Boychoir Page #5

Means to you.

You have a gift, and it's not enough.

And it's not enough for you to be here.

Go back to your room.

You have a discipline hearing

in the morning.

You might want to start packing.

I'm not gonna stay here just

for some stupid committee

- to kick me out.

- Where you're gonna run?

It'll just follow you to

the next place, and the next.

What are you talking about?

You! You! I'm talking about you!

Do you want to know about me?

I was a few years older

than you. I had a chance.

I was at Juilliard,

and I wanted a piano

more than anything else,

and the teacher I wanted

to impress flunked me

straight out, told me,

and this is a quote...

He said I lacked the talent.

- And that was it. I was gone.

- You just left?

I hit him first. Then, I left.

I hit him 'cause he was right.

But you... you've got it.

You've got it right now,

and you're blowing it.

You're a punk.

And your clock is ticking, kid.

You know, your clock

is ticking too, old man.

Yes, Stet.

Come right on in.

You can have a seat there.

Alright. Let's get this over with.

None of us wants to be here.

We're all familiar

with the facts of the case.

Before we make our ruling,

Stet, you have a right

to address the committee.

That means you can talk.

Whatever you want to say.

I know what I did was wrong.

I won't do it again. I wanna stay.

And whatever I said to you,

Mr. Carvelle, I didn't mean.

Please don't kick me out.

I hear you, Stet, but there's

no fighting in the school.

I made exceptions for you before.

At some point,

we all run out of chances.

Please wait outside.

Okay. Reluctantly, I have to

recommend immediate expulsion.

Why don't we take a vote? All in favour?

You too, Anton?

No one's above the rules.

As much as it hurts the choir,

Devon and Stet will have

to be made an example of.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, Stet and Devon?

What the bloody hell's this

got to do with Devon?

I spoke to Devon this morning.

He admitted stealing

Stet's personal file

and circulating his mother's

arrest photo.

Those were acts of cruelty.

We're better off without...

both of them.

Carvelle, there really is no comparison

with Stet's own behaviour.

I mean, need I refresh

your memory by enumerating examples

of his reckless and antisocial

behaviour?

Drake! Drake! Quiet!

We all think we know these boys,

what goes on with them, but we don't.

We don't know a damn thing.

We have forgotten

what it was like to be them.

In addition, I'd like to say

that out of personal ambition,

I encouraged the rivalry

between Stet and Devon.

Therefore, Justine,

I intend to step back

from leading the boychoir

and take some time off, starting today.

- What?

- Is this some kind of stunt?

- Are you serious?

- Never more so.

Wonderful. Smashing.

Can I help you with your bags?

No, he doesn't need

any help with his bags.

Carvelle, you can't leave.

Hold it...

Hold it! Hold it! Enough!

In four weeks, we're gonna be

giving the biggest concert

in the school's history,

and we lose Stet and Devon and Carvelle.

I don't know, we're gonna fall

on our asses

right out there

in front of the whole world.

Okay, Stet and Devon

will remain at the school.

They can have Saturday detention

from now till doomsday,

I don't care.

But I'm not gonna let you

piss on this opportunity.

Would you do me the courtesy

of looking at me

when I'm talking to you?

Thank you.

You all are gonna take that sacred,

divine music of Handel's and

knock it out of the ballpark.

I wanna see angels

descending from heaven

right there in that cathedral.

I want people to weep.

I want you and your boys

to shatter the stained glass windows!

Then, you can take

as much time as you want.

And we are rolling our shoulders.

Rolling and turning.

I want to see those bodies moving.

That's right. All going back.

All going back.

All going back.

And now it's changing

and it's all going forward.

And we're going up...

I never thought I'd see you again.

Wild horses couldn't have kept me.

You're doing alright, Stet.

You just keep going now. You understand?

Yes, ma'am.

You've left the spot

for lead treble blank.

You want my opinion?

Yeah, tell me.

Stet and Devon have both hit the high D,

but we can't afford to experiment.

Not here, not today.

Stet is instinctive.

Devon is analytical.

He doesn't make mistakes.

You know it, I know it.

I know that you... you know this,

but I want to say it anyway.

Most of you have one year,

two years, at the most,

two and a half years.

And your gift,

the mystery of your gift...

wake up one morning,

and it just isn't there anymore.

Some of you become altos,

some of you become baritones,

some of you become dentists.

Doctors.

But whatever, there will be

other gifts in your lifetime.

And the most important thing

is when those gifts appear,

nurture them the way

you've nurtured this one.

When you go upstairs to that cathedral,

take a moment, look around...

and feel where you are.

This isn't about Handel.

This is about music.

It's about you.

It's 50 minutes of your life.

And I want you to celebrate yourself.

Time to go. Break a leg. Break a leg.

Game face.

Knock it out to the park, okay?

Don't forget to smile.

Kill it!

Hey...

What is it?

I have something to tell you.

Congratulations.

Your voice is changing.

You're growing up.

You okay?

I knew my voice would change,

but I thought I had more time.

Happens to all of us.

I mean, you don't want to be

a kid forever, do you?

Well...

What are the chances

of a good treble becoming a good alto?

You'll never sing like you did.

That voice, that sound...

it wasn't really yours to keep.

You borrowed it for a little while

and then it went somewhere else.

Then what's the point of all

the lessons and the work

that I did if... if I'm just

gonna lose my voice?

The lessons are the point.

Wonder what will happen to him.

A letter of recommendation

from you could open many doors.

I see.

I don't write recommendations, Drake.

Try it, just this once.

It's a life we give them here,

not a career.

Oh, Stet.

Come in.

I have something for you.

The New York concert.

It's a rough mix. Just came in today.

That's great.

- So, you're leaving us?

- Yes, ma'am.

You don't have to, you know.

We're not kicking you to the curb.

You could stay as an alto.

Wish I could, but I'm being

sent to another school.

Oh... Okay, then.

This is for you also.

Thank you.

Now go.

"To whom it may concern, Stet Tate..."

"...is the best student

I have ever taught."

- Have a good summer, guys.

- Thank you.

Anyone seen Stet?

- Yeah, he's upstairs.

- Have a good time, Devon.

- Goodbye, sir.

- See you very soon.

- Hey, Stet. All set?

- Yup.

- Is someone coming for you?

- No.

I'm taking the train to summer camp.

Boarding school after that.

It's overseas.

It's okay, Mr. Wooly, I'll be fine.

I know.

Well, alright then.

Good luck.

Thank you.

- Have a good summer.

- You do the same.

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