All language subtitles for In a class of his own

We have a real situation.

I repeat,
we have a real situation!

Shut down all access ways out.

The last thing I need
is a riot on my hands.

Nobody gets in or out.

Do I make myself clear?

Sector one, do you copy?

Repeat,

do you copy?

You'd better get a move on, sir.

Looks like things
may get out of hand down here.

Copy.

Damn these animals.

We all know
that was an accident.

What is the meaning
of this?

Come on, skip.

You know, I was just
busting some old school moves

for the kids, you know?

There are several things
we must address here.

First, don't call me skip,

address me
as Mr. Jordan

in front of
the students.

Second, music is not permitted
on the school grounds.

That's not my rule.

I love the beat.

Third, why don't you do
what you were hired for,

like push a broom
or slosh a mop around?

Keep the place clean, okay?

My office
is open

for the next
half hour.

Feel free to pop in.

Bust a move.

Yeah.

[ Speaking Spanish ]

Hey, what did I tell you
about cursing around here, huh?

I know it's
the last Baton...

Bastion.

Of a person who can't find
the right words to use

in a time of a heated moment,

and besides,

it makes you
sound stupid.

So listen, come by my office
tomorrow morning,

I'll fix your radio for you.

All right?

All right.

Thanks, rich.

Hey, babe, you home?

Sherry?

What? You're not
feeling any better?

Better than
yesterday,

but worse than
this morning.

Go see Dr. Kreigel.

Rich, I'm fine.

It's just this bug
that everyone at work has.

Three-day thing.

It'll be gone
tomorrow.

Stop Hawking me, okay?

I'm fine.

I could fix you a little dinner?

You know, I could make you
my world-famous tuna casserole.

No tuna.

Some green peas
in there?
No.

Maybe a little
creamed corn?
Uh-uh.

A little cornflake
topping?

Oh, god.

So that would be a "no"
on the tuna.

So, did you fix it?

Quarter, please.

Uh, come on, rich--

uh-uh-uh,
a quarter.

But...

I swore in Spanish.
That shouldn't count.

All right.

Okay, now that I'm a rich man,

how's everything
with your father?

Stepfather. Okay, I guess.

Still looking for a gig.

I'm sure Alberto is trying,
okay?

You've got to
cut him some slack.

This can't be easy
for him.

Are we cool? Huh?

Yeah, we're cool.

Now, do me a favor.

Mellow out
on that volume button, okay?

Okay. Done.

Thanks for hooking me up.

Here you go.

Why don't you

get some different
kind of music?

What's wrong
with my music?

All that
gangster stuff,

it's got all
that cursing.

Cursing?

Damn, that boy is fine.

Ka-ching!

Hey, sorry.
What's up?

Oh, god!

You know,
I don't care,

because he's
worth the fee.

Stay out of Jordan's hair,
all right?

Thanks, guys.

You okay?

No, I'm not.

If you could
give me a hand,

that would be great.

What do you need?

Well, besides a higher g.P.A.,

a full ride to Michigan,

and a little help
on my outside j,

I'd settle for directions
to miss ching's class.

Oh, you're in Linda's class.

This way.

All right.

I'll tell you
what, man,

this school
is so much bigger

than my old school
in L.A.

Oh, Mr. Hollywood,

what brings
you up here?

It was actually
my dad.

He got transferred
again, you know?

Every six months,

new zip code,
new school.

It's kind of this
ongoing process.

Yeah, well, you know,
you're going to dig it here.

You know,
it's a good bunch of kids.

Yeah?

How long have you
been in special...

What did you
say you taught?

I didn't.

Didn't what?

Didn't say I taught.

I'm the custodial engineer.

Really?
You mean like a janitor?

Exactly like a janitor.

Come on.

All right, all
right, everybody,

this is Jake, uh...

What is that?

Matteson.

Matteson.
Jake matteson.

He's a transfer
in from L.A.

Don't hold that
against him.

Rich? I think, um,

there's a seat
back here.

If he needs a seat.

Oh, okay.

Thanks.

Hi.

How are you doing?

All right, you two, okay.
You get acquainted later.

All right, where's miss ching?

Uh, she got called
away for a minute.

Oh, so you guys just thought
it was free time, huh?

You were dancing
in the cafeteria.

That's right--
in the cafeteria,

but a classroom
is a place to expand your mind,

okay?

So come on here, guys,

open your books
to where miss ching left off.

Yo, Brady, hook me up.

What are you guys studying?

Square roots,
common denominators,

the usual.

The usual.

What page?

217.

Okay, it says here

that a square root
is the, um...

A denominator is what?

A base number?

Okay. Okay, good, good,

so if you have
a base number of...

Hey, retards 101,

you learn
the alphabet yet

or what?

Okay, forget about it.

Let's talk about, uh...

Hey, rich.

Oh, hey.

Miss ching.

Hey, I was just...

I was just
keeping them sharp

till you got back.

Thanks.
Thanks, rich.

Okay.

Hey, you guys,

you, uh...

Keep those
denominators common.

I'm out of here.

Oh, man.

What do you know
about basketball?

All you do is
bust people's lips.

You shouldn't be on the courts
with that weak-ass team.

Enough.

Now, Mr. Guitterez,

fighting again,
good move.

I'm sure your parents
will be thrilled

to have you spend
the next two weeks at home.

I heard it over the radio.

I thought you might
use a little help.

I'm fine, thanks.

I want to talk to rich.

Pardon me.

I want to talk to rich.

I'm the guidance
counselor here.

I know that,
Mr. Jordan.

Look, I just want
to deal with rich.

I want rich as my lawyer.

Don't push your luck.

You're coming with me.

Guitterez,
I'll deal with you later.

Are you trying
to get me in trouble, too?

Oh, that burns, man.

Oh, you think so?

Yeah, it hurts.

Oh, great.

Is this fun for you?

You want to come in here
and shoot hoops in my trash can?

You know,
you split that kid's lip open,

you're whining

about a little
alcohol on your arm.

Come on, i--

don't interrupt me.

You think you're going to
just walk through life

being this tough guy
with a mediocre j?

Mediocre?

Let me tell you something,
my man.

You're going to try
and step through the wrong guy,

and he's going to dust you, kid,
all right?

There's always someone out there
tougher, meaner,

and don't care
about pulling the trigger.

You're just another
statistic, yo.

All right, go on,
get out of here.

I'll talk to
Jordan for you.

All right.

There's no way
I can be suspended.

Oh, no, you're
out of here, dude.

What?

I'll try to get him
down to a week, okay?

Hi, excuse me,

do you mind
if I sit down?

Please.

Don't mean to interrupt.

I just wanted to thank you
for taking it easy on guitterez.

He's kind of going through

a bad time
at home right now.

I don't know
if you're aware of,

you know,

what's going on with him

with his mother leaving
and all--

of course I know that.

Yeah.

Yeah, divorce can be kind of--

I know what divorce can be,
rich.

Oh, okay.

Well, thanks.

You have
a good day.

Thanks. You too.

Man,
get out of here.

I've got next.

Man, I said
get out of here.

I said I've got next.

Pick that guy out, man.

How you doing, buddy?

I said I've got next.

Next.

Man, we could have
used you last year.

Man, we went
3 and 12.

Can you
believe that?

Actually, I didn't
play last year.

I messed up my
knee pretty bad.

You're going to try out
for the team here, right?

I don't know, man.
My knee's still messed up.

Besides,
I just transferred over here.

It's crazy
right now.

Well, who've you got?

Uh...

You know, man, I forgot.

You forgot?

Y'all, the school's big,
but it's not that big.

Um, it's an Asian teacher.

Mr. Lee?

Yeah.

Good. Man, for a second there,

I thought you were going to say
miss ching's class.

The retards 101.

Nah. Anyways, man,

I've got to get
out of here.

I'll catch up with
you guys later.

Good run, man.

Good run.

You've really
got game.

You've got serious
ups for days.

Yeah?
Yeah.

Thanks.

Um, listen,

I've got to get
out of here.

I've got to
get home.

What's your deal?

My deal?

Yeah, superstar athlete
kicking it in special ed.

What gives?

There was just trouble
with my transcripts, you know,

transferring over and all.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, sure.

No, I'm serious.
We move a lot.

Oh, you move a lot.

Yeah, it's my dad.
He's got to work.

Lucky him.

Listen,

you want to go get a slice
or something?

Yeah, I mean...

No.

I mean I want
to with you,

but we've got the
test and stuff tomorrow...

Oh, that's cool.

Okay, well,
you know,

maybe another time.

Okay. I'd like that.
That'd be cool.

Okay, well, I guess
I'll see you around.

All right.

Um, marcella?

I've got a
couple hours,

and if you're
still hungry,

for food,
for pizza.

Yeah.

Yeah? Okay.

Freddy...

Just sit down
over there.

I just want to say

thanks again
for looking out for me,

and...

I'm a good worker, uncle skip,

and mom said

that you were the best one
to help me.

Rich donato to
biology lab one.

Rich donato to
biology lab one.

Tell you what, Freddy,
come back in a couple of days.

I'll see what I can do.

Trash cans.
You guys hear of trash cans?

You know, I...
I've been thinking.

You could just do me
a little bit of a favor.

Well, that depends, all right,
what's up?

Well, when I
transferred over,

obviously,
some of my grades got lost,

and the school board

has clearly put me
in the wrong class.

Don't get me wrong,

miss ching,
she's fantastic,

but it's just...

I don't belong in that classroom
with them.

Them?

Yeah, you know, the speds.

You know, I don't care what
your grade point average is,

and I don't mind
that you're in Linda's class,

but don't you ever, ever
call those kids speds again,

because no matter
what you're trying to sell me,

you're sitting in that classroom
with them.

So what's the deal?

Will you say
anything or not?

I've got
no reason to.

I'd have more respect for you
if you'd told me the truth.

Rich, I'm telling you the truth.

No problem.

I am!

Then if you're
so smart, buddy,

then why the hell
are you the janitor?

Huh? Huh?

Hey. Hey!

Let me tell you something,
all right?

I know how those kids feel
sitting in that classroom

every day, every day!

It's not what you are
that matters, kid,

it's who you are, all right?

I know this firsthand.

I hope those grades
show up soon.

Dammit!

I hate this place.

Hey, guitterez,
what's up?

What's up, Ricardo?

Hey, Jake,

what rock have you
been hiding under?

You know.

No, I don't know.
That's why I'm asking.

I've been busy,
all right?

Guitterez,
we should go.

We've got that game
over at Lincoln.

Okay.

Hi, rich.

This was in
my mailbox

by mistake.

School board?

What are they
writing to me for?

Probably an award

for all the work you do
with the kids.

Oh, yeah, probably.

So what
does it say?

Um...

You were right.

I can't believe it.

They, uh, they want to honor me
with an award.

That's fantastic.

I'm going to go tell everybody.

No, no,
please, please,

I want to keep this a secret.

Yeah, you.

So modest.
See you.

Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow.

Oh, my god.

[ Telephone ringing ]

Hello?

Sher, it's me.

I was just thinking about you.

Hey, guess what?

Can you get down
to Franklin park asap?

What are you doing
in Franklin park?

I couldn't really come home.

Can you just get down here?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Sure, I'll be right there.

Rich?

Rich, are
you okay?

Oh, Sherry.

I am so screwed,
you know?

I am so
unbelievably screwed.

Whoa, hold on, bub,

take it down
a notch.

If you want to talk, let's talk,

if you want to
redecorate the park,

then I'm out of here.

So?

It's no big deal.

Sherry, do you realize
what this letter says?

It's come to the attention
of the school board

that you don't have
your high school diploma.

Exactly. So now what?

So now you,
according to this letter,

have 30 days to get your g.E.D.

Come on, you can do this.

How?

How am I supposed
to pass this test in one month?

What if the kids find out?

This makes me the biggest fraud.

All I ever tell them
is how important it is to study,

how important it is
to get a good education,

you know,
to go to college,

and the truth is, all I've got
is a 10th-grade education.

I couldn't even tell them
what a denominator was.

How am I supposed
to pass this test?

I read this letter, Sherry,
and I wanted to die, you know?

I never should have taken
that plant manager's test.

How am I

supposed to walk back
into that high school?

Now, you tell me,
because I don't know.

Rich, kids
half your age

take this kind of
test every week.

How hard
could it be?

Rich, it says
right here

all you need is
an 81 to pass.

An 81, rich.

Walk in,
take the test,

get your 81,
you walk out.

When you walked
out of ps-83,

you never thought

it would catch
up to you?

Why now?

Why not now?

It did, and
that's it.

End of story.

Everything happens
for a reason, rich.

Everything.

So just step up.

You want some help?

No, no, I've got to
do this on my own.

Okay.

I could quiz you
or something.

Sherry,
I appreciate it,

I do, I do,

it's just that when
I go into that room,

no one's going to
be there but me.

Sure thing.
No prob.

Um, what's the
square root of 144?

You're killing me.

I'm just protecting my assets
here, rich.

If you don't pass this test,
then we're both screwed.

Now what is the square root
of 144?

And don't tell me
you need to do this on your own.

Check that macho crap
at the door.

12.

The square root of 144 is 12.

You're beautiful.

You're not getting
extra credit for this.

Get back to work.

Okay.

You are going
to be fine.

An 81 is
like a "b".

A very
low "b," even.

Okay, save it.
No pep talks right now.

Okay.

I'm going to throw up.

I can do this.

Yes, okay,
you've got your pencils?

Check.

Erasers?

All right.

Okay.

All right.

Okay.

81.

81.

Okay.

Rock on, donato.

All right.

Okay.

No way, dude.

It's rich, right?

Yeah, that's me.

I knew it, man.

This is such
a trip, huh?

It's me, Charlie zaken.

Charlie zaken?

Dude, I used to be
the biggest pain in the ass.

Oh...

For your jar,
right?

Yeah.

Right on, man.

So, hey, hang on,

what are you
doing in here, man?

It's um...

Something with
the school board

screwing up
my transcripts.

Oh.

Political thing,
huh?

Yeah, exactly,
it's political.

I kind of
got screwed

once I got into
high school, man,

you know,
partying too much,

and that whole
thing, whatever.

Man, I'm going to nail
this bad boy today.

I've got to do it.

I've got to get
into community college.

I've got a baby on the way.

Man, I can't believe

I'm sitting
here with you.

It's so trippy.

Damn school board, huh?

I guess they, like,

never stop screwing
with you and stuff.

Well, look, Charlie,

the school board
didn't screw up.

I dropped out, too.

You're a flunkie, too.
I got you.

No. I just dropped out.

Hey, I didn't
mean anything by it.

That's cool, that's cool,

it just kind of snuck up on me,
that's all.

Show time.

Good morning.

My name is Vincent Lexington,

and welcome to your high school
equivalency exam.

To answer your earlier question,

the g.E.D. Is taken
by over 700,000 people a year,

so you are not alone.

This will be a five-part test
taken over the next five hours.

Each section will be timed,

and please
don't open your booklets

until I instruct you to do so.

When I say "next section,"

you must move on,

if you want to
complete the exam.

I want to wish all of you

tremendous success.

You may begin
the first section...

Now.

Time.

Please begin
the next section now.

Time.

Please put down
your pencils

and pass
your exams

to the front
of the room.

Yeah.

Hey, test's over,
dude, pass it up.

Oh, yeah,
sure thing.

So how'd you do?

I don't know.

Probably, uh...

I don't know.

There will be a one-hour recess.

If you would like your results,
please be back by then,

otherwise,
they will be mailed out to you.

Hey, Mr. Donato--
I mean, rich--

I want you to meet
my girl, Mimi.

Oh, hey,
nice to meet you.

You too.

Charlie told me

you used to go to school
together.

Um, yeah, kind of.

Did Charlie tell you
this is, like, his ninth time

taking the test?

So I totally hope
he passes this one.

How'd you do?

Oh, you know,
I didn't exactly ace it,

but all you need is an 81,

so I mean,
how hard could that be?

You get 10 points for
spelling your name correctly.

So...

Results are in.

Okay.

Yo, hey, good luck.

Yeah, you, too.

Nice to meet you.

You, too.

See you.
Good luck.

Good luck.

Good luck.

I can't look.

Come on, lay it on me.

Let's go.

Damn, Charlie, 59.

What?

Uh, no big deal.

I mean, 10th time's a charm,
right, man?

I've got to go.

Hey,
sorry about that.

Keep your head up.

Rich?

I've got to lock up.

Yeah, yeah, sure thing.

Couldn't sleep?

Scootch.

God, nice hair.

Great tux.

Me? Look at you.

You look like
you're on your way

to a wang chung
concert.

I was cutting edge.

You know,
I looked hot, baby.

Oh, god, maybe
not that hot.

I can't do it,
you know?

Do what?

Pass that test.

Of course you can.

You just have to
study harder

next time.

Oh, hey,

did Bobby ever
get out of jail?

It's not going to
make any difference.

What? You're just
going to Chuck it

after one try?

That's real smart,
rich.

I could
get a job

at my uncle
Joe's garage.

And then what?

That's going to
make you happy,

rebuilding
carburetors?

The money's good.

Big deal.

You think
the money's

going to make
it all right?

Don't try
and snow me, donato.

You don't work
at that school

for the money.

You know it
and I know it.

I'm just a bum.

You're not a bum.

I sat next to this kid
who remembered me

from, like,
10 years ago.

Oh, hold on a sec.

I think I left
the violin

in my other robe.

Come on, Sherry,
this is serious.

Come on.

You don't think
I know that, rich?

You've got three weeks
to pass this test.

Three weeks to succeed.

This test is hard, sher, okay?

Real hard.

The questions are like
10 minutes long.

By the end, I forget
the beginning.

"If you take a train
from Paris to London"

kind of stuff.

I mean, who cares, you know?

I don't know how long it takes.
I don't care about that stuff.

You'd better start caring

because no one said
this was going to be easy.

Well, you're not the one
who has to take it.

You're not the one
who's got to sit in that room.

No, I am the one
who married Mr. Mall head

whose best man
fenced our wedding gift,

so if we could get through that,
this is cake.

Morning, rich.

Good morning,
Marcy.

Rich, can I
ask you something?

I really don't
have time right now.

But, rich, this is
really important.

Make an appointment
with Jordan.

I don't have time
right now.

Just go see Jordan,
all right?

That's his job.

Hey.

Hey.

Um, listen,

I just want to
apologize to you

because I've
been acting

like a real
loser and...

I don't care
about that.

Yeah, I know,
it's just, uh...

My transcripts,
they weren't lost.

You see, um...

I'm supposed to be
in miss ching's class,

and it's just every time I move,

I've got to go through
the same thing over again,

it must be tough.

Yeah, it is.
I mean, it sucks.

I've been in remedial
my whole life,

and I'm at this point

where I'm really sick
of having to defend myself,

you know?

Yeah.

Yeah, sure I do.

You know, Jake,

you've got to be honest
with yourself

because, I'll tell you,

you never know
when it's going to come back.

Yeah.

So, uh, then we're cool, right?

Yeah, of course we're cool.

All right, man,

I was a bit
worried about that.

[ Bell ringing ]

Divorced.

Of course I knew that.

Hey, rich,
you got some stuff for jelly?

Rich?

Application
for current plant manager.

Unable to process your file.

It's come to our attention...
No high school diploma.

This is too good.

[ Metal clanging ]

Oh!

Geez, Freddy.

You scared the
hell out of me.

I'm sorry.

You told me

to meet you here
at 8:00.

Yes, 8:00,
but not here.

My office.

Let's go.
Come on.

Hey, rich.

Rich, look...

Hey, look, I know
you're probably busy, man,

but marcella, she never
showed up for school today.

Yes, she did.
I saw her this morning.

Yeah, I know, so did I,
but she never made it to class.

Well, maybe she's just ditching.

I don't know, man,
when I saw her,

she was all freaked out
about her stepdad or something.

Stepdad?

Yeah.

All right.

I think I know
where she is.

Cool.
Let's go get her.

You stay here.
I can't take you off campus.

Rich, it's lunch time.
Who's going to know?

Forget about it.

Don't touch that.

Rich, okay--

just sit there,
okay, no talking.

You like this music?

No talking,
no touching.

I don't suppose it'll
do any good

to tell you to
stay in the car, huh?

Uh, no.

So I can talk now,
right?

Good.

Where are we going?

Right over here.

I tell you
about my secret place,

you steal it from me?

Get out of here.
I don't want to talk to you.

You know, you guys
have got to understand,

and I know this may be hard
for you to believe,

but, you know, I've got a life
outside of school, too, okay?

So, come on,
start talking, sister.

We're moving.

Where? When?

Two months.

My stepfather

got some stupid job
in wilsonville.

Well, that's great.

No, it sucks, rich.

I've got to leave my friends,
you know?

The school, my whole life.

Marcy, I know it's tough,
but, you know,

the man finally got a job,
you know?

He's going to be able
to take care of you

and your family.

This is a big deal for him.

I know that, rich.
Trust me, I do.

You're not the one
that's got to move.

Hey.

Hey.

Look at me.

Listen, I've moved,
like, five times

in the past
two years.

You get
used to it.

All right, all right.
Okay, all right.

You know, I hate to break up
this hallmark moment, you know,

but you're giving me
a cavity.

Come on, children,
let's go.

Field trip's over.

Hello, Freddy, it's uncle skip.

I think I'm on to something.

Yes, with benefits.

Okay, then, you take care.

Oh, Freddy, tell your mom.

Okay, bye.

This is a very, very,
very important shot.

Do you think
you're helping me?

You're like a gnat.

You're like a
mosquito here.

I like the drama.
I like the drama.

You think
you've got me?

You've got
nothing, okay?

I'm the king.
I'm untouchable.

You don't
impress me.

I laugh at you
and your weak skills.

What did you say?

That was a
lucky shot.

You know,
you're lucky

I don't entirely
understand

what you just said.

I love it
when you talk dirty.

Stop it.

All right,
here we go.

I'm feeling
your vibes.

I'm picking
them up.

Shoot the ball.

All right, Jake, listen,

here, take this shot.
You need the practice.

Hey, Linda?

Hey, rich.

She's very good,
isn't she?

She hangs tough,
that one.

If the school board
knew all you did--

that's,
that's, uh...

Kind of what I want
to talk to you about.

Is there a teacher
confidentiality thing,

you know, like
what people have

with their shrinks?

I don't know, why?

Because what I have to tell you
is real confidential.

Go ahead, you have my trust.

Well, you know that letter
I got from the school board

wasn't exactly to honor me.

It was to let me know
that they were aware

that I don't have
a high school diploma.

Not like I had one
or I lost it.

I mean...

I never graduated
from high school...

And if I don't get one
or a g.E.D.,

I'm going to lose my job.

Okay, so what do you want to do
about this?

Well, I tried
to take the test myself,

but I bombed, you know?

You need an 81 to pass...

What did you get?

41.

Okay.

How much time do you have
to pass the test?

Uh, three weeks.
I've got three weeks.

Okay, so meet me after school
in my classroom.

We'll start today.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Okay.
Oh, listen,

the kids can't
know about this,

okay?

I won't say a word.

Don't worry.

All right.

All right.

Hey, Marcy,
I'm coming for you.

Let's take the lesson
you were teaching in here,

okay?

When adding fractions,

with dissimilar
base numbers,

you must find

the lowest
common denominator

in order to complete
the equation.

All right, you lost me

somewhere between dissimilar
and denominator.

One over two,

two over three.

What is the common denominator?

Rich,
are you following?

Five?
Is that the common denominator?

It's six.

Oh, yeah,
six, right.

You know, I was
going to say six,

because, of course,
five is the, uh...

Have you ever,
in the past, rich,

been tested for any kind
of learning disabilities?

I could never follow along,
you know?

Keep up with the other students.

My mind was always wandering.

Not like I was daydreaming,
just kind of tuning out.

It just never held my attention.
Not like other things, you know?

And that's what
I don't understand.

I could work on a car
for like, hours,

not even be aware
of the time that had passed.

You know, like a whole day
could go by,

you know?

But if it was
something else,

something that I couldn't grasp
right away,

then forget about it.
I was lost in two minutes.

Whoa, sorry.

I didn't know
you guys were in here.

Um, I forgot to pick up
my homework assignment.

It's okay,
go ahead.

All right. Thanks.

What are you still
doing here, donato?

Rich and I,
we were having a conference

about a student.

About me?

Maybe, you never know.

Oh, why? What'd I do?

Get out of here
before you confess to something.

Got you.
See you later.

Have you heard of a.D.D.?

I'm sorry,
did you say something?

Attention deficit disorder.

A.d.d.?

It's a joke.

Rich...

Of course I've heard of it.

I've also heard of dyslexia
and a lot of other things.

I mean, I know
I've got certain problems

that, you know, as a kid
nobody wanted to talk about,

including me and my folks,
nobody.

You just feel kind of stupid
and that's that.

You try not to get busted,

but then that got to be
too hard,

so that's when I split.

We'll just have
to take it slow

and break it
into more pieces.

We'll do this
together.

Good morning, rich.

Good luck today.

Thanks.

Hey, how you
doing today?

You feeling good?

Not bad.
How are you?

Good. Stand
up straight.

Okay, are
you loose?

All right.

10th time
in here, baby.

Double digits.
I've got to pass.

Okay.

Time.

Please put down your pencils

and pass your exams
to the front of the room.

73.

Hey...

Hey, how'd you do?

Drive.

Rich, come on.

Drive!

50.

A lousy 50,
and that's with a tutor.

A teacher couldn't
help me pass.

With the exception

of god almighty
coming down here

and taking this
test for me,

I don't know
what to do.

There is still time.

There is no time, Sherry.
Time is up.

I lose, okay, just admit it.

Great. Great.

I don't even have you
in my corner anymore.

Let's just go
upstairs and pack.

I don't want to
see the kids' faces

when they find out
what happened to me.

Why when you're this close
do you want to quit?

Close? Close to what, Sherry?

A 50 is a million miles away
from an 81.

I've got to
walk away now

because...because that's
my only choice I got left.

I mean, let's just stop
pretending, Sherry.

I'm stupid. I'm goddamn stupid!

You are not
stupid, Richie.

You made a decision
a long time ago

that may have been stupid,

but you are not a stupid person.

You quit.

You walk out of that school,
and nobody said a word.

Nobody.

You've got
one more shot.

You better take
it, you hear me?

So, come on.

You're right.

Let's go, rich,
let's go pack.

I wouldn't want you
to have to face

the embarrassment
of the truth.

So I'll grab
a couple of boxes,

and start packing.

We could be out of here
before school on Monday.

Better yet,
let's sneak out of town

in the middle
of the night.

I am so tired
of this song.

Time to stop running, rich.

I have been with you
a long time.

I love you,

but for the first time,
I've got to wonder, donato,

if you think you can't do this,
then neither do I.

I've got to catch my breath.

Are you okay?

I just have to catch my breath.

That's it.

You're making an appointment
with Dr. Kreigel.

Rich--

Sherry, don't argue with me,
okay?

You've been sick for weeks.

I know what's wrong.

Actually, what's right.

I'm pregnant, rich.

We're going to have a baby.

We're going to have a baby.

That's great.

That's amazing.

I found out

that the success rate
is like, 12%

on your first try.

It's not great odds.

So, how do we
want to do this?

Well...

I think it should be
at the school,

at an assembly
or something,

and Wednesday nights,
rich plays poker,

so it should
definitely be then.

Okay, I'll
arrange that.

Sherry, are you aware
rich suffers from a.D.D.?

And what
I can assess,

a slight case of dyslexia.

Yeah. We know that.

You know,
there are learning centers.

He's trying
real hard.

I just think he needs
some more help

on the side.

I'll get the parents
and teachers.

You take care
of the rest.

All right.

My name is Linda ching.

I'm a teacher at this school.

Right now we're in the middle
of a very difficult situation.

One of our employees
is being forced to resign.

Why?

What did he do?

He didn't do anything,
Mr. Guitterez.

He never finished
high school,

and it is mandatory

that all employees
of the school district

have a high school
diploma.

Who'd give a teaching job

to a non-educated
teacher?

Are you telling US

that a teacher
has been teaching here

without ever having finished
high school?

Actually,
he's not a teacher.

He's our janitor.

Get out of here.
Let's go.

You dragged US down here

so that some janitor
could keep his job?

Please.

Please, please.

Please wait,

everyone, please.

I'm Sherry donato.

Most of you...

All of you probably have no idea
who I am,

or who my husband is,
for that matter.

My husband, rich,
is the janitor here.

He's special.

Not just to me,

but to your kids.

Lady, no offense,

but he pushes a broom around.

He doesn't just push a broom
or clean up after them.

He's there to listen

and to lend
a shoulder to cry on.

Rich doesn't live in a world
where people are judged

by the number of diplomas
hanging on the wall.

He judges people
by what's in their heart.

I need your support

to write letters
to the school board,

to the mayor,
to anyone who'll listen.

Rich has unsuccessfully
taken the test.

He's even had a tutor,

and to be honest,

I don't know
if he'll be able to pass

before the deadline.

Let's go.

Let's go.

I'll help rich pass the test.

Mrs. Donato,
I'll help rich pass the test.

I'll help rich
pass the test, too.

I'll help rich pass that test,
Mrs. Donato.

I'll help rich pass the test.

I'll help rich
pass this test.

I'll help rich
pass this test.

And I'll help rich
pass this test.

Thank you. Thank you.

Hey, everybody,
he's coming.

Hey, you guys.

Hey, Jake, how's it going?

What was the subject,
object, and verb

in that sentence,
rich?

Excuse me?

What was the subject, object,
and verb in that sentence?

What? Are you yanking my chain?

No, you're actually
yanking ours.

You're going to pass the test,
rich.

I don't know
what you're talking about.

Your g.E.D.

You're going to get
your high school diploma.

We're going to make sure of it,
man.

You, rich donato,

are going to score
the highest score ever

in high school history.

You know why?

Because we're all behind you.

Okay.

All right, okay.

I don't know how you, uh...

All right, thanks.

Thanks.

All right.

Thanks. Thank you.

I told you, I got that one,
all right?

H2o is water.
I know that.

Yeah, but how many
parts hydrogen,

how many
parts oxygen?

One part oxygen.

The one in the middle
right there, okay?

All right, tough guy,

but what about
these little mouse ears

on the side?

Duh.

It's hydrogen, all right?

Two parts hydrogen.

H2o.

Very good.

You're picking it up.

Yeah, that's what
I'm talking about.

I'm going to miss
you a lot, donato.

I'll miss you, too.

Miss you

splashing around,
sucker.

Huh?
There's your water.

Your h2o, oh,
what happened to you?

Say hello to my little friend.

Hey.

Hey.

This was
a nice surprise.

I didn't, you know,
really feel

like cooking dinner
tonight, so...

Well, you
deserve it.

We can't really
afford this place.

Really?

Why not?

I mean,
after being tutored all day

by a bunch of kids,

set up by you.

Kids?
What are you talking about?

Okay, fine, fine. Thanks.

For whatever you didn't do.

Thank you.

I don't know
what else to do, rich.

Nowhere else to turn.

We need...

You need this job,

and the kids
are the best way--

well, you know,
at this point,

anything's
worth a try.

I just...I just,
I don't want to disappoint them,

you know?

You just worry
about passing that test.

It's my last shot.

Between the kids
and their parents--

parents?

Did I forget
to mention that?

How did that
slip my mind?

Sher.

It must be the pregnancy.

You know,
raging hormones and all.

What are they doing?

Um, nothing really.

Just writing a few letters.

We should really order
because I'm starving--

you know, eating for two now?

Letters? Letters to who?

I'm not really sure.

I think
to the school board,

the newspaper,
the governor.

Whoo! I'm beat.

Time to go
freshen up.

Maybe the president
of the United States.

Who knows?

Donato!

We're going to
be all right,

you know that?

I know.

All right, what'd you
call me out here for, guitterez?

Look, I don't got time for this.

I've got to get back to work,
all right?

I'll play with you
after school.

I will school you
after school.

Well, rich, this
ain't a game, man.

It's a lesson.

Oh, a lesson, huh?

Yeah, a lesson
in physics.

Basketball is
a game of physics.

You've got shapes, force
and velocity, man.

Take the rock,
for instance.

The rock?

The ball, man.

Oh, the rock.

All right, that's good,
I like that.

I got you, go ahead.

Thanks. Anyway...

Now, the ball is round, right?

Now, the hoop, or the hole,
is also round.

Now, it seems
the easiest thing in the world

to put this round ball
through that round hoop,

but there's a lot
of other factors.

Take that backboard.

The backboard is flat.

If you put this ball
off the glass,

and if the shot
and the velocity is off,

the ball's not going to drop.
You know what I'm saying?

Or, put too much backspin
on your j,

the rim becomes a factor.

Brick city, because
the ball is spinning

in the opposite direction
that it's travelling in.

You following me?

All right,
let me see if I understand this.

If I lay my brick
off the rock too hard,

then the glass
will affect my flow?

No, no.

Yank.

All right, okay,
it was a lucky shot.

This guy's got the idea.
Let's go.

No, it was a lucky shot,
guitterez, come on.

Tell me one more time
all about that velocity, huh?

Forget about it, man.

Hey, give me the ball.

There's two seconds left
on the clock.

Donato waves off
his teammates.

He wants to go one-on-one
with m.J.,

who came out of retirement
just to play the man.

His shot will give donato
and the Knicks

the best record in NBA history,

not to mention a special g.E.D.
Mvp award for donato.

Come on...
Drop, baby, drop.

That rim must be bent.

Taking
a little break?

I was just shooting
some hoops.

Taking a little
breather.

I'd love
to take off

and play ball.

Let's go.
A little on-one-on, huh?

Yeah, nobody's going to know.

Nah, I couldn't.

I've got a meeting
with Robbie Cayman,

but I'll take a raincheck
on that.

Cool.

Any time you want to play, skip.

Oh, well then.

Might be hard to drive
in those wingtips, though.

Okay, now,
the a-bomb, right?

Mm-hmm.

Was invented
by who? How?

And, uh, when
was it used?

All right.

The atom bomb
was invented by

and credited to
j. Robert Oppenheimer...

But the whole project

was overseen by lots
of military officials.

Go on,
there's more.

Well, um...
The bomb was invented

when scientists were able to
successfully split an atomic...

Nuclei.

Nuclei.

In 1945, it was used
on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Nice.

Okay, just wait,

whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa.

What were the nicknames
of the bombs?

I don't know,
Joey and Eddie?

How in the heck
am I supposed to know that?

You've got to know this stuff.

What were they?

Fat man...

Little boy.

Fat man,

little boy. You got that?
That was good.

What exactly
are you trying to say?

Um...you're fat.

Hey, rich.

Aw, no more lessons, okay?

My brain is sore.

Nah, nah,
no more lessons.

You're all right.

Okay, here it goes.

Uh...i know
what it's like

to always have to
hide from something,

you know?

Always feeling stupid

and being called a spaz
and a loser,

and then...

Look, I guess
what I'm just trying to tell you

is, uh...

I'm really proud of you.

Thanks, Jake.

You know, when you first came
into this school,

you reminded me a lot of myself.

That's why I busted your hump.

But you got it going on.

At the end of it all,
you know,

nothing is nothing

if you don't
believe in yourself.

All right.

All right, take care,
you spaz.

All right,
you loser.

There's so
much to learn.

It doesn't seem
like nine months

is even enough time.

Yeah, well,
try four weeks.

Well, at least

you're not going to be
getting stretchmarks.

You know, for the first time,

I actually think I have a shot
at passing this test.

It's like,
the kids, you know,

they come at you
from this place,

this common ground.

They just don't assume
you know the answers

like adults do.

Yeah, well, you're just
a big old kid anyway.

Yeah, well, maybe that's why

I can learn through their eyes,
you know?

See how they see everything
and then I get it.

You know, Sherry?

I get it.

Hey, ritchie rich,
what's up?

Hey, you know,
same old, same old.

Cool, cool.

You know what
the beauty

of this school is,
rich?

I know you're
going to tell me.

Of course.

It's, like,
a cultural mecca.

All races
are represented.

Yeah, I'm down
with that.

So who was
guion bluford?

You got me.

First African-American
astronaut.

Do you know what year?

Oh, I see.

It's the double jeopardy round.

1969.

Mm-mm. 1983.

Sad, huh?

That it took that long
to get a brother into space.

I'll give you

double or nothing
on this one.

Maggie Walker.

Who was she
and what did she do?

I'm drawing a blank here.

First African-American female
bank president,

1903.

See, all they teach US nowadays,
rich,

is who was Malcom x,
or Martin Luther King,

or George Washington carver...

And all very cool people,

much respect goes out,

but there's this whole
other world out there, man,

and it's yours.

I know you're going to pass
this test.

Thanks, kiddo.

All right.

Get 'em, baby.

Hi, Brady.

Hey, been looking for you
all over.

There is a reporter
from channel four on the phone.

He wants
to talk to you.

Me? What for?

Got a letter
from one of the parents

about your story.

I...i don't know, lin,

I'm not in this
for the publicity.

I know that,
but you should talk to him.

It will be good for you.

Trust me.

This is rich.

Hey, rich,
Lance filmore here.

I was wondering if you'd
like to do an interview with US

for the 5:00 spot?

How about you and I
just sit down and talk?

You know, this is, uh...
This isn't really a good time.

Can I get your number
and call you back?

Yeah, um...
It's 997-2134.

Okay, I got it.

All right,
I'll talk to you later.

All right.

Looking forward
to it, rich.

Rich donato,

report to the art lab
for a spill.

All right, what's going on?

It's not my birthday.

Welcome
to history class.

I knew there wasn't no spill.

Have a seat.

What, you want me
to paint my answers now?

No, no, no, no.

What do you see in front of you?

Horses, soldiers...

It's a war.

Bravo.

Now, can you tell me which war?

All right,

since there's no planes
or tanks,

I've got to go
with the civil war.

Give it up to the man.

This is
the Mexican-American war.

In began in 1846
with a Mexican attack

on the American troops
on the south border of Texas

on April 25th.

The war ended
on September 14, 1847,

when u.S. General winfield Scott
occupied Mexico City.

Now, a few months later--

February 2, 1848,
to be exact--

a peace treaty was signed.

Now, this war was fought
over land, of course--

land in which Mexico
continued to claim

despite the fact that

Texas had claimed
its independence

10 years earlier.

A bogus landlord
who still collects the rent

even though
he don't own the building.

You got it?

All right.

Oh, and one more thing--

oh, no, no, come on,
no more surprises, please.

This isn't
a surprise.

It's a gift.

For you, donato.

Hey, big daddy,
it's me, donato.

Of course, you probably
already knew that.

So I got a lot
on my plate right now, you know,

and I could use a little room
for dessert.

I'm not asking for a miracle,
because...

You know, I already think
I'm the luckiest guy around.

I know you've got
your hands full,

and miracles, they...

They don't really happen,
you know?

I'm aware of that.

I just want to be able
to hold my head up

when I walk out
of that test center on Saturday.

That's it.

Nothing more,
nothing less.

Okay.

Thanks.

Well, you know,
the public support...

I mean, this is just
a great story, rich.

Not really. You know
how many kids

drop out of school
every day?

No, you don't.
You want to know why?

Because the number is so high
that, you know,

people stopped counting
a long time ago.

My story isn't all that amazing,
you know, or wonderful.

I mean,
it's kind of a bummer, Lance.

I just...
I slipped through the cracks.

The only reason
I'm agreeing to this interview

is maybe one kid will see this
and not do what I did.

So you'll do the interview?

Yeah. Yeah, okay, okay,
we can do the interview.

Rich donato is a janitor,

a man who walks the hallways
each day

with a kind word
for his students

and a noisy walk
unmistakably his.

Now, four weeks ago,

rich's life
was turned upside down...

Could you sit down?

Now, it seems that rich

doesn't have
a high school diploma.

Why is this important?

It is mandatory that
all public school employees

possess one.

I wasn't really looking
for any of this to happen,

Lance, you know?

I mean, all this attention.

Just, one thing led to another
and it sort of snowballed,

and here I am.

I'm just trying
to pass this test

and, you know, keep my job.

I look good
on TV.

The most unlikely tutors
stepped up to the plate

to give rich one more chance
of passing.

Jake?

Jake?

Here I come.

We kind of
owe it to him

to make sure
he passes the test.

And so, um...

Yeah, because,
you know,

losing him
would be terrible.

All right, thank you.

Look at my hair.

I never
really realized

how much rich
mattered to the school--

and helping him
has helped US.

Yeah, and we won more than
three games last year.

A man who is adored
by his students,

respected by the faculty,

and admired by the community.

Tomorrow, when rich
walks into that test center

one last time,

he can rest assured knowing
that in his student's eyes,

he's already made the grade.

I'm Lance filmore,
channel four news.

All right,
good luck, rich donato.

Unbelievable.

Go get 'em.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay, okay, all right.

You guys didn't have to
come out here, you know?

I mean, no pressure...

But, everybody...

Thank you.

Thanks.

All right, showtime.

All right,
rock and roll.

So it's
do or die today, huh?

Yep.

Man, this is
the last time

that we are going
to walk out of here.

I can feel it, man,
I can feel it.

Okay.

Time.

Please put down your pencils

and pass your test
to the front of the room.

There will be a one-hour recess.

If you wish
to have your results,

please return by then.

Otherwise,
they will be mailed to you.

Rich,

are you all right?

Yeah. Yeah, I just...

I just don't want
to go out there right now.

Is it okay
if I hang out here

until you grade
the tests?

Sure, but it's going
to take me a while.

Oh, that's okay,
I'll wait.

But, listen, you know,
do me a favor...

When you come back,

just hand me my test, okay?

Very well.

Thanks.

Hey, the man
of the hour.

Rich, how'd you do,
buddy?

Where's Sherry, huh?

I don't know.

What'd you get, rich?

I didn't look.
I couldn't look.

What did he get?

Let's see.

Well?

What is it?

An 80.

80 what?

Just an 80.

Aw, it can't be
just an 80.

It can't
just be an 80.

There's got
to be a mistake.

All right, hey.

Hey, come on, you know,
an 80 is awesome.

All right, are you kidding me?
I mean, that's like...

That's like double the score
that I got the last time

that I took this thing, right?

Okay, so thanks.

Thank you.

You...you're good, man.

You did good.
You did so good.

All right.
Hey, Linda,

you know,
thank you.

Sorry.

There's nothing to be
sorry about, all right?

Hey, hey.

Being a champion
is all well and good,

but you can't eat a crown.

Althea Gibson, 1968.

Huh? Huh?

Okay.

All right, come on,
come on, you guys.

You know, it's not like

you're never going
to see me again, all right?

I'll see you guys
on Monday.

All right,
so we've got to go, okay?

Okay, thanks for coming out,
and, you know,

thanks for the support,
all right?

This is Lance filmore,
channel four news...

Forget it, guys, cut it.

Let's wrap it.

Yeah!

Baby!

Are you okay?

Yeah, I guess.

You know, I'll
tell you, Sherry.

Failing that test
wasn't the worst thing.

It was looking into their eyes.

I just wish I could see myself

the way those kids see me,
you know?

Those kids, you know,
they believed in me so much.

They supported me,
they carried me...

And I just let them down.

I just let them all down.

Rich, come on.

I mean, one point?

I'm sure that
doesn't matter.

Hey, Jake--

no, let me finish,
all right?

I mean, if we call,
like, the school board

or something.

Jake, I...

Rich, this is bullshit, okay?

Hey, that's going
to cost you double, all right?

Rules are rules, Jake, okay?

You know, if they start
making an exception for me,

they've got to do it
for everybody,

then there's chaos and anarchy
everywhere.

You know,
rioting in the streets, right?

So what are you going to do now?

I'll call around
and try to find a job.

You know,

maybe my stepfather
can hook you up.

Rich, we're totally
being screwed here.

Jake, I told you,
I tried to pass that test.

Rich, it's not the test, okay?

It's you.

You are, like,
the best thing

that has ever happened
in this school, you know?

And they're just going
to take that away from US?

Rich, it's not right.

You know, everywhere I go,

every new school I go to,
it's like,

I get put into remedial.

You know,
and the kids ride me for it,

and then my dad,
he'll come in and he's, like,

"Jake, we're moving again."

But this time...

No matter what the hell
was going on here,

you were there.

You know,
you were always there for me,

and, you know, I just...

And this place,

I don't know
what it's going to be like

with you not here.

It's...it's...

Rich, you make this school
a better place.

All right, come here.

Come here, all right?

All right.

Hey, whether I'm here or not,

it don't matter, all right?

You've got a friend for life,
okay?

And you kids
make this a better place,

not me.

You kids
are the ones that shine.

Don't you ever forget that.

Do you hear me?

Don't you ever forget that.

For god's sake, Freddie,
it's fine where it is.

Rich.

I thought
you had gone.

I just...

I've got
a few more things.

This is my nephew,
Freddie.

Oh, hey.

Hey, you must be
the new guy, huh?

Yeah, I am.

Okay.

I was sorry to see
you were unable

to pass the test.

I really was pulling for you.

Yeah.

Yeah, me too.

Thanks.

Thanks, skip.

Yeah, I, uh...

I really tried.

Hey, you guys
want to hear something?

Oh, nah,
forget about it.

Please.

"True genius comes
from what's in your heart,

"not from what a piece of paper
hanging on a wall tells you.

"It's what the people
who love you the most

tell you every day."

That's my wife, Sherry.

Okay.

You know, I know
you're really going

to like this job,
Freddie, okay?

The kids,
they're great.

Do me a favor.

You treat them
right, okay?

I know we're all
having a hard time

with rich being gone,

but in light of that,

rich would be very proud to know

that this semester's
highest test score

belongs to...

Jake matteson.

If you maintain
your current g.P.A.,

which I know you will,

you will be able
to move out of my class

by the end of the year.

Congratulations.

Thanks.

[ Telephone ringing ]

Sherry, telephone.

[ Telephone ringing ]

Hello?

Yeah, Mr. Donato?

This is
Bob arnoldson.

I'm head
of the school board

for your district.

After re-evaluating your case,

it has come to our attention

that you were
misinformed.

About what?

Well, it seems
you were never required

to take the high school
equivalency test.

Seeing as how

you've been with
the district for 10 years,

you're automatically
grandfathered in.

The clause does not affect you,

only new applicants
seeking employment.

So, um...So what are you saying?

That I've got my job back?

That's, uh...
That's exactly what I'm saying,

Mr. Donato.

I'm, uh...

I'm very sorry
for any inconvenience.

Hey, no prob.

I'm sorry
I was listening,

but who cares?

That's fantastic.

You got your job back,

and you didn't
even have to take

that stupid test.

Yeah, that's, uh...
That's great, yeah.

That's really great.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Good morning.

Good morning.

How are you
doing today?

It's going
to be a good day.

Yes, it is.

I know, I know,

don't let you know
what the results are.

Mr. Lexington, I got my job back

without having
to pass this test,

so it doesn't matter.

I just wanted
to walk into this room

just to see if I could do it.

Mm-hmm.

So whatever I got this time,
it's just for me.

I can leave the results
on the desk.

Thanks for everything.

It's been my pleasure.

What am I? Nuts?

Where you been?

I had a little
unfinished business

to take care of.

How'd we do?

Our baby's father

is the most recent
high school graduate

in the state.