Dangerous Minds (1995) - full transcript

Louanne Johnson is an ex-marine, hired as a teacher in a high-school in a poor area of the city. She has recently separated from her husband. Her friend, also teacher in the school, got the temporary job for her. After a terrible reception from the students, she tries unconventional methods of teaching (using karate, Bob Dylan lyrics etc) to gain the trust of the students.

As I walk through the Valley

of the Shadow of Death

I take a look at my life

and realize there's nothin' left

'Cause I been blastin'

and laughin' so long

That even my mama thinks

that my mind is gone

I really hate to trip

but I gotta loc

As they croak I see myself

in the pistol smoke

Fool, I'm the kind of "G"

the little homies wanna be like

On my knees in the night

sayin' prayers in the street light

Been spending most their lives

living in a gangsta's paradise

They been spending most their lives

living in a gangsta's paradise

We keep spending most our lives

living in a gangsta's paradise

We keep spending most our lives

living in a gangsta's paradise

Look at the situation

they got me facin'

I can't live with no hope

I was raised by the state

So I gotta be down

with the hood team

Took much television-watchin'

got me chasin' dreams

I'm a educated fool

with money on my mind

Got my tin in my hand

and a gleam in my eye

I'm a loc'd out gangsta

set trippin' banga

And my homies is down

So don't arouse my anger

Fool, death ain't nothin'

but a heartbeat away

I'm livin' life do or die

What can I say

I'm 23, never will I live

to see 24

The way things is goin'

I don't know

Tell me why are we

so blind to see

That the ones we hurt

are you and me

Been spending most their lives

living in a gangsta's paradise

They been spending most their lives

living in a gangsta's paradise

We keep spending most our lives

living in a gangsta's paradise

We keep spending most our lives

living in a gangsta's paradise

Power and the money

Money and the power

Minute after minute

Hour after hour

Everybody's runnin', but half of them

ain't looked what's goin' on in the kitchen

But I don't know what's cookin'

They say I got to learn

but nobody's here to teach me

If they can't understand it

how can they reach me

I guess they can't

I guess they won't

I guess they front, that's why

I know my life it outta luck, fool

Been spending most their lives

living in a gangsta's paradise

They been spending most their lives

living in a gangsta's paradise

We keep spending most our lives

living in a gangsta's paradise

And... Yeah, I'm just gonna

have to check the schedule.

Thank you. Mm-hmm. Okay.

Let me write that down.

Carla? My friend Louanne

Johnson's here to see you.

Oh, God, is that today?

Hal, it's-it's not a good time.

Well, she came in.

All right. Uh, I'm gonna have to

call you back. Thank you.

Louanne, I'd like you to meet, uh,

Carla Nichols, our assistant principal.

- Hello.

- Carla, Louanne Johnson.

I'll wait outside.

Uh, please, uh,

have a, have a seat.

- Thank you for seeing me.

- Oh, well,

Mr Griffith... Uh, Hal...

has told me so much about you.

- I hope not everything.

- Oh...

Oh. No, only... only good.

And I must say, it-it isn't often

that we have an applicant...

of your maturity and, uh,

varied experience.

Um, B.A. in English Lit,

public relations, telemarketing.

- M-Marine.

- Mm-hmm.

- You don't look like a Marine.

- Oh, well.

Long sleeves. Hides the tattoos.

Uh, fully accredited, except for one

term of, of supervised student teaching.

Why did you stop so close

to being certified?

Well, I met my husband and

started working for his company.

Uh, w-we're divorcing.

W- Well, it would be no problem to

get you emergency certification.

- When could you start?

- Start?

Teaching.

Miss Johnson,

I'II-I'll cut to the chase.

One of our, uh, academy

teachers, Mrs. Shepherd, left,

and since then we've had

three substitute teachers.

The last one, Mrs. Gingrich,

fell ill just this morning.

So we have a fulI-time position

and we need to fill it now.

- I... Um... Full time.

- Yes.

I'm sorry, um, I thought this was an

interview to, uh, t-to student teach.

- Well...

- Uh, w-w-w-w-wh... Um, what is a...

What... What is an academy teacher?

Uh, well, the academy is, uh...

It... It's sort of a school

within a school.

Uh, special kids. Passionate,

energetic, challenging.

The, uh, salary is, is $24,700 a year.

Are you interested?

Yes, I... Yes, I'm, I'm,

I'm interested.

Oh, that's wonderful.

That... Great. Great.

Okay, so... Oh, welI... So, uh,

these... these are for you.

Uh, curriculum, schedule

and, uh, whatnot.

And if you would just

follow me.

- We have a new teacher.

- Great!

- Congratulations!

- Full time.

- What? - Yeah.

- Yes. Uh, starting tomorrow,

Mrs. Johnson is going to be

teaching one of our academy classes.

I'm afraid Mrs. Gingrich

is no longer with us.

- Carla, they...

- Mr Griffith's classroom is right next to yours.

So would you meet her outside

tomorrow and show her 107?

- Right.

- Thank you.

- I just know this is gonna work out.

- Thank you so much.

Thank you.

- Full time.

- Louanne...

- Hal! -Louanne, d-did she t-tell you

about, uh, the academy programme?

Yeah, yeah. No,

she told me all about it.

She said, you know,

bright, special kids and...

- Uh, Louanne, d...

- I wanna teach, Hal!

- If I have any questions, I'll know who to ask, right?

- Yeah. I'll be counting on it.

Fly ho's and chains

and swingin' thangs

Save me

Just another young nigger

havin' thangs

Just a-havin' thangs

Fly ho's and chains

and swingin' thangs

Why must I feel like that

Just another young nigger

havin' thangs

It's to your right.

I guess Miss Shepherd's lesson

plans will be in her desk.

Very possibly.

This is your classroom.

- Noisy bunch, aren't they?

- Yes, but if you stand there long enough,

they'll usually quiet down.

Don't try and shout over them.

Right. Thanks.

Louanne.

I'm right next door.

Thanks.

A little history

and history of government...

Immobilizing your physical

and your brain

With the emotion

of subliminal motivation

- Look at that!

- No, no, no. Not yours.

- White bread.

- Snappin' my fingers appropriately when I rip

You get flipped and then I pass

the microphone to my homegirl Chris

Now I see you runnin'

I'm comin', boom, how stunnin'

Fast as I step

Got to earn a big rep

For huntin' homies like deer

Crack a beer and some heads

Then go find another poor person

I can trap in my cage for a night

Let loose, fool, run

'Cause my first meal is done

- May I have your attention, please?

- How long y'all been together?

You run, I'll shoot

'Cause your homies said 'boo' to me

Your life is a joke

Smoked by the A to the K

You went to bed without a trace

Infrared dot marks the spot

- So duck or find your ass shot

- What happened to Miss Shepherd?

- Better not do that.

- What?

- What happened to Miss Shepherd? - Ooh, no, she

ain't askin' about Miss triflin'- ass Shepherd.

You playin' yourself.

Playin' yourself.

Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo!

Listen up! Yo, listen up!

White Bread wanna know

what happened to Miss Shepherd.

We killed the bitch.

Kick it, kick it, kick it,

kick it, kick it. Hey!

I was beginning to like

the puta!

Ohh! No, no, no.

Everybody, everybody. Emilio ate her.

Bullshit.

- That bitch was too ugly to eat.

- Yeah!

Fed her to my dogs.

But I'll eat you.

What is your name?

Emilio Ramirez.

- Now, Emilio!

- Emilio, you in trouble!

Emilio! Emilio! Emilio!

Emilio! Emilio!

- Emilio! Emilio! Emilio! Emilio!

- Oh, my God. - What's that?

Come on, come on, come on, come on, come

on. You know what they're like. Come on.

Emilio! Emilio! Emilio! Emilio!

Emilio! Emilio! Emilio! Emilio!

Madison surrendered

to the nationalists.

Hamilton himself could have already have

composed the message that embraced...

Donna. Donna,

take over the class.

Shut up!

What happened to Miss Shepherd?

- Well, she quit.

- Why?

Well, she was a very

high-strung individual.

What, did she have a breakdown?

No. She quit before that.

One of the substitutes,

she had a breakdown.

- That's how they weed them out.

- Who are these kids, rejects from hell?

No. They're bright kids with

little or no educational skills...

and what we politely call

a lot of social problems.

Damn it, Griffith,

you could've warned me!

Hey, Louanne,

you said you wanted to teach.

- Now, is that a load of bull or what?

- No!

- So teach. -

I ca... - What?

I can't teach them!

Yes, you can. All you gotta do

is get their attention.

Or quit.

I'm back!

"She decided that if Brian broke a rule

she would utilize these consequences:

The first time he broke a rule his name

would be put on the board."

This is the life

This is the life

This is the life

Okay, you little bastards.

- Come on

- Put your back into it

- Come on

- Put your back into it

- Come on

- Put your back into it

- Come on

- Put your back into it

- Come on

- Put your back into the beat

Achieve the goals

in which you seek

Don't let nobody

steer you wrong

Or you'll be singin'

that same old song

- How someone's always holdin you down

- There she is.

- Just keep your two feet on the ground

- Girl, you didn't get enough yesterday?

And when you come you be direct

'cause punks get no respect

- My eyes to the west side

- East side, west side

How you doin'? Yeah.

Hey, everybody, everybody, look!

A cowboy!

Put your back into it

Put your back into it

- Put your back into it

- Don't talk about... Don't talk about yourself like that.

"I am a..."

- Shut up! Y'all sound like them

fifth-graders! - You shut up! - You shut up!

"Does... anyone...

know..."

- What's "karate"?

- Karate, you stupid asshole.

- You're so stupid.

- You're a Marine? A for-real Marine?

- Discharged, but yes.

- Estupido.

I'll try some karate

with you, Miss Johnson.

I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed

to touch a student.

But if you really think you know

what you're doin', come on up here.

Hey, sounds like a challenge to me,

?se. You'd better get up there.

Oh, I know what I'm doin'. There's no

sense doin' it though if you can't touch me.

Okay, anybody else know

any karate? What about you?

- Durrell Chang Chang.

- I know some motherfuckin' karate.

Whoo! Durrell, gimme it!

- Durrell.

- Shit.

- What about you? You know any karate?

- Raul. Yeah, I know enough.

- Okay, Raul.

- Go on up there.

Come on up here.

- All right. Yeah, shit. I'm gonna take that motherfucker.

- Come on, Nacho.

Shit. All right.

Come on, let's go,?se.

Let's go.

Shit!

You guys...

Wait, wait, wait. Whoa!

You guys don't know shit.

- "I don't know shit," man. I know what I'm doin', lady.

- You don't even know any throws.

Now, I heard that a Marine can kill a man

with his, uh, bare hands. Is that true?

Absolutely.

Oh, shit.

Okay, h-here's how it starts.

Um, okay, where's a... Can you two move

that desk down there a little bit?

Um, okay, everything is

slow motion at first.

- Um, Durrell.

- Yeah.

Okay, you, um, you move into

Raul like you're gonna hit him.

Yeah, I can do that.

- Okay.

- Nacho.

Now, Raul, you're gonna

step into Durrell...

and you're gonna

grab his wrist, okay?

You're gonna turn your body away from him

so that your butt is in his stomach. Okay?

Fuck you!

Get the fuck off me, man!

What you gonna do?

- Man, you wish, homes! You wish, man!

- Bring it on, homes!

- Fuck you! Get your hands off me! -

Bring it on, Nacho. - You wish, man!

- Bring it on.

- Now, it's a hip throw. It's a hip throw.

- Okay, take your fighting stance again, okay.

- Nacho.

Okay, grab his wrist.

Okay.

Now, now this time,

as you move in,

you're gonna take this hand,

you're gonna grab onto this shoulder.

Okay? Ready?

Oh, shit!

Thank you! Hey! Hey!

All right!

- Ow, man! I'll kick your motherfuckin' ass,?se!

- Sucker! Sucker!

Well, that was "A" work.

You'd make good Marines.

In fact, from this moment,

each one of you

is like an inductee...

- Who's a duck? - with

a clean record. - Quack.

- So, if you wanna pass,

- Quack quack.

all you have to do is try.

Oh, homes.

Because at this point,

everyone has an "A."

- What?

- Is she serious?

But it's up to you to keep it.

- Bullshit.

- Yo, why don't you shut up, man.

What if it ain't bullshit? Ain't

never had no fuckin' "A" before.

I once knew a man

who couldn't read

He said it ain't no thang

'cause I graduated twice

With the game I possess

Bulletproof vest

to the chest

But when his kids needed help

to prepare for a test

It was stress 'cause Pops

didn't achieve any academics

And true, indeed

This problem is an epidemic

Who want to work five long hard days

through it and get taxed

So that's a message

for your mind

The story's been told

about a thousand times

So here's a message

for your mind

One thousand-one

One thousand-two

So here's a message

for your mind

Morning.

- Okay, today we are going to

conjugate some verbs. - What? - What?

Hey, what about karate?

Well, I can't just teach you karate.

I'll show you another hold next week.

Get outta here!

Belt it out, too.

I wanna hear it.

We eat green beans for dinner.

What you do with 'em?

"We eat green beans for dinner."

- Okay...

- Hey, Pam. Pam!

Ye... Yo, Chris!

Hey. Hey. Hey, what's up?

Hey, man, it's not

a big deal, okay?

Is that true?

If we wanna die?

Shit, no.

We want you to die.

- Is that true?

- Well, if it was between you and us, hell yeah.

- Okay.

- Hey! Hey! I don't care if I live or die!

- What about that? - Suicide, man. -

What's all this bullshit with dying?

- You want us dead?

- No, darlin', but I do want you to keep your "A."

So, no, I'm gonna make it

real easy on you, okay?

All you have to do is tell me the verb

that makes this sentence true.

We choose to do some karate.

- Yeah, right.

- Okay, give me a verb instead of "choose."

- We're going to die?

- We must die, okay.

- Okay, "we must die." Is "must" a verb? Can you, uh...

- No, "must" ain't no verb.

- Can you "must" something?

- Yeah. I must piss right now. You'd better believe it.

Okay, what verb that we used

today is the most powerful?

- Die.

- Piss.

Oh, you so stupid!

- Choose.

- Choose.

- What's your name?

- Callie.

Callie, why?

Because that's the difference between

owning your life and being afraid.

Saying "I choose"

no matter what.

You mean, like a guy's got

a gun to your head...

and he's pulling the trigger

and you say, "I choose to die"?

No, you ain't choosin' to die, but you

can choose to die without screaming, right?

I mean, you could always

choose somethin'.

- Not where I live.

- Shit.

Did you read that somewhere

in this class?

No. In our class we readin' this book

called My Darling, My Hamburger.

- From this.

- My what?

- My Darling, My Hamburger.

- Hamburger?

Possessive pronoun, noun,

possessive pronoun.

- Oh, watch it, girl.

- Let's see.

E- Excuse me.

- Excuse me, Miss Johnson.

- Uh... Oh, yes.

Would you stop by the principal's office

before your next class, please?

Mr Grandey would like

to speak to you.

The principal!

Oooh, White Bread in trouble!

Yes. I'll talk to you later.

Bye-bye.

Miss Johnson, this is an office.

We knock before we enter.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Please.

Now, Miss Johnson, I'm taking into

consideration the fact that you're new...

and therefore don't know that teaching

karate is against school policy...

and can lead to a lawsuit

in case of an injury.

But you can avoid this kind of error...

you simply follow the curriculum...

dictated by

the Board of Education.

Well, um, sir, that's

almost impossible, um...

Most of my students don't

even know what a verb is.

If you're going to teach them,

I'm sure there's a better sentence

than "We choose to die."

I'm sure there are, but I... I

- I needed a sentence that would get their attention...

- Mmm.

- and, well, it had to be better than this.

Miss Johnson, that is the approved

curriculum for second period.

Your class.

Now, I know the newer the teacher,

the smarter she is,

but I-I'm afraid you're just going

to have to go along with our policies,

even if you don't

agree with them.

- All right?

- Mm-hmm.

What a fuckin' idiot.

- Griffith.

- Don't let them get to you.

I'm not. I-In fact, I'm about to

challenge the entire curriculum.

- If I could just find the paper in the Xerox room.

- You can't. There isn't any.

- What do you mean?

- I mean there isn't any.

I mean, we're out of Xerox paper and art

paper and we're short on pencils.

But we do have plenty of students.

I guess that, uh, balances things out.

Thanks.

Another fuckin' idiot.

No, I can't run, I can't hide

from all this pressure

If I sell out, that means

I'm coppin' to a lesser charge

- And whenever there's a will baby, there's a way

- Shit!

Each one teach one I always say

the murder rate is risin'

Society ain't scarin' me Life is like a

puzzle Ain't no tellin' when they'll bury me

- Problems, problems How are we gonna solve 'em

- So, what's on today's lesson plan?

A little kickboxing?

Some, uh, target practice, huh?

No. My own little

secret weapon.

Problems, problems

How are we gonna solve 'em

Okay, so, "never" is...

- It's a verb! - Adverb!

Adverb! - Adverb! Adverb!

Adverb! Fantastic!

- Whoo!

- You guys'll be reading poetry soon.

- You guys are sharp.

- Oh, my...

- Whoa!

- Okay.

- Homeboy!

- King of the calle!

Sit down, sit down, sit down.

- Sit down.

- Honourable sensei. Hmm.

It's obvious that "homeboy"

is a noun.

Noun is correct!

Well, give me my damn candy bar.

- Whoo!

- Thank you.

Boy, poetry will be a piece

of cake for this crowd.

Yo, how come you keep sayin' poetry?

What's poetry got to do with this shit?

Poetry? WelI...

Because if you can read poetry,

you can read just about anything, hon.

- When you're ready for poetry, you're ready for bear.

- I say bring on the bear!

- I'm always ready for bear. Shit.

- I'm always ready to see you bare.

- Whoa! - Oh, shut up, you

stupid! - Oh, yeah? Ohh! Ohh!

Well, okay, here's the bear.

So what the fuck is that?

- I just happen to have copies of-of...

of a poem... - Wait for me! Shit!

- That's okay.

- written by the greatest poet.

My Darling, My Hamburger.

How's that?

- Okay, here's the deal.

- She was joking about the bear.

When we finish this assignment,

I am gonna take...

all of you...

to a place that has...

the highest parachute jumps,

the biggest roller coaster,

the best rides,

the most delicious hot dogs,

the hardest games...

and the best prizes

in the world.

- You're kiddin'.

- For real?

- And we don't gotta pay for it?

- Huh?

- And we don't gotta pay for it?

- Not a penny.

So then, who pays?

The Board of Education.

- Lord, did you hear that?

- I don't believe it.

- Sound good?

- Hey!

That's bullshit, man!

I'm sorry?

Since when has the Board of Education

done anything for us, huh?

Yeah, man, we fuckin'

barely get lunch.

Well, I'm sorry you feel

that way, Emilio.

Good.

- Uh, Durrell, you wanna read the first four lines?

- Oh, man, you trippin', man.

I ain't readin'. You trippin'.

- Okay, how about the f... - You've got

to read it. - How about the first line?

I'm scared to death, motherfucker,

all right? That's all.

- Move slowly to the right, people.

- Yep, yep

Miss Johnson.

- You better be for real.

- Yep, yep

- Yep, yep

- Miss Johnson?

Yes, Callie?

If you wanna get the class

to listen, get Emilio.

- Yep, yep

- It's all right

- It's all right

- As you may have heard

- Yeah

- To smoke a fat one

- To smoke a fat one

- And drink a Thunderbird

- Drink a Thunderbird

- It's okay

- It's okay

- To play this loud

- Mister DJ, don't mean to sweat you down

- Wait

- I'll get you, you little fucker.

- Yep

- Poetry?

- Poetry, yeah.

- These kids?

- Why not these kids?

Well, hey, go for it.

No, but I gotta find a gimmick first, you

know. Something that'll grab their attention.

- Who's your favourite poet, Griffith?

- My favourite?

- Oh, there are so many. How do I choose?

- I'm serious.

Mmm. Serious. Okay.

- Big D. Dylan.

- Get out!

Why not?

Well, I don... He's n... You know,

he's not for everybody.

I mean, he's a little

long-winded, don't you think?

I suppose that's 'cause

he wrote drunk.

He had a drinking problem?

Well, the guy's Welsh.

There ain't a lot to do there.

I thought he was from Minnesota.

You know, if the guy's your favourite poet,

you might want to read up on him a little bit.

He was Welsh and

he drank himself to death.

Dead? He's not dead.

I saw him yesterday on MTV.

You saw Dylan Thomas on MTV.

No. Bob Dylan.

Oh...

- Bob Dylan? Ohh!

- He looked dead. He looked dead.

- Ohh!

- Hey, Mr Tambourine Man

Play a song for me

"Hey, Mr Tambourine Man..."

- Tambourine! -

Tambourine! - Tangerine.

"T-Tambourine Man,

Play a song for me

I'm not sleepy and there is

no place I'm going to"

Wow, he can read.

Thank you. Taiwana?

The next three lines, Taiwana.

"Hey, Mr Tambourine Man

Play a song for me

In the jingle-jangle morning

I'll come following you"

- Good.

- All right.

- Yes.

- What does that mean?

What do you think it means?

What, some guy's

got a tambourine...

and this other guy wants him to

play it 'cause he can't sleep.

- Okay.

- Yeah, but how come he want to play the tambourine?

Don't he got a radio or somethin'?

You know what I'm sayin'?

Well, you kn... That's a good point.

I mean, i-i-it's... it's a weird choice.

So, what if I told you

that Mr Tambourine Man...

is a code name?

- A code name for what?

- James Bond.

- A drug dealer.

- Is it?

Well, a lot of people think so.

You know, this song is from the '60s,

when you couldn't sing about drugs,

so they had to make up codes.

So what was the code? What does "Hey, Mr

Tambourine Man Play a song for me" mean?

- Well, you figure...

- "Play a song for me" means "give me the stuff."

Yeah, it's like that nigger been out

drinkin' all night and smokin' some shit...

and everybody broke out on his

ass, you know what I'm sayin'?

And he's high... he's still high, but he's kinda

low and shaky. You know... "jingle-jangle."

Yeah, and he needs something, like

a big hit of crack or cocaine and shit.

He's crazy, okay?

So, what do you think, Emilio?

Do you think that Raul is right?

- All right, it's too personal to discuss.

- What?

You mean you choose not to

participate in the discussion?

- Boy's too slick.

- Not about somethin' so personal.

Wanna draw for it?

What?

High card, you don't have to

discuss anything.

Why do I gotta draw for it?

That's the way it is now.

Listen to this.

Name one of the most influential

presidents of the 20th century.

- Roosevelt.

- Simple, right?

Wrong.

A history teacher's nightmare.

How about Snoop Doggy Dogg

for an answer?

Joe Montana. Winston Churchill.

But this... this is the best.

"I will not answer this question on the

grounds that it is culturally biased...

against individuals

such as myself."

Actually, for this answer I'm

gonna give him partial credit.

Louanne, you lose your

sense of humour, it's over.

Uh, here.

New pictures of the rug rats.

- Oh, God. People are supposed to ask first, Griffith.

- Shut up.

Ohh. They look like Maggie.

Thank God.

Oh, I don't know. Harry with his thumb

in his mouth, he kinda looks like me.

Is that his thumb?

I thought that was a cigarette.

- How is Maggie?

- Good.

She wants you to come over

for dinner.

We had some fun times, you and Maggie

and me and... what's his name?

- I remember.

- Yeah.

I remember too. That's why it's

hard for me to come to dinner.

- Seeing anybody?

- No.

How do you do that? You walk around

with a bag over your head?

- No.

- Louanne, it's over six months.

I'm not ready, Hal.

You know, I thought you guys always stuck

together. What are you sitting here with me for?

You know, he was my best friend,

Louanne. "Was" is the operative word.

He isn't worth your spit.

What was that for?

Just tell Maggie

she's a lucky lady, Griffith.

Yeah, when they made me they

broke the mold. Both of them.

- Good morning, ladies.

- Good morning.

We gotta stop meeting like this.

You sound awful.

I refuse to take

medical advice...

from somebody who eats Cheetos

at 8:00 in the morning.

Yeah, well, you shouldn't smoke.

Listen to that cough!

You know...

- I'll see you inside.

- You're gonna finish the cigarette, aren't you?

No, I'm not. Really.

Honest. I swear.

Here! Right here! Yeah!

- Guys are off playin' pool.

- You wanna smoke a cigarette?

- I gave you your money, man. 350 bucks!

- Three-fifty?

What are you talkin' about, homes?

Are you callin' me a liar?

- What, do you think I'm fuckin' stupid?

- Yo, man, no. Don't get loud, motherfucker!

I'm gonna kick your fuckin'

spic ass!

- Fuck you, man! - Jump back,

motherfucker! - Fight! Fight!

- Get back, get back. - You

fuckin' pendejo! - Okay, okay, okay!

Back off! Hey, hey, hey, hey!

Hey! Hey! Hey!

- iPuto!

- One of you makes a move, I will call security!

- Aw, bullshit! - Big fuckin'

deal. - They don't care.

Okay, get to your classes.

Okay. It's all over. Move!

- You are stronger than these two put together, and you know it!

- Bullshit, man!

- iVato!

- He wishes, man!

You could all be expelled if I report

this to the office, and you know that.

Okay, if you give me your word that

it ends here, I'll forget it.

Is it over?

Yeah.

How about you?

- Yeah, sim?n.

- Absolutely.

Okay, I trust you.

Now get to your classes.

See you later, puto.

Catch you later,?se.

If you hit those kids,

you'll pay for it. I swear.

Get to your class

and behave yourself.

You shouldn't have done that.

- Oh? Why not?

- 'Cause you just shouldn't mess with Emilio.

Raul knows that if you make a deal

with Emilio and you fuck up on him,

you get your locker smashed in

with your head.

Everybody knows that.

Well, maybe they'll all have

time to think about it...

before they get to

the locker-smashing stage.

They're gonna fight,

no matter what they tell you.

What do you mean?

When? Now?

Where? Angela! Where?

- Come on, motherfucker! Come on!

- Get him!

Keep fightin'!

Keep kickin' his ass!

Shit! Fuck!

Ohh!

Oh, shit.

- Come on! Fuckin' come on!

- Fuck that!

Shit!

Come on, break it up!

Break it up!

- Get the fuck off me! - Get outta

there! - iPuto! You motherfucker!

Get back! Now!

Get back! Get back!

All of you! Comin' through!

- Watch your head.

- Kickin', man.

No. Wait a minute. Wait. No, no.

Gimme... G... Just give me a minute.

- You promised!

- Yeah, but we had to,

or we couldn't walk around

with our heads up no more.

We got a reputation to protect.

You a Marine. You understand.

Like, if America didn't stand up

everyone would attack it.

Well, in our neighbourhood if you don't

stand up you can't walk down the street,

'cause everyone will attack you,

you know?

Rata, you fuckin' puto.

- Man, I cracked that motherfucker's head,?se.

- See you in the fuckin neighbourhood,?se.

Okay, I see.

And I made it worse and I made you and

Gusmaro look bad in front of everyone...

by saying that Emilio was

stronger than the both of you.

Yeah, well, you thought

you was helpin' us.

Ma'am, I'm sorry. We really have to go.

I gotta get 'em home.

Nasty cut.

You mind telling me what the fight

was about in the first place?

Yeah.

I really would like to know what happened.

I'm not gonna make any trouble for you.

- I just wanna know, was it worth it?

- Yeah, it was worth it.

- Why?

- Because it felt good hittin' him in the face.

- I got him good, man.

- Yeah, you like to hit people?

Yeah, I like to hit people.

Why?

You feel angry

a lot of the time?

So now you're gonna

try and psychologize me?

You're gonna try and figure

me out? I'll help you.

I come from a broken home,

and we're poor. Okay?

I see the same fuckin' movies

you do, man.

I would like to help you,

Emilio.

Thank you very much. And how

would you like to do that?

You gonna give me some good

advice? "Just say no"?

You gonna get me off

the streets? Well, forget it!

How the fuck you gonna

save me from my life, huh?

Yep, yep

Karen?

I have three, uh,

student files here...

- and I can't find a phone number in any of 'em.

- Yep, yep

Well, sometimes they don't

give a number...

- and sometimes they don't have a phone.

- Yep, yep

- It's all right - It's all

right - As you might have heard

- Yeah - To smoke a fat

one - To smoke a fat one

- And drink a 'Bird

- A Thunderbird

- It's okay

- It's okay

- To play this loud

- Oh, play it loud

Mister DJ, don't mean

to sweat you down

- It's all right

- It's all right

- As you may have heard

- Yeah

- To smoke a fat one

- Smoke a fat one

- And drink a 'Bird

- A Thunderbird, now

It's okay

Come on. Come on.

Do your homework.

- You have a lovely family, Mrs. Sanchero.

- Thank you.

We know why you're here,

Miss Johnson.

I warned Raul to

stay out of trouble.

He's first in our family to

maybe graduate high school.

- So he gonna get punished big for what he done.

- N...

Don't you worry about that.

But he didn't do anything wrong.

- But he expelled for three days.

- I know. No, I know.

But he didn't start the fight. He was

defending himself from a bigger boy.

He was protecting himself.

- Uh, why they send him home?

- It's just school policy.

I- I-It gives the other boy

time to cool down.

Actually,

I'm here because I just wanted

to tell you both personally...

what a pleasure it's been having

Raul in my class this semester.

You must be very proud.

Yes.

He's, um...

Well, he's very bright...

and funny, articulate.

The truth is, he's...

he's one of my favourites.

Uh, soy Louanne Johnson.

Oh.

"I will not go down underground

'Cause somebody tells me

that death's comin' 'round"

Okay, this is another

Dylan poem.

Now, is that a code, or does

that just mean what it says?

"And I will not carry myself

down to die

When I go to my grave

My head will be high"

"My head will be high."

What does that mean?

Anybody.

Nobody.

Is there something

I should know?

Yeah. I'll tell you.

You ratted on Raul,

Gusmaro and Emilio.

Yeah. You got Emilio

put into detention.

It wasn't none of your

business, chismosa.

And you got Raul

and Gusmaro suspended.

- Now they're gonna get their fuckin' asses kicked.

- And you got Emilio...

- Hey, I didn't rat on anybody.

- Wasn't none of your business anyway, you chismosa.

- Bullshit. - Let this... -

Told you she was full of shit.

- Snitches get stitches, bitch.

- Do you wanna talk about this?

On you, shit. Whatever

floats your boat, teach.

We don't have no choices

in this room.

Well, if you all feel that strongly

about it, leave the room.

- What?

- Hey, listen.

Nobody's forcing you to be here. You have

a choice. You can stay, or you can leave.

Lady, why are you playin' this

game? We don't have a choice.

You don't have a choice? You don't have

a choice on whether or not you're here?

No. If we leave, we don't get to graduate.

If we stay, we gotta put up with you.

Well, that's a choice, isn't it?

You have a choice.

You either don't graduate

or you have to put up with me.

It may not be a choice you like,

but it is a choice.

Man, you don't understand nothin'. I

mean, you don't come from where we live.

- You... You're not bussed here.

- Do you have a choice to get on that bus?

Man, you come and live in my

neighbourhood for one week...

and then you tell me

if you got a choice.

There are a lot of people who live in your

neighbourhood who choose not to get on that bus.

What do they choose to do?

They choose to go out and sell drugs.

They choose to go out and kill people.

They choose to do a lot of other things.

But they choose not to

get on that bus.

The people who choose to get on that bus,

which are you, are the people who are saying,

"I will not carry myself

down to die

When I go to my grave

My head will be high"

That is a choice.

There are no victims

in this classroom!

Why do you care anyway?

You just here for the money.

Because I make a choice to care.

And, honey, the money ain't that good.

- Whatever.

- Read it again, Miss Johnson.

- What?

- Read those lines you just read again.

"I will not go down underground

'Cause somebody tells me

that death's comin' 'round"

Does that mean

just what it says?

No, it don't mean

just what it says.

Because...

you wouldn't go

under the ground...

if someone told you

death was comin'.

But you would go into the ground

if you were already dead.

Do the rest of you

agree with that?

Well, I kinda agree with it,

but I think

it just means that...

he ain't gonna help death out,

you know?

It's not like he's just gonna

lay down and wait for it.

I think he's gonna choose... No,

I think he's gonna make the choice...

to die hard.

Mm-hmm.

- Yeah, I agree with that.

- Yeah, me too.

- That's what it sounds like to me.

- Okay.

Well, what about, uh,

the rest of it? Um...

"When I go to my grave

My head will be high"

"Head will be high."

What does that mean?

- You're gonna die with pride.

- Right.

- See you tomorrow.

- Callie, wait up!

You went to RauI's house last

night, and Gusmaro's too, right?

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, that's what they told me.

That's cool.

Hold up, wait a minute

Don't go there 'cause I ain't with it

Hold up, wait a minute

Don't go there 'cause I ain't with it

What you want

Baby, I got it

What you need

Babe, you got it

All I'm askin'

is for a little respect

Yo, kick it, homes!

What you waitin' for, man?

- Are you trying to steal my $2.50,?se?

- Ah, go, go, go.

Man, that ain't shit.

Go faster, man. Go faster, man.

- Come on, come on - Faster, man,

faster! - You got to gimme, gimme

- R-E-S-P-E-C-T

- I got to get it, get it

- R-E-S-P-E-C-T

- You got to gimme, gimme

- R-E-S-P-E-C-T

- I got to get it, get it

- R-E-S-P-E-C-T

- Come on, get back.

Are you all right, man? That looked

like a real bitch right then.

Hey, get the fuck out of there, man. Look

at you! You look like my grandma, man.

- R-E-S-P-E-C-T

- Miss Johnson,

the... the School Board would have every

right to insist on your dismissal.

You informed no one.

You got no permission slips.

Oh, but there was no one to inform. All the kids just

decided to go to the amusement park at the last minute.

And then they let me come along.

- Did they pay for you?

- No, I paid for them.

I was just so moved

by the invitation.

This wasn't, by any chance,

their reward for reading

poetry, was it, Miss Johnson?

In my class, Mr Grandey,

poetry is its own reward.

Angela, would you read

the first line?

"Appetizers. Freshly cut bay shrimp

grilled to perfection."

- This is a Xerox of a menu.

- That is correct.

It's from The Flowering Peach,

the best restaurant in town.

- Ever hear of it?

- Yeah, we heard of it.

It's supposed to be like

some special restaurant or somethin'.

Mm-hmm.

So, does it sound good?

Because whoever wins the, uh,

the... the Dylan-Dylan contest...

- The what?

- goes there for dinner with me.

Hey, what's the Dylan-Dylan

contest about?

Well.

There's Bob Dylan,

who we've been reading.

And then...

there's Dylan Thomas,

who also wrote poems.

If you can find the poem

written by Dylan Thomas...

that is like a poem

written by Bob Dylan,

you win the Dylan-Dylan contest.

Hey, Mr Tambourine Man

Play a song for me

I'm not sleepy and there

is no place I'm going to

Hey, Mr Tambourine Man

Play a song for me

In the jingle-jangle morning

I'll come following you

Yo, every fuckin' poem Dylan Thomas

wrote is about death, man.

Now, how we supposed to know

which one to write?

"The sniper laid him low,

and strewed his brains.

One would not think

the greenness of this valley...

could let a day be sick

with so much blood."

Man, that's some Rambo-Schwarzenegger

bullshit you found.

- That's how it's supposed to be, right?

- No.

- There's supposed to be killing shit.

- But it... But it don't...

But it don't even mean the same as

"I will not go under the ground."

Now you're some sort of

poetic critic, now, right?

- Oh, well, it don't.

- Thank you.

Okay. Listen to this.

"Do not go gentle

into that good night.

Old age should burn

and rave at close of day.

Rage, rage against

the dying of the light."

Where's the code?

Where's the death?

Night. All that stuff

about night. That's death.

So it's "Don't go gentle

into that good death."

Yeah, but I think "good"

is sarcastic.

When he say, "Do not go gentle,"

that's like sayin', "Don't go easy."

- So it's the same as "I will not go down."

- We just won us a motherfucking chicken.

Shh.

This is the life

Everyone has to be somewhere

Oh

I am here

This is the life

This is the life

- This is my - Well, the results

of the Dylan-Dylan contest are in.

- Life

- The winners are...

- That's me. Right here.

- Sit down. I am Bob Dylan. Sit down.

- Yo, shh! Shh!

- Sorry, Miss Johnson.

- Shh.

- Shh.

Raul, Durrell and Callie!

- Congratulations.

- Thanks.

- Here's your certificate.

- Hey! - Congratulations.

Congratulations, Callie.

Okay!

But there are no losers in this class.

You guys did great.

You all get to pick a prize

from the box.

How come they get a prize

when they got the wrong answer?

Well, because sometimes it takes a lot

of wrong answers to get to the right one.

Hey, everyone can't be right,

'cept for us!

Come on up.

- Miss Johnson?

- Hey, Callie.

- Um, I wanted to talk to you

about the restaurant. - Uh-huh.

- I can't go.

- Why?

Because I have to work at this supermarket

every night until June and I already told them...

Oh, isn't there any way

to get out of it?

No. Because of the schedule

and everything, I have to do it.

- But thank you anyway.

- Well, o-okay. Well.

Shoot.

Well, no, it's okay. If you can't come to

dinner, then, uh, well, we'll bring dinner to you.

- Really?

- Mm-hmm.

- Thank you.

- I'm taking orders, Miss Roberts.

I couldn't find

a parking space.

It's okay.

I just got here myself.

- Oh, you look very handsome.

- How 'bout this jacket?

It's fantastic.

Go ahead, touch it.

It's real leather.

- Ooh!

- Hey, where's Callie?

Oh, she had to work.

Where's Durrell?

- Oh, he had to work too.

- Oh.

Well, I guess it's just

you and me, handsome.

I guess so.

Oh. Ladies first.

Thank you.

- Hey, are you sure they got chicken?

- Mm-hmm.

May I tell you a little

about this evening's specials?

The chef is featuring foie gras with

smoked duck and figs on a hill of bulgar.

Uh, salmon tartar

in potato gaufrette...

over wild mushrooms,

and fennel salad.

Uh, for the entree

we're featuring...

a complex shellfish

pan roast with orso,

a touch of comfit and a broth

thickened with lobster shell oil.

All very, very good.

- Could we have a few minutes, please?

- Ah, yes.

Thank you.

- Are you sure they got chicken?

- Yes.

Here. See, it's right there,

sweetie. You see? Poulet.

And when the waiter comes back,

you may as well talk to him.

It'll be good practice

for your summer job interviews.

I can't talk to that guy. He probably

thinks I'm weird or something.

He does not. He can't help

but notice your natural charm.

You just look him straight in the eye and

you talk to him like you would anyone else.

Now, go ahead and call him over.

Go ahead. Just give him

a little nod.

- Are we ready?

- Okay, I'll have the chicken.

A whole one.

And I'll have the same.

And one to go, please.

One to go. Thank you.

Hey, Miss J?

I was wondering maybe, like,

in the next couple of days, if I...

- Is everything all right?

- Everything's fine. Thank you.

All right.

Now don't be mad or nothing,

but I gotta be absent...

for a couple of days

without your coming to my house.

It's important.

- You'll have to tell me why.

- I got some shit to do.

I gotta make some money

to pay back this guy.

This doesn't sound important

enough to cut school.

It is. I gotta pay

for this jacket.

See, I got it off the street

from this guy for 200 dollars,

and he said he'd trust me

for it until Friday.

Why did you buy it on the street

instead of in a store?

Are you crazy? You know how much

this would cost in a store?

I needed a nice jacket and fast, and I got

it from this guy 'cause he cut me a deal...

'cause he stole it,

probably.

So, are you gonna go out and get a job or are

you gonna go out and steal too to pay him back?

Miss J, I gotta pay him back.

He'll kill me.

I didn't have nothing to wear!

Fine. I'll lend it to you.

I can't take your money.

Teachers are poor. Everyone knows that.

Well, you don't really

have a choice, do you?

If you don't pay the guy back,

he'll kill you.

If you cut school, I'll tell

your father and he'll kill you.

- So I'm your only way out.

- Oh, man.

- But I do have one condition.

- Big?

- Huge.

- What do you want, interest?

- Mm-mmm. Bigger.

- Jesus Christ, what is it?

Well.

- Would you like dessert?

- No!

- Another glass of wine?

- Oh, no, I'm fine. Thank you.

- Coffee, perhaps?

- Hey, man, we're talking!

So, what's the condition?

You have to pay me back

on the day you graduate.

But... But what if

I don't graduate?

Well, then you'll never

pay me back the money.

But I know that

if you say you will,

you'll kill yourself

keeping your word.

Well, what do you say?

I don't get it. Why do you

care so much if I graduate?

Weird, isn't it?

All right, I'll pay you back.

- You have my word.

- Hey.

It is a very nice jacket.

Thank you.

- Hey. -

Oh, hi! - Hi.

- How you doin'?

- Oh, good.

I think this is the first time I ever

brought food into a supermarket.

- Yeah, I can smell it from

here. - Yeah. - Good. Thanks.

Well, Raul says if you don't like it,

he'll take it off your hands.

Oh, please.

Like hell he will.

Callie, could you help load

in aisle three, please?

Be right there. I'm telling you, this place

would fall to pieces if it wasn't for me.

You know, Callie,

just between you and me,

with your scores, I think you should

consider going into Advanced English.

- Oh, but I'm gonna be at Clearview. You didn't know?

- No.

You didn't see my record?

I tell you.

No, I... I didn't know.

- Bye now.

- Yeah.

In the middle of a semester?

Are... Are you moving?

No. I'm pregnant.

And since I'm startin' to show,

they thought it was time, you know?

- Who thought it was time?

- The school. They don't let you stay there if you're pregnant.

But they told me they have this really good

programme at Clearview for, like, teenage mothers.

And they teach you stuff like parenting

and nutrition, all kinds of stuff.

So I thought it would

be good for me, you know?

- Yeah.

- Aisle three.

"Degrade first the arts

if you'd mankind degrade."

Hey, that's the spray can poem.

- Hey, hey, what's the code word?

- The code word is "great rides and great prizes."

I'm keeping it undercover

But comin' soon, I surmises

Does anybody know where, um,

Durrell and Lionel are today?

- Durrell and Lionel.

- No. - They around.

Yeah, so what's the prize we're

gonna get for learning this poem?

Learning is the prize.

Yeah.

Knowing how to read something

and understand it is the prize.

Okay? Knowing how to think

is the prize.

- I know how to think right now.

- Okay. Well, yeah, well, you know how to run too.

But not the way you

could run if you trained.

You know, the mind

is like a muscle.

Okay? And if you want it to be really

powerful, you got to work it out. Okay?

Each new fact

gives you another choice.

Each new idea builds

another muscle, okay?

And it's those muscles that are

gonna make you really strong.

Those are your weapons,

and in this unsafe world...

I want to arm you.

- And that's what these poems are supposed to do?

- Yeah.

Hey, try it. You're just

sittin' here anyway.

Look. Okay.

If at the end of the term,

you're not faster, stronger

and smarter,

you will have lost nothing.

But if you are,

you'll be that much tougher

to knock down.

So what's "Hire idiots to paint

with cold light and hot shade"?

They're being sarcastic, Raul.

I mean, 'cause you know that light

is supposed to be warm, right?

- And shade is supposed to be what?

- Cold?

Exactly. But if you go and hire an idiot

to do the job, he's gonna do it backwards.

- Hello. - There

you go. - Hmm.

Don't make a big fuss

about this, Louanne.

You have to help me. You have

no idea how bright this girl is.

Yes, I do. And there's nothing

I can do about it.

Oh! That just makes me crazy!

What right do these miserable, self-righteous

sons of bitches from the Board of Education...

have to make a moral judgment

on Callie Roberts?

- Do you know...

- Louanne, there are parents in the next room.

Look, I don't c...

I'm gonna fight this ruling.

I'm gonna write an open letter to every

newspaper condemning the entire School Board.

- Oh, you can't do that.

- Why not?

Well, first of all, the Board

has nothing to do with it.

We prefer that these girls go to

the mother-to-be programme at Clearview.

Oh, wait a minute.

You mean this isn't a rule?

You mean this is your preference?

Well, yes.

You mean Callie Roberts is free

to go to any school she wants?

- Including this one?

- Unless she's absent for more than 30 days.

And then she has to wait until the

baby's born before she can come back here.

But, Louanne, once these girls have babies,

very few of them come back to school anyway.

I see.

So you make them think

they have to leave.

You just push 'em out a little earlier,

make it a little harder,

make it a little more hopeless.

I do what I have to do...

because it is dangerous to have

a pregnant girl in a classroom.

It's not a warning, Louanne. I-It's

prestige, it's stardom, it's attention.

You know, not all these girls

become pregnant by accident.

- Pregnancy is contagious.

- Yep, yep

- It's all right

- It's all right

As you may have heard

- Yeah - To smoke a fat

one - To smoke a fat one

- And drink a 'Bird

- Drink a Thunderbird

- It's okay

- It's okay

- To play this loud

- Play it loud

Mister DJ, don't mean

to sweat you down

Who is it?

It's Louanne Johnson,

Callie's second period teacher.

Hi.

Um, Callie's getting ready

to go to work.

- Come on in.

- Thank you.

Curiosity killed the cat

- Oh. - Hi.

- Hi, there.

- What you doing?

- Watching TV.

- What's your name?

- Tyeisha.

- Oh, that's a pretty name.

- She just love her TV.

Why ain't you in bed?

Come here, baby.

Callie? Honey?

Your teacher's here.

- Hi.

- Hi.

I'm sorry to just bust in on you like

this, but I have the most wonderful news...

and I wanted to come

tell you personally.

You do not have to go

to Clearview.

There is nothing in the rules that says

you can't stay exactly where you are.

But, uh, she already

enrolled in Clearview.

Uh, well, that's all right. She... that...

But she doesn't have to go there.

Yeah, but Kimboley wants me to take the

mother-to-be programme at Clearview, you know.

He thought it would be a good idea if I

learned how to take care of the baby and stuff.

I don't understand.

Do you not want to stay

at Parkmont?

Well, yeah, but I gotta learn how

to take care of us, you know.

I mean, we're getting our own

place and everything, so...

Callie, just don't throw away

all you can become.

Kimboley was so right.

He was so right.

He told me that you'd probably

try to talk me out of this.

You want to know

what else he said?

He said that you probably

don't even like men...

and that you're probably not married

and you don't want anybody else to be.

That's why you're always

in everybody else's life.

Look, I'm not saying

that I agree with him, okay?

Well, Kimboley's wrong.

I was married...

and I was pregnant.

So what happened?

We got divorced...

and I had an abortion.

He beat me.

Well, sometimes

you start out wrong...

and just keep going.

Hey, don't touch me.

Oh, get outta here!

I'll see you.

You took something that

fuckin' belonged to me,?se.

Man, she came to me

with open arms.

Besides, you gotta have

one of these.

You're dead.

As I walk through the valley

of the shadow of death

I take a look at my life

and realize there's nothing left

'Cause I've been blastin'

and laughin' so long

That even my mama thinks

that my mind is gone

I really hate to trip

but I gotta loc

As they croak I see myself

in the pistol smoke

Fool, I'm the kind of "G"

the little homies wanna be like

On my knees in the night

sayin' prayers in the street light

Been spendin' most their lives

livin' in a gangsta's paradise

- Hey, Miss Johnson. - Hey! -

Been spendin' most their lives

- Haven't seen you guys in a week.

- Livin' in a gangsta's paradise

Thought maybe you got lost

on your way to class.

I wanted to help you

find your way back.

Get on inside.

Clean up that pigsty of a room.

Hi. I'm Louanne Johnson.

I'm the boys' teacher.

I know who you are.

You're that white-bread bitch

messin' with my babies' minds.

I beg your pardon?

My boys don't go to your school

no more, and that's gonna be it.

- You took 'em out of school?

- You're damn right I did.

I saw what they were bringing

home... poetry and shit.

A waste of time. They got

more important things to worry about.

Don't you think that finishing high

school will be valuable to their future?

That's not in their future.

I ain't raising no doctors and lawyers

here. They got bills to pay.

Why don't you just

get on outta here.

Go find yourself some other

poor boys to save.

Mama! I could stand

some lemonade.

"It is easier

to forgive an enemy...

than to forgive a friend.

The man who permits you

to injure him...

deserves your vengeance.

He also will receive it."

Wow, who wrote that?

Some Mafia guy?

You know, let's go on

with this poem tomorrow.

Why don't you... Take out your work

sheets and do the vocabulary drill.

- Say what? - Oh, man! - Man,

I don't wanna do no vocabulary.

I don't wanna do

no damn vocabulary.

Then don't.

What do you mean?

You mean I have a choice?

You're not gonna let me get away with

not learnin' my vocabulary, right?

That's right. You have to do

your vocabulary.

Words are thoughts

and we can't think without 'em.

So... Please?

And so let's just do it, man. She's

gonna be down our back in a minute.

- Whatever. She's grouchy.

- Grouch.

- Thanks, Louanne.

- Grouch, grouch.

Thank you, Louanne.

Such a nice lady, Louanne.

What do I do?

What the fuck you want from me?

Who, my teacher? You think

I'm gonna fuckin' talk to a teacher?

Like they're gonna

really help me, huh? Huh?

Teachers aren't gonna

fuckin' help me, okay?

Miss Johnson! Miss Johnson,

we gotta talk to you.

- There's nothing to talk about, Angela!

- What, are you Superman?

Is your ass bulletproof?

Is that what you think? Tell her!

- Tell her what you're gonna do.

- What is it?

- He's strapped.

- Shut the fuck up! She don't need to know my business.

Is your business dying? No!

There's this crackhead named Shorty.

He just came out of jail.

He says that I'm his girl and

that Emilio took me from him.

And now he wants to kill Emilio.

Emilio, if this boy is threatening you,

we can go to the police.

Look, this is nothing you

can do anything about.

This guy is looking for me to kill me,

and the only way for me to stop him...

is for me to kill him first.

That's just the way it is,

all right?

Wait, Emilio, wait, wait, wait, wait,

no! Can we... Can we talk about this?

- Come to my house.

- Yeah, right.

Oh, what?

You're too proud to hide?

It's better to wander

the streets all night?

- Come on.

- Please?

Please, just go.

Go. Go.

- Can we drop you?

- Just go.

Is this boy your age?

- Yeah.

- Does he go to Parkmont?

I won't tell you who it is.

No, don't.

But if you tell Mr Grandey

about him...

not about his threatening you,

but about his being on crack...

he'll be turned over to the juvenile

court for... for drug abuse in school.

H- He won't serve hard time,

but by the time he gets out and he's detoxed,

he... he will have gotten over trying to kill you.

No, I can't rat on him.

Right. Kill him.

That's better.

Man,

you don't understand.

You asked me once how I was

gonna save you from your life.

This is how. This moment.

Right now.

This will make the difference

in your life forever.

Emilio?

Emilio?

- Oh, Mr Grandey.

- Is there a problem, Miss Johnson?

- Shouldn't you be in class?

- Yes, I'm late.

Um, I just wanted to ask. Did Emilio

Ramirez come to your office this morning?

- Yes.

- Oh, God. Oh, thank God.

- Did you talk to him?

- No, I sent him away.

You... What do you mean?

- I mean I sent him away.

- Why?

Because he didn't knock,

Miss Johnson.

- Here we are.

- Because he didn't knock?

Yes, Miss Johnson. I'm trying to teach

these children how to live in the world.

And in the world, you just don't

burst into someone's office.

Because he didn't knock?

Damn it!

Uh, Louanne.

Mr Grandey is with the police.

- Yes?

- Um.

They just found Emilio Ramirez

three blocks from the school.

He was shot this morning.

Is he dead?

- He's dead.

- I'm very sorry.

Um...

are you going to tell them now?

Do you think that's wise?

Yeah.

Well, uh, perhaps if you talk to them

a little bit about death...

and... and... and what it means.

What would you like me to say?

That if you don't want to die,

remember to knock?

- That's not fair.

- What is?

Bad news.

Emilio was shot this morning.

Is he dead?

- Yes, baby, he's dead.

- Oh, no.

Yo! Listen up. Miss Johnson

got something to say!

- Shh.

- Thank you.

I just want to say...

I, uh... I won't, um...

I will not be here next year.

I'm not coming back.

How come?

Is it something we did?

No. No, no, no. No. Um...

I- I never intended to stay.

Um, this was an unexpected job.

So if you knew you wasn't gonna stay, how

come you made me promise what I promised?

I...

At that time,

I thought I would stay.

So how come you're leaving?

I just...

have my reasons,

certain reasons.

Is it because it's too sad for you,

what happened to Emilio?

Maybe.

And Durrell and Lionel

and Callie. And I just...

I just think that...

So if you love us so much and you're

so interested in our graduating,

- how come you choose to leave?

- Yeah.

You sad about Durrell and Callie

and Emilio and Lionel, but we're here.

What about us, huh?

None of us make you feel happy?

We been working hard and we stayed

in school, man. What about us?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

Why are you packing up today

when tomorrow is your last day?

Oh, just gettin' a head start.

Oh, I see.

What you did, when you

gave me the 200 dollars?

That was the nicest thing

anybody ever did for me.

I don't know anybody else

who would give 200 dollars...

to a Mexican kid

on his word of honour.

S- So you gotta let me

pay you back.

Even if I don't graduate,

all right?

Why wouldn't you graduate?

Ain't no other teacher

gonna give me no "A."

Yes, they will, if you work for them

the way you worked for me.

No, but it was different with you.

You gave me an "A" to start with.

- I didn't have to earn it. I just had to keep it.

- Are you kidding?

Keeping an "A" is harder than getting an

"A." Almost anyone can get an "A" once.

But keeping it,

that's an accomplishment.

- You think so?

- Oh, I know so.

Do you realize the work

you did this term?

Do you realize that

the poetry that we read...

is given to people in college?

- In college.

- These same poems?

- Yes.

- But they weren't even so hard.

So, you see?

Keep working.

You'll graduate.

I might even see you

in college.

What do you think?

I feel so bad about leaving

I can hardly breathe.

I know, but... Oh, what the hell.

You're right.

You gotta be crazy to stay here

and teach these programme classes.

There's no money.

It's killer work.

Why do you stay?

Why do I smoke?

I'm crazy.

You need any more help?

No. Thanks.

I'll see you tomorrow.

Yeah. Bye.

This is the life

Everyone has to be somewhere

Oh

I am here

This is the life

This is the life

'Cause this is my life

This is my life

Hi.

Well. Welcome back.

This is the 29th day,

the last day I have to come back.

So, am I still okay

for next term?

Yeah.

Did, uh,

did you come back because

it was your last day or did somebody...

ask you to come today

to talk me into staying?

Well, it was both, really.

See, 'cause I wasn't really sure

what I wanted to do...

until I heard that you

were leaving and...

'Cause up until then,

I don't know, I thought...

that you'd always be here

for me, you know.

You know, whenever I came back.

But then Raul tells me

that you're leaving...

just like that.

And I realized that this

was my last chance.

And I decided...

We decided that...

we're not gonna just

let you leave like that.

Yeah, we realized

like the poem said:

You can't give in.

"You can't go gentle.

- You got to rage against

the dying of the light." - Yeah.

Yeah, you gotta go for yours.

You know that, right?

- Yeah.

- You gotta kick it in and get it up.

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

No, no. Wait, wait. I'm not giving in.

Um, this is my choice.

I have no reason to "rage

against the dying of the light."

'Cause you're not the one who's raging.

We're the ones who are raging.

See, 'cause we see you

as being our light.

- What?

- You're our Tambourine Man.

- Oh, I'm your drug dealer?

- You got the stuff, Miss J?

You're our teacher. You got

what we need. It's the same thing.

Come on, Miss J. All the poems

you taught us say you can't give in.

You can't give up.

- Well, we ain't giving you up.

- No way.

Now, listen, baby, we gonna have to

tie you down to the chair and gag you...

'cause you know

we want you to stay.

What you need to stay, girl?

You want a candy bar?

Okay, on the left and on the right,

a "Louanne, Louanne." Uh, here we go.

Louanne, Louanne,

Louanne, Louanne.

- Louanne, Louanne, Louanne, Louanne.

- Come on!

Louanne, Louanne,

Louanne, Louanne.

- You have to go first. - I don't want

to go first. - Come on. You have to.

Ready? You go like this. Go.

- It go like this.

- This how you do it.

Go, Louanne. Go, Louanne.

Go, Louanne. Go, Louanne.

Go, Louanne. Go, Louanne.

Go, Louanne.

Let me see.

- Excuse me.

- Are you okay? - Yeah.

- You want to sign my book?

- Yeah, I'll sign your book.

How'd they get you

to come back?

They gave me candy

and called me "the light."

That'll do it.

I won't do you wrong

I'll do you right

You can roll with me

for the rest of the night

No need to fuss

'cause I don't wanna joke

Baby, sit right here

and let the chronic smoke

So hang around, love

And give it up

'Cause all the real "G"s

know what I'm thinkin' of

'Cause you wanna be down, down

so give it up

There's a party over here

So, baby, show your love

'Cause I got the gin and juice

Yeah

- You know that, you know that

- I got the gin and juice

Yeah

'Cause I got the gin and juice

Yeah

- I got the, I got the gin and juice

- Yeah

- I got the answer

- 'Cause I got the gin and juice

As I walk through the valley

of the shadow of death

I take a look at my life

and realize there's nothing left

'Cause I've been blastin'

and laughin' so long

That even my mama thinks

that my mind is gone

I really hate to trip

but I gotta loc

As they croak I see myself

in the pistol smoke

Fool, I'm the kind of "G"

the little homies wanna be like

On my knees in the night

Sayin' prayers in the street light

Been spending most their lives

livin' in a gangsta's paradise

Been spending most their lives

livin' in a gangsta's paradise

We keep spending most our lives

livin' in a gangsta's paradise

You spent so many nights

in heat

- And out of control

- Like that

Waiting impatiently to see

- What's under my clothes

- Like that

I just wanna take time

to get right into the point

Now you got your choice, girl

- To come and rock this funky joint

- Like that

Don't you take too long, baby

I'll be waitin' here

for you, baby, baby

Here's a gift

to you from me

Just you wait and see

It's the curiosity

- It's the curiosity

- Curiosity

- Do you wanna feel my body

- Like that

Girl, all night long, yeah

It's the curiosity

- Why not now

- Oh, yeah

- Oh, yeah

- It's the curiosity

For you, for me

It's the curiosity