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turning to page one
turning to page one
Lambeau stands across from Sean, seething.
LAMBEAU
This is a disaster! I brought you in
here to help me with this boy, not to
run him out--
SEAN
Now wait a minute--
LAMBEAU
--And confuse him--
SEAN
--Gerry--
LAMBEAU
--And here I am for the second week
in a row with my professional
reputation at stake--
SEAN
Hold on!
LAMBEAU
--Ready to falsify documents because
you've given him license to walk away
from this.
SEAN
I know what I'm doing and I know why
I'm here!
LAMBEAU
Look Sean, I don't care if you have a
rapport with the boy-- I don't care
if you have a few laughs-- even at my
expense! But don't you dare undermine
what I'm trying to do here.
SEAN
"Undermine?"
LAMBEAU
He has a gift and with that gift comes
responsibility. And you don't
understand that he's at a fragile point--
SEAN
He is at a fragile point. He's got
problems--
LAMBEAU
What problems does he have, Sean,
that he is better off as a janitor or
in jail or hanging around with--
SEAN
Why do you think he does that, Gerry?
LAMBEAU
He can handle the work, he can handle
the pressure and he's obviously handled
you.
SEAN
Why is he hiding? Why is he a janitor?
Why doesn't he trust anybody? Because
was that he was abandoned by the people
who were supposed to love him the most!
LAMBEAU
Oh, come on, Sean--
SEAN
--And why does he hang out with his
friends? Because any one of those
kids would come in here and take a bat
to your head if he asked them to.
It's called loyalty!
LAMBEAU
Oh, that's nice--
SEAN
--And who do you think he's handling?
He pushes people away before they have
a chance to leave him. And for 20
years he's been alone because of that.
And if you try to push him into this,
it's going to be the same thing all
over again. And I'm not going to let
that happen to him!
LAMBEAU
Now don't do that. Don't you do that!
Don't infect him with the idea that
it's okay to quit. That it's okay to
be a failure, because it's not okay!
If you're angry at me for being
successful, for being what you could
have been--
SEAN
--I'm not angry at you--
LAMBEAU
--Yes you are, Sean. You resent me.
And I'm not going to apologize for any
success that I've had.
SEAN
--I don't have any anger at you--
LAMBEAU
Yes you do. You're angry at me for
doing what you could have done. Ask
yourself if you want Will to feel that
way for the rest of his life, to feel
like a failure.
SEAN
That's it. That's why I don't come to
the goddamn reunions! Becaue I can't
stand the look in your eye when you
see me! You think I'm a failure! I
know who I am. I'm proud of who I am.
And all of you, you think I'm some
kind of pity case!
You with your sycophant students
following you around. And you Goddamn
Medal!
LAMBEAU
--Is that what this is about, Sean?
The Field's Medal? Do you want me to
go home and get it for you? Then will
you let the boy--
SEAN
--I don't want your trophy and I don't
give a shit about it! 'Cause I knew
you when!! You and Jack and Tom
Sanders. I knew you when you were
homesick and pimply-faced and didn't
know what side of the bed to piss on!
LAMBEAU
That's right! You were smarter than
us then and you're smarter than us
now! So don't blame me for how your
life turned out. It's not my fault.
SEAN
I don't blame you! It's not about
that! It's about the boy! 'Cause
he's a good kid! And I won't see this
happen to him-- I won't see you make
him feel like a failure too!
LAMBEAU
He won't be a failure!
SEAN
If you push him into something, if you
ride him--
LAMBEAU
You're wrong, Sean. I'm where I am
today because I was pushed. And because
I learned to push myself!
SEAN
He's not you!
A beat. Lambeau turns, something catches his eye. Sean turns to look, IT'S WILL. He is standing in the doorway.
WILL
I can come back.
LAMBEAU
No, that's fine, Will. I was just
leaving.
There is an awkward moment as Lambeau gets his coat and leaves.
WILL
Well, I'm here.
(beat)
So, is that my problem? I'm afraid of
being abandoned? That was easy.
SEAN
Look, a lot of that stuff goes back a
long way. And it's between me and him
and it has nothing to do with you.
WILL
Do you want to talk about it?
Sean smiles. A beat. Will sees a FILE on Sean's desk.
WILL (cont'd)
What's that?
SEAN
Oh, this is your file. I have to send
it back to the Judge with my evaluation.
WILL
You're not going to fail me are you?
Sean smiles.
WILL (cont'd)
So what's it say?
SEAN
You want to read it?
WILL
No.
(beat)
Have you had any experience with that?
SEAN
Twenty years of counselling you see a
lot of--
WILL
--No, have you had any experience with
that?
SEAN
Yes.
WILL
(smiles)
It sure ain't good.