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, YEAH ♪ - ♪ OOH, OOH, OOH ♪

-♪ WHEN YOU'RE DOWN AND TROUBLED ♪

-IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE BEING 12 YEARS OLD

AND GOING WITHOUT CERTAIN THINGS,

LIKE THREE MONTHS OFF IN THE SUMMERTIME

OR A GOOD BICYCLE TO CRUISE THE NEIGHBORHOOD ON.

MORE THAN ANYTHING, THOUGH,

IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE BEING 12 YEARS OLD

AND NOT HAVING A BEST FRIEND LIKE PAUL PFEIFFER.

-♪ CLOSE YOUR EYES AND THINK OF ME ♪

-PAUL WAS THE NICEST KID I EVER KNEW.

HE WOULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING FOR ME... I KNOW IT.

AND I WOULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING FOR HIM.

AT LEAST I ALWAYS THOUGHT I WOULD.

-♪ YOU JUST CALL ♪

-HOW MANY HOME RUNS DID YAZ HIT IN '64?

-OH. UM...

15.

-CAREER BATTING AVERAGE?

-THAT WOULD BE .30...

NO, WAIT... 298.

-HOBBIES?

-KAYAKING AND...

TROUT FISHING!

-WHAT CAN YOU SAY? THE KID LOVED TO TALK SPORTS.

-OKAY, ONE MORE GAME. CHECK IT.

-THE KID LOVED TO PLAY SPORTS.

-ALL RIGHT. NOW YOU'RE A DEAD MAN.

-THERE'S NOTHING STOPPING THIS KID!

HE'S LIKE A MACHINE OUT THERE!

-MORE THAN ANYTHING, THOUGH,

THE KID LOVED TO TALK WHILE PLAYING SPORTS.

-HE DRIBBLES LEFT.

HE'S LOOKING FOR HIS SWEET SPOT.

HE STOPS. HE POPS.

OH, JUST OFF THE RIM!

BUT HE GETS HIS OWN REBOUND! UNBELIEVABLE!

-THE FACT THAT PAUL SANK MAYBE TWO BUCKETS PER SEASON

REALLY DIDN'T MATTER THAT MUCH.

-AND PFEIFFER'S DELIBERATELY WORKING WITH THE BALL NOW.

EVER THE THINKING PLAYER.

-THAT TITLE-WINNING SHOT WAS ALWAYS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.

-AND THE PRESSURE'S ON. HE LOOKS FOR HIS SWEET SPOT.

HERE COMES HIS SUPER-SUPREME FADEAWAY HOOK SHOT!

-NO, PAUL! DON'T!

-SOVIET TANKS AND BOMBERS

SWEPT THOUGHT THE CZECH CAPITAL OF PRAGUE LAST NIGHT

UNDER THE DUBIOUS GUISE OF RESTORING ORDER

FOR THE APPARENTLY PEACEFUL CITIZENS.

-YOU AREN'T PALMING IT, PAUL.

-I AM SO! LOOK!

-PIPE DOWN. WE'RE WATCHING THE NEWS.

-CITIZENS OF PRAGUE, SHOCKED AND STUNNED BY THE ASSAULT,

OFFERED NO MILITARY RESISTANCE TO THE OVERWHELMING FORCES.

BY DAWN, THE CITY WAS UNDER SOVIET CONTROL.

MORE AFTER THIS.

-IRREGULARITY.

-SO... YOU WANT TO DEFEND YOUR COMMUNISTS NOW?

-I HAPPEN TO BE A SOCIALIST.

-OH, SOCIALIST. I SEE.

-HONEY, DID YOU SAY YOU WANTED ICED TEA WITH DINNER?

-AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION,

THAT SAME OPPRESSION EXISTS IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD.

-DO YOU SEE A TANK IN MY BACKYARD?

I DON'T SEE A TANK IN MY BACKYARD.

-DOES ANYONE NOT WANT BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH DINNER?

-IT WAS FUNNY HOW THOSE THINGS WOULD GO.

DAD WOULD ARGUE, KAREN WOULD ARGUE,

AND MOM WOULD GET THE ULCER.

-OH, KEVIN, PLEASE REFILL THAT ICE TRAY

WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED WITH IT.

-THE NEWS IS ON, FOLKS.

-TALK ABOUT FASCISM.

-ONCE AGAIN, OUR TOP STORY...

THERE IS NO JOY ON THE STREETS OF PRAGUE TONIGHT

AS SOVIET FORCES PATROL THE CITY

WITH ONE PURPOSE IN MIND...

TO CRUSH THE SPIRIT OF THE PEOPLE.

-PEOPLE...

-OF COURSE, WE IN THE FREE WORLD

NEED NOT WORRY ABOUT A TOTALITARIAN MILITARY,

BECAUSE ALL OUR TOTALITARIANS

ARE BUSY TEACHING JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL.

- WHEN YOU LOOK BACK ON YOUR LIVES,

I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER TODAY

AS THE DAY THAT WE TURNED YOU LITTLE BOYS INTO YOUNG MEN.

-HE'S GOT A DUFFEL BAG. I THINK IT'S BASKETBALL.

-YEAH! BASKETBALL!

-UNFORTUNATELY FOR MR. CUTLIP,

OUR SPIRITS WERE NOT YET COMPLETELY CRUSHED.

-IF YOU BOYS WANT TO KEEP TALKING,

WE CAN SPEND THE REST OF THE MORNING RUNNING LAPS.

WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO TELL ME WHAT THIS IS?

-CUTLIP'S LAPDOG... JOEY HARRIS.

THE KID HAD NO SELF-RESPECT.

-A BASKETBALL, SIR?

-MUCH MORE THAN A BASKETBALL, HARRIS.

PEOPLE...

I'VE GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN MY HANDS.

I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE BLACK, WHITE,

RED, OR YELLOW.

I'M ONLY INTERESTED IN SEEING ONE PLAYER

ON THE BASKETBALL COURT.

AND THAT PLAYER'S NAME IS CHARLIE HUSTLE.

CAPICHE?

-CAPICHE.

AT THAT STAGE, WE WOULD HAVE AGREED TO NUCLEAR WAR

TO GET ON THE COURT AND PLAY.

-BUT I COULD TALK AND TALK STRATEGY.

THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO LEARN BASKETBALL.

DIAGRAMS.

-ONCE AGAIN, MR. CUTLIP HAD FULFILLED THE SACRED OATH

OF THE PUBLIC EDUCATOR...

TO TAKE AN INHERENTLY FUN ACTIVITY

AND SAP IT OF EVERY OUNCE OF PLEASURE.

-SO I WANT TO SEE HEADS-UP OFFENSE,

AND I WANT TO SEE HANDS-UP DEFENSE.

OKAY?

QUESTIONS.

GOOD.

OKAY.

LET'S SEE FOUR CAPTAINS.

NORKLEN, SIMEONE, RYGOT, O'HARA.

THE REST OF YOU BOYS STAND UP ON THE LINE.

-BUT JUST IN CASE THERE WAS A LITTLE FUN

LEFT IN BASKETBALL...

-OKAY...

LET'S PICK TEAMS.

- WE WOULD NOW BE TURNED LOOSE ON EACH OTHER.

-I GOT JENKINS.

-I GOT SCHNEIDER.

-PICKING TEAMS... IT HAD TO BE

ONE OF THE MOST GRUELING RITUALS OF CHILDHOOD.

- CHIAPA. - I'LL TAKE VOGEL.

-BUT I FIGURED IT WOULDN'T BE LONG NOW.

I HAD MYSELF PEGGED

FOR A SECOND-, MAYBE A THIRD-ROUND DRAFT CHOICE.

-EVANS.

-GLEWA.

-PLATT. I GUESS.

-ALL RIGHT. ANYTIME NOW.

YEP, I'M READY TO PLAY.

-GIVE ME, UH, COLBERT, I GUESS.

-THAT'S RIGHT. OVER HERE, O'HARA.

KEEP COMING.

-GIVE ME... ARN...

-THAT'S IT!

NAH, GIVE ME WILSON.

-UGH!

ALL RIGHT, NOW, RYGOT. COME ON, MAN!

DON'T FORGET THOSE BIOLOGY NOTES.

-I'LL TAKE ARNOLD, I GUESS.

-OKAY! ALL RIGHT. NOT TOO BAD.

TOP HALF OF THE CLASS.

THERE WERE MORE THAN A FEW POOR LOSERS

WHO WERE WORSE OFF THAN OLD KEVIN AR...

UH, DID I SAY LOSERS?

THAT'S HARSH.

UH-OH. THIS WAS NOT GOOD.

IT WAS DOWN TO PAUL AND JOEY HARRIS.

TO BE PICKED LATE WAS BAD.

-UH...

-BUT TO BE PICKED LAST?

-I GUESS I'LL TAKE HARRIS.

-Pfeiffer.

-OKAY, FINE. I'LL TAKE PFEIFFER.

-AS SOON AS WE STARTED TO PLAY, I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG.

PAUL WAS LIKE A MAN POSSESSED.

UNFORTUNATELY, HE WAS NOT LIKE A MAN POSSESSED

OF A GREAT DEAL OF ATHLETIC ABILITY.

-HEY, PAUL.

SURE BEATS CROSS-COUNTRY, HUH?

-YOU DIDN'T EVEN PASS IT TO ME.

-MAYBE YOU WEREN'T OPEN.

-OH, YEAH, RIGHT. I WASN'T EVEN BEING COVERED.

I'M NOT THAT BAD, AM I?

-OUCH.

THE QUESTION YOU HOPE THEY NEVER ASK.

-NO. YOU'RE NOT... THAT BAD.

-YOU THINK I STINK, DON'T YOU?

-PAUL, I DIDN'T SAY THAT.

I THINK YOU'RE...

GOOD.

- NO, YOU DON'T. - YES, I DO.

-SURE.

-LOOK, PAUL, I SAID YOU'RE GOOD.

HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY IT?

YOU'RE GOOD, YOU'RE GOOD, YOU'RE GOOD!

JUST FORGET IT, ALL RIGHT?!

-THINGS DIDN'T GET A LOT BETTER FOR PAUL

OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

-I'LL DEFINITELY TAKE HARRIS.

-IN FACT, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY

THAT IN THE ONLY SMALL WAY THEY COULD HAVE, THINGS GOT WORSE.

- ONE, TWO, THREE... WAR. - ONE, TWO, THREE... WAR.

-OH, MAN, MATCHING ACES!

-YEAH, KEVIN, I GOT EYES.

-BEFORE LONG, THE SITUATION AT SCHOOL

BEGAN TO AFFECT OUR HOME LIFE.

- ONE, TWO, THREE... WAR. - ONE, TWO, THREE... WAR.

-YES!

-IN RETROSPECT, I SUPPOSE I COULD HAVE DONE MORE

TO BOLSTER HIS SELF-ESTEEM.

-CONGRATULATIONS. I QUIT.

-WELL, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO NOW?

DO YOU WANT TO GO SHOOT SOME HOOPS? - NO, I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT.

-WHY NOT?

-I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE IT.

-I'LL SPOT YOU 10 POINTS.

-DON'T DO ME ANY FAVORS.

-OH, COME ON, PAUL. WE HAVEN'T PLAYED IN TWO WEEKS.

-I SAID I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT.

AND STOP BENDING MY CARDS.

- PAUL... - STOP BENDING MY CARDS!

-HOW DO YOU HELP A FRIEND WITHOUT WOUNDING HIS EGO?

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO SAY.

-LOOK, PAUL, JUST BECAUSE YOU AREN'T ANY GOOD IN GYM

DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULD STOP PLAYING.

-LIKE THAT, FOR EXAMPLE.

-PAUL, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

- HOME. - I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO BE HO...

-WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND, SON?

-DIRECT AND TO THE POINT.

JUST TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS.

-I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT GYM CLASS, SIR.

-PHYSICAL EDUCATION, SON.

-OH. YEAH, RIGHT.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION.

I MEAN, YOU'RE A REALLY GREAT TEACHER AND ALL...

BUT ANYWAYS, ABOUT BASKETBALL AND EVERYTHING...

I MEAN, IT'S REALLY GREAT,

AND THE DIAGRAMS ARE REALLY GREAT,

AND I'M REALLY GONNA TRY HARD AND...

-THAT'S THE IMPORTANT THING... NEVER BE SATISFIED.

JELLYBEAN?

-BUT...

IT'S THE WAY WE PICK TEAMS, SIR.

-WHAT ABOUT IT?

-WELL, I...

-COME ON. JUST SPIT IT OUT.

YOU'RE RIGHT IN HERE.

JUST SAY IT... SIMPLY, PLAINLY, HONESTLY.

-I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR, SIR.

-WHAT?

-I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR.

-FAIR?

-IT WAS AN AMAZING THING

TO WATCH MR. CUTLIP'S REACTION TO THAT WORD.

"FAIR."

IT WAS AS IF THAT ONE SIMPLE UTTERANCE

WAS CUTTING THROUGH LAYERS OF DEAD WOOD.

-THEN AGAIN, MAYBE NOT.

-LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT.

YOU'RE GONNA SIT THERE AND TELL ME

THAT I'M BEING UNFAIR?

-NO, I... I MEAN...

LIFE IS NOT FAIR, ARNOLD!

THE WORLD ISN'T FAIR!

-OKAY. HE'S GETTING DANGEROUS.

-I HAVE A STEEL PLATE IN MY HEAD!

YOU THINK THAT'S FAIR?!

-NO. NO, I DON'T.

-I'VE BEEN TEACHING THIS CLASS

SINCE BEFORE YOU WERE TOILET TRAINED.

BUT IF YOU DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR,

THEN I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I'M GONNA DO.

I'M GONNA MAKE SOME CHANGES.

AND, MISTER, YOU BETTER LIKE 'EM.

-OH, GOD. THAT WAS IT. THE LOOK.

YOU REMEMBER THAT LOOK...

THE ONE THAT MADE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR

WITHOUT A WORD BEING EXCHANGED

THAT YOUR TEACHER HAD IT IN FOR YOU.

-IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION

THAT CERTAIN INEQUITIES EXIST IN MY MODUS OPERANDI.

SO TODAY, JUST TO BE...

FAIR...

I THOUGHT WE MIGHT MAKE A FEW ADJUSTMENTS.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FOUR NEW CAPTAINS.

STETSON, PATKUS, GRIMLY, AND...

ARNOLD.

OKAY, CAPTAINS.

FRONT AND CENTER.

-WELL, I HAD TO HAND IT TO THE GUY.

HE'D FIGURED OUT HOW TO TAKE A SITUATION

THAT HAD REACHED ROCK BOTTOM AND MAKE IT FAR WORSE.

HE'D MADE ME A CAPTAIN... THE PERFECT TORTURE.

I GOT RYGOT.

I'LL TAKE SIMEONE.

-UH, I GOT NORKLEN.

-AS IF IT WASN'T BAD ENOUGH

WATCHING THE OTHER KIDS PICK PAUL LAST,

NOW I WAS GONNA HAVE TO DO IT MYSELF.

-I'LL TAKE...

PFEIFFER!

-LIKE A FLASH, IT HIT ME.

I'D BUCK THE SYSTEM, STAND UP FOR THE LITTLE GUY...

WIN BACK THE BEST FRIEND I'D EVER HAD.

OR, SAY...

-THANKS, KEVIN. THANKS A LOT.

COMPLETELY HUMILIATE THE BEST FRIEND I'D EVER HAD.

-ALL RIGHT, STETSON. COME ON.

WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY.

-UH, I'LL TAKE JENKINS.

-UH, I'LL TAKE SNYDER.

-CHIAPA.

-COME ON, ARNOLD. TIME'S WASTING.

-SUDDENLY, THE SCOPE OF WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO DO

CAME INTO FOCUS.

-I'LL TAKE... HARRIS.

WHAT IS HE DOING?

-OH, WHOA.

-LOOK AT THAT.

WHOA.

-AND SO, ONE BY ONE,

I PICKED ALL THE WORST KIDS IN THE CLASS.

YEAH, IT WAS CRAZY.

BUT SOMETIMES A GUY JUST KNOWS WHAT A GUY'S GOT TO DO.

AND THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE TIMES.

AND WHEN I WAS DONE, I LOOKED AT THEM,

I LOOKED AT MY TEAM, AND I THOUGHT,

"GOOD GOD.

WHAT HAVE I DONE?"

-JUST AIM FOR THE BASKET.

- TIME! - WHAT? - WHAT?

-WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU GUYS?

YOU'RE NOT EVEN GETTING BACK ON DEFENSE.

HAROLD, YOU GOT TO BOX YOUR MAN IN A LITTLE BIT.

AND, ALLEN, IF YOU HE GIVES YOU THE INSIDE LANE, GO FOR IT.

WHAT WE'VE GOT TO DO IS PASS THE BALL.

WE'VE GOT TO HAVE TEAMWORK.

-IT WAS LIKE WATCHING SEA-MONKEYS COME TO LIFE...

NOT AS IMPRESSIVE AS YOU'D HOPED,

BUT AT LEAST THEY WERE WIGGLING.

-ALL RIGHT, GATHER 'ROUND HERE.

-MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, THIS COULD WORK.

SURE, WE WERE OUTMANNED. BUT WE HAD THE BRAINS.

IF WE WORKED TOGETHER AS A TEAM,

IF WE USED OUR HEADS AND OUR HEARTS AND OUR SOULS,

WE COULD BEAT THESE GUYS.

-OKAY. WE'RE GONNA DO THIS.

-UNFORTUNATELY, WE WERE NOT ONLY VERY UNATHLETIC...

WE WERE ALSO VERY STUPID.

AND WE HAD A VERY BAD ATTITUDE.

-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

-I'M PLAYING BASKETBALL. MAYBE YOU'VE HEARD OF IT?

-YOU'RE NOT EVEN TRYING.

-SO WHAT? JUST LEAVE ME ALONE.

-NO, I WON'T. THAT PLAY WAS PATHETIC.

-WHO CARES?

-LOOK, I KNOW YOU'RE NOT THIS BAD.

-WELL, MAYBE I AM.

-WELL, MAYBE IF YOU GOT OFF YOUR BUTT A LITTLE BIT,

YOU MIGHT BE DOING BETTER!

-GIVE ME THE BALL.

-NO, FORGET IT, IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA TRY.

-I SAID GIVE ME THE BALL.

-AND THEN IT HAPPENED.

IT WAS A MIRACLE.

IT WAS THE IMPOSSIBLE.

IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE.

-IN THAT INSTANT, THAT BRIEF PING OF RUBBER AGAINST STEEL,

BASKETBALL BECAME FUN AGAIN.

OH, WE STILL GOT SLAUGHTERED.

BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME,

IT JUST DIDN'T SEEM TO MATTER.

YES, THAT WAS THAT CAT, ALL RIGHT.

-AND PAUL AND I GOT BACK TO THE WAY THINGS USED TO BE.

-♪ WHEN YOU'RE DOWN AND TROUBLED ♪

♪ AND YOU NEED A HELPING HAND ♪

-THE WAY THEY WOULD STAY FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.

-♪ OH, NOTHING IS GOING RIGHT ♪

♪ CLOSE YOUR EYES AND THINK OF ME ♪

♪ AND SOON I WILL BE THERE ♪

♪ TO BRIGHTEN UP EVEN YOUR DARKEST NIGHT ♪

♪ YOU JUST CALL OUT MY NAME ♪

♪ AND YOU KNOW, WHEREVER I AM ♪

♪ I'LL COME RUNNING ♪

♪ OH, YEAH, BABY ♪

♪ TO SEE YOU AGAIN ♪