do.
You know what I mean?
I'm only doing multiplication.
It's a metaphor.
Oh.
I don't like metaphors.
All right, listen.
I'll be back in a few
minutes, okay, honey?
You call me if you need me.
Sleep.
Sleep, matia mou.
I might have made a mistake, Yaya.
Everybody makes mistakes.
Your mother married your father.
Why do you keep doing that?
Habit.
Don't worry about it.
Make the best choice you can.
That's what your mother did
when she went to Boston.
She made her best.
You make a choice, then go on.
Life's too short.
Compared to what?
What do you mean?
I mean, compare our lives
to the life of a spider.
They must think we live forever.
Huh. You're right, matia mou.
Life is also very, very long.
So what should I do?
You know what I'm gonna say.
Yes.
Now go to sleep, matia mou.
Karaniecta, matia mou.
Look, it's my life, not yours.
I'm entitled to play
against somebody else.
Seriously, the silent treatment?
Now who's the six-year-old?
I need to start making my own decisions,
but I'm sorry that I didn't
tell you in advance, Norman.
That was a mistake.
This is not what I expected.
This is your great teacher?
She called you Norman.
What's your last name?
It doesn't speak.
Why am I not surprised?
His name is Norman Wallach.
(speaking in foreign language)
That's my Tibetan nanny, Tashi.
My parents insist I only
speak Mandarin with her.
I have tae kwon do class now.
Let's play tomorrow here.
I want Norman to see me beat you.
I'll bring the clocks.
She's the one you're gonna play against?
You gotta beat her.
Tell me about it.
She said she's bringing clocks.
What does that mean?
Chess clocks.
You only get a certain
amount of time to make all your moves.
It makes the game move faster.
I always liked that you can control
how fast the game changed.
Hey, look, chess is change.
It'd be pretty boring if
the pieces never moved.
But sometimes you want
things to stay the same.
You know that great
pizza place on West 11th?
Sure.
I been there a hundred times.
Seems like that place
has been around forever.
Yeah, it has been.
But sooner or later, it'll close.
Every place has to, eventually.
You just have to enjoy it while it's here.
Enough with the metaphors.
Then listen.
You can't just use the
same pieces you always use.
Find new ones.
Look for one that could be
more valuable than you think it is.
You can't lose.
You think you're gonna lose,
give me a signal, and
I'll knock the board over.
I'm serious.
Back in a sec.
Here's the plan.
I'm going to pretend to
be blind, and you ask.
No.
Come on, I'll go 50-50 with you.
You're underutilized.
Huh?
Come with me.
All right, 6 to 1 1/2.
That can't be right.
All right, 164 to 41.
What?
Ooh!
What's the count?
It's, uh, 10,016 to 2,504.
Or it's eight to two.
It's about as simple as I'm gonna make it.
This is B-ball, after all.
I don't get it.
The city is going to help me beat her.
Go ahead. You're first.
It's eight to two.
This is B-ball, after all.
So, B4.
You know, that pawn is you.
What?
(speaking in foreign language)
He's not allowed to coach you.
It doesn't matter.
I have no idea what he's saying.
Remember, your board, your city.
That's the stupidest
thing I've ever heard.
You're a sucky teacher.
Go back to the suburbs where you belong.
I'm from the Upper West Side, if you.
Like I said, go back to the suburbs.
I'm sure they never heard of
the Mexican defense there.
There's no such thing
as the Mexican defense.
Says you.
(singing in foreign language)
C, C, C, C.
C4.
Pawn takes pawn.
(speaking in foreign language)
I wish I understood him.
Checkmate in three moves.
Unless you find the one move
that wins the game for you.
Hey, he said it.
I'm just translating.
You don't speak Russian.
Oh.
(speaking in foreign language)
I don't see it.
Look harder.
I don't see it.
Look harder.
You have 20 seconds to make your move,
or you lose.
I do not get that.
10 seconds.
Take responsibility.
You happen to life.
Of course.
I'm going to turn into a queen.
My pawn will become a queen in two moves.
Then checkmate.
She can't stop me.
You're gonna win!
Put it down!
What's wrong? Is there
a problem with the move?
No.
Congratulations.
Enjoy school without me.
Very good player.
I don't understand.
She's coming back to PS 41.
Just when I was about to win,
I realized that I didn't want to.
You didn't want to win?
No, I didn't want to go back
to the Blackstone Academy.
Nothing against it, it's just
I've got a fantastic school
that's a five-minute-walk from my house.
I love it there.
It's my neighborhood school.
That's what a real city
kid would do, isn't it?
Plus they've got the second-best
chess team in the city.
Maybe I can put them over the top.
Yeah.
Yes, I do.
You do not.
That means your wish
will, in fact, come true
18 years from now.
- Mama!
You're back!
Ohh! Hi, honey!
Oh, I couldn't be away from my girls.
Yaya.
What, you're surprised?
I wasn't sure I'd see you again.
This is the last time.
You don't need me no more.
I'll always need you.
Oh, no, that didn't come out right,
but you know what I mean.
Thank you, Yaya.
Everything worked out okay with your help.
You did it all yourself.
But I want to answer
that question of yours.
About why things have to change?
Hmm.
I think I know the answer.
Tell me, matia mou.
Because sometimes a great old pizza place
has to close so that a new one can open.
I hate metaphors.
Say hello to Norman for me.
What do they want?
They're trying to convince me to come back
to the Blackstone Academy
after I graduate from PS 41.
You'll have your choice of schools.
They also want you to teach them.
They're not city kids.
Maybe we can teach them how to be.
I guess I could teach you all together.
Three six-year-olds
almost makes a grown-up.
We're not six.
He knows.
We'll start tomorrow.
Three kids at once.
I must be an idiot.
It's lucky for you I'm such a softie.
Get out of here!
Hey, Shmuel!
Don't worry about the next game.
Enjoy this one.
Know what I mean?
Yeah.
I'll try.
I'm going to enjoy beating
you, that's for sure.
You couldn't beat me
if I gave you a bag of
oranges, three hammers,
a baseball bat, and the Brooklyn Dodgers!
Anybody want to play some chess?
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
(singer vocalizing)
♪ Four months ago I thought ♪
♪ How sad if I could not ♪
♪ Take everything you
taught me and walk on ♪
♪ Learn to live today ♪
♪ Tomorrow's just too late ♪
♪ And when all is said and done ♪
♪ I finally have learned somehow ♪
♪ To live in the here and now ♪
♪ Things will never, ever be the same ♪
♪ The world goes round and round ♪
♪ You can't stop or slow it down ♪
♪ I've grown since you went away ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ And life begins today ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ Life begins today ♪
♪ I feel a little stronger now ♪
♪ I feel a little wiser now ♪
♪ I know that I can
make it through it now ♪
♪ I finally have learned somehow ♪
♪ To live in the here and now ♪
♪ And things will never,
ever be the same ♪
♪ The world goes round and round ♪
♪ You can't stop or slow it down ♪
♪ I've grown since you
went away, yeah yeah ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ And life begins today ♪
♪ Life begins today ♪
♪ Oh yeah, life begins today ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ Life begins today ♪
♪ Oh yeah ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ Life begins today ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ Life begins today ♪
(upbeat music)
(singing in foreign language)