Original subtitles

♪ Ride on the peace train ♪

Coming through! Heavy packs!

Out of our way, peace boy!

Sorry. No offense. Love the song.

Carry on. Go.

♪ Oh, come on the peace train ♪

ugh. And wuss patrol, halt.

Ohh. I've never known such pain.

We are so not walking around Europe

with those annoying things on our backs.

But we're backpacking through Europe.

How are we gonna do this without backpacks?

But all the time we talked about backpacking,

I never actually pictured us with backpacks.

What were you picturing?

Spry, accommodating European men with neat moustaches

trailing after us, carrying our luggage,

hailing taxicabs,

and constantly reminding us how beautiful we are.

No, it's just the two of us humping our backpacks around.

Well, at least my new walking shoes are all broken in...

If you count broken skin, broken toes.

Don't do that. Don't do what?

Don't take your shoes off. This is a restaurant.

I don't see a "no shirt, no shoes, no service" sign.

It's right here. Don't do that. We're in pain, Luke.

You guys are bearing it so nobly. And can you move these? Can? No.

Would if we could? Debatable.

Look at that. Spry and accommodating.

Hey, would you grow a moustache and follow us around Europe?

Sorry, I got travel plans of my own.

I'm closing the diner for a couple of weeks and taking Nicole on a little trip.

We're driving through Western Canada

and then taking up a cruise up to Alaska.

A cruise? Intimate.

I guess. Is it? ♪ the love boat ♪

what? A cruise is a good spot to get down on one knee.

And do my ventriloquist act?

And propose. I have no plans to propose.

You don't now, but after you've had dinner at captain stubing's table,

and Isaac served you up a couple of mojitos...

Romantic cruises say commitment, my friend.

I am not committing, and I am not proposing, so drop it.

Okay. It's dropped.

Really drop it. Did I not just say, "it's dropped"?

♪ The love boat ♪

if you'd get a radio in here, I wouldn't have to do that.

So your graduation is Wednesday at 4:00, correct?

You really don't have to go to it, Luke.

I've been through this whole chilton thing with you.

Okay. Good. I want you there.

Good. So, what do you want?

Are you hungry? I'm just sore.

Let's go home and rest.

Okay.

Hey, wait. Don't leave these. Store 'em for us.

Yeah, till we hire a flatbed truck to carry 'em home for us.

Left foot hurts. Right foot hurts. Carry me.

You carry me. You carry me.

No, you carry me. Come on.

♪ If you're out on the road ♪

♪ feelin' lonely and so cold ♪

♪ all you have to do is call my name ♪

♪ and I'll be there on the next train ♪

♪ where you lead, I will follow ♪

♪ anywhere that you tell me to ♪

♪ if you need ♪ ♪ if you need ♪

♪ you need me to be with you ♪

♪ I will follow ♪

♪ oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ where you lead, I will follow ♪

♪ any, anywhere that you tell me to ♪

♪ if you need ♪ ♪ if you need ♪

♪ you need me to be with you ♪

♪ I will follow where you lead ♪

what is taking him so long? I don't know. Luke, come on!

Ow...

I walked right into a cobweb.

Oh. Oh. So, what's the shape of the place?

It was a really big cobweb. Terrible. So, what's the story?

Is there a spider on me? Suck it up, and tell us the scoop.

It's not so bad. So it's not so good.

"Not so bad" is not so good.

No, really, it's not bad. The floors...

are rotted. I knew it. They need to be replaced.

The floors are fine.

But they're really nice quartersawn oak floors.

What about the roof?

The roof... is shot?

It's caving in. The walls, too.

No, the roof is fine.

Some shingles need replacing,

but that looks like the extent of it.

Almost done here, folks.

Great, kirk, did you find any mold?

Did I find any silent death? Not so far, no.

I did tell you about the dangers of mold and ed McMahon's dog?

Suffered memory loss due to mold infestation.

Forgot how to sit. Yes, it was horrible.

It's a growth industry right now. Pardon the pun.

Mold is money. I just wish I wasn't so scared of finding it.

Don't look too hard, then.

So, what's the final prognosis, Luke?

We're not buying a money pit, are we?

You're gonna spend money, but it's not a pit. Might be a steal.

It's a steal. We are such great businesswomen.

You could probably have this place up and running in... Four or five months.

Which will give the independence inn owners

plenty of time to find our replacements.

We could be running our own inn in less than a year.

What's the matter, kirk... mold?

No, mouse!

We all knew that our education at chilton would be exemplary.

But it was the people at chilton... all my friends...

hi, Marcy, love you. Cody and Debbie, love you, too.

The faculty, the administrative staff, even our janitorial staff.

Jaime and Joachim, I can't count the number of times you guys made me laugh.

Does she need medical attention? Paris...

Jaime and Joachim aren't even getting a copy of this.

It's the end of the year. People get nostalgic.

How's your valedictorian speech coming along?

Oh. Um, it's okay.

Pretty standard, boring, "we love the school," blah, blah, blah.

No one listens to those things anyhow, so...

Relax. I'm okay with you making valedictorian over me.

Oh. Good. Thanks.

Sure. I actually googled the personal histories

of Ivy-league valedictorians going back 25 years

and found some enlightening statistics.

They don't necessarily do too well in later life. Did you know that?

Oh, yeah. A lot of business failure, crumbled marriages,

suicides, obesity.

A bunch died in car crashes, several did time.

One suffocated when his cat fell asleep on his face.

Okay. Well, thanks again.

Hey, a.V. Geek, just pan my body nice and slow.

Why? Yeah. Why?

Because I'll never look better than I do now.

Come on, ladies. We don't have all day.

A.V. Geek, I'm going to need six minutes.

You're only allowed two. Rolling.

Fellow chilton seniors, it's been quite a year.

I hate this.

One guest in the whole inn. One guy.

And I pulled towel duty today.

It's especially awful handling guest's towels

when you know exactly which guest the towels belong to.

It's his mites on those towels.

Don't be gross.

This is degrading for a man of my capabilities.

Well, what about me?

I've got no kitchen. I'm a chef.

My skills are deteriorating.

I need to saute, emulsify, marinate.

I need more mental stimulation.

I need to freakin' fry a dead animal in a skillet.

I'm going nuts.

I should have been a dancer.

What? My mother put me in dance school, and I rebelled.

I wanted to kick the football. I should not have.

I've seen you dance. You jump around like a duck.

I'm getting mighty sick of you. Not as sick as I am of you.

You know what? You do his towels.

I'm not doing his towels anymore.

I hate that stupid guy with that stupid newspaper.

Yo, guys, no bickering in front of the guest.

Tell that to deney terrio here.

"I should've been a dancer."

Lorelai, how long can we keep this up?

Keep what up?

We have one guest.

Half the rooms are still closed from the fire.

Most of the staff is laid off.

I am doing mite towels,

and the owner's son is walking around

with a bunch of men in suits.

Yeah, John's here. That can't be good.

John is here looking things over for the renovation

that will reopen all the closed rooms

so we can be up and running again. Stop worrying.

Okay. Okay.

Independence inn. Lorelai speaking.

Lorelai, it's your mother. Mother. Hi.

I'm calling to find out how it's going to work at Rory's graduation.

Are we going to be sitting together?

Well, hmm... Hmm... Hmm...

Lorelai.

Sorry. Hmm...

Lorelai! Mother, of course. We're family.

Well, I knew that. I just wasn't sure if you did.

Well, we're sitting together.

Good. Yes, it is.

Ask her about the gift.

Dad? He's on the other line.

Oh. Sure got the quiet thing down there.

I'm on the upstairs portable, but I'm on my way downstairs.

I see your mother now. Hello, Emily.

I'm on my way to the couch and am about to sit.

It's like the thrilling days of radio.

We wanted to ask you about a gift for Rory.

It's a big gift, a little extravagant.

It's a big occasion, so it makes sense. We want to buy her a car.

I-I think that's a great idea.

Really? Wonderful.

Yeah, Rory needs to get back and forth from Yale a lot,

and the quicker she does it, the more I get to see her.

Yes, right.

I suppose so. Didn't think of that.

Just not a gas guzzler and no ferraris or lamborghinis.

So, nothing Italian?

It can be Italian, just sensible Italian.

Alright. Well, good.

I'm glad we have this settled.

Good. Well, maybe I'll see you at the graduation.

Maybe I won't.

What? See you there. Bye.

Goodbye. Bye.

Hey, you and your Armani posse want something to drink, John?

No. No, lorelai. We're fine. Thanks. Okay.

So, I've been lying to people about you all day. About what?

About how it's not a big deal that you're walking around

with a concerned look on your face

with a group of men with concerned looks on their faces.

I think I've been lying to me, too.

We have to close off three more rooms.

That'll leave us with two.

And the estimate for the repairs

to get everything back to the quality we had and up to code...

It's not pretty. No, that's not pretty.

Mom's leaning towards selling. Nothing's final yet.

Yeah, nothing's final.

It's just... Rory grew up here. I grew up here.

Yeah, I better get back to my group.

Right. Sure. You go.

Hey, be careful not to trip over our guest.

I won't.

Sookie! Jackson! You better not be in bed!

You expecting lorelai? No.

Come on. The night is young, and the champagne's cold!

The champagne?

Surprise!

What is this? It's a celebration.

For what? Sookie, get some glasses.

Jackson, put some music on. Whatever you want.

Just make it festive. Got it.

I don't know what this is, but it's fun.

Let's see. I got creedence clearwater revival.

Good energy, too hillbilly. Okay.

How you coming with those glasses, sook?

Just wiping off the fancy ones.

Huey Lewis and the news?

It's Sookie's.

Hey, we all have our guilty pleasures.

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana brass?

Oh, fun, festive. That's perfect. Crank it.

Okay. I've got some cold dom for me and Jackson.

Happens to be my brand.

Oh, I love this song.

And for Sookie and little baby whatever it is,

we got the apple bubbly stuff.

And cheers.

Cheers. Cheers.

Now, come on. What are we celebrating?

Well, you ready?

Yeah. Definitely.

The independence inn is closing.

Yay... Yay...

The inn is closing.

Not closing, closed. We're finished.

It's all over. They're boarding the place up as we speak.

Well, did they find some gold in the basement or something?

'Cause I'm missing the celebrating angle.

You should always celebrate new challenges,

and that's what this is. A new challenge.

Yes. There'll be some severance pay, then nothing.

Nothing! Nothing but exciting new challenges. Cheers.

The inn is closed.

Well, I-I guess this means

that you guys can focus solely on refurbishing the dragonfly,

getting that up and running. That's exciting.

Yes, it is.

Yeah, I agree. Just drink some more.

How are you feeling?

A little drunk, and all I'm drinking is apple juice.

Good, 'cause I've got another little piece of news for you.

We can't buy the dragonfly

because I can't swing my share of the money

because I no longer have a steady income.

Wow. That is great.

I'm sorry. Was that an exciting challenge, too?

Absolutely.

Yesterday our lives were boring and predictable.

We had jobs. We were gonna start our own business.

But now everything is wide open.

We can do anything we want because we're not penned in.

That's good.

Yes, that's good.

Thinking of those new challenges is a nice way to distract me

from the fact that we don't work together anymore.

So we're gonna see way less of each other, so...

Which will make our limited time together more enjoyable!

Right, and since I'm your vegetable supplier,

I'm losing work

and seeing my wife and close friend way less than before.

Cheers!

Yeah.

That would convert it into a town bylaw,

a minor but nonetheless important change

from local ordinance,

giving us the leeway to enforce charter amendments five and six

and grandfathering in previously proposed statutes

with no procedural delay.

So, all those in favor of going ahead with this, say aye.

All those opposed...

People, what's going on?

People?!

Oh, sorry, Taylor. What is the matter with you?

It might be the first time 60 people lost their train of thought at the same time.

Taylor, your voice always makes me think of my grocery list.

We need croutons.

Moving on.

Now, people, I know it's an unpleasant subject,

but the deer population in this town

is reaching monstrous proportions.

Not this again.

He's always going on about the deer.

Leave 'em alone, Taylor.

But they're taking over the town.

We need to institute partial elimination.

Partial elimination?

You want to kill the little romping bambis?

People, do I have to detail the problems that these deer cause?

No, but you will.

Lyme disease, auto accidents, plane accidents.

We have flying deer?

Oh, that's scary.

Yeah, those ones you can snuff.

But the worst problem is the crop loss.

Dean, hand me the blowup, please.

Hey, Dean, he's paying you for all this, right?

Yeah. Really? How much?

People, this is a randomly chosen

but typical landscaped area in the town

that was denuded by these ruminant pests.

Randomly chosen?

Taylor, that's your backyard.

This is a little self-serving.

It might be my yard.

Might be? Taylor, no one has a "kiss the gardener" sign.

This is a trumped-up problem.

So, none of you are interested in addressing this scourge?

I have a thought.

A controlled hunt.

Guns? Not guns, wolves.

You release a pack of wolves, they eat the deer.

Problem solved.

Of course, then you'll have to deal with your wolf problems.

I say that we defer this unsavory topic for another year.

Now, wait a minute. All those in favor...

Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.

Taylor's opposed. Meeting adjourned.

I missed the whole thing?

Yes, and I am still semi-grounded,

so I only have limited amount of time in the outside world.

Hurry and show me your prom pictures.

These are them.

Lane, how many did you take?

300. I'll leave them with you.

What's this? Our chicken picatta.

And this? Our chicken picatta after one bite.

So, don't tell me... two bites?

Okay. I think I can follow this.

Keep them in order.

I will.

Hi.

Taylor's paying you to do all this work, isn't he?

He knows I need money,

so he's helping me out with extra stuff to do.

He's a good guy. Yeah, he is a good guy, very good guy.

So, how are the ol' wedding plans?

They're fine.

My mom's held about a million weddings at the inn,

and I've worked on a lot of them.

So I'm a fountain of useful tips.

Good.

For instance, your photographer?

Have him take candid photographs along with the other ones.

That way, it'll capture a lot of your favorite moments,

and you won't be stuck with just the stiff posed shots.

Candid. Okay.

And if the ring bearer is younger than 5 years old...

My nephew... he's 3.

Don't give him the ring until the last second.

Because I have seen many a ring swallowed,

and well, it takes a couple days to get it back.

Good point.

It's actually been kind of overwhelming.

I mean, you have to rent the hall a year in advance.

Make sure that your deposit is refundable

as long as you can. Yeah, it is.

Then there's a lot of stuff that we have to buy, too, for our place.

Oh, yeah, about that. Come on. Sit.

What's this?

Your wedding gift.

You can get anything you want.

But I've marked a bunch of pages

with stuff that I think would be most appropriate.

I just wanted to get in early,

so I'd be the first one to get you a blender.

You don't have to do this.

I know. That's why it's fun.

This has everything.

I'd recommend the mixing bowls. Those are really nice.

Or a knife set and a sharpener.

Sharpening's very important. I learned that from Sookie.

If you leave them too long, it's too late. Respect your knives.

Thanks, Rory.

You're welcome.

So, just flip through it with Lindsay

and pick out what you want, and I'll order it. I will.

Bye, Dean.

Bye, Rory.

We should bring it in a bit more.

Oh, sure, but first why don't you use a medieval torture instrument

to flatten my spinal cord in order to accommodate your sadistic wish there?

Don't use subtlety on us. We're slow.

I think she's saying we don't need to bring it in anymore. Take it off. You're done.

Ugh. I should go.

Got a stupid job interview tomorrow morning.

You know what? I'm nervous. Which place?

Harrington's in woodbridge.

They want me to be their executive chef.

God, I can't imagine working someplace else. And without my lorelai.

But it's only a few months till the dragonfly opens, right?

Uh... You haven't told her yet. Tell me what?

I was waiting for an opportunity. To tell me what?

Which apparently is right now.

Okay, um, hon, listen.

We, um, we're not buying the dragonfly.

What?

It's just not the right time.

You're crazy. It's the perfect time. Not really.

But if you wait, someone else is gonna buy it.

I'm gonna go, guys. Sorry to spill the beans.

That's okay. I'll see you later.

Mom, why put it off?

I mean, I know the independence inn closing is a setback...

big one. But we've got the rest of grandpa's money.

That's plenty to buy the dragonfly inn.

We'll just scrimp on everything

until it's up and running and successful.

It would take a lot of scrimping.

Well, I'm a master scrimper.

I would make the olympic scrimping team. I'm that good.

Honey, we didn't get financial aid for Yale.

No scholarships, no hardship money, no money-off coupons,

no gift certificates, nothing.

I don't understand. What happened?

Well, irony of ironies, the money I got from your grandpa

took us out of the running for financial aid

'cause it made it look like we have money.

Well, send them proof.

Here, take a picture of this couch.

No one will think we have money after looking at this couch.

I tried everything. I swear. Why didn't you tell me this?

I didn't want you worrying.

But grandpa's money... is paying for Yale.

No. No way.

Rory...

I'll take a student loan out from the bank.

I don't want you buried by loans the day you graduate from college.

I'll major in something that'll immediately make me a lot of money when I graduate.

I'll major in business or engineering.

You're not changing your major form journalism

because of my lack of money.

It's our lack.

If you need to work as a low-paid intern for a magazine

or a stringer for some small-town newspaper,

or tom brokaw's toupee-comber-outer

before you make real money, then that's what you'll do.

There has to be another way.

I looked. There's nothing.

This is so not fair to you.

I'll have my own inn one day, I promise,

but Yale comes first.

What are you gonna do now?

Rail at God for a while.

Tell her I said hi.

What happened to our packing elves

who were gonna pack our packs overnight?

How about this?

You hate the dress I made you that much?

Not for graduation, for Europe.

Oh, it's perfect.

It's black, so it won't show dirt or wrinkles.

And if you wear it with a moody look on your face,

they'll mistake you for Simone de beauvoir.

It's too heavy. So, was that a trick question?

We both need to cut weight from our packs.

I am doing my part here.

You don't need five pairs of boots.

I'll drop some boots if you drop some books.

You can't bring 12 books.

You also need to cut your undergarments.

We'll rinse in woolite every few days.

This is going to an uncomfortable place.

And your toothpaste... you have three full tubes.

Why three?

If I lose one, I'll have another to take its place.

Then I'm bringing 12 books, plus a dictionary.

Then I'm bringing a gallon of Mercury,

which is one of the heaviest substances known to man.

I think the writing's on the wall here. Cancel Europe.

I've gotta run. I love my graduation dress.

I know.

It's a shame about Europe being canceled, huh?

It's not supposed to be that great anyway,

except for the cheese.

Nine books for two toothpastes.

Deal.

Who is it, Emily? I don't know, Richard.

My X-ray vision isn't working at the moment.

I was wondering if you were expecting somebody.

I wasn't expecting anybody.

Rory.

Hi, grandma. Hi, grandpa.

What brings you here on this busy day?

I have sort of a time-sensitive issue I need to talk to you about.

Time-sensitive? Well, come in, come in.

We were just getting ready for your ceremony.

I was just retying my tie for the third time.

No matter how many times I tie a tie, there's always room for error.

It's not an exact science, is it? Nor an art form.

Sit down. Please.

Okay. Alright.

Should we be nervous?

No. You shouldn't be. I am a little.

Well, what is it?

I need money.

You need money. For Yale.

You need money for Yale.

Stop repeating everything she says. I'm processing.

Look, it's a long story, but no other financing came through.

And all the other options that mom and I have are just...

well, not good enough. So, here's the offer...

I would like for you to loan me the money for four years at Yale.

And in return, I will pay you in installments.

I will continue this payment schedule after graduation,

increasing the payment amounts in proportion to my income.

Plus, I will reinstate Friday-night dinners with me.

Every Friday night, I will be here 7:00 on the dot.

Well, how wonderful.

We've missed you, Rory. I've missed you, too.

So, this should work out for everyone, right?

Absolutely. We're happy to do it.

Not so fast.

I'm happy to pay for Yale,

but I don't want it to be a loan.

I want it to be a loan.

Because, otherwise, it's too easy.

Well, then, here's my counteroffer.

Let's make it a loan,

but I insist that you not start paying it back

until at least five years after you graduate,

seven years if you go for your master's.

That sounds fair, but I should pay interest. No.

You are not going to pay me interest on this money. That's a deal breaker.

Okay.

Good. Wonderful.

We have a deal.

Listen, if journalism doesn't work out,

you might consider working for me after you graduate.

You've got good deal-making skills.

Eye of the tiger I'll keep that in mind.

Well, I should go.

Rory, does your mother know you're here?

No. This is my thing.

I'll see you at the ceremony.

Where do you want to sit? So, there's no special designated area

for family and friends of the valedictorian?

Like a skybox or a velvet rope on one of the rows.

We're the chilton equivalent of 50 cent's posse.

Where are the boys? Over there.

They're doing that thing guys do around fancy buildings.

Talk about their construction.

The insurance costs.

Hey, guys, get over here.

Here's a row.

How many seats do we need? You, me, Luke, Jackson.

That's four.

Plus picklepuss and Sauerkraut.

Your parents make six.

These stones have to be carved by hand.

Without the tools we have now, no electricity.

Just pulleys and fulcrums.

Hey, Bob vila, take a seat.

We have to vow

not to make fun of any of the kids,

because, inevitably, their family will be sitting behind us just like at that play.

Right. Oh. The big-eared Romeo fiasco of '98.

Gotcha.

Who's paging you?

Maybe there's a special surprise party

for the valedictorian's mom backstage before the ceremony.

I bet there is.

I'll be right back.

Wow. Look at the gargoyles.

Huh?

Now, those have to be imported from Europe.

The insurance on this place must be astronomical.

Nanny, you brought the kids! Voce trouxe as criancas!

Paris!

Ah, minha querida elzira, catarina...

E olindo Enrique, Antonio banderas.

Excuse me. Hi. I'm looking for Rory gilmore. She's the valedictorian.

I'm her mom.

Mom. No, wait. Go away.

I want to tell other people I'm the valedictorian's mom.

I've got good news. I want to tell you real quick.

Come here.

Okay. You ready?

I hope so. Ready for what?

You're getting your inn.

Go put in a bid on the dragonfly.

You've got the money now... grandpa's money.

What are you talking about?

Grandma and grandpa are paying for Yale.

I explained the situation. They totally understand.

And they're lending me the money for Yale.

When did they approach you about this?

No.

It's a done deal.

So, make the call, put in the bid before someone else does.

The gilmores do nothing altruistically.

Strings are attached to everything.

There are no strings. No strings?

I have to pay them back five years after I graduate,

and Friday-night dinners are back.

Um, hello, Pinocchio, those are strings.

But it was my idea to resume the dinners,

and I obligated just me. You are no way a part of it.

I don't want you to defer your dream.

You shouldn't have done this behind my back.

Mom, Yale is my thing. I needed financing, I got it.

Those people, those master manipulators.

Mom, this was my idea. I'm manipulating.

They are manipulating you to manipulate me.

How are they doing that?

If you go to Friday-night dinners, mom knows I'll go, too, just to be with you.

She wasn't thinking that. They're getting exactly what they want.

We're all getting exactly what we want.

It's a win-win-win situation.

It's not. It is.

Okay. Maybe it is, but just once, just once,

I want you to get exactly what you want

and me to get exactly what I want

and them to get nothing.

Well, we'll see if we can't arrange that sometime.

I better get back out there.

Go buy that inn.

Hi.

Hello. Oh, hi.

Didn't you see Sookie? We've got seats all saved.

Yes, but we didn't know

if the whole seating issue had been resolved.

Well, it was. Come on.

I don't remember it being fully resolved, either.

We didn't know if you'd changed your mind.

Well, I didn't. Come on.

Fine. Just stay there.

You're not serious?

Uhh!

Uh, mom, dad, you've met everyone here.

Sookie, Jackson, Luke.

Hi. How you doing?

No Christopher?

No, he's out of town,

but he's having us take tons of pictures

and order him the official video.

We may even come back and re-enact the whole thing.

Now, sit, relax.

Um, Sookie, long story short,

and a partially painful story at that,

and hang on to your hat,

but we can now put a bid in on the dragonfly.

What? You're kidding.

How? What happened?

I can't go into it now. I got to tell you,

even with the champagne and all, I've been depressed for days.

I couldn't watch "the dating game" anymore.

I'll go call the attorney.

You sit back and relax and enjoy the graduation.

Ooh. Sorry.

This will not happen again, promise.

You're gonna have to move over one more chair

to be part of the group, guys. I thought maybe someone else was coming.

No. You sure?

It would be awkward to move during the ceremony.

Yes, I know what awkward is.

What, mom? Nothing.

That man in front of me is extraordinarily tall,

don't you think?

The middle one... she bowled a 143 last week.

Impressive.

Sorry. Whoops.

I was here before a lot of you.

It just looks like I'm late.

Appearances can be deceiving.

So sorry.

Real estate agent wasn't in, so I left a message. Rats.

Did Rory walk in? Yeah, first row,

right in front of the kid with the humongous...

the... the really cute kid.

Darn, I wanted to get a picture of her walking in.

I'll get some of her in her seat.

Excuse me. I'm sorry. I'm not... I'm not like this.

Today I am. I'm with the valedictorian.

Invited guests, fellow faculty, honored attendees, and students,

welcome to the chilton academy

graduating class ceremony of 2003.

This year's class is a distinguished assemblage,

equal to or surpassing what has preceded it.

In its 200-year history,

chilton has not failed to produce a class

that brings only honor to these grounds

and to the academy's fine traditions.

To begin, I would like to invite

the student body president, Paris geller,

to lead us in the pledge of allegiance.

Paris?

As his parting shot to me, Charleston never responded

to the three aspects of the pledge

that I had an objection to and considered rewriting.

That's not going to stop me from using air quotes.

Through good times and bad, chilton formed us,

brought us hope, honed our insight, gave us encouragement.

Though my time here was briefly interrupted

by my period spent on Broadway hanging out with Stephen sondheim,

I still consider chilton

the most rewarding experience of my young life.

Now, it had always been my plan, in closing,

to recite a short poem I had written.

But reconsidered. Come on, Brad. Go out a winner.

But I realized the sentiments I wanted to share with my fellow students

were better expressed in a favorite song of mine.

♪ Cherish is the word I use to describe ♪

♪ bong, bong, bong, bong ♪ oh, Brad.

♪ The feelings that I have hiding here for you inside ♪

♪ bong, bong, bong ♪

♪ you don't know how many times I wish that I had told you ♪

it's a distinct pleasure for me to introduce to you our valedictorian.

This young lady was a second-year transfer from a modest school,

where she distinguished herself immeasurably.

She is humble, hardworking, competitive when need be,

and unparalleled in her academic achievements.

Ladies and gentlemen, Rory gilmore.

Whoo! Whoo!

Not crying, right? Not crying.

Keeping our cool so we don't miss anything.

Tears get in your eyes.

Then you miss things. So, we're not crying.

Not crying. Not crying.

Not crying. Not crying. What?

No crying. I'm not crying.

Headmaster Charleston, faculty members,

fellow students, family, and friends, welcome.

We never thought this day would come.

We prayed for its quick delivery,

crossed days off our calendars,

counted hours, minutes, and seconds.

And now that it's here, I'm sorry it is,

because it means leaving friends who inspire me

and teachers who have been my mentors,

so many people who have shaped my life

and my fellow students' lives impermeably and forever.

I live in two worlds. One is a world of books.

I have been a resident of faulkner's yoknapatawpha county,

hunted the white whale aboard the "pequod,"

fought alongside Napoleon, sailed a raft with huck and Jim,

committed absurdities with ignatius j. Reilly,

rode a sad train with Anna Karenina,

and strolled down Swann's way.

It's a rewarding world, but my second one is, by far, superior.

My second one is populated

with characters slightly less eccentric,

but supremely real, made of flesh and bone, full of love,

who are my ultimate inspiration for everything.

Richard and Emily gilmore are kind, decent,

unfailingly generous people.

They are my twin pillars, without whom I could not stand.

I am proud to be their grandchild.

But my ultimate inspiration comes from my best friend...

the dazzling woman from whom I received my name

and my life's blood, lorelai gilmore.

Uh-oh. Hang in there.

My mother never gave me any idea that I couldn't do whatever I wanted to do

or be whomever I wanted to be.

She filled our house with love and fun and books and music,

unflagging in her efforts to give me role models

from Jane Austen to eudora welty to Patti smyth.

As she guided me through these incredible 18 years,

I don't know if she ever realized

that the person I most wanted to be was her.

Not crying.

Crying a little.

Crying a little, but not blubbering.

That's what we meant when we said no crying.

Thank you, mom.

You are my guidepost for everything.

On the verge of blubbering here.

I'm not doing too well myself.

Not you, too.

I'm blubbering. You're freaks.

Allegra grace fass.

I swear. I do not recognize half of these people.

Hey, what's your name? What's your story?

Carissa Marie forth.

Where is she? Do you see her?

She's the one in the robe. Lorelai, please.

She's lost in a sea of blue polyester.

I couldn't point her out if I wanted to.

Richard, how much to insure all this?

The insurance is probably not prohibitive,

but the deductibles would be enormous.

Well into six figures. Six figures?

That's like having no insurance at all. So, if there was a fire...

Please stop assessing the value of the building and pay attention.

Ooh. Ooh. Sorry. I want to get a closer shot of her getting her diploma.

Oop. Sorry. I'm sorry.

Thanks. I suck. I'm sorry.

Paris eustace geller.

Finally... A name I recognize.

Congratulations, Paris.

No hard feelings.

Okay.

Lorelai Leigh gilmore.

This is it.

She looks so solemn.

Like a gilmore.

Congratulations, Rory.

Thank you, headmaster.

Diana Christine godby.

Lorelai, really.

I taught her everything I know.

Honest to God, last time. Oh, sorry.

Oh, my God. Uh, I-I...

I need a pen. I don't have a pen.

Luke, give me your pen. I don't have a pen.

You have got to stop assuming that I take pens with me wherever I go.

Never be without a pen. Oh, thank you, dad. Excuse me.

Really, lorelai, how many more times are you gonna do that?

I think about six.

Class of 2003, give yourself a hand.

How was my speech?

It made everyone cry, including stone cold Luke. Luke, you old softie.

I will never live this down. Not with me in your life.

I gotta get back to the diner. Thanks for coming, Luke.

Oh, sure. The building's amazing.

So are you.

Thanks.

It really was great of you to come, Luke.

It meant a lot to her. It was fun.

So, if I don't see you,

have fun on your trip with Nicole.

Oh, we may not go now.

What? You were really looking forward to it.

I don't know if the timing's right.

Things are kind of weird right now.

Oh, no. It's because I teased you

about the commitment thing and proposing.

I ruined it. No, that's not it.

Please promise me that's not it.

But you weren't wrong about that.

It got me thinking,

and it is kind of like committing to her.

I don't want to lead her on.

But you like her, Luke. You like her a lot, don't you?

Yeah. She's great. Then go.

No matter what she's reading into it.

Really? You think that's okay considering...

I don't know... everything?

Yeah, I do.

Oh, okay. I'll probably go then.

Good. I guess I was just nervous about nothing.

That's what I think, too.

I'll see you in a couple months.

Yeah. I'll see you then.

Hey.

I guess we should say our goodbyes.

Nanny made me a special dinner.

She makes a mean farturas.

Well, good. I'm glad you found me.

I wanted to say goodbye, too. Good. Well, good luck.

You know, I-it's weird.

Most of the time, I really hated you.

Yeah. I really hated you, too.

Hey.

Well, I think it might be time

to present Rory with her graduation gift.

Oh, you guys didn't have to get me anything.

Nonsense.

This one wouldn't fit in an envelope,

so follow me, please.

We're really excited about this one.

So am I. Good.

Rory, there is your gift. It's the one with the bow.

Um, grandpa...

Richard... Oh, for Pete's sake.

Well, it was the only one there when I drove it up.

You should've put a more distinctive bow on it.

How should I know that every kid was getting a car?

We got you a car.

That's amazing. Thank you.

Thank you. Which one is it?

Or did you get her one for every day of the week, like the underwear?

We got her one car. It's a little prius.

It's safe, it gets great gas mileage.

And it's the one that Leonardo dicaprio drives.

Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I love you guys. We love you, too.

And don't forget to call about...

insurance. I'll do it the second I get home.

Good. Congratulations, Rory.

And thank you for your speech.

You're welcome. I meant it. Thank you for everything.

Have fun in Europe... Both of you.

Thank you, mom. When do you get back?

The 27th. Terrific. We'll see you that Friday for dinner.

Explain the win-win-win thing again.

Everybody wins. That's what it is.

Hmm. Here.

Hello? Hello? They hang up?

Yeah. You've been getting a lot of those lately.

Hello?

Jess, is that you?

Jess, I'm pretty sure it's you,

and I'm pretty sure you've been calling and not saying anything but want to say something.

Hello?

You're not going to talk, fine. I'll talk.

You didn't handle things right... At all.

You could've talked to me.

You could've told me that you were having trouble in school

and that your dad had been there, but you didn't.

And you didn't take me to my prom and not coming to my graduation

and leaving again without saying goodbye again.

And that's fine. I get it.

But that's it for me. I'm going to Europe tomorrow.

I'm going to Yale, and I'm moving on.

And I'm not going to pine.

I hope you didn't think I was going to pine, okay?

I think...

I think I may have loved you, but I just need to let it go.

So, that's it, I guess. Um, I-I hope you're good.

I want you to be good. And, um, okay, so goodbye.

That word sounds really lame and stupid right now,

but there it is. Goodbye.

Hey. You okay? I'm okay.

Come on.

But Sookie and Jackson are out that way.

I want to go back a different way. Come on.

I thought we were going home.

I just want to make one more stop before we do.

Hi, Luke.

Lorelai, hi. Where's Rory?

Oh, she's out in the car.

Oh.

It was a really nice ceremony, wasn't it?

Yeah, it was beautiful.

Oh. What's up?

I just wanted to say something to you

in case we don't see each other before you go on your trip.

Sure. What?

Don't get engaged.

What? Why?

Lorelai?

Mom! Wait! Hurry! Hurry!

This outfit produces a lot of wind resistance.

Okay.

What are we doing here? Leaving our mark. Got a knife?

A knife? For what? Carving our initials. Come on. Knife, knife.

Like the switchblade I keep in my sock?

No, I left it at home.

I must have something in here.

Ha ha... safety pin. Perfect.

We can't do this.

Yes, we can.

People need to know we were here.

I'm in the yearbook.

How about the wall?

That's too out in the open. They'll trace it back.

They'll see I.G. And r.G. And figure out it was us?

Somewhere in the floor? This marble is 200 years old.

Harriet beecher stowe walked on this marble.

Ooh. The banister.

Was donated by Robert frost.

The sconce.

Was ceremonially lit for the first time by Thomas Edison.

Jeez. Is there anything in this whole room

that some famous dead person

didn't have something to do with?

Ooh. Cool it. Cool it.

This is a very interesting architectural doodad...

And wingdings and tum-tums.

That was close.

Just carve it really tiny

here on the baseboard of the wall

and do it reversed, so g.L. And g.R.

Oh, maybe it's not such a good idea.

The madness passes.

Hey, you guys coming? Party at your place, right?

A party? Just a little gathering.

We'll meet you back at our house.

Okay. See you there.

Wait, wait. Look around for a second.

You notice?

Notice what?

It's not so scary anymore.

No. It's not.