Original subtitles

*

(INDISTINCT MURMURING)

(chanting) CROWD: TJ! TJ! TJ! TJ! TJ!

OK, don't fall for the slide-by.

He doesn't go for the single-leg unless it's late in the round.

You make him come from your left, and then you stay low

and you're golden.

- Yes, Coach. - Hey, hey, hey, hey.

You got an audience.

(CHEERING)

Third time he's come to see you now.

You don't have to put on a show.

Just do what you do.

Let's go.

(RAPID INHALED GRUNTS)

(CROWD EXCLAIMING)

(CHEERING)

OK, TJ, focus.

(WHISTLE BLOWS)

you that Justin Ward

Moss Hill community.

That he turned around his school's wrestling team

when he returned to his hometown nine years ago.

to the State Championships.

checked his boys' report cards,

kept them out of trouble,

demanded excellence on and off the mat.

They'll say he is the sort of man you can trust.

so many believed that to be true.

Hit's a fireman.

Hit it! Yeah.

Hit him.

Don't let him go.

Don't let him up.

Go! Good. Good.

(JUSTIN SHOUTING)

(GRUNTING)

Get outta there. Get out.

- Damn it! - Just hold on for a sec, OK?

Look...

You did great, alright? You did great. Relax, man.

He threw me by my headgear and the ref didn't do anything about it.

The guy was top ten in the state last year, as a junior, OK?

- Don't beat yourself up. - It doesn't matter.

- I'm better than him. - I know you are.

You didn't wrestle like it.

You got so pissed off, you're so worried about looking better than him

that you forgot, when he thinks he has you, he puts his guard down.

You didn't capitalise on that.

TJ won.

Yeah, he didn't pin the guy, but he won by five points.

He qualified for State! Why we acting like he slipped on a banana peel?

Cos it wasn't just a match, it was an audition.

What'd Coach Lewis say about the scholarship?

Wasn't a "yes."

But it wasn't a "no" either.

He didn't say much.

He left in a hurry. Listen, you...

you gotta get your head down,

and make yourself undeniable.

Sure, you can beat up on a trash can, huh?

But what about a real opponent?

Huh?

Pick that up.

Help him.

Is he still in the running?

I'm selling TJ as hard as I can,

but there's another kid in the mix.

Duke is looking for a 175-pounder,

which would be Devon Marshall

outta Saginaw High or Vince Adkins outta Dover Catholic.

And uh, apparently this Vince Adkins

can't write his own name without a cheat sheet,

so it's TJ versus Devon.

But Marshall, he's better on paper.

It's been a while since I've seen that look on your face.

Usually, it was followed by you telling me

you were too busy working out to see me.

"Prom is temporary, Erica."

"Greatness is forever."

TJ's better than I was.

National champion better.

Olympics better.

Yeah, he works hard, but he's gotta work harder.

(CAR HONKING)

Let's go. We're late to get Nico.

Thank you for pushing him so hard.

Of course.

- TJ: Hey, Dad. - ROB: Hey, Ty.

- What's up? - Hey. Thanks for the ride.

Rob.

Justin.

(EXHALES DEEPLY)

- JUSTIN: How you feeling, Pop? - Fine.

The nurse tells me that you're walking again after the fall.

Any pain in that hip?

- Nope.

(TELEVISION PLAYING) (SIGHS)

Uh...

TJ won again today.

come in for him.

I'm trying to get him a full scholarship to Duke.

This is Erica's kid?

Yeah.

I been saying it since he was trucking kids in pee wee,

He's got a 3.0 average. Helps with his brother.

Are you adopting him or coaching him?

(video) JUSTIN: Come on!

That's it! Good. Good.

(GRUNTING)

Nico's school can do a payment plan this month,

so we can put 300 towards the credit cards.

Rob?

Yeah. Yeah, OK.

Used to be I was happy TJ wasn't out

getting into trouble, but now?

Hell like, it's Saturday, he oughtta be with his friends. No?

We should be happy that he's working so hard.

State is in less than three weeks,

and Justin said that he had...

Justin is running him ragged.

(raising voice) He's helping him make something of himself,

we should be supporting that effort.

(SIGHS)

even remotely what I'm talking about.

and installed a football field's

in weeks.

That's what you want for him?

unhappy with our life!

Justin gets to play hero

without raising this kid!

You are not still threatened by him.

It's ridiculous.

He's not doing this for TJ.

He's doing it for you.

(WHISTLE BLOWING ON VIDEO) (APPLAUSE)

Nice work, nice work, fellas.

(SIGHS)

JUSTIN: How are you still two pounds over?

It just doesn't make sense.

Working out three hours a day, can't drop two damn pounds.

Sit down for a minute. I wanna talk to you.

I'm worried about you, TJ.

What's going on? You're talking back in class.

You pushed that kid at lunch the other day.

I walked by him, and then he made a big deal about it, OK?

Duke has only given out six full wrestling scholarships,

and none of them were below 3.0.

Richter says that you blew off his calculus midterm, too.

Forget calculus.

- What? - It was an excused absence.

It was a family emergency.

A family emergency?

Yeah.

Well, how do I not know about this?

- I could call your mom. - Dad pulled me, alright?

He needed my help with a job.

Is he having trouble finding free labour?

It was to see the grand opening of his American Legion building

he worked on. He wanted me to see it.

TJ, he wants you to see that there's a backup plan,

and there isn't. Duke is it.

Lay off my dad, OK?

I mean, I...

I don't want what he has...

..but it's gotta be pretty difficult for him

to see me working so hard

for a future that has him in the rearview.

So, he's trying. And so am I.

TJ. TJ!

Put your shoes back on.

You and your teammates still owe me laps.

I can't, Coach.

You have a 2.8 GPA.

You're two pounds overweight.

28 plus two equals a nice round 30 laps.

How's that for calculus?

that weird, that weird tea...

TYSON: I am saying you need to slow down. OK?

Give it to me. Alright?

Here. You want it?

Yeah!

Just take it easy, OK?

(BAG ZIPPING)

(EXHALES)

It's my backpack.

Tyson let me copy his homework,

so that's what's in it.

Turn it over.

It was...

It's nothing.

Steroids?

(SIGHS) Damn it, TJ.

No wonder you've been a wreck.

(SIGHS)

Come on, let's go.

- Where are we going? - Where do you think?

(TENSE MUSIC)

It sounds worse than it is, OK?

Listen steroids, they're just natural hormones

that my body's already producing.

It's not like its meth or something like that, alright?

I'm training hard.

I'm eating healthy.

I don't have the fancy wrestling camps

or coaches, I can't afford it.

Yeah, but I'm trying to even the playing field.

I know it was stupid. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry!

I swear, I swear,

after State, I'm done.

State? You think I'm taking you to State all juiced up?

No, no, no, no, no, you can't do that.

We'll see what your parents have to say.

- You can't tell them! - Hey.

- Oh, my God, there you are! - Erica...

listen, there's something that you should know.

I already know.

- Hey, Coach. - Hi, Coach, how are ya?

- Hello, TJ. - Hi. Hi, Coach.

I wanted to come and personally tell you that I cleared it

and I am very excited to offer you

a scholarship to Duke University.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

That's fantastic.

Congratulations, son. I've got your letter of intent here.

(EXCITED SQUEALING)

Wow.

It's good.

right by them.

But because their victory

would be his.

Because, by winning,

he could matter again.

there was no price too high to pay

for the chance to matter again.

(OPENING THEME MUSIC)

your coach has been emailing me

He's got clips, diagrams, stat breakdowns.

I figured either I take out a restraining order on him,

or I offer you the scholarship. (LAUGHING)

He says that you're a deeply principled young man.

hold in high regard.

- ERICA: It's all thanks to Justin. - Nah.

SCOUT: Our, uh, programme gets a pool of money, so we usually only

offer partial scholarships to lower-division wrestlers.

But if you win, well,

I can make a case that you're worth the whole pie.

And what if he doesn't win?

- Oh, he'll win. - Dad, come on.

Hey, I'm just saying.

He's gonna be wrestling against the best wrestlers in Pennsylvania,

what if he doesn't?

He'll still have a place on our team, with a partial scholarship.

Partial? I mean, what's that?

Gee, thanks.

There are loan programmes.

Loan programmes.

Mr Ivy League over here.

For how long? All of like, eight months, was it?

I did two years at Cornell before I got injured.

senior year of high school.

Like he was Napoleon, and the rest of us were trailer trash.

- Rob! - Drinking in the parking lot

wasn't my style. - This is a funny story.

Erica was his girlfriend at the time,

drives him all the way up to Ithaca,

his fancy new dorm,

and right as she puts down the last box,

he dumps her. - That was a long time ago.

Mm-hmm.

Can I get you something to drink?

- Something else? - Uh, no. No.

Thank you. I should be going.

I'm staying in Philadelphia tonight.

Long drive. TJ, once again, congratulations.

Mr Ellis, thanks for your hospitality.

- ERICA: Thank you. - Thank you.

- Uh, Coach and I will walk you out. - Oh, great.

you on our squad, son.

You trying to embarrass TJ?

This was supposed to be a celebration.

Look, he just wanted to make sure

TJ didn't commit to another school.

Erica, sit down.

Can you tell the court what the terms of your testimony today are?

Uh...

The terms are, I won't be charged with a felony.

You're instead being charged with misdemeanour possession

of schedule three narcotics

on condition of your cooperation with the prosecution,

a punishment which carries a fine

and community service, but no jail time?

Yeah.

Can you tell the court what it was you provided to Mr Ellis?

My mom's a vet.

(CLEARS THROAT)

She has, uh...

..Boldenone,

used to take,

Rock and a hard place. Coach pushing, his dad pulling.

for him.

wasn't gonna cut it.

in the morning

His dad wouldn't give him a break,

it was like he needed to prove that it was a life worth living.

Don't talk about my dad!

Don't talk about my dad!

Come on. Come on. Let's go outside...

(NICO MUTTERING) You're OK. I got you.

for lunch.

(GAVEL BANGS)

If you tell them, my dad'll pull me.

You heard Coach.

No State, no scholarship.

Forget college, forget everything I worked for.

What's the point then?

What's my life, then?

Please...

Please don't tell them.

Hey, hey, hey, college boy!

Mom texted me!

TJ: Hey, Nico.

Still gonna do our summer trip, though, right?

Of course. Of course.

We got this whole summer last hurrah trip planned.

I vote Europe, he votes Australia,

we've got about enough money for a bus ride to Cleveland.

We're gonna figure it out.

Uh, there's one problem with Duke, though.

What?

You look ugly in blue.

Yeah, so do you, asshat.

(LAUGHING) Come on. Come on.

NICO: You know I'm the pretty one, right?

(LAUGHS)

The only place nearby that's half-edible is the falafel truck,

but the line's insane, and we need to be back from lunch in half an hour.

- ERICA: Are you hungry? - NICO: No.

Why don't we take a little walk? Get some fresh air?

- Sure. - Come on.

I've learned to grab my own lunch.

That's a ham and cheese from Lamana's.

You're welcome to half.

Seriously, you'd be doing me a favour.

- Thanks. - Yeah.

- I'm gonna... - Sure.

(SIGHS)

Erica said to stay outside.

Doesn't trust me to sit in court and not try to kill you.

Well...

If you wanna hit me, I... I understand.

I don't want to hit you, Justin.

I want my son back.

It was just too much.

You can stay outside if you want.

You don't have to watch.

Yes, I do.

I have to be there.

I have to remember it.

I forget stuff all the time.

What if I forget him, too?

(SNIFFLES)

(SIGHS)

(KEYS PUNCHING IN ON PHONE)

(CALL RINGING)

Yeah, I...

(CLEARS THROAT) I've been thinking.

When I was your age, I would've done whatever it took to get outta here,

so I'm not gonna say anything to anyone about this.

So I'm gonna keep it to myself and let you go to State.

- On one condition.

Tomorrow morning,

you meet me at my office 20 minutes before home room

and you hand over the rest of the drugs. All of them.

- You understand me?

Listen, kids around here, they don't get second chances,

so don't waste yours.

Yeah, well, you made a mistake.

It doesn't mean you have to pay for it for the rest of your life.

Hey, listen, you will win State...

..and you will get that full scholarship,

but you're gonna do it on your own steam,

because you're the best wrestler on the mat.

You hear me?

(RHYTHMIC MUSIC)

Whoop

Yeah, yeah

How you move under pressure

P-R-E-S-S-U-R-E

You ain't in the game like I am You might wanna leave

That thang stash tuck, no, you don't want to see it

It's a problem if you ain't clutching

How you move under pressure

She like my style like the things I do

When it comes to the streets, yeah, I paid my dues

You ain't worried 'bout me I ain't worried 'bout you

Yeah, we gonna see how you move under pressure

She like my style like the things I do

When it comes to the streets, yeah, I paid my dues

You ain't worried 'bout me I ain't worried 'bout you

Yeah, we gonna see how you move under pressure

P-R-E-S-S-U-R-E

If you ain't in the game like I am You might wanna leave

Got that thang stash tuck, no, you don't want to see it

It's a problem if you ain't clutching

How you move under pressure

(CHEERING)

(WHISTLE BLOWING)

(CROWD CHEERING)

can work on a cruise

and sightsee on your downtime. - Hand me my water.

You wash dishes and then snorkel when you're free.

Nico. Hand me my water?

We have to apply, though.

And if you're in, it means we have to fill out all these forms, so...

Nico, not now.

Sorry, I just...

It's OK.

You gotta lock in.

Don't suck.

Love you.

TJ: I love you.

You alright?

Yeah, I'm fine. It's just nerves.

(RETCHING)

(TOILET FLUSHING)

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

This is your fourth match in two days. And your last.

I used to get sick before my matches too.

My father would always say,

nothing can stop you as long as you know why you're here.

Why are you here?

I get the chance to do things that Nico can't.

I don't wanna waste that luck.

Plus, the kid learned how to walk twice.

I got no excuses for not giving it my all.

(CHUCKLES)

How about a little more luck?

Used to wear these at my matches.

(CHUCKLING)

Now, if you'll excuse me.

Don't grow old, kid,

the rest is just taxes

and trips to the bathroom.

Yeah. Hey.

My name's Aaron Gardner, I'm a doping officer

Interscholastic Sports Federation.

You know the drill.

Uh, didn't you guys test at the beginning of the season?

- I'm on the mat in 15 minutes, man. - It'll only take two minutes.

I assume you've been provided with the list of banned substances -

anabolic steroids, hormone modulators, stimulants,

and any masking agents that might be used to fool the test.

So, are you guys testing everyone?

Or just the public school kids?

The tests are completely random. Per PISF policy.

If I didn't know better, I'd say you seem reluctant to submit to the test.

No, no. No, I'm fine.

OK. Mind if I check your pockets?

Knock yourself out, man.

of Moss Hill High School

of Stonewood High School.

(CHEERING)

Listen... (EXHALES DEEPLY)

He's made it this far.

He's gonna do great.

But if he doesn't win, it'll also be OK.

He's afraid of becoming me.

But it's not so bad.

- Hey. - Any last-minute advice?

(CHUCKLES) What?

You're ready. Go kick some ass.

- Thanks for everything, Coach. - Yeah.

Get in there.

OK, TJ.

OK.

Alright, TJ. Focus.

(CLEARS THROAT)

(WHISTLE BLOWING)

Yeah!

(GRUNTING)

(CHEERING)

(CHEERING) Yes, yes, come on!

(WHISTLE BLOWING)

OK. It's alright, TJ. Come on, get after him.

Watch the big throw! (GROANS)

(CHEERING) Go, come on!

(CROWD CHEERING)

Let's go!

(SHOUTING)

Yes! Let's go!

Yes!

JUSTIN: Yes, TJ!

(CHEERING)

your new Pennsylvania State Champion,

Yeah!

I never thought about it, but it is.

But if you push a machine too hard for too long...

(HEART BEATING LOUDLY)

(CROWD GASPING)

TJ? Hey, TJ.

Hey, kid.

Medic! Hey!

- What's going on? - Wait here.

What happened? TJ!

TJ.

ERICA: He's not breathing!

Justin did chest compressions the whole time.

He just kept doing it. Just kept doing it. Just kept doing it.

Just kept doing it.

- No, no. Come on.

What's happening? What's happening?

Please, please. Help him, please!

ERICA: Please. TJ, come on.

- ROB: TJ. Come on. - ERICA: TJ.

how he was responsible

that I figured it out.

He wasn't trying to keep TJ alive.

(TENSE MUSIC)

because of what he had done.

It would have been hard enough having just one child

with TJ or Nico's temperament,

but together?

They'd bite kids at school...

..they... they'd destroy anything breakable.

so...

was just a matter of time.

after-school programme,

..Nico found his way out the window,

and onto the fire escape.

TJ, he stayed behind.

Then the fire escape collapsed, and...

..Nico fell four storeys onto his back.

if he would walk or speak again.

so we...

..we put TJ in every sport we could think of.

Is that when Mr Ward first took an interest in him?

He saw TJ play in a pee wee football game

kids, we should get him wrestling.

It was Justin's ticket out, and...

..I thought it could be TJ's, too.

I'm sure you're aware of your son's autopsy findings.

abuse scarred

TJ's heart, giving him the sort of artery blockages

usually found in middle-aged heart attack victims?

Yes.

(SCOFFS)

Yes.

Can I have... Can I have a minute, please?

a five-minute break.

Hey. What's going on?

I can't do it.

Because you don't want to testify against him, is that it?

He lied to us.

He's not your high school sweetheart,

he's an adult that should know better.

- Rob! - Why are you trying to protect

the man who killed our son?

Because it's not his fault.

It's mine.

I'm sorry.

Erica.

I just came to clean out his locker.

Uh...

I'm sorry. I...

I would have called.

This no-contact order on the part of the judge.

- I... - Yeah. I know.

Well...

Bought that with my very first pay cheque.

I swore I'd never open it

until one of my wrestlers was State Champion.

This will be the first bottle of booze

we've ever had together that was more than ten bucks.

(CHUCKLES) Yeah.

Listen, I...

I have to enter a plea.

My lawyer thinks I have a defence.

Every wrestler needs a full medical clearance in order to compete.

And, um, I found TJ's health form

from December.

And by the time of this checkup,

he had been using for about three months.

he would have had heart palpitations, high blood pressure,

things they would have caught, but this Dr Powell, he didn't...

- Justin... - I know, I should...

I should have told you. (stammers) I should have stopped him.

I should have done everything differently.

But this was December, I didn't find out until April.

There were guardrails to prevent this,

way before I knew,

and those guardrails broke.

- And this doctor... - There was no doctor.

What?

I forged... I forged the form.

TJ's checkups had always been perfect.

He was doing great,

and our insurance is through the roof

because of Nico, so I thought,

what's the harm of missing one checkup?

I mean, never in a million years

would I have ever thought there'd be anything to find.

I don't know.

Maybe they would have found something. Maybe...

Maybe he'd still be here.

Does Rob know?

I can't tell him.

But, um...

You should know it's not all your fault.

And you should tell your lawyer.

Ellis, how sorry I am for your loss.

You always expected a great deal from TJ, didn't you?

Yes.

able to work anymore,

Nico needed more.

So, you thought, by pushing one son,

you could help both of them?

then so did Nico.

that worry,

that need, made you a little reckless?

Maybe.

So can I ask, Mrs Ellis,

how the form that I have here is...

- No. - What?

No more questions. Not in front of her boy.

Are you out of your... This is the key piece of evidence.

- Counsellor? - Uh, just, just one moment,

Your Honour, I'm sorry. (whispers) This is the reason we took things

- She checked a box on a form.

It wouldn't have made any difference anyway.

I can't make this right,

but I can at least do this.

(SCOFFS)

No further questions for the witness, Your Honour.

Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth? - Yes.

Have you heard of the myth of Daedalus and Icarus?

Uh, sure.

Uh, don't get too close to the sun, that whole thing. Yeah.

You're not the first to make that comparison.

It's told as a tale of Icarus's hubris,

but who do you think was responsible

for Icarus taking flight?

The boy or the man?

I made a mistake.

I should have said something as soon as I found out.

You told police that upon discovering

TJ Ellis's steroid abuse,

that you confiscated the steroids on April 16th,

eight days before the State Championships, correct?

Yes.

What happens when someone quits using steroids

cold turkey for one week?

I don't... I don't know.

Can you read the highlighted portion of this paper

from the New England Science Monitor?

(SIGHS)

Uh...

"The immediate cessation of high-dose, long-term"

"anabolic steroid use can cause weakness,"

"fatigue, and muscle and joint pain."

"Users are advised to taper off over a period of four to six weeks."

If the sudden stoppage of steroid use

causes catastrophic effects on athletic performance,

His future was on the line!

deprived him of.

Objection, Your Honour, if I may...

You know, if this guy Daedalus

thought it was worth it

to use wax wings to help his son escape,

then I'll bet he knew

that staying trapped in that maze

was an even bigger risk.

Yes...

it was a risk to let TJ compete.

But it was a risk to let him

stay in a town that had nothing to offer him.

I know, I lived that life.

Of the guys who were on my wrestling team,

four of them are dead.

One of them overdosed.

One of them took his own life.

One of them wrapped his car around a telephone pole

after a fifth of vodka.

And one of 'em had a heart attack

and it took his neighbour three days

to find him on his bathroom floor.

I thought I was saving TJ from that.

I thought if I pushed him...

..he could get out.

But I pushed him right into the sun.

Well, I heard on the TV

that uh, even if they find you guilty,

you're not gonna get the full five.

Maybe three.

You were always great at pep talks, Pop.

Well...

..if you'd invited me to the trial,

I would have come.

Pop, you're in no shape

to spend eight hours at a trial.

emotional on the stand.

It made it seem

like it was your fault.

Maybe it was my fault.

Yeah, but you don't admit it.

Ha.

You never admit anything.

The kid wanted to become a champion, you made him a champion.

You didn't know him.

- Don't talk about what he wanted. - Why?

You want to train a horse,

you gotta break it first.

You never rode a horse in your life.

No, but I raised a son, didn't I?

Same thing.

I never told TJ how proud I was of him.

He knew.

If Justin had come back to Moss Hill after college...

..would you still have picked me?

Would any of this have happened?

You remember how cold it was that fall after graduation?

I was staring down the next five decades

restocking shelves.

And it was snowing in October.

(SIGHS)

I hated the cold.

But you took me sledding.

(CHUCKLING)

I wanted to see my life through your eyes.

Thought maybe it would rub off on me.

But it didn't.

Maybe it still could.

We the jury, in the case of

the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania versus Justin Ward,

for your service.

pending sentencing,

(GAVEL BANGS)

(HANDCUFFS CLICKING)

(SOLEMN MUSIC)

Sottotitoli a cura di SKY ITALIA