Original subtitles

? What would you do if I sang out of tune? ?

? Would you stand up and walk out on me? ?

? Lend me your ears, and I'll sing you a song ?

? I will try not to sing out of key, yeah ?

? Oh, baby, I get by ? ? By with a little help from my friends ?

? All I need is my buddies ?

? High with a little help from my friends ?

? I'm sayin' I'm gonna get higher ? -? Try with a little help from my friends ?

? Whoa-oa-oa-oa ?

? Oh, oh, oh, oh ?

? Somebody who knows quite sure ?

? Baby ?

? By with a little help from my friends ?

? Said I'm gonna make it with my friends ?

? Try with a little help from my friends ?

? Oh, I'm gonna keep on trying ?

? High with a little help from my friends ?

? I'm gonna keep on trying now, baby ?

? Ooh, ooh, ooh ?

[ Choir singing indistinctly ]

The halls of RFK junior high

often echoed with the sounds of music.

The Kennedy chorale.

The Kennedy madrigals.

And, of course, the Kennedy now-tones.

They were all part of a long-standing family of song.

But, as with every family,

there was a skeleton in the closet.

[ Off-key ] ? ah, ah, ah, ah ?

? Ah, ah, ah ?

? Ah, ah, ah, ah ?

The boys' 8th-grade glee club.

? Ah, ah, ah, ah ?

The singing group from hell.

Oh, boy.

Twice a week, we transformed Mr. Frace's choir room

into kind of a chamber of musical horrors.

Oh, my gosh.

Randy Mitchell... baritone.

? Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ?

Doug Porter... monotone.

? Ah, ah, ah... ?

Paul Pfeiffer... no tone at all.

And, of course...

Me.

Not that we didn't have heart.

It's just that the 13-year-old-male voice

isn't exactly designed for, well...

For singing.

Uh, hold that note.

? Ahhh ?

Hold that note.

We weren't the stuff tabernacle choirs are made of.

So, out of a mutual respect for the arts...

And humanity...

We'd reached an agreement.

We wouldn't push Mr. Frace...

If he wouldn't push us.

All right, all right!

That's enough!

Just, uh, get out your books and study.

All in all, a pretty equitable arrangement.

It isn't fair.

Every other group gets to sing some songs and stuff.

Why can't we?

Well, maybe because we stink.

Then why are we here?

Because we have to be here.

Right, Warren?

Warren gander.

No one had ever heard him sing a note,

much less say a word.

So, what you're saying is we're losers, is that it?

But if Paul was looking to unite us in chorus...

- Pbht! - Pbht!

He had just heard our best effort.

Pbht!

Face it... we knew where we stood.

At the bottom of the heap.

And we were smart enough not to seek the limelight...

[ School bell rings ]

Until, that is...

the limelight was thrust upon us.

There.

That's better, isn't it?

Who's she?

[ Note plays ]

? My name is Miss Haycock ?

And if there's anything I want to impress upon you,

it's...

? Use your diaphragms ?

? Always use your diaphragms ?

What'd she say?

? Do you hear how that sounds? ?

? Full and supported ?

[ Plays note ]

? If you're doing it right ?

? You'll feel it down here ?

[ Plays note ]

? I'm thrilled to be taking over ?

? The 8th-grade boys' glee club ?

[ Plays note ]

? And when we sing ?

? We'll always sing like this ?

[ Plays note ]

? Because we're always going to remember ?

? To use our ?

[ Plays note ]

[ Unenthused ] Diaphragms.

She was fresh out of teaching school, full of ideas.

And, oh, yes,

the woman was a total lunatic.

Well, I think she's great.

Paul, get a grip.

Why, just because she sang a little?

A little?

I just hope she doesn't think we're gonna sing like that.

Well, maybe not at first.

But once we master this diaphragm thing...

Diaphragms or no diaphragms...

Miss Haycock's arrival

had sent a shudder of fear through all of us.

I don't want to sing.

That's why I took glee club in the first place.

Yeah, why do we have to have a student teacher, anyway?

Relax, guys. There's nothin' to worry about.

This won't last long.

What do you mean?

I mean, this is her first job.

She has to look like she's trying.

Mitchell did have a point...

in theory.

Maybe he's right.

Maybe she'll... Get over it.

Trust me, in a couple of days,

she'll be acting just like Frace.

Put away your songbooks. We won't need them, after all.

And that was that.

We'll need the entire hour for voice auditions.

[ Scattered groans ]

Who wants to be first?

First?

Was she joking?

Anyone?

Only a complete doofus would want to be f...

okay, then.

It was time to show Miss Haycock

exactly who she was up against.

In other words...

It was time to sing.

[ Off-key ] ? my country, 'tis of thee ?

[ Off-key ] ? sweet land of liberty ?

[ Off-key ] ? of thee I sing ?

[ Off-key ] ? land where our fathers died ?

[ Piano plays notes ]

[ Passionately ] ? from every mountainside ?

? Let freedom ring ?

There.

We'd laid it out for her... clear as a bell.

The folly of it all.

The hopelessness. The complete...

yes! Yes!

That's the kind of passion we all need.

Huh?

I found that very moving.

Thank you, Kevin!

Sure, anytime.

Attaway, Caruso.

Anytime at all.

She made you sing?

All of you?

That I'd like to see.

She said Kevin had passion.

Really?

[ Giggles ]

She made a total fool out of me, so can we just forget it?

Well, I think she sounds very sweet.

So do I.

Right gesture, wrong shoulder.

Winnie, the woman's a fruitcake, okay?

In fact, somebody ought to lock her up!

In fact, somebody ought to...

Kevin, that's not very nice.

Uh-oh.

What if it were me up there...

standing there, scared out of my wits,

teaching my first class?

Uh, well...

is that how you'd treat me?

Okay, this was tricky... very tricky.

Maybe you should think more about things like that, Kevin.

It was pretty clear I was gonna have to find

the moral highground here...

and fast.

? Fwa ?

? To sustain the note ?

? We simply let the air flow out gently ?

Now, you try.

? Fwa ?

[ Off-key ] ? fwa ?

? Fwa ?

Trouble is, our glee club

wasn't exactly built for high ground.

We'd been weaned on low expectations.

Why's she doing this to us?

Even Warren gander was showing signs of strain.

Now, men, I have a surprise for you.

Great. What was it gonna be now?

Today, we're going to begin our first song...

"stout-hearted men."

I have copies for all of you.

All right. That ripped it.

No one... but no one...

had ever threatened us with an actual musical arrangement.

And, that's not all.

We're going to be singing it next month

at the spring sing concert!

- What?! - What?!

I know, I know.

We don't have much time.

But as I told Mr. Frace,

my boys are up to it.

And he agreed!

And suddenly it was clear.

Our reputation was on the line, here.

Our tradition. Our bad name.

Miss Haycock?

Yes, Kevin.

Do you really think this is a good idea?

Why not?

Well... I...

we... Just think...

Kevin...

What if it were me standing up here?

Kevin...

You think what?

Awww!

That...

It would be...

fine.

I knew you'd all feel that way!

Think of it.

We're starting on a new adventure... together.

And so in a flash, our fate was sealed.

The Glee Club's, Miss Haycock's,

and, of course...

Mine.

[ Notes play on piano ]

? Men, men, men ?

? All right, basses ?

? Men, men ?

Over the next few weeks,

Miss Haycock struggled to bring out our best...

? Now, tenors ?

? Ahhh ?

Which, coincidentally, happened to be our worst.

Splendid! Now, remember.

Diaphragms.

Diaphragms!

Meanwhile, I found myself trapped

between raw enthusiasm and outright malice.

Ow!

Hey!

Nice goin', Arnold.

What's that for?

"That'd be great, Miss Haycock.

We'd love to sing in the spring sing."

Come on, I didn't say that.

Well, not exactly.

We're gonna look like idiots

in front of the whole school,

not to mention our parents.

What are we gonna do?

Well, for one thing,

we're not gonna mention it to our parents.

Deal?

There's something else we could do.

We could practice.

Look, you got us into this, Arnold.

So you got to get us out.

How?

Talk to her.

She's never gonna listen to me.

Why not? You're Mr. passion.

You're the only one she will listen to.

Talk to her.

Our lives are depending on it.

Easy for them to say.

But how do you talk to someone

who can't even hear?

[ Glee club singing ]

Excellent! Excellent!

The fact was, even though we sang harmonies

that would make Quasimodo wince,

chords not found in nature...

Good!

Better!

Nothing deterred Miss Haycock.

With a wisdom born of weeks of experience,

she pushed on, blindly... no!... Deafly...

toward a goal that was obviously beyond our grasp.

I know. Let's march in place.

Let's try that. Come on.

We wanted to believe in her.

But it was pretty clear, sooner or later,

someone was gonna have to burst this bubble...

someone like...

Psst! Arnold.

[ Clears throat ]

Me.

? Man to man ?

It's now or never, Arnold.

Ah, what the heck?

Was I a stout-hearted man...

Or a craven coward?

Miss Haycock?

Yes, Kevin?

We've been thinking this whole thing over.

And...

See...

We don't really wanna be in the spring sing.

It's just that...

We're not any good.

So...

Maybe we shouldn't do it.

There. Difficult, of course,

but best for everyone concerned.

You... Really feel this way?

All of you?

- Mm-hmm. - Yeah.

I see.

Well... I had no idea.

And there you had it.

We'd finally gotten through to her.

Miss Haycock was coming to her senses.

She was going to see reason.

She was going...

[ Crying softly ]

To cry.

[ Crying intensifies ]

Needless to say, we handled it with a certain maturity.

Well, what you do that for, Arnold?

Me?! You told me to!

Way to go, Kev.

I can't believe you did that.

You were supposed to talk to her, not make her cry.

[ Crying continues ]

We had no idea what to do next.

The only thing that could help us now

was a miracle.

And then... It happened.

[ Warren vocalizing ]

[ Vocalizing continues ]

It took the tears of a student teacher

to bring a song to the lips of Warren gander.

[ Vocalizing continues ]

? Men, men, men, men, men, men, men... ?

? Men, men, men, men, men, men... ?

? Men, men, men, men, men, men, men, men, men ?

And the rest is history.

? Men, men, men, men, men, men... ?

? Lend me some men who are stout-hearted men ?

? Who will fight for the right they adore ?

? Start me with ten who are stout-hearted men ?

And so began the great glee club comeback of 1970.

? Give me some men... ?

There were only two weeks left before the big spring sing,

but during those two weeks, we breathed, slept,

and ate "stout-hearted men".

? And I'll soon give you 10,000 more ?

It became our anthem, our battle cry...

[ Horn honking ]

As we rallied 'round our secret weapon.

? Then there's nothing in the world... ?

It was kind of... Infectious.

? ...a plan ?

? When stout-hearted... ?

And when the day had finally arrived...

We had gone from horrible to...

? Man to ?

? Man ?

[ Finale plays ]

Magnificent!

Well, anyway, we were ready...

[ Choir singing indistinctly ]

? Till you find your dreams ?

[ Applause ]

I'm not ready for this.

Sure you are.

No, I'm not.

Oh, come on, Paul. It's just one song.

Or so I kept telling myself.

Look around.

These guys are practically professionals.

People are paying a buck-fifty to see them...

And us.

[ Sneezes ]

Uh-oh.

That sneeze was a bad sign.

[ Sneezes ]

A very bad sign.

Take a deep breath.

You know how you get once it starts.

It's my nerves.

Come on, Paul, what's there to be nervous about?

Remember?

We've got Warren.

[ Indistinct conversation ]

Hey, you guys are in the 8th-grade glee club, right?

Can't wait to hear you sing.

You too. What are you singing?

We're starting out with Thomson's "Hallelujah,"

then "Pater Noster, qui es in Caelis"...

the Vulpius version.

Then something a little lighter...

some selections from "La Boh�me."

How about you?

"Vulpius"?

"La Boh�me"?

- "Stout-hearted men." - [ Sneezes ]

Here they are...

my boys.

Come on, everybody.

Gather 'round.

I brought something for you.

Here. Pass these out.

Everyone gets one.

Yep, Miss Haycock was in her element...

whatever element that was.

I'm so proud of you all.

Ever since I was a little girl...

No, geez, don't tell us this. We don't want to...

I've dreamed of standing up in front of a choir

and molding them in song.

Tonight will be my very first time,

and I have you to thank... my men.

I'll never forget any of you.

The funny thing is, in a way, that turned out to be true.

All right. Let's line up.

We're next.

And so from the murky depths of Mr. Frace's choir room,

the 8th-grade boys glee club finally stepped into the light.

[ Light applause ]

Sure, we had misgivings.

But gazing down on Miss Haycock's confident face,

we knew we had nothing to fear.

She believed in us.

And, of course, we believed...

In Warren.

[ Piano plays introduction ]

But as I look back on that night,

it isn't the anticipation I remember best,

and it isn't the faces in the audience.

? Ahhhhhhhhhh ?

What I remember best

is that Warren gander's voice chose exactly that moment...

[ Croaks ]

To change.

[ Audience murmuring ]

? Ahhhhhhhhh ?

[ Croaks ]

It was cruel.

In front of our very eyes,

Warren had transformed from lyric tenor...

To...

[ Croaks ]

Well, a bullfrog.

[ Murmuring, light laughter ]

So the rest of us did the only thing we could...

we panicked.

Keep going!

[ Piano plays introduction ]

Keep going!

- Men. - Men.

- Men. - Men.

But the die was cast.

[ Sneezes ]

Paul sneezed...

[ Sneezes ]

Which was too much for Doug.

[ Thud ]

Somebody laughed, and I dropped my music.

Keep going!

[ Sneezes ]

It was kind of a chain reaction.

[ Sneezes ]

I'd like to say we rallied...

[ Sneezes ]

But... We didn't.

[ Disorganized singing, talking ]

[ Disorganized singing continues ]

Men. Men. Men.

- Men. - Men.

[ Sneezes ]

[ Sneezes ]

It was no one's fault, really.

I guess we'd just been pushed beyond our limits.

We we're a bunch of 8th-grade boys,

not an ensemble of stout-hearted men.

[ Light applause ]

[ Applause intensifies ]

As for Miss Haycock,

she'd dreamed of molding us into something we weren't.

But that night, she got her wake-up call.

? Give me some men who are stout-hearted men... ?

The only problem was...

She wasn't there to answer it.

[ Sneezes ]

We never found out where Miss Haycock disappeared to,

although some said she'd gone back to college.

Still, I like to think that wherever she is

there's a warm spot in her heart

for the 8th-grade boys' glee club.

After all, we'd learned from her,

and in a way... She'd learned from us.

We'd learned together...

? Man to man ?

Or so I like to tell myself.

[ Finale plays ]

[ Paul sneezes ]

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