Chariots of Fire Page #2

Academically sound. Arrogant.

Defensive to the point of pugnacity.

Hmm. As they invariably are.

Yet possessing

a keen sense of duty and loyalty.

Do they say he can run?

Like the wind.

[MEN CHATTERING]

Gentlemen, would you draw back, please.

Away from the course.

Thank you.

Mr. Abrahams, your position, please.

Owing to the absence of any other

challenger, Mr. Abrahams will run alone.

MAN:

Not so, Mr. Starter!

[MEN MURMURING]

Your name and college, sir?

Lindsay. I race beside my friend here.

We challenge in the name

of Repton, Eton, and Caius.

[CROWD CHEERING]

HAROLD:
I didn't know you ran.

- Nor I you.

Some chap tell me about

this over breakfast.

Thought I'd push

you along a bit.

- Delighted.

- Splendid.

Good luck.

Gentlemen, to your marks, if you please.

Now, remember. On the first strike of 12.

[BELL CHIMING]

[CHIMING ENDS]

[CLOCK STRIKING]

[CROWD CHEERING]

MAN 1:

Come on!

MAN 2:

Come on, stay with it.

MAN 3:

Run harder, come on.

MAN 4:

Come on!

STALLARD:

Get those legs working!

AUBREY:

More leg when you stride, keep going.

[CROWD CHEERING]

Go on. Go on, Harold!

[CLOCK STRIKES TWELVE]

[CROWD CHEERING]

MASTER OF CAIUS:
Did they both do it?

- I think not.

- Young Lindsay failed by a whisker.

- Pity.

MASTER OF TRINITY: Well, it's been done,

and by a Caius man.

You must be very proud.

The first man in seven centuries.

Perhaps they really are

God's chosen people after all.

[MASTER OF CAIUS LAUGHS]

MASTER OF CAIUS:
I doubt

if there's a swifter man in the kingdom.

ERIC:

Get to your marks.

Get set.

[PISTOL FIRES]

MAN 1:

Go on, Angus, run.

MAN 2:

Sprint, Johnny, sprint.

MAN 3:

Oh, run, Steve!

MAN 4:

Come on, faster.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[CROWD APPLAUDING]

Oh...

[CHILDREN CLAMORING]

JENNIE:
He may be your best friend,

Sandy, but he's my best brother.

I'm thinking of him

and not your blessed athletics team.

His heart's set on following

Father in the mission.

Do you not think he's got enough

on his plate without racing?

He's fast, Jennie, really fast.

You've seen him with a ball in his hands.

And I've seen him

with a Bible in his hands.

I know which is the most important.

You can't deny him the chance.

Get him on a track

with a piece of technique, I tell you...

Please don't tell me, Sandy,

I don't want to hear.

Eric's special to me, precious.

I don't want his work spoiled

with all this running talk, do you hear?

ERIC:

Is there a John MacMillan anywhere?

Go on, get your consolation prize.

There you are.

Well done.

You know, ladies and gentlemen...

...one of the real compensations

of achieving a certain notoriety...

...if only as a rugby player,

is that occasionally you're asked...

...to come along and give things away.

[CROWD CHUCKLING]

It's often said that

giving beats receiving.

And let me tell you...

...the look of delight

on those little boys'

faces is worth 10 of

any of the tin pots...

...I've got gathering dust

in my Edinburgh sideboard.

[CROWD CHUCKLING]

When we were in China, my father here...

...was always waxing lyrical

about his wee home in the glen.

But being Oriental-born myself,

like my brothers and my sister here...

...I suffered from a natural incredulity.

But looking about me now...

...the heather and the hills...

...I can see he was right.

It's very special.

[CROWD APPLAUDING]

Thank you for welcoming us home,

and thank you...

...for reminding me that I am,

and will be whilst I breath...

[COW MOOS]

[CHILDREN LAUGH]

...a Scot.

[CROWD APPLAUDING]

Mr. Provost, sir...

Before you allow Eric here to go...

...is it not true

that the main event of the meeting...

- ...is still to be run?

PROVOST:
It is.

The 200-yards Open Championship.

It's the last event of this gathering

by tradition.

Do you not think,

if we can find him some kit...

...we might persuade

Scotland's finest wing...

...to show us his paces?

[CROWD CHEERING AND APPLAUDING]

MAN 1:

What do you say, Eric?

MAN 2:

To your marks.

Get set.

[PISTOL FIRES]

[CROWD CHEERING]

[CROWD CHEERING]

Didn't I tell you, Eric? Didn't I tell you?

A touch of liberality would do no harm.

Sandy, the Kingdom of God

is not a democracy.

The Lord never seeks reelection.

There's no discussion, no deliberation...

...no referenda as to which road to take.

There's one right, one wrong,

one absolute ruler.

- A dictator, you mean.

- Aye.

But a benign, loving dictator.

So much for your freedom of choice.

ERIC:

You've still got a choice, Sandy.

Nobody's forcing you to follow him.

Oh! Hey, hey.

- Do you know what day it is?

- Yeah.

- Tell me, then.

- Sunday.

Sabbath's not a day

for playing football...

- ...is it?

- No.

- You up early in the morning?

- Ma gets me up at 7.

We'll have a game then. Okay?

Mr. Liddell, is it okay if my dad comes?

Sure. Bring your whole family.

I'll give you a five-goal start.

- You've got a train to catch at 9:00.

- There's plenty of time.

You want the kid to grow up

thinking God's a spoilsport?

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[GLASS CLINKING]

MAN:

Come on.

SANDY:
If I may, I'd like to propose

a toast to the Liddell family...

...whom I'm fortunate enough

to call my friends.

The reverend J.D.,

Mrs. L., young Ernest...

...bon voyage,

and safe journey back to China.

May the years ahead

be happy and content.

For those who remain...

...may God protect them, inspire them,

and lead them to glory.

Thank you, Sandy. That was very nice.

I'm relying on you now

to keep them all out of mischief.

That I will, Mrs. L. If they do transgress,

I'll pop the details on a postcard.

And you can read all about it

before you can say "Marco Polo."

It'll cost you a fortune

in postage stamps.

SANDY:
Don't worry,

I intend to protect my investment.

I'm going to rule you with a rod of iron.

[MEN LAUGHING]

ERIC:
Oh, well, we have to

watch ourselves then.

[MEN LAUGH]

You're a very lucky young man, Eric.

You're the proud possessor

of many gifts.

And it's your sacred duty

to put them to good use.

That's right. Run like we know you can,

strong and true...

...and the mission cannot but gain

by your success.

What we need now

is a muscular Christian...

...to make folks sit up and notice.

How good are you, Eric?

Sandy reckons he'll run for Scotland

before the month's out.

- And after that, the sky's the limit.

- Meaning what?

The Olympic Games, maybe.

J.D.:
Eric, you can praise the Lord

by peeling a spud...

...if you peel it to perfection.

Don't compromise.

Compromise is a language of the Devil.

Run in God's name...

...and let the world stand back in wonder.

[PISTOL FIRES]

[CROWD CHEERING]

[CROWD CHEERING AND CHATTERING]

CHORUS [SINGING]:

Lean and his mercy will provide

Trust and thy trusting soul shall prove

Christ is its life and Christ its love

[CROWD CHEERING]

Run the straight race

Through God's good grace

Lift up thine eyes and seek his face

Life with its way before us lies

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