Listen to Me Page #4

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(STUDENTS LAUGHING)

(TALKING GIBBERISH)

No, no, really,

the affirmative is,

uh, is against

and the negative

is for abortion?

I know. It sounds

like it should be

just the other way around.

But the affirmative

will be trying to prove

that the Supreme Court ruling,

giving women the right

to abortions,

should be overturned.

The negative

will be trying to prove

that it should not

be overturned.

-You got it?

-Yeah.

Good.

What's the name

of that ruling?

BRAITHWAITE:
Uh, Roe v. Wade.

Very good, Braithwaite.

Now, which side looks like

the easier one to defend?

-The negative.

-CHARLIE:
Why?

Because nobody today,

no educated, thinking people

believe abortion's wrong,

only religious fanatics,

like my parents.

Uh, I have to disagree, sir.

You know, there are tons

of arguments that it's wrong,

and it's not just stuff

from the Bible.

I mean, some folks

back where I come from

feel pretty strongly

that it's a form of murder.

Only sh*t-kicker conservatives

believe that crap

about murder.

(ALL MURMURING)

Oh, yeah? Well, that's

just what I am, baby,

a sh*t-kicker conservative.

-Yeah.

-TUCKER:
And what are you?

You know, just so women

can have their cake

and eat it, too,

they'll go off and kill

millions of little

unborn kids.

Haven't you ever heard

of pro-life?

Haven't you ever heard

of the women's movement?

Yeah, but I wish I hadn't.

(ALL EXCLAIMING)

All right. All right.

All right. All right.

All right. All right.

Let's divide up the research.

What do you know about...

-Oh.

-Edwin Arlington Robinson?

Garson. (CHUCKLES)

Well, I didn't know that you

were interested in poetry.

Oh, yeah.

Anybody who can teach me

how to be a better writer.

Listen to this. See if it

reminds you of anyone.

"Whenever Richard Cory

went downtown,

"we people on the pavement

looked at him.

"He was a gentleman

from sole to crown,

"clean favored,

and imperially slim.

"And he was rich,

yes, richer than a king.

"And admirably schooled

in every grace.

"In fine,

"we thought that

he was everything

"to make us wish

that we were in his place."

It's you. (CHUCKLES)

"So, on we worked

and waited for the light.

"And went without the meat,

"and cursed the bread.

"And Richard Cory,

"one calm summer night,

"went home and put a bullet

through his head."

Wanna have dinner

with me tonight?

I can't. I have to work.

(CHUCKLES)

I wanna know

what it feels like

to really care for a girl.

-Take Monica.

-(COUGHS)

What makes a girl

like that tick?

You're interested in Monica?

She's just an example.

Do you wanna be

really in love someday?

Of course. Doesn't everybody?

How will you know it's love

and not the usual bullshit?

Well it's...

It's the same way you know

if you're steak is good

or if the lobster's fresh.

You trust your senses.

(CHUCKLES)

What would you say

if I told you

that I could get us both laid

in about 60 minutes?

You know, you're crazy.

(SCOFFS)

-You talk about love...

-Yes or no?

I have to make a phone call.

Well, I gotta be to work

in the next 10 minutes.

Not if I arrange otherwise.

You can get me out of working?

(CHUCKLES)

Hey! Stop you party animals,

take me back to

that champagne!

-Whoo-hoo!

-Yeah!

(ALL SHOUTING)

WOMAN:
Oh Tucker,

you're so strong.

Put me down.

(SCREAMING)

Tucker, put me down!

Put me down!

GARSON:
As my good buddy

Dostoyevsky once said,

"Eat drink and eat drink."

-(GARSON LAUGHING)

-(SCREAMING)

TUCKER:
On the count of three,

switch you're horses!

(SCREAMING)

(CHATTERING)

BOY:
Are you

gonna do it or what?

GIRL:
Oh, yeah.

Will you stop it!

Sorry. Little affectionate.

-Back off.

-Sorry.

Got excited.

-Professor Nichols.

-Ms. Tomanski.

I don't wanna be

Tucker's debate partner.

Yeah, well, I don't think

I wanna be your

partner either.

Coach, you know,

we'd probably just end up

debating each other

instead of our opponents.

Maybe.

Maybe it'll make you

a better team.

Muldowney, you should be the

big gun on the affirmative.

Tomanski, you should

spearhead the negative.

But I was really hoping

you'd team me

with one of the more

experienced debaters.

I mean, this way we could be

stuck in novice all season.

Look, you place

in the tournament,

I'll move you up to juniors.

You win there,

I'll bump you up to open.

(MONICA SIGHS)

Now, get out of here.

Both of you.

MONICA:
Terrific.

Now what do we do?

We debate together, I guess.

Hey, look, I wanted

a hot-shot partner, too.

Now, I'm gonna have

to carry you all season.

Carry me? Nobody

ever has to carry me.

-I was joking.

-Especially a man.

Why is everything such a

political crusade with you?

MONICA:
I didn't mean it

that way, Tucker.

It's just that I had

such high hopes

of getting off

to a good start.

Darling, you're off

to a great start.

You're with me.

Maybe we can even

turn out to be a good team.

Provided we get it straight

upfront who's boss.

A joke. A joke.

MONICA:
Okay, we have to

decide who's second speaker,

and that's no joke.

I should be second speaker

because I've had more

debating experience.

I think I should be second

because I'm the

better speaker.

Do you honestly believe that?

Hey, I agree, you're great,

but the old wrap-up

is my specialty.

I mean, I can always

put my audience

right where I want 'em.

This ridiculous.

I can't wait till we start

writing our case.

All right, let's compromise.

-You be the last speaker

on the negative...

-Hi Al.

And I'm the last

on the affirmative.

Okay, I guess that'll work.

See, I'm not so hard

to get along with.

You just better do

you're share of the research.

Hey now, do I look

like a slacker?

Mmm-hmm.

Oh, now, what was that for?

Look, nobody said we had to

like or respect each other.

And what is that

supposed to mean?

If you wanna date

the scuzziest girls

in the school,

that's your business.

Oh, you heard about that, huh?

(IMITATING OTHER GIRL)

"Oh, Tucker, you're so strong,

"put me down. Stop. Oh."

You know, maybe

you didn't learn as much

in reform school

as you thought.

To me, you still look like

a pretty flaky character.

Hey now,

just wait a damn minute.

You know, if you would

just stop acting like

a Vestal Virgin

and go out with me

then maybe I wouldn't

have to resort to these

desperate, life-threatening

alternatives.

-Please.

-I mean, if you look

at this empirically,

you'd see that

this is all your fault.

I was wondering,

what do you do for Garson

in return for

his little favors?

Wop bop a loo bop

a lop bom bom!

Tutti frutti, oh rutti

Tutti frutti, oh rutti

Tutti frutti, oh rutti

Tutti frutti, oh rutti

Tutti frutti, oh rutti

Wop bop a loo bop

a lop bom bom!

I got a girl, named Sue

She knows just what to do

I got a girl, named Sue

She knows just what to do

She rock to the east,

she rock to the west

But she is the girl

that I love best

Tutti frutti, oh rutti

Tutti frutti, oh rutti

Ooo!

Tutti frutti, oh rutti

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