"Lawrence, good." "Matthews, not bad." "Hunter, bad." "(BELL RINGS)" "Turner, bell." "Wait." "Hold on." "Hold on." "You're a junior in high school now, Shawn." "You have no goals, as far as I can see." "Have you even thought about college?" "I'm going to college." "Oh, you are?" "Where?" "Hawaii." "I figure I have a better shot outside the country." "You know, Shawn, the people who care about you in this life you can count on one hand, so don't blow me off, okay?" "John, I got people who care about me." "You know, Shawn, I think Mr. Turner's right, okay." "I mean, we got one more year of high school, and the humidity in Hawaii is gonna make my hair go..." "Whoo!" "It's not good." "Well, I want to go to Penn State." "And I want to go where she goes." "Anyone surprised by that?" "Whoa." "Whoa." "Okay?" "Tick-tock." "Clock is moving, and you are running out of time to figure out your life." "Hey, John, you're not my guardian anymore." "I'm back with my parents." "I'll be fine." "Yeah, Shawn, but I'm one of the handful of people who cares about you, you know?" "Now, your parents are busy trying to work out their marriage." "So are they." "Study hall?" "Make out?" "Cory!" "Topanga." "And, you know, you had four years of security in these halls, but they throw you out next year, Shawn." "What are you going to do then?" "Huh?" "Who are you going to be?" "Hi." "Hi, Sherri." "I couldn't help overhearing Turner do that number on you." "You think he was doing a number on me?" "Only totally." "I mean, all that stuff about only a handful of people care about you?" "I must have 100 people who care about me and care enough about me not to judge me like that in front of everybody." "Yeah." "Yeah, that was kind of embarrassing, huh?" "Do you want to go grab a cup of coffee somewhere?" "I'm buying, and I promise not to judge you at all." "Yeah." "Yeah, sure." "I like girls with no judgment." "Welcome to The Centre." "ALL:" "Sherri." "ALL:" "Shawn." "Okay. (CHUCKLES)" "(CLEARS THROAT) Everybody knows my name." "That's either really cool or really creepy." "You have a sense of humor." "I like that." "And yet you're not laughing." "Laughter is a mask which denies the reality of a situation and reveals nervousness." "(LAUGHS NERVOUSLY) That's funny." "So, what's up with the music?" "DJ?" "Live band coming?" "What?" "This isn't really that kind of club, Shawn." "No music?" "So what kind of club is it, then?" "It's more of a hangout where me and my friends get together and talk about stuff." "They're all your friends?" "Yep." "And they can be yours, too, if you want." "Sure." "Sure." "I can always use more friends." "Don't know if I'm real comfortable with the hugging thing, though." "Mr. Mack says that a hug is a burst of pure love." "Then I'm bursting with pure love right now." "So who's this Mr. Mack you're always talking about?" "He runs The Centre." "And he is the most remarkable human being I've ever met." "He changed my life, Shawn." "Hello, Sherri." "Are you Centered?" "I'm Centered, Mr. Mack." "And how about you, Shawn?" "Are you Centered?" "Nope." "I'm totally off-center." "Well, we'll have to see what we can do about that." "Good luck to you." "So you're Mr. Mack?" "Guilty as charged." "It's a nice place you got here." "Seems a little touchy-feely at first, but it's growing on me." "Well, it just goes to show, Shawn, you can't always go with your first instincts, Shawn." "You've got to give people a chance, Shawn." "You really like my name, don't you, Mr. Mack?" "Mr. Mack." "Well, there's plenty of room in case you decide to move in." "Move in?" "What, are you nuts?" "This is where I live, Shawn." "We all live here." "Oh, my bad." "It's a cult." "(ALL LAUGHING)" "We're just a place for people who need love in their lives." "(STUTTERS) I really have plenty of love." "Thanks anyway." "You're judging us, aren't you?" "What?" "The way your teachers, your family and everyone else in your life judges you." "Yeah." "I don't like that very much." "Because?" "Because they don't really know me." "Hmm." "Well, why don't you get to know us before you judge us?" "If you do that for us, we'll do that for you." "Seems fair." "Hey, Shawn." "Hey, hey." "What the heck are you doing?" "Just saying hello." "Well, hello!" "And let's never say hello like that again." "Hey, three girls." "Are you Centered, Cory?" "Obviously not like you." "(CHUCKLES)" "Oh, they're from The Centre." "They're helping me study." "I like the Centre, Cor." "Um, please excuse us, three girls." "Listen, Shawn." "Just what exactly is this Centre of which you speak?" "It's not a cult." "Uh-huh." "Don't judge us, Cory." "Shawn, you're talking crazy." "I mean, you were there for what, an hour?" "The length of a journey has nothing to do with its ultimate value, Shawn." "That's nice." "Cory." "Shawn, listen." "Throughout our entire friendship, we've talked about everything, right?" "I mean, we've talked about girls, we've talked about movies, we've talked about music, but we've never talked about what you believe in." "I believe that I finally found a place where people let me be who I am." "You know, without trying to change me or need to know what my goals are in life." "I mean, why do I need that?" "Shawn, what do you believe in?" "What do you believe in, Cory?" "Do you believe in a mother and a father and a comfortable house and a comfortable street because that's what you have?" "Well, I don't have that, so I found something with these people." "Yeah, but who are these people?" "Stop trying to take away what I have." "I don't do that to you." "We really have to be going." "You know, I have a lot of questions about this place." "Then you should check it out sometime, bud." "So, Shawn, what..." "What is this Centre you're hanging out at?" "(SCOFFS) No." "Why not?" "Because I am not going to talk to you about something that you're never going to understand." "Oh, you can understand it, but somehow it's beyond me?" "You're as judgmental as everybody else in my life." "First of all, you judged me, remember?" "You said I couldn't understand it." "I'm Centered, you're not." "End of story." "Boy, this sounds like a real enlightened, open-minded group." "Judging." "Okay." "Why do you feel you need to be a part of this place, Shawn?" "Okay." "All my life," "I have felt like there was some part of me missing, and I felt like everybody could tell." "You know, like there was some hole in me, and everyone could see through it, like I wasn't finished or something." "I never saw that, Shawn." "I mean, if you would've just told me," "I could've done something about it." "Let's not dwell on what people did or did not do for me." "Yes, Shawn, let's dwell on that." "That's what makes you a person." "How you relate to the people who really care about you." "The Centre is filled with people who care about me and who make me feel like a person." "The Centre is filled with lost souls who have no belief system, who are targets for some guy to bring over to his way of thinking." "The Shawn Hunter that I know is one of the most unique individuals I've ever met." "And if you let this place take away who you really are, Shawn," "then you've made the worst judgment you could make." "You made the judgment." "I don't know who I am, John." "Well, this is it, Eric." "This is The Center where Shawn is." "Con men." "Fakes and charlatans, I'd say." "Which one of you brain-washed nuts validates parking?" "Eric, listen." "I would not underestimate these people, okay?" "I mean, they did get Shawn." "Cory, no offense to Shawn or anything, okay, but it takes a pretty weak-willed and gullible individual to succumb to this kind of blatant scam." "Hi." "I'm Alicia." "Welcome to The Centre." "(EXCLAIMS)" "Here's money." "Where's my room?" "Yes, he has his conflicts." "But we're not staying, we're just here for a visit." "I understand." "You're feeling lost, alone, abandoned." "Yes." "My emotional palate is missing yellow and blue." "Where's my room?" "Oh, Eric." "Eric!" "No, no, no." "My new nut name is Sunflower Fortunato." "Hello." "Cory, what are you doing here?" "What, no hug?" "Cory, The Centre isn't the kind of place for someone like you, okay?" "You have something to believe in." "I'm still looking." "You should go." "I belong here." "So that's it, huh?" "You've chosen The Centre." "You're going to live here with these jujy-fruits." "You can't see through this?" "Cory, I want to spend the rest of my life here." "And the beauty part is, during the winter," "I can go to their tanning and hugging center in the Bahamas." "Let me tell you something, Shawn..." "Cory, Cory, leave me alone, okay?" "It's not like I'm doing drugs." "It's just like you're doing drugs, okay?" "I mean, you're having your mind messed with, you're not the person I know, and everything you say is artificial." "Okay, you're not going to find what you're looking for here." "Sixteen years of being out there," "I haven't found anything at all." "This guy, Mr. Mack can't help you find what you're looking for because you don't know what you're looking for, all right?" "You're 16 years old." "That's what this guy does." "He makes you think you're lost so he can find you, and once he has you, he will never let you out of his sight, okay?" "He will be there every time you turn around." "Allow me to demonstrate." "Hello." "Welcome to The Centre." "Okay, he's very powerful." "Who do I make the check out to?" "You're here to see that your friend Shawn is making the right choice for himself, so check us out." "I think you're gonna like what you see." "Nobody judges who you are or where you come from." "Everyone here is the same." "Can I go in that room?" "No." "That's the celebrity room." "Oh, that is the slickest guy I have ever seen." "So you see, Cory?" "I'm not a prisoner here." "I can leave any time I want." "Okay, then I think we should go now." "I think we should leave right now." "Children of the Centre, let's welcome into our family our new life member, Shawn Hunter." "Good-bye." "You know, guys, I'm his best friend, and it's like he doesn't hear me anymore." "Okay." "Why does he have so much faith in this Centre?" "All right, let's get in the car, go down, and drag him out ourselves." "I'm going with you." "I'm well-acquainted with The Centre." "I've been trying to close it down for some time now." "This Mr. Mack is a frightening man." "Hello, Mr. Feeny." "Cory." "Mr. And Mrs. Matthews." "Hello, Shawn." "Shawn, are you all right?" "Of course I am." "I'm totally Centered." "Thanks, Eric, for bringing him back." "Actually, I brought Eric back." "Mr. Mack felt that Eric wasn't sincere, that he was just in it for the hugs." "Well, yeah." "Okay." "Everyone have a peaceful night." "I'm going back to The Centre." "Oh, no." "Whoa, whoa." "No, you're not." "While your parents are out of town, you are our responsibility." "That means you're staying here in this house." "Yeah." "Mr. Mack told me that people like you would try to talk me out of my beliefs." "Shawn, we love you." "He said you'd say that." "All right, fine." "That's enough." "Get him in the house and tie him up." "Shawn, these aren't beliefs." "This is just a way to escape a life that doesn't have beliefs." "That's a judgment." "You're damn right it is." "What's wrong with me trying to find something to believe in?" "Look, Shawn, I'm all for your search for spirituality, okay?" "But you don't seem to realize that Mr. Mack is conducting his own search for lost souls that he can influence and manipulate." "He said you'd say that." "Yes." "I'm sure he has given you a thought for every occasion." "(TELEPHONE RINGS)" "Excuse me." "Look, Shawn, I don't say this very often, but Feeny's making sense." "Not to me." "I mean, why would Feeny feel the need to attack what I believe in?" "Shawn, why do you need to believe in The Centre so strongly?" "What?" "Shawn, before you met these people at this place, what did you believe in?" "I don't know." "Nothing." "Did you believe in God?" "George, what is it?" "Jonathan Turner." "He's been in a motorcycle accident." "Oh, no." "Is he okay?" "Uh, no, he isn't." "Alan, would you give me a lift down to the hospital?" "We'll all go." "Come on, Shawn." "I'll meet you guys there." "What do you mean?" "I'll meet you guys there!" "How's Mr. Turner?" "The doctors are with him." "We're waiting to hear." "Where's Shawn?" "I have no clue." "Well, Mr. Turner and Shawn are like brothers." "How could he not be here?" "I don't know." "Shawn." "Mr. Mack." "Shawn thought I could be of some help." "Hello." "I'm Phillip Mack." "Feeny." "Mack, you don't belong here." "One of my children invited me, and as always, I'm here for him, as well as any other child who calls for me." "I want to come back." "No, no, no." "What is he doing here?" "Cory, I couldn't face this alone." "Okay." "First of all, we're here." "Okay." "And second of all, I am beginning to see that you are more alone than I ever knew." "What does that mean?" "I just want you to know that I forgive you for trying to shut us down." "You forgive me?" "Whoa." "Easy, George." "Come on." "He's just trying to get a rise out of you." "Look, you're not dealing with gullible little kids here now, buddy." "Now, you brought Shawn down." "Thanks." "Why don't you just take a hike back to conland?" "Now, do you see how judgmental these..." "No, no." "Listen." "You see!" "The judgment I made a long time ago is that Shawn Hunter is the best friend that my kid ever had, and I will kill to protect Shawn Hunter from people like you." "Alan, he would love a lawsuit." "I think there's a lot of anger here, and I don't feel that this is a healthy environment for Shawn." "Well, I really don't..." "Look, I know you don't respect my philosophy." "But for kids who feel lost and have an emptiness in their lives, I'm here." "To give them a sense of belonging." "You can't have Shawn." "That's up to Shawn." "And in any event, there are many more just like him." "So come on, Shawn, let's go." "Shawn?" "Cory, I can't be in here." "This is too intense." "For all of us, Shawn." "But this is life, and this is what's really happening right now." "I need Mr. Mack." "No." "He can't help you with this." "(SHOUTING) Shawn, what is the matter with you?" "I don't know, but I can't look at him like this." "Cory, come on, let me go." "No." "Cory, let me go." "Shawn, this is a hug, okay?" "This is a hug." "And this is when you hug somebody, when you care about them and that you want them to know that." "Now you cannot leave here." "Do you hear me?" "Turner took care of you." "He loves you, and you love him." "Is that real?" "Or are Mr. Mack and The Centre real?" "You decide, but you cannot go." "We can go." "John, how could you be in here?" "How could you screw-up on your bike?" "I have never seen you screw-up on anything." "I'm the screw-up, remember?" "Come on, you remember." "Don't do this to me, John." "I don't do alone real good." "Look, I know you're in there, but it's like you're not really here." "You're not talking, but I know you're here, so I'm just going to talk." "You can listen." "John, even when I was at The Centre, it was all the things that you taught me that made me wonder if it was the right place for me or not." "But you didn't teach me enough." "You and Cory and my parents and the Matthews and the handful of people who really care about me, so don't blow me off, John!" "Don't blow me off, God!" "I've never asked you for anything, and I never wanted to come to you like this," "but don't take Turner away from me." "He's not done yelling at me yet." "God, you're not talking, but I know you're here, so I'm going to talk" "and you can listen." "God," "I don't want to be empty inside anymore." "How is he?" "He's going to be fine." "Really?" "Is that what the doctor said?" "No." "I just know he is." "Shawn, it's obviously been a very stressful day for you, and I think you should come back to The Centre." "Yeah, I think I should, too." "What?" "I want to pick up my things, and then, if it's okay, come back and stay with you guys." "Yeah, it's okay." "Shawn..." "You know," "I see you right in front of me, and I hear what you have to say, and it's nothing." "And if I was an empty person who didn't have anything to believe in," "I might go with you because that would be easy." "Well, I'm done with easy, and I'm done with empty." "I'm done with you." "Well..." "We'll always be there for you, Shawn." "Yeah." "I know."