A Different World (1987–1993): Season 4, Episode 12 - War and Peace - full transcript
Blair Underwood plays a friend of Dwayne's who battles ambivalence on the eve of his reserve unit's departure to Persian Gulf.
Ron, Ron, Ron!
What the hell is wrong with you?
I told you zelmer would
be here any minute.
You act like the brother's
allergic to rhythm.
Ho!
I just want the place clean
so could you get
your junk out of here?
I don't know why you are so
excited about seeing a guy
who hasn't returned
a letter in six months.
The brother is busy.
He's in the library
15 hours a day
working on his Ph.D...
His dissertation.
Do you have any idea..?
Nah.
Yeah, I know what it means...
Celibacy.
£ I know my parents loved me £
£ stand behind me
come what may £
£ I know now that I'm ready £
£ for I finally heard them say £
£ it's a different world £
£ than where you come from £
£ yes, it is now, yeah £
£ here's our chance to make it £
£ and if we focus on our goal £
£ you can dish it,
we can take it £
£ hey, just remember
that you've been told £
£ it's a different world £
£ it's a different world £
£ it's a different world £
£ than where you come from £
£ ooh £
£ than where you come from. £
Good afternoon,
I'm zelmer Collier.
I'm Ronald Johnson.
Do come in.
Thank you.
Zelmer! Come on in, man.
Hey, Dwayne.
Oh, man, it's good to see you.
Likewise.
And you cut that 'fro.
Welcome to the '90s.
I figure if Don Cornelius
could cut his, what the heck?
I'm ready for you.
Oh.
Ooh, chess!
My favorite spectator sport.
Don't mind Ron.
Oh, another Damian Porter?
Bingo.
"Is it in?"
"Is it out?"
"Is it up?"
"Is it down?"
I guess you had to be there.
I used to tutor
Dwayne and Damian
and Damian used to ask
a lot of questions.
He had a few problems
with logic.
No, the boy was ign'ant.
It's good to see you.
I got so much to ask.
I got a lot to tell.
Some pretty amazing things.
You're getting married.
No, more amazing than that.
You're having a baby.
I'm going to the middle east.
Middle east?
Who's your travel agent?
Uncle Sam.
What are you talking about?
About a year and a half ago,
I joined the army reserves.
I thought it will be my way
of paying back the government.
Pay back the government?
I had a great many
grants and loans.
Send them a check.
Sure, I could, but I felt
more obligated than that.
Saudi Arabia...
When..?
Monday.
I report to my base on Monday.
Well, we still got the weekend.
God built the world in six days.
No telling what
we can do in two.
Right on, homey?
Let's sign up for a day of peace
all over the world!
Stop forcing
the youth of our nation
down a pipeline of greed.
Thank you. Here you go.
Thank you... thank you...
Stop sacrificing lives
for big business profits!
Let's bring our troops home.
Don't you ever go
to class, Freddie?
Read the papers.
We're trying to liberate
the kuwheaties.
Kuwaitis.
Whatever.
Oh, my goodness!
Elmer crane!
I never forget a face or a name.
It's zelmer Collier.
Oh, that's right,
and I remember your usual...
Tuna melt on sourdough
with pickle chips.
Actually, it was egg salad
on an onion roll.
Coming up, Elmer.
Kimberly, be good
to this customer.
He's a distinguished alumni
and phi beta kappa.
Now I got that right.
Yes, sir.
Hey, pookie.
Hey, bunny.
Meet a friend of mine.
Whitley, this is zelmer.
Zelmer, your fame precedes you.
I'm delighted
to meet the only man
smarter than my Dwayne.
I'm not sure you're correct
but I'm very pleased
to make your acquaintance.
Enchante'.
Honey, let me get
my little bran muffin
and I'll be right with you boys.
That's okay.
We'll see you later.
See you.
Bye, Kim.
Kim.
I hate it when he does that.
We'll go see the new PC-7000
computer at the physics lab
then professor Hoffman
is giving a lecture on
electromagnetic waves!
Okay.
Oh, don't miss that.
Then we'll go to the java cafe.
You won't believe it.
Murray still works there.
What?
Yes!
The man did not come
all the way to hillman
to go sit with that fat, slimy,
greasy, fatbackin' Murray!
What the man needs is a party.
Ron, not everybody's
looking for a party.
Can you arrange that?
Watch me.
Yo!
Hear ye! Hear ye!
Tonight, there will be a party
to bid a fond farewell
to one of hillman's finest...
Zelmer Collier
as he goes off
for a rendezvous with destiny
in the persian Gulf.
- 2100 hours.
- The la grenad.
Stag
and for all of you unfamiliar
with the word
that means "men only,"
and you know who you are.
Oh! I am just repulsed
by all this male bondage.
Bonding, whitley.
Male bonding.
Well, that's
what I meant to say.
We ought to get down
to the blue view video
and preview some flicks.
You don't want to do that.
Actually, I do.
Yeah, well, we ain't had
a chance to kick it yet.
We got time.
Hey, why don't you come with us?
Come on.
No, I'll pass.
Okay.
Okay, ladies,
we're going to crash this party.
It's as simple as that.
Why should we allow them to sink
to the depths of depravity?
Because that's
what they want to do.
And it's our duty as women
to teach them that they
don't know what's best for them.
Listen, this is the last image
of a woman that zelmer sees
before he leaves.
There are women serving
over there too.
Nobody should be over there.
That's nice, Freddie.
Now, Kim, you sing like a lark.
I float like a swan.
And Freddie...
Freddie has freckles.
So I propose to do
a tribute to men in arms
through song and dance.
Something uplifting.
If we sing anything at all,
we should sing...
£ where have all
the flowers gone £
£ long time passing? £
£ I want to know where
have all the flowers gone £
£ long time ago... £
that's uplifting.
Fun, Freddie.
Think "fun."
This is war we're talking about.
Think of zelmer.
Don't you want to give him
a soldier's farewell?
In ancient times
when the men
were going off to war
the women tore their hair out
in protest.
It's a look.
Who do you write to
when the bus driver
grabs your butt?
Dwayne, blue view videos
has provided us
with a veritable
visual smorgasbord.
Help us decide
which one to view first...
Do the wrong thing
or the period piece,
Catherine was great.
Dwayne, look...
There's Catherine
with the court Jester.
The sound of music?
Hey, this is the wrong video.
I bet there's some kiddie party
having a damn good time
with my movie!
That boy had everybody
in the store cracking up.
The man in the raincoat
loved him.
Yeah, he's hilarious.
He's a laugh riot, that Ron is.
Are you all right, man?
No, I'm not all right.
I'm trying to figure out
what's going on with you.
What do you mean?
I'm not getting
any straight answers.
What are you asking me, Dwayne?
I want to know how you feel.
How I feel about what?
You're leaving
for Saudi Arabia Monday!
You're running around
laughing at stupid jokes
wearing a blue view video visor.
You don't like my visor?
What...
What's wrong with you?
Zelmer... I'm scared.
What do you want me to say?
What do you want to hear?
What will make you feel better?
Talk to me!
What I'm feeling?
Yes!
I don't know!
I don't know, Dwayne.
I've never felt this way before.
Have you?
Hold it a minute.
Turn the music down.
Now, you all know zelmer's
going to the middle east.
You got to prepare yourself
for life over there, brother.
No women, no booze, no sex.
Hey, how stupid am I.
You living like that over here.
You might want to get
a summer home there.
But the biggest thing
is no dancing.
You might want to get that
dippity-do head out there
and get one more
hip hop move out.
No, no, Walter...
Give him the music.
All right, go zelmer.
All:
Go zelmer! Go zelmer!
Go zelmer!
No zelmer! No zelmer!
No zelmer!
You danced better
when you had an afro.
Everybody!
Yo, yo, yo!
It's time for a toast.
Time for a toast.
Everyone.
Raise your glasses, please.
To zelmer...
A good man.
A great mind.
And a loyal American.
Here, here.
Here, here.
Willing to sacrifice it all
for his country...
His life, his limbs,
his family,
and his future.
To zelmer.
Here, here.
£ he £
£ was £
£ a £
£ famous trumpet man
from out Chicago way £
£ he had a boogie style
that no one else could play £
£ he was the top man
of his craft £
£ but then his number came up £
£ and he was gone
with the draft £
£ he's in the army now £
£ a-blowin' reveille £
£ he's the boogie woogie
bugle boy of company "b" £
£ a root! A toot!
A doot did-dle ah-da doot £
£ he blows it eight to the bar £
£ in boogie rhythm £
£ he can't blow a note £
£ unless the bass and guitar
playin' £
£ with him £
£ zop! Zah! Aah! £
£ he's in the army now £
£ a-blowin' reveille £
£ he's the boogie woogie
bugle boy £
£ of comp, company £
£ comp, company £
£ company, company, company,
company £
£ you're in the company £
£ we're in the company £
£ can't you see it?
Can't you feel it? £
£ I love that
company... £
yo! Yo!
£ "b." £
yeah!
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you.
And let it never be forgotten
that a soldier's best friend
is a woman.
That was a great number
but what he needs is
a ticket to Canada.
I understand how you feel
but this is not
the time or the place.
When is the time, Kim?
After he's gone?
Somebody has got to talk to him.
And say what?
And ask him why
he is going over there
to risk his life.
For what? Oil? Nationalism?
We have a million problems
in this country.
Go ahead and tell him, Freddie.
Thank you.
Excuse me, jaleesa.
Zelmer, can we talk
for a minute?
I wanted to...
Wish you luck...
Over there.
Thank you.
Dwayne, you got a party
going on inside.
You're being rude.
I don't feel much like partying.
What in the hell are we
celebrating, anyway?
Zelmer.
You know, I used to watch zelmer
bust his butt
in school every day.
And then he'd make me bust mine.
We were going to be engineers.
We were going back
to the community
with a sackful of knowledge.
We were gonna make
our parents proud.
We were going to make
our people proud.
And now he's going to rot
in somebody's army
in some foreign land that
we don't know nothing about.
He volunteered to serve.
He's an idiot.
It's still his choice.
Choice?
He chose to serve
a weekend a month.
That's a weekend, not a war.
Stop saying "war."
We're not at war.
You can't even think that way.
This country
is on the verge of war.
I have to think that way.
But don't you love zelmer?
Yes.
Yes, I love zelmer.
He's my brother.
So be... be happy
for your brother...
As a soldier.
Be proud of him as a patriot.
I was happy for a mathematician!
Proud of an engineer.
I want to see a brother
do it with his mind.
Zelmer is all heart
and now they put a gun
in his hand.
You know, one day...
One day
they could put one in mine.
I would never let
that happen, Dwayne.
But there wouldn't be
a damn thing you could do
if they did.
Hey, vern.
Hey, colonel.
Got you some fresh coffee.
I'd love some.
I'm supposed to meet
zelmer Collier here.
He's been making the rounds
since he got here.
I guess he's trying to
squeeze it all in.
So you heard?
Mm-hmm.
Best student I ever had.
It's a damn shame.
Things sure have changed
since we served uncle Sam.
But people still depend on us
to uphold freedom.
How many countries are we
supposed to take care of?
My aunt Mabel took care of all
the neighborhood's children.
Her own three sons
went to penitentiary.
Yeah, I don't know.
All I know is I fought wars
so that my children
wouldn't have to.
Mm-hmm.
Hey, zelmer!
How are you, sir?
All right.
Hey, Elmer.
Get you some fresh coffee?
No, thank you, I'm fine.
Go ahead, sit down.
I'm glad to see you.
Things have been so rushed.
Oh, I know, I know.
When do you leave?
Within the hour.
Oh, I see.
Well, we sure are proud of you.
Aren't we, vern?
Yeah, boy.
Thank you.
You know, I'm sorry
that you have to interrupt
your Ph.D. studies for this...
For this involvement.
So am I.
I was very close to finishing.
You can resume your studies
when you come back.
After this blows over.
Is that what you
really think, sir?
Do you think that this thing
might blow over?
Or do you think that it
could turn into
something more serious?
You make no mistake, soldier.
This is a serious set of events
that could escalate
into something unfortunate.
I'm sorry to have
to say this to you.
I asked you for the truth.
That's what you gave me.
So, is there anything
I can do for you?
Anything at all?
Can you get me out of it?
Zelmer.
I don't think
I can do this, sir.
I really don't.
Zelmer, I can't do anything.
I'm a black man
in the prime of my life.
I'm just now starting to live.
Just... just starting
to taste.
To know who I am.
To know what I'm supposed
to do with myself.
Feeling good about myself...
My accomplishments.
I can't blow out
the candles now.
Not now.
I'm just starting to see.
It's not fair, colonel.
No, it's not fair.
Colonel Taylor:
I wish to god I could
tell you something to
make you feel better.
I, uh, have a friend.
Very bright.
Painter.
One day, he went blind.
Just like that.
Some freak of nature.
Ten years,
he was in and out of hospitals.
Finally,
he got some of his sight back
but he never could
paint the same
though he never stopped trying.
Whenever I start feeling sorry
for myself, I think about him.
He doesn't know it,
but he's... my inspiration.
That story didn't really
help me too much, colonel.
That story wasn't supposed
to help you.
That story helps me!
Now, soldier...
Son...
Find your own source
of inspiration.
Um...
Do me a favor, will you, sir?
Anything.
Dwayne.
I don't want to be
a disappointment to him.
Oh, this conversation
is between us, soldier.
I got to go, colonel.
Yes, you do.
Now you take care.
Be strong.
You're going to be
just fine, boy.
Right.
It's open.
Hey.
Hey.
I've been looking at this atlas
trying to picture
where you're going to be.
Sixth meridian, 34th parallel.
You're still a genius, man.
And you know this.
Now I'll know
where to write you.
I'd like that.
What are you doing?
What...
What are you doing?
I don't have
a single picture of you
without that bush
on your head, man.
What the hell is wrong with you?
I told you zelmer would
be here any minute.
You act like the brother's
allergic to rhythm.
Ho!
I just want the place clean
so could you get
your junk out of here?
I don't know why you are so
excited about seeing a guy
who hasn't returned
a letter in six months.
The brother is busy.
He's in the library
15 hours a day
working on his Ph.D...
His dissertation.
Do you have any idea..?
Nah.
Yeah, I know what it means...
Celibacy.
£ I know my parents loved me £
£ stand behind me
come what may £
£ I know now that I'm ready £
£ for I finally heard them say £
£ it's a different world £
£ than where you come from £
£ yes, it is now, yeah £
£ here's our chance to make it £
£ and if we focus on our goal £
£ you can dish it,
we can take it £
£ hey, just remember
that you've been told £
£ it's a different world £
£ it's a different world £
£ it's a different world £
£ than where you come from £
£ ooh £
£ than where you come from. £
Good afternoon,
I'm zelmer Collier.
I'm Ronald Johnson.
Do come in.
Thank you.
Zelmer! Come on in, man.
Hey, Dwayne.
Oh, man, it's good to see you.
Likewise.
And you cut that 'fro.
Welcome to the '90s.
I figure if Don Cornelius
could cut his, what the heck?
I'm ready for you.
Oh.
Ooh, chess!
My favorite spectator sport.
Don't mind Ron.
Oh, another Damian Porter?
Bingo.
"Is it in?"
"Is it out?"
"Is it up?"
"Is it down?"
I guess you had to be there.
I used to tutor
Dwayne and Damian
and Damian used to ask
a lot of questions.
He had a few problems
with logic.
No, the boy was ign'ant.
It's good to see you.
I got so much to ask.
I got a lot to tell.
Some pretty amazing things.
You're getting married.
No, more amazing than that.
You're having a baby.
I'm going to the middle east.
Middle east?
Who's your travel agent?
Uncle Sam.
What are you talking about?
About a year and a half ago,
I joined the army reserves.
I thought it will be my way
of paying back the government.
Pay back the government?
I had a great many
grants and loans.
Send them a check.
Sure, I could, but I felt
more obligated than that.
Saudi Arabia...
When..?
Monday.
I report to my base on Monday.
Well, we still got the weekend.
God built the world in six days.
No telling what
we can do in two.
Right on, homey?
Let's sign up for a day of peace
all over the world!
Stop forcing
the youth of our nation
down a pipeline of greed.
Thank you. Here you go.
Thank you... thank you...
Stop sacrificing lives
for big business profits!
Let's bring our troops home.
Don't you ever go
to class, Freddie?
Read the papers.
We're trying to liberate
the kuwheaties.
Kuwaitis.
Whatever.
Oh, my goodness!
Elmer crane!
I never forget a face or a name.
It's zelmer Collier.
Oh, that's right,
and I remember your usual...
Tuna melt on sourdough
with pickle chips.
Actually, it was egg salad
on an onion roll.
Coming up, Elmer.
Kimberly, be good
to this customer.
He's a distinguished alumni
and phi beta kappa.
Now I got that right.
Yes, sir.
Hey, pookie.
Hey, bunny.
Meet a friend of mine.
Whitley, this is zelmer.
Zelmer, your fame precedes you.
I'm delighted
to meet the only man
smarter than my Dwayne.
I'm not sure you're correct
but I'm very pleased
to make your acquaintance.
Enchante'.
Honey, let me get
my little bran muffin
and I'll be right with you boys.
That's okay.
We'll see you later.
See you.
Bye, Kim.
Kim.
I hate it when he does that.
We'll go see the new PC-7000
computer at the physics lab
then professor Hoffman
is giving a lecture on
electromagnetic waves!
Okay.
Oh, don't miss that.
Then we'll go to the java cafe.
You won't believe it.
Murray still works there.
What?
Yes!
The man did not come
all the way to hillman
to go sit with that fat, slimy,
greasy, fatbackin' Murray!
What the man needs is a party.
Ron, not everybody's
looking for a party.
Can you arrange that?
Watch me.
Yo!
Hear ye! Hear ye!
Tonight, there will be a party
to bid a fond farewell
to one of hillman's finest...
Zelmer Collier
as he goes off
for a rendezvous with destiny
in the persian Gulf.
- 2100 hours.
- The la grenad.
Stag
and for all of you unfamiliar
with the word
that means "men only,"
and you know who you are.
Oh! I am just repulsed
by all this male bondage.
Bonding, whitley.
Male bonding.
Well, that's
what I meant to say.
We ought to get down
to the blue view video
and preview some flicks.
You don't want to do that.
Actually, I do.
Yeah, well, we ain't had
a chance to kick it yet.
We got time.
Hey, why don't you come with us?
Come on.
No, I'll pass.
Okay.
Okay, ladies,
we're going to crash this party.
It's as simple as that.
Why should we allow them to sink
to the depths of depravity?
Because that's
what they want to do.
And it's our duty as women
to teach them that they
don't know what's best for them.
Listen, this is the last image
of a woman that zelmer sees
before he leaves.
There are women serving
over there too.
Nobody should be over there.
That's nice, Freddie.
Now, Kim, you sing like a lark.
I float like a swan.
And Freddie...
Freddie has freckles.
So I propose to do
a tribute to men in arms
through song and dance.
Something uplifting.
If we sing anything at all,
we should sing...
£ where have all
the flowers gone £
£ long time passing? £
£ I want to know where
have all the flowers gone £
£ long time ago... £
that's uplifting.
Fun, Freddie.
Think "fun."
This is war we're talking about.
Think of zelmer.
Don't you want to give him
a soldier's farewell?
In ancient times
when the men
were going off to war
the women tore their hair out
in protest.
It's a look.
Who do you write to
when the bus driver
grabs your butt?
Dwayne, blue view videos
has provided us
with a veritable
visual smorgasbord.
Help us decide
which one to view first...
Do the wrong thing
or the period piece,
Catherine was great.
Dwayne, look...
There's Catherine
with the court Jester.
The sound of music?
Hey, this is the wrong video.
I bet there's some kiddie party
having a damn good time
with my movie!
That boy had everybody
in the store cracking up.
The man in the raincoat
loved him.
Yeah, he's hilarious.
He's a laugh riot, that Ron is.
Are you all right, man?
No, I'm not all right.
I'm trying to figure out
what's going on with you.
What do you mean?
I'm not getting
any straight answers.
What are you asking me, Dwayne?
I want to know how you feel.
How I feel about what?
You're leaving
for Saudi Arabia Monday!
You're running around
laughing at stupid jokes
wearing a blue view video visor.
You don't like my visor?
What...
What's wrong with you?
Zelmer... I'm scared.
What do you want me to say?
What do you want to hear?
What will make you feel better?
Talk to me!
What I'm feeling?
Yes!
I don't know!
I don't know, Dwayne.
I've never felt this way before.
Have you?
Hold it a minute.
Turn the music down.
Now, you all know zelmer's
going to the middle east.
You got to prepare yourself
for life over there, brother.
No women, no booze, no sex.
Hey, how stupid am I.
You living like that over here.
You might want to get
a summer home there.
But the biggest thing
is no dancing.
You might want to get that
dippity-do head out there
and get one more
hip hop move out.
No, no, Walter...
Give him the music.
All right, go zelmer.
All:
Go zelmer! Go zelmer!
Go zelmer!
No zelmer! No zelmer!
No zelmer!
You danced better
when you had an afro.
Everybody!
Yo, yo, yo!
It's time for a toast.
Time for a toast.
Everyone.
Raise your glasses, please.
To zelmer...
A good man.
A great mind.
And a loyal American.
Here, here.
Here, here.
Willing to sacrifice it all
for his country...
His life, his limbs,
his family,
and his future.
To zelmer.
Here, here.
£ he £
£ was £
£ a £
£ famous trumpet man
from out Chicago way £
£ he had a boogie style
that no one else could play £
£ he was the top man
of his craft £
£ but then his number came up £
£ and he was gone
with the draft £
£ he's in the army now £
£ a-blowin' reveille £
£ he's the boogie woogie
bugle boy of company "b" £
£ a root! A toot!
A doot did-dle ah-da doot £
£ he blows it eight to the bar £
£ in boogie rhythm £
£ he can't blow a note £
£ unless the bass and guitar
playin' £
£ with him £
£ zop! Zah! Aah! £
£ he's in the army now £
£ a-blowin' reveille £
£ he's the boogie woogie
bugle boy £
£ of comp, company £
£ comp, company £
£ company, company, company,
company £
£ you're in the company £
£ we're in the company £
£ can't you see it?
Can't you feel it? £
£ I love that
company... £
yo! Yo!
£ "b." £
yeah!
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you.
And let it never be forgotten
that a soldier's best friend
is a woman.
That was a great number
but what he needs is
a ticket to Canada.
I understand how you feel
but this is not
the time or the place.
When is the time, Kim?
After he's gone?
Somebody has got to talk to him.
And say what?
And ask him why
he is going over there
to risk his life.
For what? Oil? Nationalism?
We have a million problems
in this country.
Go ahead and tell him, Freddie.
Thank you.
Excuse me, jaleesa.
Zelmer, can we talk
for a minute?
I wanted to...
Wish you luck...
Over there.
Thank you.
Dwayne, you got a party
going on inside.
You're being rude.
I don't feel much like partying.
What in the hell are we
celebrating, anyway?
Zelmer.
You know, I used to watch zelmer
bust his butt
in school every day.
And then he'd make me bust mine.
We were going to be engineers.
We were going back
to the community
with a sackful of knowledge.
We were gonna make
our parents proud.
We were going to make
our people proud.
And now he's going to rot
in somebody's army
in some foreign land that
we don't know nothing about.
He volunteered to serve.
He's an idiot.
It's still his choice.
Choice?
He chose to serve
a weekend a month.
That's a weekend, not a war.
Stop saying "war."
We're not at war.
You can't even think that way.
This country
is on the verge of war.
I have to think that way.
But don't you love zelmer?
Yes.
Yes, I love zelmer.
He's my brother.
So be... be happy
for your brother...
As a soldier.
Be proud of him as a patriot.
I was happy for a mathematician!
Proud of an engineer.
I want to see a brother
do it with his mind.
Zelmer is all heart
and now they put a gun
in his hand.
You know, one day...
One day
they could put one in mine.
I would never let
that happen, Dwayne.
But there wouldn't be
a damn thing you could do
if they did.
Hey, vern.
Hey, colonel.
Got you some fresh coffee.
I'd love some.
I'm supposed to meet
zelmer Collier here.
He's been making the rounds
since he got here.
I guess he's trying to
squeeze it all in.
So you heard?
Mm-hmm.
Best student I ever had.
It's a damn shame.
Things sure have changed
since we served uncle Sam.
But people still depend on us
to uphold freedom.
How many countries are we
supposed to take care of?
My aunt Mabel took care of all
the neighborhood's children.
Her own three sons
went to penitentiary.
Yeah, I don't know.
All I know is I fought wars
so that my children
wouldn't have to.
Mm-hmm.
Hey, zelmer!
How are you, sir?
All right.
Hey, Elmer.
Get you some fresh coffee?
No, thank you, I'm fine.
Go ahead, sit down.
I'm glad to see you.
Things have been so rushed.
Oh, I know, I know.
When do you leave?
Within the hour.
Oh, I see.
Well, we sure are proud of you.
Aren't we, vern?
Yeah, boy.
Thank you.
You know, I'm sorry
that you have to interrupt
your Ph.D. studies for this...
For this involvement.
So am I.
I was very close to finishing.
You can resume your studies
when you come back.
After this blows over.
Is that what you
really think, sir?
Do you think that this thing
might blow over?
Or do you think that it
could turn into
something more serious?
You make no mistake, soldier.
This is a serious set of events
that could escalate
into something unfortunate.
I'm sorry to have
to say this to you.
I asked you for the truth.
That's what you gave me.
So, is there anything
I can do for you?
Anything at all?
Can you get me out of it?
Zelmer.
I don't think
I can do this, sir.
I really don't.
Zelmer, I can't do anything.
I'm a black man
in the prime of my life.
I'm just now starting to live.
Just... just starting
to taste.
To know who I am.
To know what I'm supposed
to do with myself.
Feeling good about myself...
My accomplishments.
I can't blow out
the candles now.
Not now.
I'm just starting to see.
It's not fair, colonel.
No, it's not fair.
Colonel Taylor:
I wish to god I could
tell you something to
make you feel better.
I, uh, have a friend.
Very bright.
Painter.
One day, he went blind.
Just like that.
Some freak of nature.
Ten years,
he was in and out of hospitals.
Finally,
he got some of his sight back
but he never could
paint the same
though he never stopped trying.
Whenever I start feeling sorry
for myself, I think about him.
He doesn't know it,
but he's... my inspiration.
That story didn't really
help me too much, colonel.
That story wasn't supposed
to help you.
That story helps me!
Now, soldier...
Son...
Find your own source
of inspiration.
Um...
Do me a favor, will you, sir?
Anything.
Dwayne.
I don't want to be
a disappointment to him.
Oh, this conversation
is between us, soldier.
I got to go, colonel.
Yes, you do.
Now you take care.
Be strong.
You're going to be
just fine, boy.
Right.
It's open.
Hey.
Hey.
I've been looking at this atlas
trying to picture
where you're going to be.
Sixth meridian, 34th parallel.
You're still a genius, man.
And you know this.
Now I'll know
where to write you.
I'd like that.
What are you doing?
What...
What are you doing?
I don't have
a single picture of you
without that bush
on your head, man.