Hey, David!
Davey! Oh, Davey, come here!
Edie, he's not going off to war, only Massachusetts.
Here, Davey... For the trip.
Edie gives something away! I'll have a heart attack!
Go and become a gentleman, not like this riff-raff.
We ought to kick his butt for breaking up the team.
Hey! You want to stay in here?
If I had your brains, I'd go.
- His brains? Any brains! - Look who's talking.
- I don't know. - What?
- I don't know about that place. - You know it's not this place.
- Oh, shit. Kocus. - So what?
The night before last, his sister gave me a hand job.
- Her idea. - Yeah, right.
- Hey, Bear. - Hey, Kocus.
We was thinking about going in there, you know, eat something.
- I don't think it would be a good idea. - Why not? They let Jews in there.
Your sister can come in, only she'll have to wash her hands.
You got a Jew friend with a smart mouth.
- I guess I do. - It don't bother you they killed Jesus?
No. I didn't know the man.
It bothers the shit out of me, you sheeny bastard!
Hey! Take it to the alley!
Yo, man! Come on! Don't let him do that! Come on! Yeah!
Hit the Jew!
Give 'em hell, kid!
You're late.
Look at me.
- Goddamnit, David. - I had to.
- Such an opportunity and you do this! - I had to!
This is a school two presidents went to.
They'll think you're a hoodlum. They might send you back.
- Fine. - Fine?
Take a look at this place. You want this life?
He called me a sheeny bastard. Should I walk away?
Yes. It ain't your problem. You can't fight your way through life.
- You never got into any fights? - Sure, but nobody handed me Harvard.
- You're going to miss the bus. - We'll make it.
- Who did you fight with? - Kocus.
OK, kids.
You can fit in or hack around with a chip on your shoulder.
- All right. All right, I'll fit in. - They came to you, not you to them.
You don't have to explain nothing to nobody. Understand?
All right.
Right. Say goodbye to your brother and sister.
- Goodbye, Sarah. - Bye, David.
Bye, Petey.
You kids wait over there.
Change your shirt.
- What did the other guy look like? - Worse.
- You're sounding like Grandpa. - You should be so lucky.
Got to go, Dad.
Go. Make us proud.
- Bye. - Bye.
- Hi, Coach. - Welcome to Cabot.
I had a little accident. It's nothing.
- Let me get this for you. - Thanks.
- How was your trip? - Fine. I slept.
- Good. How's your dad? - Fine.
He's pretty excited about all this.
- What father wouldn't be? - Yeah.
The team's looking forward to meeting you.
Good. I'm looking forward to meeting them, too.
- Jesus, this is a high school! - Yeah. It's your high school.
- Thanks for the lift. - I'll get your bag.
Thanks. I'll see you at practice.
Just a minute. I meant to ask you... Do you have any diet problems?
- Diet problems? - Is there anything you can't eat?
- Turnips. - Turnips. I can't eat them, either.
I'd better let you get settled.
- The kids will be curious about you. - I'm curious about them.
Nobody comes here for just their last year. It's unusual.
They're great kids, don't get me wrong. But they're privileged.
They take a lot for granted you and I never would.
Just play your cards close to the vest.
What do you mean?
Don't tell people more than they need to know.
- See you at practice. - All right.
- Hi! Chris Reece, your roommate. - Hi! David Greene.
Pleased to meet you. Rip Van Kelt, Jack Connors, Charlie Dillon.
We're the big men on campus.
- It's true. - Where you from?
- Scranton, PA. - Scranton?
- It's in America, Connors. - No shit.
You're the first ringer St Matt's ever hired.
- Dillon... - No, he is. It's an honour.
- Aren't you honoured? - I hadn't thought about it.
- The best quarterback money can buy. - Dillon, lay off!
Don't pay any attention to him. Peanuts?
No problem.
Even in Scranton, a prick's a prick.
You don't have to be so sensitive. Come on, it's not required here.
There was some talk about me playing quarterback, so...
- Were you in an accident? - I got into a fight.
- Seriously? - A fistfight?
- Kind of a going-away fight. - What, you mean like a rumble?
- Yeah, like a rumble. - Over girls and stuff?
There's a place we hang out and these motorcycle guys wanted to come in.
- Bikers. - We wouldn't let them.
- You didn't want them on your turf? - Right.
Everybody knows not to go on someone else's turf.
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?
The Shadow knows.
Crime does not pay. The Shadow knows.
McGiv! My roomie!
David Greene, our new quarterback.
- This is Mac. - How do you do?
Hi.
Football is a game for bug squashers, cretins and criminals. Don't you agree?
- Mac wants to play, but he's too frail. - So we let him be student manager.
That's it! I'm going to kick your smelly ass back to Greenwich.
I guess you didn't get a school tie yet.
Here, you can wear this one.
I got extras because I'm always dragging them through the soup.
Thanks.
You mind if I ask... How did you wind up here?
- I'm not supposed to talk about it. - Let me guess.
Coach McDevitt visited and said you could get an alumni scholarship?
Good guess. How did you know?
St Luke's has whipped us for three years in a row.
The alumni are pissed. They want to win real bad.
Not too much pressure, huh?
I want a good seat at the back.
It's different from public schools.
Chapel three times a week. But it's not that bad.
No kidding?
Gentlemen of St Matthew's...
...welcome to the finest preparatory school in the nation.
Welcome especially to our new boys. I am Dr Bartram, your headmaster.
The rest of you may conceivably remember me.
His annual joke. Make the most of it.
Tomorrow begins the 193rd fall term.
No, I was not in office when the first one began.
Some of you new boys may find
that academics and discipline here are very demanding.
Much of what is policy here,
including our cherished Honour Code, has been established,
not by me or your teachers, but by your fellow students,
to be enforced by your own tribunal of prefects,
as it has been for the last two centuries.
We judge ourselves here,
and we judge ourselves by the highest standards.
You, my boys, are among the elite of the nation,
and we strive at St Matthew's
to prepare you for the responsibility that comes with favoured position.
Today, more than ever, this country needs an elite
that cares more for honour than for advantage;
more for service than for personal gain.
To that end, let us beseech the help of God,
in whose name we pray.
Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name...
- Decent hi-fi, Mac. - Bought it from a friend back home.
- How much? - I jewed him down to $30.
I'll give you $25 for it.
He always wants something for nothing.
And he's not even Jewish.
- Evening, gentlemen. - Evening, sir.
Evening.
Whose music is that? And I use the term advisedly.
- That's the great sound of The Robins. - No.
I mean the man who would purchase such swill.
- That would be me. - That would be I.
- Have you a name? - McGivern.
- And you? - Mr Cleary.
I happen to be the new housemaster.
Turn it off, please.
One's cultural environment ought to be as important
as the air he breathes and the food he eats.
- Surely, in your day, you had music? - Yes, and my day has not passed.
Dave Brubeck, Ray Anthony,
Les Elgart, Mitch Miller,
Les Baxter, Roger Williams...
We'll have no problem.
Gentlemen, we all have to live here.
But we're not going to bring the jungle into my house, thank you very much.
God, Greene, where did you get the balls?
- You are in. - I hope all the teachers aren't like him.
Most are OK. Who'd you get for History?
- Gierasch. - Me, too. He's tough.
- French? - Renard.
Good. We'll get him talking and go to sleep.
- You shower morning or night? - Night.
Hurry up. We'll just make it before lights out.
What a beautiful day.
Renard will be a breeze.
Well...
Well, well.
My musical upstairs neighbours.
Please, do sit down.
Monsieur Renard is cutting back on his teaching load,
so I will have the pleasure of teaching this section of French 4.
I don't understand...
You know how a team works.
I wasn't the quarterback you wanted.
- You are our number one back-up. - But I'd better play halfback.
It's our weakest spot now. You'll make a great halfback.
You can run and you can block. You've got all the stuff, kid.
- And I'll give it my best. - I'm counting on it.
Listen up!
New face on the varsity this year. David Greene.
- Greene comes from Pennsylvania. - Hi.
Played quarterback.
Led his team to a championship win last year in a tough league.
This year, we're concentrating on passing.
McGivern has some new plays.
If captured, eat them. If still alive, meet here tomorrow.
We'll run them through tomorrow.
Today, let's get out there and warm up. Hit it!
- Hi, Coach. - Dillon.
Hi, Dillon. How was practice?
How was practice!
- Where's Greene? - I don't know.
- I thought he'd be here. - Save a place for him, huh?
- Like this... - Will you get off me!
Thank you, God, for your bountiful gifts...
- I'm holding my own. - And French?
- Hate the teacher. - Everybody hates at least one.
I'd better get back to the books.
- Talk soon. - Don't forget Saturday.
- Saturday? - It's Rosh Hashanah.
I've got a game against Winchester, Pop.
It's a very holy day. It goes back longer than us.
You show respect and get to temple.
Davey, do you hear me? No excuses.
OK. Sure, don't worry, Pop.
- I'll speak to you next week. - OK. Bye.
Down!
Set!
Go! Go!
St Matt's, third and five, on the Winchester 41.
Two!
Three!
St Matt's touchdown. St Matt's six. Winchester nothing.
That boy's good. What's his name?
Van Kelt. The boys call him Rip. He's the team captain.
I think he means the boy who threw the pass.
Oh. That's David Greene.
The score is tied seven apiece.
St Matt's ball, third and seven on the Winchester forty-yard line.
Set!
Down!
Set... One!
Go!
Yeah!
Touchdown, St Matt's!
We've got a quarterback! We've found our quarterback!
- Lights out! - Lights out!
You go ahead, dear. I'll be right there.
Who is it?
- David Greene, sir. - What are you doing here, Greene?
Praying, sir.
I imagine your God allows prayer during daylight.
I couldn't get away before. It's Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year.
I know what Rosh Hashanah is.
And it ends at sunset if I recall the custom.
Technically. But it wouldn't go over too well if I said I couldn't play.
- My scholarship depends on football. - Yes. I saw the game.
You seemed thoroughly concentrated on the task.
Thank you, sir.
You people are very determined, aren't you?
Sometimes we have to be, sir.
I seem to recall a blessing:
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."
I wonder how meek they'll be when they do, sir.
Are you finished here, Mr Greene?
Yes, sir.
Then I suggest you sneak back to your room.
I shall overlook this evening's infraction.
- Mr Greene? - Sir?
Was it worth it? Breaking a tradition just to win a football game?
Your tradition or mine, sir?
The son of a bitch gives us English to French!
The pig won't last here. I'll bet you.
Won't last? Connors, I flunked that test.
I'm getting sick of these goddamned bells!
- Henry Vlll assumes throne? - 1509.
- 1649, Mr Smith? - Charles I was executed.
Correct. Which resulted in the establishment of what?
- A commonwealth, Mr Gierasch. - Very good.
Mr Dillon, when did Mary Queen of Scots lose her head?
- 1687. - Close. You're only a century off.
- Mr Greene? - 1587.
Indeed. And what occurred during the years 1553 to 1558?
- Mr Collins? - Bloody Mary.
So it was. Which resulted in what, Mr Reece?
Catholicism was restored.
How come, Mr Connors?
She married what's-his-name.
- Philip? - Well, more or less.
August 9th, 1593?
Anybody?
The birth of lzaak Walton.
A personal favourite.
Mr Dillon, a literary event...
1611?
- McGivern? - Publication of the King James Bible.
Correct.
You care to try for three, Mr Dillon?
I remind you, Mr Dillon, this course has no shallow end.
Sink or swim.
If I don't get total tit tonight, I'll cut my throat.
Sex is my only reason for living.
Then be careful you don't cut your hand!
Life isn't over yet, Mac.
When Princeton might accept a C in French
and you're flunking French, life is over.
Princeton isn't the only lvy League school.
Someone explain to our friend from Scranton.
Five generations of McGiverns have gone to Princeton.
If I don't get in, it means the others had cocks,
and I just have a wee-wee.
I have trouble sympathising. Harvard wants monthly reports on me.
- How about you, Greene? - Touch and go.
I'm getting a C in French.
Dillon's brother graduates this year. The back-up quarterbacks are thumbs.
I wouldn't go to Harvard. All those Jews and Communists.
- That's just the faculty. - You are so full of shit.
Jew-lover!
So what if there are Jews? They're not in the clubs.
- That's not the point. - It is. You don't have to be with them.
- Why would you want to? - I don't want to.
Then don't go to Harvard, Dillon.
- Help? - How would you know?
- What? - If you're with them?
Are you kidding? How would you not know? It's hard to miss a heeb.
Oh, God, girls, eat your hearts out!
Oh, no! You never mess with my hair! I can't believe you did that!
No way! You're dead!
Hurry up, fellas. Come on.
Don't forget to make room for the Holy Ghost.
- You can roll your tongue back up. - She's beautiful!
Sally Wheeler. Dillon says she's his girlfriend.
- Is she? - I guess so. That's the word.
- Isn't that your new quarterback? - David Greene.
He must be half nigger! He can dance.
Introduce me.
- David! - Excuse me.
You move as well on the floor as the field.
- Sally Wheeler, David Greene. - Dillon!
- I'll be back in a minute. - No rush.
- I saw you dancing. - I saw you dancing, too. With Dillon.
- Dillon's a great guy. - He's fun.
Yeah.
Do you think he'll go to Harvard?
Is that what you do in your spare time? Worry about Dillon?
I don't have any spare time.
This is a great song.
- Would you like to dance? - Yeah, I would.
Are you two going steady?
No. Our families share some woods,
so we've known each other since we were five.
We're thrown together a lot,
so everybody thinks we go steady, but they're wrong.
I know how it is. My family shares some woods in Pennsylvania.
With 300,000 other people.
You must think I'm a spoiled brat.
I think you're so pretty.
- I must sound like a real nosebleed. - No.
- Don't tell your roommate. - How do you know her?
I don't. I just don't want her to know.
- You're pretty, too. - Thanks for taking care of my girl.
Try the punch.
Maybe he won't show.
- I'm going to puke. My stomach hurts. - You'll be OK.
25% of the grade! That's crazy. That's just not right.
- I wonder who he'll call on first. - Take a guess.
It all comes down to this one day. Jesus!
- It doesn't. You're worked up. - My mouth's all dried out.
Shit! I can't do this!
- That asshole Cleary! - Sadistic shiteater!
- Mac was doing all right. - Will he be OK?
- Let him alone. He'll be OK. - Poor bastard. He really took it.
David, your sister's on the phone.
- Hello, Sarah, what's up? - I didn't know you had a sister!
- Who is this? - Sally Wheeler.
- Hi. Where are you? - At school, at the dorm.
- Are you studying? - Yeah. Chemistry.
- I hate Chemistry. - Me, too.
- You ever go to Skip's Diner? - Skip's Diner?
- Seen McGivern? - Hold on... Haven't you?
Not since French class. Where the hell is he?
- Check with Dillon and Van Kelt. - All right. See you later.
- Hi... Skip's Diner? - Yeah, it's in town.
Kind of a hang-out.
I thought if you weren't doing anything tomorrow, we could go.
- What time? - Ten o'clock?
He hasn't shown up. I'm going to go look for him.
Lights out!
McGivern! Mac! Come on, Mac, buddy! Where are you?
Mac!
- Hold on, I'll get the lights. - McGivern?
Mac?
- McGiv! - Mac!
- Let's tell somebody. - Maybe he's drunk.
- Mac never drinks. - Do you think he went home?
- He would have said something. - Isn't that French class?
Come on, let's go.
- Mac! - McGiv?
Come on. Hey!
Hey! Get some help.
Shh... Shh... It's OK.
Gentlemen, please! Please, gentlemen, go back to bed. Please.
You did this! You did this!
You rode him until he broke!
David, walk away! Just walk away!
You wouldn't let up, would you? You did this!
- Come on! - I'll get you, Cleary! All right?
That was horrible.
But David, you can't go after a teacher like that here.
It's the end if you do.
My friends back home wouldn't believe this.
Over a failing grade in French!
Good grades. The right schools, colleges, connections.
Those are the keys to the kingdom.
None of us goes off and lives by his wits.
We do what they tell us and they give us the good life.
Goddamn hope we like it when we get it!
- What will happen to Mac? - He's not coming back.
Man! I've heard of nervous breakdowns,
but I always thought it happened to women who were 40 years old.
Not to a kid my age.
When I was a sophomore, there was this senior, William Whitton.
- He hung himself in the gym. - Why?
- He didn't get into Harvard. - Shit!
- Yeah. - I want to go to Harvard.
I'll be goddamned if I croak myself if I don't.
I envy you.
Me? Why?
Because if you get what you want, you'll deserve it.
And if you don't, you'll manage.
You don't have to live up to anybody else's expectations.
That's what draws people, not that you're quarterback.
You're the most popular guy on campus.
If my name weren't Dillon, it would be different.
- Bullshit. - David, don't forget my name's Dillon.
Son of Grayson Jr, brother of Grayson III.
I'm a Dillon, a part of those right connections.
People don't care about that.
You'll see.
Evening, sir.
- You don't smoke? - No, I tried it, but it didn't take.
You're too good. Is that to impress the mothers?
- What mothers? - Of all your girlfriends.
No, too many to try.
We were talking about Saturdays in Scranton.
Oh, yeah. Garbage day.
We had to haul our trash to the dump.
Don't knock it.
One day, my father and I see two guys.
One of them's got a rope around his waist
and his buddy is lowering him into the pit.
- What for? - They were scavenging for tin cans.
- Who'd do that? - That's what I said.
And my dad gave me this long, hard look
and he said, "Davey, it's an honest living."
I never forgot that.
- You're different from the other boys. - How?
The others, like Dillon, you know everything about them in two minutes.
- But you... - Four minutes, easy.
You have a serious side.
Let's go. Move it. Move it, move it!
- Wait. - Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
- Night, David. - Can I call you?
You'd better!