♪ What would you do
if I sang out of tune? ♪
♪ Would you stand up
and walk out on me? ♪
♪ Lend me your ears,
and I'll sing you a song ♪
♪ I will try not to
sing out of key, yeah ♪
♪ Oh, baby, I get by ♪
- ♪ by with a little help
from my friends ♪
-♪ All I need is my buddies ♪
-♪ High with a little
help from my friends ♪
-♪ I'm sayin' I'm
gonna get higher ♪
-♪ Try with a little
help from my friends ♪
- ♪ Whoa-oa-oa-oa, yeah ♪
- ♪ ooh, ooh, ooh ♪
-Teachers never die.
They live in your
memory forever.
They were there
when you arrived,
They were there when you left...
Like fixtures.
Once in a while, they
taught you something.
But not that often.
And you never really knew them
Any more than they knew you.
Still, for a while,
you believed in them.
And if you were lucky,
Maybe there was one
who believed in you.
-To find the quotient
plus the remainder,
You divide the polynomials.
We shall find that the...
-Mr. Collins wasn't
your average teacher.
He was more like...
A force of nature.
He was kind of a
mathematical whirlwind...
A tornado of chalk.
He was full of surprises.
-All right.
-And he never let up.
-Who can give me the quotient?
-3X + 2y?
-No.
-[Sighs]
-2Y squared?
-No.
Anybody else?
-Sure he was tough, but
you had to respect him,
And you wanted him
to respect you, too.
At least, I did.
-Mr. Arnold.
-2X + y?
-Correct.
-Heh-heh.
-And the remainder?
-Uh...
6?
-The answer is 12y + 3.
-Okay, so I wasn't exactly
god's gift to polynomials.
But I was doing my
best, and collins knew it.
At least, I think he did.
[Bell rings]
-For your homework,
Study unit 17, section 4.
These are your
last week's quizzes.
Please pass them back.
-After all, we'd been through
a lot, the old man and i.
We had a history, and
the fact is, thanks to him,
I'd brought myself from a "d"...
To a "c," a respectable "c."
Nothing wrong with that.
-Darn it!
-Unless, of course, you
happen to be paul pfeiffer.
-What's wrong with him?
-I'll tell you
what's wrong... This!
-An "a"?!
You got an "a" in
collins' advanced class?
-It's not an "a."
It's an a-minus.
[Sighs] I blew it.
-Now, with anyone else,
this might seem like bragging,
But paul wasn't a braggart.
A's just came
to him, like hives.
-Bet you could
just kick yourself.
-[Sighs] lay off, hobson.
-I'm gonna tape this to my
locker door as a warning.
One little boner,
And the whole academic
year goes right down...
-Paul?
What's this?
-Oh, just something
collins wrote.
-Mr. Collins wrote that?
-Yeah, why?
-Nothing.
Does he do that often?
-Sometimes.
Doesn't he do that with you?
-Oh, sure.
Once in a while.
-If by "once in a while"
you meant "never."
Not that I was jealous exactly.
[Bell rings]
Still, the next day, I
showed up early for class.
Thought I'd have a little chat
with the big guy, chew the fat.
After all, we were practically
on a first-name basis.
-Mr. Collins?
-Mr. Arnold?
-I was... Just...
Wondering about...
How you thought I was doing.
I mean, generally.
Overall.
In math.
-There... Clean and quick.
One simple "good job,"
and I'd be on my way.
-Let's check.
According to my records,
you've been getting..."C's."
Is that correct?
-Well...
Yes.
-Was there anything else?
-Well... No...
Except would you
say I'm doing well?
Or not so well?
-How do you feel you're doing?
-Penalty... Answering a
question with a question.
Five yards, loss of down.
-Well... I guess "c's"
are better than "d's"
Even though they're
not as good as "b's."
Or "a's."
-I see.
Thank you for
sharing that with me.
-Sure. Anytime.
[Bell rings]
-Take your seats and open
your textbooks to unit 17.
Anything else?
-No.
Nothing.
-Nope, nothin' at all.
Except that night, I
couldn't get it out of my mind.
-How's it coming there, sport?
-[Sighs]
Fine.
-Heard you brought home a quiz.
-Yeah.
Another "c."
-Mm, well, there's nothing
to be ashamed of there.
Right?
-[Sighs] right, dad.
-But suddenly, for some reason,
That respectable "c"
didn't feel so... Respectable.
-[Sighs]
-These are the results
of tuesday's quizzes.
- "B"!
-I got a "b."
[Bell rings]
-Your mid-term exam...
Will be two weeks from tomorrow.
I suggest you begin
studying for it now.
-But who cared about
two weeks from now?
This was a red-letter day.
-Mr. Collins?
-Yes?
-Ta-da!
-A "b"!
-Yes.
I know.
-Ta-da!
That was it?
What was it gonna take here?
The next morning, I
showed up early for school.
-Mr. Collins?
-It was time for a talk...
No holds barred, mano a mano.
-I've been thinking about
what you asked me, mr. Arnold.
-You have?
-I believe I understand.
-Okay, then. No hard feelings.
Let 'em come... The
kudos, the accolades.
-And I think I can help.
-I beg you pardon?
-There's not much time. We
can start this afternoon.
-Naturally, one or two
questions sprang to mind.
-Start what?
-Preparing for your
mid-term examination.
We have two weeks and
a lot of ground to cover.
-But I didn't say
anything about an exam.
-We can work in the
afternoon after school.
-Wait a minute.
-Heck, all I wanted here
Was a little applause
for a job well done,
And he's giving me...
-An opportunity to do your best.
Isn't that why you came to me?
You said, a "c" is
better than a "d,"
But not as good as an "a."
-Well, sure, but...
I didn't mean that...
-I think you can get
that "a," mr. Arnold.
And I think you want to.
-An "a"?
In math?
-And suddenly it was clear...
The man had
completely lost his mind.
-Look...
-Let me know what you decide.
-Mr. Collins?
I'll never be an "a" student.
-That's up to you, mr. Arnold.
-Well, like I said, the man
was full of surprises.
It was almost laughable.
- Hey, kev.
- Hey.
-After all, I was
no paul pfeiffer.
I mean, one "b" on
one quiz... Maybe,
But let's not go overboard.
-[Sighs]
[Sighs heavily]
When do we start?
- Minus x + 2y...
-And so, I stepped
into the whirlwind.
- The lowest common
denominator...
- Every day after school,
mr. Collins and I met
To accomplish the improbable...
-What law do we apply?
-The commutative law.
-Not in this case.
- If not the impossible.
- X x y = y x x.
-Not that I really believed
I was gonna ace that exam.
Still, for some reason,
Mr. Collins seemed
sure I could do it.
And if he believed it,
Well, maybe
anything was possible.
- With the problem now.
-But it wasn't all hard work.
There was something... More.
It was the man himself.
-No, just "x."
-I liked him.
I was getting to know him,
And he was getting to know me.
- Times r - 2?
-The funny thing is we never
talked about anything personal.
We didn't have to.
-That's correct, mr. Arnold.
-Talking math was enough.
[Bell rings]
And I was actually beginning
to consider the chance
I might not get
massacred on that...
[Horn honks]
-Mr. Collins?
-Mr. Arnold?
-I thought you...
We were supposed to...
-I'm afraid I can't
make it today.
I have an appointment.
-Oh.
-An appointment? Was he joking?
The test is friday, and
he has an appointment?
-Well, then I guess
I'll see you tomorrow.
-I'm afraid I won't be
here tomorrow, either.
-Oh.
-Geez, the guy sure looked
in a hurry to get out of there.
Made you wonder if he'd robbed
a cash register or something.
-We still have six
more units to cover.
-I'm afraid you'll have to
prepare on your own, mr. Arnold.
You still have functions
and real numbers to review.
Uh, that's units
12 through, uh...
-I can't do those on my own.
-I suggest you try.
They will be on the examination.
-[Sighs]
Look, mr. Collins...
This whole thing was your idea.
You...
We kind of had a deal.
Didn't we?
-I'm sorry.
I have to go.
I'll be back for
the exam on friday.
-Wait!
-I felt betrayed.
Here I was, practically
begging for the man to help,
And he was throwing me
an anvil for a life-jacket.
-I...
-But there was
nothing more to say...
Except for one thing.
-[Sighs]
I thought you were my friend.
-Not your friend, mr. Arnold.
Your teacher.
-Oh.
-And that was that, in
spades... The big kiss-off.
And I was left with nothing...
[Car door closes]
Nothing but rage.
[Bell rings]
-Put your books on the floor
and your pencils on your desks.
By the day of the
test, I'd made up my mind.
I knew what I had to do.
-You will have the entire
period to complete the exam.
Begin.
-Okay, then.
Time to get to work.
[Bell rings]
-Your time is up.
Please bring your
exams to the desk.
[Indistinct conversations]
Mr. Arnold.
Kevin?
-But I wasn't buyin'.
He'd said it was up to me,
So I'd made my choice... An "f,"
A perfectly respectable "f."
[Television plays indistinctly]
Of course, I was
pretty proud of myself
All afternoon, and well
into prime time that night.
[Crickets chirping]
After that, well...
I guess you could say
It was one of the longer
weekends in my life.
I'd watched enough
"victory at sea" reruns
To sink a ship.
[Knocking on door]
[Indistinct conversations]
-I need to speak to mr. Collins.
Please.
-Just a moment.
-Okay, so I felt bad...
For myself and for collins.
After all, he probably
had a good reason for...
-Arnold.
Can I help you?
-I'm, uh... Looking
for mr. Collins.
-I'm afraid he's not here.
-Well, could I
leave him a message?
-Sure, set up a powwow,
formal peace talks...
Anything.
-Um...
Mr. Collins passed
away this morning.
He, uh... He was at home.
We just got the bad news.
He's been not well for a while.
It's, uh...
It was his heart.
I'm sorry to have to
break the news to you now.
[Inhales deeply]
I'll be making a formal
announcement later in the day.
Meanwhile, I'll be taking
over most of his classes.
How much respect mr. Collins had
From his fellow teachers.
He, uh... He was a fine man...
A fine teacher.
-When you're 13, life
is a series of events.
One thing happens, then another.
Things go on.
Maybe it has to do with the
resilience of the human spirit,
The ability to survive.
Anyway, by the next week,
Life was pretty
much back to normal...
For most of us.
As for me, well,
I'd survive, too.
I had my health, my
friends, and of course...
My own private hell.
-My, my... Another ace.
-Hey, that's none
of your business.
Give it back! Come
on, that's mine.
-I heard the new, uh...
Advanced-math teacher's a chick.
Planning on becoming
the new teacher's pet?
-[Scoffs] very funny, hobson.
She happens to be very smart.
Needs a little work
on her delivery, but...
-Oh, I bet.
-Hey, what do you know?
-Will you two just shut up?
You're such clowns.
-Whoa! Ohh!
Hey!
-Gentlemen?
What's going on here?
-Nothing.
It's nothing.
-See me in my
classroom... 3:00...
Sharp.
-40 Lashes, arnold.
Nice going.
[Chair creaks]
[Bell rings]
-Arnold.
Come in.
-[Sighs]
Yes, sir.
-It was about the
last place on earth
I wanted to be at that moment.
-Something odd has occurred.
Perhaps you can
shed some light on it.
-And somehow I knew as
soon as I saw that envelope.
-Mid-term examinations.
All of them.
All of them, that is...
Except yours.
-What?
-Apparently, mr. Collins
graded these tests
The weekend that, uh...
Well, in any event,
It seems yours was misplaced.
-Oh.
-The question now is,
what do we do about it?
You need a grade.
Do you have any suggestions?
-No, sir.
-Well...
Collins did.
50 Minutes, arnold.
You may begin.
-As I took that test,
I thought about...
A lot of things...
About how I knew him
And yet, I didn't...
About how he
treated me like a man
And how I'd acted
like a child...
About how I let him down
And now I wouldn't.
The thing is,
Even though I could
almost feel him in the room,
I knew I didn't need
him for the answers...
Or the praise.
I was on my own now.
-[Sighs]
[Sighs] you don't
have to grade it.
It's an "a."
-Mr. Arnold?
-[Sighs]
Good job, mr. Collins.
[Intro to karla bonoff's
"goodbye my friend" plays]
-♪ Oh, we never know
where life will take us ♪
♪ I know it's just a
ride on the wheel ♪
♪ And we never know
when death will shake us ♪
♪ And we wonder
how it will feel ♪
♪ So goodbye, my friend ♪
♪ I know I'll never
see you again ♪
♪ But the time together
through all the years ♪
♪ Will take away these tears ♪
♪ It's okay now ♪
♪ Goodbye, my friend ♪
♪ You can go now ♪