Fame (1982–1987): Season 1, Episode 3 - Tomorrow's Farewell - full transcript

The school board has come to evaluate the school. Each of the kids are interviewed and we get a glimpse of their background.

It's like they came
from Mars or someplace.

- They have no idea
of what we're doing.
- Wrong.

♪♪ [Disco]

- Is teacher being
too hard on you, Coco baby?
- I can take it!

I hate anything that stifles freedom
and anyone that stifles creativity.

The first thing they teach
you at that survival course?

That's not to let the person that
you're trying to save pull you under.

You pullin' me under, man.

Man, throw him out. The man is out of
prison less than a week, and he has a gun!

♪♪ [Disco]

♪ Fame ♪
♪ I'm gonna live forever ♪



♪ I'm gonna learn how to fly ♪
♪ High ♪

♪ I feel it comin' together ♪

♪ People will see me and cry ♪
♪ Fame ♪

♪ I'm gonna make it to heaven ♪

♪ Light up the
sky like a flame ♪

♪ Fame ♪
♪ I'm gonna live forever ♪

♪ Baby, remember my name ♪
♪ Remember, remember ♪

♪ Remember, remember ♪

You got big dreams.

You want fame.

Well, fame costs,

and right here is where
you start paying in sweat.

♪ Fame ♪
♪ I'm gonna live forever ♪

♪ Baby, remember my name ♪
♪ Remember, remember ♪



♪ Remember, remember ♪

♪ Fame ♪♪

Hey, how ya doin'? All right.

I had a pain, a little pain.

Hey, Bruno! Bruno! There
he is! Hey, Bruno! Check it out.

Hey, you know that
Darin chick in biology?

Hi there. I, uh, thought
you were somebody else.

Obviously. Would you excuse us?

- Alex! Beverly! Up here!
- Hector!

Come on in!

Who the heck are they? I don't
know no names, but I know who.

Who? Man, those
people are The Man.

[Sherwood] You'll note for the
upcoming weeks there'll be some visitors...

Observers here in the school.

They're representing the
State Board of Education,

and I guess you could say
they're here to check us out.

Now, as far as you people are
concerned, it's business as usual.

We don't need any additional mouthing off
or clowning or showboating from anybody.

If they ask you a question, tell them the
answer... without embellishment or comment.

"In addition, certain
students will be picked...

"for private question-and-answer
sessions with Mr. Tipton.

"Mr. Tipton is well-grounded in
conducting studies of this nature...

"in order to establish a profile
of the student-body attitude...

toward the school
and its curriculum."

Mr. Shorofsky, what
does all that mean?

It means we got three snoops,
Mr. Martelli. That's what it means.

[Banging]

And one and two and three and four!
And one and two and three and four!

And one and two and three.

Come on! Get up! Come on! You're out
of time! Two and three and... Come on!

Come on. Get up off the
ground! You're hopeless!

You're hope... Please, stop, stop.
Come on. Thank you. [Rapping Cane]

Don't do anymore. Thank you. What
is this, the Monday blahs or something?

You're all dancing like
you're wearing hiking boots.

We ain't wearin' no hiking boots,
but you should consider the fact...

- we ain't got wings sprouting
out our backs either.
- Meaning?

Meaning that it's legal for a dancer to have
their feet on the ground once in a while.

Aww, poor child. Is teacher
being too hard on you, Coco baby?

- I can take it.
- No, you can't! None of you can.

You can't take it and you can't
fake it, not from what I've seen.

And until you can do one or the other or both,
you're gonna be a day late and a dime short!

[Pen Scratching]

[Shorofsky] May I ask why?

I'm just wondering
if it's wise, that's all.

Why is studying
Gregorian chant...

in a class dealing with
musical history... unwise?

Well, because the music is religious
in nature. It might be misunderstood.

By whom? By the parents of some
of the Jewish students, for example.

Now, let me get this straight. You, Mr. Melendez,
are explaining to me, Mr. Shorofsky,

the Jewish parental position.

That's right.

Genius.

♪♪ [Brass Rehearsing]

Two minutes, people.

Don't you think all this music and noise
must distract them? They're used to it.

I can't imagine how they could
get used to that racket all the time.

Maybe so, but there isn't
much that can be done about it.

What about earplugs?

It's hard to teach English to a
class of students wearing earplugs.

Point well taken. [Clears
Throat] ♪♪ [Piano: Classical]

♪♪ [Continues]

[Bell Rings] [Hands Clap Twice]

[Lydia] Okay, class. That's
very good. You all are dismissed.

Now, I want you all to get in
here a little bit early tomorrow,

so you can warm up and stretch before
we get started on this new repertory.

You're gonna work on Scheherazade.
I don't want any pulled and stretched...

Over-stretched muscles.

All right. That was good today.

Yeah. Bye-bye.

And, uh, where do they go now?
Is there some sort of shower facility?

Yeah, second floor. Oh,
that's unusual, isn't it?

To shower after dance class?

To have a gymnasium
located on the second floor.

The showers are on the second
floor. There isn't any gymnasium.

No gymnasium?

No.

[Sighs]

♪♪ [Pop Rock]

- That's yours?
- No, it belongs to Moscowitz.

He asked me to check it out
for him. It's really something.

You can program it. You
can play it wherever you want.

How old do I look?

You look... I'd say
you look about...

16 with splotches and
black lines on your face.

- Very funny. Wakka-wakka.
- Aren't you a little old
to go trick-or-treating?

Wakka-wakka-wakka. And aren't
you eating lunch in a weird place?

It's either here
or the cafeteria,

and those three, um, inspectors, or whatever
they're called, they're in there now.

I don't want to be around
them any more than I have to.

I'm supposed to have an interview
with one of those guys after lunch.

Mr. Nylon Hair?

Yeah! His hair looks like a flying squirrel
trying to mate with a bowling ball.

- [Both Laugh]
- Shh.

Quiet. Listen.

[Footsteps]

[Clattering] There's
someone out in the house.

[Man] Yeah. Ohh! Ah.

Ooh-whee. You people didn't pay
your electric bill or somethin'. [Burps]

Dark as the inside of
a peach pit out here.

You're not supposed to be there anyway.
Security guard finds ya, he'll call the cops.

Why don't you crash
someplace else?

Ain't no place else, man.

This got to be it.

I just, uh... I just got
all turned around...

in the... in the
halls out there.

I'm just sort of
lost, that's all.

But I'm in the right place.

You sure about that?

Uh, ain't-ain't this the
School for the Arts?

Huh? Is-Is there a Leroy
Johnson goes here?

Why you wanna talk to Leroy?

Hey, man, that little dude
is my brother. [Laughs]

Yo, wish me luck. I
have my interview today.

Oh, wish yourself luck, girl.
I got problems of my own.

He's in there.

Well, well, well.

Look who went and grew up on me.

So, uh, what're you studying here? You
gonna be Gene Kelly or somebody like that?

- What do you want, Willard?
- Now, that ain't no kind
of a tone to use for family.

We ain't much of a
family. What you want?

Boy, last time I saw you, you weren't big
enough to understand what happened to me.

Oh, you could understand that I...
robbed a place and had to go to jail.

But you couldn't
understand the... the why,

the "how come."

Three years in the
army. A lot of... pain.

A lot of... dope.
A lot of booze.

Takes a big toll on a
man. Makes him get...

desperate.

You couldn't
understand that then.

I'm banking on you bein'
able to understand that now.

You and me,

we're just about the only people each other's
got in this whole blessed world, Leroy.

I got a place you can bunk at
till you get it together, I guess.

Mr. Tipton?

Yes, miss. Ah.

This is my first time in this office in the
school. We never get to be in here that much.

Well, that's a
good sign. [Laughs]

You're, uh... Relax. You
know what we're going do here?

Well, I heard that it was an evaluation
interview, but I don't, you know...

What are you gonna
talk to me about?

I have a few questions that I must
ask you, and we'll put them here on tape.

If you would just answer me as
simply and straightforwardly as possible,

we'll have you out
of here in no time.

Is that all right? Yeah.

Do you enjoy the school?

Yeah, I really do.
I enjoy the school.

You know, I like coming to
school. That says a lot, you know.

Well, is it the academic part of the school
that you enjoy, or is it the fun part...

The dancing and the singing and being with
a lot of people who share your interests?

Well, dancing ain't all
fun. I hope you know that.

There's a lotta work
that goes along with it.

- Are you bilingual?
- Um, well, I'm not bilingual
according to the school.

They say I speak Spanglish, which
is English and Spanish. Spanglish?

They say it's street Spanish. I'm taking
Spanish here, so they say I'm a gonna improve.

- I'm gonna improve, yeah.
- All right. Another question
that I'd like to ask you...

is, uh,

if you could change
something about the school,

what is the one thing, or two
things, that you might change?

Well, I think I wanna
change the showers.

You know... [Laughs] because,
I'm telling you, man, those showers...

Sometimes after dance we go
upstairs, and we take a shower.

Sometimes they don't work. I'm all hot and
everything, and then we can't take a shower.

We all complain, 'cause we don't want
to walk around sticky and everything.

♪♪ [Trumpet] [Crandall] Yes,
you have to live the moment.

But you're actors. You
act for an audience.

[Sherwood] Now, Langston Hughes
is not talking about a girl named Joy.

He's talking about happiness.
He's saying you can find happiness...

[Man] Because there's no
xy here. But don't be fooled.

♪♪ [Scales] As soon as
we multiply x plus y times...

[Lydia] Let's go again. By yourself,
honey. Come on. Five, six, seven, eight.

And one and two and three and
four. That's it. Come on. Get up.

You don't weigh but
two pounds. [Bell Rings]

It's like they came from Mars or someplace.
They have no idea of what we're doing.

Wrong. We're the ones who come
from Mars, as far as they're concerned.

All their questions, all their suggestions
make perfect sense in a normal school.

- They make me ashamed.
- Of what?

- Of me.
- You? Why, for heaven's sake?

Because they are nebbishes and fools, and I should
be a bigger person than to hate such people.

You don't hate
them, Mr. Shorofsky.

I hate anything that stifles freedom
and anyone that stifles creativity.

These people are pencil pushers and adder-uppers,
and they have no place in our school.

Don't you just want to take him
home and put him on your mantel?

But we must be careful about how we conduct
ourselves. We should appear to go along.

We should try to appear friendly and
cooperative. That's the only way we can...

Mr. Melendez, how are you?
Let me get you a cup of coffee.

Oh, never mind. I'll make a fresh
pot. Won't take a minute. Sit down.

Take your shoes off. Enjoy.

[Sighs]

Well, I think maybe I have
some good news for you all.

Umm, what good news is that?

We're gonna recommend that the
budget include monies for a gymnasium.

- A gymnasium?
- That's right.

You've looked around, and of all
the things you could have picked,

you decided we need a gymnasium?

It was Miss Polsdorfer
that pointed it out actually.

Bless her.

- How do you like your coffee?
- Black.

Mr. Melendez, I'm no
expert on budgets and things,

but is this money you're
recommending us to get...

Is that in addition to
our regular budget,

or will it come out of
programs already established?

- Probably a little bit of both.
- Mr. Melendez,
we don't need a gymnasium.

State regulations call for
an hour of P.E. every day.

Mr. Melendez, I can assure you, my
dance classes are a workout and a half.

- And the other students?
- All the students
are required...

to take some kind
of movement class.

Movement, stretching, whatever.
It's not the same as an hour of P.E.

- No, it's more.
- Miss Grant...

Mr. Melendez, there isn't a football
or basketball player in this city...

who could make it
through one of my classes.

[Bell Rings] You think so?

I know so.

[Quietly] Thank you.

This has a ton of
cream and sugar in it.

Silly me. I must have forgot.

I gotta get going.

[Sherwood] I'll
meet you out front.

[Sighs]

In Grand Rapids, all my friends were preparing
for college. That's what they were doing.

Here, everyone's preparing for life, for what
they want to be for the rest of their life.

- I think that's the difference.
- You play the cello. Is that correct?

- Yeah.
- Why did you choose
that instrument?

It's not what we would
call a "now" instrument.

Do you take a good
deal of teasing about that?

The cello is a now, is a
yesterday, is a tomorrow instrument.

- It's here forever.
- May I ask you a personal
question about your parents?

Sure.

Uh, I understand
that they're divorced.

Would you like to talk
about that for a moment?

Well,

it's kind of rough because,

we were a family, and now I
feel like it's just my mom and me.

And it's not the same.

But... they just
kind of grew apart.

Was that a big
adjustment for you?

Yeah. It was really big, because
my mom has a friend here.

Her name's Arla, and she helped
my mom find an apartment and stuff.

But it was really lonely, and even now...
[Sighs] she doesn't even have a job yet.

She's trying, she's looking
for one, but it's really rough.

If you could not be...

the wonderful cellist
that you want to be,

what would you
do with your life?

Well, I think I really
want to be a performer.

Well, suppose life
throws you a curve,

and for some unknown reason
you find you are unable to perform,

to become a performer.

What would you do with your
life? In any way I can't perform?

I can't dance, I can't act, I
can't... I can't do that? Correct.

Uhh, that'd be some curve.

Leroy?

Okay.

Hi.

Hi. I just wanted to check up.

That young man who was here this afternoon...
That was your brother, wasn't it?

- How come you gotta check up?
- Well, two reasons.

"A," there is this phrase in black
slang about so-and-so being a "brother."

I wasn't sure whether he was that kind of
brother to you, or if he was a brother-brother.

- What's the second?
- The second reason is he was
drunk, and that concerns me.

Why's that concern you?

Because as maddening and as arrogant
as you can be sometimes, I care about you.

I don't want to see
you getting into trouble.

The man is my
brother. He's not trouble.

Leroy...

Look, with that evaluation team around
here, we have to be especially careful.

I thought you were so
worried about poor, little me?

Leroy... [Sighs] Look,
the man was drunk!

I can't... He was celebratin'
seeing me. That's all he was doin'.

If your tight, little ears can't
take that, that's just too bad!

- You're so pleased
about seein' him?
- Yes!

Then how come you're hanging out here,
doing everything you can not to go home?

Woman, can't you ever stop fussin'
at me? Who elected you to run my life?

Look, just leave me alone. It's a
whole world full of space out here.

Just let me have
my little piece of it.

Damn.

Willard?

[Willard On Tape] Hey, man.
Your place ain't the Waldorf,

but compared to where I've been the
past six years, I'll take it, hands down.

I, uh... I'm headin' downtown to get myself
reestablished with the people that count...

to see if I can, uh, get me some kind of
gig that'll put a little jingle in my jeans.

I emptied out one of the dresser drawers,
and I put my stuff in it. I hope that's okay.

If I ain't back
tonight, don't sweat it.

I got me some howlin' to do yet,
and I just might get lucky. [Snickers]

Take care, little brother.
I'll pick up on you tomorrow.

Later.

Welcome home, brother.

Doris Schwartz.

[Tipton] Do you have
a middle name? Yeah.

Would you like to tell
me what it is? Rene.

Doris Rene Schwartz? Yes.

What is your major? Drama.

Drama. I see.

Is there a theatrical
background in your family?

Well, my mother was an actress
before she married my father.

She was in the original company
on Broadway of Music Man.

She was in the chorus.
That's where she met my father.

- Are your parents together?
- Yeah, they're
back together now.

Oh, they're back together now?
They've been separated for a little while.

And what is the general
tenor of your home now?

It's good.

Are you happy with what's
happening now? Yeah.

Do you have any doubt...

that you will eventually
achieve your goal?

A little every day.

A little doubt every day? Yeah.

Do you have from time to time a
feeling that you will succeed? Yeah.

When do you have the
feeling you will succeed,

and when do you have the doubts?

Well, I know I'll succeed
when I do a good scene,

or when I get a part, or when everything
just clicks, when it feels right.

Then I know it's
all gonna be okay.

In your acting, do you feel
that you must live the part?

Yeah.

And at your age, which
is quite young now,

do you feel you
must go through...

what the characters
you portray go through?

I think I should try and do as much of it as
I can, so I can learn what it's all about.

Hypothetical
question, young lady:

If you were playing a
woman who was pregnant,

how would you go
about preparing for that?

I'd get pregnant.
That's ridiculous.

You want some advice? No.

[Sighs]

- Man, throw him out.
- I said I didn't want
any advice.

You don't always get what you want
outta life. Would you lay off, all right?

You're gonna look the other
way. Is that it? Yes, that is it!

- It's on-the-money it!
- The man is out of prison less
than a week, and he has a gun!

Man, that's trouble.
Don't buy into that.

- Could be a lot of reasons
he got a gun.
- Name me one reason. Just one.

Isn't he on parole? Uh-huh.

And if they find out that he has a
gun, he's gonna go right back to prison.

- Girl, will you let it be?
- Not if you can't tell me why
you're acting so flat-out dumb!

'Cause Willard is the only family
I have on this earth, damn it!

I'm not gonna give him a big hassle
and see him head on down the road.

- That's all there is to it!
- I understand that.

- But he's a lot older than you,
isn't he?
- Ten years.

- How old were you when
he was sent off to jail?
- Nine or 10. I don't know.

Sounds like to me he's your brother,
but that you hardly don't even know him.

- He's more like a stranger.
- He is my blood. That's all I know.

From what you told me, he ain't treatin'
you like blood. He's treatin' you like dirt.

He ain't moving in with
you, he's moving in on you.

- Do you ever run out of advice?
- Make him get rid of the gun.

- How am I supposed to make him?
- I don't know that!

You might not admit
it, but it's trouble.

And I know it's
so, and so do you.

[Lydia] Coco, the jocks
from Buchanan High are here.

Go get the dancers we
talked about yesterday.

Mr. Melendez needs to
see how physically fit we are.

Let's start off with some
simple jumping jacks at first.

We'll get to it.

[Clicks]

♪♪ [Disco]

All right, everybody.
Calisthenics.

Ready, begin. And one, two,
three, bend. One, two, three, stretch.

One, two, three, bend.
One, two, three, stretch.

One, two, three, bend.
One, two, three, stretch.

One, two, three,
bend. One... Come on!

[On Tape] One, two, three, bend.
One, two, three stretch. Let's move it!

One, two, three, bend. All
right, boys. You can do it!

One, two, three, bend. One, two,
three, stretch. Put your body into it!

Now let's really move it!

♪ Watch my smoke ♪

♪ Feel my thunder ♪

♪ You'll be fading in the distance
♪ ♪ Distance, distance ♪

♪ I'll be leaving you under ♪

♪ My spell tonight ♪

♪ But you'll be all right ♪

♪ I'm just lost in a dream ♪

♪ I'm a dancin' machine ♪

♪ I can do anything
better than ♪

♪ You can ♪

♪ Yes, I can ♪

♪ Have you ever seen
anyone move like this ♪

♪ Oh, I can do
anything better than ♪

♪ You can ♪

♪ Just stand aside ♪

♪ And watch me fly ♪

♪ My heart's on fire ♪

♪ And my soul is burnin' ♪

♪ I'm a live wire ♪
♪ A live wire ♪

- ♪ And I love turnin' ♪
- ♪ You on ♪

♪ I love turnin' you on ♪

♪ I'm just lost in a dream ♪

♪ I'm a dancin' machine ♪

♪ I can do anything
better than ♪

♪ You can ♪

♪ Yes, I can ♪

♪ Have you ever seen
anyone move like this ♪

♪ Oh, I can do
anything better than ♪

♪ You can ♪

♪ Just stand aside ♪

♪ And watch me fly ♪

♪ I can do anything
better than ♪

♪ I can do anything
better than ♪

♪ I can do anything
better than ♪

♪ You ♪♪

Well,

maybe you don't
need a gym after all.

[Tipton] Do you think there's
any art in making people laugh?

I think there's a lot of art
in making people laugh.

You can have 10 people say the same
joke, and only one will make you laugh.

That's true, but I don't understand
what difference that would make.

Well, um, making people laugh, I mean,
it's something you have to be born with.

It's not just an everyday thing.
So... You think you have this gift?

- Yes, I do.
- Where do you live, Danny?

In the South Bronx. Do you find a lot of
things in the South Bronx to laugh about?

Everybody thinks the South Bronx,
there's just killings and murders.

There's a lotta love there and a
lotta funny things that happen there...

just like probably
where you live.

[Clears Throat] Do you
have a favorite comedian?

Yes, I do. Richard Pryor.

What is it about him you like? I
think he's a natural at what he does.

I think he's the
best. He's an original.

You get along with your
family well? Eh, okay.

Are they helping you in this
endeavor? They have mixed feelings.

I mean, they think it's, you know,
a school for the, um... You know?

But, um, otherwise, they... they think this
is the best way for me to follow-up my career.

I-I've been told that you can't go to
school to be a comedian or an actor.

You're a natural. You do
it or you don't do it. Yeah.

Dream of dreams, now, for you:

You could have any kind
of success imaginable.

Tell me what you
would like for yourself.

I would like to win the
lottery for a million dollars,

so I could just retire and
never work in my whole life.

That would have nothing
to do with the school.

My question is, then,
why are you here?

Because I don't think I'm gonna
win the lottery for a million dollars,

so I have to
follow-up my career.

It might be real interesting to
know how you found the piece too.

It was at the
bottom of a drawer...

A closed drawer.

Well, it wasn't closed all the way. That's how
I found it, when I tried to close the drawer.

- A man in my kind of fix can't
afford to pass up opportunity.
- What kind of opportunities?

A guy told me when I got out of
Stony Lonesome where to find the piece.

All I was gonna do was
sell it to get some bread.

If I'm gonna get anything
goin', I gotta get me a stake.

But you can't sell it legal. The only
place you can sell it is in the street.

And that don't meet with
your approval, is that right?

All of a sudden you're the
commissioner of police or some such.

I was just tryin'
to look out for ya.

Son, I don't need nobody lookin' out
for me, 'specially not no tippy-toe dancer.

You better not
follow up on that,

'cause you cannot handle what you're
gonna find at the end of that street.

All I'm gonna find
is a baby brother...

who doesn't know what it takes
to get things done in this world.

- You gotta scratch and grab
at what you can.
- I don't go along with that.

Oh. You got so much
goin' for you? Is that it?

I don't know about so much,
but I got a place I can afford,

I got a job swabbin' out
here, and I got the school.

- Your school gives me a pain.
- Me too, sometimes.

But if I can be somethin', if I can do somethin',
it's likely to come out of that school.

And I'm not gonna blow it on drugs, guns and
nothin' else. Just get rid of that piece.

Boy, you feel so
strong about it,

you get rid of it.

Man, you carryin' this thing around on
you? I know you must miss that prison, man.

I don't miss prison at all,
'cause I'm right back in it.

It looks to me like you've just appointed
yourself my warden. [Cue Clatters]

Willard!

Police! Hold it right there!

[Clattering]

There's a kid comin' out
the other end. Collar him!

[Siren Blaring]

Freeze!

Look, I hear what you're telling me,
but he hasn't been charged with anything.

Not yet, no, ma'am. Not
yet? What does that mean?

I seen him throw
something into that trash bin,

but I couldn't testify it was
the gun I fished out of that junk.

- Well, what were you doin'
in the alley anyway?
- Somebody's been rollin' winos.

[Rueful Chuckle] I don't think I want to
know why I got picked for this assignment.

Whatever. Now, if his prints
turn out to be on the gun,

and we find the weapon
was used in any prior crime,

I think the D.A.'s office might try
to clear a few things off the books.

Did he say the gun was his?

No. He said his name, his address,
and that his mother was out of town.

When we asked for the name of a
responsible adult, he gave us your name.

Well, I am his faculty
adviser, so I guess I qualify.

He's not charged with anything,
so what is the purpose of all of this?

I need an adult to make sure he'll
show up for questioning if we need him,

that he'll show up for
trial if we press charges.

- I'm hopin' that'll be you.
- Listen, guaranteeing anything
when it comes to Leroy...

- Can we go off the record
a second?
- I'm not sure what that means.

Well, it means if you tell anyone
what I'm about to say, I call you a liar.

Okay.

I can manufacture
enough stuff...

to put the kid in jail long enough to
make sure he'll show up for a trial.

I don't really wanna do that. He
can get one kind of education here.

The kind he's likely to get in the
can's a whole different ball game.

I don't wanna put him
through that. Neither do you.

- I'll make sure Leroy
stays available.
- Thanks much.

Oh, uh, this school.

Yes? It's nice.

It's weird, but nice.

Most schools would give the
kid a three-day suspension.

He hasn't been
charged with anything.

That's because he was arrested
by an overworked officer...

who doesn't want to spend his
days off on a meaningless case.

Most schools would give the
kid a three-day suspension.

Look,

we are not most schools.

You have little sub-prejudices here
in this school. I mean, it's not great,

but it's funny, because dance
majors have a reputation...

of being a little snooty...
You know, helium in the nose.

Whereas, uh,
acting/drama majors...

The dance majors don't go near the drama majors
because drama majors are loud and obnoxious.

They have this reputation of eating food,
then spitting it out on the lunch table.

Anyway... And then you have the music
majors and nobody understands them,

because for all
anyone else knows,

they could be
writing hieroglyphics...

[Mumbles] Pluto...
[Mumbles] Cucamonga.

Well, young man, what
is your kind of music?

I can't pigeonhole it. I
like... I like soul music,

I like jazz, I like classical music,
I like Stravinsky, I like Bill Evans.

- Do you have an idol, Bruno?
- I have a few.

Might I know them?

All right. I like Bartók.

I like Miles Davis.

Um, I-I could go on and on.

How does your family feel about
you pursuing a musical career?

Well, my father
feels that it is...

something that I'm very passionate
about, something that I really want to do.

He's... It may not be the
most stable of all professions,

but-but he's perfectly willing to...
to give me all the support he can.

Tell me something: What do you think
happens when people hear your music?

Or-Or better yet, what
do you, Bruno Martelli,

want to happen?

I think that if I could...

walk into a room with a tape,
or-or sit down at a piano...

There's maybe two or
three people in the room,

and one of them is feeling lousy
and another's feeling, um, out of place.

I... I could change
their feelings.

I could make the one that feels
lousy feel glad that they woke up.

Okay to come in?

Free country.

Just thought you might like to be
alone because of what happened.

What do you mean, what happened?
How do you know what happened?

Everybody knows, Leroy. The whole school
knows. Hey, it's a school full of flakes.

- It's not the C.I.A.
- So what's everybody
sayin' about me?

Everybody is not
talkin' about you.

You're not that big a deal.

However, those that
are talking about you...

A third think that it's
cool that you had a gun.

Another third think that it's a very heavy and
courageous thing covering for your brother.

Another third think that anyone who
goes to jail for something he didn't do...

to protect someone he
barely knows is a stone jerk.

You asked.

Which third you votin' with?

I asked.

[No Audible Dialogue]

[Leroy] ♪ Another curve ♪

♪ Another choice to make ♪

♪ Which one's the answer ♪

♪ And which one should I take ♪

♪ Sometimes I wonder ♪

♪ If it's always been this way ♪

♪ And I've got the feeling ♪

♪ Up and down is here to stay ♪

♪ Come what may ♪

♪ I'll be waitin' for it ♪

♪ I know the wind
that brought it ♪

♪ Didn't mean me any harm ♪

♪ Come what may ♪

♪ It won't really matter ♪

♪ If it's got to be that way ♪

♪ It's okay ♪

♪ Come what may ♪

♪ Come what may ♪

♪ I'll be waitin' for it ♪

♪ I know the wind
that brought it ♪

♪ Didn't mean me any harm ♪

♪ Come what may ♪

♪ It won't really matter ♪

♪ If it's got to be that way ♪

♪ It's okay ♪

♪ Come what may ♪♪

[Door Opens]

Hey, I won me a hundred bucks
playing poker with Fat Rollie.

I thought you was
out lookin' for a job.

Name me a job that pays a hundred bucks
for three hours work, and I'll take it.

You want a drink?

- Ahh!
- I got $183 in
a savin' account, Willard.

- You can have 150 of it.
- What for?

To find yourself a place.
You're movin' outta here.

Oh.

Ah. And here I thought you
was sendin' out my cleaning.

I'm serious, Willard.

You're more than serious, boy.

You're one of the coldest
people I ever seen in my life.

- Anybody who'd turn out his own brother...
- Didja ever learn how to swim?

- What?
- Did you ever learn
how to swim?

[Sighs] No.

Before Mama went away, she took me down
to that YMCA for some swimmin' lessons.

I didn't really want to go.
She said I oughta learn.

I took the lessons. Got
to be pretty good too.

Thought I'd get me a summer
job lifeguardin' or somethin'.

[Stammering] What
is this all about, Leroy?

Well, you know the first thing they
teach you at that survival course?

That's not to let the person that
you're tryin' to save pull you under.

You pullin' me under,
man, and I'm swimmin' away.

Leroy, I'm your brother.

You're my mother's other son.

That ain't the
same as my brother.

[Scoffs]

[Laughs]

I'm dead to you, boy. You
ain't got no family no more.

You're alone in this world.

You're wrong,
Willard. I got family.

We all just got
different last names.

[Door Closes]

I thought these things was run by the
dude with the plastic hair and the glasses.

Mr. Tipton had an accident.
Asked me to fill in for him.

Sit down.

Suits me.

That Detective Kessler called.

Said they're dropping the gun
investigation. Thought you'd like to know.

I got my brother to move out.

- Just thought you'd
like to know.
- That must have been hard.

It was.

- And sad?
- That too, I guess.

Well, let's get these
questions out of the way.

See, the thing that hurts
me most about Willard...

'Cause Willard, he ain't
such a bad guy, not really.

He ain't all that bad a guy.

He just ain't got no reason
to get up in the mornin'.

I mean, all he know how to
do is hustle and game folks,

'cause that's all
he ever got taught.

That's all Willard
ever learned how to do.

See, him and me, we're a lot alike...
not a lot, but we're alike in a way.

'Cept when I get up in the mornin',
I'm comin' in here not just to dance.

I'm not just comin' in here.

'Cause the dancin'
and the workin' is...

It's not just
somethin' that I do.

It's somethin' that I am.

See, and Willard don't
have nothin' like that.

Get outta here, Leroy Johnson.

You just answered all the
questions anyone could ask.

Uh, what kind of accident
happened to that Mr. Tipton?

Take a look at the trophy
case out in the lobby.

♪♪ [Disco]

♪ Can you feel it
Can you feel it ♪

♪ Can you feel it ♪

♪ If you look around ♪

♪ The whole world's
comin' together now ♪

♪ Yeah Can you feel it ♪

♪ Can you feel it
Can you feel it ♪

♪ Feel it in the air ♪

♪ The wind is taking
it everywhere ♪

♪ Yeah Can you feel it ♪

♪ Can you feel it
Can you feel it ♪

♪ All the powers
of the world in you ♪

♪ Lovin' each other
Can you feel it ♪♪

[Leroy] 'Cause the workin' and
the dancin' is something that I am.

♪♪ [Disco]

♪ Fame ♪

♪ Fame ♪

♪ Fame ♪

♪ Remember, remember
Remember, remember ♪

♪ Remember, remember
Remember, remember ♪

♪ Fame ♪♪

[Roars]