La meglio gioventù (The Best of Youth) (La meglio gioventú)

THE BEST OF YOUTH

ROME, SUMMER OF 1966

Can you give me a hand with the TV?

I'm studying.

Come on, it'II onIy take a minute.

My exam's in a few days. Ask NicoIa, he's with CarIo.

Fine.

I'II ask NicoIa, he's with CarIo.

''NataIino Sapegno.

WorId History...'' Who's that?

An ItaIian Iiterature professor.

-Is he famous? -I'd say so.

-He gives the exam? -No, he has assistants.

-Don't they know what they're doing? -Of course they do, Dad.

Your thesis got pubIished in II Messaggero.

You shouId show that Sapegno guy what a genius you are.

Maybe he'II give you a schoIarship to study abroad.

I'II taIk to him if you want.

You, taIk to Sapegno?

Why not? I'm not ashamed.

WeII, I am.

This is what I get for offering...

When do you Ieave for No rw ay?

-A ft er my exams. -I know peopIe there.

I can give you addresses. They might know girIs your age.

TaIk to them, they're the expe rt s.

-Dad! -Yeah, I'm cIosing it!

Thanks.

Boys, I have a mission for you two.

Good, we're due for a break.

I'II Ieave it open.

CarefuI.

-Nico, have you got keys? -Yes.

Then I'II cIose it.

You never know.

How's it coming?

I'II get the door.

-Where? -Right here.

Put it on top, othe rw ise it'II move.

-On top? -Yeah, I got it.

-SIowIy. -CarefuI. You got it?

-Here. -I got it.

-There. -AII set.

HoId on.

-It shouId be tied. -I'II do it.

-You wiII? -Yeah.

-Bye. -Bye.

CarIo, I have a question for you. NicoIa won't answer me.

-You know Matteo. -Sure.

TeII me, what's his probIem?

-What do you mean? -I mean...

-Come on, we have to study. -We're taIking!

That's aII you ever do!

HoId on, I've had this in the car for a week.

-What is that? -Nothing, I got a good deaI.

Why give it to me?

You study medicine, it'II be usefuI.

It's now...

or never.

Now that you're hoIding me

in your arms.

The music's about to stop,

and you stiII don't know what to say.

I see you, don't you see me?

Why?

Why?

It's now or never...

How's it going, oId friend?

AII right I guess. But if things...

If the situation evoIves...

Can I use your house at the beach?

-No, no. -Yeah, good idea.

Don't even think about it!

Why not? It's perfect!

Last time you made a mess.

My mom's stiII hot over it.

Here we go again!

That's right!

By the way, I spoke to Dad.

-WeII? -We can use the AIfa Romeo.

Great!

That's great news!

-Did you teII him where we're going? -I said it was for a fieId trip.

Leaving a ft er exams, eh?

He said no higher than 4,000 R.P.M.

WeII?

Are you coming to CarIo's beach house?

-Me and you? -Yeah.

-AIone? -Of course!

It's beautifuI. GoIden beaches, briny SaIt-ceders...

Ieaping doIphins... I Iove you, I Iove you.

-AIways kidding around! -No, I Iove you, I swear.

Come on, Iet's dance.

Did you taIk to your dad about the job?

Meet him Tuesday at the cIinic.

You know where it is?

It's scientificaIIy known as speech therapy.

In practice it entaiIs going for a stroII with a patient,

having a chat, heIping her to feeI normaI.

The reIationship shouIdn't be too friendIy. It's rehabiIitation.

Giorgia hasn't had a crisis in ages,

so twice a week shouId suffice.

Come.

There she is, that's her.

It'II be easier than waIking a dog.

What's your name? What's your name?

-Giorgia! Don't taIk to strangers. -What's your name?

-Me? Matteo. -Matteo, mattress, meatbaII...

-Be carefuI. -Don't touch me!

I won't. But be carefuI.

AIways Iook both ways before crossing.

Go on.

You Iike it here?

I come here o ft en.

It reIaxes me.

And there are no cars.

Look, I know a great pIace.

You want to come?

WouId you Iike that?

I come here when I don't feeI Iike studying.

I Iike it.

And it's empty at this hour.

ShaII we read something?

Yes. The trains.

What trains?

When they Ieave, when they arrive...

Oh, the scheduIe. There isn't one here.

I have a book I'd Iike to read you.

A poetry book.

Where is it?

American Iiterature...

''Life is a bet that's hard to cover.

We're deaIt a hand whiIe we're weak

and not when we're at our best,

and we're given 70 years to pIay.

If 70 years isn't enough, you'II never make it.

Leave the room if you Iose,

Ieave...

when your time is up.

OnIy cowards hang around groping the cards.''

Watch out for the cars!

CarefuI!

Damn...! What are you doing?

-Don't touch me! -I'm not!

-Fuck you! -Up yours!

I'm not touching you! You want to get run over?

You fucking dickhead!

You know what dying means?

-AsshoIe! -You're the asshoIe.

-Fuck off! -Fuck...!

Are you stupid? Come on back to the cIinic.

You don't want to do this again? Fine, we won't.

Just say the word. Here.

Here!

Right, it happens. But what am I supposed to do?

Nothing. Don't react.

If you don't react they caIm down.

-But professor... -Don't be so formaI.

Okay, but maybe I did something wrong.

You did nothing wrong, son.

The disease is at fauIt, that's why we're here.

AII set?

Have you washed my car?

I Iet them wash my car sometimes.

They Iike that.

It gives them something to do.

We mustn't! We mustn't!

Mo rt gage the house?

It's for the kids! We'd have nothing!

Mo rt gaging the house is the most normaI thing in the worId.

You know what your probIem is? You're from MiIan!

You're extraordinary,

inteIIigent, fuII of vitaIity...

-So what? -You have no imagination!

-Right. -Imagination Iike me.

Oh, right.

AIice, what are you stiII doing up?

Come here.

-They been arguing Iong? -Since the movie ended.

-Did it end weII? -Yeah.

He found out he was king and married

-the princess. -Big mistake.

-Why? -Because

they'II end up fighting,

Iike Mom and Dad. Promise me when you grow up

you'II do Iike me: never get married ever.

I want to marry you.

And NicoIa, too.

A sister can't marry her brother. EspeciaIIy both brothers.

Go to bed, AIice. We'II make them stop.

Someone with a head on his shouIders!

-Hey, wouId you cut that out? -Had enough?

What are you doing here?

Poor thing, you're stiII awake?

-How is anyone supposed to sIeep? -TeII me what to do then.

Leave Matteo out of this.

You two shouId defend me from your father.

From what? Matteo, teII me.

-Am I a bad father? -Oh, right.

He's a great father. He mo rt gaged the house!