"Pat, you got home late last night..." "HOW TO GROW UP IN SPITE OF PARENTS" "Here is his tablet, his journal." "Won't it be a mistake?" "He trusts us." "It's for his own sake." "We just want to know why he is so down in the dumps." "Come on, read!" "Here it is." ""It's been my first summer without Nicole."" ""I haven't heard from her ever since we split up."" ""She has even quit the band."" ""I feel she thinks I'm still the insecure superficial kid she met years ago."" ""Just like my parents do."" "I knew it!" "He's hurt because of Nicole." "Yes, Diego, but he's right." "We still treat him like a kid." "Honey, Alex is a kid." "Hi." "Oh." "At last!" "Good morning." "Hi Alex." "Honey, let me help you." "You know, Nicole lives in a fantasy world." "She dreams of a brave knight who's gonna come and take her away..." "Sure!" "And peace and justice will triumph..." "Sara, the world out there is merciless, and our daughter plays the tender-hearted." "For instance, why isn't she home yet?" "Today it was her shift at the soup kitchen." "You see what she's like, kind, generous, altruistic, idealistic." "It's no good." " Is that her?" " Yes." "No, I'll take it, so I can explain to her how life works on this planet, right?" "Hi dad!" "These are my African friends." "They're having lunch with us." "Come in!" "Where did I go wrong?" "Where?" "No, Christian, you mustn't pass that ball." "You must kick it!" "Now come back, Christian." " No, stay there, forward." " Will you please?" "He must offend, not defend!" "Dad, let the coach speak." "The coach..." "The coach doesn't understand a thing!" "Focus, guys!" "Calm down, Christian, calm down." "That's it!" "Determined!" "Resolute!" "Hey, my son could have broken his leg!" "Well, Madam, that's something that can happen, with this sport." "These kids are young, they have rubber bones, they get fixed quickly." "This guy is crazy." "Otherwise, why don't they try rhythmic gymnastics?" "So, what do you think?" "Well..." "You look nice." "Isn't it just a bit too..." "low-cut?" "A bit short?" "No, dad, it's fine." "Is it?" "Perfect, then, it's fine." " Let me try the shoes on." " Of course, my love." "Oh..." "You look great, we'll take it!" "What about these?" " Beautiful, er, it's just that..." " Let's go." "Isn't the heel just a bit..." "Too low?" "Well, I'll have to sing, dance..." "Right, well, if you have to dance..." "Do you like it?" "Not quite." "It's perfect, then." "I beg your pardon." "I don't get it." "If I don't like something, it means it works?" "Very respectful!" "Come on, don't be offended, these are modern rhythms." "It's normal if you don't like them..." "Come on." "I'd love to." "Now, they've announced a musical contest, open to all Italian high schools." "The prize for the winners, and this is the crucial point, will be the publication of an album." "We have noticed that this contest only accepts bands, not solos, can you explain why?" "You know, people usually think of schools as very competitive places, based on the individual." "On the contrary, we want it to be a collective experience, to be lived together." "Thank you." "So, to sum up, would you like to greet all the Italian students, wish them luck?" " Hi, Sam!" " Have you heard?" "I have." "Super-cool!" "We must sign up!" "Gorgeous!" "Hi." " I've been missing you." " Me too." "Come on." "Let's go." "Hi, Alex, how are you?" "Fine." "Guys, what are you doing here?" "Why is the music room shut?" "Ask the new headmistress." "However, let me tell you, the music, here, has changed." "All extra-curricular activities will be suspended, and all the relevant facilities will be entirely devoted to studying." "Do you also mean the library?" "And the music room?" "I do mean." "But Madam, in this school, we have some very talented musicians." "And haven't you heard about the contest?" "Well, school must evaluate students for their academic knowledge, not their alleged artistic talent." "However, those who want to take part in the contest will be allowed to, but our school won't grant any privilege to anybody." "It's late, time for classes." "Have a good day." "This is nonsense!" "What a fantastic first day!" "Madam the headmistress, excuse me, there are some boys and girls who would like to confer with you." "They are called "students"." "They're having classes right now, so they do not "confer" with anyone." "Tell them to go back to their classrooms." "I will." "Guys, no way." "The headmistress won't see you." " But the music room is our right!" " We just want to ask her why." "Why won't she see us?" "Guys, go back to your classroom." "Yes, listen, please, I need all the names of the students in the music group." "Yes, thank you." "Well done, AIiboni, you can sit down." "Ferrari, it's your turn, now." "This one's a lot harder that the other one." "Come on, you can solve it, a girl like you, with your confidence..." "Well, today I'd like to hear..." "AIessi." "But, Miss, I was questioned yesterday!" "You're right." "Yesterday you were questioned on your own, while today I'd like to hear you and..." "Costa together." "And so Napoleon was defeated in the battle of Leipzig, and then he was sent on exile to the Isle of Elba." "Leone, what do you think you're doing?" "Given that in this school we're no more allowed to do music," "I thought I could sing and study." " From the island he managed to escape." " Sit down!" "Are you listening to me?" " Sit down!" "De Ponti, you too?" " In the end he was defeated in Waterloo." "Enough!" "Enough!" "And this is the blueprint for you, and my card." "Do not hesitate to call me about anything, any need, any further explanation..." "Just a second..." "Right, I will stay on to close," "I won't see you off, thank you very much, we'll be in touch." "Hi, honey." "Yes." "What?" "They've all been suspended!" "Do you realize?" "If you had been there, none of this would have happened." "Every headmaster has their own method." "Yes, but Christian says she's terrible." "We've been here for an hour." "I have a board meeting at the bank." "Who does she think she is?" "Good morning." "I am Silvia Ruffini, the headmistress of this school." "Well, I only see parents by appointment, and I haven't asked to see you." "Excuse me." "You targeted our kids because of the music contest." "That's true." "I beg your pardon." "Do you intend to go on like this?" "I do." "For the whole year." "That's very arrogant of you." "Well, you can leave now." " She hasn't seen you, has she?" " No, she hasn't." "I can't believe it." "Never mind the others, but you are her colleague." "It was disrespectful, dad." " Emma, please." " No, dad." "You're too kind." "She has no mercy, that one." "If you fight her, it's gonna be hell for you, until the exams." "Believe me." "Christian, soccer is your future, not music." "And watch out, 'cause she is big trouble." "You don't play with them anymore." "You don't see Alex anymore." "So why protest?" "Because it was the right thing to do, dad." "But of course for you everything must be in your own interest, right?" "Dad, you too, when you were a student, you too occupied the university in protest." " Who told you that?" " Mum did." "Okay, enough." "I told you." "Do not protest, do not sign up for the contest." "Otherwise all consequences will be on you." "And enough with this music obsession!" "What kind of job is it, for one who succeeds, a thousand end up starving!" "Alex, you have a job waiting for you at the estate agency." "So, who's gonna tell him?" "I'll do it." "Hi." "You have no idea what a fuss with my parents." "They wanted me to accept not to sign up for the contest." "Would you believe it?" "What's going on?" "Alex, we've decided to give up." "It's already been a month of this slaughter." "And it's going to be like that the whole year." "Let's break up the band." "Best thing for all of us." "Are you saying she wins?" "Yes, but think about it." "It's the best thing to do." "End of the band." "Pat, I washed your trousers." "There was a piece of paper in a pocket." "MUSICIANS WANTED FOR A BAND AUDITIONS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY" "What's going on?" "He's on a suicide mission." "Let's go." "Madam, I'll remove it immediately." "No, leave it there." "I'm curious to see who dares..." "Hi, Anna." "Michele, what happened?" "She left me." "She won't see me unless I sell the shop." "And what are you gonna do?" "What can I do?" "I'm a dead man without music." "What is she going to do with a dead husband?" "I'm sorry." "Oh, never mind." "Rather, hurry up with your auditions," "I haven't paid the bills for months, they might cut the power off any minute." "Alex, we need to talk." " Stop for a moment." " The headmistress is coming." "If she sees you with me, you might get into big trouble." " There you are, Leoni!" " I'm going to be questioned, am I not?" "Yes." "I see that, beside music, you have a gift for foretelling." "Especially with predictable people." "Well, this headmistress must be really scary." "Admissions close tomorrow morning, so...that's it." "Thank you, Michele." "Hey..." "Whatever happens, never give up music." "Ok?" "I promise." "Hello, are the auditions here?" " I am Davide, nice to meet you." " I'm Alex." " What do you do, Davide?" " I play the piano." "That's interesting, can we hear something?" " Of course." " Take a seat at the piano." "Beside Earth, did you also advertise on Mars?" "I'm sorry, the passages were a bit slow," "I need to warm up, I was cold." "You were cold?" "Stay cold, then." "Congratulations!" "Thank you." "I've never seen you at school." "I'm new, I failed school last year and..." "Anyway, so, what do you think?" "Am I in?" "Of course!" "But before you accept, you must be aware that if you play with me, all teachers will fight you and your grades will plunge." "Do you know what I got in the last Maths test?" "I got an E." "I always get Fs, so that's not a problem." "Are you looking for vocals?" "Yes, we could do with a singer..." "So I can show you something." "Sure." "What would you like to sing?" "A song I wrote a few years ago for a special person." "Please, go ahead." "Did you turn off the lights for the atmosphere?" "No, they've actually cut the power off." "It happens when you don't pay the bills." "Come in." "May we?" "Good morning guys, tell me." "It's for the contest, this needs to be signed by the headmistress." "Okay, take a seat." "Let's go on anyway, and who cares about the consequences." "Ah, this is Davide." "I'll tell you later." "I'm sure this contest will be an unforgettable experience." "It's been a great success!" "We received loads of entries from all over Italy for the Band Music Award." "And now, guys, be ready." "You must shoot a video of one of your songs." "An original, creative clip which will be assessed by a jury of experts, and only twenty of you will be shortlisted." "We need a smart idea for the video." "I would do nothing but frame her face." "For the whole clip?" "Yes." "You are not normal, you know that, don't you?" " She doesn't look Italian, does she?" " Her father is American." "Her name is Evelyn, I don't know anything else." "Except that she's very reserved and doesn't speak to anyone." "Let alone myself!" "If you like her so much, make up an excuse and go talk to her." "What if we shot on the roof of a building?" "It's already been done by a minor British band, you know..." "The Beatles." "And what do you think?" "About what?" "I mean, about the video, any idea, apart from Evelyn?" "Nothing at all." "She's my only idea." " We've only got two weeks." " Too short, what shall we do?" "While I'm explaining, our friends are talking." "They must be really interested in Baroque art." "Aren't you, Ferrari?" "Yes, we are, we really like it." "Very well, then." "Given that you like it so much, you will do a report to be submitted by the end of the week." "And not on the Internet." "In the library." "Here you are." "These are absolutely the most important volumes ever on Baroque art." "The heaviest too." "Thank you." "Imagine what it would be like to shoot the video in one of these palaces..." "Beautiful..." "If only!" "Instead of shooting the video, I want to shoot myself." "Damned Baroque!" "Silence, please!" "I've only spoken two words." "Shall I do some extra work for you too?" "People are always so touchy..." "Sam, take them." "Be careful!" "They are ancient volumes!" "I'm sorry, my friend was supposed to..." " I almost fell off the ladder." " I hadn't seen you." "Come on, grab a book and go talk to her." "I can't make it, Christian." "So make her come to you." "Sure." "How?" "Put your hands up like this, and say "come, come"..." "Come on, go talk to her." "What am I going to say?" "I don't know, something like..." ""Hi, Evelyn, how do you like Baroque art?"" "That's it." "Look, she's leaving." "I swear next time I'll talk to her." "Yes, I would suggest before the end of high school, though." "Let's get these books." "Pasta or soup?" "See how wonderful they are?" "And what is he doing?" "He's very good." "Look, he made all of those." "What?" "Another weekend is here the mind is far away, time is calling, I'm not after fame" "I have no plans I'll embrace time as if it were wind" "I don't know where I am" "I'm going to town, some are all right and some are leaving us, fine, it doesn't matter who goes, fine, it's just a night for forgetting something I can't explain my desire to run away, what I don't feel like doing..." "They were the Mad and Bross, the most clicked ones." "Just a few views away, you've got them." "Very original, this video by Alex  Co." "Over a million views, which places the video as one of the most clicked of our contest." "They have been shortlisted for the second stage, the audition." "Congratulations, guys." "I can imagine how happy you are, there at home." "French:" "D. History:" "D. Maths:" "E. Music:" "A." "Alex, music is not the only thing, there are other subjects too." "Don't you see I'm being targeted?" "What are you doing, dad?" "Something I should have done a long time ago." "I've got the whole second term to catch up." "And look who's talking, you never got more than a D as a student." "Who said that?" "Mum did." "EIena, will you mind your own business?" "It's the truth." "What are you doing?" "You are going to break them." "From now on, you will only study." "If I can't play music, then I won't play soccer either." "No, Christian." "Soccer and studying." "But why?" "Why?" "'Cause you'll learn how to speak properly so when you are interviewed you won't speak like some players." "Hello." "Hello." " Maybe I'd better wait for you outside." " Yes, I'm sorry." "Dad!" "Science:" "C. Maths:" "F." "Geography:" "C. Languages:" "E." "That's it." "Last year you had Ds and Es in all subjects!" "This year only in five subjects." "Only five!" "Let's have a toast!" "Well done!" "Good job!" "I can't believe it, mum." "Are you really sending me to an afterschool?" "I am." "Sam's granma is very upset about his grades." "She said she's gonna check on you every minute." " So?" "Are you gonna give us a hand?" " Sure." "Didn't you have a grand piano?" "Come on, Michele is doing a lot for us." "For free." "I would stress "for free"." "Thank you, Michele." "Mozart!" "Not bad, these keyboards." "Wow!" "And he hasn't warmed up yet." "The deal was clear:" "music from 3:00 to 5:00 pm, and studying from 5:00 to 9:00 pm." "Come on!" " So?" "What did I say?" " I'm going, I'm going." "Thank you." "Aiello, time is over." "I am done." "I'm done." " Time is over, Aiello." " Just a second, Miss." "Davide, that's it." "Just a second." "Davide, I said that's it." "Come on, guys!" "Let's start from the chorus again!" "Schiaparelli:" "D. AIessi:" "B." "Costa:" "A." "Ferrari:" "A-." "Leoni:" "B. AIiboni:" "C." "Aiello..." "Aroma: you can do better." "But Miss, is this my only mistake?" "Actually, Davide, that's the only thing you calculated correctly." "Will you vote for us on the contest site?" "Vote Alex  Co." "Will you vote us?" "Will you vote us?" "Hi, vote Alex  Co." "Evelyne's there." "Come on, go talk to her." "You swore." "Go!" " Hi, Evelyn." " How do you know my name?" "Is your name Evelyn?" "I guessed it." "You see?" "Listen, tomorrow night we've got the audition." "It's the second phase of the school contest." "We are allowed one guest each." "I'd love you to come." "Well, I'll think about it." "Thank you." "You're welcome." "I'm an idiot." "Good evening, everybody." "May I have your attention please?" "Thank you." "We have reached a crucial point." "Out of the twenty bands that are going to perform, only four will be shortlisted for the final phase." "A panel of experts is going to judge your performance, and their valuation will be added to the students' one." "Right then." "The first band I'm calling is Mad and Bross." "Are they here?" "Perfect, let's go." "Please, you can start." "I'm focusing on everyone and no-one my ideals are primal instincts they're a lot less vile you speak pompously you say "the first thing is art"" "and then you spend your days playing cards you're in love with money as if it was a healing potion not bad, except that nowadays it's being used the wrong way" "Look for a sensitive emptiness be ready for the impossible people have their differences you can try to reject them..." "Damn, these Mad and Bross are really good." "I'm so nervous." "Alex  Co.?" "Are you there, guys?" "It's our turn, guys." "Davide?" "I'll go look for him." "We'll be right there." "You see?" "If you play this chord, then it's trivial." "Try this one, it sounds better." "Davide, we must go, come on." "Got it?" "Try again." " Is he playing tonight?" " It makes me want to leave..." "You mustn't help them." "They're our competitors." "Well, not even Beethoven could help him." "It's completely out of tune." "They must have noticed it." "So much for the experts!" "Excuse me, can I use the keyboards instead?" " Sure you can." " Thank you." "Let me just set the chair." "Can you make it within tonight?" "What time is it?" "Nine o'clock." "Well, yes then." "Thank you, guys." " It went well, didn't it?" " Very well." "We've just received from the audition room the four names of the finalists of our contest." "You're curious, aren't you?" "So am I. I don't know yet." "Mad and Bross." "SoundX." "Reverse." "And..." "Alex  Co." "I've already said no." "Let's move on." "But why?" "The kids made it to the finals." "They deserve it, don't they?" "The rules clearly state that the school is going to fund the recording of the song for the finalists." "Excuse me, have you fully read the rules?" "Yes, I have." "Also the following part?" ""Should the finalists not have pass marks in all subjects"" ""the funding will be at the discretion of the headmaster."" "Well, the guys are doing very well." "Even Davide, he has improved in all subjects...except Maths." "Then I'm sorry, but the rules are very clear." ""All members of the band, and in all subjects."" "Okay, but come on, why not make those kids happy?" "You're going to get the money from the Ministry anyway." "Mr. Morini!" "Please, assign the Ministry's funds to the maintenance works of our school building." "Of course, Madam." "The meeting is over." "Think of her children!" "Every day with a mum like that." "Yes, but you could have done better at Maths..." "There's no point complaining." "Instead, let's think about how to get the money." "Excuse me, I'll be right back." "Dad and I would like to help you, but we haven't got the money." "Paola?" "The lady's waiting." "I'm coming." "Dad, I'm fed up with being regarded as a dreamer in a fairy tale world, do you understand?" "I am very matter-of-fact." "I do my best to help people when they need it, because this world is my world too." "You are the one living on a planet of numbers which doesn't exist, not me." "Fair enough." "No problem." "How much do you need?" "I need a father who respects me for who I am and what I want to do." "Nothing." "Nicole didn't manage to get a penny from her father." "Neither did I." "I haven't even tried." "Guys, look at this." " What's that?" " An invitation." "We shall play at this kid's party." "Yes, but kids are loud." "And we can't play our own songs there." "They want nursery rhymes, forget it." "Pity, though." "We could have used that money." " What?" " How much?" "The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout" "Down came the rain and washed the spider out" "Out came the sun and dried up all the rain" "And the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again" "Tell me it's just a nightmare." "Hi!" " What's your name?" " My name's Emma." "Mine is Gabriele." "Do you want to be my girlfriend?" "How sweet, thank you." "Let's do this:" "I'll think about it, okay?" "Dad says that when girls say that it means they don't want you." "Mum!" "No, no, Gabriele, don't cry, please." "Well done, you managed to ruin Gabriele's birthday." "You'd better leave." "And tell your friend that's not the way you treat a child." "Come on, sweetheart, don't cry." "Emma, what happened?" "Why?" "Well, you could have said you were going to be his girlfriend and we'd get the money." "What do you mean, we'd get the money?" "Hasn't she paid?" "No." "I can't believe it." "All that confetti on my face for nothing." "The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout" "Stop it!" "Down came the rain and washed the spider out" "Come on, just a bit of patience." "Okay..." " It's too hard, I can't do it." " It's not hard, trust me." "I don't feel like it." "Listen, Madam, your son just doesn't like the piano." "I want him to play." "Well, if you like it that much, learn it yourself." "Good bye, Madam." "Dearest Paolo and Federica..." "That's enough!" "Enough!" "But there's still the whole final part!" "It doesn't matter, enough!" "You're gonna pay me anyway, right?" "Yes, yes." "Enough!" "Hey!" "Excuse me!" "Excuse me!" "I mean, I have just played one of the hardest works by Listz." "And nothing, zero!" "Not even a clap, not a nod...nothing?" "Now you go, Davide." "I'll see you at home." "I'm sorry, dad." "I didn't want you to get in trouble." "I'm not in trouble." "Take this, you've earned it." "Thank you." " Giovanni..." " I'm coming." "Go home." "One day I'm gonna buy you a restaurant." "I am." "I swear." "Time for playing, guys!" "We're going to play a lot, and get ready for the final show of our contest." "Well, Mad and Bross are already in the studio, and they're going to finish recording." "The same is true for Reverse and for SoundX, who, thanks to the school funding, are doing a great job." "We haven't heard, though, from Alex  Co." "What's going on, guys?" "Problems?" "Guys, we have a problem." "Christian needs our help." "Why?" "At today's match there'II be a scout from a big club just to see him play." "What's the problem, then?" "Well, if he likes the way Christian plays, he will have to move straight away." " And farewell to our contest." " Exactly." "Christian, you're lousy!" "Penalty!" "No, no foul, my fault." "Ok." "Well done." "Well done, Christian." ""Well done!" Listen to him, he teaches fair play." "Penalty!" "You kick it, Christian." "Shouldn't Giorgio kick it?" "I said you kick it." "He's never gonna be a leader." "He's a coward." "Will you let him kick please?" "I had told you I was kicking that way!" "I thought you were lying!" "Well, he's got the touch." "And character too." "Even to admit it's not penalty is a sign of a strong personality." "Fair play, of course, is the first thing." "So, how did your father take it?" "Very well, they chose me." "I'm moving to Turin straight away." "I'll finish the school year over there." "Why don't you speak to your father, once for all, and tell him you don't care about soccer?" "That would shatter all his dream." "The lawyer that becomes the agent of his son." "And so you let him destroy your dream?" "Stand up for your own life!" "It's easy for you to speak, your father does everything you say." "That's not true." "My father does what his brain says." "No, Emma, your father always gives in to you." "Ever since your mother died, he doesn't want you to suffer." " What are you saying?" " It's the truth, Emma, it's the truth." " Why are you talking like that?" " Because you treat me like a kid." "Like someone with no personality." "Why do you go out with me then?" "Leave me!" "Emma, calm down and don't cry." "I'll call you later, okay?" "What happened?" "They argued." "Christian is leaving and Emma doesn't want to go on." "Christian, come and watch the match." " What match?" " What match?" "Your match." "I recorded it, so we can go through your mistakes." "Come on, let's go." "Here you go." "You see?" "If you move to midfield too much, you can't cover the side." "You must keep a bit more on the right." "I don't want to go right." "You'll have to." "Otherwise, they can break back." "I'll go where I want." "Christian!" "What's the matter?" "The matter is that I'm not going to play anymore." " Have I heard correctly?" " Yes, you have." "I don't want to spend my life running after a football." "Or being interviewed and say a lot of nonsense in perfect Italian." "I want to play music, dad, because that's what makes me happy." "Dinner's ready." "Shall I bring it here?" "No, I'm coming." "If you feel you can't, I'm very happy bringing it here." "Dad, I can." "It's only in the next room, not such a big effort." "As you like it." "You always give in to me, right?" "Ever since mum died." "You didn't want me to suffer, so you let me do and say anything I wanted, am I right?" "I have tried to protect you and let you grow up with no further worries, but it hasn't been easy to start again without mum." "Swear that from now on you are going to tell me exactly what you think, and do exactly what you believe is right." "Come here." "I promise." "So?" "What is this?" "It's my first coffee ever." "I can't guarantee." "I'm sure it's perfect." " I want the truth, dad." " Of course." "So?" "Let's say there's room for improvement." "Shall I make a new one?" " No, don't worry." " I'm gonna make you a new one." "Emma!" "Christian's downstairs for you." " Christian?" " Yes." "Go." "I'll finish here." "I'm sorry." "Hey, you've just sold some keyboards!" "Not, it's just been foreclosed." "It's slightly different." "Guys, I'm warning you, today is not a good day." "So?" "Listen, do you know a good arranger?" "Or a cheap recording studio?" "How much have we got, guys?" "Excuse me." "More or less two hundred euros." "I have no time to waste." "Got it?" "Don't you know anyone who doesn't charge much?" "I only know professionals." "Do you know who this man is?" "Bob Riley, one of the greatest arrangers in the history of American pop." "And I had the honour of playing for him." "All right, but why are you talking about America?" "With 200 euro, we won't get anywhere." "He lives in Italy." "He moved to the countryside." "He gave up music and started making wine." "I've tried a thousand times to persuade him to go back to music, but no way." "Why don't you try?" "Us?" "He will charge a fortune!" "For someone like him, it is not a matter of money." "Someone like him only says yes if he likes the music you do." "Otherwise he says goodbye and goes back to his wine." "Are they taking that away too?" "They're taking you too, if you don't get immediately out of here." "Thank you." "Bob, you help them, 'cause I have lost all energy..." " Hey, who's gonna do the speaking?" " You do it." " No." "Not me." "Sam, you do it." " Me?" "What am I gonna say?" "We're still in time not to do this." "We're about to ruin our Easter holidays." " Come on, Sam, go ahead!" " No, what are you doing?" "Sam!" "Evelyn!" "What are you doing here?" "What are you doing here?" "This is my house." "We are looking for Bob Riley." "Bob is my father." "Come in." "Let's go in." "May we?" "Did your father win all of them?" "Yes, and my mum too." "She's a talent scout." "She has launched many successful bands." "Here she is." "Hello, guys, I am Mary." "Hello." "Do you remember that school band I told you about?" "Of course." "Evelyn told me she enjoyed your performance a lot." "They're here for dad." "When we heard that Bob Riley lives here, we thought we could ask him to arrange our song." "For the finals." "Yes, though we know it's very unlikely..." "He is such a music giant and we are...nothing." "Music belongs to his past, I'm sorry." "However, stay." "Bob will be here any minute." "You can leave your things here." "If you feel like it, I can show you around." "Sure." "Thank you." "This is the studio where my father used to record his demos, to take them to New York." "It's amazing." "Wow." "A grand piano." "What a view!" "Look at this!" "Come." "I'll show you around the vineyards." "After the audition I went looking for you, but you were gone." "I had a test the next day, first period." "And how did you know my name?" "Emma and Nicole told me." "I had been wanting to meet you since the first time I saw you." "Why didn't you try before, then?" "I thought you wouldn't be interested in someone like me." "Come." "What are you doing here?" "I'm here with some friends." "Get out of here!" "Out!" "What's going on?" "Let's go, guys." "Why?" "Let's go." "Bob, these are some schoolfriends of Evelyn's." "Dad, they came here to ask you to help them arrange their song." "You came all the way for nothing." "I'm sorry, guys, excuse me." "Our mistake." "We shouldn't have come." "We've been too assuming." "Come on, guys, let's collect our things." "Sam..." "Things are not that easy." "We lost a son, and Bob hasn't wanted to play ever since." "Try and understand." "He always wanted to help everyone, but now... he is shut in his own silence." "I apologize on behalf of all of us." "We didn't know." " Give Evelyn a kiss from me." "Goodbye." " Bye." "Bob, Evelyn cares a lot about those guys." "That's enough." "She talked to me a lot about Sam." "Ever since her brother's death, it's the first time she's been feeling something." "Don't you see how important it is?" "Come on Sam." "I'm serious, I hardly touched his piano, and he treated me like that." "Imagine if you had touched his daughter." "You were lucky, believe me." "You were gonna end up with a crazy father-in-law." " Hey, guys, Bob's here." " What are you speaking about?" "Don't think he doesn't love you." "He adores you." "It's just that he can't get over his pain." "You get it, don't you?" "We all feel that pain inside, mum, but at least we're trying to go on." "I want to live." "It takes time, Evelyn." "He just needs time." "Okay, fine." "Do you really think this is the right song for the finals?" "You don't look confident." "We've never been." "Maybe we should look for something else." "You should, but we are short of time." "Sorry." "Unless...we make a deal." "I help you, and you help me." "How's that?" "That's it!" "Keep the pace!" "More groove!" "Are you worried about the missing song?" "A lot." "We have some ideas, but we feel the good one isn't there yet." "You mustn't do too much thinking, otherwise it all gets too rational." "And songs need carelessness, heart..." "Making music is the same as farming." "Help me." "Farming is a lot of work." "With music, you have to practice." "Rehearse, try again, rehearse." "The music we make transports us in the fine moments in our lives." "But there's one simple thing they share." "Love." "Love and reward." "The farmer feeds the body, and the artist feeds the soul." "Talking about feeding the soul, how about taking a break and go breathe?" "I expected it to be in a worse shape." "Is the water cold?" "No, come in." "It's freezing!" "No, I told you, it's not cold." "Sam, Evelyn, come!" "No, thank you." "Yeah, sure..." "Sam, are these yours?" "They are." "If you don't come, I'll throw them into the sea." "You wouldn't dare." "Don't, stop it!" "Guys, if you want, you can take a shower over there." "Thank you very much." "What am I going to wear now?" "What an idiot he is!" "Come with me." "This was my brother's room." "He spent here the last months of his life." "He would just stay here and play." " Try on these." " Thank you." "You look great." "Wait a second..." "It's a pendrive." "We wanted to ask you if we can sing Pat's song for the finals." "We're gonna make a good job!" "I feel guilty every time." "It's for his own sake." "We don't know anything about him anymore." "Who are these Bob and Mary?" "What do they do?" "Go on, read." "No, I don't want to." "I feel I'm betraying his trust." "Then I'll read it." "For his own sake." ""Bob and Mary."" ""Bob and Mary are two really special parents."" ""They opened their hearts to us, giving all they had to give."" ""I'm lucky I've got two special parents too."" ""They love me and respect me."" ""They would never, for instance, read my tablet,"" ""they would never do such a horrible and disrespectful thing..."" "Okay, you go on." ""Anyway, my secrets are locked in a password protected file,"" ""which is impossible to open."" ""Another thing my parents would never do"" ""is missing the finals of our contest."" ""I have reserved two seats in the first row."" "You see?" "He knew we were reading, he wrote it on purpose." "Our son..." "We always think they are still children, but Alex is an adult now." "And you mustn't read his things!" "Dad, I'm playing tonight." "If you came to see me, it would be nice." "Yes, but it's really impossible, because tomorrow I have two very important hearings and I need to prepare." "Anyway, I don't think my presence is absolutely necessary." "Yes, I'll be the one on the stage, but if I happen to look at the audience and see your face, that would make me happy." "Okay, I'm going to school." "It will be a success..." "Dad!" "So?" "What does it look like?" "Do you like it?" "Yes." "It's nice." "No, you don't like it, do you?" "Too short?" "No, it's not too short, maybe it just doesn't go well with your voice..." "It's too short." "It's too short." "Pasta for everyone!" "Nicole, the napkin goes on the left." "The concert tickets!" "That's my daughter." "By the way, I wanted to tell you that I found a replacement for tonight..." "No, I don't take replacements." "Good morning, Madam the headmistress, excuse me, I've got two questions." " Quick, though, I must go." " Yes." "The students are out here." "They want to ask if they can leave earlier today to prepare for tonight." "No, they can't." "Second question?" "The second question is that the contest people are asking whether you're going to attend the finals." "I am a headmistress, they pay me to work, not to go out and see concerts, do they?" "I'll inform them." "Good bye." "Good bye." "I'm sorry, Miss, I was in the school office." " Good morning, Aiello." " Good morning, Madam." "Davide, here's your test." "So, what?" "What are you staring at?" "A "B"?" "Miss, is it an end-of-the-year present?" "No, Davide, you did well." "I'd better be careful when I tell my parents." "A piece of news like that might be fatal for their hearts." " Are the kids inside?" " Yes, it's gonna start shortly." "They came!" "They came!" " You have a beautiful daughter!" " And you have an amazing grandson!" "I know, I know." "Oh, my friend!" " How are you?" " I am fine." "It's great to see you." "Throw out everything you keep inside you've never stopped running away it feels you're saying always the same, the same message again and again forgetting all your promises asking yourself in the darkness "What's up, bro?"" "Wow, guys!" "You're gorgeous!" "Thank you." "Pat would have loved you." "Not bad!" "Pure energy!" "Mad and Bross!" "A very strong candidate in our finals." "Guys, it's our turn." " Good luck." " Thank you, bye." "And now, the last group of the evening." "Ladies and gentlemen, Alex  Co.!" "Here we are." "So, Mr. Minister, here we are at last at the end of our long journey." "You have the envelope with the names of the winners." " Here it is." " Go ahead." "Youre curious, aren't you?" "And the winner is..." "This is for Madam." "So, Professor, how do you like the onion soup?" "It's good, I would say excellent, thank you." "The winners..." "Alex  Co.!" "Hi, dad!" "This victory is for you!" "I love you, bye." "Sam, how does it feel to be the winner of this prestigious award, the Band Music Award?" "We are all very happy, and we have a special thanks for Bob." "And Alex, do you think success will make you big-headed?" "No." "Quite the opposite:" "it's your head that makes you successful." "I still can't believe it." "Guys, here are the keys to the music room." " You're back as headmaster?" " Yes, I'm back." " And the headmistress?" " She's leaving." "In fact, excuse me, I must go and say good bye to her." " Shall I say goodbye from you too?" " Of course." "Give her all our love." "I will." "Have a good one!" "Let's go." "This is heaven!" "Can you hear?" "They've already started." "That's good." "I'd like to thank you all." "We've done a good job." "Do you remember the first time we met?" "Who could ever forget it!" "That's very arrogant of you!" "No, pardon me, you are the arrogant ones, you think you know everything about your kids, you think you can't be wrong, and most of all you think they are your kids." "Well, they are." "No, you are mistaken." "They are our kids." "School should teach them beauty, life, while we tend to destroy their passions, making wonderful things dull." "They spend hours on their literature handbooks, their poetry collections, and yet not one of them ever goes upstairs to the school library to get a book, or buys one." "So, are we also going to destroy their love for music?" "What are you talking about?" "I have a plan." "I can give you a few minutes to think about it, if you're interested." "Otherwise, we'll go each our own way." "All right, then, thank you." "She's out of her mind." "A total lunatic." "And what manners!" "No way." "And what is this?" "BIackmailing?" "No, excuse me." "Calling Silvia here was my idea." "Yes." "I asked her to come and replace me for a year." "Why?" "Our kids need more nos than yesses, and this comes from someone who has never been able to say no." "We tend to mistake our selfishness for generosity, and our flaws for good manners, but we are wrong." "So, please, trust Silvia." "She will help our kids to grow up." "I have the feeling you'd rather go your own way." "After all, the kids are yours, and you can do as you please with them." "Thank you." "I trust her." "So do I, Wilma." "I trust her." "The same for my husband and I. We trust her." "Diego?" "Diego...well, we trust her too." "So, are we all trusting her?" "We all trust you, then." "What do you expect us to do?" "Let's start working together, weighing things the right way." "Most of all, let's try to support our kids in their individual growth." "Let's start with you:" "let's see if Alex really is the leader of the group." " Okay." " What shall we do?" "Alex, you have a job waiting for you at the estate agency." "How did I go?" "Convincing?" "Hard, but not too much..." "Yes, a real actor." " Is he going to take the challenge?" " He is." "Wilma, you are the only one who can afford to be totally generous because you're a grandma." "Christian is afraid of letting you down, so he finds it extremely hard to tell you that he prefers music to soccer." "But we must help him to open up with you." "But how?" "Well, how?" "How..." "Here's your coffee." "Are you a football fan?" "Madam, all championships, all players, who was there, who scored, number of cups won..." "challenge me!" "Well, he's got the touch." "And character too." "Even to admit it's not penalty..." "I want to play music, dad, because that's what makes me happy." "He told you, at last!" "Enough with soccer!" "And he is a good musician..." "She's coming upstairs." "What shall I do?" "Davide must be the one who finds the money for the recording of the song, tell the others too." "Nobody, absolutely nobody must give them money." "Okay." "Fair enough, no problem." "How much do you need?" "Did you notice the subtlety of drawing the checkbook out of my pocket?" "Yes, but, Sir, what if she had accepted?" "Never." "My daughter would never take charity from me." "It was a contest for creating a group, and our kids' "I"s have become a "we"." "Because it's important for them." "Life is something to build together." "I would like to thank you all for sharing your lives with me." "Thank you." "Thank you." "One more thing." "Let your sons and daughters remember me as that awfully tough headmistress they had for a year." "Tough teachers are the ones we think of with most affection, when we grow up." " Filippo!" " Mum!" "You said you'd be out by ten!" "It must be quarter past." "I'm sorry, Filippo, I'm a bit late." "A quarter of an hour?" "Well, I can't take you now." "I must go." "What do you mean you can't take me?" "What shall I do then?" "Take the bus." "The bus?" "I..." "Why does it have to be a lot easier with other people's kids?"