Homeward Bound (1980) - full transcript
A divorced man and his estranged, incurably ill teenage son get together for a final summer vacation and they end up at the divorce's estranged father's vineyard where they try to reconsile their differences.
(calm music)
(melancholy music)
- [Jake] Homeward Bound is
the story of me, Jake Seaton,
my father Harry and my son, Bobby,
a young boy who was the victim of cancer.
Our story is not about death,
rather it is the story of
Bobby's commitment to life
and the lives of those who love him.
This story is dedicated to those
children and their families
who courageously confront
this situation every day.
♪ We are born into life ♪
♪ With a love that is boundless ♪
♪ That we're sure will endure ♪
♪ Until time ticks away ♪
♪ Oh why do we stray ♪
♪ From the feeling inside us ♪
♪ Oh why do we keep running ♪
♪ From home? ♪
♪ For it's there where ♪
♪ The magic lies ♪
♪ Come close your eyes ♪
♪ Remember with me ♪
♪ The one simple glow ♪
♪ That we had in our heart ♪
♪ When we were alive ♪
♪ Before we were smart ♪
♪ So I pray to the stars ♪
♪ Let us end this charade ♪
♪ Before it's too late ♪
♪ Before life is all gone ♪
♪ The porch light is on ♪
♪ And our love is awaiting ♪
♪ And always will be ♪
♪ For as long as we roam ♪
♪ Patiently waiting for us ♪
♪ To come home ♪
- Oh, hi Jake, er come on in.
I'll tell Bobby you're here.
- Thanks, Joe.
- [Joe] Hey Bobby, your dad's here.
- [Jake] Hello, Laura.
- Nine on the nose.
You're never late, are you?
- I believe in being on time.
- He's nearly ready, but
don't let him get too tired.
And um, here's his medication.
- Please, don't take him, Jake.
- Nora, honey.
- Don't let him, Joe.
- I'm sorry, Jake.
Now, Nora.
- Why are you apologizing?
He's taking my only son away!
- Hunny, Bobby is his son too.
- Oh He doesn't love
Bobby, it's just spite--
- [Joe] Nora, please.
- Come on.
- Nora.
- When We got divorced.
Bobby, wasn't dying.
Do you want me to beg you?
- No Hunny, don't do this to yourself.
- All right, I'm begging!
- [Joe] Nora, please, Nora!
- [Nora] Please don't take him.
- Nora!
He'll be all right.
I'll have him back here
September 1st, punctually.
- Please, Jake please.
- Now, Nora.
- Listen to me.
- [Bobby] Hi, Dad.
- Hi, Bobby.
- Um, see you next month
Mom, don't worry, I'll write.
- [Joe] You have a good
time now, Bobby, huh?
- Yeah, we'll get drunk
and pick up on wild woman
as usual, right Dad?
- Yeah, you bet.
- Goodbye.
And don't worry, Mom.
- Well, er, how's this grab you?
Next week we take a trip to the moon.
- C'mon, Dad.
- Too far, huh?
How about two weeks in Cleveland?
- Only two weeks?
- Only two weeks, How about three weeks
scuba diving in Malolo?
- It sounds great.
- Don't sound so thrilled.
- Well, to tell you the truth,
I thought maybe we can
go up and see Grandpa.
- Grandpa?
- Thought we might go up to his vineyard.
- Bobby, you can't go scuba
diving in the Napa Valley.
(engine starts)
(happy music)
- Dad, look on your right,
watch out! On your right! Dad!
(they groan)
- Okay.
- Okay, let's go.
- Get jumping.
- All right, set me up.
- Okay, you ready for the spike?
You ready?
- Like high.
You ready, you ready?
Slow down!
(they laugh)
(car engines roar)
(game voices talk)
(engines screech)
(video game beeps)
- [Bobby] Help!
- [Game Voice] C'mon everybody, c'mon.
(arcade machines ring)
- Look at it Dad, I got a
free game, free game I won.
(arcade machines beep)
(Bobby coughs)
- You all right Bobby?
You want your er,
you want your medicine?
- in a minute?
(Bobby coughs)
- Can I get you anything?
Lots of water, some soda?
Anything?
- No,
it'll pass soon.
(melancholy music)
(Bobby coughs)
(lavatory flushes)
- Here you go.
(Bobby sighs)
Here.
- Yeah, I'm coming.
(melancholy guitar music)
- (sighs) Goodnight, Dad.
(Jake groans)
- [Bobby] Good morning.
- Ah.
- You look terrible.
- (groans) Do you have a
steady job in solving people
or do you work freelance?
(groans)
- Guess you had a tough time
sleeping in that chair last night?
- Well, sleep is overrated.
So is most everything else in the world.
- [Bobby] Such as?
(Jake groans)
- Such as sunsets.
First cup of coffee in the morning
isn't always that terrific.
- Well, what's not overrated?
- Oh, Boston clam chowder,
good pair of shoes,
honest to God fountain pen.
What are all these questions?
- What about sex?
- What about sex?
- Is it overrated?
- No, it's not overrated.
- [Bobby] Dad, hmm?
- Oh.
I suppose you want a smile, huh?
Well come on, I can't hold this forever.
(camera whirs)
- Dad, Dad look at her.
- [Jake] Pretty.
- [Bobby] Ah, she's gorgeous.
- Yeah.
- If I weren't here, would
you try to pick her up?
- What kind of a question is that?
- Would you?
- Oh,
maybe.
- She's your type, isn't she?
- I don't have a type.
- Sure you do.
- Okay, what kind of type do I have?
- Ahh like her, like Leslie.
- Mm-hmm, don't you have a type?
- I'm not very good with girls.
- Aw c'mon, good looking guy
like you, huh, c'mon. (laughs)
- I don't know what to talk to them about.
- Well, join the club. (laughs)
You got to talk to them about
something that interests you.
- Well, mostly what interests me is, er
being able to talk to girls.
- Yeah, well you're just shy.
You've got to remember that
they're first of all, people.
I used to be shy at your age,
but by high school I got over that.
Oh, I loved high school.
- And what was so great about it?
- I don't know, the
endless options, I think,
anything was possible.
And I was gonna be
the new Hemingway.
I was gonna visit the most
beautiful places on earth,
love the most beautiful women
and be an honest to God legend.
I wonder what happened?
- You've done okay.
- Yeah, I suppose it's,
okay is not what I set out to do.
Let me see that.
Not your type, huh?
(laughs)
Oh wait, wait, grab the radio will ya?
- Dad?
- Yeah.
- Do you really mind if
we didn't go to Hawaii,
and went to see Grandpa instead?
- Now, why would you
want to go see Grandpa?
What would even make you think about it?
- I dunno, I haven't
seen him in seven years.
- Seven years, it's been that long?
- Yeah.
- I just want to see him again.
I don't know how many
more chances I'll get.
How come you don't like him?
- Bobby, it's not that I don't like him.
It's just that we have
different temperaments.
- He seemed like a nice guy to me.
- I'm surprised you even remember.
- Sure, I remember he took
me fishing in the river.
I remember his vineyard,
he let me pick grapes off the vine.
- Tell you what?
Why don't we go home and pack
a suitcase full of grapes
and go to Hawaii, huh?
(Jake whistles)
- Thanks.
So when do you guys leave for Hawaii?
- Tuesday.
- It should be fun. (laughs)
- Yeah, if you like paradise.
- (sighs) I'm gonna to miss you.
- Yeah. (whistles)
- Want a Brandy and Lanzaga, huh?
- No, thanks.
We don't talk very much, do we?
- I thought we did.
- Oh, I know we talk about
nuclear power and the economy
and chances of war in the Middle East.
But I don't think we talk about
the really important things.
- Such as?
- Us.
- Hmm, well, what is there about us
that we could talk about?
- Well, I guess I'd like to
know whether we are an us.
I mean, I know that's
not very grammatical,
but I think you know what I mean.
- Yeah.
I like you.
- You like me?
- Yeah, very much.
(blender whirs)
- More or less than
you like your umbrella?
I'm sorry.
That was really stupid.
I don't know how love
affects other people,
but it makes me so stupid.
Do you ever get really,
really stupid Jake?
This conversation is making you
very uncomfortable, isn't it?
- No.
Once somebody loved me
and I only liked him.
I never looked to see what he wanted
and the next thing I know, he was gone.
So you see, I know how you feel.
I've gotta go.
- Leslie, you don't have to go.
- Yes, I do.
Night, Bobby, have a nice vacation.
- [Bobby] Thanks for the ice cream.
- I guess neither one of us
knows how to talk to a woman.
(melancholy music)
- [Bobby] Hello, Dad?
- It was the drink.
(upbeat optimistic music)
♪ We are born into life ♪
♪ With a love that is boundless ♪
♪ That we're sure will endure ♪
♪ Until time ticks away ♪
♪ Oh, why do we stray ♪
♪ From the feeling inside us ♪
♪ Oh, why do we keep running ♪
♪ From home ♪
♪ Some will say it's because ♪
♪ Childhood dreams never waken ♪
♪ That it's better to run ♪
♪ Than to live with the pain ♪
♪ But what do we gain ♪
♪ When the steps we have taken ♪
♪ Take us further and further ♪
♪ From home ♪
Oh you woke up.
Really out there for a while.
How are you feeling?
- Okay, can't believe how
sleepy I get sometimes.
- Yeah, must be that medicine, huh.
- [Bobby] Yeah I think it is.
- Yeah.
- But, as long as
it doesn't harm my throwing arm, you know?
- (laughs) Man, it'd be
tough on a good quarterback.
- Yeah?
- Yeah I enjoy watching you play.
- Thanks Dad.
- Sure.
- [Bobby] Wish I could play this year.
- What?
Oh,
yeah.
- Well, that's the bad news.
The good news is
I'm not gonna have 190 pound linebacker
redecorating my face.
- Yeah (laughs)
♪ For it's there where the magic lies ♪
♪ Come, close your eyes ♪
♪ Remember, mm-hmm ♪
♪ The one simple glow ♪
♪ That we have in our heart ♪
♪ When we were alive ♪
♪ Before we were smart ♪
♪ So I pray to the stars ♪
♪ Let us end this charade ♪
♪ Before it's too late ♪
♪ Before life is all gone ♪
♪ The porch light is on ♪
♪ And our love is awaiting ♪
♪ And always will be ♪
♪ For as long as we roam ♪
♪ Patiently waiting for us ♪
♪ To come home ♪
- Why'd you and mom breakup?
- Ah, it's a complicated question.
- It wasn't another woman, was it?
- No,
your mom and I broke up, I think because,
because we got bored.
- Bored?
- Yeah.
- Did you love each other?
- Well, when we got married,
we loved each other,
but um, things can change,
you see,
and er, you get married at 24,
25 and then nine years later,
you're married to a
whole different person.
Oh it's not better, it's not worse.
It's just er, different.
- Think you'll ever get married again?
- What else?
When I married your mom, it was for keeps.
See, we were,
we were bound and determined
to grow old together.
Sure enough, nine years
later we had. (laughs)
Since then I've been trying
to figure it all out.
I've been through EST,
I've primal screamed,
I have meditated 'til the cows come home.
I haven't even been on Rawle.
- What is Rawle?
- Ar, it's a deep, painful massage,
supposed to be good for you.
- Like a, like broccoli?
- Yeah (giggles) just like broccoli.
- Who you looking at?
- That guy fishing over there.
Looks like someone I used
to know, is it Allen Keifer?
- Maybe it's him.
- Na, he's back at Harvard teaching law.
He was my best friend.
Whatever happened to best friends?
- Don't you ever talk to him anymore?
- No, not for years now.
Do you have a best friend?
- Tommy Fine, he's my best friend.
- You know, it seems when
you reach a certain age,
you just don't have friends anymore.
I mean, you do things with people,
but you just stop having friends.
- Sounds like you're pretty lonely, Dad.
- Oh, it's not that
terrible, just talking.
But you hang out with that Tommy Fine.
A best friend's a good thing to have.
- Dad,
you got me.
(hopeful music)
- There it is!
- [Jake] Yep, there it is.
- You're nervous, aren't you?
- [Jake] No, not really.
- [Bobby] Really glad we came here.
I haven't seen Grandpa
in such a long time.
Does Grandpa know that I'm er ...
- [Jake] Oh, I haven't told him.
- Good, don't tell him, okay.
Everybody you know has
treated me different,
like I'm a spook or something.
(calm music)
(car door slams)
(hooves clatter)
(horse whinnies)
- You must be Robert Seaton.
- Yes, sir.
- You're a good looking son of a gun,
you must take after your momma's side?
Am I right, Jacob?
- Aren't you always?
- Your mama still a beauty, boy?
- Yes, sir.
- Wanna come for a ride?
- Can I dad?
- Sure.
(horse neighs)
(hooves clatter)
(gentle guitar music)
- There's a lovely cluster, Petite Sirah.
That's the name of the grape
and the name of the
wine that comes from it.
Pretty, isn't it?
Petite Sirah.
You know, some of the growers
get to talk and they say,
"How are your pets?" and I hate that.
"How are your Zinfandels,
how are your Zins?
I gave 'em nicknames,
like they were baseball
players or gangsters.
- You really love your grapes, huh?
- Well I ought to, they're so beautiful.
Besides, a vine is never ungrateful.
You'll give it your attention, your sweat,
your love, it'll never disappoint you.
It'll never fail to appreciate
your efforts, never.
- This barrel looks so beautiful.
Very smooth, it don't
really feel like wood,
it feel like glass.
- Oh, here's where we
store the wine for aging.
(he taps on the wood)
Just want to hear that dull sound,
that means the barrel is full.
Wine evaporates through the wood,
you have to fill it up once
a month to stop spoilage,
otherwise the wine'd turn to vinegar.
- Then what would you do?
Next year we'd sell a
lot of salad dressing.
- Ha.
- Robert, this is Lorenza.
- Hi, nice to meet you.
- Hello, Robert.
Handsome, just like you, huh?
- Like me?
Woman, we'd better get you
fitted for some glasses.
She's a good woman and a great cook.
You know what I like to do sometimes?
- What, Grandpa?
- Like to er, hang around the kitchen
and watch her fix a meal.
- Why?
- I dunno, something about
a woman fixing dinner.
And I'm talking about a
woman who was doing something
more than opening a can
or tearing open couple of packages.
I think it is one of the most beautiful
sights in the world.
- Leslie's a good cook.
- Leslie?
- [Jake] Is a friend.
- Want some advice?
- Not really.
- Marry her.
Even if she has two heads, marry her.
- [Lorenza] Robert, telephone
for you, it's your mama.
- Thank you.
- Things haven't changed much.
- No need to change,
when you do things right the first time.
- [Jake] There it is, the old Alma Mater.
Ha, hasn't changed a bit since I was here.
- [Bobby] It looks nice.
[Jake] Yeah, you know something,
friend of mine once told me,
he said, "There are two kinds
of people in this world.
"There are those who loved high school.
"And then there are those who hated it."
- [Bobby] And you loved it?
- [Jake] I loved it.
Used to run the mile.
- [Bobby] I know, Dad.
- [Jake] Yeah, I loved it.
- [Bobby] Hey, Dad.
- Aw, come on.
All right, now the malt shop,
this is down at that corner,
down about a half a block.
- Wait.
- That was the library.
That was the library,
it's where we met girls.
- That's a library?
- Yeah, you see parents
would let their daughters out at night,
if they were going to the library.
More chicks were checked
out there than books.
- Hey, pardon me?
Aren't you?
Aren't you Jake Seaton?
- Ah, yes.
- You don't remember me, do you?
- Ur?
- Vernon Richards.
- Vernon Richards?
How are you doing?
(they laugh)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
This is my son, Bobby.
- Bobby?
- Nice to meet you.
- Last time your Dad saw
me I had a lot more hair.
- Oh yeah, that is right, yeah.
What are you doing these days?
- Well, I still live here.
- Uh-huh.
I sell insurance, here you go.
- Aha, yeah, look at that.
- [Vernon] So, what have you been doing?
You are gonna be the great
American novelist, right?
- [Jake] Yeah, well um, I am writing.
- [Vernon] Aha.
- Commercials for television.
- Oh, a huh.
- A bunch of them.
You were gonna be a songwriter.
- Yeah, that's right.
I even went off to New York,
hung around the old Brill Building.
All of us young would-be
songwriters used to write--
- Excuse me sir, we had
another order of fries here.
- We used to ride up and
down the elevators, you know,
humming our songs,
hoping that some publisher
would invite us into his office
to play our stuff for it, you know.
- Did er, did you get invited in?
- Yeah.
Yeah, in fact, after I'd
been there about six months,
this old publisher, kind
of reminded me of your Dad.
He invited me in.
- You played him your songs?
- Yeah.
I played on his old upright
piano for almost an hour.
He sat over there, smokin'.
(ice rattles)
- You want another soda?
- Oh, please.
- Another soda.
- He sat over there smoking a cigar.
It was wonderful.
I thought I was inside an
old movie or something.
You know, like where the
poor kid walks in an unknown
and walks out George Gershwin.
- Did he like your songs?
Yeah, after I'd got done playing for him,
he, he told me, "Son, I
like your tunes a lot.
"In fact, I've always liked 'em."
- What did he mean by that?
- He meant that all my stuff's out of like
something out of Irving
Berlin's wastebasket.
He said that I had everything but talent.
So that night I was on the bus home
and in six months I was
married, selling insurance,
my first son was on the way.
Nobody can say that Vernon Richards
doesn't know how to pick up the pieces.
- Mr Richard's?
- [Vernon] Yeah?
- Maybe that guy was wrong.
Maybe your music, well, it was good?
- No, no he was right.
You know Jake, how sometimes
you hear something and you,
you just know it's the truth.
No matter how much you've
been lying to yourself.
You know, I hated New York.
Cold, I never want to be that cold again.
(people chattering)
- [Harry] Look guys, just
try to close your mouths,
open your ears.
- [Group Of Guys] All right, all right.
- [Harry] All I'm saying is,
a good domestic situation see,
means you got to have a good domestic.
You gotta good domestic,
that takes care of some of ...
(Lorenza speaks in Spanish)
the matrimonial tension.
- Er, we may accept that as gospel, huh?
- Need anything else?
- No, I think that's
everything, thank you.
Listen, you old coot,
you not drink my wine,
you'll do your winking somewhere else.
- No harm done, Harry.
Just admiring your taste in women.
- Sure is some lotta woman.
- How's that boy o' yours, Harry?
- Oh, Jacob's about the same.
My grandson's a pistol though.
- A sharp kid, huh?
- Yeah, good manners.
Not like a lot of the young pups nowadays.
- That's the truth.
- Hey, George, how many of
those you go through in a day?
- About 30 or 40.
It helps since the sore
bones got me to quit smoking.
Without cigarettes, I need
something to keep my mouth busy.
- Could have fooled me, George.
- [George] At least I won't
kick off from the cancer.
- True, you'll probably die
of splinters or dry rot.
(they laugh)
- Hey Grandpa.
- [Harry] Hi Bobby.
Hey, would you hand me
that lug wrench there?
- Can I give you a hand?
- [Harry] Nope.
- [Jake] I'd like to help.
- Well then, you ought to
find someone who needs it.
I can get along without
your help just fine,
for the last 20 years.
- Just wanted to help you, Grandpa.
- And I've found that a long time ago
that a man is best off
not depending on anyone,
right, not from your Dad.
- Dad.
Yeah, look--
- It's okay.
- But, but he just--
- Just my old man.
(door slams)
- Hello Roberto, can
I make you a sandwich?
- Er thank you, but I'm not very hungry.
- Oh, you don't eat much.
Boy like you should have an
appetite like a young bull.
- But it's hard, I don't
eat very much when it's hot.
Look, I think I'll take a walk.
- Take care for the snakes.
- Snakes?
- Oh, they're mostly not dangerous.
- Are there really snakes out there?
- Oh sure, but very small.
- Er, that small?
- Yes, their mouths are
no bigger than that.
(laughs) I'm only teasing.
- I'll see you later.
(Bobby speaks in Spanish)
(gentle guitar music)
(breathing deeply)
- Who are you?
I scared you, didn't I?
- Thought you were a snake.
- Flattery will get you nowhere.
- No, no, I don't mean
you look like a snake.
Well, what I mean is I heard
there's lots of snakes up here.
Ah, nevermind.
- So who are you?
- Harry Seaton's grandson.
- (sighs) Is that what
your friends call you?
- No, I just thought you
might know my granddad.
- No, I do know your grandad.
I even know his name is Harry.
What's yours?
- Robert.
- Robert Seaton.
You sound like a banker.
- Well, everyone calls me Bobby.
- That's better.
- [Bobby] So er, what's your name?
- Kathy Bailey.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- [Kathy] Yeah, well
where are you heading?
- Er no place, I was just taking a walk.
- Even though you thought
the hill was full of snakes?
You must be pretty brave.
Or kinda crazy.
- I'm not very brave, so--
- So where are you from?
- Los Angeles.
- I was there once.
- What'd you think?
- It was scary.
- [Bobby] What was?
- Well, the air, it was all brown,
thick and brown.
- Come on, it's not that bad.
- It was like being buried alive,
like trying to breathe soil.
- You're making that up.
- Ha, I'm just exaggerating.
- So what, you live around here?
- Oh, over there.
My dad has a vineyard,
but you didn't pick a
good time for a visit.
We're just waiting for
the grapes to ripen.
- Yeah, mostly I just came
to see my grandfather.
Oh, it's been a long time.
- Well, how come, well
he's not that far away.
- Well, my Dad and grandfather,
they don't see each other very much.
(Kathy tuts)
And they wonder why we have wars.
- [Bobby] What wars?
- Well, people are always
saying how awful it is,
that countries can't get along
and they're always having wars, right?
- Yeah, so?
- So nearly every family I know
has at least one war going on
and if the family's big enough,
it has a bunch of wars
going on at the same time
with uncles not talking to uncles
and irritating each other
and then cousins you can't
invite to the same party.
Now if people in the same family
who have so much in common,
can't get along for five
minutes at a stretch,
how do they expect countries
to behave any better?
- You're amazing!
- Thanks.
- [Bobby] You know, you said
that whole thing in one breath?
- Do you guys go around counting breaths?
- I was impressed.
You know, you must be able to stay
in the water for 10 minutes at a time.
- I do have terrific lungs.
Although you wouldn't
guess it to look at 'em.
- [Harry] So, what do you think
about a little place, son?
- Well I like it, it's real pretty.
- Yeah, it is, isn't it.
Has everything a sensible person needs.
Course some people think it doesn't have
any great restaurants,
any museums,
any opera.
So they traipse off to San Francisco.
When they get there, they
find out that the restaurants
have charged 'em 50 bucks a crack
for a piece of meat about
the size of your nose.
They don't get to the museums
quite as often as they thought they would.
As for the opera, they get
there once in 20 years,
right, that's a lot.
(someone laughs)
You bring the glasses?
- I went to San Francisco
to get into advertising
because there seemed to be only slightly
more opportunity there than in Rutherford.
- Dad writes some great commercials.
- Commercials? (laughs)
- [Jake] I'm not ashamed.
What have you got to show for it?
60 seconds, a dog sitting around
and bragging about the tricks
they taught their masters.
- Why, because I don't have
50 or 60 acres of grapes?
- Except for this boy,
you've got nothing to show
for your time on God's green earth.
San Francisco is bad enough, but LA?
A lifetime was good enough for us
to raise horntoads and surf bums.
- [Bobby] I like LA.
- [Harry] Course you
do, son, it's your home.
It's not the Napa Valley.
Know why they call this God's country?
- Didn't know they did.
- Well, they do.
The reason is because God lives here.
- That's right.
Other places, he only visits.
You don't see God traipsing
off to San Francisco
for the opera, LA for the smog.
No son, if I were God, this
is exactly where I'd live.
- "If I were God",
now are you saying that you're
not, because that's a first.
- [Harry] It's not funny.
- [Jake] It wasn't meant to be.
- I never claimed to be God.
- Oh?
- I do know him awfully well, though.
- You do?
- Yeah, talk to him a lot.
- Oh, is that right?
- It's a hell of a lot
better than talking to you.
At least he admits it when he's wrong.
- You and your God deserve each other.
- Now you watch your mouth.
- You're two of a kind,
you're mean and you're spiteful.
You expect the whole world
to bow down and worship you.
But you don't do a damn
thing to deserve it.
- In my house, I forbid
you to curse the Lord.
That's right, run away.
Go on, the only thing you
ever learned to do, run.
(pins clatter)
- Not bad.
- Not bad, huh?
Oh.
- Here's your beer.
You're new here, huh?
- Old and new, I was born here.
- Yeah, but you've been long gone.
- Yeah?
- I could tell.
- How's that?
- You got big city boots.
- Dad, I got a strike.
- Really?
- I gotta strike!
You see?
- Oh, that's great, it's great!
So how are things at home?
- They're all right.
- How's your mom?
- She's okay, I guess.
She's been upset about me.
She cries a lot.
One second, I'm talking about lunch,
trying to decide between
tuna fish and peanut butter.
Next second, she's crying like crazy.
- Yeah?
- Peaceful around here.
- And boring.
Oh they, they, they know that there's
the whole world that exists out there
because they see it on TV.
They don't really care.
- Maybe they're right?
- You really believe that?
- Oh well, me and mom and Joe
go away for a weekend or a few days
like to Yosemite.
- Uh-huh.
- Joe won't buy a newspaper
or listen to the news.
He says that's the best part of the trip.
- Aha, so why does he bother
with it when he's at home?
- (chuckles) I asked
him that. (Jake laughs)
He says it's the lack of
character on his part.
- Oh yeah, how's that?
- Well, he says he hates all the bad news,
especially when he can't
do anything about it.
But he's too insecure to go to a party
and be the only one who doesn't know that
Bakersfield's been wiped
out by an Earthquake
or Zsa Zsa Gabor had gotten engaged.
(Jake laughs)
- So he's a funny guy, huh?
- Yeah.
- He seems like a nice man.
- Yeah he's okay.
- Bobby?
- Yeah.
- You know, it's okay for you to like him.
I mean, it's even okay
for you to love him.
Look, you're not being
just disloyal to me, mm?
- Yeah.
- Do you call him Dad?
- No, do you want me to?
- Nah.
- Are you going to apologize to Grandpa?
- Why should I?
- Well, you know that
stuff about him and God,
well he doesn't know about me.
You can't blame him for
what he doesn't know.
- (tuts) Yeah.
- You'll apologize?
- I'll talk to him.
(peaceful clarinet music)
You've got to try to get
along for Bobby's sake.
- You pick a fight and then you tell me
I've got to get along?
In my house, you get along or you get out.
- If I go, Bobby goes.
- We don't need you.
- [Jake] If I go, Bobby goes.
- All right George, watch this one.
(horseshoe clangs)
- Good, you ever played horseshoes, boy?
- [Bobby] No, sir.
- [Harry] Well, it's a wonderful game.
- That's true boy, it's a game of skill.
- All you need is a
keen eye, a steady hand
and nerves of tempered steel.
- When you have cut through
all the cauliflower boy,
the best thing you can say about it,
it's you only sport
aside from listening to
our own arteries harden,
that's not for old cockers like us!
Hey!
- Come on, George.
The boy and I'll stand
Charley and Willy here
and George here can referee.
- Wait, wait a minute, wait a minute.
He is going to referee?
- Sure, George is impartial.
He hates everyone equally.
Come on, let's have a few practice swings.
- Have you been er, playing
horseshoes a long time, Grandpa?
- You know, son when you've
lived as long as I have,
it seems like you've been
doing everything a long time.
The truth of the matter
is, people telling me
that close only counts in horseshoes.
So I thought I'd better take up the game.
Ahhh right.
(horseshoe clangs)
Come one, here have a few practice shots.
- [Charley] Here you go, Bobby.
- Okay.
- Ha, now wait a second, hold on, hold on.
Here, get it round that way.
Turn it up, now easy does it.
- With my thumb there?
- Now just relax, relax,
take it easy.
Forget that the family
honor is resting on you.
(laughs)
(horseshoe clangs)
- Oh it's a ringer.
(they applaud)
- [Charley] We can see
it's a ringer, George.
- You got the Seaton swing, boy.
You can't learn that, that's in the genes.
- Was dad good at horseshoes?
- Heck, no,
your father was never good
at anything except running,
running away.
- Well, he's never run away from me.
- Not yet, you mean?
- Well, why don't you stop picking on him?
- I'm not.
- Well, yes you are.
Look, it wasn't his idea
for us to come up here.
He's doing it for me.
- A father's supposed to do that.
- And you're his father.
So just give him a chance, okay Grandpa?
- [Kathy] Do you like it?
- No, it tastes kinda sour.
- That's how it's supposed to taste.
- How do you know if it's gone bad?
- Maybe you'll like it when
you get a little older.
- Yeah.
- Hey, you're in a funny mood.
What's bothering you?
- A lot of stuff, I guess. I
don't like to talk about it.
- Yeah, I know what you mean.
When my mom died last winter,
it's all anybody ever talked about.
Couldn't stand it.
- What would you do?
- I tried to be alone.
I come here a lot.
It was worse for my dad.
He couldn't get away from it.
He cried for weeks.
- So you don't cry?
- Yeah, sure.
Haven't you ever seen your dad cry?
- No,
I can't imagine my dad cry.
(gentle flute music)
Ten!
- Hey, you left me with a truck load.
Let's see.
10 20,
30, 35,
42, 49,
52 and 25 for Gin,
that's 67.
- [Jake] 77.
- I'd prefer it if you spoke
outside if you don't mind.
- [Harry] How did you learn
to play cards so good?
- [Bobby] From my Dad.
- Come on, your father's no Gin player.
I used to spot him 50 points a game,
and whip his butt nine times out of 10.
Am I right, Jacob?
Damn right I'm right.
Yep, I was the best Gin
player in Napa Valley.
Although I think I'm on the
verge of turning in my title
and turning it over to
this young upstart here.
- I just got lucky in that kinda.
I got dealt two runs, Grandpa.
- Ahh, modest too, huh?
I like that.
These days, everybody
seems to be a good loser.
Very few know how to be a good winner.
- I'm just gonna ride into town.
- Don't you wanna play with us?
- You heard the man, I'm no card player.
- Do you want me to go with you, Dad?
- [Jake] No, you stay
here and take the titles.
- Excuse me, Grandpa.
[Bobby] Dad, Dad.
Dad.
- What is it?
- I dunno.
- Well why don't you go back in there
and finish the game, huh?
- Grandpa's right.
You just keep leaving all the time.
(sighs)
Grandpa?
- You want to finish your game?
- No, no, no, I'm good, I'm good.
Look, can I ask you a question?
- Sure, fire away.
And always say, "No comment"
like the politicians do.
- How come you and Dad don't get along?
- Well, I dunno, I guess we
don't approve of each other.
But for the life of me,
I can't remember who
started disapproving first.
After a while,
not getting along gets to be a habit.
And no matter what's said,
winds up rubbing the other
fellow the wrong way.
- I don't know why.
You're both nice guys.
You ought like each other.
Instead, it's like this girl said,
like there's a war on.
- What girl's that?
- Kathy, Kathy Bailey.
- Oh, you've met Kathy already?
- Yeah, she's nice.
- She knows you've got good taste.
Some folks are put off by Kathy.
They think that she's too
old to be playing tomboy.
She talks too fast, she talks gibberish.
Course she does talk gibberish.
Unlike most folks, she
knows when she's doing it.
- Yeah like she said to
how she hated Los Angeles
because the air was so dirty.
- Ahh, I've been to LA,
I'm not so sure that's gibberish.
You met her father?
- No.
- When Ken's wife died
about six months ago,
I don't think he'd of pulled through
if it hadn't been for Kathy.
She was a rock.
Kathy's one of the great women, son.
When it becomes your turn to tie the knot,
why, you pick one of the great ones.
- You really think Kathy's a great person.
- Oh, not great in the sense that
Rembrandt or Bach was great.
But Kathy's got integrity,
she's got character.
Kathy Bailey gives you
the word about something,
you can deposit it in Fort Knox.
Want to finish your game?
- Ah, I'm a little bushed.
I better hit the hay.
Thanks Grandpa.
(finger tapping)
(knuckles rapping)
- [Jake] Hi there.
- Come on in.
- [Jake] Working late?
- Oh, well in the insurance
game, there's always something.
Oh, how time flies.
- Can I buy you a drink.
- Well, no, I'll buy you one
or maybe two or three.
(they laugh)
- Thank you.
- Thanks Mart.
Not bad, huh?
- What?
- The waitress, Mart.
- Oh yeah, she's okay.
- Yeah.
- You and her got something going?
- Oh no, no, we'd kid round a little
if I come in for a drink,
but, oh no, I'm a happily married man.
- You don't want to let that get around
like you put your glasses to
keep in a museum someplace.
- Yeah, maybe.
What about you?
- Ah, (sighs) two-time married.
I just don't think I'm cut out for it.
- Oh, you just haven't
found the right woman yet.
Someone like my Joanie.
- Yeah, maybe,
- but if you don't mind my asking,
why did your marriages break up?
- Well, let me see.
My first wife said that I was cold,
selfish and inconsiderate.
- Mm-hmm.
And my second wife, on the other hand,
claimed that I was cold,
selfish and inconsiderate,
so who knows, huh?
I envy you.
- What are you sure?
I'm an extremely happily married man.
Still, if this weren't such a small town
and I weren't an insurance man,
pillar of the community,
I sure wouldn't mind spending
all weekend with her.
Hah, you got any plans, Jake?
- What for, my life?
- [Vernon] No, for tonight.
- Oh, what you got in mind Vernon?
- Why don't you come over to my place?
We just bought the old Ferguson place--
- Oh no, I've got a son
who is waiting for me.
- [Vernon] No, no, no,
no, it's real early.
- Er, your wife, er, you know--
- Joanie, she wouldn't mind at all.
- Well, I'll tell you something,
my old ladies would have killed me.
- You best have been
married some real doozies.
Joanie knows who pays the bills.
She knows who buses back,
selling insurance to
these miserable hicks.
Keep a roof over her head.
All she'd need to do is open her yap to me
about bringing somebody home late
or anything else?
She'd be picking her
teeth up off the floor.
- Yeah, well, thanks for the invitation.
But I think I'd like to be alone.
- Yeah,
me too.
(melancholy string music)
- Bobby,
thought I'd come up and say goodnight.
- Thanks Grandpa.
- Do you like that music?
- Makes me kind of sad.
- Imagine composing anything like that,
as you're looking inside
yourself and discovering that,
how you must have felt.
- Do you ever feel that way?
- Aww I suppose.
Maybe sometime when I'm
harvesting the grapes
and when my son was born.
You're right.
That is a sad piece of music.
You all right?
You look a little peaked.
- Oh, I feel fine.
Just a little tired.
- Yeah?
I know what it is.
- What?
- It's that lousy LA air.
If grapes can't live
there, how can people?
Goodnight, son.
Goodnight.
- [Bobby] Goodnight Grandpa.
- Did you always want to be a bartender?
- No.
- Bartender is one of those
things a person falls into.
I'm not complaining.
- You know something,
I noticed that about bartenders, they,
they hardly ever complain.
- I think the nature of the job
makes us all kind of
philosophical. Know what I mean?
- Absolutely.
Now that's, that's my point.
Now if Plato and Socrates
had been alive today,
would they have been bartenders?
(bartender mumbles)
(light mood music)
- I thought that was you.
- Were you right, was it me?
- (laughs) You're funny.
- I know you.
- I'm Mary Jo Lawson
from the bowling alley.
You were there with your boy.
- All right,
you er,
you said that I had er,
whoa, a big city er--
- Boots.
- Boots.
You know I used to have dreams about
ladies that look like you.
- Oh yeah?
Where they naughty dreams?
- Absolutely.
- [Mary Jo] Do you still dream
about ladies that look like me?
- No, no.
These days I only have bad dreams.
- I thought you didn't look real happy.
- You wanna know who's happy?
- [Mary Jo] Who?
- My old man.
- [Mary Jo] He's lucky.
- He knows who he is.
Harry Seaton, grower of grapes,
pitcher of horseshoes
and good old buddy with the Lord.
- Well, it's good knowing who you are.
- I like your hair.
- Oh, thank you.
- Yeah, you don't,
you don't see er,
styles like that er much anymore.
I don't know why
because it,
it gives a woman a stature.
- Well, that's true.
Would you believe I'm only 5'3"?
- Amazing.
You know something else that I missed?
Ponytail.
Whatever happened to the ponytail?
I mean, I do still walk along the street.
I would fall in love
eight, 10 times a day.
- I know, I know just what you mean.
- I know.
- I used to love guys with crew cuts.
- You don't see them much anymore.
- No, no, even Pete Rose let his grow out.
- Yeah.
- You like Pete Rose?
- Not since he let his hair grow out.
(they laugh)
Have you ever been through analysis?
- What?
- Analysis?
- Oh no.
No, have you?
- I have been through everything.
- Are you crazy?
- He er, bothering you married girl?
- Oh hi, Bo, no he's okay.
- Then why did you ask
him if he was crazy?
- Well, shoot, you came in
at the tail-end of a conversation.
- You was asking him if he was crazy.
- Who, who are you?
- I'm her boyfriend.
- Aww well talk is cheap, cowboy.
Now, if you really loved
this little lady here,
you'd get yourself a crew
cut, and I'm telling you.
(Mary Jo laughs)
Have you ever been wrong?
- That's it, hmm.
(fist whacks)
(peaceful clarinet music)
(Jake sings)
- Fine.
Goodnight.
(bird sings happily)
- [Harry] Hear one of those scouts now.
- [Bobby] Huh?
- See that bird down there,
sniffing around the grapes.
I used to wonder how
they knew when the grapes
reached a 21, 22% sugar content,
they won't even touch them
until they're sweet enough.
And when they had 20, 22,
(Harry tuts)
they can drive you nuts.
How can they tell just by looking at 'em?
I can't even tell that.
Then I figured it out.
They send out one of those
scouts to taste the grapes
then the little bum rushes on home and,
"Those are Old Man Seaton's
croppers, 19% troops.
"We hit 'em next Tuesday."
- Ha, well then how do you suppose
they pick the bird for the job?
- Well they find one that doesn't
mind sour grapes, I guess.
(he laughs)
See it's so dry here,
the er, roots go down
about, oh 70, 80 feet
down into the ground so
we don't have to water.
- Harry!
- What's the matter, Willy?
- Did you hear the news?
- [Harry] What news is that?
- Vernon Richards just killed himself.
Blew his brains out.
- He did?
- We just saw him last night.
- [Harry] How did he seem?
- A little drunk, a little angry.
He wanted to be a songwriter.
- You mean his music was lousy too.
- That's a pretty cruel
thing to say, Harry.
- Well it's true.
He had no right to kill himself.
- He must've been awfully unhappy.
- Unhappy?
He had a wife and three kids.
What about their happiness?
When he was unhappy selling insurance,
he could have sold something else.
There's plenty a man can do.
And I hate cowards.
- Oh, you're beautiful, you know that?
You are the judge and the jury
of what a man should do and
shouldn't do, aren't you?
Where do you get off?
He may have gotten
through the last 20 years
on on on sheer guts.
And he, even that wasn't enough anymore.
- Tough. If he made it through 20 years,
he could make it through 30.
- Says you.
- Says me.
Your friend didn't even have the decency
to make it look like an accident.
- What?
- That's right?
A gun in his hand, he was a suicide,
no ifs, ands or buts.
His widow can't even
collect the insurance.
He was a quitter, just like you,
always looking for the
exit sign, the way out,
the way out of a job,
the way out of school,
the way out of a marriage,
the way outta life.
A whole generation, not
worth a hill of beans.
- Gospel according to Harry Seaton.
- Isn't it about time you
started running again?
- I'm not going anywhere!
(dramatic string music)
- Hi, what are you doing here?
What is it, what's the matter, Bobby?
What's wrong?
- It's me.
I'm dying.
And I'm getting scared.
- [Kathy] Oh my, oh Bobby.
Oh Bobby.
Oh my God.
Oh Bobby.
(soft mournful music)
(phone rings)
- Hello
Hello?
Hello?
- I'm so sorry about your friend, Jake.
- Thank you.
You seen Bobby?
- No, I haven't seen
him since this morning.
Maybe he's outside.
- [Jake] Thank you.
If I don't find him, tell
him I've gone to the funeral.
- [Bobby] Yeah, I guess you were right.
Better coming here to the beach
than sitting around moping.
- [Kathy] Yeah, I'm really glad we did.
- [Bobby] You like the ocean?
- [Kathy] Oh, I love it.
Ooh, but can you believe that
I never even seen it until two years ago?
Hey, you know,
you'd think we were living in
Kansas instead of California.
Good shot, uh but I mean it's right here,
just an hour away,
The Pacific Ocean and I was 12 going on 13
before I'd even laid eyes on it.
- You know there are people who were born
in New York city who have
never even been to the top
of the Empire State Building
or The statue of Liberty.
- I think we just tend to
take things for granted,
you know things, places, people.
- Yeah, for sure.
- (sighs) Do you think
about it all the time?
- Not all the time.
It's like when you know
you're going to have a test
in school the next day or the day after,
you're not really prepared for it.
You're not really thinking
about it every second,
generally thinking about
anything else either, right?
- Yeah I know.
Well, have you talked to anybody?
- Not much.
It's hard to talk to my folks.
- But they love you, don't they?
- Sure.
I feel like I'm letting them down.
- (sighs) Yeah, I think
that's how my mom felt.
That she wasn't gonna be there
when we needed her the most.
- That's it.
I especially feel like
I'm deserting my dad.
He's got no friends, he's got no family,
except for grandpa who he doesn't like.
I'm all he's got, Kathy
and I don't know what he's gonna do.
- Near the end, you know mom said
death can't be so terrible
or God wouldn't let it happen to babies.
- I really like you.
- I like you too.
- My grandfather thinks
you're a great human being.
I think so too.
- Yeh?
- You know,
I remember the first time my
parents took me to the beach.
I saw those little birds and
asked them what they were.
- Oh, you mean sandpipers?
- Yeah, well that's what my mom told me.
Wanna know what my dad told me they were?
- What?
- He said they were turkeys.
- Turkeys?
- Yeah, he said they
were very smart turkeys.
He said all year long they
did nothing but dieting,
eating nothing but cottage
cheese and lettuce.
Come Thanksgiving, no-one would bother.
- Did you believe him?
- No.
I believe my mom was telling me the truth.
Those little guys are sandpipers.
- But you loved him for
going to the trouble
of telling you a story?
- Yeah.
You know what my dad
should do for a living?
- What?
- He should be a father.
(gate slams)
- Bobby,
You seen Bobby?
- I know he's around here somewhere.
(gate squeaks)
Doesn't anybody keep an eye on him?
- [Jake] Bobby!
- It's good for a kid
to get off by himself.
I swear you're worse than a mother hen.
- [Jake] Yeah, don't lecture
me on being a father.
- Father? You couldn't even be a husband.
Your mother and I were married 41 years.
"'til death do us part,"
used to mean something.
Now it's 'til death or 10,000 miles,
whichever comes first.
- Or maybe she could put
up with you for 41 years?
- You broke your mother's heart
when you moved away from here.
- She understood.
Bobby!
(waves crash)
- I love you, Kathy.
Do you believe in reincarnation?
- I'm not sure, do you?
- [Bobby] I wanna believe.
- What would you like to come back as?
- Do you really love me?
All right, I'd like to come back as me.
(melancholy music)
- [Harry] You're wearing out the carpet.
- Buy a new one.
- It's only half past seven,
what are you worried about?
To think when you were 14,
you were Johnny-on-the-spot.
- Why don't you worry about your grapes,
let me worry about my boy.
- I'm thinking, to grow up to be a sissy.
There he goes, ladies and gentlemen.
I swear, if going through
doors was an Olympic event,
you'd win the gold medal.
- [Jake] Oh talk to me about gold medals!
- I'll talk about anything
I please in my house.
If you don't like it, you can lump it.
No wonder you couldn't stay married.
You can't stay period.
You're a chicken.
- [Jake] You're a fool.
- Why don't you two just shut up?
All you do is yell at each other.
- Where have you been?
- Shut up!
- Bobby, Bobby.
(simmering string music)
(gentle guitar music)
So, cocoa here.
We were worried about you.
- Kathy Bailey and I went to the beach.
- Oh, ahh.
- Listen, er, Dad?
What's going to happen to me when I die?
Where will I go?
- Well,
some people think that er,
- What do you think?
- I don't know.
- But Grandpa knows.
- [Jake] No, nobody knows.
- He knows, he talks to God.
I wish I knew.
Not knowing that makes it so scary.
- I wish.
- Why me?
Why do I have to die?
I don't wanna die.
- Oh Bobby.
- Why can't you talk to me?
- I don't know what to say.
- What?
- I
- What?
- Oh, nothing, here.
Have some cocoa.
- I don't want any damn cocoa!
(mug crashes)
I wanna live.
(Bobby sobs)
- Allo?
(speaks Spanish)
Allo?
Understand.
Jacob, your father needs your help.
Allo?
(speaks Spanish)
Allo?
- What is it?
- The irrigation pipe burst.
Allo?
- Is that the watering fountain?
- Yes, they have me on a hold.
Jacob, go and help him.
Jacob!
Allo?
(dramatic music)
(water splashes)
- [Jake] Dad!
Dad!
Where are you?
What's going on?
- [Harry] I don't know exactly.
If we can't stop this running,
the grapes will be ruined for sure.
- [Jake] Here, let me give you a hand.
- I don't need your help.
- The hell you don't!
- I don't need it now,
I never did need it.
- Well maybe you don't need it,
but the vines do,
now where's another shovel?
- In the shed.
The pipes have rusted like me.
(dramatic music)
Get that lance into it.
How long's it been since
you did any shoveling?
- Are you kidding?
My cousin's business was
shoveling all the time.
- Got you now.
Aw come on.
Put your back into it, you
shovel like an old lady.
- Well if you get off
my back, maybe I could.
- C'mon now, don't be stopping.
- Horrid old buzzard.
- Don't talk to me about being stubborn.
That's no way to talk to your father.
(dramatic music)
(Jake questions, drowned out by the water)
- We're not making a dent in this at all.
(water gushes loudly)
- You heard me last time.
- Not so bad.
- What are you getting?
(they shout at each other)
- For God's sake.
(gushing diminishes)
Yeah.
Ah, thank you, Lord.
Thank you too, Jacob.
I couldn't have done it without you.
- (sighs) It's er, the first nice thing
that you have said to me.
Long time.
- What was there to say?
That you had a nice haircut?
- There you go again.
What's wrong with you?
- Oh I dunno, I guess
we grate on each other,
I guess we always did.
- No, not always.
Just since you lost me the chance
to be state champ in the mile.
Never forgave you for that.
- Dear Lord, not that old song.
- No, no, no, I worked hard.
I was the best damn miler
in the state of California.
- All right, so you were best.
You should have been proud of it.
- Tony Shaw beat me in the finals.
He beat me by that much.
- Alright, so you were second best.
- Yeah, you know better than that.
Tony Shaw didn't have to stay
up the night before the race
working on the wind machines
and the orchard heaters.
- His daddy owned a liquor store.
Your daddy owned a vineyard
and liquor doesn't give a
tinker's damn about frost,
but grapes do.
And look, you can blame
me about a lot of things,
but not for the weather.
- Oh, I wanted that trophy
more than anything I've
ever wanted in my life.
- Then you're a fool.
If we'd of lost that crop that year,
we would of lost the vineyard.
What's a trophy, but a lousy piece of tin.
- You never even said thank you.
- I didn't know I was expected to.
Thought we were saving the
vineyard for the two of us.
- I couldn't do that.
Couldn't just take this vineyard.
This is yours, always be yours.
I had to earn what I got,
whatever that was.
I couldn't do that, do you understand?
(fist bumps ground)
- Course I do.
You're a Seaton.
You had to have something
you could call your own.
Come on, I'll buy you a cup of coffee.
(Harry groans)
(sad music)
- [Jake] You know, Dad.
When I was a kid, I wanted to
grow up to be just like you.
- [Harry] Yeah, it's only natural.
Kids always wanna grow up
to be like their fathers.
- [Jake] Yeah, and then
you get a little older
and you realize that your
old man is not a god.
He's just you old man.
- [Harry] I suppose.
Still, when my father died,
I felt that the moon and
the sun and the stars
had fallen from the sky.
- Really?
- Yeah, it was a long time ago.
No TV in those days.
- What has television got to do with it?
- Well, I'm thinking back to a time when,
when death was more mysterious.
Oh of course you'd see an animal die,
or maybe a friend or a relative.
Nowadays on TV, people are
dying all over the place.
- Se mio, what finally happened?
Is everything all right?
- Yeah, yeah, finally they
got through and turned it off.
- Oh thank God, you both look terrible.
You better put on some dry clothes,
or you'll catch pneumonia.
I made some hot coffee, you want some?
- Ahh good.
- Dad, Cognac, Cognac.
- Ahh yeah, and some Cognac,
you know, the good stuff?
- I know where it is.
- Go on, go on.
- Well you turn on TV.
And on the news in 30 minutes,
you see more dead people
than I saw in the first
50 years of my life.
- You know,
it's hard to think of you as a man
after having thought
of you all these years,
just as my father.
- Well, it's a difficult
adjustment, that's for sure.
Times change, people change.
When you left here, you
weren't much more than a kid.
Not much older than Robert is now.
Now here you are, back,
all grown up, a father.
Where did all the time go?
Flown by like it had wings.
- Here's the coffee,
drink it while it's still hot.
- Ahh, thank you, thank you, thank you.
- (speaks Spanish) your
hands are very cold.
- Aye, I'll be up very shortly.
There we go.
(sniffs)
It'll be a good harvest this year.
(sniffs)
- Good.
- Yeah, I was talking to Robert about er,
harvesting the grapes.
- Yeah?
- He said it sounded interesting.
- It is.
- So I, I was wondering if you'd er
let him come up for that in October?
Course he'd have to miss a
couple of days of school,
but that kid's smart as a whip,
couple of days won't hurt him.
Maybe he could write a
report for his class.
He can fly up to San Francisco
and then I could drive
down and pick him up.
Do you hear me, Jacob?
Jacob?
- Maybe he'll not be alive in October.
- What do you mean?
- He's dying.
- Dying?
That's impossible.
What the hell can a 14
year old boy die from?
- Cancer.
- Oh dear God.
Look, and they can't do anything?
- They can't do anything.
- Why didn't you tell me?
- I wanted this to be a
a good time.
I don't want this to be a wake.
Oh God, I love him so much.
(Jake sobs)
Sorry, I'm 38 years old.
What the hell am I
doing crying like a kid?
- You think the tears
dry up when you get old?
Everything dries up, but that.
(melancholy music)
(door rattles)
(Jake sighs)
- Uh, what is it?
What happened?
- Oh, nothing, a water pipe burst.
It's okay now.
I'm sorry I woke you.
I'm sorry for everything.
I'm ashamed
that I haven't been able to talk to you.
To comfort you.
- (sighs) It's all right, Dad.
You were right.
Nothing to talk about.
- Well, look at me, there isn't,
but I didn't try hard enough.
It's,
it's just that it hurts so damn much.
I'm ashamed
that I can't help you.
- Don't be.
- But I'm your father.
I want there to be
something that I can do.
If I could, I'd give you my eyes,
my heart.
- I know.
- If I could,
I'd switch places with you,
I swear to God.
- I know.
- You're my son.
I don't want there to be
something I couldn't do.
I love you.
- I love you too.
(they sob)
- Not right now.
Oh my God.
Sleep now.
(melancholy guitar music)
- [Harry] Oh God,
what's the point?
What's the point of
keeping the boy hurting?
(Harry sobs)
You're just a mean, spiteful old man,
just like Jake said you were.
- Harry.
Oh please, Harry, don't be like that.
Harry please, calm yourself.
Remember, God knows what
it's like to lose a son.
(Harry sobs)
Please, Harry, please calm yourself.
Everything's gonna be all right.
(dramatic music)
- [Leslie] Hello?
- Hi.
Jake?
- Yeah?
- Jake is anything wrong?
- I don't know.
Bobby's fine.
- (sighs) Well what's
wrong that you sound funny?
- I love you.
- What?
- I really love you.
(she laughs)
You know, I've been thinking.
- What's that?
- Well, I think that maybe
we ought to head back home,
back to your mother.
- But Dad, it's only the 22nd.
We have nine more days.
- Yeah, I know, I know, er
but I'm sure your mother
misses you terribly.
And I just don't think
that this is the right time
to be holding her to a
custody agreement, you know?
- Yeah.
- So why don't you give her a call?
Coming from me she'll
probably think it's bad news.
- Yeah.
- For what it's worth, I'm proud of you.
- Just not right keeping them apart.
- I er,
I was wondering if the boy's mother and,
and you of course when,
when the time comes (sniffs),
if you'd let them,
Bobby, er,
if you'd bring him back up here
and be with the family.
- Dad, Dad she wants to talk to you.
- I'm gonna miss you, Bobby.
- I'll miss you too, Grandpa.
- Hi.
No, no, no, no.
He's fine.
It's okay, Nora, it's okay, don't cry.
(laughs) Yes, I know
I'm a wonderful person.
Right.
Er, we'll see you tomorrow.
Oh, I don't know, er
sometime between seven and eight.
(laughs) Me punctual?
You gotta have me confused
with some, some other guy, huh?
Yeah.
(gentle music)
- I'll miss you.
- I'll never forget you, Kathy.
Never used to seem like such a long time.
- Will you write me?
- If you want me to.
- Want you to.
Every day.
Every hour.
(melancholy music)
- Did you check your room, Bobby?
- [Bobby] Yeah I got everything.
- No you didn't.
- [Bobby] Everything, except my shoes?
- [Jake] And your jacket.
It's okay, I'll get it.
- Bobby, this is for you.
Keep it damp.
- It won't live Grandpa,
you said our soil's no good.
- It won't die.
You'll see.
Seaton vines are tough.
Every last one of 'em.
Oh, I nearly forgot.
(car slams)
For you.
(Jake laughs)
Go on, open it, it's a present.
Well it's er, the only
one they had in stock.
Maybe if you filed that
bowling ball off there,
the man'd like he was a runner.
- Especially if you squint.
- That's the idea.
- Thank you.
(hopeful music)
- Jake?
Don't forget to drive carefully, huh?
- Oh yeah.
And be sure to send me that
recipe for the guacamole.
- [Bobby] Bye Grandpa.
- I just put some in the back seat.
- Great.
- [Bobby] Bye again, Lorenza.
- Don't be a stranger.
- Oh, er
in fact we'd like to come
back for the harvest,
if that's okay?
- You mean that?
- I mean that.
You might even need a hand.
- I can always use a good hand.
(hopeful music)
- Dad?
- Yeah.
- Thanks.
- For what?
- For these three weeks.
I'm not scared anymore.
- I should thank you.
- For what?
- For these three weeks.
I'm not scared anymore, either.
♪ So I pray to the stars ♪
♪ Let us end this charade ♪
♪ Before it's too late ♪
♪ Before life is all gone ♪
♪ The porch light is on ♪
♪ And our love is awaiting ♪
♪ And always will be ♪
♪ For as long as we roam ♪
♪ Patiently waiting for us ♪
♪ To come home ♪
(hopeful music)
(melancholy music)
- [Jake] Homeward Bound is
the story of me, Jake Seaton,
my father Harry and my son, Bobby,
a young boy who was the victim of cancer.
Our story is not about death,
rather it is the story of
Bobby's commitment to life
and the lives of those who love him.
This story is dedicated to those
children and their families
who courageously confront
this situation every day.
♪ We are born into life ♪
♪ With a love that is boundless ♪
♪ That we're sure will endure ♪
♪ Until time ticks away ♪
♪ Oh why do we stray ♪
♪ From the feeling inside us ♪
♪ Oh why do we keep running ♪
♪ From home? ♪
♪ For it's there where ♪
♪ The magic lies ♪
♪ Come close your eyes ♪
♪ Remember with me ♪
♪ The one simple glow ♪
♪ That we had in our heart ♪
♪ When we were alive ♪
♪ Before we were smart ♪
♪ So I pray to the stars ♪
♪ Let us end this charade ♪
♪ Before it's too late ♪
♪ Before life is all gone ♪
♪ The porch light is on ♪
♪ And our love is awaiting ♪
♪ And always will be ♪
♪ For as long as we roam ♪
♪ Patiently waiting for us ♪
♪ To come home ♪
- Oh, hi Jake, er come on in.
I'll tell Bobby you're here.
- Thanks, Joe.
- [Joe] Hey Bobby, your dad's here.
- [Jake] Hello, Laura.
- Nine on the nose.
You're never late, are you?
- I believe in being on time.
- He's nearly ready, but
don't let him get too tired.
And um, here's his medication.
- Please, don't take him, Jake.
- Nora, honey.
- Don't let him, Joe.
- I'm sorry, Jake.
Now, Nora.
- Why are you apologizing?
He's taking my only son away!
- Hunny, Bobby is his son too.
- Oh He doesn't love
Bobby, it's just spite--
- [Joe] Nora, please.
- Come on.
- Nora.
- When We got divorced.
Bobby, wasn't dying.
Do you want me to beg you?
- No Hunny, don't do this to yourself.
- All right, I'm begging!
- [Joe] Nora, please, Nora!
- [Nora] Please don't take him.
- Nora!
He'll be all right.
I'll have him back here
September 1st, punctually.
- Please, Jake please.
- Now, Nora.
- Listen to me.
- [Bobby] Hi, Dad.
- Hi, Bobby.
- Um, see you next month
Mom, don't worry, I'll write.
- [Joe] You have a good
time now, Bobby, huh?
- Yeah, we'll get drunk
and pick up on wild woman
as usual, right Dad?
- Yeah, you bet.
- Goodbye.
And don't worry, Mom.
- Well, er, how's this grab you?
Next week we take a trip to the moon.
- C'mon, Dad.
- Too far, huh?
How about two weeks in Cleveland?
- Only two weeks?
- Only two weeks, How about three weeks
scuba diving in Malolo?
- It sounds great.
- Don't sound so thrilled.
- Well, to tell you the truth,
I thought maybe we can
go up and see Grandpa.
- Grandpa?
- Thought we might go up to his vineyard.
- Bobby, you can't go scuba
diving in the Napa Valley.
(engine starts)
(happy music)
- Dad, look on your right,
watch out! On your right! Dad!
(they groan)
- Okay.
- Okay, let's go.
- Get jumping.
- All right, set me up.
- Okay, you ready for the spike?
You ready?
- Like high.
You ready, you ready?
Slow down!
(they laugh)
(car engines roar)
(game voices talk)
(engines screech)
(video game beeps)
- [Bobby] Help!
- [Game Voice] C'mon everybody, c'mon.
(arcade machines ring)
- Look at it Dad, I got a
free game, free game I won.
(arcade machines beep)
(Bobby coughs)
- You all right Bobby?
You want your er,
you want your medicine?
- in a minute?
(Bobby coughs)
- Can I get you anything?
Lots of water, some soda?
Anything?
- No,
it'll pass soon.
(melancholy music)
(Bobby coughs)
(lavatory flushes)
- Here you go.
(Bobby sighs)
Here.
- Yeah, I'm coming.
(melancholy guitar music)
- (sighs) Goodnight, Dad.
(Jake groans)
- [Bobby] Good morning.
- Ah.
- You look terrible.
- (groans) Do you have a
steady job in solving people
or do you work freelance?
(groans)
- Guess you had a tough time
sleeping in that chair last night?
- Well, sleep is overrated.
So is most everything else in the world.
- [Bobby] Such as?
(Jake groans)
- Such as sunsets.
First cup of coffee in the morning
isn't always that terrific.
- Well, what's not overrated?
- Oh, Boston clam chowder,
good pair of shoes,
honest to God fountain pen.
What are all these questions?
- What about sex?
- What about sex?
- Is it overrated?
- No, it's not overrated.
- [Bobby] Dad, hmm?
- Oh.
I suppose you want a smile, huh?
Well come on, I can't hold this forever.
(camera whirs)
- Dad, Dad look at her.
- [Jake] Pretty.
- [Bobby] Ah, she's gorgeous.
- Yeah.
- If I weren't here, would
you try to pick her up?
- What kind of a question is that?
- Would you?
- Oh,
maybe.
- She's your type, isn't she?
- I don't have a type.
- Sure you do.
- Okay, what kind of type do I have?
- Ahh like her, like Leslie.
- Mm-hmm, don't you have a type?
- I'm not very good with girls.
- Aw c'mon, good looking guy
like you, huh, c'mon. (laughs)
- I don't know what to talk to them about.
- Well, join the club. (laughs)
You got to talk to them about
something that interests you.
- Well, mostly what interests me is, er
being able to talk to girls.
- Yeah, well you're just shy.
You've got to remember that
they're first of all, people.
I used to be shy at your age,
but by high school I got over that.
Oh, I loved high school.
- And what was so great about it?
- I don't know, the
endless options, I think,
anything was possible.
And I was gonna be
the new Hemingway.
I was gonna visit the most
beautiful places on earth,
love the most beautiful women
and be an honest to God legend.
I wonder what happened?
- You've done okay.
- Yeah, I suppose it's,
okay is not what I set out to do.
Let me see that.
Not your type, huh?
(laughs)
Oh wait, wait, grab the radio will ya?
- Dad?
- Yeah.
- Do you really mind if
we didn't go to Hawaii,
and went to see Grandpa instead?
- Now, why would you
want to go see Grandpa?
What would even make you think about it?
- I dunno, I haven't
seen him in seven years.
- Seven years, it's been that long?
- Yeah.
- I just want to see him again.
I don't know how many
more chances I'll get.
How come you don't like him?
- Bobby, it's not that I don't like him.
It's just that we have
different temperaments.
- He seemed like a nice guy to me.
- I'm surprised you even remember.
- Sure, I remember he took
me fishing in the river.
I remember his vineyard,
he let me pick grapes off the vine.
- Tell you what?
Why don't we go home and pack
a suitcase full of grapes
and go to Hawaii, huh?
(Jake whistles)
- Thanks.
So when do you guys leave for Hawaii?
- Tuesday.
- It should be fun. (laughs)
- Yeah, if you like paradise.
- (sighs) I'm gonna to miss you.
- Yeah. (whistles)
- Want a Brandy and Lanzaga, huh?
- No, thanks.
We don't talk very much, do we?
- I thought we did.
- Oh, I know we talk about
nuclear power and the economy
and chances of war in the Middle East.
But I don't think we talk about
the really important things.
- Such as?
- Us.
- Hmm, well, what is there about us
that we could talk about?
- Well, I guess I'd like to
know whether we are an us.
I mean, I know that's
not very grammatical,
but I think you know what I mean.
- Yeah.
I like you.
- You like me?
- Yeah, very much.
(blender whirs)
- More or less than
you like your umbrella?
I'm sorry.
That was really stupid.
I don't know how love
affects other people,
but it makes me so stupid.
Do you ever get really,
really stupid Jake?
This conversation is making you
very uncomfortable, isn't it?
- No.
Once somebody loved me
and I only liked him.
I never looked to see what he wanted
and the next thing I know, he was gone.
So you see, I know how you feel.
I've gotta go.
- Leslie, you don't have to go.
- Yes, I do.
Night, Bobby, have a nice vacation.
- [Bobby] Thanks for the ice cream.
- I guess neither one of us
knows how to talk to a woman.
(melancholy music)
- [Bobby] Hello, Dad?
- It was the drink.
(upbeat optimistic music)
♪ We are born into life ♪
♪ With a love that is boundless ♪
♪ That we're sure will endure ♪
♪ Until time ticks away ♪
♪ Oh, why do we stray ♪
♪ From the feeling inside us ♪
♪ Oh, why do we keep running ♪
♪ From home ♪
♪ Some will say it's because ♪
♪ Childhood dreams never waken ♪
♪ That it's better to run ♪
♪ Than to live with the pain ♪
♪ But what do we gain ♪
♪ When the steps we have taken ♪
♪ Take us further and further ♪
♪ From home ♪
Oh you woke up.
Really out there for a while.
How are you feeling?
- Okay, can't believe how
sleepy I get sometimes.
- Yeah, must be that medicine, huh.
- [Bobby] Yeah I think it is.
- Yeah.
- But, as long as
it doesn't harm my throwing arm, you know?
- (laughs) Man, it'd be
tough on a good quarterback.
- Yeah?
- Yeah I enjoy watching you play.
- Thanks Dad.
- Sure.
- [Bobby] Wish I could play this year.
- What?
Oh,
yeah.
- Well, that's the bad news.
The good news is
I'm not gonna have 190 pound linebacker
redecorating my face.
- Yeah (laughs)
♪ For it's there where the magic lies ♪
♪ Come, close your eyes ♪
♪ Remember, mm-hmm ♪
♪ The one simple glow ♪
♪ That we have in our heart ♪
♪ When we were alive ♪
♪ Before we were smart ♪
♪ So I pray to the stars ♪
♪ Let us end this charade ♪
♪ Before it's too late ♪
♪ Before life is all gone ♪
♪ The porch light is on ♪
♪ And our love is awaiting ♪
♪ And always will be ♪
♪ For as long as we roam ♪
♪ Patiently waiting for us ♪
♪ To come home ♪
- Why'd you and mom breakup?
- Ah, it's a complicated question.
- It wasn't another woman, was it?
- No,
your mom and I broke up, I think because,
because we got bored.
- Bored?
- Yeah.
- Did you love each other?
- Well, when we got married,
we loved each other,
but um, things can change,
you see,
and er, you get married at 24,
25 and then nine years later,
you're married to a
whole different person.
Oh it's not better, it's not worse.
It's just er, different.
- Think you'll ever get married again?
- What else?
When I married your mom, it was for keeps.
See, we were,
we were bound and determined
to grow old together.
Sure enough, nine years
later we had. (laughs)
Since then I've been trying
to figure it all out.
I've been through EST,
I've primal screamed,
I have meditated 'til the cows come home.
I haven't even been on Rawle.
- What is Rawle?
- Ar, it's a deep, painful massage,
supposed to be good for you.
- Like a, like broccoli?
- Yeah (giggles) just like broccoli.
- Who you looking at?
- That guy fishing over there.
Looks like someone I used
to know, is it Allen Keifer?
- Maybe it's him.
- Na, he's back at Harvard teaching law.
He was my best friend.
Whatever happened to best friends?
- Don't you ever talk to him anymore?
- No, not for years now.
Do you have a best friend?
- Tommy Fine, he's my best friend.
- You know, it seems when
you reach a certain age,
you just don't have friends anymore.
I mean, you do things with people,
but you just stop having friends.
- Sounds like you're pretty lonely, Dad.
- Oh, it's not that
terrible, just talking.
But you hang out with that Tommy Fine.
A best friend's a good thing to have.
- Dad,
you got me.
(hopeful music)
- There it is!
- [Jake] Yep, there it is.
- You're nervous, aren't you?
- [Jake] No, not really.
- [Bobby] Really glad we came here.
I haven't seen Grandpa
in such a long time.
Does Grandpa know that I'm er ...
- [Jake] Oh, I haven't told him.
- Good, don't tell him, okay.
Everybody you know has
treated me different,
like I'm a spook or something.
(calm music)
(car door slams)
(hooves clatter)
(horse whinnies)
- You must be Robert Seaton.
- Yes, sir.
- You're a good looking son of a gun,
you must take after your momma's side?
Am I right, Jacob?
- Aren't you always?
- Your mama still a beauty, boy?
- Yes, sir.
- Wanna come for a ride?
- Can I dad?
- Sure.
(horse neighs)
(hooves clatter)
(gentle guitar music)
- There's a lovely cluster, Petite Sirah.
That's the name of the grape
and the name of the
wine that comes from it.
Pretty, isn't it?
Petite Sirah.
You know, some of the growers
get to talk and they say,
"How are your pets?" and I hate that.
"How are your Zinfandels,
how are your Zins?
I gave 'em nicknames,
like they were baseball
players or gangsters.
- You really love your grapes, huh?
- Well I ought to, they're so beautiful.
Besides, a vine is never ungrateful.
You'll give it your attention, your sweat,
your love, it'll never disappoint you.
It'll never fail to appreciate
your efforts, never.
- This barrel looks so beautiful.
Very smooth, it don't
really feel like wood,
it feel like glass.
- Oh, here's where we
store the wine for aging.
(he taps on the wood)
Just want to hear that dull sound,
that means the barrel is full.
Wine evaporates through the wood,
you have to fill it up once
a month to stop spoilage,
otherwise the wine'd turn to vinegar.
- Then what would you do?
Next year we'd sell a
lot of salad dressing.
- Ha.
- Robert, this is Lorenza.
- Hi, nice to meet you.
- Hello, Robert.
Handsome, just like you, huh?
- Like me?
Woman, we'd better get you
fitted for some glasses.
She's a good woman and a great cook.
You know what I like to do sometimes?
- What, Grandpa?
- Like to er, hang around the kitchen
and watch her fix a meal.
- Why?
- I dunno, something about
a woman fixing dinner.
And I'm talking about a
woman who was doing something
more than opening a can
or tearing open couple of packages.
I think it is one of the most beautiful
sights in the world.
- Leslie's a good cook.
- Leslie?
- [Jake] Is a friend.
- Want some advice?
- Not really.
- Marry her.
Even if she has two heads, marry her.
- [Lorenza] Robert, telephone
for you, it's your mama.
- Thank you.
- Things haven't changed much.
- No need to change,
when you do things right the first time.
- [Jake] There it is, the old Alma Mater.
Ha, hasn't changed a bit since I was here.
- [Bobby] It looks nice.
[Jake] Yeah, you know something,
friend of mine once told me,
he said, "There are two kinds
of people in this world.
"There are those who loved high school.
"And then there are those who hated it."
- [Bobby] And you loved it?
- [Jake] I loved it.
Used to run the mile.
- [Bobby] I know, Dad.
- [Jake] Yeah, I loved it.
- [Bobby] Hey, Dad.
- Aw, come on.
All right, now the malt shop,
this is down at that corner,
down about a half a block.
- Wait.
- That was the library.
That was the library,
it's where we met girls.
- That's a library?
- Yeah, you see parents
would let their daughters out at night,
if they were going to the library.
More chicks were checked
out there than books.
- Hey, pardon me?
Aren't you?
Aren't you Jake Seaton?
- Ah, yes.
- You don't remember me, do you?
- Ur?
- Vernon Richards.
- Vernon Richards?
How are you doing?
(they laugh)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
This is my son, Bobby.
- Bobby?
- Nice to meet you.
- Last time your Dad saw
me I had a lot more hair.
- Oh yeah, that is right, yeah.
What are you doing these days?
- Well, I still live here.
- Uh-huh.
I sell insurance, here you go.
- Aha, yeah, look at that.
- [Vernon] So, what have you been doing?
You are gonna be the great
American novelist, right?
- [Jake] Yeah, well um, I am writing.
- [Vernon] Aha.
- Commercials for television.
- Oh, a huh.
- A bunch of them.
You were gonna be a songwriter.
- Yeah, that's right.
I even went off to New York,
hung around the old Brill Building.
All of us young would-be
songwriters used to write--
- Excuse me sir, we had
another order of fries here.
- We used to ride up and
down the elevators, you know,
humming our songs,
hoping that some publisher
would invite us into his office
to play our stuff for it, you know.
- Did er, did you get invited in?
- Yeah.
Yeah, in fact, after I'd
been there about six months,
this old publisher, kind
of reminded me of your Dad.
He invited me in.
- You played him your songs?
- Yeah.
I played on his old upright
piano for almost an hour.
He sat over there, smokin'.
(ice rattles)
- You want another soda?
- Oh, please.
- Another soda.
- He sat over there smoking a cigar.
It was wonderful.
I thought I was inside an
old movie or something.
You know, like where the
poor kid walks in an unknown
and walks out George Gershwin.
- Did he like your songs?
Yeah, after I'd got done playing for him,
he, he told me, "Son, I
like your tunes a lot.
"In fact, I've always liked 'em."
- What did he mean by that?
- He meant that all my stuff's out of like
something out of Irving
Berlin's wastebasket.
He said that I had everything but talent.
So that night I was on the bus home
and in six months I was
married, selling insurance,
my first son was on the way.
Nobody can say that Vernon Richards
doesn't know how to pick up the pieces.
- Mr Richard's?
- [Vernon] Yeah?
- Maybe that guy was wrong.
Maybe your music, well, it was good?
- No, no he was right.
You know Jake, how sometimes
you hear something and you,
you just know it's the truth.
No matter how much you've
been lying to yourself.
You know, I hated New York.
Cold, I never want to be that cold again.
(people chattering)
- [Harry] Look guys, just
try to close your mouths,
open your ears.
- [Group Of Guys] All right, all right.
- [Harry] All I'm saying is,
a good domestic situation see,
means you got to have a good domestic.
You gotta good domestic,
that takes care of some of ...
(Lorenza speaks in Spanish)
the matrimonial tension.
- Er, we may accept that as gospel, huh?
- Need anything else?
- No, I think that's
everything, thank you.
Listen, you old coot,
you not drink my wine,
you'll do your winking somewhere else.
- No harm done, Harry.
Just admiring your taste in women.
- Sure is some lotta woman.
- How's that boy o' yours, Harry?
- Oh, Jacob's about the same.
My grandson's a pistol though.
- A sharp kid, huh?
- Yeah, good manners.
Not like a lot of the young pups nowadays.
- That's the truth.
- Hey, George, how many of
those you go through in a day?
- About 30 or 40.
It helps since the sore
bones got me to quit smoking.
Without cigarettes, I need
something to keep my mouth busy.
- Could have fooled me, George.
- [George] At least I won't
kick off from the cancer.
- True, you'll probably die
of splinters or dry rot.
(they laugh)
- Hey Grandpa.
- [Harry] Hi Bobby.
Hey, would you hand me
that lug wrench there?
- Can I give you a hand?
- [Harry] Nope.
- [Jake] I'd like to help.
- Well then, you ought to
find someone who needs it.
I can get along without
your help just fine,
for the last 20 years.
- Just wanted to help you, Grandpa.
- And I've found that a long time ago
that a man is best off
not depending on anyone,
right, not from your Dad.
- Dad.
Yeah, look--
- It's okay.
- But, but he just--
- Just my old man.
(door slams)
- Hello Roberto, can
I make you a sandwich?
- Er thank you, but I'm not very hungry.
- Oh, you don't eat much.
Boy like you should have an
appetite like a young bull.
- But it's hard, I don't
eat very much when it's hot.
Look, I think I'll take a walk.
- Take care for the snakes.
- Snakes?
- Oh, they're mostly not dangerous.
- Are there really snakes out there?
- Oh sure, but very small.
- Er, that small?
- Yes, their mouths are
no bigger than that.
(laughs) I'm only teasing.
- I'll see you later.
(Bobby speaks in Spanish)
(gentle guitar music)
(breathing deeply)
- Who are you?
I scared you, didn't I?
- Thought you were a snake.
- Flattery will get you nowhere.
- No, no, I don't mean
you look like a snake.
Well, what I mean is I heard
there's lots of snakes up here.
Ah, nevermind.
- So who are you?
- Harry Seaton's grandson.
- (sighs) Is that what
your friends call you?
- No, I just thought you
might know my granddad.
- No, I do know your grandad.
I even know his name is Harry.
What's yours?
- Robert.
- Robert Seaton.
You sound like a banker.
- Well, everyone calls me Bobby.
- That's better.
- [Bobby] So er, what's your name?
- Kathy Bailey.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- [Kathy] Yeah, well
where are you heading?
- Er no place, I was just taking a walk.
- Even though you thought
the hill was full of snakes?
You must be pretty brave.
Or kinda crazy.
- I'm not very brave, so--
- So where are you from?
- Los Angeles.
- I was there once.
- What'd you think?
- It was scary.
- [Bobby] What was?
- Well, the air, it was all brown,
thick and brown.
- Come on, it's not that bad.
- It was like being buried alive,
like trying to breathe soil.
- You're making that up.
- Ha, I'm just exaggerating.
- So what, you live around here?
- Oh, over there.
My dad has a vineyard,
but you didn't pick a
good time for a visit.
We're just waiting for
the grapes to ripen.
- Yeah, mostly I just came
to see my grandfather.
Oh, it's been a long time.
- Well, how come, well
he's not that far away.
- Well, my Dad and grandfather,
they don't see each other very much.
(Kathy tuts)
And they wonder why we have wars.
- [Bobby] What wars?
- Well, people are always
saying how awful it is,
that countries can't get along
and they're always having wars, right?
- Yeah, so?
- So nearly every family I know
has at least one war going on
and if the family's big enough,
it has a bunch of wars
going on at the same time
with uncles not talking to uncles
and irritating each other
and then cousins you can't
invite to the same party.
Now if people in the same family
who have so much in common,
can't get along for five
minutes at a stretch,
how do they expect countries
to behave any better?
- You're amazing!
- Thanks.
- [Bobby] You know, you said
that whole thing in one breath?
- Do you guys go around counting breaths?
- I was impressed.
You know, you must be able to stay
in the water for 10 minutes at a time.
- I do have terrific lungs.
Although you wouldn't
guess it to look at 'em.
- [Harry] So, what do you think
about a little place, son?
- Well I like it, it's real pretty.
- Yeah, it is, isn't it.
Has everything a sensible person needs.
Course some people think it doesn't have
any great restaurants,
any museums,
any opera.
So they traipse off to San Francisco.
When they get there, they
find out that the restaurants
have charged 'em 50 bucks a crack
for a piece of meat about
the size of your nose.
They don't get to the museums
quite as often as they thought they would.
As for the opera, they get
there once in 20 years,
right, that's a lot.
(someone laughs)
You bring the glasses?
- I went to San Francisco
to get into advertising
because there seemed to be only slightly
more opportunity there than in Rutherford.
- Dad writes some great commercials.
- Commercials? (laughs)
- [Jake] I'm not ashamed.
What have you got to show for it?
60 seconds, a dog sitting around
and bragging about the tricks
they taught their masters.
- Why, because I don't have
50 or 60 acres of grapes?
- Except for this boy,
you've got nothing to show
for your time on God's green earth.
San Francisco is bad enough, but LA?
A lifetime was good enough for us
to raise horntoads and surf bums.
- [Bobby] I like LA.
- [Harry] Course you
do, son, it's your home.
It's not the Napa Valley.
Know why they call this God's country?
- Didn't know they did.
- Well, they do.
The reason is because God lives here.
- That's right.
Other places, he only visits.
You don't see God traipsing
off to San Francisco
for the opera, LA for the smog.
No son, if I were God, this
is exactly where I'd live.
- "If I were God",
now are you saying that you're
not, because that's a first.
- [Harry] It's not funny.
- [Jake] It wasn't meant to be.
- I never claimed to be God.
- Oh?
- I do know him awfully well, though.
- You do?
- Yeah, talk to him a lot.
- Oh, is that right?
- It's a hell of a lot
better than talking to you.
At least he admits it when he's wrong.
- You and your God deserve each other.
- Now you watch your mouth.
- You're two of a kind,
you're mean and you're spiteful.
You expect the whole world
to bow down and worship you.
But you don't do a damn
thing to deserve it.
- In my house, I forbid
you to curse the Lord.
That's right, run away.
Go on, the only thing you
ever learned to do, run.
(pins clatter)
- Not bad.
- Not bad, huh?
Oh.
- Here's your beer.
You're new here, huh?
- Old and new, I was born here.
- Yeah, but you've been long gone.
- Yeah?
- I could tell.
- How's that?
- You got big city boots.
- Dad, I got a strike.
- Really?
- I gotta strike!
You see?
- Oh, that's great, it's great!
So how are things at home?
- They're all right.
- How's your mom?
- She's okay, I guess.
She's been upset about me.
She cries a lot.
One second, I'm talking about lunch,
trying to decide between
tuna fish and peanut butter.
Next second, she's crying like crazy.
- Yeah?
- Peaceful around here.
- And boring.
Oh they, they, they know that there's
the whole world that exists out there
because they see it on TV.
They don't really care.
- Maybe they're right?
- You really believe that?
- Oh well, me and mom and Joe
go away for a weekend or a few days
like to Yosemite.
- Uh-huh.
- Joe won't buy a newspaper
or listen to the news.
He says that's the best part of the trip.
- Aha, so why does he bother
with it when he's at home?
- (chuckles) I asked
him that. (Jake laughs)
He says it's the lack of
character on his part.
- Oh yeah, how's that?
- Well, he says he hates all the bad news,
especially when he can't
do anything about it.
But he's too insecure to go to a party
and be the only one who doesn't know that
Bakersfield's been wiped
out by an Earthquake
or Zsa Zsa Gabor had gotten engaged.
(Jake laughs)
- So he's a funny guy, huh?
- Yeah.
- He seems like a nice man.
- Yeah he's okay.
- Bobby?
- Yeah.
- You know, it's okay for you to like him.
I mean, it's even okay
for you to love him.
Look, you're not being
just disloyal to me, mm?
- Yeah.
- Do you call him Dad?
- No, do you want me to?
- Nah.
- Are you going to apologize to Grandpa?
- Why should I?
- Well, you know that
stuff about him and God,
well he doesn't know about me.
You can't blame him for
what he doesn't know.
- (tuts) Yeah.
- You'll apologize?
- I'll talk to him.
(peaceful clarinet music)
You've got to try to get
along for Bobby's sake.
- You pick a fight and then you tell me
I've got to get along?
In my house, you get along or you get out.
- If I go, Bobby goes.
- We don't need you.
- [Jake] If I go, Bobby goes.
- All right George, watch this one.
(horseshoe clangs)
- Good, you ever played horseshoes, boy?
- [Bobby] No, sir.
- [Harry] Well, it's a wonderful game.
- That's true boy, it's a game of skill.
- All you need is a
keen eye, a steady hand
and nerves of tempered steel.
- When you have cut through
all the cauliflower boy,
the best thing you can say about it,
it's you only sport
aside from listening to
our own arteries harden,
that's not for old cockers like us!
Hey!
- Come on, George.
The boy and I'll stand
Charley and Willy here
and George here can referee.
- Wait, wait a minute, wait a minute.
He is going to referee?
- Sure, George is impartial.
He hates everyone equally.
Come on, let's have a few practice swings.
- Have you been er, playing
horseshoes a long time, Grandpa?
- You know, son when you've
lived as long as I have,
it seems like you've been
doing everything a long time.
The truth of the matter
is, people telling me
that close only counts in horseshoes.
So I thought I'd better take up the game.
Ahhh right.
(horseshoe clangs)
Come one, here have a few practice shots.
- [Charley] Here you go, Bobby.
- Okay.
- Ha, now wait a second, hold on, hold on.
Here, get it round that way.
Turn it up, now easy does it.
- With my thumb there?
- Now just relax, relax,
take it easy.
Forget that the family
honor is resting on you.
(laughs)
(horseshoe clangs)
- Oh it's a ringer.
(they applaud)
- [Charley] We can see
it's a ringer, George.
- You got the Seaton swing, boy.
You can't learn that, that's in the genes.
- Was dad good at horseshoes?
- Heck, no,
your father was never good
at anything except running,
running away.
- Well, he's never run away from me.
- Not yet, you mean?
- Well, why don't you stop picking on him?
- I'm not.
- Well, yes you are.
Look, it wasn't his idea
for us to come up here.
He's doing it for me.
- A father's supposed to do that.
- And you're his father.
So just give him a chance, okay Grandpa?
- [Kathy] Do you like it?
- No, it tastes kinda sour.
- That's how it's supposed to taste.
- How do you know if it's gone bad?
- Maybe you'll like it when
you get a little older.
- Yeah.
- Hey, you're in a funny mood.
What's bothering you?
- A lot of stuff, I guess. I
don't like to talk about it.
- Yeah, I know what you mean.
When my mom died last winter,
it's all anybody ever talked about.
Couldn't stand it.
- What would you do?
- I tried to be alone.
I come here a lot.
It was worse for my dad.
He couldn't get away from it.
He cried for weeks.
- So you don't cry?
- Yeah, sure.
Haven't you ever seen your dad cry?
- No,
I can't imagine my dad cry.
(gentle flute music)
Ten!
- Hey, you left me with a truck load.
Let's see.
10 20,
30, 35,
42, 49,
52 and 25 for Gin,
that's 67.
- [Jake] 77.
- I'd prefer it if you spoke
outside if you don't mind.
- [Harry] How did you learn
to play cards so good?
- [Bobby] From my Dad.
- Come on, your father's no Gin player.
I used to spot him 50 points a game,
and whip his butt nine times out of 10.
Am I right, Jacob?
Damn right I'm right.
Yep, I was the best Gin
player in Napa Valley.
Although I think I'm on the
verge of turning in my title
and turning it over to
this young upstart here.
- I just got lucky in that kinda.
I got dealt two runs, Grandpa.
- Ahh, modest too, huh?
I like that.
These days, everybody
seems to be a good loser.
Very few know how to be a good winner.
- I'm just gonna ride into town.
- Don't you wanna play with us?
- You heard the man, I'm no card player.
- Do you want me to go with you, Dad?
- [Jake] No, you stay
here and take the titles.
- Excuse me, Grandpa.
[Bobby] Dad, Dad.
Dad.
- What is it?
- I dunno.
- Well why don't you go back in there
and finish the game, huh?
- Grandpa's right.
You just keep leaving all the time.
(sighs)
Grandpa?
- You want to finish your game?
- No, no, no, I'm good, I'm good.
Look, can I ask you a question?
- Sure, fire away.
And always say, "No comment"
like the politicians do.
- How come you and Dad don't get along?
- Well, I dunno, I guess we
don't approve of each other.
But for the life of me,
I can't remember who
started disapproving first.
After a while,
not getting along gets to be a habit.
And no matter what's said,
winds up rubbing the other
fellow the wrong way.
- I don't know why.
You're both nice guys.
You ought like each other.
Instead, it's like this girl said,
like there's a war on.
- What girl's that?
- Kathy, Kathy Bailey.
- Oh, you've met Kathy already?
- Yeah, she's nice.
- She knows you've got good taste.
Some folks are put off by Kathy.
They think that she's too
old to be playing tomboy.
She talks too fast, she talks gibberish.
Course she does talk gibberish.
Unlike most folks, she
knows when she's doing it.
- Yeah like she said to
how she hated Los Angeles
because the air was so dirty.
- Ahh, I've been to LA,
I'm not so sure that's gibberish.
You met her father?
- No.
- When Ken's wife died
about six months ago,
I don't think he'd of pulled through
if it hadn't been for Kathy.
She was a rock.
Kathy's one of the great women, son.
When it becomes your turn to tie the knot,
why, you pick one of the great ones.
- You really think Kathy's a great person.
- Oh, not great in the sense that
Rembrandt or Bach was great.
But Kathy's got integrity,
she's got character.
Kathy Bailey gives you
the word about something,
you can deposit it in Fort Knox.
Want to finish your game?
- Ah, I'm a little bushed.
I better hit the hay.
Thanks Grandpa.
(finger tapping)
(knuckles rapping)
- [Jake] Hi there.
- Come on in.
- [Jake] Working late?
- Oh, well in the insurance
game, there's always something.
Oh, how time flies.
- Can I buy you a drink.
- Well, no, I'll buy you one
or maybe two or three.
(they laugh)
- Thank you.
- Thanks Mart.
Not bad, huh?
- What?
- The waitress, Mart.
- Oh yeah, she's okay.
- Yeah.
- You and her got something going?
- Oh no, no, we'd kid round a little
if I come in for a drink,
but, oh no, I'm a happily married man.
- You don't want to let that get around
like you put your glasses to
keep in a museum someplace.
- Yeah, maybe.
What about you?
- Ah, (sighs) two-time married.
I just don't think I'm cut out for it.
- Oh, you just haven't
found the right woman yet.
Someone like my Joanie.
- Yeah, maybe,
- but if you don't mind my asking,
why did your marriages break up?
- Well, let me see.
My first wife said that I was cold,
selfish and inconsiderate.
- Mm-hmm.
And my second wife, on the other hand,
claimed that I was cold,
selfish and inconsiderate,
so who knows, huh?
I envy you.
- What are you sure?
I'm an extremely happily married man.
Still, if this weren't such a small town
and I weren't an insurance man,
pillar of the community,
I sure wouldn't mind spending
all weekend with her.
Hah, you got any plans, Jake?
- What for, my life?
- [Vernon] No, for tonight.
- Oh, what you got in mind Vernon?
- Why don't you come over to my place?
We just bought the old Ferguson place--
- Oh no, I've got a son
who is waiting for me.
- [Vernon] No, no, no,
no, it's real early.
- Er, your wife, er, you know--
- Joanie, she wouldn't mind at all.
- Well, I'll tell you something,
my old ladies would have killed me.
- You best have been
married some real doozies.
Joanie knows who pays the bills.
She knows who buses back,
selling insurance to
these miserable hicks.
Keep a roof over her head.
All she'd need to do is open her yap to me
about bringing somebody home late
or anything else?
She'd be picking her
teeth up off the floor.
- Yeah, well, thanks for the invitation.
But I think I'd like to be alone.
- Yeah,
me too.
(melancholy string music)
- Bobby,
thought I'd come up and say goodnight.
- Thanks Grandpa.
- Do you like that music?
- Makes me kind of sad.
- Imagine composing anything like that,
as you're looking inside
yourself and discovering that,
how you must have felt.
- Do you ever feel that way?
- Aww I suppose.
Maybe sometime when I'm
harvesting the grapes
and when my son was born.
You're right.
That is a sad piece of music.
You all right?
You look a little peaked.
- Oh, I feel fine.
Just a little tired.
- Yeah?
I know what it is.
- What?
- It's that lousy LA air.
If grapes can't live
there, how can people?
Goodnight, son.
Goodnight.
- [Bobby] Goodnight Grandpa.
- Did you always want to be a bartender?
- No.
- Bartender is one of those
things a person falls into.
I'm not complaining.
- You know something,
I noticed that about bartenders, they,
they hardly ever complain.
- I think the nature of the job
makes us all kind of
philosophical. Know what I mean?
- Absolutely.
Now that's, that's my point.
Now if Plato and Socrates
had been alive today,
would they have been bartenders?
(bartender mumbles)
(light mood music)
- I thought that was you.
- Were you right, was it me?
- (laughs) You're funny.
- I know you.
- I'm Mary Jo Lawson
from the bowling alley.
You were there with your boy.
- All right,
you er,
you said that I had er,
whoa, a big city er--
- Boots.
- Boots.
You know I used to have dreams about
ladies that look like you.
- Oh yeah?
Where they naughty dreams?
- Absolutely.
- [Mary Jo] Do you still dream
about ladies that look like me?
- No, no.
These days I only have bad dreams.
- I thought you didn't look real happy.
- You wanna know who's happy?
- [Mary Jo] Who?
- My old man.
- [Mary Jo] He's lucky.
- He knows who he is.
Harry Seaton, grower of grapes,
pitcher of horseshoes
and good old buddy with the Lord.
- Well, it's good knowing who you are.
- I like your hair.
- Oh, thank you.
- Yeah, you don't,
you don't see er,
styles like that er much anymore.
I don't know why
because it,
it gives a woman a stature.
- Well, that's true.
Would you believe I'm only 5'3"?
- Amazing.
You know something else that I missed?
Ponytail.
Whatever happened to the ponytail?
I mean, I do still walk along the street.
I would fall in love
eight, 10 times a day.
- I know, I know just what you mean.
- I know.
- I used to love guys with crew cuts.
- You don't see them much anymore.
- No, no, even Pete Rose let his grow out.
- Yeah.
- You like Pete Rose?
- Not since he let his hair grow out.
(they laugh)
Have you ever been through analysis?
- What?
- Analysis?
- Oh no.
No, have you?
- I have been through everything.
- Are you crazy?
- He er, bothering you married girl?
- Oh hi, Bo, no he's okay.
- Then why did you ask
him if he was crazy?
- Well, shoot, you came in
at the tail-end of a conversation.
- You was asking him if he was crazy.
- Who, who are you?
- I'm her boyfriend.
- Aww well talk is cheap, cowboy.
Now, if you really loved
this little lady here,
you'd get yourself a crew
cut, and I'm telling you.
(Mary Jo laughs)
Have you ever been wrong?
- That's it, hmm.
(fist whacks)
(peaceful clarinet music)
(Jake sings)
- Fine.
Goodnight.
(bird sings happily)
- [Harry] Hear one of those scouts now.
- [Bobby] Huh?
- See that bird down there,
sniffing around the grapes.
I used to wonder how
they knew when the grapes
reached a 21, 22% sugar content,
they won't even touch them
until they're sweet enough.
And when they had 20, 22,
(Harry tuts)
they can drive you nuts.
How can they tell just by looking at 'em?
I can't even tell that.
Then I figured it out.
They send out one of those
scouts to taste the grapes
then the little bum rushes on home and,
"Those are Old Man Seaton's
croppers, 19% troops.
"We hit 'em next Tuesday."
- Ha, well then how do you suppose
they pick the bird for the job?
- Well they find one that doesn't
mind sour grapes, I guess.
(he laughs)
See it's so dry here,
the er, roots go down
about, oh 70, 80 feet
down into the ground so
we don't have to water.
- Harry!
- What's the matter, Willy?
- Did you hear the news?
- [Harry] What news is that?
- Vernon Richards just killed himself.
Blew his brains out.
- He did?
- We just saw him last night.
- [Harry] How did he seem?
- A little drunk, a little angry.
He wanted to be a songwriter.
- You mean his music was lousy too.
- That's a pretty cruel
thing to say, Harry.
- Well it's true.
He had no right to kill himself.
- He must've been awfully unhappy.
- Unhappy?
He had a wife and three kids.
What about their happiness?
When he was unhappy selling insurance,
he could have sold something else.
There's plenty a man can do.
And I hate cowards.
- Oh, you're beautiful, you know that?
You are the judge and the jury
of what a man should do and
shouldn't do, aren't you?
Where do you get off?
He may have gotten
through the last 20 years
on on on sheer guts.
And he, even that wasn't enough anymore.
- Tough. If he made it through 20 years,
he could make it through 30.
- Says you.
- Says me.
Your friend didn't even have the decency
to make it look like an accident.
- What?
- That's right?
A gun in his hand, he was a suicide,
no ifs, ands or buts.
His widow can't even
collect the insurance.
He was a quitter, just like you,
always looking for the
exit sign, the way out,
the way out of a job,
the way out of school,
the way out of a marriage,
the way outta life.
A whole generation, not
worth a hill of beans.
- Gospel according to Harry Seaton.
- Isn't it about time you
started running again?
- I'm not going anywhere!
(dramatic string music)
- Hi, what are you doing here?
What is it, what's the matter, Bobby?
What's wrong?
- It's me.
I'm dying.
And I'm getting scared.
- [Kathy] Oh my, oh Bobby.
Oh Bobby.
Oh my God.
Oh Bobby.
(soft mournful music)
(phone rings)
- Hello
Hello?
Hello?
- I'm so sorry about your friend, Jake.
- Thank you.
You seen Bobby?
- No, I haven't seen
him since this morning.
Maybe he's outside.
- [Jake] Thank you.
If I don't find him, tell
him I've gone to the funeral.
- [Bobby] Yeah, I guess you were right.
Better coming here to the beach
than sitting around moping.
- [Kathy] Yeah, I'm really glad we did.
- [Bobby] You like the ocean?
- [Kathy] Oh, I love it.
Ooh, but can you believe that
I never even seen it until two years ago?
Hey, you know,
you'd think we were living in
Kansas instead of California.
Good shot, uh but I mean it's right here,
just an hour away,
The Pacific Ocean and I was 12 going on 13
before I'd even laid eyes on it.
- You know there are people who were born
in New York city who have
never even been to the top
of the Empire State Building
or The statue of Liberty.
- I think we just tend to
take things for granted,
you know things, places, people.
- Yeah, for sure.
- (sighs) Do you think
about it all the time?
- Not all the time.
It's like when you know
you're going to have a test
in school the next day or the day after,
you're not really prepared for it.
You're not really thinking
about it every second,
generally thinking about
anything else either, right?
- Yeah I know.
Well, have you talked to anybody?
- Not much.
It's hard to talk to my folks.
- But they love you, don't they?
- Sure.
I feel like I'm letting them down.
- (sighs) Yeah, I think
that's how my mom felt.
That she wasn't gonna be there
when we needed her the most.
- That's it.
I especially feel like
I'm deserting my dad.
He's got no friends, he's got no family,
except for grandpa who he doesn't like.
I'm all he's got, Kathy
and I don't know what he's gonna do.
- Near the end, you know mom said
death can't be so terrible
or God wouldn't let it happen to babies.
- I really like you.
- I like you too.
- My grandfather thinks
you're a great human being.
I think so too.
- Yeh?
- You know,
I remember the first time my
parents took me to the beach.
I saw those little birds and
asked them what they were.
- Oh, you mean sandpipers?
- Yeah, well that's what my mom told me.
Wanna know what my dad told me they were?
- What?
- He said they were turkeys.
- Turkeys?
- Yeah, he said they
were very smart turkeys.
He said all year long they
did nothing but dieting,
eating nothing but cottage
cheese and lettuce.
Come Thanksgiving, no-one would bother.
- Did you believe him?
- No.
I believe my mom was telling me the truth.
Those little guys are sandpipers.
- But you loved him for
going to the trouble
of telling you a story?
- Yeah.
You know what my dad
should do for a living?
- What?
- He should be a father.
(gate slams)
- Bobby,
You seen Bobby?
- I know he's around here somewhere.
(gate squeaks)
Doesn't anybody keep an eye on him?
- [Jake] Bobby!
- It's good for a kid
to get off by himself.
I swear you're worse than a mother hen.
- [Jake] Yeah, don't lecture
me on being a father.
- Father? You couldn't even be a husband.
Your mother and I were married 41 years.
"'til death do us part,"
used to mean something.
Now it's 'til death or 10,000 miles,
whichever comes first.
- Or maybe she could put
up with you for 41 years?
- You broke your mother's heart
when you moved away from here.
- She understood.
Bobby!
(waves crash)
- I love you, Kathy.
Do you believe in reincarnation?
- I'm not sure, do you?
- [Bobby] I wanna believe.
- What would you like to come back as?
- Do you really love me?
All right, I'd like to come back as me.
(melancholy music)
- [Harry] You're wearing out the carpet.
- Buy a new one.
- It's only half past seven,
what are you worried about?
To think when you were 14,
you were Johnny-on-the-spot.
- Why don't you worry about your grapes,
let me worry about my boy.
- I'm thinking, to grow up to be a sissy.
There he goes, ladies and gentlemen.
I swear, if going through
doors was an Olympic event,
you'd win the gold medal.
- [Jake] Oh talk to me about gold medals!
- I'll talk about anything
I please in my house.
If you don't like it, you can lump it.
No wonder you couldn't stay married.
You can't stay period.
You're a chicken.
- [Jake] You're a fool.
- Why don't you two just shut up?
All you do is yell at each other.
- Where have you been?
- Shut up!
- Bobby, Bobby.
(simmering string music)
(gentle guitar music)
So, cocoa here.
We were worried about you.
- Kathy Bailey and I went to the beach.
- Oh, ahh.
- Listen, er, Dad?
What's going to happen to me when I die?
Where will I go?
- Well,
some people think that er,
- What do you think?
- I don't know.
- But Grandpa knows.
- [Jake] No, nobody knows.
- He knows, he talks to God.
I wish I knew.
Not knowing that makes it so scary.
- I wish.
- Why me?
Why do I have to die?
I don't wanna die.
- Oh Bobby.
- Why can't you talk to me?
- I don't know what to say.
- What?
- I
- What?
- Oh, nothing, here.
Have some cocoa.
- I don't want any damn cocoa!
(mug crashes)
I wanna live.
(Bobby sobs)
- Allo?
(speaks Spanish)
Allo?
Understand.
Jacob, your father needs your help.
Allo?
(speaks Spanish)
Allo?
- What is it?
- The irrigation pipe burst.
Allo?
- Is that the watering fountain?
- Yes, they have me on a hold.
Jacob, go and help him.
Jacob!
Allo?
(dramatic music)
(water splashes)
- [Jake] Dad!
Dad!
Where are you?
What's going on?
- [Harry] I don't know exactly.
If we can't stop this running,
the grapes will be ruined for sure.
- [Jake] Here, let me give you a hand.
- I don't need your help.
- The hell you don't!
- I don't need it now,
I never did need it.
- Well maybe you don't need it,
but the vines do,
now where's another shovel?
- In the shed.
The pipes have rusted like me.
(dramatic music)
Get that lance into it.
How long's it been since
you did any shoveling?
- Are you kidding?
My cousin's business was
shoveling all the time.
- Got you now.
Aw come on.
Put your back into it, you
shovel like an old lady.
- Well if you get off
my back, maybe I could.
- C'mon now, don't be stopping.
- Horrid old buzzard.
- Don't talk to me about being stubborn.
That's no way to talk to your father.
(dramatic music)
(Jake questions, drowned out by the water)
- We're not making a dent in this at all.
(water gushes loudly)
- You heard me last time.
- Not so bad.
- What are you getting?
(they shout at each other)
- For God's sake.
(gushing diminishes)
Yeah.
Ah, thank you, Lord.
Thank you too, Jacob.
I couldn't have done it without you.
- (sighs) It's er, the first nice thing
that you have said to me.
Long time.
- What was there to say?
That you had a nice haircut?
- There you go again.
What's wrong with you?
- Oh I dunno, I guess
we grate on each other,
I guess we always did.
- No, not always.
Just since you lost me the chance
to be state champ in the mile.
Never forgave you for that.
- Dear Lord, not that old song.
- No, no, no, I worked hard.
I was the best damn miler
in the state of California.
- All right, so you were best.
You should have been proud of it.
- Tony Shaw beat me in the finals.
He beat me by that much.
- Alright, so you were second best.
- Yeah, you know better than that.
Tony Shaw didn't have to stay
up the night before the race
working on the wind machines
and the orchard heaters.
- His daddy owned a liquor store.
Your daddy owned a vineyard
and liquor doesn't give a
tinker's damn about frost,
but grapes do.
And look, you can blame
me about a lot of things,
but not for the weather.
- Oh, I wanted that trophy
more than anything I've
ever wanted in my life.
- Then you're a fool.
If we'd of lost that crop that year,
we would of lost the vineyard.
What's a trophy, but a lousy piece of tin.
- You never even said thank you.
- I didn't know I was expected to.
Thought we were saving the
vineyard for the two of us.
- I couldn't do that.
Couldn't just take this vineyard.
This is yours, always be yours.
I had to earn what I got,
whatever that was.
I couldn't do that, do you understand?
(fist bumps ground)
- Course I do.
You're a Seaton.
You had to have something
you could call your own.
Come on, I'll buy you a cup of coffee.
(Harry groans)
(sad music)
- [Jake] You know, Dad.
When I was a kid, I wanted to
grow up to be just like you.
- [Harry] Yeah, it's only natural.
Kids always wanna grow up
to be like their fathers.
- [Jake] Yeah, and then
you get a little older
and you realize that your
old man is not a god.
He's just you old man.
- [Harry] I suppose.
Still, when my father died,
I felt that the moon and
the sun and the stars
had fallen from the sky.
- Really?
- Yeah, it was a long time ago.
No TV in those days.
- What has television got to do with it?
- Well, I'm thinking back to a time when,
when death was more mysterious.
Oh of course you'd see an animal die,
or maybe a friend or a relative.
Nowadays on TV, people are
dying all over the place.
- Se mio, what finally happened?
Is everything all right?
- Yeah, yeah, finally they
got through and turned it off.
- Oh thank God, you both look terrible.
You better put on some dry clothes,
or you'll catch pneumonia.
I made some hot coffee, you want some?
- Ahh good.
- Dad, Cognac, Cognac.
- Ahh yeah, and some Cognac,
you know, the good stuff?
- I know where it is.
- Go on, go on.
- Well you turn on TV.
And on the news in 30 minutes,
you see more dead people
than I saw in the first
50 years of my life.
- You know,
it's hard to think of you as a man
after having thought
of you all these years,
just as my father.
- Well, it's a difficult
adjustment, that's for sure.
Times change, people change.
When you left here, you
weren't much more than a kid.
Not much older than Robert is now.
Now here you are, back,
all grown up, a father.
Where did all the time go?
Flown by like it had wings.
- Here's the coffee,
drink it while it's still hot.
- Ahh, thank you, thank you, thank you.
- (speaks Spanish) your
hands are very cold.
- Aye, I'll be up very shortly.
There we go.
(sniffs)
It'll be a good harvest this year.
(sniffs)
- Good.
- Yeah, I was talking to Robert about er,
harvesting the grapes.
- Yeah?
- He said it sounded interesting.
- It is.
- So I, I was wondering if you'd er
let him come up for that in October?
Course he'd have to miss a
couple of days of school,
but that kid's smart as a whip,
couple of days won't hurt him.
Maybe he could write a
report for his class.
He can fly up to San Francisco
and then I could drive
down and pick him up.
Do you hear me, Jacob?
Jacob?
- Maybe he'll not be alive in October.
- What do you mean?
- He's dying.
- Dying?
That's impossible.
What the hell can a 14
year old boy die from?
- Cancer.
- Oh dear God.
Look, and they can't do anything?
- They can't do anything.
- Why didn't you tell me?
- I wanted this to be a
a good time.
I don't want this to be a wake.
Oh God, I love him so much.
(Jake sobs)
Sorry, I'm 38 years old.
What the hell am I
doing crying like a kid?
- You think the tears
dry up when you get old?
Everything dries up, but that.
(melancholy music)
(door rattles)
(Jake sighs)
- Uh, what is it?
What happened?
- Oh, nothing, a water pipe burst.
It's okay now.
I'm sorry I woke you.
I'm sorry for everything.
I'm ashamed
that I haven't been able to talk to you.
To comfort you.
- (sighs) It's all right, Dad.
You were right.
Nothing to talk about.
- Well, look at me, there isn't,
but I didn't try hard enough.
It's,
it's just that it hurts so damn much.
I'm ashamed
that I can't help you.
- Don't be.
- But I'm your father.
I want there to be
something that I can do.
If I could, I'd give you my eyes,
my heart.
- I know.
- If I could,
I'd switch places with you,
I swear to God.
- I know.
- You're my son.
I don't want there to be
something I couldn't do.
I love you.
- I love you too.
(they sob)
- Not right now.
Oh my God.
Sleep now.
(melancholy guitar music)
- [Harry] Oh God,
what's the point?
What's the point of
keeping the boy hurting?
(Harry sobs)
You're just a mean, spiteful old man,
just like Jake said you were.
- Harry.
Oh please, Harry, don't be like that.
Harry please, calm yourself.
Remember, God knows what
it's like to lose a son.
(Harry sobs)
Please, Harry, please calm yourself.
Everything's gonna be all right.
(dramatic music)
- [Leslie] Hello?
- Hi.
Jake?
- Yeah?
- Jake is anything wrong?
- I don't know.
Bobby's fine.
- (sighs) Well what's
wrong that you sound funny?
- I love you.
- What?
- I really love you.
(she laughs)
You know, I've been thinking.
- What's that?
- Well, I think that maybe
we ought to head back home,
back to your mother.
- But Dad, it's only the 22nd.
We have nine more days.
- Yeah, I know, I know, er
but I'm sure your mother
misses you terribly.
And I just don't think
that this is the right time
to be holding her to a
custody agreement, you know?
- Yeah.
- So why don't you give her a call?
Coming from me she'll
probably think it's bad news.
- Yeah.
- For what it's worth, I'm proud of you.
- Just not right keeping them apart.
- I er,
I was wondering if the boy's mother and,
and you of course when,
when the time comes (sniffs),
if you'd let them,
Bobby, er,
if you'd bring him back up here
and be with the family.
- Dad, Dad she wants to talk to you.
- I'm gonna miss you, Bobby.
- I'll miss you too, Grandpa.
- Hi.
No, no, no, no.
He's fine.
It's okay, Nora, it's okay, don't cry.
(laughs) Yes, I know
I'm a wonderful person.
Right.
Er, we'll see you tomorrow.
Oh, I don't know, er
sometime between seven and eight.
(laughs) Me punctual?
You gotta have me confused
with some, some other guy, huh?
Yeah.
(gentle music)
- I'll miss you.
- I'll never forget you, Kathy.
Never used to seem like such a long time.
- Will you write me?
- If you want me to.
- Want you to.
Every day.
Every hour.
(melancholy music)
- Did you check your room, Bobby?
- [Bobby] Yeah I got everything.
- No you didn't.
- [Bobby] Everything, except my shoes?
- [Jake] And your jacket.
It's okay, I'll get it.
- Bobby, this is for you.
Keep it damp.
- It won't live Grandpa,
you said our soil's no good.
- It won't die.
You'll see.
Seaton vines are tough.
Every last one of 'em.
Oh, I nearly forgot.
(car slams)
For you.
(Jake laughs)
Go on, open it, it's a present.
Well it's er, the only
one they had in stock.
Maybe if you filed that
bowling ball off there,
the man'd like he was a runner.
- Especially if you squint.
- That's the idea.
- Thank you.
(hopeful music)
- Jake?
Don't forget to drive carefully, huh?
- Oh yeah.
And be sure to send me that
recipe for the guacamole.
- [Bobby] Bye Grandpa.
- I just put some in the back seat.
- Great.
- [Bobby] Bye again, Lorenza.
- Don't be a stranger.
- Oh, er
in fact we'd like to come
back for the harvest,
if that's okay?
- You mean that?
- I mean that.
You might even need a hand.
- I can always use a good hand.
(hopeful music)
- Dad?
- Yeah.
- Thanks.
- For what?
- For these three weeks.
I'm not scared anymore.
- I should thank you.
- For what?
- For these three weeks.
I'm not scared anymore, either.
♪ So I pray to the stars ♪
♪ Let us end this charade ♪
♪ Before it's too late ♪
♪ Before life is all gone ♪
♪ The porch light is on ♪
♪ And our love is awaiting ♪
♪ And always will be ♪
♪ For as long as we roam ♪
♪ Patiently waiting for us ♪
♪ To come home ♪
(hopeful music)