Lean on Me (1989)

Jermaine Hopkins: Thomas Sams

Photos 

Quotes 

• Joe Clark : [Clark's roof-top pep-talk to Thomas Sams]  Now, let me tell you something: The trouble with being a teenager is you don't know nothing. The problem with teenagers is you THINK you're smarter than people who've already been down the road you're traveling. You know what I'm trying to say, boy?

  [Sams hangs his head; Joe picks it up for him] 

  Joe Clark : DO YOU?

  Thomas Sams : Yes, sir.

  Joe Clark : Did you tell your father I threw you out of school?

  [Sams hangs his head again] 

  Joe Clark : LOOK AT ME, DAMN IT!

  Thomas Sams : No, sir.

  Joe Clark : Why not? No guts, huh? Afraid of what he's gonna say to you, aren't ya?

  Thomas Sams : My father doesn't live with us anymore, sir.

  Joe Clark : Oh, is that what you're doing now? Goin' around, feeling sorry for yourself, boy? Huh? Go on, get outta here! You're wasting my time!

  Thomas Sams : [crying]  Please, let me back, sir! I have to get back to school. I can't go home to tell my momma I got kicked out of school.

  Joe Clark : Now why should I let you back into my school, Sams?

  Thomas Sams : 'Cause I'm gonna do better, sir.

  Joe Clark : How?

  Thomas Sams : By doing my work.

  Joe Clark : What else?

  Thomas Sams : And staying out of trouble.

  Joe Clark : What have you been thinking about all this time? Why should I believe you now?

  Thomas Sams : 'Cause I changed my ways.

  Joe Clark : I don't believe you, Sams. I don't think you've changed a thing. Go on, jump!

  Thomas Sams : [sobbing]  No, I don't wanna jump!

  Joe Clark : Yes, you do! You smoke crack, don't ya?

  [Sams hangs his head; Clark lifts it right back up] 

  Joe Clark : You smoke crack, don't ya?

  [Sams hangs his head again, sobbing] 

  Joe Clark : LOOK AT ME, BOY! DON'T YOU SMOKE CRACK?

  Thomas Sams : Ye-ye... yes, sir.

  Joe Clark : You know what that does to ya? Huh?

  Thomas Sams : No, sir.

  Joe Clark : [tapping Sams's head]  It kills your braincells, son! It kills your braincells! Now, when you're destroying your braincells, you're doing the same thing as killing yourself; you're just doing it slower! Now, I say if you wanna kill yourself, don't fuck around with it! Go on and do it EXPEDITIOUSLY! Now go on and jump! JUMP!

  Thomas Sams : [crying]  No! I don't wanna kill myself, sir!

  Joe Clark : [calming down]  You're quite sure about this, are ya?

  Thomas Sams : Yes, sir.

  Joe Clark : [pause]  Alright, Sams, I'll tell ya what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna go back on my own word, just this once, and let you back into my school... 'cause you're still a baby and you don't know shit.

  [points his finger at Sams] 

  Joe Clark : But you understand this, boy. You're not gonna get a moment's rest! I'm gonna be on your case every minute! You mess up just once and you're outta here! Now you understand me?

  [pause] 

  Joe Clark : Do you understand me?

  Thomas Sams : Yes, sir.

  Joe Clark : [calmly]  Alright, go on back downstairs.

  [as Sams departs from the roof, Joe turns away. His expression becomes grateful, as if to say, "At least I got ONE of those 300 back; I was hoping more of them would see the light."] 

• Thomas Sams : Hey, Mr. Clark, what did they get you for?

  Ms. Levias : What's the charge? What's this all about?

  Leonna Barrett : It's about someone finally standing up to this man, instead of taking his orders like a maid.

  Ms. Levias : How dare you speak about people like that? Who do you think you are?

  Joe Clark : [while taken in handcuffs by the fire chief and other police officers]  Mrs. Barrett, if you think you can...

  Leonna Barrett : Shut up! You're finished!

  [holds up the tape recorder] 

  Leonna Barrett : The school board's going to hear this at 7:00, and we are going to vote your black ass out!

  Thomas Sams : Yo, bitch! Vote on THIS!

  [gestures angrily] 

  Joe Clark : Sams, you go to class!

• Leonna Barrett : [as the crowd is chanting "FREE MR. CLARK"]  Listen to me! People, please! You must all disperse and return to your homes! Your presence here is helping no one! Why don't you use your brains and listen?

  Clarence : [stepping up to take the megaphone and turn on the siren]  Everybody, come on, listen up! Now let's just settle down, give her a chance to talk. She might actually have something to say. Now everybody just chill, settle down, and let's listen to the old loudmouth wench!

  [Everyone laughs and cheers as he hands her back the megaphone] 

  Leonna Barrett : [as she is talking on the megaphone, Mr. Clark approaches the doorway at the top of the City Hall stairs]  You can call me what you want, but the simple fact is as follows: Mr. Clark has broken the laws of the state, and exposed you all to grave danger.

  [Everyone boos and protests] 

  Leonna Barrett : His behavior is irresponsible. Chaining those doors was a criminal act. Why do you think they call him Crazy Joe?

  Thomas Sams : Because you all don't understand him!

  Maria : He chained those doors to keep out the drug dealers, and to make us all feel safe. You talk about upholding the law, but you're twisting the law. The laws are made to protect the people, and that's what he's doing for us. That's ALL he's doing for us!

  [Everyone applauds in agreement] 

  Reggie : The thing you don't understand is that Mr. Clark believes in us. He's provided an environment...

  Kaneesha Carter : [to Reggie]  He don't believe in YOU, 'cause you don't take care of your responsibilities!

  [everyone points and laughs at him] 

  Leonna Barrett : Despite what he himself may believe, Mr. Clark is not Eastside High!

  Kaneesha Carter : Mr. Clark doesn't CLAIM to be Eastside High! Still, he's been like a father to some of us who grew up without fathers! But you wouldn't know, because you couldn't care less about that!

  Leonna Barrett : People, just hear me! The school board is meeting right now. And I promise you, we will give you what Eastside High deserves: a good principal!

  Thomas Sams : We don't NEED a good principal! That's why we're here! WE *NEED* MR. CLARK!

• Thomas Sams : [while walking with his friends]  Girl! I look at you and I want that oochie coochie!

• Joe Clark : [looks at the boys restroom, suspects Sams is hiding something]  What do you got in here, Sams?

  Thomas Sams : You don't want to go in there Mr. Clark it stinks!

  [Clark grabs Sams and they go into the boys restroom]