[ Helicopter Whirring ]
[ Door Opens, Closes ]
Is everything okay, sir? Fine. Thank you.
Here. Let me, uh-- That's not necessary, sir.
[ Door Opens, Closes ]
[ Man Narrating ] As I've gotten older, I realize I'm certain of only two things.
Days that begin with rowing on a lake are better than days that do not.
Second, a man's character is his fate.
And, as a student of history, I find this hard to refute.
For most of us, our stories can be written long before we die.
There are exceptions among the great men of history,
but they are rare, and I am not one of them.
[ Chuckles ]
I am a teacher-- simply that.
I taught for 34 years.
One day I stopped teaching.
Those were the facts of my life's chronicle.
The last chapter had been written. My book was closed.
[ Ringing ]
Hello? [ Ringing Continues ]
Hello. Hello?
[ Man On Intercom ] Mr. Hundert? Yes. Hello.
Can you hear me, sir? I can.
Hello. Mr. Bell wanted to make sure you were comfortable.
I'm quite comfortable. Thank you. And-And, please,
thank Mr. Bell for the beautiful fruit basket.
It's quite... comprehensive. Yes, sir.
Mr. Bell also wanted me to tell you he's added an event...
on the morning following the competition--
a breakfast in your honor.
Mr. Hundert? Yes-- Yes.
Th-Thank you. Thank you.
The others will be heading down to the bar in 20 minutes, sir.
Uh, very well. Twenty minutes.
In the bar. I'll be there.
Th--
[ Hundert's Voice ] I couldn't tell you exactly why I had agreed to come.
I'm not sure I knew. It had something to do with hope.
The young men that were gathering here were among
the most successful and influential of their generation.
But I knew them before any of that.
I knew them as my students...
at Saint Benedict's School for Boys.
[ Bell Tolling ]
[ Tolling Continues ]
[ Applause ]
[ Man ] Looking closer, under the bishop's miter,
are the words, "Non sibi"...
or "Not for oneself."
This embodies our philosophy at Saint Benedict's.
The wisdom gained here should be used for others...
as well as for oneself.
And finally, "Finis origine pendet."
These three words are emblazoned across your hearts...
under the great seal of Saint Benedict's.
It is our academy's motto. Simply:
"The end depends upon the beginning."
The end...
depends upon the beginning.
[ Boys Chattering, Laughing ]
Hey, Greg. How are you doin'?
Hi, Mr. Hundert. Mr. Ericks.
Ex-Excuse me. Huh? What me?
Yes, sir. What is your name? Uh, Louis.
- Just Louis? - Louis Masoudi, sir.
Mr. Masoudi, could you define the word "path" for me?
Well, there are several definitions, I suppose.
Would "a route along which someone or something moves" be among them?
Yeah.
Oh, yeah. No. Yeah. I'm s-sorry, sir.
Follow the path, Mr. Masoudi. Walk where the great men before you have walked.
Yes, sir. It's, uh-- It's better for the grass.
It's better for you.
Mr. Hundert. Mr. Ellerby.
I wanted to thank you. For what?
Mr. Woodbridge let slip that you were instrumental in my procuring this job.
Bene exeat, sir. Bene meritus.
It's always good to have another friend of the classics.
I'll tell you, the way he talks about you--
"Just listen to Mr. Hundert. He'll be running the place one day."
- Your name, sir? - Robert Brewster, sir.
- Very good. And you? - Deepak Mehta, sir.
And your name? Eugene Field, sir.
Field. And you? Martin Blythe, sir?
- Is that a question? - Uh, no, sir.
Uh, my name is Martin Blythe, sir.
Very good. You all know your own names.
Question is, do I?
- Mister... Blythe. - Me, sir?
Yes, you. Not Mr. Field to your right...
or Mr. Grey to your left or Mr. Diebel behind you.
You, sir. Will you do me a favor and walk to the back of this classroom...
and read for us the plaque which you see hanging over that door?
[ Clears Throat ]
"I am Sh-Shu--" [ Chuckles ]
- "I am Sh-Shutruk-Nahhunte"? - Very good. A little louder, please.
Yes, sir. "'I am Shutruk-Nahhunte, King of Ansham and Susa,
"'sovereign of the land of Elam.
I destroyed Sippar and took the 'stel-ah' of--'" "Stele."
"'Took the stele of Naram-Sin and brought it back to Elam,
"where I erected it as an offering to my god.'
Shutruk-Nahhunte, 1158 B.C."
Well done, Mr. Blythe. Thank you. You may be seated.
"Shutruk-Nahhunte." Is anyone familiar with this fellow?
Texts are permissible.
But you won't find it there.
Shutruk-Nahhunte! King!
Sovereign of the land of Elam! Destroyer of Sippar!
Behold, his accomplishments cannot be found in any history book. Why?
Because great ambition and conquest...
without contribution...
is without significance.
What will your contribution be?
How will history remember you?
Shutruk-Nahhunte-- utterly forgotten.
Unlike the great men you see around you-- Aristotle,
Caesar,
Augustus,
Plato, Cicero, Socrates--
giants of history, men of profound character.
Men whose accomplishments surpassed their own lifetime...
and survive even into our own.
Their story...
is our story.
My name is Mr. Hundert.
Welcome to Western Civilization:
The Greeks and the Romans.
* [ Rock Guitar ]
[ Boisterous Laughter ]
Welcome to Saint Benedict's! [ Grunts ]
* [ Continues ] [ Boys Laughing ]
Lights out in five minutes, gentlemen.
It's awfully loud, Mr. Jones. Please turn it down.
Did you-- Her titties are so-- After that, though--
No. After that, I was walking back to get my books.
And I was walking along the grass, and Hundert comes up to me and says,
- "Mr. Masoudi" and I turned around but I took care of it. - Yeah, I know. Yeah.
And then, he's like, "Follow the path, Mr. Masoudi.
Walk where the great men before you have walked."
- Very good, Mr. Masoudi. - I was just lettin' him know. That's why I was tellin' him.
To bed.
Yeah. Right. See you tomorrow.
Lights out in five minutes, gentlemen.
Just why am I-- Huh? No. I'm going.
Good night, Mr. Blythe. Yeah. Good night. Good night.
Jesus Christ. I am such an asshole.
Carthaginians. Uh--
Yes, sir.
Hamilcar Barca seems like an outstanding commander.
Yes, who had the misfortune of being on the losing side.
You do realize that Hamilcar Barca is not part of the course reading list?
Yes, sir.
Very good.
Lights out.
* [ Continues ]
9:00, gentlemen. * [ Stops ]
Good night.
Hi.
- Hello. - Oh, hi.
- [ Woman Laughs ] - Welcome back.
It's great to see you! You too. How are you?
I'm fine. You sure you're all right?
Ye-Yeah.
What did you think of Athens? Oh. I loved it.
I knew you would. Tony hated it, but you know the British.
"Too many Greeks." [ Laughs ]
Tony's Tony. Here.
I told the man in the store I wanted something...
for a very serious scholar of antiquity.
[ Both Laughing ]
The Parthenon.
- It's smaller than I remember it. - [ Laughs ]
I don't have one of these. Thank you.
I found it in the agora.
Tony couldn't understand why I wanted to go there. It's a little touristy now,
but I kept hearing your voice in my head.
And I kept seeing it exactly the way you described it,
with Socrates teaching right in front of me.
And... there was Tony, falling asleep from the heat and ouzo,
and me eating my shish kabob.
I thought about you a lot. Um--
- I wished you were there. - It would've been a little odd though...
with you and me and Socrates...
and your sleeping husband.
Yeah. A little.
[ Hundert ] And with the monarchy's demise, two new systems...
of government-- the first, ruled by the few, known as?
Mr. Brewster. Uh, tyranny?
In spirit, perhaps, but etymologically, no.
More precisely, oligarchy.
Tyranny is what we have in this classroom. It works. [ Laughing ]
Mr. Blythe? Antisthenes: "We must have richness of soul."
Oh, it was, uh, Heraclitus, when he said a man's character is his fate or-or his destiny.
Precisely. "Not to know what happened before you were born...
is to be forever a child."
[ Students Chattering ]
[ Woodbridge ] Mr. Julius Caesar...
is a Saint Benedict's tradition.
It is a contest held each year in two phases.
The first, is a series of quizzes...
that will narrow the field of competitors to three.
The second is a public tournament...
where these three will take the stage at Saint Benedict's Hall...
and answer questions about Roman history.
The last man standing will be declared the winner...
and crowned Mr. Julius Caesar.
- Your father was a winner was he not, Mr. Blythe? - Yes, sir.
Mm-hm. Would you point him out to us, please?
[ Woodbridge ] Ah.
A noble honor indeed.
Well, carry on, gentlemen.
Thank you, Mr. Woodbridge.
[ Bell Tolling ]
Finally, Caesar arrives at the Rubicon,
a small little river which divides-- Mr. Field?
Cisalpine Gaul from Italy. Correct.
He gathers his one legion around him. A legion comprised of how many men-- Mr. Grey?
6,000? 6,000 men. Pompey has 10 legions...
with the support of the Senate, and Caesar is undaunted by these odds.
Suddenly-- impulsively--
Caesar cries out! Mr. Mehta.
- "Alea jacta est." - "The die is cast!"
He crosses the Rubicon only to find his enemies have fled.
He chases Pompey all around the Mediterranean.
Finally, he arrives in Alexandria, where the king of Egypt--
- Mr. Masoudi? - Ptolemy XIII?
Ptolemy XIII... presents him with a gift--
the head of Pompey. [ Knocking ]
Mr. Hundert,
I'd like you to make the acquaintance...
of Mr. Sedgewick Bell.
Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bell.
Well, then, carry on, Mr. Hundert.
Nice to meet you, son. Thank you, sir.
Gentlemen, I'd like you to welcome a new member of our class,
Mr. Sedgewick Bell. [ Overlapping Greetings ]
Come in.
The sign said this was a boy's school.
- It is a boy's school. - So why is everyone wearing dresses?
- [ Scattered Laughter ] - These are not dresses.
This is a toga. It is a loose outer garment worn by--
Worn by citizens of ancient Rome. I know.
- I was just... kidding with you. - [ Laughing ]
The toga was bestowed on young men in recognition of their transition...
from childishness to manhood.
So?
Please. Come in. Sit down.
Have a seat here behind Mr. Brewster.
You know what? I actually think that I'm good here.
Mr. Bell.
Mr. Hundert.
Have a seat.
[ Laughs ]
Now, uh, before I forget,
tomorrow we will begin on Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. I expect you all...
to be familiar with the play.
Mr. Bell, I'd like you to look at the role of Brutus,
the noblest Roman of them all.
Mr. Masoudi, you have a lean and hungry look,
you'll read the part of Cassius.
[ Students Chattering ]
He's the son of Hyram Bell,
the senior senator from West Virginia.
Well, whoever the father is, the son is a bit of a Visigoth, I'm afraid.
Is he that bad? No, I don't think so.
It's just new school bravado. That's all. He'll be fine.
[ Ball Banging On Wall, Smacking Glove ]
- [ Knocking ] -[ Banging Continues ]
Sedgewick?
Right. Sedgewick.
Hey! Se-Sedgewick.
Um, some of us were just, uh--
just wondering, uh--
Actually, Martin-- Martin was wondering if you could keep it down.
He's trying to study.
Okay. All right. That's--
[ Scoffs ]
"I think it is not meet Mark Antony, so well-beloved of Caesar,
"should outlive Caesar.
Let Antony and Caesar fall together."
"Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius,
"to cut the head off then hack the limbs.
Like wrath in death--" [ Snorts, Coughs ]--
"and envy afterwards, for Antony is but a limb of Caesar.
Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers."
[ Hundert ] "Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers."
Yes, your Brutus lacks conviction, Mr. Bell.
You do realize what you're saying? The fate of the Republic is at stake!
[ Laughs ] Not for me.
No. I realize that.
But try to imagine the significance of the moment.
You, Brutus, are at the center of a conspiracy...
to kill Julius Caesar,
you believe, for the good of Rome.
Yet you're struggling profoundly with the moral implications...
of murdering Mark Antony as well.
Yeah, but I don't agree with their plan.
Brutus doesn't agree with their plan?
No. I don't agree with their plan.
They should kill Mark Antony too.
I mean, Brutus is a pussy. [ Laughing ]
"A pussy"?
Because he has a conscience?
Because he believes there's a right way and a wrong way? Oh, come on.
Antony ended up taking him down, right?
Well, in a manner of speaking, yes.
He and Octavius, but-- But what?
Had they killed him, as the other guy suggested, uh--
- Cassius. - Yeah. Him. If they'd done what he said,
- Brutus might have gone on to be king. - Emperor, in fact.
- Exactly. - Which he had no desire to be.
- Whatever. He would've won. - Yes, but at what cost? Remember Socrates?
Not really. [ Chuckles ]
"It is not living that is important, but living rightly."
Socrates chose to die by unjust execution...
rather than break the laws of Athens to which he had pledged obedience.
Another genius. [ Bell Rings ]
[ Chattering ]
[ Shouting, Laughing ]
William, hold up!
Ellerby. How are you, sir?
Very well. How are things in the Latin Quarter?
Could not be happier.
For making me feel so much at home.
I'm sure you have it, but you might like it 'cause it's a first edition.
I found it in a rare bookshop next to a copy of the Oresteia. Oh, really?
So young when he wrote this.
I happen to have attended a guest lecture he gave at Dartmouth.
Really? Yeah.
It must have been something to grow up around all that talent.
Oh, it was. Indeed.
Yes-- Yes, he was-- [ Bell Tolling ]
Thank you. Sure.
Very kind of you. Farewell. I'll see you later.
- Okay. Fio. - [ Both ] I am made. I become.
Fis. [ Door Opening ]
Hey, guys.
Fis. [ Both ] You are made. You become.
[ Martin ] Oh, okay, um--
Fit? [ Deepak, Louis ] He, she, it is made.
He, she, it becomes. It is done.
[ Martin ] Okay, now for bonus points, the plural offit.
F-Fiunt. Yeah.
[ Martin ] Oh, okay. Um--
Check it out. It's from France.
Thanks. Um. Studio.
I study.
Um-- Oh, my God.
[ Martin ] Come on. I think we should be studying. Oh, my God.
- What? - This shows hair.
What do you mean by "hair"?
Oh, my God.
[ Clattering ]
[ Chuckles ]
Excuse me.
Uh, can I point out that if we get caught around any of this we're dead?
- I mean, seriously, we're dead. - It'll be all right.
[ Scoffs ] I'm going to my room to study.
- Here, Marty. Study this. - [ All Laughing ]
"The die is cast."
Mrs. Louis Masoudi. [ Sedgewick Laughs ]
[ Boys Chuckling ]
[ Martin ] Why are we doing this? My allergies are killing me,
rocks in my shoes, poison ivy all over the place.
I mean, the boathouse is off-limits, and we can't leave school property.
What if this boat has frickin' holes in it, huh?
[ Louis ] Get over it, Martin. Oh, God!
You guys just don't understand the consequences.
They catch us and we get kicked out and we don't get our tuition back.
[ Deepak ] Martin, mellow out, man! I can't just mellow out!
I cannot get kicked out of here! I'm a "legacy" for Christ's sake!
My father was Mr. Julius Caesar.
Did he ever tell you what question he won on? Did he ever not tell me?
"Which tribes invaded Rome in 102 B.C.?"
Teutons and the Cimbri.
The last words out of his mouth before he dropped me off here.
So, uh, Martin,
are you really, like, nervous about-- Ohh!
[ Laughing ] Incoming. [ Whizzing ]
[ Firecracker Explodes ] Watch out, Marty.
My informants tell me if we head for that place-- Right, Saint Mary's?
- Yeah! - No, no, no, no, no.
The penalty for setting foot on Saint Mary's property-- [ Yells ]
What do you say, Deepak? You want to go? Yeah. I'll go.
Louis? Yeah. I'll go.
See, Martin? That's the problem with democracy.
[ Martin ] Guys, I'm really nervous. [ Louis ] Yeah. We know.
I love uniforms. I-I really think we should turn around.
[ Deepak ] Shut up, man. [ Girls' Voices, Indistinct ]
[ Giggling ] [ Martin ] Seriously, we got to turn around right now.
This is not safe! [ Louis ] Marty, shut up. Shut up.
[ Sedgewick ] Hey, come on. Easy does it, boys.
Hi. [ Laughs ]
- You ladies go to school here? - Duh.
[ All Giggling ]
We go across the lake. We're on the crew team.
He's our "coxman," so-- [ Girl ] Coxswain.
Right. No. Right, I know. Coxswain.
So is it true what they say about the guys who go...
to "Saint Benedick's"? [ Laughing ]
I don't know. Uh, what is that exactly?
Tsk. So, uh, what's your name?
Um, I'm Sedgewick. This is Deepak.
Louis and Martin. Hi.
Marty, if you like. Or Mar-Martin's fine.
Why don't you give us your phone number, and maybe we'll call you sometime.
- [ Gasps ] You are such-- - [ Sedgewick ] Guys, what's our phone number?
- [ Deepak ] 555-0169 - Um, area code 215.
Okay. So, um--
Do you guys want to go skinny-dipping?
- Pardon me? - You mean naked?
[ Girls Giggling ]
What? What's he doin'? [ Girls Laughing ]
Oh, my God.
So, uh, who's gonna come with me then?
[ Girl ] Is he kidding? [ Girl #2 ] Oh, God!
Oh, no way! Not me. I don't want to get my arm wet.
Might lose your phone number.
That's okay. I'll just whisper it in your ear so you won't forget.
- I'll go! - My God!
I'll go too! [ Louis ] Disrobe men!
[ Blubbering ] Yeah!
[ Girls Giggling ]
I'm going!
Ladies! What is going on here?
[ Deepak ] Holy shit! [ Louis ] A nun.
Oh, my God.
There goes your tuition, Marty.
[ Bell Tolling ] Come on!
There is a code at Saint Benedict's...
of self-governance based on mutual trust.
[ Tolling Continues ] You have violated that trust.
And you've compromised the reputation of this academy.
If I thought you didn't know any better, that would be one thing.
But willful ignorance is intolerable.
You're confined to the dormitory until 7:00 tomorrow morning.
- What about dinner? - [ Both Laughing ]
- Excuse me? - Well, I'm hungry, sir.
- [ Laughs ] Oh, my God! - Mr. Masoudi?
Mr. Hundert. [ Sputtering Laugh ] [ Laughs ]
Have a good evening, gentlemen.
How you doing, Mr. Hundert?
Hi, Mr. H.
Did you lock up the door? I did.
You did? Thanks. Yeah.
Hey, Logan. How you doin'?
[ Sedgewick ] Brewster!
- [ Slammed Books Resounding ] - [ Laughter ]
Mr. Bell,
would you please come up to the front of the classroom?
[ Classmates "Oohing," Laughing ]
Would you mind finishing this diagram for me?
Octavian was named what?
A common wood beetle on the floor of this classroom...
would know the answer to that question.
- Emperor? - Yes!
Can you, please, name any of the subsequent emperors...
whom we've been discussing?
- There were 41. - I only know seven.
Very well.
- Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy, - [ Laughing ]
Dopey-- [ Laughter Continues ]
Seriously, though, can you in fact...
- name any of the emperors? - I know four.
- Very well. - Uh, John, Paul, Ringo and, uh,
- George. - Mr. Bell.
A word of warning. As the great wit Aristophanes once wrote--
roughly translated-- "Youth ages, immaturity is outgrown,
"ignorance can be educated and drunkenness sobered,
"but stupid...
lasts forever."
Class, if you please, chronologically--
[ All ] Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero,
Galba, Otho,
Vitellius, Vespasian,
Titus, Domitian,
Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian,
Antonius Pius, Marcus Aurelius,
Commodus, Pertinax-- Thank you. That will do.
Please take your seat, Mr. Bell.
[ Chalk Clatters ]
[ Knocking ]
Come in. [ Door Rattling ]
Mr. Bell. Mr. Hundert.
Please, have a seat.
Only child?
Please be seated, Mr. Bell.
Do you know why you're here?
"Student of the day."
I gave you "1" for spelling your name correctly.
Mr. Bell,
I don't know what you think you're doing at Saint Benedict's,
but this is unacceptable work.
- You must apply yourself-- - You're not married, are you, sir?
No. I am not.
That's why you like putting us all in togas, right?
I've made arrangements to meet with your father.
Is there anything you'd like me to say to him?
Tell him I said hello.
[ Door Closes ]
Well, how are you? Good to see you.
And you, sir. Give me just a second.
Who's that? Mm-hm. Professor, come on in.
Kathleen, hold all my calls. Thank you, Michael.
Sit down, please.
Cubans.
Don't tell the A.T.F. [ Chuckles ]
No. Not for me. Thanks. You're sure?
Oh, yes, sir. Don't know what you're missin'.
Senator-- Oh, here. You'll enjoy this.
This was given to me by one of my constituents this morning.
Take a look at that. [ Woman ] Senator Bell's office.
Hold it! Don't be too fast there, partner.
[ Chuckles ] Quarter roll. Ah.
Here. Go on. That was, uh--
Supposedly belonged to the coachman of Robert E. Lee. Really?
Well, so he said. [ Chuckles ]
You're a history buff, aren't ya?
In a manner of speaking, sir. Yes.
Well, take that. That's yours.
Oh, no. I couldn't. Oh, take the damn thing!
It's a gift. For all you've done for my son, Sedgewick.
Thank you.
[ Clicking ]
So, to what do I owe this honor?
[ Clicking Continues ] It's your son, Senator.
Oh, Christ. What the devil's he done now?
Sedgewick is clearly an intelligent boy, but, sir, he's not applying himself.
He's not... learning the material. [ Drawer Sliding ]
I need a match! [ Woman ] Yes, Senator. Right away.
What material is that? It's the Greeks and the Romans--
We've left the Republic and entered the Empire--
Here you are, sir. Thank you.
Shut the door on your way out, will you?
We're up to the reign of Augustus.
You ought to be careful with that thing, by the way. You know, it still fires.
Oh. Sedgewick, it seems,
is not paying attention in class, sir.
Nor is he doing the assigned reading.
Let me ask you something.
What's the good of what you're teachin' those boys?
- "The good"? - Yes. The good.
Well, Senator,
the Greeks and Romans provided...
a model of democracy, which,
I don't need to tell you, the framers of our own Constitution...
used as their inspiration.
But more to the point, I think when the boys read Plato, Aristotle,
Cicero, Julius Caesar even,
they're put in direct contact with men who,
in their own age, exemplified...
the highest standards of statesmanship,
of civic virtue,
of character, conviction--
[ Chuckles ] Boy, that is a horse that can talk!
So, you're sayin' that my son Sedgewick has his head up his ass.
[ Chuckles ]
Sir, it's my job to mold your son's character,
and I think if-- Mold him?
Jesus God in heaven, son.
You're not gonna mold my boy.
Your job is to teach my son.
You teach him his times tables.
Teach him why the world is round.
Teach him who killed who and when and where.
That is your job.
You, sir, will not mold my son.
I will mold him.
- Yes, sir. - Yes.
Thanks for comin'.
[ Players ] Break!
Marty. Marty. Get back. Come on.
Bell! Bell!
- Uh, telephone for you. - What?
- It's a girl. - [ Boys Razzing ] Ohhh!
[ Brewster ] I'll bet it's that blond from Saint Mary's.
[ Excited Chatter ] It's that redhead.
[ Boys ] Shhh. Hello?
[ Woman ] Sedgewick? Hold for your father.
[ Sen. Bell ] Let me ask you somethin'. Do you know what...
it's costing me to send you to this place?
- What's wrong? - Shut up.
My time is precious, son. I thought I made that clear.
I got better things to do than to clean up after you.
You understand me? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. I understand.
Don't forget it.
So, what did she say, man. What did she say?
Wrong girl.
Wha-- What happened? I don't know.
[ Boy Shouting ] Grey, wait up!
[ Chattering, Laughter ]
[ Knocking ]
Deepak, would you give Sedgewick and me a moment? Yes, sir.
Thank you. You're welcome, sir.
I spoke to your father. I know.
We had a real... heart-to-heart.
This is for you.
Forgive the condition. It was my textbook in high school.
It's quite good.
The first chapter has an outline...
of all the material which we'll be covering this term.
I thought it might be helpful in preparing...
for the Mr. Julius Caesar contest.
The first quiz is tomorrow morning.
Look at chapter three-- "The Foundation of the Republic."
Sedgewick, I'm lending you this book because I believe in you.
I think you could be at the top of your class...
if you wanted to be.
It's entirely up to you.
[ Hundert ] Begin.
Well done!
[ Laughing ] [ Bell Tolling ]
Mr. Bell.
You passed.
It's only a C-minus. [ Chuckles ]
Well, you know what they say about Rome.
It wasn't built in a day?
No. All roads lead to it.
You were right the first time. Keep up the good work.
Begin.
[ Boy ] Hey, Kevin! How are you?
Forty? [ With Accent ] Fourteen!
Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you saying? Oh, 14.
All right. Alea jacta est. What's that mean?
"The die is cast."
[ Chattering ]
All right. All right. Twenty. All right. Next week then.
I actually made the list. Hey, look who's up there.
Good job. Number five. You're third.
Miss Peters, no one is going to look at this book between now and 7:00 a.m.
I understand that, Mr. Bell. I understand.
Every boy in the third forum has asked to check this book out overnight.
Now, if I let you have it, that wouldn't be fair, would it?
It would be fair. I know in my heart it would be.
Mr. Bell, you are exasperating. Miss Peters,
that is a great hairstyle.
- Is that new? - I've had it since 1958.
Now, Mr. Bell, in order to be fair to all the students,
it is important that this book always be available here at this desk.
It is Saint Benedict's policy.
And it will be on your desk tomorrow morning.
I promise you. You have my word.
No! No!
Miss Peters, I can vouch for this boy's character.
He's one of my best students.
If he says it will be on your desk first thing in the morning,
it will be on your desk first thing in the morning.
I will, personally, take full responsibility.
Please.
Thank you. You're welcome.
I wasn't kidding about the hair.
Thank you. Good night. Say thank you.
Thank you. Thanks. Good evening.
You run a tight ship, Miss Peters. Good night.
- Good night! Good night! - I admire that--
[ Louis ] Come on, Sedge. Come on.
Yeah-yeah. Come on. Pick it up. Pick it up. Yeah!
[ Louis ] All right, Marty!
[ Bell ] Nice! Nice catch!
[ Players' Shouting, Chattering Continues ]
Hey, Mr. Hundert! Hey, you want to take a couple of swings?
[ Sedgewick ] Come on, Mr. Hundert!
- Aw, come on! - Come on, Mr. Hundert!
The library windows are too close. [ Boys Laughing ]
Oh, yeah. Right, Mr. Hundert.
Hey, come on. Show us how it's done, old school.
[ Boys ] Ohhh!
[ Brewster ] Now you got to play, Mr. Hundert. Come on!
[ Chuckles ]
"Old school," eh? [ Louis ] Uh-oh.
Here we go. Here comes the jacket.
[ Chattering Continues ] Watch and learn.
[ Boys Hooting ]
Mr. Masoudi. Mr. Hundert.
It's been a while. Yeah. More like never.
[ Boys Laughing ]
Hey, back it up, everybody. Come on. We got a hitter. Move back.
Back it up, fellows. Back it up, outfield.
Should've known. [ Taps Bat On Book ]
Egemus iaculatore, non iacchi latore!
- What does that mean? - Means we want a pitcher, not a glass of water.
Oh, ho, ho!
[ Field ] Come on, Sedgewick! You got to get him back for that one!
- Right down the lane! -[ Boys ] Ohhh!
No batter.
All right! No batter! Come on! Sedgewick, come on.
[ Field ] Swing, batter-batter-batter-batter!
[ Sedgewick ] Run!
Come on! Hurry up!
Move! Move! Come on! Move it! Let's go!
Hey, come on! Let's go to Brewster's room!
Go, go, go, go, go, go!
Shh. Shh. Ooh. Ohh. Ohh.
Nice hit, Mr. Hundert.
Good, Mr. H. "Old school"! Shh.
I suppose you're as blind as all of them.
You have no idea how this came to be hit through my window? No idea.
Oh, dear. [ Woodbridge ] No idea?
- Ohhh, dear. - You'll make a good lawyer.
It's 9:00. You have until noon.
This is the last of the Mr. Julius Caesar quizzes...
and will do much to determine the three finalists.
Good luck.
[ Clock Ticking ]
It's time, Mr. Bell.
Mr. Bell, I'm afraid you'll have to stop.
[ Sighs ]
[ Exhales ]
This is it, Martin.
[ Gleeful Laughter, Overlapping Chatter ]
- This is unbelievable! - Oh, my God. I got to call my father.
[ Chattering ]
[ Sighs ]
All right. Let's go!
[ Laughing, Shouting, Indistinct ]
Oh, I'm sorry. I hope it's not too late.
No. Not at all. Not at all.
How are you? Uh.
Well. Well. I was just outside...
observing the wildlife.
Sit down! Would you like your usual?
No, thank you. You sure?
- Mm-hm. - Do you mind if I, uh--
How is Mr. Julius Caesar going?
Very-- Very well. Even, uh, Sedgewick Bell.
- Making progress? - Oh, more than progress.
He's-He's come out of the darkness into the light. It's--
Please, sit down.
[ Sighs ] Cheers.
I have to tell you something.
Tony's been offered a lectureship at his old college in Oxford.
It's a good offer, and he's accepted it. [ Sighs ]
I mean-- I mean to say we've accepted it.
Uh, we're-we're going to England.
W-W-When?
At the end of the year?
Well, if he wants the position,
he has to take it up almost immediately, and he wants the position.
So, he's spoken to Mr. Woodbridge,
and he agreed.
Just like that?
Well, that's-- that's--
That's remarkable, really.
A lectureship, that's a tremendous opportunity.
Very good. Good.
Well, you'll be missed.
Both of you.
I-I-I-- I should-- [ Chuckles ]
Yes.
[ Door Opens, Closes ]
[ Grunting ]
[ Applause ]
[ Applause, Cheering ]
Deepak!
Yea, Louis! Whoo!
- Sedgewick! - Yea, Louis!
[ Both ] Masoudi!
Welcome-- Welcome, everyone,
to the 73rd annual competition of Mr. Julius Caesar.
Our congratulations go to Messrs. Louis Masoudi,
[ Cheers, Applause ]
Deepak Mehta... [ Boys ] Deepak!
[ Applause Continue ] and Sedgewick Bell.
Of course, this competition, this year's event,
would not have been possible if it hadn't been for the passion...
of our moderator.
I give you our learned Mr. Hundert.
[ Boy ] Mr. H.!
Headmaster. Gentlemen.
Ladies. Distinguished guests.
Questions will be posed to our three young scholars...
in increasing levels of difficulty.
I ask you all to please hold your applause...
till the end of each round.
May the best man win.
Mr. Masoudi,
which emperor sought to return...
all power to the Senate,
only to garner even greater power?
Augustus, r-right?
Correct. Oh.
Mr. Mehta,
who introduced the professional army to Rome?
Gaius Marius, sir, in 104 B.C. Correct.
Mr. Bell,
on which Roman hill...
was the infamous Tarpeian Rock?
[ Coughs ]
[ Whispering ] It's Capitoline.
Uh, Capitoline?
Correct.
Mr. Masoudi, what is the full name of the author of the Georgics?
Publius Vergilius Maro.
Military conquest of 106 A.D. involved the bridging of the Danube?
Trajan conquers Dacia. Correct.
What Roman Emperor might the Greeks have characterized "philosopher king"?
- Marcus Aurelius. - Correct.
[ Boy ] All right, Sedgewick!
Quiet.
Quiet, please.
Mr. Masoudi--
Mr. Masoudi, who were the first emperors...
to rule over the divided empire?
Valentinian I and Caecina.
I'm sorry, that is incorrect.
[ Crowd Groans ]
Mr. Mehta?
Valentinian I and Valens.
Correct. Thank you, Mr. Masoudi. [ Applause ]
You may sit down.
[ Hundert ] Well done. [ Boy ] Good job, man.
Mr. Bell, which general...
had the support of the aristocrats...
in the civil war of 88 B.C.?
[ Whispering ] Sulla.
Lucius Cornelius Sulla.
That is correct.
That's my boy!
Mr. Woodbridge, I think Sedgewick Bell is cheating.
Let it go. What?
Ignore it.
Ignore it? Ignore it.
Mr. Mehta, into how many administrative regions did Augustus divide Rome?
Fourteen.
Excuse me? How many?
- Fourteen. - That is correct.
[ Boy ] All right, Deepak! Whoo! [ Applause ]
Mr. Bell,
who was Hamilcar Barca?
Would you repeat the question, please?
Who was Hamilcar Barca?
I don't know. [ Crowd Groaning ]
Mr. Mehta, who was Hamilcar Barca?
The Carthaginian general victorious in the battle of Drepana in 249.
An unequaled commander with the misfortune of being on the wrong side.
That is correct.
[ Applause, Cheers ]
Thank you, Louis. Thank you.
Mr. Julius Caesar.
Harrison, how's your sister? You better not speak to her.
Mr. H., good job, man. Good job, Mr. Hundert.
[ Boy ] Hey, Jeremy! How you doin'?
[ Knocking ] [ Door Opening ]
[ Door Closing ]
That was quite an interesting performance this afternoon.
I knew you saw.
Why, Sedgewick?
You knew the material.
Why not?
How come you didn't stand up and call me out?
It's a complicated matter, Sedgewick.
It wasn't because of my father, was it?
It had nothing to do with your father.
Sure, Mr. Hundert. Sure.
[ Door Closing ]
William!
I came by to congratulate you. That was terrific!
Sedgewick Bell-- quite the surprise. Yes.
He's come a long way. You must be very proud of him.
It makes for wonderful theater.
In fact, I was thinking, I might make the suggestion to you, and to Mr. Woodbridge,
that in the future more alumni are invited.
Not just the parents of the finalists, but maybe all of the alumni.
You know? And instead of it happening just on any old weekday,
think about making it a weekend event.
You know, for fund-raising, which would augur well for your headmastership.
Mmm. What's wrong?
[ Sighs ]
Sedgewick cheated.
What? Come in.
Well, the pressure to succeed can be oppressive.
And, right or wrong,
Woodbridge felt it was in the best interests of the school's endowment to let it pass.
Come on. William, you didn't put the boy up on the stage.
He got there on his own merit.
All you did was inspire him...
to study and to learn, and for that you should be commended.
And thus began an uneasy truce...
between Sedgewick Bell and myself.
Whatever spark had ignited him during the previous months...
was now extinguished.
And his brief flirtation with diligence...
was supplanted by a renewed appetite for brashness,
contempt and folly.
As for his classmates, his effect on them was almost hypnotic.
Wherever he went, they hovered,
Sedgewick for class president. utterly blind to any deficiencies in his character.
Food fight!
So, his remaining years at Saint Benedict's passed...
amidst an inexhaustible series of pranks,
and an avalanche of C's and D's.
Sedgewick Hyram Bell.
And though his father's influence guaranteed him a place at Yale,
it was with a profound sense of failure,
that in the spring of 1976,
I handed Sedgewick Bell his diploma.
[ Bell Tolling ]
According to Heraclitus,
we cannot step into the same river twice.
"In the flow of time," he argued,
"an opportunity lost is lost forever."
And yet, when Elizabeth's marriage ended and she returned home from England,
the waters in which we found ourselves swimming...
were precisely as lovely as those we had earlier only imagined.
But if time had made concessions for love,
it made none for death.
And when our headmaster, Terence Woodbridge, passed away,
I felt profound sadness.
Though the incident with Sedgewick Bell had tested our friendship,
he had for half a century...
devoted himself to St. Benedict's tradition of academic and moral leadership--
A tradition, I realized, that was now mine...
to safeguard.
Good luck, Mr. Hundert.
Thank you, Mr. Horner.
Everyone. Welcome.
Larry, good to see you.
Hi. Mr. Phillips.
Mr. Hundert. Good to see you again.
Uh, please take a seat.
Uh-- Let's get right to it, shall we?
As you wish.
Mr. Hundert, your contributions at Saint Benedict's have been extraordinary.
Your tenure is unmatched, and you are loved and revered by all.
The notion of taking you away from your classroom...
is one to which we've given great thought.
A headmaster's job is a rigorous one.
The travel demands and meeting schedules have become unending.
One must be prepared to do battle 24 hours a day and sometimes longer.
Well, having rowed our lake every day, weather permitting,
through the last seven presidential administrations,
I feel more than ready to do battle.
What we're saying, Mr. Hundert, is--
Mr. Hundert, what experience do you have...
with fund-raising or building endowments?
Mr. Hundert, we can't afford to lose you as a teacher here.
The reality is this. Enrollment is down.
People are thinking of Saint Benedict's as old-fashioned.
We need to look more to the future and less to the past.
Then who?
Someone from the outside?
James Ellerby.
Excuse me?
You did realize he made application for the job.
Mr. Ellerby has proposed some very exciting... No.
fund-raising possibilities.
Miss Johnston, I've been assistant headmaster for 17 years.
I fail to see how Mr. Ellerby's...
qualifications as a fund-raiser--
It's not just about fund-raising.
James Ellerby is a forward-thinking man.
He's reached out to the community.
He's built relationships to some of the most important alumni.
He is a wonderful communicator,
with impeccable moral standing...
and an unwavering commitment to this school.
So--
Then you leave me no choice but to tender my resignation.
I would ask you not to.
You are a teacher, and the finest one we've ever had.
Please excuse me.
Please understand, Mr. Hundert, you will be welcome back here at Saint Benedict's at any time.
Th-The door will forever be open.
I'm still shocked at James Ellerby.
Oh, I'm not. I'm only shocked that I didn't see it coming.
I realize now he'd been conducting a behind-the-scenes campaign for years.
He's godfather to two of the board members' children, for God's sake.
[ Sighs ]
I have...
so many other things...
that I've always wanted to do.
I-I've always wanted to write.
I have an idea for a book on the early days of the Republic.
Well,
here's to Saint Benedict's.
I brought you some tea.
Mmm.
Going well?
Oh, it's virtually writing itself.
Good. Then I won't interrupt you.
Carry on, then. Good writing.
[ Sighs ]
William?
James Ellerby's on the phone.
The merger makes him C.E.O. of one of the largest corporations in America.
But what does any of this have to do with me?
Here's the thing. He's informed us that he would like to make...
a substantial donation to Saint Benedict's...
with one condition.
He would like to hold a rematch of the Mr. Julius Caesar contest.
A rematch?
With you as master of ceremonies.
Why?
He says he would like to reclaim his intellectual honor.
And he says his secretary's already located Louis Masoudi and Deepak Mehta...
and doesn't really anticipate too much trouble tracking down the others.
Didn't you tell him I had retired?
Well, he asked for you and only you.
He insisted on it as a condition.
And did Mr. Bell say how much of a donation he was planning to make to Saint Benedict's?
Enough for a 25,000-square-foot addition to the library...
in honor of his father.
It would be the school's single largest donation to date.
And a retired history professor with no fund-raising ability is the linchpin.
Yes.
It's ironic.
Life's a funny thing, William, huh?
Where does he propose to hold this rematch?
[ Ellerby ] A resort on the Gold Coast of Long Island that his company owns.
The proposed itinerary is all in here.
[ Helicopter Whirring ]
Ah, Mr. Hundert.
Mr. Bell.
And how was your trip?
It was unlike anything I've ever experienced.
I now know how Caesar Augustus must have felt...
being carried head high in the litter past the Tiber. Oh, really?
It's all a bit overwhelming.
Well, don't let this fool you. I am still the son of a pig farmer.
I really appreciate you coming here this weekend.
You know, you think things that happen when you're 15 don't matter, but--
[ Chattering ]
[ Man ] Great party. I'm so glad to see you.
[ Bell ] I mean, this guy-- you should have saw him in boarding school.
I mean, oh-- Excuse me, guys, I'll be right back.
Mr. Hundert. Please.
Sedgewick. Please come and join us.
I'd like you to meet my top two advisors. This is John.
Hi, John. Hi, Mr. Hundert.
- And Robert. - How do you do, Mr. Hundert?
- Very well, thank you. - And, my lovely wife, Victoria.
So nice to finally meet you, sir. I've heard so much about you.
All right, all right!
[ Bell ] This is the time of the evening...
where I'd like to call upon a unique g--
Oh, Brewster.
I'd like to call upon a unique gentleman,
one who managed to chisel the rise and fall of the Roman Empire into our minds,
whether we liked it or not.
- Our Mr. Hundert. - [ Man ] Hear! Hear!
[ Applause ]
I must say, um-- You've all grown up.
I feel as if I should do roll call...
just to be sure to whom I'm speaking.
Seriously, to stand here among...
my students--
[ Laughing ]
I expect to see you all in detention.
[ Together ] Oh, whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!
Now, risen to become...
a bunch of drunken reprobates...
who are now a veritable who's who of American industry,
law, finance and higher education.
Well, I can think of few greater privileges.
I thank you.
[ Laughs ]
More coffee, sir? Yes. Thank you.
Mr. Hundert?
Martin. Martin Blythe.
It's good to see you again, sir.
When you weren't at the dinner last night, I was worried that perhaps--
That I wasn't gonna make it?
Oh, come on, Mr. Hundert. I wouldn't miss this.
You know, I was going over my notes the other day...
in preparation for the-- The competition.
Yes, and I-I came across an essay...
that you once wrote on the Five Good Emperors.
It's amazing. You were--
You were always a wonderful student, Martin.
I, uh,
I never quite gave you your due.
Now, why would you say that?
Oh, I don't know, I--
My God, Mr. Hundert, you--
That recommendation you wrote when I applied for the Academy--
It was glowing. It was--
Of course you gave me my due.
You gave me more than my due.
[ Shouting, Indistinct ]
Grab his wrists! Push.
Okay, Deepak. With what emperor did the Julio-Claudian dynasty come to an end?
Mmm. Masoudi?
Nero.
We did it! Yeah! Good job, Robert. All right, all right.
Time to study.
No. Come on, Dad! One more game?
[ Knocking ]
Come in.
- Sorry to bother you, sir. - Oh, no bother.
How are you, Sedgewick? I am fine.
I have something for you.
Oh, my God.
I hope there's no late fee.
I understand now why it meant so much to you.
"The Greeks carve cold marble until it almost comes to life.
"The Greeks compose great orations...
"and measure the heavens so well they can predict the rising of the stars.
"But you, Roman, remember your great arts.
"To govern the people with authority...
"to establish peace under the rule of law.
To conquer the mighty, and to show them mercy once they are conquered."
Well, it's nice to see you haven't marked it up. [ Chuckles ]
Yeah, I had my moments, didn't I?
Your years, you mean.
Why did you put up with me?
I suppose because...
I saw a young man who was under a great deal of pressure.
And, not unlike your upbringing,
I too had a-- a father who was a very busy man.
[ Chuckles ] You know, it's funny.
I remember traveling with my father,
and there wasn't a person he didn't know.
He talked, and he told stories, and he was,
he was always full of advice, always charming, and always...
the Senator.
But I can hardly remember having a real conversation with him.
In fact, I wonder if he ever heard a word I'd spoken.
Years ago, I, uh,
visited him in the hospital and he was very, very sick.
And it took a moment for him to realize I was at his bedside.
And he began to cry.
And through his tears, he looked up at me and he said,
"Talk to me."
[ Sighs ]
I wondered where to begin. I had no idea.
But at the very moment I started to talk,
he closed his eyes and he passed away...
without having heard a word.
Ah, that son of a bitch.
Oh, God. Thanks. Thanks again, Mr. Hundert,
for, uh, for making all this possible.
It is my extreme pleasure.
I'm looking forward to this evening. Best of luck.
Oh, much obliged. I'll need all the help I can get.
I don't think so.
See ya downstairs. I'll see you downstairs.
[ Applause ]
[ Man ] Go, Deepak!
[ Man ] All right, Sedgewick!
It's not a good time. I've gotta call you right back. Thank you. Bye.
Sorry, sir.
Were you talking to your broker?
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
Our three scholars will be posed questions...
on ancient history in increasing levels of difficulty.
I ask you to please hold your applause until the end of each round.
May the best man win.
Mr. Masoudi, are you ready?
Mr. Hundert, I am Julius Caesar.
[ Laughing ]
Mr. Caesar,
of the first eight emperors,
which name is omitted from the following list?
Augustus, Tiberius,
Caligula, Nero, Vespasian,
Titus, Domitian.
Trajan.
I'm sorry. That is incorrect.
Oh. Was it Marcus Aurelius?
- No. - Commodus?
- No. - Oh. Septimus?
Nope. Gaseous Flatulus?
I'm sorry. None of the above.
[ Clears Throat ] The question goes to Mr. Mehta. Would you like me to repeat the question?
No, sir. It's Claudius, sir. That is correct.
- See, I knew that. - It was a short reign, but a happy one.
You may be seated, Mr. Masoudi.
Thank you. Thank you for your kindness.
[ Man ] That's all right, Lou.
Now you can check your messages.
Uh, Mr. Bell,
please translate, if you will, alea jacta est.
Tell me who uttered these words, and on what occasion.
Alea jacta est. "The die is cast."
Caesar spoke these words as he crossed the Rubicon in defiance of his government.
That is correct.
I've been studying. I can see that.
Mr. Mehta,
what year was the Roman army crushed at Lake Trasimene?
217 B.C., sir.
Correct.
Mr. Bell, who was the last emperor...
of the Western Empire?
Romulus Augu--
[ Clears Throat ] Romulus Augustulus.
Correct.
- Mr. Mehta. - Milvian Bridge.
- Correct. - Lex Vatinia.
- Very good. - Praetorian Guard.
- [ Bell ] Marcus Aurelius. - Theodosius II.
- That is correct. - Comitia Tributa.
- The Hadrianic rotunda. - Well done.
Mr. Bell,
which tribes invaded Rome in 102 B.C.?
Um--
[ Hundert ] Take your time.
The Teutons.
Oh, um-- God.
Um--
[ Sighs ]
I'm gonna take a stab here. Uh--
The Cimbri?
That is correct.
Well done. I'm impressed.
Thank you very much. Good. I'm--
Mr. Mehta-- [ Clears Throat ]
What was Caracalla's greatest constit--
greatest constitutional reform?
He granted citizenship to all free male inhabitants of the empire.
That is correct.
Mr. Bell,
who was Shutruk-Nahhunte?
[ Chuckling ]
Shutruk-Nahhunte, huh?
Come on, Bell. It was above the damn door.
The door! He's gotta know this.
The door, Sedgewick! Come on!
Come on, Sedgewick.
The plaque!
I guess if Deepak can nab this one,
then it's his ball game.
Mr. Mehta, who was Shutruk-Nahhunte?
Shutruk-Nahhunte, King of Ansham and Susa,
sovereign of the land of Elam.
That is correct. [ Cheering, Clapping ]
Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Julius Caesar!
- Hail, Caesar! - Hail, Caesar!
- Congratulations. Good job. -[ Man ] Hail, Caesar!
Congratulations, Deepak.
Thank you very much, Mr. Hundert. Good job.
I suppose if you're gonna lose, you may as well lose to the brightest.
Deepak Mehta.
And thanks again, Mr. Hundert.
Your virtue is a beacon of light.
All right, Mr. H.!
Oh, no, Mr. Hundert. Please stay.
And thank you all.
We've had a great deal of fun this weekend,
and we, uh, probably shouldn't wait another 25 years till we do it again.
[ Man ] I'll say.
But there's a more serious side to this gathering.
One that concerns every one of us.
Because all of us here, I believe,
care about the quality of education in this country.
And not just at places like Saint Benedict's,
not just for our children,
but for the nation's children.
Because we all care about our country's future.
Marty.
About its moral leadership.
About its fiscal leadership.
And because we know that, as a generation,
it is our time to lead.
And why I stand before you now,
to tell you my intentions of following in the formidable footsteps of my father,
and announce my bid for a seat in the United States Senate.
And I want to ask you all for your support.
[ Man ] He's got my vote!
Congratulations. Sedgewick, congratulations.
[ Chattering, Indistinct ]
Here you are.
There's about, uh, 30 balding, middle-aged men out there looking for you, Professor.
Well, some things can't wait.
[ Sighs ]
God, you were great this evening.
You're like fine wine. You improve with age.
[ Urinal Flushes ]
Everything all right?
Yes, I'm fine. Yeah? You don't--
You don't look so fine. I'm all right. Thank you.
Well, then hurry up and come join the celebration.
How long have you been hard of hearing, Sedgewick?
[ Sighs ]
Uh-- [ Chuckles ]
Very good, Mr. Hundert. Very--
Very good. Yeah.
Boy, I thought you might've known.
Who's the poor mercenary who was feeding you the answers?
Oh, just some graduate student. Gave him a couple hundred bucks and a warm meal.
I trust you'll keep this between us.
As always.
I trust you will.
Do you mean am I going to go out there...
and expose you for a liar and a cheat?
No.
I'm a teacher, Sedgewick.
And I failed you--
As a teacher.
But I will give you one last lecture,
if I may.
All of us,
at some point, are forced...
to look at ourselves in the mirror,
and see who we really are.
And when that day comes for you, Sedgewick,
you will be confronted with a life...
lived without virtue,
without principle,
and for that I pity you.
End of lesson.
Well, can I say, Mr. Hundert,
who gives a shit?
Honestly.
Who out there gives a shit...
about your principles and your virtues?
I mean, look at you.
What do you have to show for yourself?
I live in the real world, where people do what they need to do to get what they want.
And if it's lying and it's cheating, then so be it.
So, I am gonna go out there,
and I am going to win that election, Mr. Hundert,
and you will see me everywhere.
And I'll worry about my contribution later.
[ Toilet Flushing ]
Robert.
And a, uh, vodka tonic, please. Yes, sir.
Oh, Mr. Hundert. Martin, could I have a minute?
Oh, sure, sure. I-I enjoyed that so much, sir.
I-I-I'm so sorry my wife and my kids couldn't be here to see it.
You know, I really thought Sedgewick was gonna take it from him this time.
It was amazing. Martin, that was supposed to be you up there.
I'm... sorry?
All those years ago,
it was supposed to be you.
Well, no. I-I wasn't one of the original three finalists.
You were.
I gave your spot away.
It may not mean anything to you, but...
I wanted you to know that.
Okay.
I'm sorry, Martin.
No, that's-that's okay.
I-I don't know what I'm supposed to say.
Um, I've got to, um,
you know, Deepak is waiting for me.
Will I see you at breakfast tomorrow?
Sure.
Good.
[ Man ] And here's the key you were looking for.
[ Bell ] That's-- That's very important to us.
[ Phone Ringing ] I think it should be important to people in our country.
I think that it's-- it's important.
My father, Hyram Bell, instilled in me a sense of principles.
What I think this country really needs,
it's that sense of-- of right and wrong.
[ Phone Ringing ] And we're, uh, speaking of, of how we can make this...
better with education, to-to reach out...
and really get to the children,
to teach them the sense...
of principles and sense of contribution.
Mr. Hundert.
Have I come to the wrong place for breakfast?
Not at all. But unfortunately you've missed everyone.
Missed everyone? Well, they seemed to be rather in a hurry.
Some of them had planes to catch.
But they did say to say good-bye to you.
I'm sure I could find you something to eat if you'd like.
No, no. Thank you.
W-Was there-- Thank you.
Hail, Caesar!
[ Chattering, Indistinct ]
Get a picture really quick. There it is.
[ Shutter Clicks ] Look at him. He looks great.
Oh, the bat! Gimme the bat, the bat.
Mr.-- Mr. Hundert, we have something we'd like to present to you.
The only man who could make Homer a hit,
our slugger, Mr. Hundert.
[ Laughter ] Do you remember?
I remember. Hey, be careful of the window over there, Mr. H.!
Eloquently put, Mr. Masoudi, et al. Uh, thank you.
Deepak, the, uh, the, uh, plaque.
"A great teacher has little external history to record.
"His life goes over into other lives.
"These men are pillars in the intimate structure of our schools.
"They are more essential than its stones or beams.
"And they will continue to be a kindling force,
and a revealing power in our lives."
Thank you, Mr. Hundert.
Thank you, Deepak.
I, uh--
He's speechless for the first time in his life.
Whatever I may have taught you gentlemen,
um, many years ago,
I want to thank you for this weekend,
because you have taught me something...
of inestimable value.
Thank you.
To Mr. Hundert. To you, sir!
To Mr. H.!
Thank you. Here. Oh, I'm sorry.
To you.
[ Helicopter Whirring ]
I had come here in the hope that I had been wrong about Sedgewick Bell.
Or rather, that I had been right--
right to believe in him all those years ago.
But this is a story without surprises.
As a student of history, I could be shocked...
neither by his audacity, nor his success.
I had failed Sedgewick.
But the worth of a life is not determined...
by a single failure, or a solitary success.
My other students taught me that.
However much we stumble,
it is a teacher's burden always to hope...
that with learning, a boy's character might be changed.
And, so, the destiny of a man.
[ Boy ] Good morning, Mr. Hundert. Good morning.
[ Hundert ] Your name, sir? William Simon, sir.
- And your name? - Howard Hollander.
- And yours, sir? - George Duncan.
And your name, sir? Alec Matthews.
- And yours, miss? - Kathryn Scott.
- And your name? - Tawana Carver.
- And yours, sir? - Steven Wong.
Very good. Very good.
My name is Mr. Hundert.
This is Western Civilization-- [ Knocking ]
Sorry I'm late, sir.
[ Sighs ]
And you are?
Uh, Martin Blythe, sir.
Of course.
Welcome, Mr. Blythe. Have a seat.
Uh, yes, sir.
Mr. Blythe? Yes, sir?
Would you please stand up and read the plaque...
which you see over the door behind you?
"'I am Shutruk-Nahhunte,
"'King of Ansham and Susa,
"'sovereign of the land of Elam.
"'I destroyed Sippar,
"'took the stele of Naram-Sin...
"'and brought it back to Elam,
"where I erected it as an offering to my god.'
Shutruk-Nahhunte, 1158 B.C."
Very good.