Story of My Life, The movie - Write What You Know lyrics
rate meTHOMAS<br>
We are gathered to honor the life of Alvin Kelby. He was my best friend.<br>
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<br>
(He finds a pen and makes a correction.)<br>
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My good friend.<br>
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My oldest friend.<br>
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My insert-adjective-later friend.<br>
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(He tears the page from the book and tries again.)<br>
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<br>
Hello. My name is Thomas Weaver.<br>
I’m a multi-award-winning, best-selling author and I have absolutely no idea what to write.<br>
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<br>
Write what you know, Tom.<br>
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<br>
WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW.<br>
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(Thomas writes.)<br>
<br>
WE MET IN FIRST GRADE.<br>
WE WERE FRIENDS FOR YEARS.<br>
GOOD FRIENDS.<br>
INSEPARABLE.<br>
<br>
<br>
(He stops writing.)<br>
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THAT MUCH I KNOW.<br>
THAT MUCH I KNOW.<br>
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WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW, TOM.<br>
WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW.<br>
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<br>
(He resumes writing.)<br>
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<br>
HE WAS A SMART KID.<br>
HE WAS SORT OF ODD.<br>
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<br>
No. Interesting.<br>
<br>
<br>
No. Odd.<br>
<br>
<br>
HE WORKED IN HIS FATHER’S BOOKSTORE.<br>
HIS FATHER GOT SICK.<br>
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<br>
(He stops.)<br>
THAT MUCH I KNOW.<br>
THAT MUCH I KNOW.<br>
<br>
<br>
BUT THAT’S NOT THE STORY.<br>
THIS IS JUST FACT.<br>
WHAT WAS THE CRISIS THAT WENT UNDETECTED?<br>
WHEN WAS THE INSTANT IT SPLINTERED AND CRACKED?<br>
<br>
<br>
WHAT WAS THE MOMENT?<br>
I MISSED IT SOMEHOW<br>
AND IF I COULD NARROW IT DOWN TO A MOMENT,<br>
WHAT GOOD IS KNOWING THAT NOW?<br>
<br>
<br>
WHAT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY?<br>
WHAT DID I OWE?<br>
AM I TO BLAME<br>
FOR ALL OF THE DETAILS I’LL NEVER KNOW?<br>
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BUT HOW COULD I KNOW?<br>
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WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW, TOM.<br>
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<br>
(He makes another attempt to write.)<br>
<br>
<br>
I WENT TO COLLEGE<br>
ALVIN STAYED BEHIND.<br>
HIS FATHER PASSED AWAY.<br>
I LEFT HIM HERE ALONE.<br>
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<br>
(He stops.)<br>
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THAT MUCH I KNOW.<br>
THAT MUCH I KNOW.<br>
<br>
<br>
SOME LIVES HURTLE FORWARD<br>
AND SOME NEVER BUDGE<br>
AND SOMETIMES A LIFE TAKES A DIFFERENT DIRECTION<br>
WITH AN INNOCUOUS INNOCENT NUDGE.<br>
<br>
<br>
DID I DO THE NUDGING<br>
WHEN HIS LIFE CAREENED?<br>
NOW HOW DO I BOUNCE THROUGH A LIFETIME<br>
TO PINPOINT WHEN I SHOULD HAVE INTERVENED?<br>
<br>
<br>
WHERE IS THAT STORY?<br>
WHAT SHOULD I SAY?<br>
I'VE GOTTA DO THIS RIGHT, ALVIN.<br>
I’VE GOTTA FIND THE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE<br>
THAT BROUGHT ME HERE TODAY.<br>
<br>
<br>
(As Thomas violently tears the page from his notebook,<br>
the funeral chapel fades and Thomas finds himself deep inside<br>
his own mind surrounded by endless shelves cluttered<br>
with papers and books - a lifetime’s accumulation of memories and stories.<br>
Seated among them is Alvin Kelby.)<br>
<br>
<br>
WHAT IS THE MOMENT?<br>
WHAT IS THE STORY?<br>
USE YOUR OWN WORDS TOM.<br>
WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW.<br>
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ALVIN<br>
There's gotta be thousands of stories in this head of yours, Tom.<br>
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THOMAS<br>
Don't bother me, Alvin. I'm writing.<br>
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(Alvin looks at Thomas’s empty notebook.)<br>
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ALVIN<br>
No you're not. There's nothing there.<br>
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THOMAS<br>
Writing's a process. Words are just the final step. Now be quiet. I can do this on my own.<br>
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ALVIN<br>
Really? And when was the last time you actually wrote something, Tom?<br>
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<br>
(This touches a nerve. Alvin starts to collect up loose pages.)<br>
<br>
<br>
So, here's what we're going to do. We're going to pick a story and you're going to write it down.<br>
Then we'll pick another... and another... and another. You get the idea?<br>
That's all a eulogy is, Tom. You tell a bunch of stories, save the tear-jerker for the end and...<br>
<br>
<br>
(Alvin places a large stack of pages in front of Thomas.)<br>
<br>
<br>
... there you have it. My eulogy. The story of my life.<br>
Written by best-selling author Thomas Weaver.<br>
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<br>
THOMAS<br>
You make it sound so easy.<br>
<br>
<br>
ALVIN<br>
Isn't it? Here's a thought. Why don't you begin with this one?<br>
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