Let's, uhm... Let's not have people come in.
I'd like to do this without anybody in here.
Could everybody split, that doesn't have to be here. Thanks.
- Maybe we can keep... - And close the door.
- Keep people away from the door. - Is that good?
Yep. Thank you
I wasn't good in school. I didn't care for school.
Um ... It was nice socially, my own experience, but
I kinda just went along...
I started off as a music major.
I was gonna be a Rock 'n' Roll star.
But that didn't quite work out.
In 1985,
during a hurricane, hurricane Gloria,
I was walk... I was taking a train into the city to work.
I'd gotten to work and I was on the phone with my brother-in-law,
who had just started teaching,
and he said that he was off from school.
Now, now, wait a second,
You're off from school for hurricane
and I'm goin' into the city to work in an Office building?
I said: "Woa, that's a pretty good kick, right."
My mother was a teacher, and I knew without a shadow of a doubt
from early childhood that the one job I would never do
was become a teacher.
Never ever I would take toll cards on a turnpike.
I'd be a shepherd, anything, rather than become a teacher.
I decided to become a teacher because I wanted to do
something with my life besides what I was doing
which was driving a truck, for a company and,
I decided I wanted to do a little bit better for myself
so I got into teaching a little bit.
I went back to school at the age of 37.
A friend of mine from college...
His aunt was the...
Principle of an all-girls inner city school
in Newark, New Jersey, and they were desperate for teachers
So, I thought "Great, I can do this for a year,
it'll keep my father from making me get a job at Prudential,
and then I'll figure out what I wanna do."
Well, they called me up asking me to go to an interview,
and I happened to get the job
in a Junior High school, in Queens,
and I ended up...
starting it at my... What's now?... my 30th year.
Most of the teachers here, at one point...
...they believed...,
that they could make a difference.
I know how important it is to
have guidance and to have
someone help understand the complexities
of the world that we live in.
I didn't really have that growing up.
I am money.
I change hands like a dollar bill
that's been robbed by a lamp
when a genie appeared and cried loudly, with volume.
But the tears were all for myself.
And that's where it all went wrong.
Hi, Lupe, Dean Vargas here.
I'm sick and I won't be coming in today, alright?
Get to the point, Dr. Heart. I've got a school to run.
The State's score have gone down in the last three years.
- You're not delivering... - Don't pretend like you don't know the game.
You earmarked my school as the transfer dome
for the worst kids in the district.
Well, kids deserve an education, don't you agree?
I agree you're jerking of and wasting my time.
- Get to the point, Dr. Heart... - We need consensus builders.
- New methodology. - You're corportizing the system.
No, we're cleaning house.
Our superintendent feels that it's time you stepped down.
Babe, you got some fuckin' nerve coming into my yard
with the hard fuckin' self.
Carol, there was a time when you were an educator.
You were very well respected.
Why don't you go out on top?
Oi!
Everybody sit down and shut up,
or I'll start pulling out the referrals.
Sit!
Sit down!
I am starting the DVD.
- Barth or Barthes - Barth. Mr. Barth.
Mr. Barth Henry
So you've taken long term assignments at the
"Lock and McArthur"?
The Fringe.
Well, that's... That's where the work's at.
This a month-long assignment, until I can fill it permanently.
I asked to meet with you because you come
highly recommended as the best sub on the call sheet.
That's a somewhat dubious endorsement.
I agree, Mr. Barth.
You'll find many of your students functioning
well below grade level.
That's your task to try and get them caught up.
Teach the Curriculum, most importantly.
Understood?
- Good morning - Good morning
I'm Mr. Barth
Those of you who haven't heard, this is English 11 A.
- Yes - Yeah
Listen up, I have one rule.
Just one.
If you don't wish to be here
don't come.
Dude, what does that mean?
It's not dude, it's Mr. Barth.
The S is silent.
- You're fuckin' gay. - Marcus, shut up!
No, you shut up!
You diet Bitch!
Hey, Marcus.
Guess what.
What?
You're free to leave.
- Like right now? - Like right now.
- Hiya... - See you later, man.
- What's the fuck? You want me to go to the Dean's Office?
I don't care where you go.
Everyone pull out a sheet of paper.
I'd like to assess what your individual writing skills are.
What if we got no paper?
Okay here is the situation. You're dead.
Alright, write a brief but detailed essay about...
Hey jackass! I asked you a fucking question!
...about what a friend or a parent
might say about you during your funeral. OK?
- You have 30 minutes. - Oh, shit...
I asked you a motherfuckin' question, didn't I?
Anything else?
You'd better back the fuck up before I fuckin' wreck your shit.
That bag,
It doesn't have any feelings. It's empty.
I don't have any feelings you can hurt either. OK?
I understand you're angry.
I used to be very angry too, OK. I get it.
You have no reason to be angry with me, because
I am one of the few people that's here trying to give you an opportunity.
Now I am going to ask you,
you just sit down, and do your best,
and I'll give you a piece of paper. How's that?
Can I get a fuckin' pen too?
Kids don't have any attention span. They're bored.
So how are you supposed to reel them in with classic literature
if they don't believe that you
have something meaningful to share.
Thank you.
Why did you throw Marcus out of class but not Jerry?
Well I had to make an example out of somebody.
You know, Marcus verbally assaulted you,
and that's not allowed in my classroom.
And, what they say to me isn't material.
What's your name?
Meredith.
Nice to meet you, Meredith.
So you really don't care what the kids say to you?
Perhaps I've gotten used to it.
I wish I could be that strong.
It doesn't take strength, Meredith. You gotta...
understand that unfortunately most people lack self-awareness.
You should really keep that in mind as you had
another transient of second period.
You'll meet them again at every age.
- I want to see the Principle! - That's her, mom.
You're the bitch that expelled my baby? And for what?
- Excuse me, maybe you'd like... - Because you can't handle it?
Bitch why are you here?
You wanna be at home everyday. I don't have time for this bullshit!
- Keep your voice down! - Why are you here?
Hey mam, calm down. We'll go talk about this
in the Dean's Office. - I ain't goin' nowhere with you.
Look, miss, I know you're angry
but they won't listen to you, you need to talk to me.
- Racist bitch, I'm a sue your ass. - Come on, ladies.
This way
- Ladies - What happened?
Bitch, if you gimme any mo' shit in the class
and I'm getta my niggas fuckin' gang rape your ass!
- Excuse me. Are you new here? - It's, first day.
Welcome. That was quite a scene back there.
I was a little stunned. But it's actually safe here.
- Sorry, I'm Miss Madison. - I am Henry, Henry Barth.
Whatever is on my mind, I say there's a feeling.
I'm truthful to myself.
I am young, and I'm old.
I've been bought and I've been sold,
so many times.
I am hard to face. I am gone.
I am just like you.
Patricia!
- Hello? - Henry, it's Rita, from the hospital.
He's done it again, you need to get down here.
Bastards, leave me alone!
Why aren't you handling this?
I can't get him out!
- You come and get him. - Patricia.
Thanks.
Grandpa, come on. It's Henry, open the door.
Patricia!
No, it's Henry. It's Henry.
- Who? - It's Henry.
Grandpa, please, open... Open the door.
Hi, sweetheart.
I thought you were your mom.
You're dressed okay, there...
Were you going somewhere?
Now I'm goin' to work.
You are tired, OK?
It's very, very late so I need you to go to sleep, OK?
Lets come to bed.
How're you doin', huh?
Some old people sleep a lot before they die.
Isn't that silly?
Fuck.
- Everything okay? - You shut up!
You listen
I know you're just some under-educated drone
passing the time with these old dying people
But I'm paying for his assisted living, and you're not assisting him.
I told you, take the lock off of his bathroom door!
You know how he gets at night and forgets?
So you need to be there for him, to make him feel safe.
Let me be very clear here!
You stop neglecting his needs or I'll start fucking with yours!
I will have you fired!
Then it's gonna be your family!
Your children,
are gonna be at risk!
You got it?!
I got it.
Don't you ever make me come down here again at this hour, OK?
- Gimme the fuckin' money! - But...
Give me the fucking money now!
You think I like you? Give me the fucking money!
- You want money? - Now!
Why follow me?
I am not. It's late, you should be home, not to screw men.
What? Are you crazy now?
- What the fuck is your deal, huh? - Get away from me.
Why did you let that guy beat the shit out of me?
- Huh? You just sat there, like you were a fuckin lemon or something.
Excuse me, I don't wanna talk to you.
You think there's something wrong with that?
Listen, little kid.
I don't know how old you were when it all went wrong,
but this isn't the fucking answer, OK?
You'll figure it out,
'cause you're gonne get really old really quick.
- Know that! - Why are you so mean to me, huh?
You don't think I have feelings?
Do you? Do you have feelings?
Listen, pal!
I mean, between you and me
you look like you've got more problems than me.
- Oh really? - Yeah, really!
- So come on, I'll make you better. - What are you doing? Get off, please.
- Are you flerting with me? - Nothing,
I'm just offering to hang out, if you know what I mean.
- I don't wanna hang out with you. - I don't know. You seem kinda lonely.
Maybe we go back to your place just relax.
Afraid you'll like it?
I'm afraid you've been fucked and thrown away
so many times you've gotten used to it.
Fuck you, man!
Fuck off, queer.
Have a good night, yeah.
Yeah, yeah! Just walk away? Hey?
Where are you going?
"He just fucks their shit up, and..."
"The ladies cry for me ..."
"At the funeral"
"'cause I ain't around no more,"
"to dick that split up ..."
"Raw and shit ..."
"And my boys all gets faded ..."
"pleasin' that skunk shit and fuck."
Toni V.
You know it's funny I spend a lot of time
trying to not have to deal, to not really commit.
I am a substitute teacher.
There's no real responsibility to teach.
The responsibility is to maintain order,
make sure nobody kills anybody in your classroom,
and then they get to the next period.
"She used to be a sweet girl"
"She never seemed disatisfied with her life."
"And why should she have been?"
"Her mother and I gave her everything she needed ... "
"So why did she become so angry?"
"So miserable and mean all of a sudden"
"We don't know."
"Frankly, it doesn't reflect on us."
"We were good parents"
"But still, she repaid us for all we've done"
"by killing herself"
"Stupid selfish child"
"Now she'll never get into Princeton"
No name.
"Hi..., Vargas again"
"I can't do it anymore"
" I ...um, I quit! "
Oh, if it isn't the lovely Dr. Parker.
Would you like a happy help you through the day?
They're yummy.
I'm here to fill in for Dean Vargas in the second period.
I'm worried about you, Charlie.
I just, er... maybe love watchin' you leave the room.
Mr. Seaboldt. He maintained a sense of humor.
I think the sense of humor is key. I don't posses it.
I mean, I do ...
in a tragic sort of way.
What you're doin' here, Mr. Sea?
Um, filling in for Dean Vargas.
Vargas is a bitch.
Talk shit, you get slapped like a bitch.
You're not gonna get me no detention neither.
I'm gonna un-fuck your shit uptight, motherfucker!
Um-shit... No, um-fuck your shit uptight, motherfucker.
Wow! That is, I mean, really poetic.
I mean, that's truly... What, lyrical.
You should take that on the stage.
I mean, that shit sells itself.
Um, hey who could talk some of my thought process
I am going to um-fuck your shit uptight, motherfucker.
I'll tell you what I will do, Laddy.
I'll um-fuck your shit uptight.
And um-fuck it right uptight up your ass, you motherfucker.
I'm going to um-fuck your shit uptight, you motherfucker!
I'll tell what, um...
Why don't you have a seat, OK? And then I'll...
I'll back shortly and we'll discuss your bright future.
Okay, my man?
I mean, my motherfucker.
Okay, Mae West?
Ellen, can I see your nipples?
What? No!
Wrong.
See I... Actually I can.
See, that's the whole point, you have to wear bra to school.
Look Mr. Seaboldt, I'm just being me.
I don't tell you how to dress, so you don't tell me.
Capiche?
Ellen, do you know what that is?
It's a beautiful picture of a sunset in Hawaii.
It's rather pretty, isn't it?
Now, Ellen.
Do you know what that is?
That's a vagina infected with gonorrhea.
That's pretty gross.
Yes very. So, you see,
when you come to school dressed like that, you give
you give out the wrong signal.
Don't you want people treat you with respect?
Yo! I get respect.
I don't give it up to every dick in my face.
Every "dick" in your face.
That's respectful.
Put this on. Wear that for the rest...
Hey I said wear that for the rest of the day.
Okay?
Can I go now?
I supposed you can, I mean.
If we're done. Are we done?
- We're done. - We're done.
Another student saved.
Come out of the bathroom, grandma!
Come on granma, open the door.
Hi, grandpa.
Grandpa.
You okay?
What is it, grandpa?
It's Henry, grandpa.
Grandpa, it's Henry.
- Who? - Are you in pain?
No, no. I ... I pissed myself.
Come on, grandma, open the door!
Excuse me
- Can you come in here please? - We have a little accident?
- Yes - You don't have...
- Do you wanna? - No, no. - See, we're taking care of it.
See? You're okay.
- You write? - You have any writings, grandpa?
Have you been doing writings, in the journal?
No, my life ...
My life isn't worth memoirs.
It's ok, it's okay.
I didn't wanna to go out like this.
I hate being a burden.
You're not a burden.
Okay?
You're not a burden.
Sure. You... You like coming here, eh?
Your mother came by today.
Have you spoken to her lately?
No.
Now, you tell her I'm fine?
You always say you're fine, but I know you hide things from me.
You've always been closed off.
Ever since you were a kid.
Why is that, huh?
Why?##
Ah, you're upset. I shouldn't say these things to you...
- I don't mean to make you... - You haven't upset me, grandpa.
It's that I don't wanna talk about the past.
You and I remember it very differently.
Get rest, O.K? Close your eyes. I'm here.
- I am in here with you - When you stop coming, Henry
I'll die.
Fuck.
You got a smoke?
No, I don't have a smoke.
Where did you go, eh?
- What are you gonna do now? - What are you gonna do, little kid?
I don't know.
Can you lend me ten bucks?
Come on, man I'm hungry.
I may have something to eat at my place.
Come in, wash your hands.
There's soap over there.
Sit down.
Really nice place you got.
Thanks.
- You got anything stronger? - Eat your sandwich.
Hey, hold on man!
- It's a 100 bucks. - Relax...
What?
- Have you been raped recently? - What do you care?
I'm not sure that I do particularly.
Find and put something on it.
Look, I gotta get back.
Back?
Back where?
Listen, buddy,
If you don't got the money it's cool. I mean,
I like you.
I'll blow you for 50?
Listen to me,
knock off the bullshit, okay?
Come in the bathroom.
It's gonna sting a little bit.
Why are you doing this?
Take a shower
- This is fresh towel. - Thanks.
Go to sleep.
Hello, this is Dr. Parker
My son's ADHD and I looked it up online, and that's what he's got.
Now you gotta get him a free laptop.
Mr. Kevin, your son Oliver injured a student.
His problems are behavioral.
Hey, my kid's got a disability and he's not learning anything,
and this is your fault!
Hey, hey... What are you doing?
What is the matter with you?
As it is, our resources emaciated.
Now, I have real LD kids that need my attention.
He's always mad all the time because he's not getting the services he needs.
No Child Left Behind promises me my rights.
- You'll be hearing from my lawyer. - Mr...
Hey, what are you doing? What is this?
What is this? Funny? Get to class. Get to class right now.
What's the joke? I don't get the joke. Huh?
Is this funny? Does that look good to you?
You like hurting animals? Huh?! Is that what you like to do?
Answer me! You like hurting animals? You like this?!
Come here. Go. Lets go. Come on.
Walk
Mr. Raymond, the studies have shown that kids
who are prone to hurting animals at an early age
eventually fall into a high percentage of adults
who may fail to develop even the most basic feeling for people.
Raven.
How do you feel about this?
I feel ...
Trapped.
Like the cat.
Fuck.
Who are you? Why?
Did you pay? Did you pay her?
- Yeah alright, here... - Pay her!
- Alright, here, take... - What are you paying me for, huh?!
It wasn't in my mouth!
Get fuck out of here. Get out of here! Fuck!
Don't hurt me!
Here ...
Change your sheets!
How do you do it kid?
Please don't be mad at me.
I am not mad at you.
Don't think about leaving me.
I won't do it anymore, I promise.
You don't need to promise me.
Okay don't promise to me.
Whatever it is, you feel you need to do, you do it.
But you don't do it here!
Okay?
What are you doing there?
Don't you knock?
What is all this supposed to be? Your tortured soul?
Why don't you paint something cheerful?
Like happy with colors.
What do you want from me dad, besides for me to have been born with a penis.
I don't work all day
to have my night ruined by your teen angst.
What, we ain't...?
You might take your full rights to share to do some minority...
Now I am not goin' to support you and your little creative habits, Ok!
I've had it with all of all your little art projects
that are going nowhere!
You always know what to say, dad.
Now, if you cleared...
and lost some weight
you could attract a nice boy, who knows.
There should be
a prerequisite,
curriculum for being an parent, before the people attempt to.
Don't try this at home.
Take these.
What are those?
You're supposed to ask me before you take them.
They're vitamins, and Aspirin.
At some point
you should get an HIV test.
At some point.
Why are you crying on the bus?
Go to sleep.
A friend of yours?
A friend.
Oh...No, no...
He was .... and has been a nuisance. Some...
total asshole.
OK. What was his problem?
He did choose a vocation that did not choose him.
And then he spent his whole career
"casting pearls before swine", He talked like that...
The child-hater, basically.
He tried to purge Steinbeck and Faulkner from required reading list.
Well, let it be said from the safety of his sabbatical,
You can do no more harm.
How did he die?
Who knows, and who cares.
"Lupez"
"It's drudgery, this life"
"and retention"
"suspension, expulsion"
"staff meetings"
"The papers cuts"
"The vacant parents"
"Their vicious kids"
"They're the dreads of the pain"
"They spat on my soul"
"This humiliation will stop"
"Discipline must be restored, these kids have us on the run."
"We're the ones on trial!"
"It's fucking madness! "
"Like every child has value?"
"Is aware and worthy of a private education"
"Fucking kids who have no desires,"
"no fire..."
"No minds to be..."
What does that mean?
To take something in.
OK, excellent. To absorb.
Anyone?
Everywhere, all the time.
So what is...
"ubiquitous assimilation"
Always absorbing everything everywhere all the time.
Well done, George.
How are you to imagine anything,
if the images are always provided for you?
Who here had read "1984" last year?
Good.
Anyone?
Meredith.
Having two opposing beliefs at once.
Believing that both are true.
Excellent.
Why do you always suck his dick, you fuckin' kiss-ass?
To deliberately believe in lies
while knowing they're false.
Examples of this in everyday life:
Oh, I ...
need to be pretty to be happy.
I need surgery to be pretty.
I need to be thin,
famous,
fashionable.
Our young men,
today,
are being told that women
are whores,
bitches, things to be screwed,
beaten,
shit on,
ashamed.
This is a marketing holocaust.
24 hours a day,
for the rest of our lives.
The powers that be are hard at work
dumbing us
to death.
So, to defend ourselves
and fight against assimilating this dullness into our thought processes,
we must learn to read
to stimulate our own imagination;
to cultivate
our own consciousness,
our own belief system.
We all need these skills
to defend
to preserve
our own minds.
Very carefully, it's perfect.
Great.
Let me have a look.
You just made your own...
Wow. I don't care what they say, you're doing great.
I had hard time with math too. It takes time.
Wow, that is damn cool.
Hi guys.
Thank you for staying late,
all 15 or 20 of you.
Today we'll be presented with a new course work
engineered to boost State exam performance,
as mandated by "No child left behind".
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to be here.
I've come today with some edifying materials
to help your matriculating and non matric students
to better prepare for the upcoming State Exams this May.
Let me start by stating
I love teachers.
I love what you do,
what you stand for.
You guys are the real heroes.
Now, the one thing I've learned in all my years in the private sector,
is that
real estate generates revenue
And merchanting property values will be this school's saving grades.
But your school's low test scores
are bringing down the whole re-sale value in this neighborhood
during the market already in decline.
We gotta get the scores up,
new families in our district,
and more motivated kids in the school.
And I am not placing any blame
Excuse me, are you here to sell some tests material
or to air your concerns as a property owner?
Listen, um ... I am curious
Are you givin' away pop-corn with this crap that you're pushing?
This faculty has spent their lives on the boards, and now you tell us
that our careers are about re-sale value.
- Bullshit ! - Give him hell lady ...
- Storm the game. - Don't oversimplify it, ma'am.
That's a hazard you can't afford.
This sounds like a threat.
- Could you please sit down?
That's enough. Could you please sit down?
Can we have some order here, please.
Dr. Heart was right.
- This school's the pride of the district. - Can you get back, pal?
Could you finish your pitch, we'd like to go home?
What's you hurry, hon?
They gotta put you out to the pasture...
So enjoy running this relic for a few more months.
You're a fossil when you're fucking done.
You're dread going home?
Frankly, I don't know what to do with myself when I'm not in my classroom.
So, Friday afternoons I am afraid to go home.
Afraid of all that time alone.
Yeah.
My mother hates my father passionately...
...watches a lot of TV
...the only time that I don't feel
- I teach for selfish reasons... - My mother was in Mac Madisson
...I need a control
I need those kids more than...
Its the moments in school...
It must be like
...best teacher I ever had...
So what's your story?
My story?
I'm just ... I'm just taking one thing at a time.
Why are you wasting your life? You know...
I teach every day, I mean...
You don't really know me.
So what happened to you?
You don't want something more permanent?
- Hi - Where have you been?
What? I was out.
- With a colleague. - A boy or a girl?
A woman.
You make me feel so stupid. Why are you treating me like a kid?
Because you're a kid.
I am sorry. I wasn't expecting this.
All you had to do was tell me you were gonna be home later.
Back up, alright?
I'm not beholden to you, okay?
I mean, you're welcome to stay here, but
you know, you don't get to have expectations of me, alright?
This is a temporary thing, you ... you're able to stay here, but ...
eventually you're gonna have to go, you understand that?
- I think it is important... - It's clear.
I get it, you want me to go now?
I got better things to do than clean up this stuff.
I can't believe you made dinner.
With what?
Groceries, from the groceries store.
Wow, it's really nice, kid.
It's been long time since somebody cooked for me.
Thank you, Erica.
We all have problems, we all have things that we're dealing with.
And we all... have...
Take them home with us at night,
take them to work with us in the morning.
I think that helplessness, that realization, that foreboding of
being drift in the sea, with no
no buoy, no safety, when you thought you'd be the one...
throwing the buoy.
Hi...
- Anything for dinner? - Tell me all about it from the beginning -
- You don't care. - Oh no ...
so much, and well.
You are so condescending.
Give me a kiss.
Come on. No one's looking. We'll solve everything.
- Come on - Stop it.
Do you remember when I bought you this?
The beautiful summer in Venice
before our travels were resigned to reviving old passions.
- Bloody? - Yeah
- Grandpa, you do any writing, work on your journal? - No...
I don't remember much.
I lost the habit. You can't think in this place.
You can't make new memories.
Thank you.
- You alright? - What?
- You see me? - You see me standing here?
Yes, I see you.
Oh God, its so relentless. Thank you.
" Carol, there is no nice way for me to do this."
"I spoke with the Superintendent"
"He's agreed to let you out after the rest of the year."
"It is what it is."
"Take your pension but your last year..."
Haven't you ever had enough?
Haven't you ever just wanted to tell someone to fuck off?
I think I am sick.
- Huh? - I crossed the line today.
I mean the whole... the whole thing is fucked.
Whole thing is fuck, is it not?
What's up, Dr.Parker?
Can we get over it? I got shit to do.
What are your plans after High School since you're not going to college?
I don't know.
Hanging out with my boyfriend. Do some modeling shit...
- Be in my friend's band. - Well, I have your 10-week grade report...
Do you know what it says?
F, F, F, F, F.
F, F, F, yeah.
You know what that means? It mean you don't care.
You're brilliant.
Can I go now?
Oh god, you are a shallow disgusting creature.
You want to know the truth? One, you're not gonna be in a band
or a Model Missy, because you have no ambition.
With no skills, you'll be competing
with the 80% of the U.S. workforce for a minimum wage job
which you'll work at for the rest of your life
til you're replaced by a computer.
- I don't care - Two...
The only talent you'll ever have is getting men to fuck you.
Your life will basically become a carnival of pain.
Now, when you can't stand it... not one more day,
not one more hour,
it will get worse, much worse!
Every day I come into this office and I listen to you kids shit all over yourselves!
It's so easy to be careless. It takes courage to take care.
Not that you have any of those qualities.
- Get out! Just get out! Get out! - Fuck You!!!
- I am a total burn out. - You are not.
- I am. - I mean I don't know how you make it through the day.
Listen, seriously why do you think I take these pills for?
I mean, that's a rubber room in there!
If I didn't take these things I'd be committing mass murder.
and I'll be help them throw those fucking kids out of the window.
Come on, you're the best.
I'll tell you my opinion, the worst thing about this job
is that nobody says thank you.
- No. - No.
Well, I am here to say thank you.
You're doing the job, that none of us can do.
None of us.
Grace?
Have I ever I told you that you're the only person I have to talk to?
- Hi Henry - What happened?
They called to your house.
- Your grandfather felt some chest pains. - Yeah?
The Doctor says he's stable.
He doesn't have a lot of time.
- I am so sorry Henry - How long ...
have you been here?
Since this morning, I didn't know how to get a hold of you?
I don't know where you work.
You've been here all day with him?
Hi, Grandpa.
You're still hanging in there, I see.
Oh, hi sweetheart. Your mother was with me today.
Did you see her?
- No. - I told her I was afraid to leave you.
...but she promised
- that she'd look after you. - Well, I'm sure she meant that.
Patricia, darling...
You've forgiven me, haven't you?
What do you need to be forgiven for, daddy?
- Well, those things. You know, the things I did.
All you ever did was take care of me.
- Always looked after me. - Weren't you afraid of me?
No, daddy. No, sir.
I know how you get sometimes you get little mixed up.
You feel responsible for the things that you didn't do.
So I wasn't the one that hurt you?
No sir, that wasn't you.
I hope it wasn't true.
Patricia, darling. I've always loved you.
Daddy, you can feel free to leave, whenever you're ready.
Do you know that? That's okay.
There is nothing to fear.
Come on.
Let's get out of here.
Is Patricia your mom? What happened to her?
She left a while ago.
You mean she died?
How did she die?
My father left when I was a kid. I don't really remember him.
It was always the three of us, mother and grandpa and I together
in his house.
I found her... on the floor.
She'd taken enough pills...
and grandpa at that moment, kinda lost it...
I sat with grandpa on the porch, and
we watched as they came and took her away.
How old were you?
Seven.
I don't know for sure, but I...
think my mother was young when something happened.
- with her and grandpa. - Were you afraid of it?
No.
Did she ever say anything to you?
No.
But looking back on it, I think she protected me in her own way.
How?
She made me lock my door at night.
The park is now empty and bare, with an abandoned chain
The jungle Jim, the slide and swing have rusted together.
They're all so terribly alone now.
Where did all the children go?
Didn't they know that the park needed them?
The child's intelligent heart can find 'em in the depth of many dark places.
I cannot find 'em, the delicate moment of its own detachment.
- Hi Mr. Barthes. - Hi Meredith.
- How's going? - Fine, I'm alright ...
I made a picture for you.
Come here.
- You did? - Yeah
Wow, it's beautiful, and it's a... You're really talented.
- Thanks. - Have you done this a long time?
Yeah, I've been doing it since I was a kid.
Faceless man in an empty room.
Is that how you see me, Meredith?
I don't know how I see you.
It's just how I thought of you in a situation.
Do you ever think about who your teachers are outside?
- In real life? - I guess so.
- Does this place seem unreal to you? - I watched you around the school,
You always seem so sad
Maybe you have a hard time with things and you need someone to talk to
- Meredith - Yes sir
- Do you need someone to talk to? - Yes, will you talk to me?
When you talk to me, when you look at me, it's like you really see me.
I do see you Meredith
Do you wanna go see Dr. Parker?
Oh come on, don't pull me off ...
I am not, I am not ...
What can I do?
It's like you said, we're...
There is nothing left. Nothing but to realize how fucked up things are...
It's not enough. I won't last.
Listen to me. Just listen.
We're all the same.
We all feel pain.
We all have... chaos in our lives.
Life is very, very confusing, I know.
I don't have the answers, but I know if you write it out
It'll all be okay.
- Mr. Barthes, do you like me? - Of course I do.
Meredith, please don't. You know I'd like to help you.
- Please, please. - No, no.
- You don't ... - You said you liked me, please...
Please, please...
Oh please, don't push me away.
Please, just hold on to me, and tell me that everything's gonna be O.K.
Everything is... It is okay, please.
- Please... no, no... - Meredith, wait a second.
- What's going on? - What?
- Meredith, Meredith - What were you just doing?
Meredith, I am sorry.
- What were you doing? - What?
What are you doing?
- Excuse me?! - You were just touching her.
What do you ... what are you insinuating?
It is inappropriate to be in here alone with that young girl.
It is inappropriate?! She needed someone to talk to.
- What do you think I'm doing, lady? - I don't know what you're doing.
"Just make me close."
What do you think I am fucking pervert? Is that what you're insinuating?
She needed someone to talk to her.
- Then why were you touching her? - I wasn't touching her.
"Patricia?"
I'm not ... not a sick old man!
Is that what you think of me?
Is that what you think?
I just wanted to help her!
- Get out! Excuse me! Excuse me! - What am I supposed to think?
You're supposed to... fuck into a fucking judgment!
Hello, no he's not home.
Hello Mr. Barthes.
Whenever you feel like you are ready, we do have some paperwork downstairs
that we need you to take care of.
I am sorry.
I wish things were different.
I tried, you know... Fuck... The things is... We all...
We all have problems. We all have things that we're dealing with.
Some days were better than others. Some days were not so great.
Some days we have limited space
for others.
Hey. I made breakfast.
Want some milk?
These kids need something else.
They don't need me.
- Are you O.K? - Yeah, I'm not hungry.
You know, you can't keep living on the street.
I am not. I mean, I'm staying here with you.
You can't continue to stay here with me.
- I'm not good for you. - That's not true.
You're the only family I've ever had.
Well, I can't be your family.
I can't give you what you need.
- You have to understand, you should be... - You are good...
And gentle ...
You're the most kind.
I love you Henry.
- Come in. - Hi.
Hello there.
- Erica ... - Don't let them take me...
Please...
- No... - Listen, you should...
You are all that I have, please...
- Don't let me go. - You should go, sorry.
- No, no ... - No, don't do this ...
- Henry! Henry! - You have to let go.
- Henry! - You have to leg go now.
Henry!
- Her things? - Yeah.
- Henry! Henry! - Come on.
- No! No! ... - Things will be okay.
- Don't do this. - Will this be all?
- Sorry. - No! No! No!
No! ...
Well ... I feel just awful for her.
- For who? - For our school.
It may sound strange but I've always felt that the school had a spirit.
It's not just a budgetful buildings, but they're alive.
I just can't understand it. Where are all the parents?
I don't know.
I was in my room for two hours and saw one parent.
Where are they? Where is everybody?
- We don't know. - It's uncanny.
No air raid sirensl No bombs.
It doesn't happen that way.
It starts in whisper, then nothing.
We had our music once, didn't we?
Yes, we did.
Do you remember those nights we only had two parents at a time?
And then there were more, there were many more
waiting in the waiting rooms.
And halls were full of joy and celebration. Now, it's nothing.
Rememberance. The things passed.
I actually felt quite at home.
There were no parents.
I thought how appropriate. It was like, a moment of insight
the reality of the fucking problem in the first place.
Some of us believe that we can make a difference.
And then sometimes we wake up
and we realize we've failed.
Hi it's Gretchen calling from the Clinic,
Erica Lois has her test results back.
Please give us a call at your earliest convenience.
Thank you.
"Real good time! You have good parents." "You shut up."
"Her mother and I gave her ... "
"What is all this supposed to be? Your tortured soul?"
"I won't stand that, Dad! " "Paint something more cheerful ..."
"We have to pay us our lives ..." " Grow like your hair, lost some weight"
" It'll all be okay "
- Good morning! - Good morning.
Before we take roll,
I want to tell you that today will be my last day with you.
You're gonna have a permanent teacher on Monday.
- Where are you going, Mr. Barthes? - I'll go to another school.
- We will miss you, man. - Yeah?
All those teachers in this place... They're dickheads.
Don't you get tired of moving around all the time?
It's how my job works. I come in here for a period of time,
so you don't have twenty subs in and out of here, and then
you have a permanent teacher come in and
I leave.
Attention to all teachers, this is an special announcement from the Principle's Office.
There will an all faculty meeting today, during nutrition.
Student nutrition will be extended
a ten minutes, thank you.
I invited you here today to discuss the status things.
I know that there wasn't ... I know that there isn't ...
- I am sorry ... - We all need something,
to distract us from the complexity and reality.
More or less to think about where that came from?
No one wants to think about the struggle that it takes
to become somebody, to get out of
... to get out of the ...
the sea of pain that, we all have to get out of.
- Hi Meredith. - Hi.
Haven't seen you in class lately?
Where have you been?
- Baking. - I see.
- I am happy I get to see you. Today is my last day.
How ironic!
Listen, I was thinking, I brought this for myself, but
maybe you could make better use of it.
- I like that one the best. - You can't have that one.
It's mine.
But, you may have this one.
- It's better for you anyway. - Thanks.
I am sorry.
If I hurt you in any way, I um ...
I know that its tough right now, for you,
- but it's not always gonna be this... - Goodbye, Mr. Barthes.
Goodbye Meredith.
They say that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
I'll let you know?
My name is Meredith and I wanted to kill myself.
Meredith!
No!
Henry!
It's gonna be O.K. It's gonna be O.K.
We have such a responsibility to guide our young so that they don't end up
falling apart.
Falling by the way side.
Becoming insignificant.
I realized something today.
I'm a non-person, Sarah.
You shouldn't be here. I am not here.
You may see me,
but I'm hollow.
Failing. We're failing.
Failed in a sense that we have let everyone down.
Including ourselves.
When you're walking down the hallway, or in your classroom,
how many of you
have ever felt the weight pressing down on you, huh?
I have.
Everyone?
Wow!
Poe wrote about these things over a 100 years ago.
So, as we read
we can see that
"The House of Usher" is not merely an old
decrepit castle in disrepair.
It is also a state of being.
"During the whole of dull, dark and soundless day"
"In the autumn of that year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in heavens,"
"I had been passing alone, on the horseback,"
"Through the singularly dreary tract of country;"
"and at length found myself as the shades of evening dew on,"
"within view of the melancholy House of Usher"
"I know not how it was"
"But, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit"
"I looked upon the simple landscape features of the domain"
"Upon the bleak walls, upon a few white trunks of decayed trees"
"With an utter depression of soul"
"There wasn't an iciness,"
"A sinking."
"Sickening of the heart."