PART 6

KNOX
I can't take it anymore. If I don't have Chris, I'm gonna kill myself.

CHARLIE
Knoxious, you've gotta calm down.

KNOX
No, Charlie. That's just my problem. I've been calm all my life. I'll do something about that.

NEIL
Where are you going?

CHARLIE
What are you gonna do?

KNOX
I'm gonna call her. Yes!

CHRIS
Hello?

KNOX
She's gonna hate me. The Danburrys will hate me. My parents will kill me.

KNOX
All right, goddamn it. You're right. "Carpe diem." Even if it kills me.

CHRIS
Hello?

KNOX
Hello, Chris?

CHRIS
Yes.

KNOX
Hi. This is Knox Overstreet.

CHRIS
Oh, yes. Knox. Glad you called.

KNOX
She's glad I called.

CHRIS
Listen, Chet's parents are going out of town this weekend, so he's having a party. Would you like to come?

KNOX
Would I like to come to a party?

CHARLIE
Yes. Say, yes.

CHRIS
Friday? Um-

KNOX
Well, sure.

CHRIS
About seven?

KNOX
Okay, great. I-I'll be there, Chris.

CHRIS
Okay.

KNOX
Friday night at the Danburrys'. O-Okay. Thank you.

CHRIS
Okay. Bye.

KNOX
Thank you. I'll see you. Bye.

KNOX
Yawp! Can you believe it? She was gonna call me. She invited me to a party with her.

CHARLIE
At Chet Danburrys' house.

KNOX
Yeah.

CHARLIE
Well?

KNOX
So?

CHARLIE
So, you don't really think she means you're going with her?

KNOX
Well, of course not, Charlie. But that's not the point. That's not the point at all.

CHARLIE
What is the point?

KNOX
The point, Charlie, is, uh--

CHARLIE
Yeah?

KNOX
-- that she was thinking about me. I've only met her once, and already she's thinking about me. Damn it. It's gonna happen, guys. I feel it. She is going to be mine. Carpe. Carpe!

KEATING
No grades at stake, gentlemen. Just take a stroll.

KEATING
There it is.

KEATING
I don't know, but I've been told--

BOYS
I don't know, but I've been told--

KEATING
Doing poetry is old--

BOYS
Doing poetry is old--

KEATING
Left, left, left-right-left. Left, left, left-right-left. Left, halt!

KEATING
Thank you, gentlemen. If you noticed, everyone started off with their own stride, their own pace. Mr. Pitts, taking his time. He knew he'll get there one day. Mr. Cameron, you could see him thinking, "Is this right? It might be right. It might be right. I know that. Maybe not. I don't know." Mr. Overstreet, driven by deeper force. Yes. We know that. All right. Now, I didn't bring them up here to ridicule them. I brought them up here to illustrate the point of conformity: the difficulty in maintaining your own beliefs in the face of others. Now, those of you -- I see the look in your eyes like, "I would've walked differently." Well, ask yourselves why you were clapping. Now, we all have a great need for acceptance. But you must trust that your beliefs are unique, your own, even though others may think them odd or unpopular, even though the herd may go, "That's bad." Robert Frost said, "Two roads diverged in a wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." Now, I want you to find your own walk right now. Your own way of striding, pacing. Any direction. Anything you want. Whether it's proud, whether it's silly, anything. Gentlemen, the courtyard is yours.

KEATING
You don't have to perform. Just make it for yourself. Mr. Dalton? You be joining us?

CHARLIE
Exercising the right not to walk.

KEATING
Thank you, Mr. Dalton. You just illustrated the point. Swim against the stream.

NEIL
Todd? Hey.

TODD
Hey.

NEIL
What's going on?

TODD
Nothing. Today's my birthday.

NEIL
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday.

TODD
Thanks.

NEIL
What's you get?

TODD
My parents gave me this.

NEIL
Isn't this the same desk set-

TODD
Yeah, yeah. They gave me the same thing as last year.

NEIL
Oh.

TODD
Oh.

NEIL
Maybe they thought you needed another one.

TODD
Maybe they weren't thinking about anything at all. Uh, the funny thing is about this is I, I didn't even like it the first time.

NEIL
Todd, I think you're underestimating the value of this desk set. I mean, who would want a football or a baseball, or--

TODD
Or a car.

NEIL
Or a car if they could have a desk set as wonderful as this one? I mean, if, if I were ever going to buy a, a desk set twice, I would probably buy this one both times. In fact, its, its shape is, it's rather aerodynamic, isn't it? I can feel it. This desk set wants to fly.

NEIL
Todd? The world's first unmanned flying desk set.

TODD
Oh, my!

NEIL
Well, I wouldn't worry. You'll get another one next year.

BOYS
"To live deep and suck out all the marrow of life. To put to rout all that was not life"

CAMERON
Oh, my God!

GLORIA
Is this it?

CHARLIE
Yeah, this is it. Go ahead, go on in. It's my cave. Watch your step.

TINA
We're not gonna slip, are we?

GLORIA
Uh-oh. Hi.

BOY
Hello.

GLORIA
Hello.

CHARLIE
Hi, you guys. Meet, uh, Gloria and--

TINA
Tina.

CHARLIE
Tina. This is the pledge class of the Dead Poets Society. BOY:Hello. How do you do?

NEIL
Hello.

GLORIA
Hi. Hi.

CHARLIE
Guys, move. Move. Come on, folks. It's Friday night. Let's get on with the meeting. BOY:Sorry. Excuse-Excuse me.

CHARLIE
Guys, I have an announcement to make. In keeping with the spirit of passionate experimentation of the Dead Poets, I'm giving up the name Charlie Dalton. From now on, call me Nuwanda.

PITTS
Nuwanda?

NEIL
Nuwanda?

CHARLIE
Okay.

KNOX
Hello? Hello, Chris?

CHRIS
Knox!

KNOX
Hi.

CHRIS
You made it. Great! Bring anybody?

KNOX
No.

CHRIS
No. Ginny Danburry's here. Wait. I have to go find Chet. Why don't you go downstairs where everybody is?

CHRIS
Make yourself at home.

KNOX
But I--

GUY 1
Hey, you Mutt Sanders' brother? Bubba, this guy look like Mutt Sanders to you or what?