Dawson's Creek s03e13 Episode Script
Northern Lights
Tomorrow night is your night.
We'll do whatever you want.
- Something wild, insane and crazy? - I promise.
- Like what? - Like I'll come home from work early and we'll wallpaper each other.
No way.
Sorry, we're done.
We can't stop now.
I don't know this stuff.
Sorry, but the next page consists solely of cooing, tickling and lap-sitting three things definitely not in my range as an actress.
You'll be sorry tomorrow night when I get up on-stage, panic draw a complete blank and then start ad-libbing obscenities to the crowd.
Actually, Pacey, I kind of thought I'd go on Saturday.
- Saturday? - Yeah.
No, you don't want to come on Saturday.
Come on Friday.
It's opening night.
Much better chance you'll get to witness some amusing disaster.
Like scenery falling on my head, or my co-star hyperventilating from one of my intoxicating stage kisses.
Yeah, you're known for those.
So, what do you say? Front row centre? I can't.
I kind of have this thing I have to do on Friday night.
What thing? It's just this thing.
This guy.
What guy? - A.
J.
- College guy? He's coming to the Cape for a party, and he invited me to go with him.
- You're going to a frat party? - He's not that kind of a college guy.
Have you ever heard of the aurora borealis? The northern lights? Yeah, I've heard of them.
I may not be Ivy League material but give me a road map and a remote I can find my way to the Discovery Channel.
There are 10 nights out of the year when you can actually see them from this part of the world.
Tomorrow may be one.
- Factor in recent sunspot activity- - Northern lights, my ass.
This guy is just trying to separate you from the Potter pantalones.
Read a newspaper once in a while.
You cannot fake geomagnetic activity.
Yeah, you can.
Sure you can.
You can fake anything.
Especially if you're some Ivy League egghead and it's all part of some astronomical make-out scam.
I'm talking as the voice of reason here, okay? The chances of the northern lights appearing in the sky above Capeside are as good as the chances of me acquitting myself with distinction on-stage.
Yeah, well, call me crazy, but I'll take those odds any day.
So, what do you think? - What do I think? - Yeah.
I think you're going to be pretty bored in study hall.
It could be an interesting opportunity to study some human behaviour.
At least until I figure out what my next move is gonna be.
Just don't go joining the yearbook.
It's bad enough that Pacey's doing this play thing.
- Tonight's opening night, isn't it? - Yeah You dropped film class? Are you insane? I can tell you guys have a lot to discuss - so see you later.
- Okay.
This doesn't have anything to do with the film festival, does it? No, it doesn't.
I just need to walk away for a little while.
Recharge my batteries.
Well, the least you could have done was given me a heads-up.
We're partners, Dawson.
And in three days, we're supposed to pitch a feature film to the entire class.
Mr.
Jordan will be happy to give you an extension and a new partner.
I don't want another partner.
I want you.
Are you kidding? You're probably done already.
Well, yeah, but I was gonna ask for your ideas.
If you did, you would've realized I don't have any.
- You don't have any ideas? - No.
Dawson, you are the most creative person in the class.
That's where you'd be wrong, because, as of 8: 15 I'm now the most creative person not in the class.
How are we supposed to go up tonight if you keep forgetting your lines? I know the lines, okay? I got a bit of recall delay, that's all.
Where's Mr.
Broderick? Our play is falling apart at the seams! Pacey, just take it from the top.
Sure thing, boss.
What's the top again? - Your entrance.
- Entrance.
Right.
- Hey.
- Not now, Jack.
We're trying to do this read-through but Pacey has chosen to leave his memory at home.
Well, about 30 minutes ago in English class, Mr.
Broderick- - What? - Just come with me.
Come on.
The nurse thinks it's a kidney stone.
My wife's picking me up in five minutes.
No, no, no.
The play's going up in less than eight hours.
I'm sorry, Andie.
I'm not gonna make it there.
You're gonna have to take my place.
No, you don't understand.
See, I have tickets to sell and the after-party to set up.
I can't do everything by myself.
- I can do the tickets and after-party.
- There you go.
Jack'll help you.
- But- - I have faith in you, Andie.
I mean, who am I kidding? It's been your show all along.
This is your night.
Here.
- Your director's binder? - It's yours now.
And as the houselights fall over that magic place we call the theatre all I ask is that you give pause for a fleeting moment and think of me.
Henry! Wait, wait, Parker! Parker, wait up! - Hi, Henry.
- Jen.
- Okay, why are you avoiding me? - Why are you cancelling dinner? What makes you think that I'm cancelling? Ever since you agreed to this little, dare I call it "date" you don't even make eye contact with me in the hallway.
It's like you got this giant blind spot in exactly my shape and size.
Aren't you being a little bit paranoid? Are you or are you not cancelling our date? I'm not cancelling anything.
- You're not? - No.
No, I'm just postponing.
Look, see, it's Pacey's opening night and I figured that I should be there to support him.
So that's all this is about, the play? Yeah.
Yeah, that's all this is about.
- Great.
- What do you mean, "great"? I'll go with you, to the play.
What time's curtain? Seven.
Seven.
All right, I'll be there.
I mean, if that's all right with you.
- Yeah.
Yeah, it's fine.
- Okay.
Don't even think about coming near me with that medieval torture device.
- That can't be him.
- Just relax.
Let Bodie get it.
Tell me how I'm not supposed to worry about you going out with an older guy.
He's not that old, Bessie.
He's, like, 19.
Well, it's a boy.
Just not the one we expected.
Okay.
So I tanked.
I did.
I completely tanked.
- Calm down, you're just nervous.
- Oh, no.
This is way beyond nervous.
The read-through? I couldn't remember one line.
Why are you psyching yourself out? You know the play.
We went through it two nights ago.
I know it when I run it with you.
With actual human beings, nothing.
- I suck for not being there.
I'm sorry.
- You do suck.
I'm giving you the opportunity to get back in my good books.
There's still the after-party.
Don't say no too quickly.
You'll need a shoulder to cry on after this northern-lights thing doesn't work out.
Okay, I'll try.
But don't count on it, all right? Current conditions are extremely favourable for auroral activity.
Where did this scientific mumbo jumbo come from? I thought A.
J.
was a poetry geek.
He's interested in more than just that.
He's a Renaissance man.
Fantastic.
He can bore you in seven languages.
No, just three, actually.
English, French and Latin.
Latin? Who speaks Latin? Spanish, now that's the foreign language of the people.
But, Latin, that's a dead language.
- He's here.
- Okay, thank you.
It's not too late to bail, okay? - Believe me.
- Why would I want to do that? Because this guy's an operator, okay? I can tell.
The first thing he'll do when he comes through that door is pay you some lame compliment about how incredible you look tonight.
- Pacey.
- I'm looking out for you.
He'll try something cute like negligible but not insignificant physical contact.
Like helping you out with your coat.
It's called being a gentleman.
I'm surprised you've heard of it.
I bet this party doesn't even exist.
If it does, I will lay you money that our boy seizes the first opportunity to get you alone.
Stay.
Hey.
Hi.
You look- You look amazing.
I should get my coat.
Let me help you with that.
Hey.
Thank you.
So who are all these people? Well, the guy who owns the place is a mathematician.
Once upon a time, he was my mentor.
- And everybody else? - His grad students, mostly.
Some astrophysicists and other left-leaning, impoverished academics.
- Can't you tell? - And how would I tell? Well, the cheap haircuts, the unfortunate fashion sense.
The pretentious taste in beverages.
It's mead.
It's what Beowulf drank before he slew Grendel.
You know, I wouldn't.
It's Can't I have some? No, it's alcoholic.
I thought that's what college guys lived for.
What? Opportunities to get high-school girls all liquored up.
Well, only ones with very little imagination.
Alcohol isn't exactly the most sophisticated way to seduce a girl.
I mean, there are better ways to go about it.
Not that I'm- I mean- I wasn't- Not planning on it.
Where's everyone going? Oh, cloud cover.
Viewing conditions aren't exactly clear.
Does that mean no lights? No, not necessarily.
It could clear up before midnight.
Midnight.
Yeah, for some unknown reason astronomical midnight is the best time for viewing auroral displays.
I guess that means we have quite a wait in store for us.
You're not gonna turn into a pumpkin if I keep you out that late, are you? - No.
- Good.
But I might freeze to death so maybe we should go inside and mingle with those astrophysicists.
Let's take a walk first.
You want to? Sure.
Oh, Dawson, there you are.
Where's Pacey? As director, shouldn't you have a better idea of that than I do? What's going on? It's only 20 minutes till curtain call, and my lead is nowhere to be found.
I swear I saw him come in earlier.
So he's gotta be around here somewhere, right? - I'll go look for him.
- Don't look, just find, please.
And tell him not to worry.
I'm not gonna kill him.
Till after the show.
- How'd you find me? - I have the misfortune of knowing how your brain works.
I seem to recall that the last time we were on a basketball court together I ended up getting my nose broken.
You've got a show to do.
Oh, just a couple more, you know? It helps.
It's part of the whole acting process.
Why are you so nervous? It's not like you've never acted before.
Yeah.
How many times did it take me to get that sea-creature thing right? - Good point.
- Yeah.
And at that point, how many people were watching me? And for that matter, how many ex-girlfriends were there counting on me to do a good job? Let me ask you this.
Acting, do you like it? You having fun? Well, I kind of got blackmailed into the whole thing but yeah, I have to say, it's been fun.
Actually, it's been a blast.
So then go out on-stage tonight and have a blast.
It's all that matters, man.
Find what you love to do and do it.
This is coming from a guy who gave up his life's passion to hang out with the underachievers in study hall, right? I didn't give it up.
I just decided to spread it around a little bit.
When did you become all Zen? I thought you'd be freaking out bigtime right now.
- Why? - I don't know.
Maybe because of Joey's big date with college guy.
I really suck at this game.
All right.
Come on, Olivier, your public awaits.
What if this guy is some big sex maniac? Joey's a big girl.
She can take care of herself.
That's all you've got to say? We're talking about Josephine Potter the girl whose destiny is intrinsically linked to your own.
It had to happen eventually.
You said that yourself.
Let's go.
Oh, please.
Oh, please.
Oh, please.
Hey, Henry.
Hey, I thought we were gonna meet out in front.
I thought that whoever got here first was supposed to save seats, so I did.
Henry, I'd like you to meet my Grams.
Your grandmother? Yeah.
Grams, this is Henry Parker.
Oh, well, what a pleasant surprise.
- I've heard so much about you.
- Nice to meet you.
Jennifer, why didn't you tell me Henry was coming? I would have gladly stayed at home so that you two could be alone.
It looks like the show's starting.
We should take our seats.
- How long have you been married? - Six days.
He won't notice the place is empty till June.
Well, El Dorado 58191, have a nice marriage.
Dawn, we've gotta get you buttoned.
Okay, you look great.
Don't be nervous.
- Andie.
- Pacey! How could you do this to me? I sent your understudy into makeup 15 minutes ago.
That's good.
He should stay there, because, Andie, I can't do this.
What? You can.
Come here.
I gave up on you knowing this word for word a long time ago.
So you're just gonna get the general gist of it, and you are gonna be fine.
Come on, let's go.
Let's go, you're up.
- I don't know.
- Come on, come on.
No, no, no.
Suitcase.
Okay, go.
Oh, Paul, darling.
Well? Say something.
It's six flights! Did you know that it's six flights? It isn't, it's five.
You think you want to go to an Ivy League school? I don't know.
I just know that if I don't try, you know, I'll always wonder.
Wonder what? If I was good enough.
Smart enough to To do something really important with my life.
You sound pretty driven.
Yeah.
Driven by fear of failure.
You know, I think maybe sometimes that happens to girls who lose their mothers when they're really young.
They're really driven to succeed.
Like Madonna? Well, I was thinking more along the lines of the Brontë sisters, but For a while I thought I liked art.
But now you don't anymore? No, it- I do.
It's- I don't know It's like there's this person that you want to be for other people to make them happy and to make them proud of you.
And then there's yourself.
Sometimes it's really hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.
Does that make sense? Yeah, completely.
You know, in medieval Europe, they used to think the northern lights were spirits of dead warriors.
And now? Well, now we know that they're just charged particles of the sun interacting with the Earth's upper atmosphere.
Charged particles.
Not too romantic.
Think about it from the particles' point of view.
Inexplicably drawn to something.
Unable to resist.
I just remembered I'm supposed to meet someone somewhere.
- Now? - Yeah.
- Can we go? - Yeah, sure.
Yeah.
I'll come down when you've said it again, loud and clear.
What? Anything, Paul.
- Paul Bratter.
- Paul Bratter.
- Rising young attorney.
- Rising young attorney.
Is a lousy, stinking drunk.
Is a lousy, stinking drunk.
And I love him.
I love you too, Corie.
Even when I didn't like you, I loved you.
Then please come down, darling.
Please.
- For you.
- You shouldn't have! - If you don't want them, that's okay.
- No, not so fast.
I cannot believe that you did this in one afternoon, Jack.
- It's amazing.
- You're the amazing one, sis.
And one word about how my people excel at decorating, you're dead.
Okay.
- Hey, congratulations.
- Oh, thank you so much.
You know, if you guys want to grab some punch or something I'm just gonna be right back.
You know, you better watch out.
I think Grams is moving in on your date.
And I think that you better stick to comedy that's scripted.
Fair enough.
Thanks for coming tonight.
Wouldn't have missed it for the world.
Opening night, packed house.
And not a Witter in attendance.
What a surprise.
- But Dawson's here.
- Yeah, I saw him.
- And Jack.
- That he is.
- And, of course, you.
- Yes, I am.
But you know who's not here? The critic from the Capeside Clarion? Joey.
Yeah, she couldn't make it.
Big date.
It's too bad.
She missed a great show.
- And an incredible leading man.
- Well, thank you muchly.
Of course, you hardly noticed.
Hardly.
- Barely missed her.
- Missed who? Nobody.
I come bearing crudités.
Well, thank you.
I think.
You know, Dawson I think you're taking this whole precocious-teenager thing a bit too far.
I mean, people shouldn't get disillusioned and give up the biz until they're at least, I don't know, 25.
It's not that big a deal.
All I'm doing is dropping an elective.
Film.
You dropped film.
- I thought that was who you are.
- It's part of who I am.
Remember when you said how there's so many things to be passionate about? - Sure.
- Well, when I got home that day I took all the movie posters off my walls.
Every last one.
There's this image that I keep on coming back to.
I'm 10, my parents take me to see Jurassic Park.
I'm sitting there, fourth row centre popcorn in lap, flanked by Mom and Dad.
And these two teenagers walk in.
A guy and a girl, about our age.
They sit in front of us and they proceed to make out throughout the entire movie.
And I remember sitting there, just being shocked that anyone would rather kiss than watch this fantasy unfold on-screen.
At one point, I actually tapped the guy on the shoulder and asked if he wouldn't mind keeping it down.
And he looked at me like: " Look, one day, kid, you'll get it.
" And here I am, all these years later.
I'm still not the kid who goes to the movies to make out.
I'm not the kid who sat between his parents anymore.
I'm this third person who's so busy analysing everything that I can't enjoy anything.
I mean, the other two guys, at least they were having fun.
I'm just not anymore.
And that's why I dropped film.
So where are you gonna look for this joy you once had but have now lost? I have absolutely no idea.
Any suggestions? Where were you when you had it last? So you're a huge hit.
See, I told you everything would work out, Pacey.
What are you doing here? Renaissance man bail on you? No.
It was just that it was getting late, and the clouds were moving in.
Once it's overcast, there's no chance of seeing the northern lights from this latitude.
Plus, it was cold, so we decided- He kissed you, didn't he? - What makes you say that? - He'd have to be a moron not to.
And your lipstick is smeared all over your face.
That's what I get for letting Bessie talk me into Very Berry, I guess.
So are you gonna see this guy again? I don't know.
I mean, what's the point? I mean, he's older than me.
He's smarter than me.
And he lives far away, a very not-insignificant problem seeing as how I can't even drive yet.
How could I ever feel about him the way that I? Feel about Dawson.
No, I was actually going to say "felt.
" Want to know something, Miss Josephine Potter? I think the world may just surprise you yet.
You fall in love and it doesn't work out and you think it'll never happen again, but it does.
Believe me, it does, in the strangest of places.
What makes you such an expert, Pacey? Well, I'm an actor.
You know, a poor player, strutting and fretting and all the rest of that Shakespearean stuff.
And as such, it is my job to understand the sophisticated inner workings of the human heart.
I think I liked you better when you were brooding and defeatist.
What? I think your date may not be over so soon after all.
Oh, go on.
You know you want to.
Okay.
Thanks.
Jen! Henry, what the hell? - There's someone in the rafters.
- He's crazy.
- He could fall.
- Dude, he's in the rafters! - Check it out! - Jen.
- Henry, get down.
- No.
Look, I'm not kidding.
Get down from there.
I'll come down when you say it loud and clear.
- What? Say what? - I, Jen Lindley.
I, Jen Lindley.
Am embarrassed to be here on a date with Henry Parker.
Am embarrassed to be here on a date with Henry Parker.
- Now, get down.
- I've ignored him.
- I've ignored him.
- Taken him for granted.
Taken him for granted.
And spent the last five months of my life making him miserable all to disguise the horrifying fact that I like him.
Get over it, man.
Henry, get down.
Could someone get a ladder? What made you come back? I never left.
Since I dropped you off, I've been sitting in the parking lot thinking about how when someone says something you don't understand you're suddenly faced with this limited window of opportunity in which you can ask the person to explain or spend the rest of your life pretending you understood them.
I just thought I'd reopen the window.
Did I do something wrong? No, A.
J.
, I kind of panicked.
You know that thing called grace under pressure? Well, I don't really have it, not even a smidge.
Joey, it was just a kiss.
It wasn't the running of the bulls in Pamplona.
When you kissed me, I suddenly realized that I was standing there with this person who, you know, has skipped about a zillion grades and knows everything about everything.
I knew the minute you stopped kissing me you would realize you'd made a mistake, because- Because why? Most things that you talk about, I don't even know what they are.
Things like literature and science and history just pour out of you like you're this Good Will Hunting impersonator, and Is there anything that you're not an authority on? Girls.
Beautiful girls.
Their hopes, their dreams what makes them tick.
I wish I knew a little bit more about that.
Me too.
You might know more about that than you think you do.
So I guess we never got to see them the northern lights.
No.
Next time.
I've seen them before.
Will you tell me about them? It's like the sky you've known your whole life the one you've looked up at every night as a kid.
Only, you look up at it and it's like it's on fire.
Flooded with all these brilliant colours.
Sounds kind of scary.
Yeah, it is.
But beautiful.
Not too glamorous, huh? Stuck with cleanup duty on your big night.
I don't mind.
I'm sorry Dad couldn't be here.
Oh, don't be sorry.
That actually kind of made it better.
Being around people who don't know me so well who believe in the person I am today that don't really know everything that I used to be.
It was great.
The whole night I felt like The belle of the ball? No.
More like me.
Like myself.
That is some of the best news I've heard in a long time.
I had this mantra in the hospital.
- You want to hear it? - Yeah.
Structure and purpose.
I know it's just a stupid little school play, but that's what it was to me.
Structure and purpose.
I think when you have something like that in your life to hold on to that's not another person but it's more like a part of yourself, you know, like a goal or a dream the whole world falls apart around you, you'll be okay.
And you are okay? Yeah, I'm great.
You sure you're that great? There's one way to find out.
Hey.
Hey.
You weren't exactly the life of the party tonight.
No, I guess I got a lot of stuff on my mind.
Yeah, it's too bad your parents couldn't come.
As it turns out, there are a lot of people who couldn't make it tonight - so c'est la vie.
- Yeah, but I mean too bad they couldn't see you being a star and all tonight.
I think that you and I both know who the real star of that production is.
The actors, all we do is come on at the last moment and grab all the glory.
The people who work behind the scenes make everything happen.
I mean, nobody ever knows all the work that you guys do.
They know.
So it looks like you're gonna get that guaranteed C in English.
You're disappointed, aren't you? About my pathetic return to the depths of academic mediocrity? I'm not disappointed.
Girls have these idiotic, misguided notions about guys.
We think we can spruce them up and turn them into something they're not.
In your defence, I wasn't exactly what you'd call a luxury model.
I did have "fixer-upper" written all over me.
Yeah, you pretty much were priced to sell, weren't you? Yes, I was.
Damaged goods.
But thing is, Pacey I was wrong.
There was never anything about you that needed fixing up.
And there never was, and there never will be because you're perfect as is.
You too, Andie.
- What? - I'm trying.
So, what do you think my next project should be? It definitely won't be involving you.
No.
My people will certainly not be calling your people.
I don't know, I was thinking maybe an all-girl cast.
Or perhaps puppets.
Puppets are really good.
They're very directable, unlike myself.
I can't remember when I felt this depressed.
Oh, yeah.
Ten minutes ago.
You'll get no sympathy from these quarters.
I know.
For a second there, I thought I saw you smiling.
You are not like other boys.
Has anybody told you that before? Yeah, you.
It's just that you gotta stop it with these grand gestures these larger-than-life public declarations.
They're You're like the Christo of teenage crushes.
Who's Christo? Well, he's kind of like a sculptor.
He does these really large Never mind.
It's just that you don't have to try so hard.
I want to know you, Jen Lindley.
I want to be honest with you.
Totally and completely honest.
Nobody can ever be completely honest, Henry.
No one over the age of 6, that is.
I can.
You know what? You can, can't you? I don't know what it is or how you managed to keep it for so long but you've definitely got that thing that children have.
You have it too.
You've just forgotten about it.
No.
Henry, I don't think that I ever had it.
Then I can teach you.
Just say whatever is in your heart right now, right at this instant.
Was that honest enough? Almost.
I'd say about 70 percent.
Not so fast.
A certain boy we both know is waiting to see you.
Dawson? Hey, I'm sorry to show up like this.
I know you just got back from your date.
- If that's what this is about- - No, it's not.
It's not.
I swear.
How did you know about my date, anyway? Pacey told me.
And you don't have to explain.
If anybody has to explain, it's me, showing up like this.
So why did you show up like this? I needed to see you.
You know? I just- I suddenly felt very lost.
How did you think you'd feel after you took down all your posters and suddenly decided to drop film class? Well, I didn't think.
I just did.
And now you're thinking and you realize you don't know who you are anymore? Something like that, yeah.
I think you lost your true north.
That fixed point in the night sky that you guide yourself by.
What about you? What's your true north? I don't think I have one.
What is that? The aurora borealis.
The northern lights? Aren't we too far south for that here in Capeside? Apparently not.
It's funny.
I have been waiting all night for this and it happens now, with you.
Is that a bad thing? No.
It's It's just typical.
I thought they'd be bluer than this.
We'll do whatever you want.
- Something wild, insane and crazy? - I promise.
- Like what? - Like I'll come home from work early and we'll wallpaper each other.
No way.
Sorry, we're done.
We can't stop now.
I don't know this stuff.
Sorry, but the next page consists solely of cooing, tickling and lap-sitting three things definitely not in my range as an actress.
You'll be sorry tomorrow night when I get up on-stage, panic draw a complete blank and then start ad-libbing obscenities to the crowd.
Actually, Pacey, I kind of thought I'd go on Saturday.
- Saturday? - Yeah.
No, you don't want to come on Saturday.
Come on Friday.
It's opening night.
Much better chance you'll get to witness some amusing disaster.
Like scenery falling on my head, or my co-star hyperventilating from one of my intoxicating stage kisses.
Yeah, you're known for those.
So, what do you say? Front row centre? I can't.
I kind of have this thing I have to do on Friday night.
What thing? It's just this thing.
This guy.
What guy? - A.
J.
- College guy? He's coming to the Cape for a party, and he invited me to go with him.
- You're going to a frat party? - He's not that kind of a college guy.
Have you ever heard of the aurora borealis? The northern lights? Yeah, I've heard of them.
I may not be Ivy League material but give me a road map and a remote I can find my way to the Discovery Channel.
There are 10 nights out of the year when you can actually see them from this part of the world.
Tomorrow may be one.
- Factor in recent sunspot activity- - Northern lights, my ass.
This guy is just trying to separate you from the Potter pantalones.
Read a newspaper once in a while.
You cannot fake geomagnetic activity.
Yeah, you can.
Sure you can.
You can fake anything.
Especially if you're some Ivy League egghead and it's all part of some astronomical make-out scam.
I'm talking as the voice of reason here, okay? The chances of the northern lights appearing in the sky above Capeside are as good as the chances of me acquitting myself with distinction on-stage.
Yeah, well, call me crazy, but I'll take those odds any day.
So, what do you think? - What do I think? - Yeah.
I think you're going to be pretty bored in study hall.
It could be an interesting opportunity to study some human behaviour.
At least until I figure out what my next move is gonna be.
Just don't go joining the yearbook.
It's bad enough that Pacey's doing this play thing.
- Tonight's opening night, isn't it? - Yeah You dropped film class? Are you insane? I can tell you guys have a lot to discuss - so see you later.
- Okay.
This doesn't have anything to do with the film festival, does it? No, it doesn't.
I just need to walk away for a little while.
Recharge my batteries.
Well, the least you could have done was given me a heads-up.
We're partners, Dawson.
And in three days, we're supposed to pitch a feature film to the entire class.
Mr.
Jordan will be happy to give you an extension and a new partner.
I don't want another partner.
I want you.
Are you kidding? You're probably done already.
Well, yeah, but I was gonna ask for your ideas.
If you did, you would've realized I don't have any.
- You don't have any ideas? - No.
Dawson, you are the most creative person in the class.
That's where you'd be wrong, because, as of 8: 15 I'm now the most creative person not in the class.
How are we supposed to go up tonight if you keep forgetting your lines? I know the lines, okay? I got a bit of recall delay, that's all.
Where's Mr.
Broderick? Our play is falling apart at the seams! Pacey, just take it from the top.
Sure thing, boss.
What's the top again? - Your entrance.
- Entrance.
Right.
- Hey.
- Not now, Jack.
We're trying to do this read-through but Pacey has chosen to leave his memory at home.
Well, about 30 minutes ago in English class, Mr.
Broderick- - What? - Just come with me.
Come on.
The nurse thinks it's a kidney stone.
My wife's picking me up in five minutes.
No, no, no.
The play's going up in less than eight hours.
I'm sorry, Andie.
I'm not gonna make it there.
You're gonna have to take my place.
No, you don't understand.
See, I have tickets to sell and the after-party to set up.
I can't do everything by myself.
- I can do the tickets and after-party.
- There you go.
Jack'll help you.
- But- - I have faith in you, Andie.
I mean, who am I kidding? It's been your show all along.
This is your night.
Here.
- Your director's binder? - It's yours now.
And as the houselights fall over that magic place we call the theatre all I ask is that you give pause for a fleeting moment and think of me.
Henry! Wait, wait, Parker! Parker, wait up! - Hi, Henry.
- Jen.
- Okay, why are you avoiding me? - Why are you cancelling dinner? What makes you think that I'm cancelling? Ever since you agreed to this little, dare I call it "date" you don't even make eye contact with me in the hallway.
It's like you got this giant blind spot in exactly my shape and size.
Aren't you being a little bit paranoid? Are you or are you not cancelling our date? I'm not cancelling anything.
- You're not? - No.
No, I'm just postponing.
Look, see, it's Pacey's opening night and I figured that I should be there to support him.
So that's all this is about, the play? Yeah.
Yeah, that's all this is about.
- Great.
- What do you mean, "great"? I'll go with you, to the play.
What time's curtain? Seven.
Seven.
All right, I'll be there.
I mean, if that's all right with you.
- Yeah.
Yeah, it's fine.
- Okay.
Don't even think about coming near me with that medieval torture device.
- That can't be him.
- Just relax.
Let Bodie get it.
Tell me how I'm not supposed to worry about you going out with an older guy.
He's not that old, Bessie.
He's, like, 19.
Well, it's a boy.
Just not the one we expected.
Okay.
So I tanked.
I did.
I completely tanked.
- Calm down, you're just nervous.
- Oh, no.
This is way beyond nervous.
The read-through? I couldn't remember one line.
Why are you psyching yourself out? You know the play.
We went through it two nights ago.
I know it when I run it with you.
With actual human beings, nothing.
- I suck for not being there.
I'm sorry.
- You do suck.
I'm giving you the opportunity to get back in my good books.
There's still the after-party.
Don't say no too quickly.
You'll need a shoulder to cry on after this northern-lights thing doesn't work out.
Okay, I'll try.
But don't count on it, all right? Current conditions are extremely favourable for auroral activity.
Where did this scientific mumbo jumbo come from? I thought A.
J.
was a poetry geek.
He's interested in more than just that.
He's a Renaissance man.
Fantastic.
He can bore you in seven languages.
No, just three, actually.
English, French and Latin.
Latin? Who speaks Latin? Spanish, now that's the foreign language of the people.
But, Latin, that's a dead language.
- He's here.
- Okay, thank you.
It's not too late to bail, okay? - Believe me.
- Why would I want to do that? Because this guy's an operator, okay? I can tell.
The first thing he'll do when he comes through that door is pay you some lame compliment about how incredible you look tonight.
- Pacey.
- I'm looking out for you.
He'll try something cute like negligible but not insignificant physical contact.
Like helping you out with your coat.
It's called being a gentleman.
I'm surprised you've heard of it.
I bet this party doesn't even exist.
If it does, I will lay you money that our boy seizes the first opportunity to get you alone.
Stay.
Hey.
Hi.
You look- You look amazing.
I should get my coat.
Let me help you with that.
Hey.
Thank you.
So who are all these people? Well, the guy who owns the place is a mathematician.
Once upon a time, he was my mentor.
- And everybody else? - His grad students, mostly.
Some astrophysicists and other left-leaning, impoverished academics.
- Can't you tell? - And how would I tell? Well, the cheap haircuts, the unfortunate fashion sense.
The pretentious taste in beverages.
It's mead.
It's what Beowulf drank before he slew Grendel.
You know, I wouldn't.
It's Can't I have some? No, it's alcoholic.
I thought that's what college guys lived for.
What? Opportunities to get high-school girls all liquored up.
Well, only ones with very little imagination.
Alcohol isn't exactly the most sophisticated way to seduce a girl.
I mean, there are better ways to go about it.
Not that I'm- I mean- I wasn't- Not planning on it.
Where's everyone going? Oh, cloud cover.
Viewing conditions aren't exactly clear.
Does that mean no lights? No, not necessarily.
It could clear up before midnight.
Midnight.
Yeah, for some unknown reason astronomical midnight is the best time for viewing auroral displays.
I guess that means we have quite a wait in store for us.
You're not gonna turn into a pumpkin if I keep you out that late, are you? - No.
- Good.
But I might freeze to death so maybe we should go inside and mingle with those astrophysicists.
Let's take a walk first.
You want to? Sure.
Oh, Dawson, there you are.
Where's Pacey? As director, shouldn't you have a better idea of that than I do? What's going on? It's only 20 minutes till curtain call, and my lead is nowhere to be found.
I swear I saw him come in earlier.
So he's gotta be around here somewhere, right? - I'll go look for him.
- Don't look, just find, please.
And tell him not to worry.
I'm not gonna kill him.
Till after the show.
- How'd you find me? - I have the misfortune of knowing how your brain works.
I seem to recall that the last time we were on a basketball court together I ended up getting my nose broken.
You've got a show to do.
Oh, just a couple more, you know? It helps.
It's part of the whole acting process.
Why are you so nervous? It's not like you've never acted before.
Yeah.
How many times did it take me to get that sea-creature thing right? - Good point.
- Yeah.
And at that point, how many people were watching me? And for that matter, how many ex-girlfriends were there counting on me to do a good job? Let me ask you this.
Acting, do you like it? You having fun? Well, I kind of got blackmailed into the whole thing but yeah, I have to say, it's been fun.
Actually, it's been a blast.
So then go out on-stage tonight and have a blast.
It's all that matters, man.
Find what you love to do and do it.
This is coming from a guy who gave up his life's passion to hang out with the underachievers in study hall, right? I didn't give it up.
I just decided to spread it around a little bit.
When did you become all Zen? I thought you'd be freaking out bigtime right now.
- Why? - I don't know.
Maybe because of Joey's big date with college guy.
I really suck at this game.
All right.
Come on, Olivier, your public awaits.
What if this guy is some big sex maniac? Joey's a big girl.
She can take care of herself.
That's all you've got to say? We're talking about Josephine Potter the girl whose destiny is intrinsically linked to your own.
It had to happen eventually.
You said that yourself.
Let's go.
Oh, please.
Oh, please.
Oh, please.
Hey, Henry.
Hey, I thought we were gonna meet out in front.
I thought that whoever got here first was supposed to save seats, so I did.
Henry, I'd like you to meet my Grams.
Your grandmother? Yeah.
Grams, this is Henry Parker.
Oh, well, what a pleasant surprise.
- I've heard so much about you.
- Nice to meet you.
Jennifer, why didn't you tell me Henry was coming? I would have gladly stayed at home so that you two could be alone.
It looks like the show's starting.
We should take our seats.
- How long have you been married? - Six days.
He won't notice the place is empty till June.
Well, El Dorado 58191, have a nice marriage.
Dawn, we've gotta get you buttoned.
Okay, you look great.
Don't be nervous.
- Andie.
- Pacey! How could you do this to me? I sent your understudy into makeup 15 minutes ago.
That's good.
He should stay there, because, Andie, I can't do this.
What? You can.
Come here.
I gave up on you knowing this word for word a long time ago.
So you're just gonna get the general gist of it, and you are gonna be fine.
Come on, let's go.
Let's go, you're up.
- I don't know.
- Come on, come on.
No, no, no.
Suitcase.
Okay, go.
Oh, Paul, darling.
Well? Say something.
It's six flights! Did you know that it's six flights? It isn't, it's five.
You think you want to go to an Ivy League school? I don't know.
I just know that if I don't try, you know, I'll always wonder.
Wonder what? If I was good enough.
Smart enough to To do something really important with my life.
You sound pretty driven.
Yeah.
Driven by fear of failure.
You know, I think maybe sometimes that happens to girls who lose their mothers when they're really young.
They're really driven to succeed.
Like Madonna? Well, I was thinking more along the lines of the Brontë sisters, but For a while I thought I liked art.
But now you don't anymore? No, it- I do.
It's- I don't know It's like there's this person that you want to be for other people to make them happy and to make them proud of you.
And then there's yourself.
Sometimes it's really hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.
Does that make sense? Yeah, completely.
You know, in medieval Europe, they used to think the northern lights were spirits of dead warriors.
And now? Well, now we know that they're just charged particles of the sun interacting with the Earth's upper atmosphere.
Charged particles.
Not too romantic.
Think about it from the particles' point of view.
Inexplicably drawn to something.
Unable to resist.
I just remembered I'm supposed to meet someone somewhere.
- Now? - Yeah.
- Can we go? - Yeah, sure.
Yeah.
I'll come down when you've said it again, loud and clear.
What? Anything, Paul.
- Paul Bratter.
- Paul Bratter.
- Rising young attorney.
- Rising young attorney.
Is a lousy, stinking drunk.
Is a lousy, stinking drunk.
And I love him.
I love you too, Corie.
Even when I didn't like you, I loved you.
Then please come down, darling.
Please.
- For you.
- You shouldn't have! - If you don't want them, that's okay.
- No, not so fast.
I cannot believe that you did this in one afternoon, Jack.
- It's amazing.
- You're the amazing one, sis.
And one word about how my people excel at decorating, you're dead.
Okay.
- Hey, congratulations.
- Oh, thank you so much.
You know, if you guys want to grab some punch or something I'm just gonna be right back.
You know, you better watch out.
I think Grams is moving in on your date.
And I think that you better stick to comedy that's scripted.
Fair enough.
Thanks for coming tonight.
Wouldn't have missed it for the world.
Opening night, packed house.
And not a Witter in attendance.
What a surprise.
- But Dawson's here.
- Yeah, I saw him.
- And Jack.
- That he is.
- And, of course, you.
- Yes, I am.
But you know who's not here? The critic from the Capeside Clarion? Joey.
Yeah, she couldn't make it.
Big date.
It's too bad.
She missed a great show.
- And an incredible leading man.
- Well, thank you muchly.
Of course, you hardly noticed.
Hardly.
- Barely missed her.
- Missed who? Nobody.
I come bearing crudités.
Well, thank you.
I think.
You know, Dawson I think you're taking this whole precocious-teenager thing a bit too far.
I mean, people shouldn't get disillusioned and give up the biz until they're at least, I don't know, 25.
It's not that big a deal.
All I'm doing is dropping an elective.
Film.
You dropped film.
- I thought that was who you are.
- It's part of who I am.
Remember when you said how there's so many things to be passionate about? - Sure.
- Well, when I got home that day I took all the movie posters off my walls.
Every last one.
There's this image that I keep on coming back to.
I'm 10, my parents take me to see Jurassic Park.
I'm sitting there, fourth row centre popcorn in lap, flanked by Mom and Dad.
And these two teenagers walk in.
A guy and a girl, about our age.
They sit in front of us and they proceed to make out throughout the entire movie.
And I remember sitting there, just being shocked that anyone would rather kiss than watch this fantasy unfold on-screen.
At one point, I actually tapped the guy on the shoulder and asked if he wouldn't mind keeping it down.
And he looked at me like: " Look, one day, kid, you'll get it.
" And here I am, all these years later.
I'm still not the kid who goes to the movies to make out.
I'm not the kid who sat between his parents anymore.
I'm this third person who's so busy analysing everything that I can't enjoy anything.
I mean, the other two guys, at least they were having fun.
I'm just not anymore.
And that's why I dropped film.
So where are you gonna look for this joy you once had but have now lost? I have absolutely no idea.
Any suggestions? Where were you when you had it last? So you're a huge hit.
See, I told you everything would work out, Pacey.
What are you doing here? Renaissance man bail on you? No.
It was just that it was getting late, and the clouds were moving in.
Once it's overcast, there's no chance of seeing the northern lights from this latitude.
Plus, it was cold, so we decided- He kissed you, didn't he? - What makes you say that? - He'd have to be a moron not to.
And your lipstick is smeared all over your face.
That's what I get for letting Bessie talk me into Very Berry, I guess.
So are you gonna see this guy again? I don't know.
I mean, what's the point? I mean, he's older than me.
He's smarter than me.
And he lives far away, a very not-insignificant problem seeing as how I can't even drive yet.
How could I ever feel about him the way that I? Feel about Dawson.
No, I was actually going to say "felt.
" Want to know something, Miss Josephine Potter? I think the world may just surprise you yet.
You fall in love and it doesn't work out and you think it'll never happen again, but it does.
Believe me, it does, in the strangest of places.
What makes you such an expert, Pacey? Well, I'm an actor.
You know, a poor player, strutting and fretting and all the rest of that Shakespearean stuff.
And as such, it is my job to understand the sophisticated inner workings of the human heart.
I think I liked you better when you were brooding and defeatist.
What? I think your date may not be over so soon after all.
Oh, go on.
You know you want to.
Okay.
Thanks.
Jen! Henry, what the hell? - There's someone in the rafters.
- He's crazy.
- He could fall.
- Dude, he's in the rafters! - Check it out! - Jen.
- Henry, get down.
- No.
Look, I'm not kidding.
Get down from there.
I'll come down when you say it loud and clear.
- What? Say what? - I, Jen Lindley.
I, Jen Lindley.
Am embarrassed to be here on a date with Henry Parker.
Am embarrassed to be here on a date with Henry Parker.
- Now, get down.
- I've ignored him.
- I've ignored him.
- Taken him for granted.
Taken him for granted.
And spent the last five months of my life making him miserable all to disguise the horrifying fact that I like him.
Get over it, man.
Henry, get down.
Could someone get a ladder? What made you come back? I never left.
Since I dropped you off, I've been sitting in the parking lot thinking about how when someone says something you don't understand you're suddenly faced with this limited window of opportunity in which you can ask the person to explain or spend the rest of your life pretending you understood them.
I just thought I'd reopen the window.
Did I do something wrong? No, A.
J.
, I kind of panicked.
You know that thing called grace under pressure? Well, I don't really have it, not even a smidge.
Joey, it was just a kiss.
It wasn't the running of the bulls in Pamplona.
When you kissed me, I suddenly realized that I was standing there with this person who, you know, has skipped about a zillion grades and knows everything about everything.
I knew the minute you stopped kissing me you would realize you'd made a mistake, because- Because why? Most things that you talk about, I don't even know what they are.
Things like literature and science and history just pour out of you like you're this Good Will Hunting impersonator, and Is there anything that you're not an authority on? Girls.
Beautiful girls.
Their hopes, their dreams what makes them tick.
I wish I knew a little bit more about that.
Me too.
You might know more about that than you think you do.
So I guess we never got to see them the northern lights.
No.
Next time.
I've seen them before.
Will you tell me about them? It's like the sky you've known your whole life the one you've looked up at every night as a kid.
Only, you look up at it and it's like it's on fire.
Flooded with all these brilliant colours.
Sounds kind of scary.
Yeah, it is.
But beautiful.
Not too glamorous, huh? Stuck with cleanup duty on your big night.
I don't mind.
I'm sorry Dad couldn't be here.
Oh, don't be sorry.
That actually kind of made it better.
Being around people who don't know me so well who believe in the person I am today that don't really know everything that I used to be.
It was great.
The whole night I felt like The belle of the ball? No.
More like me.
Like myself.
That is some of the best news I've heard in a long time.
I had this mantra in the hospital.
- You want to hear it? - Yeah.
Structure and purpose.
I know it's just a stupid little school play, but that's what it was to me.
Structure and purpose.
I think when you have something like that in your life to hold on to that's not another person but it's more like a part of yourself, you know, like a goal or a dream the whole world falls apart around you, you'll be okay.
And you are okay? Yeah, I'm great.
You sure you're that great? There's one way to find out.
Hey.
Hey.
You weren't exactly the life of the party tonight.
No, I guess I got a lot of stuff on my mind.
Yeah, it's too bad your parents couldn't come.
As it turns out, there are a lot of people who couldn't make it tonight - so c'est la vie.
- Yeah, but I mean too bad they couldn't see you being a star and all tonight.
I think that you and I both know who the real star of that production is.
The actors, all we do is come on at the last moment and grab all the glory.
The people who work behind the scenes make everything happen.
I mean, nobody ever knows all the work that you guys do.
They know.
So it looks like you're gonna get that guaranteed C in English.
You're disappointed, aren't you? About my pathetic return to the depths of academic mediocrity? I'm not disappointed.
Girls have these idiotic, misguided notions about guys.
We think we can spruce them up and turn them into something they're not.
In your defence, I wasn't exactly what you'd call a luxury model.
I did have "fixer-upper" written all over me.
Yeah, you pretty much were priced to sell, weren't you? Yes, I was.
Damaged goods.
But thing is, Pacey I was wrong.
There was never anything about you that needed fixing up.
And there never was, and there never will be because you're perfect as is.
You too, Andie.
- What? - I'm trying.
So, what do you think my next project should be? It definitely won't be involving you.
No.
My people will certainly not be calling your people.
I don't know, I was thinking maybe an all-girl cast.
Or perhaps puppets.
Puppets are really good.
They're very directable, unlike myself.
I can't remember when I felt this depressed.
Oh, yeah.
Ten minutes ago.
You'll get no sympathy from these quarters.
I know.
For a second there, I thought I saw you smiling.
You are not like other boys.
Has anybody told you that before? Yeah, you.
It's just that you gotta stop it with these grand gestures these larger-than-life public declarations.
They're You're like the Christo of teenage crushes.
Who's Christo? Well, he's kind of like a sculptor.
He does these really large Never mind.
It's just that you don't have to try so hard.
I want to know you, Jen Lindley.
I want to be honest with you.
Totally and completely honest.
Nobody can ever be completely honest, Henry.
No one over the age of 6, that is.
I can.
You know what? You can, can't you? I don't know what it is or how you managed to keep it for so long but you've definitely got that thing that children have.
You have it too.
You've just forgotten about it.
No.
Henry, I don't think that I ever had it.
Then I can teach you.
Just say whatever is in your heart right now, right at this instant.
Was that honest enough? Almost.
I'd say about 70 percent.
Not so fast.
A certain boy we both know is waiting to see you.
Dawson? Hey, I'm sorry to show up like this.
I know you just got back from your date.
- If that's what this is about- - No, it's not.
It's not.
I swear.
How did you know about my date, anyway? Pacey told me.
And you don't have to explain.
If anybody has to explain, it's me, showing up like this.
So why did you show up like this? I needed to see you.
You know? I just- I suddenly felt very lost.
How did you think you'd feel after you took down all your posters and suddenly decided to drop film class? Well, I didn't think.
I just did.
And now you're thinking and you realize you don't know who you are anymore? Something like that, yeah.
I think you lost your true north.
That fixed point in the night sky that you guide yourself by.
What about you? What's your true north? I don't think I have one.
What is that? The aurora borealis.
The northern lights? Aren't we too far south for that here in Capeside? Apparently not.
It's funny.
I have been waiting all night for this and it happens now, with you.
Is that a bad thing? No.
It's It's just typical.
I thought they'd be bluer than this.