Save the Last Dance

Ticket, please.

Have a good trip.

Excuse me, is this seat taken?

No.

I love ballet.

I never had the body for it.

You dance?

I used to.

I've got something for you.

It's for love, not luck...

...because you don't need luck.

You dance like an angel.

Mom...

You're the best luck

I'll ever have.

- Are you okay?

- I keep messing up the pirouettes.

It's frustrating, but it'll be okay.

My mom's gonna be there.

You have nothing to worry about.

You're the best dancer in Lamont.

This is not Lamont,

it's Julliard, New York City.

- Do you want to pray?

- What?

You're leaving for St. Louis.

I'm not gonna see you. We should pray.

Awesome Father, S.J. Auditions today,

let her do okay...

We've got the Carson wedding,

the Dankowski party, two funerals,

and Jill calls in sick

today of all days.

Sara, I'm sorry, I have to

handle this. There isn't anybody else.

- Mom, what about...

- Glynn, do they want roses in this?

Judy took that order, ask her.

Mom, this is the most important day

of my life. You have to be there.

You promised.

I know.

Excuse me, are you Sara Johnson?

You're next.

I'll be there. I promise.

Before you audition.

Is there anything you'd like to say

about your contemporary piece?

No, it's pretty self-explanatory.

Did you have a good ride?

I slept through most of it.

I guess you've got stuff. Baggage?

Three suitcases. One big one.

Sorry I had to split

so soon after the funeral.

If I could have gotten out of that gig,

I would have hung around longer.

Guess it was pretty tough

leaving all your friends.

Here we are.

Put them anywhere.

I'll give you the grand tour.

Not like what you're used to,

but the water's hot

and the mice are friendly.

Bathroom.

Kitchen... big kitchen.

This is where I sleep.

I didn't get a chance

to make the bed today.

Where do I sleep?

Nixon was probably in office

when this was made, but...

...there's a brand-new mattress

in there.

Most of your clothes should fit here.

Put the rest in the hall closet.

I know it's a little bit

out in the open, but...

I didn't get a chance

to finish your room here.

Yeah, I'll fix that.

It's a work in progress.

I'll have it up and running

in no time.

A few minor adjustments.

Well, I guess

I'll let you get unpacked.

You don't have to come in with me.

I'm your father. I'm supposed to.

You don't know where to go.

It's okay. I mean, I have done

this before - gone to school.

All right, well,

this is the name they gave me.

Mrs Gwynn, main office.

I'll be back to pick you up at 3:30.

Okay, sure, whatever.

My door is always open and, contrary

to hall rumour, you can talk to me.

So, do you have

any questions or concerns?

No questions, no answers.

All right. This is Mr Campbell's class

and he's expecting you.

Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood"

represents

a complete turning point

in American history and literature.

Do you want to take that cap off

and tell us why, Mr Ricard?

Gay rights?

- The Com-pote dude who wrote it...

- Capote.

- Capote?

- Capote.

Sweet tooth. Straight-up fag, Mr C.

- Flaming!

- Thank you, Mr Ricard.

We can now promote you

up to kindergarten. Anybody else?

Once, twice...

Miss Johnson, I apologise

if any of this is over your head.

If you see me after class,

I'll give you some chapters. Anybody?

It's a non-fiction novel.

Capote mixed true events with things

he couldn't know, so he made them up.

He created a new genre.

White folks back then felt safe.

Capote scared them. He took

hardcore crime out of the ghetto

and placed it in America's backyard.

That's what makes the book special.

Yes, that's part of it.

That's all of it.

We got a debate going on now.

Capote wasn't first. Richard Wright

and James Baldwin did the same.

Wasn't nobody trying

to read them, though.

A lot of people read them.

A lot of people like who? You?

Didn't think so.

Hey, yo! Mr C, Mr C.

Your girl needs to bone up. You need

to give her a pass to the library.

We need to get a parent-teacher's

conference, something's going on.

Why don't you lend her yours?

'Cause obviously you don't ever use it.

Yo, Latrice! Mr Jackson's civics class,

you will have a pop quiz.

Do not front on it.

It's mad hard, all right?

That's how easy it is

to give to charity around here.

Thanks.

Don't put your sh*t on the floor.

So here I am trying to study,

and he's crying and crying...

Yo, where were you in maths class?

It was so hard. I didn't know

anything, I left it blank.

Had you been there,

I'd have had my notes.

I know you're new

to the table, but look...

We are the 2K generation,

and no one takes us seriously.

We don't even take ourselves

seriously. And look around.

Half the student body is D.O.A.

From the neck up, Clara.

Sara. It's Sara.

Yeah, it's Sara.

- You finished?

- Yes.

- Thank you so much.

- No problem.

Watch where you sit. Don't ever

let me catch you at that table.

And it's Chenille.

Put your tray here and I'll

introduce you to the ladies I roll with.

It's just a little hip hop. Come on.

Hold up, hold up, hold up.

Girls, this is Sara.

Sara, this is Portia and Tanisha.

And this is Diggy.

She thinks she's down.

- Excuse me, I am down, okay?

- Yes, whatever.

I thought you knew how to play?

Did it hurt?

Stick a pin through your eyebrow,

see if it hurts.

A**hole!

Who? 'Cause in this crowd you're gonna

have to be a bit more specific.

The guy by the window

with the blue sweater.

He's in my English class.

He thinks he's so smart and so cute.

- Derek Reynolds?

- Oh, so you know him?

Hell, yes, I know him.

He's my brother.

He's not an a**hole per se...

Forget about it, girl.

It's all right. Don't even sweat it.

- Yo, Derek? Hey, yo.

- Hey, man.

Medicine man. Yes.

What's up, Cap?

I was just asking about you.

I got emotional about you being back.

Sit your punk ass down.

Matter of fact, step your lame ass off.

Man, why we... What is

that piece of... You look good, man.

Where did you steal that from?

Nice jacket.

What's up, man?

How did it go with Mrs Gwynn?

Regular bullshit. "You're smart. "

"Learn from your mistakes. "

"I'm here for you. "

She's here for me, all right.

But are you hanging in?

You feeling strong?

About my first week back

at home sweet high school?

You enlisted, I'm drafted.

"Finish school or finish your sentence. "

Like they both ain't

12 months of long-ass time.

But a year here is better

than another served up in Juvie.

- At least we got chicks in here.

- Yeah, man.

Check you later, man.

Gotta see this honey.

Hey, Sara, come in here

a minute, will you?

You've been working a while in there,

you must be getting hungry.

Swanson Hungry Man Dinners.

They're the best.

Got every style. What do you want,

animal, vegetable or mineral?

I had a big lunch.

All right, well... They're in here

if you change your mind.

Unless your plan

is to starve yourself to death.

I just don't eat when I'm not hungry.

And Mom never let me eat that stuff.

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