Genius at Work/Nathan's Assessment The Story of Tracy Beaker

# I can make my world come true All my dreams will see me through

-# Doesn't matter What may come my way...

-No! No!

# Believe me now I will win some day. #

-GROUNDED? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

-You know what I mean.

BUT I WAS DOING MY HOMEWORK!

AARGH!!

It was ONLY a rubber frog. It's modern art for my art project.

You've been causing chaos. You are grounded.

I was going to Ben's and Cam's taking me out tomorrow.

You can't ground me. It's denial of justice.

All right, Tracy. All right!

What if...What if you did something to help us?

You know how depressed Justine's been since Louise left.

-Maybe you could cheer her up!

-Cheer her up? Me?

I don't know if you've noticed this, Jenny,

but I'm not Queen Justine of Littlewood's favourite person.

HISS!

CLICK!

Why not use Justine? You could paint her picture.

A nice picture of Justine? I'm an artiste, not a miracle-worker!

Tracy, if you help Justine, I'll see about ungrounding you.

-PHONE RINGS

-Blackmail? Highly unprofessional.

Hi, Ben. Yes, as it happens. She's right here.

Ben! I've just been grounded! You've got to help me!

Sorry, Beaker. No can do. I'm ill.

I've got a bad cold. Can hardly even get out of bed.

ILL? ILL? How can you be ILL?

Ugh!

JENNY: Seems as if Ben's stuck too.

Except, of course, you could easily get yourself unstuck.

Hint, hint! HINT!

I've just had a great idea. Why don't I go cheer up Justine?

So Ben's ill in bed, is he?

Me and Bouncer could pop round.

How public-spirited of you, Lol.

I'm sure your visit has nothing to do with his games.

The idea hadn't even begun to cross my mind.

-All right. You can visit Ben, but be back by tea time.

-Yes!

-Hi, Justine! You still feeling down?

-What do you care?

Of course I care, Justine. I miss Louise too.

-You know...

-Get off me!

-..One of life's healers is art.

-Can I paint your portrait?

-What?

You know...you're, er,

quite...pretty, really.

Smooth skin, lovely hair...

almost like a supermodel.

-Hi, Tracy. Coming to Ben's?

-We're gonna play games, listen to music.

-Oh, Lol! She can't.

-Oh! Why ever not?

Because she's grounded.

-Completely slipped my mind! Oh, dear!

-How sad.

-BOTH: Never mind!

-Did you hear somebody say something, Justine?

-NO!

Just some rats squeaking.

Yes, Cam. She's been looking forward to it.

I'll call you later - if she's redeemed herself.

Duke's pretending it never happened.

-Just off to the shops.

-Oh! You're going...

-Shopping. Yes.

-Oh, it's just...

-What's the matter?

Nothing!

Good!

Oh, yes. Duke's gone mad.

-ALL right, Benny man?

-Not feeling too well, are ya?

I feel like I've been sneezed out by an elephant.

-Where are your parents, then?

-Work, where else?

-Eh? But you're ill.

-Your point is?

-You've got the whole house to yourself?

-Yeah.

Yeah. Enjoy!

-Whoa!

-Whoa! Wicked!

I'll just be upstairs in bed.

SNIFF!

Genius at work?

Hi, ladies. How's it going?

I wonder if Picasso had to put up with all these INTERRUPTIONS?!

-You're very brave with your artistic choices, Tracy.

-What?

Art is all about risk. All the great artists had to take chances.

When it comes down to it, the end product is all that matters.

Well, er, I'll leave you to it.

-How's the art project going?

-OK,

for the time being - but you know Tracy and Justine.

They'll be all right. They need one another.

-Well, yeah...

-Look! Is Tracy doing her homework?

-And is Justine happy?

-Well...

-I don't see a problem.

-But...

Don't you have case notes to type?

-There! Finished.

-Let me see.

Oh!

-What have you done to me?

-What do you think?

-WHAT YOU DOING? THAT'S MY HOMEWORK!

-You're a horrible painter!

SCREAMS IN THE DISTANCE

-< NO!

-Arrgh!

-No! Ow!

-Aargh!

Hate to say I told you so, but...

I'll go, shall I?

-Bog breath!

-Freak with legs!

-Pile of bogeys!

-Blob of snot!

-Calm down, hey! What's going on?

-What is it?

-Look what she did.

-Justine?

-I look like Jekyll and Hyde.

-That's how I see you!

-Whoa! Hey!

Don't take it personally, Justine.

-It's Tracy's personal interpretation.

-Oh, yeah?

Yeah? Well, how would you like it?

Er...

LOUD WORKOUT MUSIC PLAYS

60km...65km...70km. Come on!

I'd better go see how Ben's doing.

-You spoil that child!

-What?

-Don't worry.

-OK.

100km...105km...110km.

LOUD MUSIC THUDS THROUGH WALLS

Whoa! Nice!

Whoa! Is there anything else I can do for you?

HUH?

Only, I noticed the can of soup on the kitchen table.

Mm-hm. YEAH, OK!

Just put your arm up - like this.

Great!

That one!

-What you doing?

-I'm climbing Mount Everest on a space hopper!

-Anything I can do?

-Clean out the gunk from the juicer.

-SQUELCH!

-Ugh!

-Oh, Bounce?

-WHAT?!

-Ugh! Oh!

-Ha!

KNOCK! KNOCK! Oh! Yes?

-I thought

-I

-could do a little bit better than that tin!

Oh! OK.

-Got it.

-Yeah?

This is the best soup I've tasted.

SNIFF! I can really feel the vitamin C.

Your bill, sir.

-My what?

-Genius doesn't come cheap. My brother's original recipe,

labour, service charge... I think £10 should do it.

This needs a few adjustments.

£10 minus the cost of renting my video games,

for 2 hours, the use of my mum's state-of-the-art gym equipment,

the CD library...

Fancy that! You owe me at least £15!

Uh-huh! You know what, Ben? We'll let you off this one,

-cos you're a mate.

-Yeah.

Come on, maestro.

-Oh, and Bouncer?

-Yeah?

-This soup really is excellent.

-Hey-ho!

AAARGH!

BOTH: Ta-da!

Tracy, you are ungrounded and I'm tempted to buy it myself!

-I thought you liked me!

-You got off lightly!

Ooh! Here come our good Samaritans.

-So, how's Ben?

-I think we made a difference.

Whoa! That is just wrong on every level.

I don't expect you to understand. I forgive you. After all,

-genius is pain.

-Yes, Tracy.

Is the genius meant to BE a pain?

LAUGHTER

-Oh, what?!

-Bad paint brush!

Ready? Steady?

GO!

Nathan! You said we were going bowling!

-Sure did!

-Let's go!

-Five minutes - I wanna give Lol a little demo.

The perfect googly requires a perfect run-up.

Don't be afraid to...

Oh!

-After you trip, what next(?)

-Ha, ha(!) ..Amber, show us how.

-I don't want to play.

-You know you do!

-Get revenge for making you tidy up?

-Well, I you put it like that...

Get ready to run, Dolly!

Yeah!

AH...!

"Nathan is caring, but he needs to be more responsible."

"Nathan is a caring team member, but he sometimes lacks authority."

"Nathan is not very... Nathan is..."

Basically, Nathan is the biggest kid we've got here.

Ah!

-Right! You lot...this is NOT funny!

-LAUGHTER

I want to know who did this. Nobody move.

-We're going bowling!

-When I find out who booby-trapped the cupboard.

Actually, it was...

it was me.

-What?!

-Someone was nicking the chocolate - I wanted to catch them.

Oh, you did, did you(?)

That's the most stupid, immature and dangerous thing that...

-Everything all right?

-Wonderful, thank you, Elaine.

You've got a bit of...stuff.

Oh?

-What can we do for you?

-I've come to do Nathan's assessment.

But I'm halfway through his report.

I don't just rubber-stamp things - I want to write my own report.

-Nathan, can we go?

-Nathan can't go anywhere today.

-What?!

-I'm sorry, it's about my course. I need to speak to Elaine.

I thought WE were important. You don't care about us!

You're the worst care worker in history!

You should be thrown out the Dumping Ground,

banished to a far distant corner,

and never be allowed to work with poor children like me again.

-You're useless, Nathan!

-Oh!

We're good mates, really!

You're training to be her care worker, not her best friend.

-Hmm... So, what group session are you running?

-Group session?

-Part of the requirement.

-Oh, yeah!

Well, I quite enjoy getting the kids together, you know,

and, sort of, um, you know, sort of, um, play-acting!

Drama?

-Good! I'll look forward to seeing you in action.

-Me, too(!)

You get sorted - I'll have a chat with the children.

-Oh, I don't know anything about drama.

-Oh, dear(!) Improvise!

Nathan? He's great. Last week, I was meant to be in at 9...

It's 9.40. Halfway up the drainpipe, the window opens.

Does he grass on me? He does not. Wicked!

I quite like Nathan - he doesn't care if your bedroom gets mucky.

He says, "Don't worry till fungi starts growing."

He's your main man for being up on wrestling moves.

Half-nelson... Full nelson... You name it - he can do it.

Look - I'll show you. Come on, Elaine, up!

It's all pretend - it doesn't hurt! < No, stop it! Lol!

'Nathan - he's...'

How's it all going? A bit worrying, Duke.

Understatement!

Nathan hasn't completed one piece of coursework.

So, he has STARTED a few, then?

'Lol!'

Right, everyone, so, if we just get up...

Come on, everyone, get up!

Up, up, up!

Good, good! Um...

right, um, so...

let's all start by...

um...

loosening up!

Yeah(!)

That's...probably enough of that.

-Tracy! She's brilliant at drama.

-Yeah, I'm a right drama queen(!)

-Are we doing role-play?

-Role-play?

Yeah! Role-play! Sounds good to me!

Bring me some more grapes, you imbecile!

A tree with fresh grapes was gently swaying in the breeze.

-Careful with them swords!

-Nathan, we're bloodthirsty pirates!

Go for the heart!

We've got you, pal!

He's broken his leg! Straight to Casualty!

Ar! Seize the hijacker!

Is this how you'd act around your queen?!

WHAT is going on?

-We're being dramatic, just like Nathan asked!

-Out!

-Typical, just as we were getting to the good bit!

-Ar!

You're really not helping yourself.

Bouncer, you can stop... swaying in the breeze.

You OK?

I've really blown it, dude.

She's really gonna get me failed now.

-Elaine's not happy cos you haven't finished your coursework.

-I know.

I get distracted by the kids -

Bouncer on the computer, Dolly cuts herself, Tracy wants to swim -

There's always something.

Right, everyone, listen up!

If we don't do something soon, Nathan will be leaving.

-What?!

-If Elaine writes a bad report,

he'll fail his course and be thrown out the Dumping Ground for ever.

So, it's down to all of us to save him -

we are his only hope. Here she is - Dumping Ground enemy number one.

-Elaine!

-Yes, Tracy.

-I wanted to talk to you about Nathan.

I didn't mean what I said earlier. He's not rubbish - he's excellent!

-I've seen all I need to see.

-NO! You don't understand -

-he seems rubbish because there's something on his mind.

-What?

-Um...you.

-Me?

Oh! You mean he likes me?

You mean he "likes me" likes me? Well...

I know, it's amazing, isn't it(?) What with you looking like that,

but, you see, you have this funny effect on him.

How about passing him?

Please, Elaine - he's my favourite!

Dolly, let go of my leg!

I know what you lot are up to. It isn't going to work -

I can't pass him if he hasn't done his coursework.

He's miles better than the usual boring care worker.

Come on, Elaine, >

prove you're not an old prune. Give Nathan a second chance...?

Please?

If he'd done his essays, maybe I could, but...

the deadline's tomorrow.

I'm sorry.

Rules are rules.

How about we all go bowling?

- Don't want to. - Me neither.

-Who's gonna read me a story in bed when Nathan leaves?

-I could do that.

You can't do all the voices. We're at the bit with the werewolf.

-I was making it up.

-Sounds good.

You said you'd take me to a thrash metal concert. I wanted to go.

-No worries - maybe Duke could take you.

-Yeah... I love thrash metal(!)

-Maybe not!

-Looks like a lot of people are gonna miss you, Nathan.

-Right! Here's your unfinished essays.

-What?!

-You heard Elaine...

Get his work in and he'll pass.

We'll not let him leave the room until he's finished.

Oh...!

SNORING

WHISTLES

FOGHORN

LOUDER FOGHORN

-I need the toilet... Got to go to the toilet.

-Uh-uh.

-Not until you've finished!

-Oh!

I CAN'T DO IT!

-Finished.

-You've got an hour to get it in.

Come on, Nathan! >

< Better hurry up!

He's back!

He looks really serious.

She's failed him. The old bat!

I hate her!

Nath... We're really sorry.

I don't want you to leave!

She's passed me! I'm gonna be a proper care worker!

Yeah!

You mean we're stuck with you(?)

ALL: Nathan!

# I can make my world come true

# All my dreams will see me through

# And the fight won't get me down

# My dreams will turn things round

# With a smile upon my face

# I can see a better place

# Doesn't matter what comes my way

# Believe me now

# I'll win some day. #

Subtitles by Anne Walker BBC Broadcast 2003

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