Written by: Winnie Holzman and Maggie Friedman
Directed by: Matt Shakman
Page 7 - The Kiss
Page 9 - The Goodbye
Mr. Dimitri sits in a chair in front of a three-person board. Behind him sit Jake, Lily, Rick and Grace.
FEMALE OFFICIAL: And how many times have you seen Ms. Manning off campus?
DIMITRI: Twice.
FEMALE OFFICIAL: I see. And your explanation for the… so-called date that occurred?
DIMITRI: Well, first of all, there was no date. I accompanied her to a film…for educational purposes.
FEMALE OFFICIAL: I see, and in choosing this particular film. I’m sorry, I don’t remember the name of the movie?
(Jake, Lily, Rick, Grace and Dimitri, in unison:) Rashomon.
FEMALE OFFICIAL: Right. This particular film does contain material of an explicitly sexual nature, does it not?
DIMITRI: I…I guess so.
FEMALE OFFICIAL: You guess so?
Jake to Lily: I’m okay, alright. Just relax.
DIMITRI: Well, it, it depends on your point of view.
MALE SCHOOL OFFICIAL #1: We could always screen the movie.
DIMITRI: Rashomon happens to be an extremely important film. It pertains directly to what we’re studying and I felt it would be valuable--
FEMALE OFFICIAL: Then why not arrange for the entire class to see it?
DIMITRI: Because I knew that only a few students would be able to appreciate the--
JAKE: Alright! You know what?
(overlapped)
LILY: Jake!
GRACE: Dad!
FEMALE SCHOOL OFFICIAL: Mr. Manning!
JAKE stands and says to Mr. Dimitri: You want to step outside?
DIMITRI: Step outside?
Bedlam ensues. Lily and Rick and Grace stand and try to stop Jake from continuing.
JAKE: We’ll settle this right now, okay? Come on!
MALE SCHOOL OFFICIAL #2: Mr. Manning.
MALE SCHOOL OFFICIAL #1: Mr Manning, sit down.
Rick takes Jake’s arm. “Why don’t we step outside?” Jake pulls his arm away. Rick says “No, no, no. Let’s just get some air.” Rick ushers Jake outside
LILY (to school officials): I’m really sorry, he’s just–
FEMALE SCHOOL OFFICIAL: No, wait, wait, before we go any further, I, I have to ask each of you if there’s anything, anything else that we need to be aware of. Because if there is, this is the time. Grace, this includes you.
GRACE (arms crossed): You don’t hear what I have to say.”
FEMALE SCHOOL OFFICIAL: I see. Well, are there any other incidents? Inappropriate gifts, for instance? Written communications of a questionable nature?
Grace looks at Lily. Lily looks at Grace.
FEMALE OFFICIAL: Mrs. Manning?
LILY: Sammler.
FEMALE OFFICIAL: I’m sorry, Mrs. Sammler? Was there anything else at all of that nature that comes to mind?
Lily pauses. Grace and Mr. Dimitri wait to hear what she’ll say.
LILY: No. Nothing.
FEMALE OFFICIAL: In that case –
LILY: “Wait. There is one more thing.” Dimitri turns his chair to look at her. “I just…this teacher changed my daughter’s life by believing in her in a way that’s really hard to describe , and rare, and really valuable. And that needs to be said too. That’s all.”
Grace looks at her mother in a new way.
FEMALE OFFICIAL: “Okay, well, I’ve heard enough.” She and the man next to her nod. Dimitri looks down at his hands for a moment, then at the school official. “Mr. Dimitri, I think under the circumstances we have no choice but to suspend you with pay for the remainder of the semester. At which point the school board will have a decision to make.”
Dimitri, Grace and Lily take this in.