Children Of A Lesser God

---

[Bell Rings]

This is the most amazing

resume I've ever seen.

I've been with some really

good schools. The best.

All of them.

All of the best.

One right

after another.

And you've also been

with the Lucky Erin

Bar and Grill.

Pittsburgh. Bartender.

And a disc jockey.

In Oklahoma.

I used to broadcast

in sign language.

You've been

all over the map.

I've got

a lot of energy.

I'm sure you do have

a lot of energy

and a lot of new ideas.

I did, too, when...

But nobody's trying to change

the world around here.

Just trying to help

a few deaf kids

get along a little better,

that's all.

Everything else

is razzle-dazzle.

Am I, uh...

am I making

myself clear?

Yes, I believe

that you are.

[Buzzing]

Are we being punished?

Hi.

I'm James Leeds, and...

my signing is rusty,

so how many of you

can read lips?

No one? O.K.

Class dismissed.

No, no, no.

No, no, no.

Just testing.

Sit down.

Lydia and Tony,

good lip readers.

Would you mind

closing your notebook?

Thank you.

Now, give me

one good reason

why we should learn to

speak. Tony.

To pick up

hearing girls.

To pick up hearing girls.

O.K. Let's work on this.

All right. Now...

here.

You.

You.

O.K. Here are two

beautiful hearing girls.

You two guys

want to pick them up.

What is the first thing

you want to say, Danny?

Are you rich?

Are you r-i-i-ch?

Say it.

Rich.

Good. Lydia.

I'm very rich.

Good. Tony.

Let's go somewhere

and do it.

No, thank you.

Let's go somewhere

and do it- t.

I would rather

do it with her.

Cute.

How about you guys?

You want to join us?

They don't talk.

Fair enough.

O.K. Reasons to talk.

Right.

If your hands

are occupied.

For example,

some guy owes you money.

He comes by,

but you just happen

to be in a handstand.

How will you tell him

to give you your money?

You can't use your hands.

You've got to speak.

Give me my money,

you bum.

Call me names,

will you?

I don't have to stand here

and take that.

You want to fight, huh?

O.K. Put up your feet

and fight like a man.

See?

[Crash]

Take your pots...

and your lousy food

and shove them...

Doesn't mince words,

does she?

Mr. Leeds.

Mr. Leeds.

Oh, Leeds!

Leeds!

Join us.

Sure. O.K.

Sorry.

Good thing you're

out of my classroom.

Sit down, James.

Mary Lee Ochs,

Assistant Superintendent.

Orin Dennis, math

and social studies.

James Leeds.

Leeds. Hi.

Did I hear

Miss Ochs say

you were

one of her students?

Yes. I started here

at 5.

Really? Wow, that's

great. I'm impressed.

For still

being here?

Not what I meant.

See you all later.

Bye.

Who is that?

That's Sarah.

Never mind her.

She's a pain

in the ass.

But who is she?

What does she do?

She works here.

Orin,

I've got an idea.

How about the kids making

potholders for parents' day?

They don't sell.

We've got hundreds left from last year.

We do? Oh.

We do? Oh.

Sarah came here

at 5, too.

We grew up together.

Is she a teacher, too?

She was one of our

brightest students.

Would you give me

some of the water?

Thank you.

Leeds, you're a genius.

You will work.

[Classical Music Plays]

Ooh.

Yeah.

Mr. Bach.

Hear that...

cat?

Ooh.

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang.

Again. Faster.

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang.

One more time,

faster.

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang.

Great. Right.

That is great.

Brilliant.

My Lydia.

Come here, Lydia.

O.K. Put your hands

on the speaker. Come on.

[Music Plays]

Feel that?

Good.

Feel it.

Like a boomerang, baby

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang

Love can turn,

turn around now

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang

Use your voice.

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang

Yeah.

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang

My heart can feel ya

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang

Close enough

to steal ya

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang

Don't slip by, now

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang

Don't you know that I'll

be comin'back to find ya

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang

You know a boy

can change direction

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang

Givin'you

love and affection

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang

Bein'sweeter

Sweeter

Like a boomerang, baby

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang

Love can turn,

turn around now

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang

Like a boomerang, baby

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang

Ooh, your love

can turn around

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang

Ooh, my love is

gonna catch ya

Ba-boom-a-rang-rang-rang

It's comin'back

to get ya

It's good

that I met ya

Not givin'up

'Cause now I'm gonna

try to get ya

You know a boy

can change direction

Bringin'you

love and protection

Baby, baby, baby

A drip.

[Very Loud]

Oh! What a drip!

No. No. No! No!

That's not what I meant.

I just wanted

to introduce myself.

I'm James Leeds.

It's Sarah, isn't it?

Would you like

to sit down?

Right here.

O.K. We'll both stand up.

Oh, I see.

Very good.

You got me there.

Could you

look at me, please?

If you don't

look at me, I can't...

So, um...

Dr. Franklin tells me

that you've been here

since you were 5.

Mm-hmm.

Um...

when did you graduate?

And, uh, now... now...

now you work here?

Are you reading

my lips?

I don't think that

you are reading my lips.

Ohhh...

Gee, that was quick of me,

wasn't it?

You could've told me.

Why? I don't know.

How about common courtesy?

How about me

getting out of here

so you can

mop the floor?

Man...

you know,

if you let me,

I bet I could teach you

how to speak.

And you could teach me...

but I don't want

to mop the floor.

Gee, that was quick.

And you don't

want to speak.

Brilliant.

Schmuck.

It's a damn shame.

Costly, too.

Resodding

is damn costly.

No. I'm talking

about Sarah Norman.

Right. Sarah.

Look at this, will you?

What a mess.

Has she ever

tried speaking?

Sarah's not

hard of hearing.

She's totally deaf.

Born that way.

That makes it tough.

The rain's

lousing up the fields.

It's a shame

that a bright woman

is stuck here

cleaning toilets.

Doesn't bother her.

Oh, no?

Look, hotshot,

not everyone

wants to be a star.

Sarah is content.

She had

a rotten childhood.

She was diagnosed

as retarded

until she was 7.

We let her know

how smart she was.

For what?

She's productive.

Pays taxes.

Oh, brother.

All right.

You want to try?

I'll talk to her.

Huh?

I'll talk to her.

Look at this.

Will you look at this?

Damn!

It's going to cost

$2,000 or $3,000 at least.

Oh, brother.

S-S-Sat.

Sat.

All right.

[Bell Rings]

That's good.

You have to work

on S's, though.

O.K.? Go. Out.

James, Sarah has agreed

to give you an hour.

She's really

looking forward to it.

You're really looking

forward to it, aren't you?

What did I tell you?

Well, uh...

have fun, Jim...

as usual.

Well, Sarah, uh...

yeah. I do mind, actually.

Fire laws and all that,

but you go right ahead.

Listen...

how would you like

to fake out Franklin,

make me look real good?

I'm sorry.

I didn't get that.

Uh...

if...

I...

don't...

sign... faster...

the hour will be over

before I finish

my opening speech.

No. I'm all out of jokes.

Good.

I'm not funny.

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