Ask any mom or dad and they'll tell you with drop-dead certainty
that their child is extraordinary, a genius of some kind,
gifted by the Gods and deserving of great privilege.
One in a million might even be right.
Just try to tell the other couple of hundred thousand they're not.
Wow.
I think Everwood got its own stock exchange.
Since when is college such an ordeal?
No, no. You're dealing with college admissions, raw competition.
From here on out, parents you once carpooled with are the enemy.
They're just juniors, you know.
Just juniors? Don't you know anything about getting into college?
Well, I thought I did until you asked me that.
You have no idea, do you?
You haven't read the guidebooks? School rankings?
Talked to guidance counselors? Anything at all?
Well, I'm here.
Oh, this? This is a chance for actual face time with actual admissions officers.
Even with a candidate as strong as Amy, that takes preparation.
I had her make her priority list weeks ago. Amy?
I'm gonna sketch out my game plan.
All right.
Only because your son's future hangs in the balance.
Pay attention.
You've got two hours. You're battling a class full of parents.
Give eight minutes per reach school. Six for safeties.
Pick up a bumper sticker for anything on West Coast.
You need me, I'm with the Ivies.
Hey.
I guess I should check this out.
Have fun.
- I thought you were diving in. - I was gonna check out the Tufts kiosk,
but Betsey Baird's mom cross-checked me out of the way.
Survival of the pushiest.
This year is gonna hurt, isn't it?
Mm. Grade polishing. SAT tutoring. Resume stuffing. Parent management. No.
Well, I guess that's the one advantage of having a father who has no idea what's going on.
He's too clueless to become one of the pod parents.
Ephram. Hey, Ephram. Come on down.
Duke's giving away Frisbees.
Oh, God. He's become one of them.
Welcome.
You look tired.
I was up all night with these college books.
You know, in my day, you threw out two or three applications maybe, and you knew you were gonna get in
but now, it's like this whole continent I've never heard of before.
Number of kids applying.
All these extracurricular activities you need to do to stand out.
Newspaper, yearbook, club sports, public service hours.
- You ever done any of this stuff? - Probably, but I don't think I enjoyed any of it.
Well, this is just to get ready to apply next year.
- We are so behind the curve here. - What we, white man?
We always got so many college brochures in the mail,
I assumed they'd be more solicitous.
Look at this.
''Top 10 universities take 80 percent of their students from the top 5 percent of high-school classes.''
I guess we know where I'm not going.
Dad, can I wear this shirt?
Sure, why not?
I can't remember if I wore it yesterday.
I don't think it matters in fourth grade, honey.
You and I aren't done talking. We need to work on an academic strategy here.
I have like a year before I have to worry about any of this stuff.
You're a junior, Ephram. This is a big deal.
If you're gonna be competitive, you need to get your grades up, and...
build a better profile.
We need a plan here.
Well, you can help yourself, but we have a shower to take and homework to finish on the bus.
- Wow, I want these. - No way, these are better.
I'll have these.
Amy.
Did you know that Woodrow Wilson was the 13th president of Princeton
before he became president of the United States?
I was not aware of that.
Well, you will by tomorrow at 4:30.
Aren't you going to ask me?
- What's tomorrow at 4:30, Dad? - Oh, well.
Only afternoon tea with the admissions rep from Princeton.
She's looping back up through Everwood on her way to Cheyenne and is stopping to meet with us.
Well, meet with you.
Is it okay if I'm not sure that I wanna apply there?
Not want to?
And miss your chance to walk the same halls as Eugene O'Neill,
F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jimmy Stewart, Einstein?
Do you know how many Nobel laureates have graduated from Princeton?
I'm sure I will by tomorrow.
If you would.
I've already downloaded some information just so you can familiarize yourself with school history,
class demographics.
Eight percent Latino.
Oh, and if I may be so bold as to make one note on wardrobe,
you would look quite promising in the Burberry skirt that you wore last Founder's Day.
Hey, are you gonna eat these?
Your father has officially deep-ended.
''The Princeton library carries over 1.2 volumes in the reference section alone.''
- He wants me to become a tour guide overnight. - I'm sorry.
I wish I could be there to talk Jersey history with your new friend, but I got football practice tonight.
Homecoming grudge match this Friday against the Ben Franklin Poor-Men!
Yeah, I didn't notice.
Uriel Alvarez just graduated. Their new running back totally sucks.
So if I can hold him, we got like the greatest chance to take the playoffs this year.
Don't look now, incoming.
- Ready. - Go, County.
Miners go in long!
Miners go in deep!
Miners do it with helmets on And never go to sleep!
Miners go in long!
Miners go in deep! Miners do it...
- Who is the new girl? - Stacey Wilson.
- It's kind of hard to tell since she... - Since the hooter fairy paid a visit.
Damn.
The wallflower to prom queen in two cup sizes.
Oh, I love puberty. Are you sure she's not new?
Too bad you only know she's alive now that she's stacked.
It's not my fault I'm shallow. It's how God made me.
Blame him.
Bright Abbott?
Excuse me, I'm... Mr. Beels, the new guidance counselor.
- Can I borrow you for a second? - Uh, could you wait a minute?
Um, they're about to make the pyramid.
Miners do it with helmets on And never go to sleep!
Is it wrong to have enjoyed that?
Technically, I'm not even the new guidance counselor, it turns out I'm the first.
The school board finally decided that a gym teacher who passed a correspondence course
wasn't the best way to shepherd students on the road to excellence, so....
Oh. Mrs. Lippman was cool. She got me out of Spanish.
Uh, look, Bright, I hate to be the sheriff on this,
but there's a problem with your math grades.
Oh, right, my... trig thing.
I totally blew the final last spring, but I took it over this summer at ECC.
Yeah, that's the problem. We got your grades back, um, and....
You failed the class.
Um, I can take it over again, right?
I already worked out a new schedule for you.
But here's the part you're not gonna like, you can't play sports until you pass the class.
- What about...? What about football? - It's school policy.
You can't fail a class and play varsity. I'm sorry.
But I'm a senior now. I'm applying to colleges right now.
And I'm hoping to get recruited for football.
How can I apply if I can't play football?
There are other strategies for getting into college.
How do you feel about your grades?
Well, luckily, nothing's broken.
Ice packs tonight and you should keep the weight off it for about a week.
I think we should stay off the top of the pyramid for a while.
Any idea how you fell?
Uh, well, I was having killer cramps all day, but I just got made new co-head cheerleader,
and I didn't wanna miss my first launch rally.
- I just got your message. - Mom, I said you didn't have to come.
I was worried. Is she all right?
It's barely even a sprain. He said I'm fine. I'll be out in a second.
We're almost finished here, Mrs. Wilson. You can stay.
You know, Stacey, I could prescribe something for those cramps, if you'd like.
You had cramps or did you have chest pain?
- It's nothing. - It might not be nothing.
She had breast implants put in before summer.
I can't believe you just told him that. Could you just not say anything, please?
You had implants?
I mean, Stacey, you just turned 17, your body's barely done developing.
I offered to buy her a Jetta for her birthday, but she knew what she wanted.
It's not like everybody doesn't have something done anymore.
Demi Moore, and like, half the cast of Friends.
My mom had a peel at the same time. It's totally normal.
Well, I'm concerned that you're still experiencing pain three months after the surgery.
If you don't mind, I'd like to have it looked at.
They said it would be normal for it to hurt for a while.
Yeah, well, you are the new co-head cheerleader.
I mean, you can't afford to take any risks with your health.
Someone told me I could find Ephram Brown here, did I?
Depends how much trouble he's in.
I'm James Gellar.
I'm with the App-Fest crowd here, visiting from Juilliard.
Oh, you're looking for me?
Well, if you're the kid who played the Schubert Impromptu No. 3 at the Denver Rep teen recital Iast year.
- I heard all about you. - Is it okay if that freaks me out a little bit?
- What's all this? - Oh, just checking out the SAT vocab list.
Turns out there's a lot I don't know. I've been at it two hours and I'm still in the B's.
You know, most performing arts schools don't require SATs.
I like to think of it as time wasted on entrance tests as time that should be spent on your instrument.
Oh, you wanna say that into a tape recorder for my dad?
But, you know, people, they forget how rare this kind of gift is.
I mean, do you even realize the confluence of events required to get one great player?
I mean the right ear is... one in a million.
Musical ability to let it all shine, 1 in 50,000.
Now, to bring those two together in one person, do the math.
Well, if I could, I wouldn't have to study for the SATs.
A kid with those kinds of odds shouldn't have to.
Why don't you play for me tomorrow?
Not an audition or anything like that. Just to... let you know where you stand.
- Are you interested? - Sure, yeah. Anything specific?
You know this one?
- Not yet. - Good.
See you tomorrow at 3.
Hey, Ephram.
Close your eyes.
- Why? - 'Cause if you don't close, you'll know what it is.
I won't close them anyway.
Remember when I told you we needed a plan and you said, ''Help yourself''?
It's a new regime for college applications.
So we know what needs to be done and by when. What do you think?
I think you got a really good chance of getting into Yale.
Hey, you've got a lot to do this year.
I don't wanna let anything slip past us.
Besides, I don't think you have this normal skill for organization.
They medicate for this much organization.
''Monday, Chemistry 3:30 to 4:30.
Social Studies 4:30 to 5:00, Sci... ''
I've never even heard of Science League.
Well, colleges want kids who are well-rounded and... TV doesn't count, I checked.
And besides, this times out well with your SAT prep class.
Well, I don't think I need any of it.
- Oh, really? - Really.
Conservatories don't even look at SAT scores, piano gets me free.
You don't know that for certain.
I mean, I know that an art school sounds like a great idea right now, but you can't count on that.
What if you change your mind? What if you don't get in?
A BFA doesn't anchor a resume like a BA.
I just wanna make sure that you've got all your options open and that you've got a backup plan.
Well, you didn't have a backup plan when you went to med school.
I didn't have a father who gave a damn what I did. I mean he was done after he taught me to swim.
Well, how do I get on that plan?
Hey, if Science League calls, tell them I'm practicing.
Someone else! Go!
Come on. You're not gonna take that crap, are you?
Coach?
Hey, I heard about what happened.
Sorry they had to bench you. You know, you're one of the best I got out here.
- Thanks. - So how'd your folks take it?
I haven't told them yet.
I tried telling my dad last night, he's emergency-eBaying half of Princeton.
I got no D-line without you.
- You know, I could really use you this week. - I'd really like to be there.
Well, there's nothing I can do about that.
You know, I talked to Mr. Beels, I told him you were a really solid student and all that, but...
they've got the rule and... it's not a bad one.
It's not only just that I wanna play. I mean, I need this.
If I wanna get anywhere worth going next year.
There's gotta be some way I can get back out there.
Well, there is.
I've... been asking around.
You blew the class when things were going rough.
You didn't exactly have the easiest summer there.
The whole thing with Colin, I mean, that hit us all a little hard, but you...
you two were a team.
I don't think it'd be out of line for you to say so.
I don't think I wanna play it like that, coach.
I mean, Colin died, I'm not gonna... use that, you know?
Yeah, that's what I thought you'd say.
Come on.
Well, it's always a gamble,
which is why your breast is still under warranty, if you can believe it.
- But a rupture? - Yep.
Right there.
Probably sustained in the initial surgery which accounts for all the soreness.
The good news is that with saline, there's no danger of toxicity,
and the tear is actually quite miniscule.
- So I'm not gonna deflate or anything? - Not today.
But you are gonna have to have the implant taken out soon.
- But they can replace it right away, right? - Of course they can, but...
But what? It's your fault I have to get the surgery again.
- You practically made me get them in the first place. - Made you?
You begged me for those for a year. You picked out the doctor.
I wanted to wait. I wanted to buy you the car.
Well, you know, you can always get it replaced, Stacey.
But you could also see this as a chance to correct your decision
and have both implants removed permanently.
I can't go back to school flat again.
Everyone will know. I'll be just like Karen Fenmore.
She got her nose done before she went to Brown,
and now anytime you ask anyone what she's doing, all they ever say is:
''Oh, I hear she got a nose job.'' not ''I hear she got a Fulbright.''
Well, I understand the pressure or the rewards of looking a certain way,
but there are certain complications here.
There's capsular contracture, infection, nodules.
Plus the added recovery time.
- It is something to think about, sweetie. - Oh, we're gonna listen to him?
I'll be in the car.
I'm sorry.
It might be hard to get her to listen to you after all that happened with Colin.
You might wanna get a second opinion.
Maybe she'll listen to someone else.
(Have) you ever played that piece before?
Not really, but I like it.
Well, that was...
What? That was what?
I don't know...
how much I should disappoint you.
- Well, I was hoping not too much, but... - It's clear. You have the ear.
And you bring a genuinely remarkable dynamics and phrasing, but...
God, you're a mess of bad habits.
Why, your wrists are stiff, your posture's hollow, you...
you utterly refuse to move your carriage to the music, but that's not what gets me.
All that I can stand.
You don't sight read very well.
- I mean, you barely even looked at the music. - I learned it.
Yet still, you must always look at the music.
The sheet is like a movie you've watched 10 times.
You may know it by heart, but you find something new in it every time.
You've been getting by on that ear and muscle memory and...
- It's a problem. - Well, I'm allowed to make a mistake, right?
As long as I have the ear and the mechanics.
You need the eye too.
You haven't been putting in your three hours a day.
Look...
if you wanna be the best lounge player in Denver, that's great.
But if you wanna get into Juilliard,
if you wanna sit in the center, command performances,
Ah, it's all too ordinary, really.
It's an unfortunate combination of bad habits, bad teachers that let you get away with it.
Well, now I know what to work on through the year, right?
If I wanted to be nice, I would say yes.
But I'm afraid too many people have done you a disservice by trying to be nice.
Sheet music is like a language, Ephram. The acquisition's the same.
If you're not fluent by the time you're 8, it'll always be a foreign language, always a struggle.
But to play concert level, it must be your primary mode of communication.
I'm sorry.
No, I mean, that can't be it. Come on. There's gotta be something I can do.
How are you doing with your vocabulary?
I hear wonderful things about your women's studies program.
- I'm sure Amy will be here shortly. - I'm sure.
So your mother served tea, we had some little cucumber sandwiches,
after which I went brought out the photo albums, so at least she would know what you look like.
Oh, the ones from your seventh grade gymnastics tournament really took the cake.
It wasn't just embarrassing, it was insulting to her.
- I said I was sorry. - We don't ask that much of you.
But everyone in this family does their part. I mean your father and I go to work.
Bright goes to football practice.
No one needs to be reminded 10 times. No one needs to have a cattle prod.
To look at you, I'd guess you don't have the slightest concern about your future.
Well, I don't.
- Can I be done here, please? - Absolute...
Rose.
Yes.
Go ahead.
Now, hold on!
I know this is hard. I do.
But you can't just forget about everything that was important to you.
Rose.
We don't have to do this now.
Go on.
Excuse me?
We're angry. She knows it.
That's enough.
That is hardly enough.
It was a united front that got us this far with them, Harold.
- If we intend to get anywhere with her now... - There's nowhere to go, Rose.
Not now. Can't you see she's hurting with good reason?
- I can't punish that. - Well, we don't have to punish it.
But I cannot let her continue in this void.
Of course I can see she's hurting. She doesn't eat, Harold.
She's up half the night with the TV on. It's not normal.
She's not supposed to be normal.
You know, Amy's not just grieving for Colin, she's...
she's grieving for the life that she wanted and expected.
I met you when I was Colin's age.
Right now, the rest of her life is like a second choice.
She's becoming someone I don't even recognize.
I miss her. I miss her life.
All I have now are eggshells everywhere and this fear that I'll say something wrong to remind her.
- Am I really supposed to just do nothing? - Yes, you are.
Be thankful that you have the easier job.
Dr. Brown said he could send over the MRI if need be,
but the rupture was pretty clear.
- The only question... - The only question is when I'm gonna get it replaced.
I don't know why we're still talking about this.
- And how old are you, Stacey? - Seventeen.
Seventeen.
What was Dr. Brown's assessment, if you don't mind me asking?
He said that getting it replaced probably wasn't the best idea.
Like after 7 grand and a week of drainage tubes,
I'm gonna take them out and use them as a paperweight?
I don't know why I went to Dr. Brown in the first place. I'm lucky I came out alive.
And I assume you let him know how you feel?
I didn't tell him anything he didn't already know.
He suggested we get a second opinion.
I see.
Well, I'm afraid I can't offer you one.
- You don't have an opinion? - None.
None whatsoever. No opinions here. Fresh out. Tabula rasa.
Wait, doctor. It wasn't exactly easy to get her to come in.
Oh, I'm sure it wasn't. Good day. And good luck with your breast.
Yeah?
Generally, I'm thrilled to take in refugees from your inferior medicine.
Truth be told, I'm surprised patients don't flee across the street from your office more often.
But when you give them good reason to run, you take all the fun out of it.
I just met with your patient, the... the adolescent implant case.
Well, they needed a second opinion from someone who wasn't a plastic surgeon.
Should I not send people your way?
Well, I expect a minimum of discretion.
Any idiot would know that that girl has no business getting more plastic surgery.
She should have never gotten any in the first place.
It became very clear very quickly that she didn't wanna hear that from me.
And since when does that stop you?
Ever since you moved here, all you've done is make people listen to you.
You're Andy Brown!
You meddle, you push, you enmesh and embroil,
irritate till you get your way. You're like pestilence.
Look, if they don't trust me, if they look at me
and all they see is Colin Hart's memorial photo in the year book, there's not much I can do about it.
Well, you're not gonna win their trust back by sending anything more complicated than a bagel wound to me.
Forgive my saying so, but this whole attempt at rule-abiding good behavior
makes you painfully ordinary and quite frankly, you have no talent for it.
You know, that ring takes all the authority out of everything you just said.
Hello, Rose. What?
What? No, no, I'll be right home.
At least fake it.
If you're here for the SAT prep class, you're about two weeks late.
Traffic.
- Will you be joining us? - Looks that way.
You can pay for the book next time. We'll see how you do.
Am I about to be as bored as I think I'm about to be bored?
And paying for the privilege.
And what, you've known how long? You didn't even bother to tell us?
I had to hear it from Evanston Keller at the Readersmart.
I mean, why didn't you just tell us you'd been kicked off the team?
- Did you think we'd be that mad? - 'Cause we are.
Well, I figured you had enough going on without me.
Oh, just because Amy's having a rough time, it doesn't mean you get to hide things from us.
Yes, it does.
You don't wanna hear it from me. You never do.
Everything is always about Amy and her problems, Amy and her schoolwork.
- I always figure everything out on my own. - Well, not this time.
I mean, to get you back on that team and soon.
Your guidance counselor may think otherwise but this battle is far from over.
You've worked too hard.
- I'm not getting back on the team. - I've taken on the administration before.
Your mother is not without some influence. We'll convince them.
There has to be something that we can do.
Yeah, there is.
Coach Olsen told me all I need to do is say I had problems with my classes because of Colin.
Oh.
Well, then that's what you'll tell them, then.
- First thing tomorrow, we're making a call. - No, we're not.
I'm not gonna cash in on that.
Bright, it might seem distasteful.
But you shouldn't underestimate just how much losing him may have affected your performance.
You deserve to be back on that team, Bright. You deserve a chance at a football scholarship.
Well, you think I wanna be benched?
You think I like having everyone know I'm off the team 'cause I failed some class no one else has a problem with?
- So then why don't you tell them? - Because I blew the class.
And it wasn't because of Colin. I failed because I screwed up.
You know, I shouldn't play.
I wanna go to college, but I wanna make it on my own.
Well, we have always assumed the strategy of packaging you as a student-athlete,
so it's a little late to change that.
I mean, making it on your own includes all of your strengths.
My best friend's death is not one of my strengths.
So do you even wanna go to college?
- Harold, that's not... - No, no, no. Let me finish, do you?
All right, it's my job as your parent not to let your personality stand in the way of your success.
So you will do whatever you have to do to get back on that team.
You wanna be mad at me about it, fine, fine.
Let this be my fault. Blame me.
Be mad at me the whole time that you are in the college of your choice.
If the only way that I can get into college is by guilting somebody, then I shouldn't get in.
- And I won't go that way. - So how will you go then, huh?
You know, this isn't petty rebellion time.
This isn't some cute wing-stretching opportunity.
This is your future, Bright. You need a football scholarship.
How do you plan to get to college without football?
I'll work my ass off. I'll study harder. I'll work harder. You always push me to play.
You don't push me to work. Maybe I'll be good at it.
It's not like we're hurting so much for this tuition I can't get into a school without a scholarship.
It's not the money. They won't accept you without football.
- Why? Why not? - Because you're not smart enough.
I... I didn't mean...
That is correct.
Hey.
You know, I was hoping this would be stew by the time you got home, but...
Okay, we're having soup tonight.
You're back late.
- I added a new class. - Oh, really?
- Which one? - SAT prep.
- I'm sorry? - SAT prep, okay?
The one you had no interest in? When did that happen?
I woke up this morning and thought, ''How can I make my life more bleak?''
Oh, I thought conservatories didn't care about the SATs.
- I thought piano took you out of all that. - Well, piano's not taking me anywhere.
- That plan's retired. - Wait a minute, I don't understand.
Yesterday, you were playing Lincoln Center.
Wel, I don't think my life's gonna turn out the way I hoped.
- Well, if it's about the charts, I've already recycled them. - It's not the charts, okay? You were right.
Look, this guy from Juilliard, he came for App-Fest.
He watched me play and gave me a critique. And guess what? I'm a lounge player.
If I'm lucky, maybe second keyboard in a bar-mitzvah band.
Looks like your backup BA plan's been pushed to first position.
Wait a minute. Hold on a second. You met with somebody from Juilliard?
- When did this happen? - You're not listening, all right? He said I sucked.
My technique is ass, and there's nothing I can do about it. It's too late.
Now I get to spend the rest of my life knowing I blew it.
On the plus side, you get to spend the rest of your life gloating about
how you always begged me to take playing more serious.
I bet you really love this.
Love this? I don't even know what just happened. I was making soup.
- You'd always rather be right than have me do well. - That's not true.
I always pushed you to study more just in case...
but of course I'd rather you be happy doing something you love.
Well, lucky for you, that's not an option.
I think that's the longest we've ever gone without an insult.
Today is a special day for all.
Well, I'm not so sure about that.
I'm seeing Stacey Wilson again today.
Seems like I've had this day before.
Do yourself a favor.
If I offer any more unsolicited advice on that subject or any other, do the opposite.
Wow.
I've never heard you admit that you were wrong preemptively before.
Matter of fact, I've never heard you admit that you were wrong.
It is, I'm sure, a feeling I'll get used to.
Uh, you have experience having a son who hates you with good reason.
Is there anything I should be doing?
Or is it all just pretty much shouting and regret?
How bad was it?
My fight with Ephram yesterday was about a five, maybe a six.
Nine point five, easy.
- Oh. - Yeah.
Yeah. Huh.
I don't suppose there's any way out.
Well, I find that contrition works pretty well.
You know, you just keep telling him what an idiot you are. They like that.
- Mm. - But 9.5?
- Yeah, I called you as soon as I saw it. - You're sure her wrist is broken?
- How can you have not noticed before? - Well, it's a hairline fracture.
It's very, very subtle, but it could take a long, long time to heal.
It's right there, see?
That's not a fracture, that's a hair.
Oh.
Wow.
So it is. Ha, ha.
- One of mine. - So my wrist isn't broken?
I guess not.
But while we're here, I thought maybe we could talk about some of your surgery options.
Really? We've heard plenty from you doctors after plenty of visits lately.
- I don't need to listen. - Oh, I think you do.
And the proof is in those two leaky bags of salt water you had hard-pressed into your chest. Sit down.
Now look.
I don't knock cosmetic surgery. I've seen it save lives,
and not just in the cleft palates and reconstructions,
but those were adults who had had time to think about it.
You're a girl who woke up one morning and decided to buy a woman's body.
At your age, everybody thinks there's something wrong with the way they look.
That's why most surgeons will make you wait until you're at least 18.
Like waiting another year is gonna make a difference. I'm old enough to decide now.
Hey, if your biggest concern when you find out you have to have your implants replaced
is your friends in school are gonna find out that you've got them, then you're not old enough have 'em.
And don't think I just blame you, Stacey, you're not the only one who's at fault here.
I was just giving her what she wanted.
I kept thinking about how much better she'd feel about herself.
- It wasn't supposed to be this complicated. - Well, now it is.
By giving in to your daughter, you've consigned her to a lifetime of invasive surgeries.
If you're lucky, breast inplant's gonna give you trouble every now and again.
And so far, you're not so lucky.
You are 17 years old, Stacey.
You're gonna be living in that body of yours for a very long time.
Why don't you just spend some time in it and see how it makes you feel?
And then make any changes that you want.
Now...
if you will please join us, we can talk about some of our options?
You're in Amy's spot.
Yeah, well, it always worked for her.
I have a quiz tomorrow.
It's that many books for a quiz?
I've got, like, three years to make up.
- Look, Bright... - You can save it.
You're not gonna have a star football player in the house anymore,
just a mediocre student.
- I never said you were mediocre. - No, no, just dumb.
You failed a class, and you got kicked off the football team, and you didn't tell us. I got angry.
If I'd known you were having that hard a time, I wouldn't have come down on you hard.
You could have told us.
You could have said something.
We don't talk about that kind of stuff.
Of course we do.
We talk all the time.
No, I mean, tests and grades.
I mean, we talk about what's going on in my life.
We talk about the game, but...
Well, that doesn't mean that I'm not interested in your schoolwork.
Well, you're not.
What? Is that why we went to App-Fest?
Looked at all those brochures together, you and I?
No, it's all stuff you do with Amy.
And she's always better at the stuff that you were better at,
you paid more attention to her.
You never knew when I had a test.
Or made sure I studied or asked me how I did.
Pick me up from football practice make sure I'd ice my shoulder, but...
school's not our thing.
It never was.
So you really think I won't get into college without football?
I don't know what to tell you.
The school's that you're looking at, it'll be tough.
You don't have the grades.
Well, what if I study now? I mean, what about your senior year? Don't...
Don't they notice if people are trying to improve or...?
Maybe.
- Maybe they do. - All right, well, I'll try.
Want some help?
I do know a bit about the Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act, the...
the successful follow-up to the Dingley Act, if I recall correctly.
I got it.
Well....
- Ephram? - Mm-hm.
I think your dad's here.
No, impossible. My dad would never show up in school. You know I'd kill him.
No, I really think it's him.
Oh, please, God, no.
- Hi, can I see Ephram for a minute? - Uh, yeah, sure.
Everything okay?
Who's the best piano player of all time?
- What? - The greatest pianist ever?
- Franz Liszt. - Remember how he got there?
1830, he locked himself in his room to practice, didn't even break for food.
1838, he comes out and invents the concert piano.
You got work to do. Let's go.
- Well, I have class. - No, you don't. I'm taking you out.
The schools you're applying to don't require SATs.
This is time you should spend practicing.
Oh, maybe you didn't hear, but I'm not good enough to get into a conservatory.
Not yet, but you will be.
- Now you know more than Juilliard? - I know that you can't let one person derail you.
You're gonna meet a lot of these guys.
My father tried to do it with me when I told him I wanted to be a doctor.
And I'm not about to let this guy do it with you.
I don't know what he told you. And I don't doubt he had a point about your playing.
But I saw how you blew up at me yesterday.
I blow up at you all the time, like twice a week.
No, you were angry because someone tried to take your music away.
I know how that feels.
You know, ever since Colin died,
I've been doing my best imitation of a normal doctor, but I'm not.
And you're not a normal kid.
I'm sorry.
You have a gift and it's weird and I don't understand it yet,
but it'll always be true.
And it may not take you to Juilliard, I don't know where it'll take you.
But medicine took me around the world and that was pretty cool.
Offer expires when I get to the car.
Can you break me out of gym tomorrow?
What are you watching?
I'm not sure.
Does anyone really need that much turkey jerky?
Do you need anything?
You're not hungry? You didn't eat too much at dinner.
No, I'm good, thanks.
- Can I have that back, please? - No.
Maybe you don't need a TV in your room anymore.
Fine.
Aren't you angry?
Don't you wanna get mad? Yell a little? Do something?
We used to fight. We were good at it.
Do you remember when I tried to take the phone out of your room?
You had a hissy fit all night till I changed my mind.
I said you were tying up the line and you said, ''Well, that's not fair'',
or something childish, and I said something childish back to you,
and then we went at it back and forth like hyenas for about an hour.
We were absolute brats, both of us.
It was so much fun.
You're not doing well, you know that.
I guess.
Do you wanna talk to me about it?
- Not really. - Would you at least talk to someone?
What, like a therapist?
Like anyone you think might help.
Okay.
It's overwhelming, really.
So much purports to be extraordinary everywhere you go,
it's hard to say what really is anymore.
But like an elegantly articulated brushstroke or a perfect piece of music,
or even a flawed one, you know it when you see it.
It fills you with a flush.
It holds your breath for you.
You realize it's 7?
You realize it's Saturday?
You don't have to be up for school for about two days.
Are you punishing him?
No, honey.
He's just practicing.
Let's go back to bed.
I'm glad I'm not a genius.
I can sleep till noon.
You know you're in the presence of extraordinary when there's just no guessing.
And the only thought you can carry is a determination to do even better yourself.