Through the Fire (1988) - full transcript
A young woman asks a policeman to help her find her missing sister. They find a medallion, sought after by some worshipers of demon Moloch, a beast that may be invoked and wreaks havoc, but can only be stopped with the amulet.
(tense music)
(guard speaking foreign language)
- [Peter] It came as no surprise.
When you print Bibles for the
underground church in Russia,
you stand ready for such moments
but I never thought it
would happen so quickly.
In a single minute, I became an orphan.
(group singing in foreign language)
(bell chiming)
(woman speaking foreign language)
(gentle music)
Most of us at the camp
in Podolsk were sons
of political prisoners,
but they treated us as hardened criminals
and many learned to behave like animals.
I would have been broken if
God had not sustained me.
I heard the stories every Russian hears
of the few men who escape
from the Soviet Union on foot.
1000 kilometers or more for the taste
of freedom they walked, if
they were not shot first.
For months I planned my escape.
Food, maps, camping gear.
Every detail had to be accounted for.
(group singing in foreign language)
(speaking foreign language)
(smooth synth music)
- [Peter] Walking the streets of Moscow,
I am amazed I have gotten this far.
When would I wake up from this dream
and be found by the secret police?
I learned later my best friend
Sergei had been influenced
by my escape,
but he would soon wake
quickly from his dream.
(man speaking foreign language)
(smooth synth music)
(Peter sighs)
(birds chirping)
(moves into tense music)
(moves into energetic synth music)
(guards speaking foreign language)
(dog barking)
(siren wailing)
(guards shouting in foreign language)
(guns firing)
(guards shouting in foreign language)
(guns firing)
(mine exploding)
(mines exploding)
(ominous music)
(mine exploding)
I was now in Finland.
But Finland has an agreement with Russia
to capture and deport those who escape.
It would be another 300 kilometers
before my freedom was assured.
The American embassy secure permission
for me to immigrate to the United States.
They help me get into contact
with a Christian mission
who sponsor my trip to America.
- [Man] Boy, is she old.
Her social security number is two.
(audience laughs)
- [Peter] In America, I learned
once you are well-known,
you must hold a press conference.
I kept telling myself,
this is not as bad as a firing squad, no?
(voices drown each other out)
- Peter, what'll you tell us
about America?
- There I can worship God
and not be put in prison.
- Peter, have you had
any American food yet?
- Yes, Coca-Cola and fried chicken.
- [Woman] What is your
favorite thing going to be
now that you're in America, Peter?
- To play football and make
friends and go to church.
- [Man] Where's Peter staying now?
- He's staying at a hotel
until we make final
arrangements with a host family.
- What hotel is that?
- Which one is it?
- One of the hotels in Chicago.
- [Woman] Where did you
learn your English, Peter?
- In Russia when I was 12 years old.
- [Man] Peter, how did
you get out of Russia?
(speaking foreign language)
- Only by God's grace do I overshadow.
- Escaped,
you escaped.
- Yes, I escape.
- [Man] The Russians are planning
on taking over the world, aren't they?
- What can we do to reduce
the threat of nuclear war?
- And what exactly
did you come here to do?
(speaking foreign language)
- Only by fear of God can
we reduce fear of war.
- [Man] Peter, where are your parents?
- His parents are in prison now
because of operating a
secret printing press.
- [Man] What were they printing?
- Bibles.
- [Man] Weren't they
afraid of their lives?
- Well, let's.
- [Man] No, Peter, one more question.
- No more questions.
(voices drown each other out)
- For this young man from Russia,
at least for the time being,
it seems he has truly
found the American dream.
Now, whether or not this is a dream
that we can swallow is another story.
This is Samantha Newport,
Eyewitness News Six, Chicago.
- [Man] Oranges, June.
- [Dean] Hello, I'm home.
- [Man] Glory be.
- Hi, honey.
- [Marilyn] Oh, hi.
- [Dean] Hey, I got that
contract sewn up today.
- [Marilyn] Oh, great.
By the way, David's teacher called again.
- Has he started turning
in his homework yet?
- No, he's been falling asleep in class.
- Maybe we should take
the TV out of his room.
- I don't know, his counselor says
that he could really use a pony.
- Yeah, last week the counselor had him
throwing clay against the wall.
Can you tell me what
good that's gonna do him?
- [Woman] I don't know, I'm just thankful
that he's a Christian.
- Yeah, well.
Hey, you'll never guess
what happened today.
You know how we've been praying
to really do something for the Lord?
Well, Pastor called and he wants us
to take in that Russian boy,
that one that's been in the news.
- Oh no.
- What?
- A Russian.
(screams)
- He thinks we'd be the ideal family.
Anyway, he said we could
pick him up tomorrow downtown
at the Hotel Continental and have him come
and stay for a week or so,
you know, kind of on approval.
We've been really praying
for something to help David.
- I know, but you know what
Doris Fox is going to say.
- How many times have
I told you not to worry
about what Doris Fox says?
- Oh, it's going to be so inconvenient.
- Be a lot easier than taking in a pony.
(gentle synth music)
- [Bear] Whee, it's me. (laughs)
Snuggle Fabric Softener Sheets.
I can always cuddle the best,
and they're never ever staticky.
- [Announcer] Snuggle Dryer Sheets.
Snuggly slumber that's rare.
(music drowns out voices)
- [Man] What'd you pay for it?
- [Man] Well, 500.
- [Woman] Are you kidding?
- [Man] Does it run on batteries?
- What's it made of?
(laughing)
Crazy pots?
- [Man] Does it have a
motor, does it have a motor?
- In the beginning,
God created the heavens
and the earth.
(phone ringing)
Hello?
- [Man] I see you are getting fat already.
Don't get any illusions about America.
The honeymoon is ending
sooner than you think.
(steady tone droning)
- [Man] Disappear.
- [Deirdra] Mommy, is he gonna hurt us?
- Peter, hello, we're the McBrides.
This is my wife, Marilyn, my
daughter, Deirdra, I'm Dean.
And this is my son, David.
- Men don't hug in America.
- The bourgeoisie live?
- Just average Americans, Peter.
- [Deirdra] Let me help,
Daddy, let me help.
- What's the matter?
Haven't you ever seen a
Christian bumper sticker before?
(upbeat synth music)
- David, I was hoping you
and Peter could share a room together.
I'm sure you'd have a wonderful time.
Well, just show him your room.
- Ever hear of Transformers?
- No.
- And you're from Russia?
Man.
- What are Transformers?
- It's like this watch,
transforms from a robot
to a radio.
Okay, we're gonna flip
to see who sleeps where.
- Flip?
- See, flip, coin.
Look, George Washington
and there's some bird,
I don't know what it is.
You can have George Washington.
- [Peter] Yes, George Washington.
- Your choice.
If you're down here, you can
change the TV channels faster.
If you're up there, Deirdra
won't attack you in the morning.
- You choose.
- I'll take the top.
(overlapping voices speaking on TV)
- Morning.
- Good morning, Peter.
- Morning.
- Did you sleep well?
- Yes, bed was very soft.
Boy, this is like big
dinner back in Russia.
- Oh, were there just you
and your mother and father back there?
- No, I had little brother, Yuri,
but he was taken to orphanage
after my parents were arrested.
- [Marilyn] Oh.
- [Deirdra] Mommy, is
Peter ever gonna wear
American clothes?
- [Woman] What do you
think, Bree, a robot ship?
- [Man] Probably.
Shoot it down, beta
leader, engage and destroy.
- Back in Russia we used
to get up at four o'clock
every morning to stand in line for bread.
- [Marilyn] Oh.
- Mommy, I can't eat any more.
- That's okay, dear, just
put it in the disposal.
- [Dean] Honey, I gotta go.
You have a good day.
- Give me a kiss.
- Bye bye.
- [David] Bye, Mom.
- [Marilyn] Bye.
- [Man] Bruce Banner's
rage and his frustration
finally trigger the powerful
gamma rays in his body,
causing the world's most
fantastic transformation as the--
- Mrs. Davis?
- Yes, Elliot?
(snorting)
- How can you tell so
much about those guys,
their hair and ears and everything?
All we have are the skulls.
- I mean, Elliot, if they're that old,
they'd have to be covered
with hair, don't you think?
- Maybe you need some help, Ms. Davis.
(laughing)
- Oh, may I help you?
- I'm Peter Petrovich Smyslov.
I am your class.
(laughing)
- Now, Petrovich,
I don't think you're on
my computer printout.
Now, are you on vacation
from Russia or something?
- Vacation?
- Yeah.
- She wants to know
whether you're on a holiday.
- [Boy] Santa Cruz, Ms. Davis.
(laughing)
- No, I escape from Russia
because of religious persecution.
I am Christian.
- [Boy] All right.
- You came here to find religious freedom?
Do you have any transcripts or records or?
- Yes, I like very much music.
- Hey dude, you got any U2 albums?
(laughing)
- Thank you, Al.
Okay, you can sit down
'til we sort this thing out
but first let me give
you your resource manual,
supplementary text, book
of insights and answers.
You're gonna have to
buy a spiral notebook,
two sets of index cards,
a set of markers and a box of crayons,
but for right now, just take
a seat right back there, okay?
- Yes.
(laughing)
- You got a Bible here, man.
Now, you wouldn't be trying
to advertise a little religion, would ya?
- That's two back on the eighth.
- [Girl] For sure, thanks.
- May I help you?
- Yes, can you help me find books
about science and the Bible?
- If we have anything
it would be over there
in the card catalog.
- Huh?
(sighs)
- You don't know what a
card catalog is, do you?
Okay, you have these
drawers of little cards,
author, title, and subject cards,
but you don't know the title
so you look in the subject cards,
get the Dewey Decimal
number and go find the book.
- Huh?
- (sighs) You're gonna
need to understand English
before you can do anything.
- You'll teach me?
- Here's something that
I think will help you.
See, these teach you vocabulary
and how to pronounce words.
They're really good and
they're simple, sit down.
Now, all you have to do
is listen and then repeat.
- [Man] Alfredo likes spaghetti,
but Jill likes hamburgers.
- Can you say that?
- Alfredo likes spaghetti,
but Jill likes hamburgers.
- Okay, good.
Now this is play, stop and eject.
- [Peter] Play, stop, eject.
- Right.
Oh, hi, Don.
- [Man] Lewis likes to
wash the car but Barb
likes to go shopping.
- Sheri, what're you doing
with this guy?
- I was just helping him
find a language tape.
I kinda feel sorry for him, poor guy.
- You feel sorry for
that guy, the poor guy?
That guy is totally weird.
- Teacher?
- Shut up.
(whistle blows)
- [Peter] Some new friends
noticed how much I like soccer
and they said they would help me get
on the high school team.
It was like the time
my friends smuggled me
into a sold-out performance
of the Moscow Circus.
- Angelo, what do we got here?
- Huh?
- What do you think you're doing?
- Well, you might say
he's like a Trojan horse.
- Now, come on, just blend in.
Pretend you're part of the team.
- Hey, Murray, what do you got over here?
- Just a Russian, Coach.
- A what?
- This is Peter, the new kid from Russia.
I think he's a good soccer boy.
- Yeah, soccer's a pretty
big sport in Russia, Coach.
- Yeah, come on, Coach,
isn't that just what we need?
Talent?
- You're dead, man.
- [Coach] Bresler.
- How do you do?
- Don't try to con me, Murray.
I wouldn't put it past you
to bring a spy over here
from Central High to steal
our training secrets.
- What secrets, Coach?
Sorry, Coach.
We got enough losers as it is now,
and the district rules
say you can't play a kid
until he's been here for six months.
- Coach, Coach, Coach.
- [Coach] Bresler, 10 laps.
- [Don] You're dead.
- Go get dressed.
I think he can make it on his own, Elliot.
All right, Cooley, let's get with it here.
Marshall, move that fat.
Hey kid,
you wouldn't wanna be an
equipment manager, would you?
You know, clean up, take
care of the equipment?
- [Peter] Yes, I should like.
- Are you working on your
Sunday school lesson, David?
- Huh?
- I said are you working on
your Sunday school lesson?
- [David] Oh, yeah, yeah.
- In Russia we have secret Christians
but you are secret unbeliever.
- Honey, you're not gonna like this.
- [Marilyn] What?
- I forgot our money for
the collection plate again.
- All I got is a quarter.
- [Marilyn] I've only got a dollar.
- A dollar 25 isn't good
enough for Mrs. Fox, Mom.
(beeping)
See that?
That's how you get money in America.
- Really?
Why, such a machine is amazing.
- We've got over 2000 people
in this church, Peter.
I bet you don't see anything
like this in Russia.
- [Peter] No, do they photograph here?
Is there police?
- [Dean] (scoffs) No, not here.
♪ Homeland ♪
♪ And we shall be holy ♪
(upbeat electronic music)
♪ And shall ♪
- By the way, what is this I hear
about your taking in a delinquent?
(Marilyn clears throat)
- Not really.
- But he is from Russia.
- Well, he is, but he's not
actually a--
- Well, you're just going
to have to put on the full armor of God.
- I can't stand that Mrs. Fox.
She always says she's praying for me.
- Well, I'll be praying for David.
- Thank you, we'll need it.
- Peter, Peter, I want
you to meet someone.
This is Senator Tom Brewer.
He's a very important man.
Hey, he's been working on some
US Soviet trade agreements.
- Peter, I visited Russia recently
and I'm so glad to find out
that there's no more religious
persecution in your country.
- But thousands like my
parents are in prison
for their Christian beliefs.
- He's young, Senator.
I'm sure he wasn't disagreeing with you.
- Nice meeting you, Peter,
and if there's anything
that I can do for you,
please let me know.
- Peter, this is Jack Wayne and his wife,
Betty, and their son, Lee.
Jack is head of Win-McCabe Law Firm.
He's a very important man.
- Pleased to meet you.
- Peter, I just gave $50
to Bibles for Russia.
Hey, Mill, congratulations
on your promotion.
(gentle synth music)
- Boy, there are a lot
of important people here.
(moves into smooth synth music)
Rondo buys eggs.
- [Sheri] You're getting there, Peter.
- Hi, I don't understand.
Today he goes, but yesterday
he doesn't goed, he went.
- That's the English language for you.
It's kind of crazy.
- Real crazy.
- Well, I got some books for you.
Now you'll be able to come up
with some really good ideas in class.
And this is for when you
don't understand some words.
- Thank you.
- I have to go now.
(moves into bright piano music)
(students chattering faintly)
- Angie, don't tell me this
guy's playing for our team.
- Oh, him, no, he's just
the equipment manager.
Cleans up and everything.
- Did you tell him what happened
to the last equipment manager we had?
You like cleaning up mud,
don't you, Bible boy?
Well, here, man, here.
Here, clean up some more, man.
- All right, man.
- You want some more?
Oh, that doesn't do it, man?
How 'bout the Bible?
How about the Bible?
Come here.
What'd you do, man, if
I dunked it in here?
What would you do,
huh?
- Come, on, Don,
leave him alone.
- Take your Bible, boy.
Man, I was just baptizing him.
(mumbling)
- Hey, you.
(overlapping voices speaking)
- Get off him, man.
- Come on.
- All right, you guys, move it.
I wanna go home.
Peter, don't let these
guys push you around.
I never told you you
had to clean the floor.
Go get the rest of the
equipment off the field.
- Man, your attitude stinks.
(gentle music)
- But as soon as the
people had been put out,
Jesus went into the girl's room
and took hold of her hand, and she got up.
Hey, just between you and me,
do you really believe in this stuff
or are you just trying to believe in it
because Mom and Dad do?
- I believe it.
- Hey, how would you like
to hear something really interesting?
- Okay.
- Okay, there was this real ugly monster
who had real ugly slime all over him
and at night he'd come
and visit this little girl
and sleep at the foot of her bed.
(screams)
- Is everything okay?
- Yes.
- David, I want you to
read it slowly enough
so that Deirdra can understand it.
- Okay, Mom.
Jesus went into the girl's room and,
one night he came in
through the windowsill
and he got slime all over it
and it must have been a Russian
because the slime was all red.
- [Marilyn] David.
- Yeah?
- [Marilyn] Was he really
reading that to her?
- No.
- How about this one?
It's got one of those computerized things
that tells you how many
calories you're burning off.
- Sure, why not?
Can't believe David, he used
to be so fired up for the Lord.
- Yeah, I know.
- Now all he thinks about
is listening to his stereo
and hanging around with
all of his friends.
- What friends?
- Do you wanna contribute to
Missionaries International?
- Never heard of them, what do they do?
- Starving children, I think.
- Sure, give them 20 bucks.
- Maybe we shouldn't
have made such a big deal
about those haircuts.
They're getting him
into counseling so soon.
- I think what he needs
is more discipline.
- What about this Christian
seminar on midlife crisis?
- I went to that last year with you.
- Yeah, I know, but you're a year older,
and look, the theme is the autumn years.
- Let's wait 'til they
air-condition the cabins.
You know, if he's like this now,
what's he gonna be like
four years from now?
I think we've gotta get tough
while there's still time.
- What about the pony,
here's the estimate.
20% down and 36 easy monthly installments.
- You know, I can't believe
we're even considering
getting this kid a pony.
- Hey, do you really believe in that stuff
or are you just trying
to impress somebody?
- The Bible?
Yes, I believe.
You?
- No, it's just a bunch of fairytales.
♪ Oh, the flames are getting hotter ♪
♪ As a new storm daily be ♪
♪ But under the hands of a loving father ♪
♪ He is refined in me perfectly ♪
♪ And the fire consumes not my person ♪
♪ It's burning away my impurities ♪
♪ It's his way of saying I love you ♪
♪ But how strange it is to me ♪
♪ Oh, to be ♪
♪ In the furnace once again ♪
♪ Where the heat is so strong ♪
♪ Where it's so hard to stand ♪
♪ I'm thirsty for some water ♪
♪ And I'm hungry for a friend ♪
♪ I know I'm being tested ♪
♪ But it feels like I'm being condemned ♪
♪ In the furnace again ♪
(overlapping voices speaking)
- [Peter] What was freedom
if you are still an outcast?
In Russia I lost every
friend for the name of Christ
but I am an American now.
I wonder if there was any place I could go
where I would not have to drink
from the cup of suffering.
- [Girl] Come on, you guys.
- Can I sit here?
- Yeah.
Welcome to the loser table,
the social rejects of Kennedy High.
- You like some?
- That's Darlene, she doesn't say much.
- Thank you.
- That's the first time
I've seen her smile.
I've been trying to witness to her,
invite her to the youth group.
- You talk about Jesus at school?
- I hand out tracks.
I'm starting to get pretty
discouraged, though.
- Do you have many Christians here?
- Yeah, but don't ask me how many.
It's the best kept secret at Kennedy High.
- Do you have any Christian friends?
- I don't have any kind of friends.
Sometimes I picture myself
as Mr. Cool Dude though, you know?
People yelling across the lunchroom,
hey, Elliot, who's the girl you
were with last weekend, huh?
Hey, Elliot, nice
Porsche you got Saturday.
Hey, Elliot, nice touchdown you made.
- [Boy] Hey, Elliot, you reject.
(students laughing)
- See what I mean?
Sometimes I wonder what would happen
if I gave up this Bible stuff
and worked on my image a little.
- Would you like to read the Bible?
- You got a good lawyer?
- Lawyer?
- Yeah, they got laws against
bringing God into school.
- Laws against God?
- You're used to that, aren't you?
- Yes, I am.
- 500 million years ago,
we had the Cambrian age.
We're talking about
trilobites and invertebrates.
480 million years ago,
we had the Ordovician age
which is shell animals,
and then 435 million years
ago, we had the Silurian age.
Yes, Peter.
- I do not believe what
you are saying is truth.
(students murmur)
- Peter, you're entitled
to have your own opinion
but you're up against facts backed
by the entire scientific community.
- I don't understand.
You say the Earth is four
and a half billion years old,
but that's impossible.
- Is it, Peter?
Would you like to teach
this class instead of me?
- Yes, may I show?
- Yeah.
- All right.
- Come on, get up.
(students murmur and applaud)
- [Mr. Engle] I don't have
to take it from you either.
- You take plenty, Mr. Engle.
The children just walk all over you.
A Russian conducting Bible
classes in the lunchroom,
creation science and genesis
being discussed in class.
I know my daughter didn't
get these terms on her own.
- [Mr. Engle] These
kids do a lot of reading
these days, Mrs. Nation.
I don't know where they
get all these terms from.
- Oh, don't play with me, Engle.
You almost lost your job last year
when you put a Christmas
tree in the front hallway.
I want you to deal with
this issue or I will.
- I'll deal with it, Mrs. Nation.
There's no need for you to worry.
- Darlene.
- What are all these people doing here?
This looks like traffic court.
- Frankie assaulted his English teacher.
Jennie forgot her gym clothes.
Gloris, Darlene and
Karen were caught smoking
in the girl's washroom.
- Just give them passes back to class,
and Grace, hold all my calls.
I have a real problem to deal with.
Peter, come on in here and close the door.
- [Girl] Mm.
- [Mr. Engle] Peter, do you
know why you're in here today?
- No.
- There's been some concern about the way
you've been expressing your
religious beliefs at school
and there's certain things
that you just don't talk about
in a public high school.
- Yes, I learned that in Russia.
- Your science teacher gave me this test.
This isn't the kinda thing
that's gonna get you through school,
and neither is holding Bible sessions
in the school lunchroom.
You're gonna get in serious
trouble, and I don't want that.
Look, see this, American money.
Key to the good life, and you
see the guy's picture on it?
Started out as the simple woodchopper
and ended up to be 16th
president of the United States.
If you keep your nose clean
and get a good education,
you could do the same thing.
- In God we trust.
- Honey, I spoke with the pastor
and one of the members of
the Slavic Relief Fund today
and they wanna know how things
were working out with Peter.
- Well, what did you tell them?
- I told them everything was fine.
- Well, is it?
- I don't know, you're with him all day.
♪ You're on your way to the top ♪
♪ And on the way you've always known ♪
♪ Just who you are ♪
(knocking)
(tense synth music)
- [Peter] May I help you?
- Yes, I'm afraid I have the wrong number.
- For what are you looking?
- 1618M.
- This is 1640.
- I'm sorry but you
look very familiar, no?
Perhaps we have met somewhere else.
- I don't think so.
- But you look very much like the boy
who was in the news who
escaped from Russia.
Is your name Peter?
- Yes.
- My name is Bruno.
I'm from the travel agency.
Did I hear that you may be
traveling back home soon?
Here is my card.
- No, I will be staying.
Where did you hear that?
- Oh, it happens sometimes,
the home sickness.
- I love it here.
- Are you sure?
Maybe you are trying to get
yourself to believe that.
- No, I will stay, everything is fine.
- Have you found the freedom
here that you are looking for?
- If I return, they will
only put me in prison.
- But how can they inspire others
to return to their homeland
if they were to put you in prison?
On the contrary, Peter,
you would be a hero.
You would have a free education, a car,
a (speaking foreign language)
when you get older, hmm?
Well, if you change
your mind, let me know.
I will be able to take
care of all your plans.
(upbeat music)
- Well, here we are.
- Where?
- The mall, this is
where all the action is.
- Action?
- Yeah, this is cool.
- What is cool?
- Just cool, that's all,
a lot going on up here.
Stores and everything.
A lot of my friends come up here.
I might even see a girl I know,
and don't start bringing up all
of this religious stuff, okay?
It'll be very embarrassing.
Ooh, look at that Firebird.
Hey, there's one of my girls now.
- Really?
- Yeah, one night I took her
out and we started dancing.
Then we went out to the movies.
Real fun.
What's wrong?
- So you know Jodi, huh?
- Yeah, right here.
- Bet he got that out of a yearbook.
- Let's see if he's telling the truth.
Hey Jodi, come here.
Yeah, right.
(speaking faintly)
This kid?
- Yeah, I've seen him around.
- Have you gone out with him?
- Are you kidding?
- Do you wanna go out with him?
- Oh yeah, give me a break.
- Hey, knew he was a liar.
(overlapping voices speaking)
What a liar, what a little wimp.
He has to lie about everything.
- You're such a schmuck.
- Let's get out of here before
we're seen with this loser.
- Come on, let's go.
- [Man] Well, I'll tell you what.
Since Wally doesn't seem
to ever been in the garage,
I think he's prepared to try it.
(melancholy music drowns out voices)
- Sorry friends treat you mean.
- They don't do nothing to me.
- You want to give me
English lesson, Davie?
- Man, don't call me Davie.
- You want to play soccer?
Jesus give us nice day.
- Quit preaching to me, okay?
- [Man] Delicious roast here.
- [Woman] Well, thank you, dear.
- Don't you get tired of looking at box?
- Never, hey, do me a favor and go back
to Russia, all right?
- [Man] He was chewing
with his mouth open.
(audience laughs)
Good boy.
- [Woman] Couldn't we have
some pleasant statements
at the supper table?
- [Boy] Yes, Mom.
- [Man] Yes, Mom.
(audience laughs)
- If we want results, there's
going to be consequences.
I need you to support
me in this, all right?
- [Peter] David reminded
me of my little brother.
They were both in prison,
but David did not know
that from his prison bars,
he could be set free.
I prayed for a way to reach
him, and one day it came.
- [Dean] David?
- Yeah?
- Your room.
- What about it?
- You need to clean it.
- I did.
- [Marilyn] David, you need
to clean it until it's clean.
- Man, you guys are doing this
all because of Peter, aren't you?
- David, you are not leaving this house
until that room is clean.
- Ground me, see if I care.
I didn't go to that youth group anyway.
- David.
- Ha, I never really believed
in that stuff anyways.
- [Marilyn] What?
- I was just faking it.
- David, don't talk like that.
- Why not, I mean it.
(tense synth music)
(banging)
(upbeat synth music)
Hey, that's pretty good.
- You'll teach me basketball?
- I can't play myself so how
am I supposed to teach you?
- Yes, that is a problem.
- Hey, do you wanna teach
me how to play soccer,
like, really good?
- You really want to be good?
- Yeah, like in Russia.
- It is a lot of hard work.
I'm not so sure you want to work so hard.
- Are you kidding, I love work.
Come on, let's get going.
(breathing heavily)
How much longer before I can rest?
- After four more laps, okay?
- You've gotta be kidding.
How about two?
- No.
- Three?
Three and a half?
(whimpers)
- You've got to get another
four seconds off your time.
- But I thought you said
you were gonna teach me
how to play soccer.
- You have to learn to run first.
- I didn't know you had to suffer
to be such a good soccer player.
- You don't know what suffering is.
Popular?
- You know, like wearing the
right clothes, doing a sport,
earning some money to give
your girlfriend a nice time.
- Then I will have girlfriend?
- Uh-huh, and you have to
have a nice personality too,
like smiling and saying the right things
and laughing a lot.
(laughs)
- Then I will have the friends, right?
- Yeah.
- That's funny.
- Yeah, it is, kind of.
- You are a very beautiful girl.
- That's my house, I have to go now.
- Bye.
- I want you to take Peter up to Sears
and buy him some decent clothes.
Here's my charge.
I trust you to get him
something nice, all right?
- I will, Mom, you know
I've got good taste.
- Mm, just be back by five.
- [Both] And look both ways
when you cross the street.
- I will, Mom.
Let's go.
- Where are we going?
- Just leave it to me.
- [Peter] Hey, what are you making?
- Ah, I'm making my TV schedule.
Can only watch three violent shows a week.
An hour of homework for an hour of TV.
Man, I'm not used to this kinda torture.
Those are my girlfriends.
- [Peter] You have girlfriends
and you're only 12 years old?
- Sure, I got lots of 'em, but
my parents won't let me date.
That's a real bummer.
All my friends started
dating in fourth grade.
- Hey, she's not your girlfriend.
- Hey, take it easy, I'm not
going with her or anything.
She's just a good friend of mine.
What, are you going with her?
- No go, she says she can only
have one friend at a time.
- Yeah, and I bet it's Don Bresler, right?
- Yes.
- Hey, I bet I can fix that.
Tiger Beat, you've gotta be kidding.
- I promise, Scout's honor.
He's got a whole stack of 'em.
- Okay, all you have to
do is tell Sheri's sister
and she'll tell Sheri, okay?
- What are you willing to pay?
- How much do you want?
- 10.
- I'll pay you five, max.
- 8.50.
- 3.50.
- 6.50.
- All right, here's $5.25.
- Make it six.
- Here's another quarter,
5.50 on the nose.
- It's that Russian kid, isn't it?
- Don, no it isn't.
- Well then what is it, would
you spell it out for me?
- It's just these things I've
been finding out about you.
- Come on, babe, you
know I can handle that.
(sighs)
- All right, okay, this
is really embarrassing,
but my little sister
knows your little sister
and she says you watch Bozo.
- I just watch it for the
cartoons, is that such a big deal?
- She says you use her Mr. Bubble
just about every other day.
- I use it for shampoo, is that it?
- She says you read Tiger Beat Magazine.
- That's all right, all right?
All right, that does it.
(engine revving)
- I probably oughta tell you,
I don't really know a lot
of them girls in that book.
I just get 'em and trade it for gum cards,
and trade 'em around to be cool.
- Hey, that's okay.
- And I wrote little comments on them
to make them look more realistic.
That's all fake, that's all.
I don't really have any friends.
- You forget about your best friend.
- Jesus?
When you ask Jesus into your heart
and you do something really bad,
will he accept you back in?
- Do you know the story
of the prodigal son?
- I guess I do.
- When he went away on a
long trip, what happened?
- He did the worst things
a person can do, I guess.
Spent all of his dad's money and stuff.
- And when he returned,
did his father lock the gate
and say you can't come home?
- No.
- [Peter] Did he hide in the garage
and make his son look for him?
- No.
- [Peter] What did he do?
- He came out on the road
and met him and kissed him.
- [Peter] Won't God forgive us
if he tells us to forgive 70 times seven?
- Yeah.
- [Peter] Even if you've
seen the worst in anyone?
- Yeah, yeah.
- Yeah, I'm sure.
- Hi, Sheri.
(laughs)
Look.
- Great, Peter, you look terrific.
- I have been praying
we can be friends now.
- Well, let's just
follow the Lord's timing
about this, okay?
- We cannot walk together
or read the Bible?
- Peter, it's just not that simple.
If we do that, everybody will
think we're going together.
- Okay, let's go.
- Look, Peter, your clothes,
they're great, but--
- But what?
- It's just that you're kind of new here,
and, well, I guess we could be friends
if we just didn't date
or anything right now.
- Then you're just imaginary friend.
- I have to go now.
- [Boy] I like your clothes, Petey.
- [Boy] Hey.
(bright music)
(crowd cheering)
- Wake up, goalie.
- Go.
- Come on.
- Go, go, go.
- Go, go.
- Come on, Sheri.
- Come on.
- You don't get moving and
you get 50 laps tomorrow.
Let's go.
(spectators drowning each other out)
Aw man, ref, didn't you see that?
- [Man] Go, fire out.
- Can you believe the apathy on this team?
Sunglasses again.
(spectators drowning each other out)
(groans)
- You know, Elliot, he
could save the game for us.
- Yeah, let's ask Coach.
- Let's ask Coach.
Coach, can we borrow you for a second?
- Yeah, we need to interrupt you
'cause we know you're concentrating
on the game that we're losing.
- And you know it's gonna
hit the papers tomorrow
that we lost.
- Yeah, and then, you know,
they'll cut the soccer program.
- 'Cause we lose too much, Coach.
- Yeah, and sure, you taught us
to be good losers and everything.
- We got an idea that we could win, Coach.
- Give up.
- Right, we got something here
that could get us the win.
- Just give me a break, guys.
- Wait a minute, Coach,
just listen to us, okay?
- You know, I want this
victory so bad, guys.
Don't play it with me.
- But there's a kid here,
if you put him on the team
he could give us the game.
- Give him a break, let him try.
- Come on, guys.
- No, honest.
- He's right here, Coach.
Just wait here.
- Wait here, we're gonna go
and get him, okay?
- Yeah.
- Here he is, Coach.
- Here who is?
- Pete.
- Pete.
- Who?
- Our Pete.
He's played, he's brilliant,
we've seen him play.
- Yeah, but what could he do?
Could he kick, could
he run, could he pass?
- He can do all that stuff, Coach.
- Kick, run, pass, jump, you name it.
- He's from Russia.
- Hey, I don't care if he's from Cuba.
He's a very controversial
kid in this school.
- Who cares if he's controversial?
He can kick a ball, Coach.
- Yeah.
- You mean you want me
to just put him out?
- Yeah.
- All right, get him suited up.
We'll see what he can do.
- All right, let's roll,
move it.
(crowd cheering)
(dramatic music)
(crowd cheering)
- It's a religious maniac
and I got him in my game.
What am I gonna do?
(crowd cheering and applauding)
- I thought you said you
shouldn't let everyone
in the school know you like me.
- Well, I have a real peace
about being with you, Peter.
- Hey, I didn't know
you were going with Peter.
(Sheri laughs)
- Hey, Pete, congratulations.
Nice play on Saturday.
- Thank you, I didn't do much.
- Hey Pete, don't forget
about that radio club interview tomorrow.
- Okay.
- Yeah, Pete,
don't forget about the pizza job
I got lined up for you this Sunday.
4.75 an hour, all right?
- Okay.
- Yeah.
- Hey Pete, some kids wanna put you
on a ballot for Homecoming King.
- Sounds great.
- I'll see you tonight, Pete.
Give me a call after school, right?
- Okay.
(tranquil music)
(moves into energetic music)
♪ I see the Hollywood in your eyes ♪
♪ You hide behind things that money buys ♪
♪ You love power, you love control ♪
♪ And you step on people
'cause you want it all ♪
♪ Don't you know the
world will tease you ♪
♪ It will seize you ♪
♪ It will squeeze you ♪
♪ Until you're into its nerves ♪
- Well, Peter, I'm proud of you.
You've really come a long way.
You're a star athlete, got
a nice girlfriend, good job.
Bet Christians can't do
that in Russia, can they?
- No, in Russia if you become Christian,
your children can be,
how you say, orphans,
but here in America, that
is where the fun begins.
- Would you like to drive?
- Yes, I would like to drive.
- Now, just keep her right on the road.
Stay right between the lines.
That's all you've gotta do.
- This isn't safe, Dean.
Dean, isn't driver's
ed the place for this?
- Marilyn, relax.
- [Marilyn] He doesn't
even have insurance.
♪ The world was a very
good friend of mine ♪
♪ It promised everything
I wanted in life ♪
♪ Oh, it came to me
when its passion goes ♪
♪ I bought it for a while ♪
♪ It nearly cost me my soul ♪
♪ Don't you know the
world will tease you ♪
- Do you have a driver's license, Peter?
♪ It will seize you ♪
♪ It will squeeze you ♪
♪ Until you're into its nerves ♪
- I'll just be a minute.
- How would you like this,
fives, tens, twenties?
- Abraham Lincoln?
- What's this for?
- For you.
- I can't take this.
- No, you buy something.
- Where'd you get it from?
- The bank.
- Do you have a job?
- Yes, I have job.
- Why do you keep looking
in your rear-view mirror?
- Oh, there is just someone back there
who isn't minding his own business.
(tense music)
- [Sheri] Peter, what are you doing?
- Okay, partner, I'm taking off, okay?
So just close up like you
did last night, all right?
- Okay.
- All right,
see you in school.
- Catch you later, alligator.
(speaking foreign language)
- I did not hear from you, so
I decided to pay you a visit.
- I'm not going home.
- I'm so sorry.
I expected to hear something
different from you.
Aren't you worried
that something may happen to your parents?
And what about you, Peter?
People like you are so vulnerable.
Sometimes in the middle of the night,
so unexpected, an accident.
- How did you know I was here?
- We are watching every move you make.
- Peter, when you first arrived,
we met a Peter Smyslov
who expressed everything
in terms of strong religious faith.
What's happened to that?
- [Peter] I still believe very strongly,
but now I discovered
that you can be Christian
and you don't need to suffer.
You can be, how you say,
prosperous Christian.
- Peter, what would you like
to do when you're older?
- I think I would like to be
attorney like my host father.
He makes comfortable wages
which allows him to buy many things.
- Go now, ye rich men.
Weep and holler for your miseries
that shall come upon you.
Your riches are corrupted and
your garments are moth-eaten.
- [Peter] Each day I tried harder
to be part of the American dream,
but I wandered farther and
farther from the truth.
The man who was born in a
manger and rode on a donkey
seemed like a stranger to me now.
How I wanted to be set free from the love
of money and popularity and success
that bound me more than
any concentration camp.
I would walk 10,000 kilometers to be free
from this prison of deception,
but God simply wanted me to
give him my broken heart,
and so I did.
- What's the matter?
You don't want to come over.
- What's it say, Peter?
- All right, I will translate.
(sighs)
Dear Peter, have you received our letters?
I trust you are still close to Jesus
as you have been since you were so little.
Grandpa has lost his sight.
They took away the Bible he
copied for so many years.
Who knows if he will ever
start on another one.
We are all getting
weaker here at the camps.
There are no shows
and sometimes a single
piece of bread we share.
(sighs)
But for Jesus we count the joy.
Oh, how I'd love to cover
you with a mother's kisses.
(birds squawking)
- Do you ever get homesick, Peter?
- Many times I get homesick.
Our church, the family worship together,
my mother's gentle embrace,
my little brother Yuri's laughing,
but most of all it's going into the hills
at night and praying just like Jesus.
The trees rustle and
no one listens but God,
so close to him.
Father, I thank you for this day
and for the ability to play soccer
and help us not just to play
for ourselves but to please you.
In Jesus' name, amen.
- [All] Amen.
- Let's go get 'em, guys.
- Come on, Peter.
- Hey dude, let's get them today.
- Nice talk, Pete.
- Skim, Pete.
- Let me know.
- It's fantastic, Pete.
- Peter.
Principal doesn't want you playing anymore
until you see him.
I'm sorry.
- Bible studies in the lunch hall,
praying at the soccer games,
opposing traditional scientific theory
in your science class.
Peter, not only is this
disturbing to the members
of this community, but
I'm gonna lose my job.
You take five minutes
and go out in the hallway
and you decide if you're gonna sign this.
The choice is up to you.
Either sign it or you'll be suspended.
(crickets chirping)
- Peter, you can get out of
this mess if you just apologize.
- Apologize?
For talking about God
who's my best friend?
- Peter, it's a school,
you've broken the law,
separation of church and state.
- Did Peter and Paul stop preaching
when the government tried to
separate God from the people?
- That was the first century.
We have Christian Television now.
- Dad, can't you do something?
You are a lawyer.
- Dean, you could at least look into it.
- Well, maybe I can try
to find somebody to help
but I just can't get involved.
- You just don't care.
You don't care if laws are against God,
or break the 10 Commandments.
You see, I'm not called
to be the politician.
If a man is attacked on the street,
you say God is not calling
me to risk my life.
If the treacherous government
swallow up the people,
you say the Lord is not calling
me to set the captive free.
I might get killed,
but some day we might be in chains.
- Oh, come on, this is America.
- Peter, I can't listen to
you when you're that angry.
- Mom, if he's telling the
truth, it doesn't matter.
- I'm sorry.
- Peter, the youth group at church
is having an ice cream party tonight.
Why don't you go?
- I'm not hungry.
- Maybe he should start
seeing David's counselor.
- Maybe he should find
another place to stay.
- [Peter] That night,
I realized I had failed
but God was working in my American family
even that night while they dreamed.
(tense percussive music)
- Mom, look, I'm gonna
play the big board game.
Choice, huh?
Broadway or the
Narrow Way.
Hey mom, what do I do?
There's two roads here.
- I don't understand this.
Mom, the stuff won't
fit, what should I do?
- Don't go through it then.
You're gonna lose all those things.
David.
David.
(speaking foreign language)
(engine revving)
(speaking foreign language)
- [Man] In about 15 minutes,
you will be disembarking
on the (speaking foreign language)
and going back to the Soviet Union.
- [Peter] You will not
win in the war, man.
- We will win because we're
willing to die for our cause.
For you and your Christian
friends in America,
there is nothing worth dying for.
- [Peter] And we wanted
to live in freedom.
- Then take the easy way out
by telling us you'll cooperate.
It will be the end of all your troubles.
- Don't you wish?
(clattering)
(upbeat music)
(splashing)
- This is not the last we will see of you.
(birds chirping)
(children shouting faintly)
- [Man] So how's the Russian front?
- We're in the middle
of a cold war, I guess.
- You'd be better off getting that kid
into a good halfway house program.
You know, I get the signal from the board.
They'd be willing to drop the whole thing
if they could save their faces
and have the kid apologize.
- Legally I don't think
they're gonna get out
of it that easily.
- What do you wanna do,
fight it out in court?
You know, Dean, I've known you 11 years
and I always thought you prided yourself
on going down the middle of the road
on these kinds of things.
- When this trial ends
in just a few hours,
it will be a landmark test
of whether religion will
be allowed to continue
to be forced into our public schools.
- But then I am disappointed
to find those in America,
that they're trying to build a wall
to separate God from the people,
because that is just what they
tried to do in my country.
Now our churches are turned
into factories or gymnasiums
and they punish those that worship God.
It has left our people starving.
I love America and I pray
that does not happen here.
That is all I have to say.
- Thank you, Your Honor.
- Peter, isn't it true
that you openly read Bible passages
to the students of your science class
after the teacher repeatedly
told you to be quiet?
- No, I did not read.
- And didn't you force students
to attend your lunchroom
religious services?
- No, they came because
they wanted to hear.
- And didn't you tell your history teacher
that if she didn't believe as you did,
she would experience eternal punishment?
- No, I did not say that.
- That is all, Your Honor.
- Your Honor, the
plaintiff rests his case.
- [Judge] You may step down.
- The defense calls Mrs.
Emily Nation to the stand.
- Mrs. Nation to the stand.
(audience murmuring)
Emily Nation to the stand.
Do you promise to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing
but the truth, so help you God?
- I do.
- State your name, please.
- Emily Nation.
- Mrs. Nation, what is your relationship
to the plaintiff, Peter Smyslov?
- Well, it's actually my
daughter who had the misfortune
of being in the plaintiff's
history and science classes.
- And can you describe for the court
what your daughter
experienced in those classes?
- My daughter Darlene
is a responsible girl
who came to this school
to get an education.
Needless to say, the class time
spent discussing fairytales
about some so-called creation science
placed an undue amount of
stress on her academic life,
saying nothing of the
trauma she experienced
when that fanatic and his friends tried
to force a religious track on her.
You know, Darlene developed
a rash about that time
and I think it was all that
religious activity that did it.
- A rash, you say?
- Yes, a rash, a very big rash
all along her neck and her back,
oh, a big rash.
- [Man] A big rash.
- Oh, yes.
- Thank you, Mrs. Nation.
That's all, Your Honor.
- Mrs. Nation, I believe I heard you refer
to JFK as a public high
school, is that correct?
- Yes, that is correct.
- And isn't it true that last year,
you succeeded in having
a Christmas tree removed
from the lobby of this public high school?
- Yes, I did.
- And didn't you threaten to file suit
if this public high school library
did not have several books
on Bible history removed?
- Yes, that is correct.
- And if you had the chance, Mrs. Nation,
wouldn't you remove all references to God
not only from this public school
but from every public
place in this country?
- I object, Your Honor.
- Objection overruled.
The witness will answer the question.
- This is a public high school.
If they wanna teach their
kids that religious stuff,
then let them send them
to a private school.
- If that were to happen, Mrs. Nation,
who would be left in our public schools?
Just people who believe
as you do, correct?
- [Emily] Well, not necessarily.
- Doesn't a public high
school mean a forum
for free thinking?
Doesn't a public high school mean freedom
from religious persecution?
- Yes, well, but the Bill of Rights,
the Constitution states
that there's supposed to be a separation
of church and state.
- Does it really, Mrs. Nation?
- Yes.
- I believe this is a
copy of the Constitution
and of the Bill of Rights.
Would you care to show us where it talks
about the separation of church and state?
- I'm sure it's in there some place.
If I could just read--
- Mrs. Nation, I believe you will find
what you are looking for
in our Soviet constitution.
- I object, Your Honor.
The council for the plaintiff is tampering
with courtroom fixtures.
- Objection sustained.
Will Mr. McBride kindly
put the Constitution back
on the wall carefully?
- I'm very sorry, Your Honor.
I'm through questioning the witness.
- You may step down.
- Thank you.
- Peter Smyslov, this courageous
young man risked his life
to come to this country,
to a free country,
but now he is being denied that freedom
because his school authorities insist
that there is an impregnable wall
in the United States Constitution
which gives public high
school students the right
to strongly express any
other set of beliefs
except for religious ones.
Would you have condemned Peter
for doing what he did in Russia?
Would you have condemned him
if he stood with Peter or Paul
or Wycliffe or Jan Hus in
opposing sacrilegious laws
of an earlier age?
And yet we comfortably label
Peter a militant or a radical
and we self-righteously cry separation
of church and state.
And we're not gonna intend
just to separate God from our schools
but to separate him from our
theaters and concert halls
and government offices and homes as well.
Clearly, our forefathers
who established Thanksgiving
as a national holiday
shortly after passing the Bill of Rights
did not intend to inflict
the kind of punishment
that has been heaped upon Peter today
whose only crime has been
to unyieldingly stand
for what he believes.
(gentle music)
- After carefully reviewing
the facts of this case
and giving full
consideration to all parties,
this court concludes that
because the school district
is not constitutionally
required to deny Peter his right
to express his religious
views on school grounds,
the judgment is in favor of the plaintiff
and this court orders
high school districts--
- [Peter] Winter came.
God was leading me into
a new understanding
of battles that needed to be fought
far beyond the courtroom, and one day,
the cup that I had put away for so long
came into my life once again.
(sinister music)
(grunting)
- Oh, David, you scare me like KGB, man.
- What's that?
- My parents gave me this cup
just before they went to prison.
They said, Peter, never forget the cup
of suffering Jesus took for us.
It is a cup filled with fire
and very painful to drink
but if you love him,
he will show you how to drink this for him
and shine like gold.
- [David] But why do you
have to suffer over here?
I mean, look what the judge said.
- Yes, the judge said I could
talk about Jesus at school
but was the real battle in the courtroom?
- Wasn't it?
- David, I believe the battle now
is not for religious freedom
or even against communism.
Sure, I still dream of
freedom for my people.
Many empty churches across
our Russian countryside
can once again be filled.
My country now is falling apart,
but we will love the world
and lose everything to follow Jesus.
In Russia you could not be lukewarm.
We baptize our Christians and
we may never see them again.
Our hearts were like
gold thrown in the fire.
- Well, I wish I could be strong
like the Christians in Russia.
- David, after we ask
Jesus into our hearts,
he can show us how to
walk the narrow road,
and if we truly love him,
we will deny ourselves and pick
up his cross and follow him,
wherever we are, whatever the cost.
(guard speaking foreign language)
- [Peter] It came as no surprise.
When you print Bibles for the
underground church in Russia,
you stand ready for such moments
but I never thought it
would happen so quickly.
In a single minute, I became an orphan.
(group singing in foreign language)
(bell chiming)
(woman speaking foreign language)
(gentle music)
Most of us at the camp
in Podolsk were sons
of political prisoners,
but they treated us as hardened criminals
and many learned to behave like animals.
I would have been broken if
God had not sustained me.
I heard the stories every Russian hears
of the few men who escape
from the Soviet Union on foot.
1000 kilometers or more for the taste
of freedom they walked, if
they were not shot first.
For months I planned my escape.
Food, maps, camping gear.
Every detail had to be accounted for.
(group singing in foreign language)
(speaking foreign language)
(smooth synth music)
- [Peter] Walking the streets of Moscow,
I am amazed I have gotten this far.
When would I wake up from this dream
and be found by the secret police?
I learned later my best friend
Sergei had been influenced
by my escape,
but he would soon wake
quickly from his dream.
(man speaking foreign language)
(smooth synth music)
(Peter sighs)
(birds chirping)
(moves into tense music)
(moves into energetic synth music)
(guards speaking foreign language)
(dog barking)
(siren wailing)
(guards shouting in foreign language)
(guns firing)
(guards shouting in foreign language)
(guns firing)
(mine exploding)
(mines exploding)
(ominous music)
(mine exploding)
I was now in Finland.
But Finland has an agreement with Russia
to capture and deport those who escape.
It would be another 300 kilometers
before my freedom was assured.
The American embassy secure permission
for me to immigrate to the United States.
They help me get into contact
with a Christian mission
who sponsor my trip to America.
- [Man] Boy, is she old.
Her social security number is two.
(audience laughs)
- [Peter] In America, I learned
once you are well-known,
you must hold a press conference.
I kept telling myself,
this is not as bad as a firing squad, no?
(voices drown each other out)
- Peter, what'll you tell us
about America?
- There I can worship God
and not be put in prison.
- Peter, have you had
any American food yet?
- Yes, Coca-Cola and fried chicken.
- [Woman] What is your
favorite thing going to be
now that you're in America, Peter?
- To play football and make
friends and go to church.
- [Man] Where's Peter staying now?
- He's staying at a hotel
until we make final
arrangements with a host family.
- What hotel is that?
- Which one is it?
- One of the hotels in Chicago.
- [Woman] Where did you
learn your English, Peter?
- In Russia when I was 12 years old.
- [Man] Peter, how did
you get out of Russia?
(speaking foreign language)
- Only by God's grace do I overshadow.
- Escaped,
you escaped.
- Yes, I escape.
- [Man] The Russians are planning
on taking over the world, aren't they?
- What can we do to reduce
the threat of nuclear war?
- And what exactly
did you come here to do?
(speaking foreign language)
- Only by fear of God can
we reduce fear of war.
- [Man] Peter, where are your parents?
- His parents are in prison now
because of operating a
secret printing press.
- [Man] What were they printing?
- Bibles.
- [Man] Weren't they
afraid of their lives?
- Well, let's.
- [Man] No, Peter, one more question.
- No more questions.
(voices drown each other out)
- For this young man from Russia,
at least for the time being,
it seems he has truly
found the American dream.
Now, whether or not this is a dream
that we can swallow is another story.
This is Samantha Newport,
Eyewitness News Six, Chicago.
- [Man] Oranges, June.
- [Dean] Hello, I'm home.
- [Man] Glory be.
- Hi, honey.
- [Marilyn] Oh, hi.
- [Dean] Hey, I got that
contract sewn up today.
- [Marilyn] Oh, great.
By the way, David's teacher called again.
- Has he started turning
in his homework yet?
- No, he's been falling asleep in class.
- Maybe we should take
the TV out of his room.
- I don't know, his counselor says
that he could really use a pony.
- Yeah, last week the counselor had him
throwing clay against the wall.
Can you tell me what
good that's gonna do him?
- [Woman] I don't know, I'm just thankful
that he's a Christian.
- Yeah, well.
Hey, you'll never guess
what happened today.
You know how we've been praying
to really do something for the Lord?
Well, Pastor called and he wants us
to take in that Russian boy,
that one that's been in the news.
- Oh no.
- What?
- A Russian.
(screams)
- He thinks we'd be the ideal family.
Anyway, he said we could
pick him up tomorrow downtown
at the Hotel Continental and have him come
and stay for a week or so,
you know, kind of on approval.
We've been really praying
for something to help David.
- I know, but you know what
Doris Fox is going to say.
- How many times have
I told you not to worry
about what Doris Fox says?
- Oh, it's going to be so inconvenient.
- Be a lot easier than taking in a pony.
(gentle synth music)
- [Bear] Whee, it's me. (laughs)
Snuggle Fabric Softener Sheets.
I can always cuddle the best,
and they're never ever staticky.
- [Announcer] Snuggle Dryer Sheets.
Snuggly slumber that's rare.
(music drowns out voices)
- [Man] What'd you pay for it?
- [Man] Well, 500.
- [Woman] Are you kidding?
- [Man] Does it run on batteries?
- What's it made of?
(laughing)
Crazy pots?
- [Man] Does it have a
motor, does it have a motor?
- In the beginning,
God created the heavens
and the earth.
(phone ringing)
Hello?
- [Man] I see you are getting fat already.
Don't get any illusions about America.
The honeymoon is ending
sooner than you think.
(steady tone droning)
- [Man] Disappear.
- [Deirdra] Mommy, is he gonna hurt us?
- Peter, hello, we're the McBrides.
This is my wife, Marilyn, my
daughter, Deirdra, I'm Dean.
And this is my son, David.
- Men don't hug in America.
- The bourgeoisie live?
- Just average Americans, Peter.
- [Deirdra] Let me help,
Daddy, let me help.
- What's the matter?
Haven't you ever seen a
Christian bumper sticker before?
(upbeat synth music)
- David, I was hoping you
and Peter could share a room together.
I'm sure you'd have a wonderful time.
Well, just show him your room.
- Ever hear of Transformers?
- No.
- And you're from Russia?
Man.
- What are Transformers?
- It's like this watch,
transforms from a robot
to a radio.
Okay, we're gonna flip
to see who sleeps where.
- Flip?
- See, flip, coin.
Look, George Washington
and there's some bird,
I don't know what it is.
You can have George Washington.
- [Peter] Yes, George Washington.
- Your choice.
If you're down here, you can
change the TV channels faster.
If you're up there, Deirdra
won't attack you in the morning.
- You choose.
- I'll take the top.
(overlapping voices speaking on TV)
- Morning.
- Good morning, Peter.
- Morning.
- Did you sleep well?
- Yes, bed was very soft.
Boy, this is like big
dinner back in Russia.
- Oh, were there just you
and your mother and father back there?
- No, I had little brother, Yuri,
but he was taken to orphanage
after my parents were arrested.
- [Marilyn] Oh.
- [Deirdra] Mommy, is
Peter ever gonna wear
American clothes?
- [Woman] What do you
think, Bree, a robot ship?
- [Man] Probably.
Shoot it down, beta
leader, engage and destroy.
- Back in Russia we used
to get up at four o'clock
every morning to stand in line for bread.
- [Marilyn] Oh.
- Mommy, I can't eat any more.
- That's okay, dear, just
put it in the disposal.
- [Dean] Honey, I gotta go.
You have a good day.
- Give me a kiss.
- Bye bye.
- [David] Bye, Mom.
- [Marilyn] Bye.
- [Man] Bruce Banner's
rage and his frustration
finally trigger the powerful
gamma rays in his body,
causing the world's most
fantastic transformation as the--
- Mrs. Davis?
- Yes, Elliot?
(snorting)
- How can you tell so
much about those guys,
their hair and ears and everything?
All we have are the skulls.
- I mean, Elliot, if they're that old,
they'd have to be covered
with hair, don't you think?
- Maybe you need some help, Ms. Davis.
(laughing)
- Oh, may I help you?
- I'm Peter Petrovich Smyslov.
I am your class.
(laughing)
- Now, Petrovich,
I don't think you're on
my computer printout.
Now, are you on vacation
from Russia or something?
- Vacation?
- Yeah.
- She wants to know
whether you're on a holiday.
- [Boy] Santa Cruz, Ms. Davis.
(laughing)
- No, I escape from Russia
because of religious persecution.
I am Christian.
- [Boy] All right.
- You came here to find religious freedom?
Do you have any transcripts or records or?
- Yes, I like very much music.
- Hey dude, you got any U2 albums?
(laughing)
- Thank you, Al.
Okay, you can sit down
'til we sort this thing out
but first let me give
you your resource manual,
supplementary text, book
of insights and answers.
You're gonna have to
buy a spiral notebook,
two sets of index cards,
a set of markers and a box of crayons,
but for right now, just take
a seat right back there, okay?
- Yes.
(laughing)
- You got a Bible here, man.
Now, you wouldn't be trying
to advertise a little religion, would ya?
- That's two back on the eighth.
- [Girl] For sure, thanks.
- May I help you?
- Yes, can you help me find books
about science and the Bible?
- If we have anything
it would be over there
in the card catalog.
- Huh?
(sighs)
- You don't know what a
card catalog is, do you?
Okay, you have these
drawers of little cards,
author, title, and subject cards,
but you don't know the title
so you look in the subject cards,
get the Dewey Decimal
number and go find the book.
- Huh?
- (sighs) You're gonna
need to understand English
before you can do anything.
- You'll teach me?
- Here's something that
I think will help you.
See, these teach you vocabulary
and how to pronounce words.
They're really good and
they're simple, sit down.
Now, all you have to do
is listen and then repeat.
- [Man] Alfredo likes spaghetti,
but Jill likes hamburgers.
- Can you say that?
- Alfredo likes spaghetti,
but Jill likes hamburgers.
- Okay, good.
Now this is play, stop and eject.
- [Peter] Play, stop, eject.
- Right.
Oh, hi, Don.
- [Man] Lewis likes to
wash the car but Barb
likes to go shopping.
- Sheri, what're you doing
with this guy?
- I was just helping him
find a language tape.
I kinda feel sorry for him, poor guy.
- You feel sorry for
that guy, the poor guy?
That guy is totally weird.
- Teacher?
- Shut up.
(whistle blows)
- [Peter] Some new friends
noticed how much I like soccer
and they said they would help me get
on the high school team.
It was like the time
my friends smuggled me
into a sold-out performance
of the Moscow Circus.
- Angelo, what do we got here?
- Huh?
- What do you think you're doing?
- Well, you might say
he's like a Trojan horse.
- Now, come on, just blend in.
Pretend you're part of the team.
- Hey, Murray, what do you got over here?
- Just a Russian, Coach.
- A what?
- This is Peter, the new kid from Russia.
I think he's a good soccer boy.
- Yeah, soccer's a pretty
big sport in Russia, Coach.
- Yeah, come on, Coach,
isn't that just what we need?
Talent?
- You're dead, man.
- [Coach] Bresler.
- How do you do?
- Don't try to con me, Murray.
I wouldn't put it past you
to bring a spy over here
from Central High to steal
our training secrets.
- What secrets, Coach?
Sorry, Coach.
We got enough losers as it is now,
and the district rules
say you can't play a kid
until he's been here for six months.
- Coach, Coach, Coach.
- [Coach] Bresler, 10 laps.
- [Don] You're dead.
- Go get dressed.
I think he can make it on his own, Elliot.
All right, Cooley, let's get with it here.
Marshall, move that fat.
Hey kid,
you wouldn't wanna be an
equipment manager, would you?
You know, clean up, take
care of the equipment?
- [Peter] Yes, I should like.
- Are you working on your
Sunday school lesson, David?
- Huh?
- I said are you working on
your Sunday school lesson?
- [David] Oh, yeah, yeah.
- In Russia we have secret Christians
but you are secret unbeliever.
- Honey, you're not gonna like this.
- [Marilyn] What?
- I forgot our money for
the collection plate again.
- All I got is a quarter.
- [Marilyn] I've only got a dollar.
- A dollar 25 isn't good
enough for Mrs. Fox, Mom.
(beeping)
See that?
That's how you get money in America.
- Really?
Why, such a machine is amazing.
- We've got over 2000 people
in this church, Peter.
I bet you don't see anything
like this in Russia.
- [Peter] No, do they photograph here?
Is there police?
- [Dean] (scoffs) No, not here.
♪ Homeland ♪
♪ And we shall be holy ♪
(upbeat electronic music)
♪ And shall ♪
- By the way, what is this I hear
about your taking in a delinquent?
(Marilyn clears throat)
- Not really.
- But he is from Russia.
- Well, he is, but he's not
actually a--
- Well, you're just going
to have to put on the full armor of God.
- I can't stand that Mrs. Fox.
She always says she's praying for me.
- Well, I'll be praying for David.
- Thank you, we'll need it.
- Peter, Peter, I want
you to meet someone.
This is Senator Tom Brewer.
He's a very important man.
Hey, he's been working on some
US Soviet trade agreements.
- Peter, I visited Russia recently
and I'm so glad to find out
that there's no more religious
persecution in your country.
- But thousands like my
parents are in prison
for their Christian beliefs.
- He's young, Senator.
I'm sure he wasn't disagreeing with you.
- Nice meeting you, Peter,
and if there's anything
that I can do for you,
please let me know.
- Peter, this is Jack Wayne and his wife,
Betty, and their son, Lee.
Jack is head of Win-McCabe Law Firm.
He's a very important man.
- Pleased to meet you.
- Peter, I just gave $50
to Bibles for Russia.
Hey, Mill, congratulations
on your promotion.
(gentle synth music)
- Boy, there are a lot
of important people here.
(moves into smooth synth music)
Rondo buys eggs.
- [Sheri] You're getting there, Peter.
- Hi, I don't understand.
Today he goes, but yesterday
he doesn't goed, he went.
- That's the English language for you.
It's kind of crazy.
- Real crazy.
- Well, I got some books for you.
Now you'll be able to come up
with some really good ideas in class.
And this is for when you
don't understand some words.
- Thank you.
- I have to go now.
(moves into bright piano music)
(students chattering faintly)
- Angie, don't tell me this
guy's playing for our team.
- Oh, him, no, he's just
the equipment manager.
Cleans up and everything.
- Did you tell him what happened
to the last equipment manager we had?
You like cleaning up mud,
don't you, Bible boy?
Well, here, man, here.
Here, clean up some more, man.
- All right, man.
- You want some more?
Oh, that doesn't do it, man?
How 'bout the Bible?
How about the Bible?
Come here.
What'd you do, man, if
I dunked it in here?
What would you do,
huh?
- Come, on, Don,
leave him alone.
- Take your Bible, boy.
Man, I was just baptizing him.
(mumbling)
- Hey, you.
(overlapping voices speaking)
- Get off him, man.
- Come on.
- All right, you guys, move it.
I wanna go home.
Peter, don't let these
guys push you around.
I never told you you
had to clean the floor.
Go get the rest of the
equipment off the field.
- Man, your attitude stinks.
(gentle music)
- But as soon as the
people had been put out,
Jesus went into the girl's room
and took hold of her hand, and she got up.
Hey, just between you and me,
do you really believe in this stuff
or are you just trying to believe in it
because Mom and Dad do?
- I believe it.
- Hey, how would you like
to hear something really interesting?
- Okay.
- Okay, there was this real ugly monster
who had real ugly slime all over him
and at night he'd come
and visit this little girl
and sleep at the foot of her bed.
(screams)
- Is everything okay?
- Yes.
- David, I want you to
read it slowly enough
so that Deirdra can understand it.
- Okay, Mom.
Jesus went into the girl's room and,
one night he came in
through the windowsill
and he got slime all over it
and it must have been a Russian
because the slime was all red.
- [Marilyn] David.
- Yeah?
- [Marilyn] Was he really
reading that to her?
- No.
- How about this one?
It's got one of those computerized things
that tells you how many
calories you're burning off.
- Sure, why not?
Can't believe David, he used
to be so fired up for the Lord.
- Yeah, I know.
- Now all he thinks about
is listening to his stereo
and hanging around with
all of his friends.
- What friends?
- Do you wanna contribute to
Missionaries International?
- Never heard of them, what do they do?
- Starving children, I think.
- Sure, give them 20 bucks.
- Maybe we shouldn't
have made such a big deal
about those haircuts.
They're getting him
into counseling so soon.
- I think what he needs
is more discipline.
- What about this Christian
seminar on midlife crisis?
- I went to that last year with you.
- Yeah, I know, but you're a year older,
and look, the theme is the autumn years.
- Let's wait 'til they
air-condition the cabins.
You know, if he's like this now,
what's he gonna be like
four years from now?
I think we've gotta get tough
while there's still time.
- What about the pony,
here's the estimate.
20% down and 36 easy monthly installments.
- You know, I can't believe
we're even considering
getting this kid a pony.
- Hey, do you really believe in that stuff
or are you just trying
to impress somebody?
- The Bible?
Yes, I believe.
You?
- No, it's just a bunch of fairytales.
♪ Oh, the flames are getting hotter ♪
♪ As a new storm daily be ♪
♪ But under the hands of a loving father ♪
♪ He is refined in me perfectly ♪
♪ And the fire consumes not my person ♪
♪ It's burning away my impurities ♪
♪ It's his way of saying I love you ♪
♪ But how strange it is to me ♪
♪ Oh, to be ♪
♪ In the furnace once again ♪
♪ Where the heat is so strong ♪
♪ Where it's so hard to stand ♪
♪ I'm thirsty for some water ♪
♪ And I'm hungry for a friend ♪
♪ I know I'm being tested ♪
♪ But it feels like I'm being condemned ♪
♪ In the furnace again ♪
(overlapping voices speaking)
- [Peter] What was freedom
if you are still an outcast?
In Russia I lost every
friend for the name of Christ
but I am an American now.
I wonder if there was any place I could go
where I would not have to drink
from the cup of suffering.
- [Girl] Come on, you guys.
- Can I sit here?
- Yeah.
Welcome to the loser table,
the social rejects of Kennedy High.
- You like some?
- That's Darlene, she doesn't say much.
- Thank you.
- That's the first time
I've seen her smile.
I've been trying to witness to her,
invite her to the youth group.
- You talk about Jesus at school?
- I hand out tracks.
I'm starting to get pretty
discouraged, though.
- Do you have many Christians here?
- Yeah, but don't ask me how many.
It's the best kept secret at Kennedy High.
- Do you have any Christian friends?
- I don't have any kind of friends.
Sometimes I picture myself
as Mr. Cool Dude though, you know?
People yelling across the lunchroom,
hey, Elliot, who's the girl you
were with last weekend, huh?
Hey, Elliot, nice
Porsche you got Saturday.
Hey, Elliot, nice touchdown you made.
- [Boy] Hey, Elliot, you reject.
(students laughing)
- See what I mean?
Sometimes I wonder what would happen
if I gave up this Bible stuff
and worked on my image a little.
- Would you like to read the Bible?
- You got a good lawyer?
- Lawyer?
- Yeah, they got laws against
bringing God into school.
- Laws against God?
- You're used to that, aren't you?
- Yes, I am.
- 500 million years ago,
we had the Cambrian age.
We're talking about
trilobites and invertebrates.
480 million years ago,
we had the Ordovician age
which is shell animals,
and then 435 million years
ago, we had the Silurian age.
Yes, Peter.
- I do not believe what
you are saying is truth.
(students murmur)
- Peter, you're entitled
to have your own opinion
but you're up against facts backed
by the entire scientific community.
- I don't understand.
You say the Earth is four
and a half billion years old,
but that's impossible.
- Is it, Peter?
Would you like to teach
this class instead of me?
- Yes, may I show?
- Yeah.
- All right.
- Come on, get up.
(students murmur and applaud)
- [Mr. Engle] I don't have
to take it from you either.
- You take plenty, Mr. Engle.
The children just walk all over you.
A Russian conducting Bible
classes in the lunchroom,
creation science and genesis
being discussed in class.
I know my daughter didn't
get these terms on her own.
- [Mr. Engle] These
kids do a lot of reading
these days, Mrs. Nation.
I don't know where they
get all these terms from.
- Oh, don't play with me, Engle.
You almost lost your job last year
when you put a Christmas
tree in the front hallway.
I want you to deal with
this issue or I will.
- I'll deal with it, Mrs. Nation.
There's no need for you to worry.
- Darlene.
- What are all these people doing here?
This looks like traffic court.
- Frankie assaulted his English teacher.
Jennie forgot her gym clothes.
Gloris, Darlene and
Karen were caught smoking
in the girl's washroom.
- Just give them passes back to class,
and Grace, hold all my calls.
I have a real problem to deal with.
Peter, come on in here and close the door.
- [Girl] Mm.
- [Mr. Engle] Peter, do you
know why you're in here today?
- No.
- There's been some concern about the way
you've been expressing your
religious beliefs at school
and there's certain things
that you just don't talk about
in a public high school.
- Yes, I learned that in Russia.
- Your science teacher gave me this test.
This isn't the kinda thing
that's gonna get you through school,
and neither is holding Bible sessions
in the school lunchroom.
You're gonna get in serious
trouble, and I don't want that.
Look, see this, American money.
Key to the good life, and you
see the guy's picture on it?
Started out as the simple woodchopper
and ended up to be 16th
president of the United States.
If you keep your nose clean
and get a good education,
you could do the same thing.
- In God we trust.
- Honey, I spoke with the pastor
and one of the members of
the Slavic Relief Fund today
and they wanna know how things
were working out with Peter.
- Well, what did you tell them?
- I told them everything was fine.
- Well, is it?
- I don't know, you're with him all day.
♪ You're on your way to the top ♪
♪ And on the way you've always known ♪
♪ Just who you are ♪
(knocking)
(tense synth music)
- [Peter] May I help you?
- Yes, I'm afraid I have the wrong number.
- For what are you looking?
- 1618M.
- This is 1640.
- I'm sorry but you
look very familiar, no?
Perhaps we have met somewhere else.
- I don't think so.
- But you look very much like the boy
who was in the news who
escaped from Russia.
Is your name Peter?
- Yes.
- My name is Bruno.
I'm from the travel agency.
Did I hear that you may be
traveling back home soon?
Here is my card.
- No, I will be staying.
Where did you hear that?
- Oh, it happens sometimes,
the home sickness.
- I love it here.
- Are you sure?
Maybe you are trying to get
yourself to believe that.
- No, I will stay, everything is fine.
- Have you found the freedom
here that you are looking for?
- If I return, they will
only put me in prison.
- But how can they inspire others
to return to their homeland
if they were to put you in prison?
On the contrary, Peter,
you would be a hero.
You would have a free education, a car,
a (speaking foreign language)
when you get older, hmm?
Well, if you change
your mind, let me know.
I will be able to take
care of all your plans.
(upbeat music)
- Well, here we are.
- Where?
- The mall, this is
where all the action is.
- Action?
- Yeah, this is cool.
- What is cool?
- Just cool, that's all,
a lot going on up here.
Stores and everything.
A lot of my friends come up here.
I might even see a girl I know,
and don't start bringing up all
of this religious stuff, okay?
It'll be very embarrassing.
Ooh, look at that Firebird.
Hey, there's one of my girls now.
- Really?
- Yeah, one night I took her
out and we started dancing.
Then we went out to the movies.
Real fun.
What's wrong?
- So you know Jodi, huh?
- Yeah, right here.
- Bet he got that out of a yearbook.
- Let's see if he's telling the truth.
Hey Jodi, come here.
Yeah, right.
(speaking faintly)
This kid?
- Yeah, I've seen him around.
- Have you gone out with him?
- Are you kidding?
- Do you wanna go out with him?
- Oh yeah, give me a break.
- Hey, knew he was a liar.
(overlapping voices speaking)
What a liar, what a little wimp.
He has to lie about everything.
- You're such a schmuck.
- Let's get out of here before
we're seen with this loser.
- Come on, let's go.
- [Man] Well, I'll tell you what.
Since Wally doesn't seem
to ever been in the garage,
I think he's prepared to try it.
(melancholy music drowns out voices)
- Sorry friends treat you mean.
- They don't do nothing to me.
- You want to give me
English lesson, Davie?
- Man, don't call me Davie.
- You want to play soccer?
Jesus give us nice day.
- Quit preaching to me, okay?
- [Man] Delicious roast here.
- [Woman] Well, thank you, dear.
- Don't you get tired of looking at box?
- Never, hey, do me a favor and go back
to Russia, all right?
- [Man] He was chewing
with his mouth open.
(audience laughs)
Good boy.
- [Woman] Couldn't we have
some pleasant statements
at the supper table?
- [Boy] Yes, Mom.
- [Man] Yes, Mom.
(audience laughs)
- If we want results, there's
going to be consequences.
I need you to support
me in this, all right?
- [Peter] David reminded
me of my little brother.
They were both in prison,
but David did not know
that from his prison bars,
he could be set free.
I prayed for a way to reach
him, and one day it came.
- [Dean] David?
- Yeah?
- Your room.
- What about it?
- You need to clean it.
- I did.
- [Marilyn] David, you need
to clean it until it's clean.
- Man, you guys are doing this
all because of Peter, aren't you?
- David, you are not leaving this house
until that room is clean.
- Ground me, see if I care.
I didn't go to that youth group anyway.
- David.
- Ha, I never really believed
in that stuff anyways.
- [Marilyn] What?
- I was just faking it.
- David, don't talk like that.
- Why not, I mean it.
(tense synth music)
(banging)
(upbeat synth music)
Hey, that's pretty good.
- You'll teach me basketball?
- I can't play myself so how
am I supposed to teach you?
- Yes, that is a problem.
- Hey, do you wanna teach
me how to play soccer,
like, really good?
- You really want to be good?
- Yeah, like in Russia.
- It is a lot of hard work.
I'm not so sure you want to work so hard.
- Are you kidding, I love work.
Come on, let's get going.
(breathing heavily)
How much longer before I can rest?
- After four more laps, okay?
- You've gotta be kidding.
How about two?
- No.
- Three?
Three and a half?
(whimpers)
- You've got to get another
four seconds off your time.
- But I thought you said
you were gonna teach me
how to play soccer.
- You have to learn to run first.
- I didn't know you had to suffer
to be such a good soccer player.
- You don't know what suffering is.
Popular?
- You know, like wearing the
right clothes, doing a sport,
earning some money to give
your girlfriend a nice time.
- Then I will have girlfriend?
- Uh-huh, and you have to
have a nice personality too,
like smiling and saying the right things
and laughing a lot.
(laughs)
- Then I will have the friends, right?
- Yeah.
- That's funny.
- Yeah, it is, kind of.
- You are a very beautiful girl.
- That's my house, I have to go now.
- Bye.
- I want you to take Peter up to Sears
and buy him some decent clothes.
Here's my charge.
I trust you to get him
something nice, all right?
- I will, Mom, you know
I've got good taste.
- Mm, just be back by five.
- [Both] And look both ways
when you cross the street.
- I will, Mom.
Let's go.
- Where are we going?
- Just leave it to me.
- [Peter] Hey, what are you making?
- Ah, I'm making my TV schedule.
Can only watch three violent shows a week.
An hour of homework for an hour of TV.
Man, I'm not used to this kinda torture.
Those are my girlfriends.
- [Peter] You have girlfriends
and you're only 12 years old?
- Sure, I got lots of 'em, but
my parents won't let me date.
That's a real bummer.
All my friends started
dating in fourth grade.
- Hey, she's not your girlfriend.
- Hey, take it easy, I'm not
going with her or anything.
She's just a good friend of mine.
What, are you going with her?
- No go, she says she can only
have one friend at a time.
- Yeah, and I bet it's Don Bresler, right?
- Yes.
- Hey, I bet I can fix that.
Tiger Beat, you've gotta be kidding.
- I promise, Scout's honor.
He's got a whole stack of 'em.
- Okay, all you have to
do is tell Sheri's sister
and she'll tell Sheri, okay?
- What are you willing to pay?
- How much do you want?
- 10.
- I'll pay you five, max.
- 8.50.
- 3.50.
- 6.50.
- All right, here's $5.25.
- Make it six.
- Here's another quarter,
5.50 on the nose.
- It's that Russian kid, isn't it?
- Don, no it isn't.
- Well then what is it, would
you spell it out for me?
- It's just these things I've
been finding out about you.
- Come on, babe, you
know I can handle that.
(sighs)
- All right, okay, this
is really embarrassing,
but my little sister
knows your little sister
and she says you watch Bozo.
- I just watch it for the
cartoons, is that such a big deal?
- She says you use her Mr. Bubble
just about every other day.
- I use it for shampoo, is that it?
- She says you read Tiger Beat Magazine.
- That's all right, all right?
All right, that does it.
(engine revving)
- I probably oughta tell you,
I don't really know a lot
of them girls in that book.
I just get 'em and trade it for gum cards,
and trade 'em around to be cool.
- Hey, that's okay.
- And I wrote little comments on them
to make them look more realistic.
That's all fake, that's all.
I don't really have any friends.
- You forget about your best friend.
- Jesus?
When you ask Jesus into your heart
and you do something really bad,
will he accept you back in?
- Do you know the story
of the prodigal son?
- I guess I do.
- When he went away on a
long trip, what happened?
- He did the worst things
a person can do, I guess.
Spent all of his dad's money and stuff.
- And when he returned,
did his father lock the gate
and say you can't come home?
- No.
- [Peter] Did he hide in the garage
and make his son look for him?
- No.
- [Peter] What did he do?
- He came out on the road
and met him and kissed him.
- [Peter] Won't God forgive us
if he tells us to forgive 70 times seven?
- Yeah.
- [Peter] Even if you've
seen the worst in anyone?
- Yeah, yeah.
- Yeah, I'm sure.
- Hi, Sheri.
(laughs)
Look.
- Great, Peter, you look terrific.
- I have been praying
we can be friends now.
- Well, let's just
follow the Lord's timing
about this, okay?
- We cannot walk together
or read the Bible?
- Peter, it's just not that simple.
If we do that, everybody will
think we're going together.
- Okay, let's go.
- Look, Peter, your clothes,
they're great, but--
- But what?
- It's just that you're kind of new here,
and, well, I guess we could be friends
if we just didn't date
or anything right now.
- Then you're just imaginary friend.
- I have to go now.
- [Boy] I like your clothes, Petey.
- [Boy] Hey.
(bright music)
(crowd cheering)
- Wake up, goalie.
- Go.
- Come on.
- Go, go, go.
- Go, go.
- Come on, Sheri.
- Come on.
- You don't get moving and
you get 50 laps tomorrow.
Let's go.
(spectators drowning each other out)
Aw man, ref, didn't you see that?
- [Man] Go, fire out.
- Can you believe the apathy on this team?
Sunglasses again.
(spectators drowning each other out)
(groans)
- You know, Elliot, he
could save the game for us.
- Yeah, let's ask Coach.
- Let's ask Coach.
Coach, can we borrow you for a second?
- Yeah, we need to interrupt you
'cause we know you're concentrating
on the game that we're losing.
- And you know it's gonna
hit the papers tomorrow
that we lost.
- Yeah, and then, you know,
they'll cut the soccer program.
- 'Cause we lose too much, Coach.
- Yeah, and sure, you taught us
to be good losers and everything.
- We got an idea that we could win, Coach.
- Give up.
- Right, we got something here
that could get us the win.
- Just give me a break, guys.
- Wait a minute, Coach,
just listen to us, okay?
- You know, I want this
victory so bad, guys.
Don't play it with me.
- But there's a kid here,
if you put him on the team
he could give us the game.
- Give him a break, let him try.
- Come on, guys.
- No, honest.
- He's right here, Coach.
Just wait here.
- Wait here, we're gonna go
and get him, okay?
- Yeah.
- Here he is, Coach.
- Here who is?
- Pete.
- Pete.
- Who?
- Our Pete.
He's played, he's brilliant,
we've seen him play.
- Yeah, but what could he do?
Could he kick, could
he run, could he pass?
- He can do all that stuff, Coach.
- Kick, run, pass, jump, you name it.
- He's from Russia.
- Hey, I don't care if he's from Cuba.
He's a very controversial
kid in this school.
- Who cares if he's controversial?
He can kick a ball, Coach.
- Yeah.
- You mean you want me
to just put him out?
- Yeah.
- All right, get him suited up.
We'll see what he can do.
- All right, let's roll,
move it.
(crowd cheering)
(dramatic music)
(crowd cheering)
- It's a religious maniac
and I got him in my game.
What am I gonna do?
(crowd cheering and applauding)
- I thought you said you
shouldn't let everyone
in the school know you like me.
- Well, I have a real peace
about being with you, Peter.
- Hey, I didn't know
you were going with Peter.
(Sheri laughs)
- Hey, Pete, congratulations.
Nice play on Saturday.
- Thank you, I didn't do much.
- Hey Pete, don't forget
about that radio club interview tomorrow.
- Okay.
- Yeah, Pete,
don't forget about the pizza job
I got lined up for you this Sunday.
4.75 an hour, all right?
- Okay.
- Yeah.
- Hey Pete, some kids wanna put you
on a ballot for Homecoming King.
- Sounds great.
- I'll see you tonight, Pete.
Give me a call after school, right?
- Okay.
(tranquil music)
(moves into energetic music)
♪ I see the Hollywood in your eyes ♪
♪ You hide behind things that money buys ♪
♪ You love power, you love control ♪
♪ And you step on people
'cause you want it all ♪
♪ Don't you know the
world will tease you ♪
♪ It will seize you ♪
♪ It will squeeze you ♪
♪ Until you're into its nerves ♪
- Well, Peter, I'm proud of you.
You've really come a long way.
You're a star athlete, got
a nice girlfriend, good job.
Bet Christians can't do
that in Russia, can they?
- No, in Russia if you become Christian,
your children can be,
how you say, orphans,
but here in America, that
is where the fun begins.
- Would you like to drive?
- Yes, I would like to drive.
- Now, just keep her right on the road.
Stay right between the lines.
That's all you've gotta do.
- This isn't safe, Dean.
Dean, isn't driver's
ed the place for this?
- Marilyn, relax.
- [Marilyn] He doesn't
even have insurance.
♪ The world was a very
good friend of mine ♪
♪ It promised everything
I wanted in life ♪
♪ Oh, it came to me
when its passion goes ♪
♪ I bought it for a while ♪
♪ It nearly cost me my soul ♪
♪ Don't you know the
world will tease you ♪
- Do you have a driver's license, Peter?
♪ It will seize you ♪
♪ It will squeeze you ♪
♪ Until you're into its nerves ♪
- I'll just be a minute.
- How would you like this,
fives, tens, twenties?
- Abraham Lincoln?
- What's this for?
- For you.
- I can't take this.
- No, you buy something.
- Where'd you get it from?
- The bank.
- Do you have a job?
- Yes, I have job.
- Why do you keep looking
in your rear-view mirror?
- Oh, there is just someone back there
who isn't minding his own business.
(tense music)
- [Sheri] Peter, what are you doing?
- Okay, partner, I'm taking off, okay?
So just close up like you
did last night, all right?
- Okay.
- All right,
see you in school.
- Catch you later, alligator.
(speaking foreign language)
- I did not hear from you, so
I decided to pay you a visit.
- I'm not going home.
- I'm so sorry.
I expected to hear something
different from you.
Aren't you worried
that something may happen to your parents?
And what about you, Peter?
People like you are so vulnerable.
Sometimes in the middle of the night,
so unexpected, an accident.
- How did you know I was here?
- We are watching every move you make.
- Peter, when you first arrived,
we met a Peter Smyslov
who expressed everything
in terms of strong religious faith.
What's happened to that?
- [Peter] I still believe very strongly,
but now I discovered
that you can be Christian
and you don't need to suffer.
You can be, how you say,
prosperous Christian.
- Peter, what would you like
to do when you're older?
- I think I would like to be
attorney like my host father.
He makes comfortable wages
which allows him to buy many things.
- Go now, ye rich men.
Weep and holler for your miseries
that shall come upon you.
Your riches are corrupted and
your garments are moth-eaten.
- [Peter] Each day I tried harder
to be part of the American dream,
but I wandered farther and
farther from the truth.
The man who was born in a
manger and rode on a donkey
seemed like a stranger to me now.
How I wanted to be set free from the love
of money and popularity and success
that bound me more than
any concentration camp.
I would walk 10,000 kilometers to be free
from this prison of deception,
but God simply wanted me to
give him my broken heart,
and so I did.
- What's the matter?
You don't want to come over.
- What's it say, Peter?
- All right, I will translate.
(sighs)
Dear Peter, have you received our letters?
I trust you are still close to Jesus
as you have been since you were so little.
Grandpa has lost his sight.
They took away the Bible he
copied for so many years.
Who knows if he will ever
start on another one.
We are all getting
weaker here at the camps.
There are no shows
and sometimes a single
piece of bread we share.
(sighs)
But for Jesus we count the joy.
Oh, how I'd love to cover
you with a mother's kisses.
(birds squawking)
- Do you ever get homesick, Peter?
- Many times I get homesick.
Our church, the family worship together,
my mother's gentle embrace,
my little brother Yuri's laughing,
but most of all it's going into the hills
at night and praying just like Jesus.
The trees rustle and
no one listens but God,
so close to him.
Father, I thank you for this day
and for the ability to play soccer
and help us not just to play
for ourselves but to please you.
In Jesus' name, amen.
- [All] Amen.
- Let's go get 'em, guys.
- Come on, Peter.
- Hey dude, let's get them today.
- Nice talk, Pete.
- Skim, Pete.
- Let me know.
- It's fantastic, Pete.
- Peter.
Principal doesn't want you playing anymore
until you see him.
I'm sorry.
- Bible studies in the lunch hall,
praying at the soccer games,
opposing traditional scientific theory
in your science class.
Peter, not only is this
disturbing to the members
of this community, but
I'm gonna lose my job.
You take five minutes
and go out in the hallway
and you decide if you're gonna sign this.
The choice is up to you.
Either sign it or you'll be suspended.
(crickets chirping)
- Peter, you can get out of
this mess if you just apologize.
- Apologize?
For talking about God
who's my best friend?
- Peter, it's a school,
you've broken the law,
separation of church and state.
- Did Peter and Paul stop preaching
when the government tried to
separate God from the people?
- That was the first century.
We have Christian Television now.
- Dad, can't you do something?
You are a lawyer.
- Dean, you could at least look into it.
- Well, maybe I can try
to find somebody to help
but I just can't get involved.
- You just don't care.
You don't care if laws are against God,
or break the 10 Commandments.
You see, I'm not called
to be the politician.
If a man is attacked on the street,
you say God is not calling
me to risk my life.
If the treacherous government
swallow up the people,
you say the Lord is not calling
me to set the captive free.
I might get killed,
but some day we might be in chains.
- Oh, come on, this is America.
- Peter, I can't listen to
you when you're that angry.
- Mom, if he's telling the
truth, it doesn't matter.
- I'm sorry.
- Peter, the youth group at church
is having an ice cream party tonight.
Why don't you go?
- I'm not hungry.
- Maybe he should start
seeing David's counselor.
- Maybe he should find
another place to stay.
- [Peter] That night,
I realized I had failed
but God was working in my American family
even that night while they dreamed.
(tense percussive music)
- Mom, look, I'm gonna
play the big board game.
Choice, huh?
Broadway or the
Narrow Way.
Hey mom, what do I do?
There's two roads here.
- I don't understand this.
Mom, the stuff won't
fit, what should I do?
- Don't go through it then.
You're gonna lose all those things.
David.
David.
(speaking foreign language)
(engine revving)
(speaking foreign language)
- [Man] In about 15 minutes,
you will be disembarking
on the (speaking foreign language)
and going back to the Soviet Union.
- [Peter] You will not
win in the war, man.
- We will win because we're
willing to die for our cause.
For you and your Christian
friends in America,
there is nothing worth dying for.
- [Peter] And we wanted
to live in freedom.
- Then take the easy way out
by telling us you'll cooperate.
It will be the end of all your troubles.
- Don't you wish?
(clattering)
(upbeat music)
(splashing)
- This is not the last we will see of you.
(birds chirping)
(children shouting faintly)
- [Man] So how's the Russian front?
- We're in the middle
of a cold war, I guess.
- You'd be better off getting that kid
into a good halfway house program.
You know, I get the signal from the board.
They'd be willing to drop the whole thing
if they could save their faces
and have the kid apologize.
- Legally I don't think
they're gonna get out
of it that easily.
- What do you wanna do,
fight it out in court?
You know, Dean, I've known you 11 years
and I always thought you prided yourself
on going down the middle of the road
on these kinds of things.
- When this trial ends
in just a few hours,
it will be a landmark test
of whether religion will
be allowed to continue
to be forced into our public schools.
- But then I am disappointed
to find those in America,
that they're trying to build a wall
to separate God from the people,
because that is just what they
tried to do in my country.
Now our churches are turned
into factories or gymnasiums
and they punish those that worship God.
It has left our people starving.
I love America and I pray
that does not happen here.
That is all I have to say.
- Thank you, Your Honor.
- Peter, isn't it true
that you openly read Bible passages
to the students of your science class
after the teacher repeatedly
told you to be quiet?
- No, I did not read.
- And didn't you force students
to attend your lunchroom
religious services?
- No, they came because
they wanted to hear.
- And didn't you tell your history teacher
that if she didn't believe as you did,
she would experience eternal punishment?
- No, I did not say that.
- That is all, Your Honor.
- Your Honor, the
plaintiff rests his case.
- [Judge] You may step down.
- The defense calls Mrs.
Emily Nation to the stand.
- Mrs. Nation to the stand.
(audience murmuring)
Emily Nation to the stand.
Do you promise to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing
but the truth, so help you God?
- I do.
- State your name, please.
- Emily Nation.
- Mrs. Nation, what is your relationship
to the plaintiff, Peter Smyslov?
- Well, it's actually my
daughter who had the misfortune
of being in the plaintiff's
history and science classes.
- And can you describe for the court
what your daughter
experienced in those classes?
- My daughter Darlene
is a responsible girl
who came to this school
to get an education.
Needless to say, the class time
spent discussing fairytales
about some so-called creation science
placed an undue amount of
stress on her academic life,
saying nothing of the
trauma she experienced
when that fanatic and his friends tried
to force a religious track on her.
You know, Darlene developed
a rash about that time
and I think it was all that
religious activity that did it.
- A rash, you say?
- Yes, a rash, a very big rash
all along her neck and her back,
oh, a big rash.
- [Man] A big rash.
- Oh, yes.
- Thank you, Mrs. Nation.
That's all, Your Honor.
- Mrs. Nation, I believe I heard you refer
to JFK as a public high
school, is that correct?
- Yes, that is correct.
- And isn't it true that last year,
you succeeded in having
a Christmas tree removed
from the lobby of this public high school?
- Yes, I did.
- And didn't you threaten to file suit
if this public high school library
did not have several books
on Bible history removed?
- Yes, that is correct.
- And if you had the chance, Mrs. Nation,
wouldn't you remove all references to God
not only from this public school
but from every public
place in this country?
- I object, Your Honor.
- Objection overruled.
The witness will answer the question.
- This is a public high school.
If they wanna teach their
kids that religious stuff,
then let them send them
to a private school.
- If that were to happen, Mrs. Nation,
who would be left in our public schools?
Just people who believe
as you do, correct?
- [Emily] Well, not necessarily.
- Doesn't a public high
school mean a forum
for free thinking?
Doesn't a public high school mean freedom
from religious persecution?
- Yes, well, but the Bill of Rights,
the Constitution states
that there's supposed to be a separation
of church and state.
- Does it really, Mrs. Nation?
- Yes.
- I believe this is a
copy of the Constitution
and of the Bill of Rights.
Would you care to show us where it talks
about the separation of church and state?
- I'm sure it's in there some place.
If I could just read--
- Mrs. Nation, I believe you will find
what you are looking for
in our Soviet constitution.
- I object, Your Honor.
The council for the plaintiff is tampering
with courtroom fixtures.
- Objection sustained.
Will Mr. McBride kindly
put the Constitution back
on the wall carefully?
- I'm very sorry, Your Honor.
I'm through questioning the witness.
- You may step down.
- Thank you.
- Peter Smyslov, this courageous
young man risked his life
to come to this country,
to a free country,
but now he is being denied that freedom
because his school authorities insist
that there is an impregnable wall
in the United States Constitution
which gives public high
school students the right
to strongly express any
other set of beliefs
except for religious ones.
Would you have condemned Peter
for doing what he did in Russia?
Would you have condemned him
if he stood with Peter or Paul
or Wycliffe or Jan Hus in
opposing sacrilegious laws
of an earlier age?
And yet we comfortably label
Peter a militant or a radical
and we self-righteously cry separation
of church and state.
And we're not gonna intend
just to separate God from our schools
but to separate him from our
theaters and concert halls
and government offices and homes as well.
Clearly, our forefathers
who established Thanksgiving
as a national holiday
shortly after passing the Bill of Rights
did not intend to inflict
the kind of punishment
that has been heaped upon Peter today
whose only crime has been
to unyieldingly stand
for what he believes.
(gentle music)
- After carefully reviewing
the facts of this case
and giving full
consideration to all parties,
this court concludes that
because the school district
is not constitutionally
required to deny Peter his right
to express his religious
views on school grounds,
the judgment is in favor of the plaintiff
and this court orders
high school districts--
- [Peter] Winter came.
God was leading me into
a new understanding
of battles that needed to be fought
far beyond the courtroom, and one day,
the cup that I had put away for so long
came into my life once again.
(sinister music)
(grunting)
- Oh, David, you scare me like KGB, man.
- What's that?
- My parents gave me this cup
just before they went to prison.
They said, Peter, never forget the cup
of suffering Jesus took for us.
It is a cup filled with fire
and very painful to drink
but if you love him,
he will show you how to drink this for him
and shine like gold.
- [David] But why do you
have to suffer over here?
I mean, look what the judge said.
- Yes, the judge said I could
talk about Jesus at school
but was the real battle in the courtroom?
- Wasn't it?
- David, I believe the battle now
is not for religious freedom
or even against communism.
Sure, I still dream of
freedom for my people.
Many empty churches across
our Russian countryside
can once again be filled.
My country now is falling apart,
but we will love the world
and lose everything to follow Jesus.
In Russia you could not be lukewarm.
We baptize our Christians and
we may never see them again.
Our hearts were like
gold thrown in the fire.
- Well, I wish I could be strong
like the Christians in Russia.
- David, after we ask
Jesus into our hearts,
he can show us how to
walk the narrow road,
and if we truly love him,
we will deny ourselves and pick
up his cross and follow him,
wherever we are, whatever the cost.