Mixtape (2021) - full transcript

["I Love You Always Forever"
by Donna Lewis playing]

♪ Those days of warm rains ♪

♪ Come rushing back to me ♪

♪ Miles of windless ♪

[fireworks whistling]

♪ Summer night air ♪

♪ Say it, say it again ♪

♪ I love you, always forever
Near and far... ♪

[sighs]

♪ Everywhere I will be with you ♪

♪ Everything I will do for you ♪



Wow.

♪ I love you always, forever ♪

♪ Near and far, closer together ♪

♪ Everywhere I will be with you ♪

[sighs]

♪ Say you'll love, love me forever ♪

[girl] Mom, Dad,
I wish you were here right now...

♪ Near and far and always
And everywhere and every ♪

♪ Say you'll love, love me forever ♪

♪ Never stop, never whatever ♪

...or that I knew more about you.

I have so many questions.

At least I know we all like fireworks.

[birds chirping]



[truck beeping]

[woman] Bev!
Come on, you're gonna be late!

Honey, you up?

Time for school.

[Beverly] Grandma! Grandma,
did you see the fireworks last night?

I didn't know
we could light them in November.

Ugh. We're out of Tasty Whip.

Maybe we could squeeze in a Freddy's run
after your flu shot.

[Beverly] I bet the world would be better
if people shot fireworks every night,

don't you, Grandma?

Hey. Maybe we could get some
and light them tonight.

Oh yeah. Absolutely.
We'll stop by the illegal fireworks stand

right after we get
those matching neck tattoos. Hmm?

Did my mom have neck tattoos?

She had a neck. She had tattoos.
She dropped out of school.

All things we can agree
we're not going to repeat.

I'm not going to have a neck?

Have you done your homework?

Yeah. Except I'm not sure about this poem.

Like, should I write about my life now,
or life how I imagine it,

or world peace,

or if socks feel lonely

when their partners are lost
in the dryer, or...

I'm sure it's fine.

Poems are just weird ideas
people forget to keep to themselves.

Oh. Remember, I'm picking up
an extra shift starting this week. So...

I'll be safely unsupervised at home

with the doors locked
and my homework completed.

Good girl.

First Moody to go to college.

- You think you could feed a pig bacon?
- I think we're late.

[Beverly giggling]

[pleasant music playing]

Oh. Every month, every month.

- So cute!
- [dog barks]

[woman] Bev.

Bev, honey, come on.
Time to load up. Let's go.

[dogs barking]

Hustle. You're gonna be late for school
and people need their junk mail.

[woman 2] Ellen!

- Hi. Justin stole my hairbrush.
- Hi.

I had to steal it back from him.

[woman 2 in Taiwanese] Time to go.

- Hi. [giggles, yelps]
- [exclaims in Taiwanese]

[woman in English] Okay, Bev.
That's it. Hop in. Let's go.

Time waits for no one.

[host] You're listening to KAON.

As we close out 1999,

we're discussing
whether the Y2K computer bug

will shut down all computers,
cause vehicular meltdowns.

Maybe Prince was right.
Maybe the fiesta is finished.

["Smile" by Vitamin C playing]

[indistinct chatter]

[woman] Be good! Stay in school!

[kidsmockingly] "Stay in school!"

[kids laughing]

[crowd] Here we go, Wildcats! Here we go!

Here we go, Wildcats! Here we go!

Here we go, Wildcats! Here we go!

[boy] Let's hear it for the Wildcats!

Here we go!
Here we go, Wildcats! Here we go!

[school bell ringing]

Vote owl for mascot. Not the Wildcats.

[man on PA] Be sure to fill out
your ballots for the mascot race.

[indistinct chatter]

[teacher] Okay, team.
Time to rhyme and time to shine.

I'm talking about poetry.

[class groans]

You know,
you can't spell "poetry" without "try."

Okay. Who hasn't gone yet?

[pen clatters]

Beverly Moody and Nicky Jones. [sighs]

Let's hear what you got.

Um, I'll go.

[whimsical music playing]

[class murmurs]

[sighs]

[girl] Go.

There's a dog next door
I feed bologna through the fence

[class chuckles]

A dog across the street

Whose owner forces him
To wear sweaters in the summer

- It doesn't make sense
- Hmm?

Uh...

There's a yellow Lab
That's blind and deaf named Nutter

In the lot behind the 7-Eleven
There's a dog who died

From eating a whole tub
Of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter

[class giggling]

[Beverly] Yeah.

The end?

Cool.

Very Emily Dickinson.

Now she was like
the Scary Spice of her day.

[girl] Lame.

All right. Moving on
to metaphors and similes.

Uh, do you think I can have my p...

Uh, that's... that's a cute rat.

I hope he's okay.

[teacher] ...like a baby in my classroom.
What would that be?

- [kids shouting]
- [boy 1] Steve-inator coming through!

[boy 2] Move, dweebs!

Wildcats or wedgies.

Out of my way, gingersnap!

Whoa. My bad.

Dude, did... did she have an owl sticker?

Well, yeah. Of course.
The owl's a magnet for losers.

[sniffs]

[boy] Do... do you smell that?

[boy 2] God, yeah. What is it?

[boy] It's her hair.

[boy 2] Her hair smells like goat pee.

Or goat puke.

It's Prell. Spring Meadows.

Well, it's meadows
that's been peed on and puked on by goats.

You're the man, Steve.

[Steve laughs]
Now, let's roll before I puke.

Yo, Jenkins. I heard
your parents' divorce is your fault.

[boy 2 laughs] You just got Stevened.

Hey, kiddo. How was your day?

Same as usual.[sighs]

Oh. Same... same is good.

- [car engine starting]
- All right. Let's get home.

That basement
isn't gonna turn itself into a bunker.

[radio host] You're listening to KAON,
preparing you for the impending doom.

[rock music playing]

"Only losers wear owl buttons." [grunts]

Oh yeah? Who's the loser now, loser?

[grunts]

I just got Stevened? You just got Beved!

[grunting]

- [grunts]
- [glass breaks]

[glass breaking]

Bev?

[footsteps approaching]

Bev, honey, what just happened?

- Oh!
- I-I'm okay!

- [man] Ms. Moody? Are you there?
- Yes.

Yes, Marvin.

- [gasps softly, sighs]
- Of course I am worried about Y2K.

Should one of your servers go down,

all my granddaughter's college savings
will be wiped out.

Just... [sighs]...kick me up to tier three.

[gentle music playing]

[exhales]

Mom and Dad.

[sighs]

Okay.

[exhales]

- [clicks]
- [fast rock music plays over headphones]

- [music stops]
- [tape grinding]

[Beverly] No.

[panting]

No, no, no, no, no, no.

[sighs]

[sniffles]

Where's the...

[sighs in relief]

"Getting Nowhere Fast"
by Girls at our Best!

"Teacher's Pet" by The Quick.

"The Wrong Song"?

Fireworks.

[mellow rock music plays]

[Beverly panting]

[exhales]

[breathing heavily]

[whispers] Yes.

[car honking]

["When I Hear My Name"
by The White Stripes playing over stereo]

♪ When I hear my name ♪

♪ I wanna disappear ♪

♪ Whoa ♪

♪ Whoa ♪

♪ Whoa ♪

[clacks, fizzes]

- I'm looking for a song.
- Incredible coincidence. I sell songs.

[inhales]

Not bad.

What's this, "The song that reminds me
of the day on the hill"?

I thought it was a song.

You steal this off somebody?

It was my parents'.

The tape broke,
and now I wanna get the songs.

Your parents have pretty good taste.

[clicks tongue] I have some of them.

I don't have that. Nope.
I mean, nobody has that one.

So what do you think? CD or vinyl?

I'd go vinyl. You know,
if you have the stereo for it.

Do you have them on tape?
I only have a Walkman.

Just one second there.

[door squeaks, closes]

What are you looking for?

Your DeLorean.

Flux capacitor acting up again?

Hey, you can't just pop back into the '80s
and pick a tape up there.

Do you have any money?

Okay.

Sorry. I was sweating.

Wonderful.

Wonderful.

All right. One song.

Which song do you want?

Whichever is the best.

Didn't you say it was a mixtape?

It's from a tape of songs
my parents put together.

Yeah. Then you have to listen
to the songs in order.

Okay. A mixtape is a message
from the maker to the listener. Right?

It's not just about which songs,
but in what order.

Microseconds between segues,
tempo changes.

Does it fade out? Does it fade in?

Doesn't matter to you? Okay.

All right, "Getting Nowhere Fast,"
Girls at Our Best!

Great.

Hands off and stand there.

A message from the maker.

[rock music plays]

I put the first song on an old tape.

The rest of it's an AA meeting,
which is free of charge.

It's good advice
if you ever wanna get clean.

All right. So we're gonna do
a dollar for the tape,

a dollar for the song, labor.

We're gonna carry the four,
got the Pythagorean theorem,

and then with taxes, that comes to
5 damp dollars and 63 cents. Exactly.

Thank you.

Great. Now, get out.

By the way,

I'm Beverly Moody. What's your name?

Anti.

Anti?

Anti what?

Anti pretty much everything.

Including you.

[doorbell chimes]

[door closes]

[breathes deeply]

Okay.

["Getting Nowhere Fast"
by Girls at Our Best! playing]

♪ You're not looking forward
And you are not looking back ♪

♪ You've lost the warranty
You'll never get your money back ♪

♪ My baby's buying me another life
Getting nowhere fast ♪

[indistinct chatter]

♪ I am pretty smart
I don't do what they want me to ♪

♪ I don't ignore them too
That's what the general public do ♪

Hey, guys!

♪ My baby's buying me another life
Getting nowhere fast ♪

If you were gonna lose your hearing
to one song, what would it be?

Wait. Am I losing my hearing?

Pretend you had to.

Like, someone put you in a room
with ginormous speakers,

and they were all,
"What song do you wanna go deaf to?"

Why would anybody do that?

It's fun to think about?

[scoffs] Fun for who?

It's for a school project.

Oh. Okay. Then, um...

There was this one song,
"Dancing in the Moonlight."

I like that one.

What do you like about it?

[breathes deeply]

It was fun to dance to.

You danced?

I watched.

[dogs barking]

[refrigerator door opening]

Did my mom dance?

If you call crazy gyrations dancing,
then yeah.

Yeah.

When she was little, she wanted
to be a Solid Gold dancer. [sighs]

Maybe she could've been one
if she was alive today.

- [rock music playing over phone]
- [fridge door closes]

Yeah. That... that show got canceled, so...

If it's supposed to be soft rock,
make it soft.

[car horn honking]

That was probably the best song
I've ever heard in my entire life.

I have to have the next one.

Then maybe you could hang out
for the rest of the day

and regale me
with all the junior high drama,

or we could do each other's nails.
We could learn how to French braid.

I can't. I have to go back to school.

That was, um... that was sarcasm, Moody.

[chuckles] Yeah.

And your nails look really messed up,

so you should probably see
a professional about those.

- [sucks teeth] So...
- [Anti sighs]

- [coins clinking]
- I have $6.77.

I'm not in the mix-making business.
I sell CDs and vinyl.

People come in. They buy 'em.

Your lunch money's
not gonna buy anything in this store.

Maybe I could work for you.
I could, like, sweep or organize stuff.

Sorry, kid. The last thing
people wanna see

when they walk into a hip establishment
like this is Punky Brewster.

[scoffs]

But you never even have customers.

That's my point exactly.

[sighs] Please?

It's a compelling argument,

but no, the answer is still no.

Your parents made the mix.
Go pester your parents about it.

Okay. Whoa, whoa. No. What are you doing?

- What's going on with your eyes there?
- [sobs]

I can't ask my parents.

They're gone.

Gone...

- What?
- [whimpering]

Don't cry. No. Stop that crying.

Hey, look.

[Beverly whimpers]

One step ahead of you. Already got it.
"Linda Linda" by The Blue Hearts.

It's also an AA tape,
so you can get double sober.

Thanks, Anti.

No. Keep the bottle caps and buttons.

Now get out of here, please.

[doorbell chimes]

["Linda Linda" by the Blue Hearts playing]

[man sings in Japanese]

[indistinct chatter, laughter]

[man continues singing in Japanese]

- [music intensifies]
- ♪ Linda, Linda ♪

♪ Linda, Linda, Linda ♪

♪ Linda, Linda ♪

♪ Linda, Linda, Linda ♪

[man continues singing in Japanese]

- [Beverly sighs]
- [song continues over headphones]

[doorbell rings]

[window squeaks]

[door opens]

We don't wanna join your church.

Uh, no. Uh...

Is your daughter home?

- Unfortunately, she's not.
- Hi.

Hi. I'm Beverly Moody.
I live right over there.

I'm Ellen. I live here.

Oh...

- [mom in Taiwanese] What's going on?
- [Ellen in English] She's our neighbor.

- [mom in Taiwanese] What are you gonna do?
- [Ellen] Well, we should show courtesy.

- [mom in Taiwanese] Where are you going?
- [Ellen] She's lonely. Okay?

- [mom in Taiwanese] Who else is going?
- [Ellen] She has no other friends.

[mom in Taiwanese]
What time are you coming home?

[Ellen] It's fine. Just two seconds.

Wanna go outside?

Ellen?

[Ellen] Fine.

Come on, Justin.

Come on. He'll follow us. He always does.

[in Taiwanese] Come home by 3:00!

[Ellen] Okay.

[Beverly] Is your brother okay?

Justin? Yeah. I stare-dared him.

He'll do anything if you stare-dare him,
even if he really doesn't want to.

- It's amazing.
- [thuds loudly]

[giggling]

- Want to see?
- Sure.

- Justin.
- [Justin giggles]

I dare you to run to Tukwila.

No way.

I double-dare you.

Now get off that one.
I don't want to run to Tukwila.

[inhales]

[exhales]

I stare-dare you.

Ugh.

I'll get you, Ellen!

[Ellen giggles]

[Beverly] That is amazing.

Should probably get going now.

[whimsical music playing]

Uh, should we...

No. He'll run out of steam at the Valero.
My dad will get him later.

Have any brothers or sisters?

Nope. Just me and my grandma.

Oh. Back in New Jersey,
I had, like, two million cousins.

That's crazy. Why'd you move here?

Hmm. Because of my dad.

He didn't like his old job,
so we came here.

Now he doesn't like this job either,

but my mom says
we can't move all around like vagabonds,

so we're staying.

Has anybody given you
a tour of the neighborhood yet?

No. No one really talks to me.

I could give you a tour.
I've lived here my whole life.

I know the names of all the dogs,

and which ones you can pet,
and which ones will bite you.

But first, can you do something for me?

What?

[Beverly] So you listen to this
and tell me what it says. Okay?

[Ellen] Okay.

[man on recording] The road
might seem long and arduous.

[Ellen] It's just some guy
talking about roads.

- It's after that.
- ["Linda, Linda" plays]

[man singing in Japanese]

This is Japanese.

I'm Taiwanese.

[whispers] Ugh. Oh shiitake mushrooms!

[Ellen] Uh...

Can I still get that tour?

[both giggling]

[whimsical orchestral music playing]

That's where two men live, Les and Ray.

They dress their dogs in sweaters,
even in the summer.

I asked him once,

"Why do you dress your dog
in sweaters even in the summer?"

And Ray said,
"Fashion before comfort, sweetie."

[both giggle]

Animals wearing people clothes

is pretty much my favorite thing
in the whole world.

[loudly] This corner is famous.
It was on Cops once.

This guy got pulled over, and he was like,

"I don't have no drugs."

And then the cops were like,

"Then what's that pipe doing
on your seat then?"

And then he just started running,

and they caught him by his ponytail
and arrested him right here,

and he just kept hollering,
"Call my old lady," over and over.

- [exhales]
- [Ellen] Did that really happen?

[Beverly] I watched it on TV
with my grandma, but she turned it off.

[Ellen] How come you live
with your grandma?

[Beverly] Um, 'cause my parents are gone.

[Ellen] Where'd they go?

[Beverly] They died when I was two,
so I never really got to know them.

[Ellen] How'd they die?

[Beverly] Car wreck.

[Ellen] Huh.

[Beverly] Hey. What's your GPA?

[Beverly] Grandma.

[woman] Yeah?

- Can I have a friend over?
- Huh?

I'm Ellen.
I have a 3.87 GPA, all my shots,

and parents who'd never let me
watch junk television.

[sighs]

My grandparents
lived through war and famine,

so I'm not allowed to complain
about my homework.

- Hmm.
- Whoa!

Your parents tell you all that stuff?

[scoffs] Are you kidding?

They never miss out on a chance
to point out life is a living nightmare.

Are they worried about Y2K?

- Hmm. The millennium bug.
- Yeah.

Yeah, no. Uh, my dad actually hopes
that things go haywire,

and all our debt gets erased.

- Mmm!
- And, um, hey, you know,

if the world really does come to an end,
at least we don't have to keep suffering.

Oh. This is delicious, Mrs. Moody.

Oh. Thank you. I, um...

I grill the Spam.

It really brings out the salt.

- Hmm.
- Hey. Wanna see something cool?

[Ellen] Oh. Okay.

- Thanks, Grandma.
- Thanks for the dinner, Mrs. Moody.

Uh, girls...

- [footsteps receding]
- [sighs]

[Ellen] They don't look like parents.

[Beverly] My mom had me when she was 16.
My grandma was a teen mom too.

It's called babies having babies.
I saw it on Maury.

[clatters loudly]

[Ellen] Sorry!

Um, i-is your table made of Spam?

If Y2K takes everything down,

this place is a bunker
for at least nine months.

Your grandma's really into Y2K.

She doesn't want anything bad
to happen to us.

This is me with my mom and dad.

- [Ellen] Oh.
- I never really knew them,

but the other night, I woke up and saw
someone trying to shoot bottle rockets.

And then I found this.

- I think it might be a sign.
- [gasps]

A message from your parents?

Yeah. But I'm not sure
what they're trying to tell me.

I think I have to find all the songs
before I'll know.

Hmm. Have you told your grandma?

She gets kind of weird
when I ask about them.

I mean, I know she loved them,

but maybe she blames them
for messing up their lives.

- Hmm.
- Besides, she's got enough going on.

- Hmm.
- [sighs]

I think I can help.

It's this new thing called Napster.
All the songs are free.

[Beverly] Wow!
How do you know about this stuff?

I don't really have friends,
so I spend a lot of time on my computer.

- Which song do you wanna hear?
- Just the next one.

I have to listen to it in order.

It's, like, mixtape law.

And if there really is a message,

then I need to listen to it
the way my parents made it.

[Ellen] Cool. All right.

[inhales] Uh...

[whispers] Okay.

[keyboard clacking]

[computer quacks]

Hmm.

[Ellen smacks lips] Uh...

- [keyboard clacking]
- [Ellen] Okay. [sighs, sniffles]

[computer whirring]

[sighs] Well, I couldn't find
the third one, but I have the one after.

It's called "I Got A Right"
by The Stooges.

Wanna hear it?

Well, I really should listen in order.

["I Got A Right" by The Stooges
playing on computer]

♪ Anytime I want, I got a right to move... ♪

[loudly] What do you think it means?

[loudly] I'm not sure.

He sounds kind of like my uncle
who's always trying to quit smoking.

[giggles]

♪ Anytime I want, any old time ♪

♪ Anytime I want, I got a right to sing ♪

- [Ellen] Hey!
- ♪ No matter what they say ♪

- [Ellen] Hey!
- Hey!

[giggling]

♪ I got a right, right to sing... ♪

- [Ellen] Want a ride to school tomorrow?
- Sure!

[both giggling]

- Whoo!
- [giggles]

Oh. Is it my birthday?

- I'm getting a ride to school with Ellen.
- Wait. Whoa.

They have a ginormous car,
they're going there every day anyway,

and you can save an extra 12 minutes
in your day.

You deserve a break.

All right. Love you. See you after school!

[footsteps receding]

[door opens]

[door closes]

["I Got A Right" by The Stooges playing]

[kids] Stay in school!

♪ Anytime I want, I got a right to move ♪

[man on radio] This is a reversal,
an overturning of the worldly order.

But O'Leary is concerned...

Oh, Beverly.

Ugh. [inhales]

[exhales]

I think there are real risks
of panic behavior.

[Gail] "F. Capacitor."

[whispers] Anti...

Why? Because Y2K...

[Gail] How the heck did she get here?

...where something will definitely happen
on the predicted date.

They only put out one album,
and it's, like, impossible to find,

and this other one,

"the song that reminds me
of the day on the hill..."

I don't even know what that is.

I mean, I even asked Jeeves
and couldn't find anything.

[indistinct chatter]

[loud thud]

Just a little warning. Unless you want
some nerd bird for our mascot,

I'd stay away from this one.

Donny, I don't think she understands.

Oh yeah. Hey, you're an ugly owl face,
and she's a smelly orphan,

so you better vote Wildcat...

[Steven] Whoa, Donny.

We make fun of them
because they're giant nerds,

or they don't have cable.

Sorry, Steven.

It's... it's cool.
Whatever. Let's... let's roll.

I thought people
in wheelchairs couldn't be jerks.

- [girl] Give it back!
- [Donny grunts] Got it.

Anyone can be a jerk.

I mean, it's practically
how this country was founded.

Hey. You ever skip school?

[record crackling]

[snoring]

Ahh!

Okay. Are you multiplying?

Did we scare you?

No, no. Not at all.

That's my favorite thing actually
is getting woken up

with the Village of the Damned
standing over me.

[sucks teeth] This is my friend, Ellen.

Hi.

Yeah. We just met.

You have amazing nose hair.

Thanks. Yeah. Goes with my nails.

- I need the next song, please.
- [sighs] Huh.

Otis Spunkmeyer. A bribe. [sighs]

I suppose I'll have to make one
for you too?

Nope. I'm just helping her. [chuckles]

[whispers] Okay. Uh...

- The Quick.
- [whispers] Yeah.

Get in line.
They've been out of print for years.

- Out of print?
- Yeah. As in impossible to find.

There was only 1,000 copies made
for the whole world.

[melancholy music playing]

We'll find it somewhere.
I can keep looking on the internet.

I just feel like any message
from my parents might be slipping away.

[Ellen] It's okay. Come on.

[indistinct chatter]

Hey, kid. How was your day?

It was a day.

[sighs]

[doorbell chimes]

[soft rock music playing]

- [door closes]
- [doorbell chimes]

[Gail] "F. Capacitor." Mmm.

What are you up to, Bev?

We don't carry any Michael Bolton.

Maybe you should.

Help with your, um, customer shortage.

[chuckles] Okay.

You're not Larry.

Well, it's just, you know, Larry is...

our usual mail guy.

[records rustling]

[whispers] Nothing. Nothing.

I'll say hi to Larry for you.

- [door opens]
- [doorbell chimes]

Okay.

[indistinct chatter]

- Oh, look.
- [Beverly] Turn around. Turn around.

You done looking at my boobs?

Yeah.

[both] The Quick!

[whimsical music playing]

[Beverly] There she is.

You can't just go and talk to her.
She's like a wild animal.

- You have to start slow.
- [chomps]

Build trust first.

I think she's just lonely. People hate her
even more than they hate us.

- Well, yeah. But she doesn't care.
- [clatters]

[Ellen] Nice. [sighs]

- [Nicky] Dorks.
- [Beverly chuckles nervously]

Look something up for me?

Why?

[Beverly] Because I have an idea.

[indistinct chatter]

If you don't stop staring at me,
I'll knock your head off.

[teacher] It's another Tuesday.
Who's ready for some spoken word poetry?

Or as I like to call it, Spokane word.

[class groans]

[chuckles]

Ah, someday, someone's
gonna laugh at that. [sighs]

[sucks teeth] Nicole Jones.

- [sighs]
- [teacher] What do you got?

Um, is it okay if I read another poem?

[girl] More dogs?

- [students laugh]
- [teacher] Well, this is a first. Why not?

All right, Moody. Let's hear the pain.

[boy coughs] Loser.

[class chuckling]

Whatever happened
To all this season's losers of the year?

Every time I got to thinking
Where'd they disappear?

When I woke up
Mom and Dad are rolling on the couch

Rolling numbers, rock and rollin'
Got my KISS records out

Mommy's all right, Daddy's all right

- They just seem a little weird
- [teacher] Hmm.

Surrender, surrender
But don't give yourself away

[chuckles]

Feels very familiar but provocative.

And that poem was called?

Cheap Trick.

[indistinct chatter]

- Are you making fun of Cheap Trick?
- No. I...

They're the most under-rated band
in history.

So totally yes!

They're an A-plus band,
an A-plus-plus, triple A.

We should sue!

What're you talking about?

I don't know. Words are just kinda
flying out of my mouth.

My parents died.

- So?
- They loved The Quick.

[Nicky] Let's go, weirdo.

- [can clatters]
- [train horn blowing in distance]

[rock music playing faintly]

[music gets louder]

Hey. What are you doing, fart sniffer?

Showing this square
what a crappy band looks like, butt wipe.

You better shut your mouth
before I knock your head off, zit-face.

[Nicky] I'll knock your head off!

[sighs] Come on. My records are inside.

[sighs]

[rock music playing faintly]

Moron stole my record.

[gasps]

Keep a lookout.
If he comes in, just yell or something.

Wait, um...

Wow.

Aww.

Who the hell are you?

Uh, Nicky?

[footsteps approaching]

- What are you doing in my room?
- Getting my record that you stole.

- Uh, that's my record.
- [Nicky scoffs]

No. Kyle, stop, stop.
Kyle, you're gonna break the record!

[Kyle panting]

- Hold this while I kick his butt.
- [both grunting]

[Nicky] Get off me, Kyle!

[grunts] Kyle, stop!

What the ever-loving hell
do you two think you're doing?

[Kyle grunts, pants]

How many times do I have to tell you,
this is not a honky-tonk bar?

Now, if you're gonna fight,
there's gotta be rules.

- Hi.
- Hi.

- I...
- [man] You can help move the couch.

Get up.

Come on.

All right. Come here.

No hair-pulling, no biting,
and no punching in the face.

Now... fight!

- [Kyle] Come on. Come on.
- Hey, Mom.

What? [grunts, groans]

- [Kyle coughs, groans]
- [man] Ooh.

[chuckles]

She cheated.

For crying out loud.
She's your little sister.

Will you stop being such a baby?

And you.

- [Nicky chuckles]
- [man laughing]

Get over here and hug your old man
before I knock your head off. [laughing]

Oh, Kyle.

[Ellen] So then what happened?

She put this on the tape for me.

Holy crap. I can't believe you're friends
with the most badass girl in school.

I don't know if we're friends,
but we did cut school together,

and she did do this chin thing
when I said goodbye and...

Oh look. It's goat girl.

[Donny] And owl-face.

Hey.

Hey. Don't stand too close to Moody,
or you'll smell like goat puke.

[chuckles dryly]

I already smell like goat puke.
I bathe in it every morning.

Saves water, and it keeps my skin soft.

You wanna come over after school?

[whispers] Yeah.

[indistinct chatter]

[both gasp excitedly]

- [Donny] Where'd she get the goat puke.
- Huh?

All right, my dear.
Dinner's in the fridge. I'll be home late.

Remember, trust no one.

[Beverly] Yep.

- [Gail] Lock the door.
- [Beverly] Yep.

I love you.

["Surrender" by Cheap Trick playing]

♪ Mother told me, yes she told me ♪

♪ I'd meet girls like you ♪

♪ Mommy's all right, Daddy's all right ♪

♪ They just seem a little weird ♪

Your parents liked The Quick.
Means they were cool.

Barely anyone knows about that band.

What about this next one?

"The song that reminds me
of the day on the hill?"

Hmm. I don't know.
Are there any other clues?

No. Just this list.

- Maybe your grandma knows.
- She can't ask her grandma.

It's up to us to find them,

and I can't move my hair.

- [laughs]
- You're not supposed to. Uh...

- [Ellen giggles]
- Okay, look.

There's gotta be someone else
that knew your parents. Right?

Not really.

Without your grandma,
I don't know how else to find it.

[sighs heavily]

- Okay. You guys wanna see?
- [both] Yeah.

- Okay. Ready? Turn.
- [Beverly] Okay. Yeah.

[both] Whoa! [laughing]

Dude!

- Wanna have some fun?
- Cool.

["Teacher's Pet" by The Quick playing]

♪ Which road to school today? ♪

♪ Whichever one
They're bound to dark my way ♪

♪ They'll push me down and knock me around
And when they're done... ♪

- [singing indistinctly]
- [playing discordantly]

Hey, kiddo. You in the basement?

Huh.

[exhales sharply]

[sighs]

Hmm.

[indistinct shouting]

How many times have I told you, jerk face?

Stay out.

- Ugh! Oh. I'm gonna kill you, Kyle.
- [Ellen] No, no, no.

- [Beverly] Stop. Come on, come on.
- Let's go.

[man on radio] Everyone is preparing
for the worst.

Potential Y2K computer crashes
top the list.

In Jersey City, 400 bankers will be ready
to take calls from investors.

[sighs]

Domino's Pizza promised
its 120,000 workers

twice what they normally make
if they come in and help out.

Pre-millennial banks run by people
who fear ATMs won't work, or...

[dialing phone]

[line ringing]

Hey. Joe, it's Gail.

Hi. I will take your third shift.

[indistinct chatter]

- [indistinct chatter]
- [mellow rock music playing on radio]

How about this one?

Mm-mm.
It looks just like the one I have on.

No. It doesn't. This one is, um...

This one's yellow.

And it...

Okay. No. All right.

[Gail sniffles] Hmm.

You've been awfully busy lately.

Oh.

Yeah. The s-school project's
really been kicking my butt.

Oh yeah.

Well, maybe you deserve a treat.

Hmm? Pick out anything you want.

Yeah?

- Yeah.
- ["I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow playing]

[Beverly gasps] Oh my gosh!
This store's so rad.

[mouths] Look. It's so cool.

Oh no.

[mouths] Look.

[mouths] No.

[sighs]

♪ I want candy ♪

Nicky's just another kid in school.

She looks scary,
but she's actually really nice.

Sounds sketchy.

Tuna.

She's not.

People just think she is
so no one messes with us.

Oh.

Hmm.

Her parents let her wear
whatever she wants.

She said, in third grade,

she wore her vampire costume
from Halloween every day for a year.

I can just get some velour,
and we can size up your Teletubby suit.

[chuckles]

Very funny.

Hmm.

You let Mom dress however she wanted.

I did.

And we all know how that went.
Would you set the table?

[sighs heavily]

I actually don't know how that went.

I wanna know about Mom.

Maybe she wasn't a good student
or good daughter, but...

Who said she wasn't a good daughter?

But she was my mom,

and I wanna know what she was like.

Did she like Slurpees? Was she ticklish?
Over or under for the toilet roll?

[laughs]

She did like Slurpees.

- Okay.
- Yeah.

That's great. Slurpees. Uh, me too!

- [exhales] That... that's a great start.
- Good.

[silverware clatters]

What else you got?

[emotional music playing]

Like, what did her voice sound like?

Um...

Hmm.

That was
a really long time ago, honey. Uh...

Let's... let's just let this one go. Okay?

Oh. It's gonna burn.

[sighs]

[birds chirping]

[gasps]

[gasps]

[breathes excitedly]

Grandma!

[rock music playing]

[chuckles] Wow!
So this is everything your parents left?

Yeah. I guess my grandma felt bad.

- [snorts]
- [laughs]

Your parents were so cool.

Yeah. I don't know what happened to me.

Well, sometimes it skips a generation.

Look. She wrote songs.

Or she erased songs.

Wonder what went wrong.

Hey. Uh, why did
your parents have creamed corn?

I like creamed corn.

Oh. I've never had it.

Oh. I found it.

Oh. What?

"That song that reminds me
of the day on the hill."

"April 17th."

"First date with Zack."

"Climbed the 1,000 steps,
swung and touched heaven."

"Played 'More Than This.'"

"I kind of hate myself for saying it,
but I think I'm in love."

[both] Aww.

- [Nicky] Ew.
- [both giggling]

"More Than This," what's that?

- I don't know. We have to listen to it.
- Yeah.

We can do more than that.
You wanna know about your parents. Right?

You have to live like they lived.

Eat the creamed corn.

Yeah. Eat the creamed corn.

No, you nerds.

We climb the 1,000 steps.

We play the song. We swing to heaven,

whatever that means.

What 1,000 steps?

In Greenwood Cemetery. It's haunted.

It's also across town.

- Yeah.
- My grandma knows every shortcut in town.

I bet I can take us on an optimal path.

[all panting]

[Nicky] Dude,
there is nothing optimal about that.

[Ellen] Yeah.

How haunted is it supposed to be?

You know, it's cool, you know,
if you're scared and wanna turn back.

I hear the way you keep spirits at bay
is by telling the truth.

Like, as long as you're speaking
the truth about yourself,

then they can't touch you.

Is that an Asian thing?

- Anne Rice.
- Oh.

My name is Beverly Moody.

And I'm pretty sure my feet stink.

That's not what I meant by truths. I...

And I wonder if my parents' feet stunk,
or if they smelled really good.

And if they had cool friends.

And if I would've been
one of their friends.

- Like, if they met me today.
- [insects chittering]

[birds cawing]

Um, if there are
any spirits out there who know them,

would they have liked me?

[emotional orchestral music playing]

I have an irrational fear
of the movie E.T.

- I have sleep apnea. [sniffles]
- [Beverly] What's that?

[all giggle]

S-Something about his wrinkled little body
induces me to throw up.

[Beverly giggles]

[Nicky] I once technically died
for 45 seconds

until they slapped me awake.

I have a crush on Pat Sajak.

[laughs]

- What?
- Seriously?

Wha... No judging.

I hate raisins.

Deep truths.

- [Nicky] I have a hangnail.
- Deeper truths.

I don't have my period,
but everyone thinks I do.

- Seriously?
- Really?

My mom leaves a box of tampons
by my room every month,

and I pretend to use them, but...

honestly, I'm a little freaked out
about the whole thing.

Once I stole one of my grandma's tampons

to put it in a glass of water
to see what happened.

It got huge.

[Ellen and Nicky] Ugh.

[Nicky] I am never using one of those.

[Ellen] No way. I'm just gonna
wait mine out in the bathroom.

[all laughing]

[Beverly] Dude, I totally thought
you already had your period.

[Nicky] No. I just look moody.

[Beverly] No. I'm Moody. Beverly Moody.

[giggling]

[Beverly] I like you guys.

A lot.

Yeah. Me too. A lot.

Yeah. Truth.

[giggling]

Oh.

[wind gusting]

- [Beverly] Look.
- [all sigh]

Whoa.

[all giggle]

[Beverly exhales]

Whoa. So cool!

Swing!

- [Beverly] Wow. Look at this place.
- [Ellen] Wow!

- ["More Than This" by Roxy Music plays]
- [Beverly] Wow.

Ready to swing to heaven?

♪ More than this... ♪

[laughing]

[Ellen] He looks smart.

So what? You wanna buy a vowel from him?

Come on! Come on!

Ellen and Pat Sajak...

Oh. That is it! No. Come on.

[all squealing, laughing]

[all panting]

[all giggling]

[Nicky sighs]

Mullets!

What?

Yeah... Yeah.
Our mascot should be the mullets.

We're not owls or wildcats.

The Fighting Mullets.

- That is freaking rad!
- [both laugh]

- How'd you even come up with that?
- It just came to me.

[chuckles]

It'd be so sweet to beat stupid Steven
and his lame Wildcat mascot.

- [Nicky] Totally.
- Yeah.

[sighs] For real, if someone
took me out of here on our first date...

I'd marry him.

[all laughing]

Dude, your parents were great.

Yeah.

I don't know if they would've liked me,

but... I think I like them.

[all giggling]

♪ You know
There's nothing... ♪

[giggles] Oh my gosh!

[indistinct chatter]

- So many!
- So many!

- Oh my gosh!
- [all laughing]

♪ No, there's nothing ♪

[song continues faintly]

♪ More than this ♪

♪ Nothing more than this ♪

[birds chirping]

[emotional music playing]

[sighs]

[sniffles]

[exhales]

[breathes deeply]

[door opens]

[door closes]

["Teacher's Pet" by The Quick playing]

Hey. What's going on?

[Beverly] School project, phase two.

How many phases are there?

Girls?

♪ Which road to school today? ♪

♪ Whichever one, they're bound to... ♪

So, what do you guys think?

Ugh. Rad.

Whoa.

- Are 100 buttons too much?
- [Beverly] Are you kidding?

No way. Make it 200.

Coming up, ma'am.

♪ You're just a teacher's pet ♪

♪ And don't forget
You're just a teacher's pet ♪

♪ Here I am ahead of the classroom ♪

♪ Here I am ahead of the classroom ♪

♪ Yes, I know, I know, I know ♪

♪ Yes, I know, I know, I know ♪

♪ I know the words, I know the math ♪

Yeah!

♪ I know the this, I know the that ♪

♪ I know the words that she will say ♪

♪ When we get out of class today ♪

♪ And don't forget... ♪

[all laughing]

♪ And don't forget ♪

♪ Yes, I know, I know, I know ♪

♪ Yow ♪

["Lesson Learned" by The Gossip playing]

Whoo!

Sweet buttons, my dudes.

Thanks.

No one ever notices me.

Yeah. For a while in sixth grade,
I literally thought I was invisible.

Yeah. Fighting Mullets forever!

Oh. I think we're gonna need more buttons.

- [laughs]
- [squeals]

♪ I don't ever wanna be that girl ♪

♪ The saddest thing
In the whole wide world ♪

[Beverly] There's only three songs left,

but there's no band listed
for "The Wrong Song."

[gasps] Found one.

"Crash Right Through It"
by The Murderous Ambersons.

Hey. I've seen that guy.

[Ellen] You have?

[both gasp]

[Beverly] He still has the same haircut.

- [both laugh]
- Yeah.

- What else does it say about the band?
- Um, okay. Uh...

All right. Um...

They broke up.

They're now called the Wes Kelly Band.

And...

They play in, like, a week
at some place called The Voyeur.

We have to go.

He knew my mom.

I can ask him about her.

I don't think
our parents are gonna drive us

to see some punk band
at a bar called The Voyeur.

[inhales]

I think I know someone who will.

["My Own Worst Enemy" by Lit playing]

Great. It's my favorite customer.

She brought another stray with her.

You guys starting a gang?

Do you know the Wes Kelly Band?

Yeah, maybe. Why?

We need a ride to the show on Saturday.

[laughs]

Please?

Yeah.

- Is that a yes?
- Oh, yeah.

Yeah. I don't think he'll do it.

I like the new one. She gets it.

[Nicky] Hm.

Wait. No. What are you doing?
This is the part where you go home.

Just looking.

Looking is for windows.

When you come inside,
the point is to purchase stuff.

Maybe I will.

Oh my God!
Here's that Britney Spears CD. Oh my God!

- Oh my gosh!
- [all squealing]

No.

[girls chattering excitedly]

[Beverly] Amazing!

We don't have any Britney Spears,
so just come back whenever.

- Oh.
- Oh.

Yeah. This is the Germs.

My bad.

Tsk. You dare hustle me in my own store?

What do you mean?

Out! All of you, or I'll call the cops.

Because we're looking
for a Britney Spears CD?

[Nicky] Gee. I wonder whose side
they'll take when they get here.

Have you found it yet, Ellen?

- [Anti] No!
- Oh my gosh! Here's that NSYNC album!

- [Nicky] Oh my God! NSYNC!
- [Beverly] Let me see!

- Not... No.
- [Beverly] Look at him!

[tuts] Anti, dude.

I'm going to 4000 Holes, man.

Yeah. Tell Bob "hi" for me.

Have you guys
not heard of stranger danger?

- [door closes]
- You're not a stranger. You're my friend.

And I'm bringing Mace and a switchblade,

so you better not be a frickin' weirdo.

It's important, Anti.

Please?

- [door opens]
- [doorbell chimes]

Oh my God.

[rock music playing]

[grunting]

[Ellen] Okay, come on.

Shh. Don't wake my brother.
He'll wanna go too.

- [Beverly] Okay. Let's rock and roll.
- [Ellen] Careful!

- [Ellen] Hey. This way.
- [Nicky] Shh. Come on. [giggles]

- Anti!
- All the teeny boppers in the back.

- No.
- [girls giggling]

Are you aware you have,
like, 50 cans of Tab back here?

Are you aware
there's a no-talking rule in this car?

Are you aware
your car smells like mushrooms?

[girls giggling]

Are you aware
we're going to see Wes Kelly?

- [girls squealing]
- Whoo!

Hey. Wait, wait, wait. You guys hear that?

Huh?

Silence. That's what I like.

- Whoo!
- [girls squealing]

["Fly Away" by Lenny Kravitz playing]

♪ Oh, I want to get away ♪

[girls screaming, squealing]

♪ I wanna fly away ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ I want to get away ♪

♪ I wanna fly... ♪

Keep it cool.

[squeals quietly]

Anti! Man, I haven't seen you
in, like, five years.

Yeah. Try 15.

- Huh?
- Fifteen.

Oh. Wow. Where you been, man?

Been out of the scene.
I'm sober. I'm working an actual job.

Oh, man. I'm sorry to hear.

- [Anti] Yeah.
- That's too bad.

Are those yours, dude?

Yes, they are. Those are my little angels.

Are they 18? They look a little young.

Them? Oh yeah.

Eighteen.

All of them.

They're actually triplets.

Okay. Cool. Come on in.

- Have fun. Rock on, dude.
- [Anti] Good to see you.

- So, you dudes are sisters, huh?
- [ticket punch clicks]

- Yeah, genius. Us dudes are sisters.
- [bouncer] Cool.

Rock on.

- [ticket punch clicks]
- Party on.

Hey! Did I say move?

[Anti] Okay. Rules. Stay together.
Don't talk to strangers.

Don't go anywhere without telling me.

We watch the band.
You talk to them. We go.

- [rock music playing]
- Where is she going? You got it?

Is this what all shows are like?

Hasn't changed in 15 years.

Can we go to the front, Dad?

As long as you don't ever
call me that again.

I'm gonna go get some Tab.

- Hey! Come on! Let's go!
- [Beverly] Whoa.

[giggling]

[Kelly] ♪ I'm not your friend ♪

♪ I'm not your enemy ♪

♪ I do not fit in any boxes
That you've made for me ♪

♪ You've seen my form ♪

♪ You've see my shame ♪

Is that the guy?

♪ It's just a statue bound to break ♪

Um, okay. Let's dance.

Dance. Come on. Yeah. Dance. Dance. Yeah.

[giggling]

♪ I still pretend
You're not a threat to me ♪

♪ While I am dreading
To check every box I claim to be ♪

♪ It's all for free
But I'm keeping score ♪

♪ Bitter but clinging to the door... ♪

- [giggles]
- [Ellen] Huh?

Where did Nicky go?

I don't know.

♪ Walk away... ♪

Look up! There she is.

Hey, guys!

Hi!

Whoo!

[Anti] Nicky!

♪ Make you believe
That you just need more ♪

♪ Till you're free but clinging... ♪

Okay. No more crowd-surfing,
no more dancing.

- [Nicky] You should crowd surf.
- No! I'm not gonna...

♪ Clinging to the door ♪

[crowd cheering, applauding]

[girls giggling]

[Nicky] That was really cool.

For our last song,

here's one of our "moldies."
[plays pleasant melody]

This song is called
"Crash Right Through It."

[breathes excitedly]

♪ Look how you stand out from the crowd ♪

♪ The light just follows you around ♪

♪ Like you're a skyscraper at sundown ♪

[Beverly giggles]

♪ You're here, the neon suns fade out ♪

♪ The busy streets
Take on your heartbeat ♪

♪ Like a marching band through downtown ♪

♪ And I thank my stars
'Cause there's no one else like you ♪

♪ And my whole world changed
When you crashed into it ♪

♪ We all get lost out in the fog ♪

♪ But you bring your colors
Like the dawn ♪

♪ You are a prism
Spreading your light out ♪

♪ Yeah, the whole world's better
With you walking through it ♪

- [song ends]
- [crowd murmuring]

[crowd cheering]

- Get out of here.
- [mic clatters]

[Nicky] Whoa.

- [feedback buzzes]
- [rips out guitar cable]

- Okay. Come on, come on, come on.
- [Beverly] I... [sighs]

[rock music playing]

- [Nicky] Go.
- [Kelly] Careful with my guitar. [exhales]

[clears throat]

What?

Oh. Either I'm getting older,
or the girls are getting younger.

Gross, dude. My friend has a picture
she wants you to look at.

Yeah. You were in that band,
the Murderous Ambersons.

I have one of your songs.
It's really good.

Great. You have a picture of me.

That girl you're with,

do you know her?

- No.
- [sighs]

Could you please just look again?

[sighs]

Oh yeah.

I do know this girl.
She wrote some awesome songs.

But I heard she fell
for some loser and got pregnant,

so those dreams just...

[imitates explosion]

What a mistake.

[sniffles]

[indistinct chatter]

- [Anti] What's wrong with her?
- Don't ask.

Oh. It can't be that bad. Right?
I know rock stars can be jerks...

He said her mom's a scrub and a loser.

Can we just go home. Please?

Okay.

Yeah. Great. Well, I'm gonna be back.

Wait one second.

Hey. That guy was a jerk.

A sad fart.

He probably didn't even remember your mom.

- [man] Ow!
- [screams]

[panting]

I'm sorry for what I said.
I didn't know that was your mom.

But...

but, look, I meet a lot of girls... Ow!

Ow! Okay.

Okay. [breathing heavily]

Your mom was totally memorable.

Great voice, great musicality.

[panting]

If she stayed in the business,
could've been a serious contender.

But she dropped out of the scene,

and I never heard from her again,

which... maybe was the right choice.

Oh, gosh.

What are you to them. Huh?

I'm not anybody.

And we're never gonna talk
about that again.

- Seat belts.
- I don't have a seat belt.

Yeah. You don't have one.
Just hold on to Ellen.

[gears grinding]

[car creaks]

[dog barking in distance]

Hey, Moody.

Listen.

Whatever happened tonight,

you just have to remember
that people like that,

washouts, losers...

they're gonna try and tell you who you are
and what to do your whole life.

Don't let 'em.

Thanks, Anti.

Hey.

I know you've hated every minute of it,
but it was really fun getting to know you.

[melancholy music playing]

[Beverly sobbing]

[sniffles]

[whimpers]

[sniffles]

[whimpers]

[sighs]

[sniffles]

[exhales, sniffles]

[sobs]

[man on PA] Today is the last day
to vote for the school mascot.

- Remember to vote today.
- Owl or Wildcat. One vote per student.

[teacher] Got your quiz grades
from last week.

[Nicky] Bev.

Bev, come on. We can't quit now.

It was a stupid idea.

[sighs] Ellen thought
you'd say that, but...

They weren't trying to send me a message!

They were just two dumb kids
who made a dumb tape!

[class murmurs]

[footsteps approaching]

Are you two responsible for this?

A mullet on Homer?

[class laughs]

It's an insult
to one of the world's most famous poets.

No. We weren't making fun of anyone.
We think the mullet's rad.

Plus, it's an egregious act of vandalism.

- Dude, we had nothing to do with it.
- Yeah.

- Whate...
- Mullet, mullet power!

[students laugh]

Now, we are removing any votes
for your third-party mascot.

Hey. That's unconstitutional.

Let's just keep politics out of school.

All right. Please go back
to your classrooms and learn.

Beverly.

May I have a word please?

Now we are all aware
of your circumstances,

so this one time,
we're gonna let you off with a warning.

Mm-hmm.

But, Miss Moody?

[inhales]

Think about your future.

[soft piano music playing]

- Grandma?
- Mm-hmm?

[sniffles]

Are you happy?

What kind of question is that?

Never mind.

I don't wanna talk about it.

Is this some kind of drug?
Look, I-I saw it on 60 Minutes. Okay?

I know that these stores
are fronts for selling drugs.

You must belong to Moody.

Yeah. And I wanna know

what this F. Capacitor is
that you're selling to kids.

Well, your granddaughter, Moody,
came in looking for a song.

So, needing to enter something
into my cashier machine,

I decided to go with something

I thought was both sarcastic commentary
on the situation and also an homage

to what I think is the greatest movie
of all time, Back to the Future.

So, needing to put something on the bill,
I put "F. Capacitor," flux capacitor.

I don't want
Beverly coming in here anymore.

And... And I don't want you selling her
F. Capacitors or anything else. Okay?

Yeah, lady, more than happy to oblige.

[exhales]

Great.

Yeah. 'Cause she's been nothing
but trouble since she walked in here.

What?

You should know something.
She was fine before this. She was.

We had a routine,
and... and she liked sweaters.

[whispers] I think she liked sweaters.

She smiled.

She smiled, like, all the time. Okay?

I'm sure it's all because
she listened to music.

It's well-known
that rock and roll causes kids

to worship Satan and hate sweaters.

[Gail] That's not funny.

- [door opens]
- [doorbell chimes]

[door closes]

[Anti] Lady!

Gran Moody.

[Gail sighs]

Listen.

I like Beverly.

I don't know why, but I do.

And I'm probably the last person
you should take advice from on this,

but she's obviously searching
for something, and...

[inhales deeply]

...maybe just take it easy on her.

That's it?

That's your advice?

You came out here
to tell me to take it easy?

Yeah, yeah. I guess.

Huh.

So maybe I'll just let her run wild. Huh?

Yeah. And maybe she'll get pregnant at 15

and then get in a car crash and die.

[truck door closes]

'Cause that's what happens. You know?

That's what happens
when you "take it easy."

People die, Mr. Record Store Guy.

Thanks for the advice.

Wildcats! Wildcats! Wildcats! Wildcats!

Wildcats! Wildcats!

Dude, why are you icing us?

- [Beverly] Why are you following me?
- We're friends.

Are we?

Ever since we started hanging out,
my grades are slipping,

I'm sneaking behind my grandma's back,

I went to the principal's office
for the first time,

I found out I ruined my parents' lives.

All kids ruin their parents' lives.

- That's why your friends...
- We're not friends!

Or if we are,

it's just because we're all losers.

And after everything my grandma's done,
I'm not gonna throw it all away

and end up like my mom,
making the same mistakes that...

Your mom

didn't make a mistake.

What? Your mom totally made a mistake.
Look how she turned out.

- [air hisses]
- [crowd gasps]

[air hissing]

Mullets rule!

[principal] Beverly.

Mr. and Mrs. Gonzales,

I wonder if I might take a moment
to talk to you about Steven's bullying.

[Steven] Huh? Wait. What?

Thank you.

[door opening]

[Gail] No! No.

- [door closes]
- You are not going anywhere until you ex...

Suspended? No. You're grounded.

[Beverly] Okay.

Oh.

You're, like, next-level grounded.

Like, you're not
gonna see your friends anymore.

- Okay.
- Like, ever.

Okay.

You're supposed to be the good one.

I guess I'm just another mistake
in a long line of mistakes.

What are you talking about?

I screwed up Mom's life

just like she screwed up yours.

[sighs] No, Beverly...

Am I wrong?

It just seems
like everybody in this family

is either unhappy or dead.

Go to your room.

Perfect. So we can avoid talking
about my mom again.

I gave you an entire box of her stuff.
What more do you want?

I wanna know if she and I
would've liked the same things.

Who cares
if you would've liked the same things?

Because then I could know
if maybe she would've liked me.

[breath shuddering]

Of course she would've liked you.

She had to love me,
but she didn't have to like me.

I like you.

Do you?

[sniffles] When was
the last time I made you laugh?

Oh, honey. I'm too busy to laugh.

I know. And I know
everything you're doing is for me,

but sometimes it just feels like...

Like...

[whimpers, sighs]

...you have no idea who I am.

[melancholy music playing]

Oh God.

Yeah.

[doorbell chimes]

[pop music playing]

So, how long have you, uh, been...

Angry? Alone?

Here?

Here.

Sixteen years.

[Gail] Oh.

Postal worker of the year?

[sighs] Eleven years running.

Except '96, they gave it to Earl Boggs.

Yeah. Well, he had cancer, so...

- Mmm.
- Yeah.

All right. I have to ask.

Did you really think
that I was selling drugs?

No.

[scoffs]

Eh, maybe. I don't know.

I don't think you have to worry
about any of that with Beverly.

She's a good kid.

Absolute pain in the butt...

[chuckles softly]

...but she's a good kid.

You're doing a really good job.

She's a great kid,
but that's no thanks to me.

Mm. She's getting into these years when

I don't know how to keep her good.

I should take off.

- [Anti] I, um...
- No.

I've lost people close to me too

and wasted years not dealing with it,

and looking back...

what I regret the most
is I hid from the people that were there,

and I stopped noticing them

and letting them notice me.

[inhales] Thanks for the Tab.

- Cheers.
- Cheers.

Yeah.

- Yeah. I'll take that.
- Okay. Yeah.

I'll... I'll keep that.

[Gail inhales] All right.

[melancholy jazz piano music playing]

[Ellen] Hey!

[Beverly] Hey.

This is, like, the first time
I've seen you outside in a while.

Yeah.

- Suspended.
- Mm.

I'm not supposed to hang out
with you either

because you might be a bad influence.

But then I stare-dared Justin
to take a bath in butter,

and my parents forgot about me
and my impressionable, young mind.

Mom's still actually cleaning
Country Crock out of his ears.

Ew.

[Ellen giggles] Yeah.

I have the next song.

Uh, you should keep it.
I'm done with that stuff.

Uh, yeah. [inhales]

Nicky said you'd say that,
but, um, you should listen to it.

Thanks, but...

Bev.

You can't give up.

W-what if they're trying
to tell you something?

What if there's something magical?

There isn't, Ellen. They're just... dead.

[melancholy music playing]

[birds chirping]

["Better Things" by The Kinks
plays on stereo]

Beverly! Hey, Beverly!

[Ellen] This is a message for you.

Called "Better Things."

By The Kinks.

- ♪ Here's wishing you the bluest sky ♪
- Whoo!

♪ And hoping
Something better comes tomorrow ♪

- ♪ Hoping all the verses rhyme ♪
- [girls laugh]

♪ And the very best of choruses too ♪

♪ Follow all the doubt and sadness ♪

♪ I know that better things
Are on the way ♪

[giggling]

♪ I know you've got a lot of good things
Happening up ahead... ♪

Hey!

[inaudible]

♪ So here's to what the future brings ♪

- [singing along]
- ♪ I know tomorrow ♪

♪ You'll find better things... ♪

[Justin] You can't catch me, Ellen.

[Justin giggles]

- Bye, Bev.
- [Ellen] Yeah.

Um, bye. [giggles]

♪ You'll find better things ♪

[Ellen] I'll get you, Justin!

[Justin] I'll get you, Ellen.

[rustling]

[sighs]

- [dramatic music playing]
- [gasps softly]

[sniffles]

[exhales]

[footsteps approaching]

Beverly?

- Grandma.
- Look, I...

[clears throat]

I'm sorry.

No. I shouldn't have...

No, no. No. I... [clears throat]

I don't know anything about being a mom.

But your mom...

[inhales deeply]

Your mom saw, and heard,
and felt everything.

And she was nice to everybody.

I was so scared when I was pregnant,

and then your mom came along
and made my life...

color...

and music.

Laughter and so...
so much laughter. [chuckles]

She could go from laughing to crying
in a nanosecond. [laughs]

And I loved it.

I...

I stopped worrying
about being her mom, and I just...

I just enjoyed the heck out of her.

[breath shuddering]

But when she died, I, uh...

I couldn't see, or...

hear, or feel the same things.

[sniffles]

[Gail sobbing]

And I'm so sorry.

[sniffles]

I forgot the most important part...

[chuckles]

...to enjoy you.

[sighs]

[sniffles]

- [footsteps approaching]
- [Gail sighs]

[Gail] I have something for you.

[rustling]

I think you might be looking for this.

[Gail clears throat] So...

the day your mom found out
she was pregnant...

Everybody thought they were too young,
but your parents didn't care.

They were so proud,

and nervous, and happy.

Your dad set off fireworks,

and the two of them sat out back

hugging each other like

beautiful idiots.

[Beverly chuckles]

And that night,

they started writing this song.

- [Kim] Hey, Beverly, it's Mom.
- [Zack] And Dad.

[Kim] We haven't met you yet,
but we already know

you are going to be
twice as cool as we are.

- [Zack] And hopefully just as weird.
- [Kim laughs]

This song is for you.
It's called "The Wrong Song."

[strums guitar gently]

[Kim] ♪ Don't know
If we'll have the answers ♪

- ♪ To everything you'll ask us ♪
- [Beverly sniffles]

♪ But we'll hold you tight
Till we get it right ♪

♪ And find a way
Through all of life's disasters ♪

Oh my gosh.

♪ Disasters ♪

[Gail] Yeah. There she is.

[Kim] ♪ You came, and life got better ♪

[Beverly giggles] Oh.

- Okay.
- [Beverly squeals]

♪ In love before we met ya ♪

- [Gail] This one.
- [Beverly chuckles]

- ♪ The missing piece that made us three ♪
- That's you. Little chubber.

♪ Who knew
How good life could be together? ♪

Wow.

- ♪ Together ♪
- [chuckles]

- [both laugh]
- ♪ If you don't care ♪

[Kim and Zack] ♪ If we're not perfect
Underneath the surface ♪

♪ You are more than worth the struggle ♪

♪ We'll always be your home
You'll never be alone ♪

♪ So go make life your own
And start some trouble ♪

[Kim] ♪ Whatever you do ♪

♪ All you'll go through ♪

♪ You will not lose ♪

♪ You might get things wrong
But nothing's wrong with you ♪

[girls] Three, two, one.

Us Dudes R Sisters!

Whoo!

[indistinct chatter]

[Ellen's mom] There goes my little one.

- Happy New Year!
- Okay.

- [laughs]
- Oh dear. Okay.

Okay, that's plenty.

- I'm sorry.
- It's fine.

[rock music playing]

[guests laughing]

Hey.

Edward.

That's my real name. It's Edward.

Oh. Yeah. I know.

I work for the Post Office.

- Oh yeah. Of course. Yeah.
- Yeah.

Edward is, um...

Edward's nice.

You think so?

Yes.

Thank you all
for coming to the end of the world

and to see our band, Us Dudes R Sisters!

[crowd cheering]

[laughs excitedly]

Yeah!

Ellen!

Hi, Justin. [giggles]

Uh, this is our first gig.

- [Kyle] Boo!
- Shut up, Kyle.

Our first song is dedicated to Ms. Moody.

Me?

One, two, three!

[playing "Dancing in the Moonlight"]

♪ We get it on most every night... ♪

It's "Dancing in the Moonlight."

I love this song.

♪ It's a supernatural delight ♪

♪ Everybody's dancing in the moonlight ♪

God, should we dance?

- No.
- Come on. I'm feeling it.

- We can watch.
- Come on.

- And we're gonna dance.
- Okay, okay, okay, okay. Fast dance.

- [Gail] Oh no. Uh-oh. No.
- There.

- Okay, okay.
- [Anti] Yeah.

- [Gail] The floor is clear, safe.
- Mm-hmm.

♪ They keep things loose
They keep things light ♪

Everybody out of the way. Yeah. Right.

- That's the hot spot right there.
- ♪ Dancing in the moonlight ♪

♪ Dancing in the moonlight
Everybody's feeling warm and bright ♪

♪ It's such a fine and natural sight ♪

♪ Everybody's dancing in the moonlight ♪

♪ We like our fun, and we never fight ♪

♪ You can't dance and stay uptight

- ♪ It's a supernatural delight ♪
- [laughs]

♪ Everybody's dancing in the moonlight ♪

- [Beverly] Anti, cover me.
- Yeah.

- [Beverly] Grandma! That was for you.
- [Gail] For me?

You were so good.

- [Anti] Oh!
- [laughs]

[man] Hey. It's almost midnight!

[woman] Start the countdown!

Oh. Ten!

[all] Nine! Eight!

- Grandma?
- Yeah?

Do you think
the world's ending at midnight?

[clicks tongue] No.
I think it's just beginning.

[all] Three...

Me too.

[all] ...two, one!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

- [fireworks bursting]
- Yeah. Whoo!

[Beverly gasps, chuckles]

[both squeal happily]

- [both gasp, laugh]
- Look!

- Happy New Year.
- Happy New Year.

- I love you.
- I love you.

♪ Dancing in the moonlight
Everybody's feeling warm and bright ♪

["The Wrong Song" plays]

[Kim] ♪ Don't know
If we'll have the answers ♪

♪ To everything you'll ask us ♪

♪ But we'll hold you tight
Till we get it right ♪

♪ And find a way
Through all of life's disasters ♪

♪ Disasters ♪

♪ You came and life got better ♪

♪ In love before we met ya ♪

♪ The missing piece that made us three ♪

♪ Who knew
How good life could be together? ♪

♪ Together ♪

[Kim and Zack] ♪ You don't care
If we're not perfect ♪

♪ Underneath the surface ♪

♪ You are more than worth the struggle ♪

♪ We'll always be your home
You'll never be alone ♪

♪ So go make life your own
And start some trouble ♪

[Kim] ♪ Whatever you do ♪

♪ All you'll go through ♪

♪ You'll win and lose ♪

♪ You might get things wrong
But nothing's wrong with you ♪

[Kim and Zack]
♪ Don't worry about tomorrow ♪

♪ We'll make do, we will borrow ♪

♪ Take a leap of faith
Let's just be brave ♪

♪ And all the luck
That you have saved will follow ♪

♪ Will follow ♪

♪ You didn't care
That we weren't perfect ♪

♪ Underneath the surface ♪

♪ You were more than worth the struggle ♪

♪ We'll always be your home
You'll never be alone ♪

♪ So go make life your own
And start some trouble ♪

[Kim] ♪ Whatever you do ♪

♪ All you'll go through ♪

♪ You'll win and lose ♪

♪ You might get things wrong
But nothing's wrong with you ♪

[Kim and Zack]
♪ Nothing wrong, nothing wrong ♪

♪ There is nothing wrong, nothing wrong ♪

♪ There is nothing wrong, nothing wrong ♪

♪ There is nothing wrong ♪

♪ We don't care if you're not perfect ♪

♪ Underneath the surface ♪

♪ You were more than worth the struggle ♪

[Kim] ♪ Whatever you do ♪

♪ All you'll go through ♪

♪ You'll win and lose ♪

♪ You might get things wrong
But nothing's wrong with you ♪

[whimsical music playing]