Original subtitles

You don't want to go in there. It stinks.

My, my, my.

Aren't you my little songbirds

from the cafeteria?

Weren't they with you?

Who, these guys?

I'm sure you've learned the school song by now.

You better know it

because this time

if you don't get it right,

you're suspended for 10 days each.

Is that clear?

Yes, sir.

All right, let me hear it.

All right, fellas, let him hear it.

Fair eastside

fair eastsl-l-ide

fair eastside

by thy side we'll stand

and always praise thy name

praise thy name, praise thy name

to heaven, yeah

lend our hearts and hands

to help increase thy fame

ooh, lord

the honor, yeah

of old eastside high

calls forth our loyalty

loyalty, loyalty

so cheer-

all right, all right!

Who taught you that?

Answer me!

I know you didn't do it yourselves.

Sams!

What?

Who taught you this song?

Speak up!

Mrs. Powers.

Mrs. Powers, eh?

Come with me, all of you.

...out this world

gonna shoulder up my cross

gonna take it home to my jesus

ain't that good news?

I got a savior in that kingdom

ain't that good news?

I got a savior in that kingdom

ain't that good news?

No, no, no, people.

You must remember,

we need intonation, phonation, accuracy, and pitch.

Now, this is your note.

Hmm

mrs. Powers.

Yes, sir.

These hoodlums told me something.

Did you change the school song?

Mrs. Powers-

let her answer!

The children thought the song was boring.

Boring, huh?

I have never heard

a school song like that.

I didn't authorize you to change it,

did i?

No, you didn't.

I want everyone to learn that song

in english and spanish. Immediately.

Take a bow, mrs. Powers.

You've rewritten our alma mater.

The honor

of old eastside high

brings forth our loyalty

loyalty, loyalty

so cheer for dear old eastside...

how's it going?

What you got in there, malachi?

My future.

All right.

...aboard eastside

all aboard, all aboard

yes, eastside

all aboard, all aboard

how's it going, mr. Darnell?

Good, good. That's great.

...high

ge-e-et

fellas?

On

that

train train

train

ms. Levias...

hi, mr. Clark.

I just heard something you wouldn't believe.

Uh, mr. Clark,

mr. O'malley just brought this from trenton.

The school's practice test.

I had to wait all this time for this?

Next time i order you to go get something,

you better damn well go get it yourself!

Oh, no. Oh, my god.

Give me your attention, everyone.

First three rows take 4 steps forward.

Right now! Come on!

1, 2, 3, 4.

Ok, that's good. Turn around.

Hold it, mr. O'malley!

What's your excuse?

I was filling out a big stack of forms.

I didn't know what time it was.

This is a prime example

of the kind of inefficiency and apathy

that is destroying this school.

Mr. O'malley, i can't believe you're that bad.

I'll give you a chance to revitalize your image.

Set up a student-peer tutoring program.

Maybe the students can help themselves.

Lord knows, you teachers aren't doing the job.

Ms. Levias, i want remedial reading on saturdays.

Volunteers will get regular pay.

We can't afford overtime.

Mr. Clark, the problem isn't our pay.

What is the problem as you see it?

How to get the students in on saturday.

You hear that, people?

How do we get the students in on saturdays

for remedial reading?

I'll tell you how.

We'll go to their homes.

We'll talk to their folks.

If their folks can't read,

they can come in, too.

The only way we'll get anything done

is to get everyone involved.

And that goes for all of you!

It's time to get involved.

Everyone in this section,

put both your hands above your heads.

Raise your hands!

Put them up!

You people represent the 70% of our students

who just failed the practice exam.

70%!

But that is not their failure.

I don't blame them.

The failure is yours.

That's right, yours.

How many hours do you spend preparing your lesson plans?

How often do you stay after school

to give those children-

the ones you know need it-

the extra help that they require?

Keep your hands up.

Now you're getting a hint of the hopelessness and shame

that makes those failing students

throw up their hands

at the thought of facing a world

for which you have not prepared them.

You're getting an inkling of the despair they feel

when left to the mercy of the streets.

Keep your hands up high.

Look around at yourselves.

Turn and look at yourselves!

Because you are failing to educate them,

this is the posture our students will wind up in,

only they'll be staring down the barrel of a gun!

Ooh, yeah, yeah

ahh ha ha

if a man is born in luxury

it proves to me through history

he is somebody

if a man is born in poverty

privation and misery

he is nobody

everybody is somebody

nobody is nobody

i mean, apart from all the wealthy

ooh

everybody is somebody

oh, yeah

so look at me here, man?

Ooh ooh ooh

oh, yeah

ooh ooh ooh

poverty is what, what it takes

it makes such dangerous mistakes about who

who is somebody

when a woman has a child

before that child is born

she, she is somebody

everybody is somebody

nobody is nobody

i mean, apart from all the wealthy

doo doo doo doo doo

everybody is somebody

yeah, oh, yeah

everybody is somebody

all right, you guys, forget it.

All right, i got one.

Who's this?

People, move to the right of the halls.

Move expeditiously.

Francesca, come over here.

How are you?

Fine, mr. Clark.

How's your sister?

She broke her leg.

That's good.

You have any problem, come to my office.

Here's the key.

Ooh, that ain't the key.

Sams, sams. Where's sams?

Anybody see sams?

Pull your pants up, son.

Clarence, come here.

Get your hormones under control, boy.

Let me feel your butt.

Joe: Clarence.

What do you think you're doing?

I was just...

i was just, um...

francesca, come here.

What is he doing? Can he do me?

Does he have the juice?

No way, mr. Clark.

Clarence, report to my office.

Mr. Clark, i was just fooling around.

Got you.

How do you learn the alphabet ? be on time

come on, sams! You can do it.

...he's on time

j-o-e c-l-a...

don't give up!

Fall in together,

going "how do you like the weather?"

Going "how do you learn the alphabet?"

Be on time

school bell ring at a quarter to 9:00

that's it, sams! Stay with it, boy!

...be on time

"how do you learn the alphabet?" be on time

how do you spell eastside , eastside high?

How do you spell joe clark? He's on time

j-o-e c-l...

holy cow! I'm out of here.

Clark can't even get them past that test.

I thought we'd settled this.

With the doors chained, that school's a firetrap.

He's laughing at us.

The man has a legitimate problem.

How does he keep drug pushers out of his school

if their buddies can let them walk on in?

He's got a point.

This doesn't concern you.

Don, we can both go to jail.

By statute, we are legally responsible.

If a fire broke out and a kid got hurt,

they're going to get trampled.

A bunch of savages anyway.

Savages?

Don, can't you control your men?

Ladies and gentlemen,

please leave me alone with mrs. Barrett.

Don, i want to talk to you.

I'll call you later at your office.

Thank you, frank. Close the door, eh?

I want to apologize for the chief's use of language.

I don't like none of you people.

Then let's cut through the formalities.

What do you want?

Clark!

Just like that. Head on a platter.

You think i got an attitude.

Let me tell you what i think.

You like clark because he's a guard dog,

does your dirty work, keeps the black folk in line.

That's fine, but you got to get re-elected.

I got enough folks lined up with me

to give you a damn hard time, and i'll get more.

Unless i do what?

Appoint me to the school board

so we can vote clark out.

Otherwise we'll have to vote you out.

It's always a pleasure to see citizens

avail themselves of the democratic process.

My job will be easy.

You're not too popular these days, are you?

I'll sic the fire chief on clark.

Will that satisfy you?

Yes. And then i'll get the school board to dismiss him.

Then you'll come out publicly for me.

It'll be my pleasure, mr. Mayor.

That barrett is a bitch on wheels.

Smart. She's smart.

Yeah. She got your number.

When am i supposed to do this?

Now we'd just disrupt things.

Give him another week to prepare for that test.

Then we'll catch him with chains on the doors.

We nail him,

and we make her happy.

Politics. What a business.

It's just like yours, putting out fires.

The mayor's going to nail me, huh?

What do i always say?

He's got the hammer and nails himself.

These are some of my white students.

Frankie, bernard, steve.

Boys, this is mr. Rosenberg, school attorney.

Let him hear the school song.

Fair eastside

by thy side by thy side?

We'll stand we'll stand?

And always praise thy name-

all right!

I can't stand this. Needs work, fellas.

Some things you can't teach.

Bad singing isn't genetic.

How's your mother?

She got that job. She's feeling good.

Girls, what are you doing?

The phone's broken. My baby's sick.

Make your call from the office.

When will you girls learn?

I ain't ashamed about my baby.

Nobody's saying you should be ashamed.

And she ain't ashamed of me.

Whenever she look at me,

she don't see no wrong.

Ok. Go on and make your call.

Mr. Vanzetti, let these girls make a call.

Hey, mr. Clark.

We can't let them know who told you.

Why not?

Mr. Clark, we got a problem.

How come you leave us out?

Everything's for the black kids.

The gospel chorus, football, basketball

is for the blacks.

I'm short. I can't play basketball.

The point is, you're ignoring us.

We're getting really ticked off.

With a mouth like yours,

you ought to study law.

Really?

You kids wait for me in my office.

If you all talk at once,

i can't do anything.

I'll be with you ladies in a minute.

Boss, you and mr. Rosenberg better wait out here.

Miss lynn, give markus a pass.

Ms. Levias, is everyone here?

Yes, sir.

Let me have your attention.

With the help of my ubiquitous, clandestine informants

i have learned that the mayor has told the fire chief

to catch me with chains on the doors.

They want to prosecute me and get me out of here.

The security guards are our first line of defense.

If you see the fire chief, stop him at the gates.

Call in code 10 on your walkie-talkies.

We will repeat code 10 on the p.a. System.

All teachers and guards have keys to the exit doors.

When you hear code 10,

proceed to your assigned door and remove the chains.

Guards, resume your posts. Ms. Levias, take over.

Tell those kids in my office to meet me here 7th period.

How did it go?

It's under control.

I have the progress report

on the reading program.

I thought you'd like to hear it.

I would like to hear it.

I'd also like to hear the kids in my office,

and mr. Rosenberg, and dr. Napier.

I can't be 10 different places at the same time.

Maybe my vice principal can do something without me for once.

Mr. Clark.

I'll help you 7th period.

Excuse me.

Good night, mr. Clark.

Good night.

Mr. Clark.

Yes, ms. Levias.

May i talk to you for a minute, please?

What do you want?

I want you to transfer me.

To where?

Out of here.

This doesn't surprise me.

I've sensed resistance in you since our very first meeting.

You're an egomaniacal windbag.

Who you talking to? You!

You like to whip people who can't fight back.

I thought i could take it because i had a father

in the same kind of pain

that makes you such a bastard,

but i was wrong. Life is much too short.

I will not endure you any longer.

The only reason i haven't walked out

and half the staff with me

is because those children need us.

You're so busy talking discipline,

you forget to educate.

What the hell do you think i've been doing here?

You cleaned it up. That was easy.

Those children want to be helped.

They've done everything we've asked,

but i feel sorry for them.

They're not ready to take that test.

What the hell are you talking about?

I have done everything-

i. It is always i.

There are 300 teachers here.

You don't do it alone.

I don't have to listen to these accusations.

Youwilllisten!

All right, ms. Levias, go ahead and talk.

You've been flapping your mouth,

and you haven't heard a thing.

You haven't seen what's painfully obvious.

I'll tell you what-

no, let me finish!

Everybody here may not like you,

but we all applaud your effort.

What you don't understand

is the same people who support you

are the ones you're beating up!

You don't even say thank you.

You just constantly abuse them,

criticize them.

What the hell do you want from me?

I want you to get this straight.

Most of the teachers are here because they care

about those children, this school, this fight.

They're in it with you.

They take it home the same as you.

They are part of those children's lives.

You are thoughtless and cruel,

and it hurts.

And none of them deserve it.

They are sick of it, and so am i.

Ms. Levias.

What's this?

The transfer you asked for.

All right, people. Here we are.

This is the day.

In one hour,

you're going to take an exam administered by the state

to test your basic skills

and the quality of education at eastside high.

And i want to tell you

what the people out there are saying about you

and what they think about your chances.

They say you are inferior.

Come on!

Come on!

Come on! Come on!

"You are just a bunch of niggers and spics and poor white trash."

"Education is wasted on you."

"You cannot learn!"

You're lost!

I mean all of you.

I want all the white students to stand up.

All my white students, stand up.

Come on.

Stand up. Stand up.

That's it. Come on, stand up.

These are my white children,

and they're the same as all of you.

They've got no place to go.

Otherwise, they would have abandoned us a long time ago,

but they couldn't.

So here they are at eastside, just like the rest of us.

You can sit down.

Are you getting my point, people?

Yes!

Is it sinking in?

Yes!

We sink, we swim.

We rise, we fall.

We meet our fate together!

Now, it took the help of a good, good friend

to make me know and understand that,

and i do understand it, and i'm grateful.

I'm eternally grateful.

And i've got a message for those people out there

who've abandoned you and written you off.

Can you hear me?

Yes!

Can you hear me?

Yes!

Good!

You are not inferior!

Your grades may be.

Your school may have been.

But you can turn that around

and make liars out of those bastards

in exactly one hour!

You'll take that test, pass it, and win!

So here's what i want you to do.

When you find your minds wandering,

i want you to knuckle back down and concentrate.

Concentrate!

Remember what's at stake

and show them what eastside high is all about-

a spirit that will not die!

Sometimes in our lives

we all have pain

we all have sorrow

but if we are wise

we know that there's always tomorrow

lean on me

when you're not strong

and i'll be your friend?

I'll help you carry on

for it won't be long

till i'm gonna need

somebody to lean on

you just call on me, brother

when you need a hand

we all need somebody to lean on

i just might have a problem?

That you'll understand

we all need somebody to lean on

why don't you lean on me?

Lean on me

if you need a friend

you can lean on me

i'll be your friend

lean on me

you can lean on me

come on and lean on me

lean on me

you can lean on me

please, won't you swallow your pride?

If i have things

you need to borrow

for no one can fill those of your needs

that you won't let go

why don't you just lean on?

Anytime

lean on

come on and lean on

lean on me, you can lean on me

if you need a friend

lean on me

you can lean on me

and if you got a problem

you can lean on me

i'm your problem solver?

You can lean on me

why don't you lean?

Lean on me

uh-huh

come on and lean on me

you can lean on me

call on me, brother

you can lean on me

sister, give me your hand

lean on me, you can lean on me

you can, you can, you can

lean on me, you can lean on me

swallow up your pride

lean on me, you can lean on...

please, children, people

lean on me, oh

eastside!

Eastside! Eastside!

Eastside! Eastside! Eastside!

Eastside! Eastside! Eastside!

Eastside! Eastside! Eastside! Eastside...

dum dum-dum-dum-dum

dum-dum-dum-dum

dum-dum-dum dum-dum

dum-dum

sometimes in our lives

we all have pain

we all have sorrow

dum-dum-dum

but if we are wise

we know that there's always tomorrow

i told you these things take time.

Just how long am i supposed to wait?

You boys are messing with the wrong female.

He won't let me in.

What's going on?

Would you talk to her?

I thought we had made a deal.

Don't broadcast it all over town.

I have got a school board meeting tonight

and enough votes to get clark kicked out

if i can prove he's chained those doors.

We can get that if you move on him today.

Chief gaines already tried that.

Bullshit! I've made promises of my own.

I've got people with me right now.

If i can't deliver-

just a minute.

And i do not issue idle threats.

Then don't, because i don't want to hear it.

Ok, chief.

Mrs. Barrett was promised some action.

I think it's time we get a court order

and get you past those guards.

Sounds good to me.

He ain't worth it.

Jerk.

That's right. He's a jerk.

I told you that.

You don't listen to me.

What are you two ladies doing in here?

Lillian, aren't you supposed to be in class?

Huh?

Kaneesha?

What's going on here?

Lillian?

What is this?

You'll have to ask her.

Kaneesha, what's the matter?

I got pregnant.

Please don't be mad at me.

Let me talk to her alone.

Did you tell your mother?

I can't.

Reggie's the father?

He says it's not his, but i know it is.

I've never been with no other boys.

I never meant for this to happen.

You girls never do.

So many of you bringing babies into this world

just to prove you can accomplish something.

And you're doing so well now, kaneesha.

There are other alternatives.

I'm scared. I don't know what to do.

I'll tell you what we'll do.

We'll have your mother come to the school.

We'll put our heads together.

I'm sure we'll be able to help you decide

what's best for you to do. Trust me?

Mr. Clark!

8:00 a.m. I'll call your mother.

What is it?

The fire chief.

He got past the gate.

Code 10! Get those chains off the door!

The enemy's here!

We got it locked, mr. Clark.

Mr. Clark, you're under arrest.

For what?

Basically for being an asshole.

Specifically for conspiracy to violate of the fire code.

I got no problem with the fire code.

The only problem here is you.

And your problem is your mouth.

Joe: Get those chains off the doors!

The enemy's here!

Guard: We got it locked, mr. Clark.

Cuff him!

Hey, mr. Clark!

What's this all about?

It's about someone finally standing up to this man

instead of taking his orders like a maid.

How dare you speak like that!

Mrs. Barrett-

shut up! You're finished!

The school board will hear this at 7:00,

and we'll vote your black ass out.

Yo, bitch, vote on this!

You go to class!

You're acting principal now.

I expect you to perform as i would.

What- what's going on?

What did you do?

I chained the doors.

You break the law, you pay the price.

We still got to go to class?

Yes. All of you, get back to class! Now!

Mr. Clark...

go on!

Who will look after the school?

Go on! Get back to class!

Get back in there, all of you! Go on!

Ms. Levias, they're your responsibility!

I guess we ought to be getting out of here, joe.

That school board meeting's about to begin.

Do whatever we can.

Have you thought about a new line of work?

Perhaps an exciting career in electronics?

It's just a little joke.

I'm going.

I've got no complaints, joe.

As far as i'm concerned,

what you accomplished down at that school

was a goddamn miracle.

Those kids have a light in their eyes now

that was never, never there before.

Thanks, boss.

You know, i'm always trying to teach my kids

to stay out of jail.

Look at me.

You go on.

Do what you got to do.

He has failed at his professional task.

We brought him in to save our school

from a takeover from the state.

That was the mandate from our mayor.

But the test scores on the practice exam

were 35% below passing.

Now, maybe if we dump him now

and get a new principal ourselves-

show the state that we're doing something-

we can pre-empt the takeover,

but only if we get him out

before those final test scores come back.

After that, it'll be too late.

This board won't have any power.

It'll be nothing but a rubber stamp.

Mrs. Arthur, those are the facts.

I appreciate your personal loyalty to mr. Clark,

but he has let our children down,

and our loyalty should be to them.

Our loyalty should be to the man we hired.

Order! Order!

Free mr. Clark!

Free mr. Clark!

Free mr. Clark!

Napier: Order, ladies and gentlemen!

Order, please!

We cannot continue this meeting

with this kind of chaos! Please!

Sit down! Come to order!

Dr. Napier, dr. Napier,

i think you should call the question now.

I cannot call the question.

All points of view seem to have been exhausted here.

No further purpose will be served by this.

Why don't you have someone on the board-

mr. Clark's students have assembled outside

in an exercise of their first amendment rights.

How many?

It looks like all of them.

Free mr. Clark!

Free mr. Clark!

We're in a tough spot here.

I have to ask your help, joe.

It's not for me. It's for those kids.

They're very emotional. They're all jacked up.

You have to send them home.

I don't have to do nothing but stay black and die.

For crying out loud.

Free mr. Clark!

Free mr. Clark!

Free mr. Clark!

Free mr. Clark!

Free mr. Clark!

People, before this gets out of hand,

listen, for your own safety, listen to me!

Free mr. Clark!

Free mr. Clark!

All right, joe. Let me put it this way.

First, i wanted you to succeed.

Now, don't think that i ever wanted anything else.

But you're a realist, joe, just like me.

Think what would happen

if there was a riot

and cops had to clear that square.

I'd have law and order on my side,

and the only people who'd be hurt

would be your kids.

Free mr. Clark!

Free mr. Clark!

Free mr. Clark!

Free mr. Clark!

Free mr. Clark!

Listen to me!

People, please!

You must all disperse and return to your homes!

Your presence here is helping no one.

Why don't you use your brains and listen?

Free mr. Clark!

Thank you.

Listen up.

Settle down. Give her a chance to talk.

She might actually have something to say.

Chill. Settle down.

Let's listen to the old loudmouthed wench.

Here you go, barrett.

Here you go.

You can call me what you want,

but the simple fact is

mr. Clark has broken the laws of this state

and exposed you all to grave danger.

His behavior is irresponsible.

Chaining those doors was a criminal act.

Why do you think they call him "crazy joe"?

Because you don't understand him.

Yeah. That's right.

He chained those doors

to keep out the drug dealers.

You're twisting the law.

The laws are made to protect the people.

That's what he's doing for us.

Yes!

The thing that you don't understand

is that mr. Clark believes in us.

He doesn't believe in you!

You don't take care

of your responsibility!

Despite what he himself may believe,

mr. Clark is not eastside high!

Mr. Clark is not only eastside high.

Mr. Clark is like a father,

the only father some of us know.

You don't know a thing

about mr. Clark!

People! People, just hear me!

The school board is meeting right now,

and we will give you what eastside high deserves-

a good principal.

We don't want a good principal!

We want mr. Clark!

You may think you know what you want,

but the question is what is best for you,

for eastside high.

This thing's getting out of hand.

Talk to them, please.

...to see that this gets resolved

so that you can continue your education.

Free mr. Clark!

People! People...

yay!

All right!

I wonder why i can't get this kind of turnout

for study hall.

All right, now.

Kids, this is all very nice,

but now i'm going to insist that you all go home

and let the laws of the land prevail.

No!

No! No! No!

No! No! No!

Now, listen.

Listen.

If i've taught you anything,

i have tried to give you respect for the law.

Now, i want you all to go home

in an orderly fashion!

No! No! No!

Your voices have been heard!

No! No! No!

I appreciate your concern for me.

No! No! No!

But now is the time to go home.

No! No! No!

Kids, listen. You're not helping the matters any.

You're not helping our cause

if you stay here.

No! No! No!

I thought i left you in charge of these students.

You got to read this.

Is this taking care of your responsibility?

Read it!

No! No! No!

No! No! No!

No! No! No!

No! No! No!

No! No! No!

Boss.

No! No! No!

No! No! No!

No! No! No!

Dr. Napier, it is my duty-

it is my privilege and my honor to report to you

that the students of eastside high

have passed the minimum basic skills test!

Mr. Mayor.

Boy: Yeah! All right!

Go get him!

Mr. Mayor, on behalf of myself

and on behalf of the students of eastside high,

you can tell the state to go to hell.

I told you.

You should not have brought him here...

joe louis clark is not going anywhere.

Are you ready, my ghosts?

Yes!

Let me hear it.

1, 2, 3!

Fair eastside

by thy side we'll stand?

And always praise thy name

to ever lend our hearts and hands

congratulations.

Come on, son.

...thy fame

the honor of old eastside high

brings forth our loyalty

so cheer for dear old eastside high

lead on to victory

so cheer for dear old eastside high

lead on to victory

lean on me

when you're not strong

and i'll be your friend?

I'll help you carry on

for i know

that it won't be long

till i'm gonna need

somebody to lean on

you just call on me, brother

call me

if you feel you need a hand

'cause we all need

somebody

just to lean on

oh, i just might have a problem

a problem

you'll understand

we all need somebody to lean on

oh oh oh, yeah

listen, now

if there is a load

you have to bear

that you can't carry

just remember

i, i'm right up the road

i'll share your load

if you just call on me

you have to call me

call me

whenever you're in trouble

call me

i'll understand

call me

we all have pain

call me

we all have sorrow

call me

hey hey hey

just lean on me

lean

lean on me

lean on

j-just lean on me

lean

lean on me

lean on me

just, just

lean on him? Yes, yes, why?

Things are better

and we're finally working together in unity

and you're soon to see

eastside high as a better place to be

the students, the pupils have morals and scruples

our learning ability has increased quadruple

and we're off to a brand-new start

i played my part to prove that you're smart?

And it's proven

but i ain't movin'

i won't be going, i'm here

when you need someone to lean on

so take heed to this as a blessing and remember

ain't no half steppin'

get it in full gear

i'm sure that you'll care in the long run

when you got full gear

that means authority

positivity

word

so let knowledge uproot you

go for yours, 'cause we're the future

the ones who rise to supremacy

and if you ever need a hand

just lean on me

j-j-j-just

lean

just lean on me

lean

j-j-j-just

just lean on me

lean

j-j-j-just

lean

just lean on me

j-j-j-just

lean

just lean on me

lean

lean on me

lean

lean on me

Captioning performed by the national captioning institute, inc.