Coach (1989–1997): Season 3, Episode 21 - A Father and Son Reunion - full transcript
Hayden and Christine bump into Luther's long lost father.
FEMALE NARRATOR: Coach is
filmed before a studio audience.
(BELL JINGLING)
Oh, Christine,
look at this place.
I thought
you'd like it.
No, I love it.
Oh, look at this
old baseball uniform.
These old photographs, huh?
Look, they got a
picture of George Halas'
first Chicago Bears team.
How did you ever
find this place?
I told you if you'd ever come to
Wisconsin with me some Sunday,
we'd find something
for you to do.
I thought I heard that bell.
Howdy do,
howdy do?
That's not just
an old man talking.
I said it twice because
there's two of you.
Is this your shop?
No, I'm for sale.
I'm one of the antiques.
Of course it's my shop.
Boy, you've got a lot
of fantastic stuff here.
MAN: Thank you.
Thank you.
I like to think it's the
finest sports memorabilia shop
in the whole Midwest.
It probably isn't,
but I like to think that.
(CHRISTINE CHUCKLES)
So, what can
I sell you?
Hey, well, listen,
how much for this old football helmet here?
Oh, football man.
I can sell you that for $100.
There's a fascinating story
that goes with that helmet.
Oh, yeah, what?
Buy it and I'll tell you.
No, no, no.
I think before I spend $100,
I'd kind of like to hear
a little bit of the story.
Harvard, 1946.
How do I know you're
not just making that up?
How do I know
you've got $100?
Okay, I'll take it.
All right,
you want me to wrap it up,
or are you gonna
wear it home?
No, you can wrap it up.
Hey, did you ever
play any ball?
Oh, check out
that picture over there
under the catcher's mask.
Which one's you?
I'm that tall handsome fellow
there in the back row.
Elmer Nutt?
You think he's handsome?
Of course, you probably
think he's handsome, too.
No, no, I'm that
lone drink of water there.
Number 27.
Horace Van Dam?
That's right.
Offensive tackle,
defensive end
of the Danville
Silver Streaks.
Of course, Horace
was my Christian name.
Everybody called me Dutch.
You know,
because I'm Dutch.
Did you ever look at
these cleats over here?
There's a fascinating story
that goes with these cleats.
Yeah, yeah, they're great.
Hey, you know.
I work with a fella
from Danville,
and his name's Luther Van Dam.
You guys any relation?
Well, the shop's closed.
Huh? Wait a minute.
I said shop's closed.
Leave a check on the counter.
Don't come back.
What are you talking about?
All I want to do
Bye!
Is just talk to you.
What was that
all about?
You know, Christine,
Luther's dad ran out on him
when he was 10 years old.
Luther never
seen him since.
I think we just met
Luther's father.
Morning, guys.
Hey, Coach.
Hey, you want a donut?
No.
Uh, Daub, you know,
I'd kind of like to talk to Luther in private
for a minute
if you don't mind.
Oh, sure.
Did you want to
talk over donuts?
Okay.
No.
I'll be in the team room.
Thanks, Dauber.
What do you want
to talk to me about?
I haven't done
anything wrong, have 1?
No. You haven't done
anything wrong.
Luther, I just want
to ask you a question.
If you had information
that you think...
(SLURPING)
Luth, if you
had information
that could probably
change someone's life,
but you're not sure if it
would change it for the good
or for the bad,
would you be a good friend
if you told him or if
you didn't tell him?
What do you
know about Dauber?
Nothing. Got some kind of
disease, doesn't he?
No. This is not
about Dauber.
This is about you.
Oh, my God,
what have I got?
Oh, jeez.
You haven't got anything.
I got information that could
change your whole life.
Don't tell me!
I haven't even
told you what it is.
I don't have to know
what it is.
If it's gonna
change my life,
I know it's probably
gonna be for the worse,
'cause that's the way my life
goes, and I just don't want...
I don't want
you to tell me.
Luth, now,
this is something
that I think
you should really know.
You do?
Yeah, I mean,
if it were me,
I'd sure as hell want to know.
You would?
Okay, tell me.
Well, you'd better
sit down.
If I have to sit down,
I don't want you to tell me.
Luther!
Okay.
Tell me. Tell me. Tell me.
I haven't even
said anything yet, Luther.
Before I tell you,
I wanna ask you
a question.
What was
your father's first name?
Huh?
Was your father's
first name Horace?
Yeah, but that's not
what everybody called him.
Everybody
called him "Dutch"
because, you know,
that's what we were, Dutch.
Why did you want
to ask me that for?
Because I think
I found him.
What are you
talking about?
Christine and I went to
this little shop where they
sell old sports souvenirs.
And the guy
who owns the shop
is named
Horace Van Dam.
There could be a lot of
people named Horace Van Dam.
With the nickname "Dutch"?
He's from Danville.
He's got a picture
of himself playing ball
for the old
Danville Silver Streaks.
Hayden,
I haven't seen my dad
since he ran out on us
when I was 10 years old.
I know.
This is the first news
I've heard about him
since Mom came down
to breakfast that morning
and says,
"Where's your father?"
Did you say anything
to him about me?
Yeah, yeah, I mentioned
that I knew a fella,
you know, by the name
of Luther Van Dam.
What did he say?
Well, he didn't
actually say anything.
He just kind of, uh...
Well, he ran away.
Yeah.
He's good at that.
Anyway, Luth, I thought
I should tell you.
You know, I mean,
if you want to see him,
I can tell you
where he is.
Huh? Yeah.
Sure I want to see him.
I mean, if it's him,
I'd like to see him.
No other reason,
just ask him why he left.
Would you go with me?
You sure you want me to?
Hayden, I'm shaking right now
just thinking about going.
I don't trust myself
driving to Wisconsin.
Okay. Sure.
So, he runs
a sports souvenir shop, huh?
Yeah. Yeah, he does.
Clears up one mystery.
Now I know what happened
to all my baseball cards.
(BELL JINGLING)
I'm coming.
I'm coming.
Whoops! Store's closed.
Oh, no, wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
I can't wait,
my lunch is ready.
Come on, Mr. Van Dam, please.
I just want
to talk to you.
I know you're
Luther's father,
and I know this
is hard for you.
But I brought Luth with me and
he really wants to see you.
Oh.
Get my pills.
They're on the counter.
Oh, jeez.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, hold it, hold it.
Hold it, hold it.
I'm just going to get
a glass of water.
No, you weren't.
No, you weren't.
You were running away
'cause you
don't want to see Luther.
And I'm thirsty.
Look, Mr. Van Dam,
you may not
want to see him,
but he sure
wants to see you.
My God,
he's your son.
He's been waiting
50 years for this moment.
You at least
owe him that much.
Can I change
my shirt?
No!
You stay right there,
you don't move.
Well, you can
move a little, just...
Listen, I'll talk
sports, but that's it.
(WHISPERING) Come on.
Luther, there's someone here
who wants to see you.
Dad?
If you came
for your baseball cards,
I sold them all.
Maybe you two should talk.
I'll just wait outside.
Hey, no, wait.
I want you to stay.
Well, Luther, this could...
Hayden, I don't want to do this alone.
Maybe I should leave
and you two can talk.
No, wait a minute.
No, you're not
going anywhere.
I can't imagine what this must
be like for the two of you,
but you've got a chance
to do something now
you haven't done
in 50 years.
Just talk.
Come on,
you must have a million questions
you want to ask
each other.
I know I do.
Then ask him,
Luth.
Right.
So, what kind of rent
do you pay for this place?
Luther, come on.
Hayden, I don't know
where to start.
I don't even know
this guy.
Well, start with the question
you've been wanting to ask him.
Ask him why the hell
he ran out on you.
Well, why did you
run out on us?
I mean,
was it me? Did I...
Did I say something
to make you mad?
No, it wasn't you.
I mean,
I know I was kind of
a sloppy kid.
I was always
bringing home stray dogs.
One time I brought
home that old bum.
No, no, I told you.
It wasn't you.
And it wasn't
your mother,
and it wasn't even
that old bum.
Actually, I kind of liked Don.
No, it was me.
I just wasn't cut out
to be a family man.
There, I've said it.
Are you happy?
Luther, now it's getting personal.
I think I'm gonna go.
No, Hayden,
I want you to stay.
What do you mean you weren't
cut out to be a family man?
You were
a great family man.
You taught me
how to ride a bike.
You taught me
how to play ball.
I was gone
for weeks at a time.
You were
a traveling salesman.
No, I wasn't.
You weren't?
This is really
getting personal.
No, Hayden,
I want you to stay.
If you weren't
a traveling salesman,
who were you?
I was just a guy
that couldn't settle down.
How come you never tried
to get in touch with me?
I mean, didn't you
care about me at all?
Hey!
Never think
I stopped caring about you.
I always cared about you.
In fact, I want
to show you something.
This will prove how much
I cared about you.
I have a scrapbook
of everything you ever did.
And it's the most
treasured thing I own.
Where the hell
did I put it?
Here it is, right here.
(GROANING)
This is it, here.
It's all me in there?
Yeah, this is your life
for the last 49 years.
You know, I've even got
that personal ad you placed
when you tried to find me.
I was very touched by that.
Well, these are all pages
from the old
Danville Commercial News.
Well, they're from all over.
I've got every clipping
of every game you've played in
or coached since high school.
(EXCLAIMS)
How did you get
all this stuff?
Well, now that you're here,
I might as well tell you.
Luther, I've never lived
more than two or three hours
away from you since I left.
What?
Whenever you moved, I moved.
What are you talking about?
I've been following you.
For 49 years?
Hell, it wasn't easy.
You moved a lot.
Danville, Champaign...
Wait.
Let me get this straight.
You're telling me,
for the last 49 years
you've known where I was,
how I was, what I was doing,
and all the time you weren't even
more than a couple of hours away?
That's right.
And all just to be
close to you.
But I didn't even know
if you were alive.
Why didn't you call me?
Well, if I knew it was going
to be this easy, I would have.
But I was afraid.
Afraid of what?
I was afraid you'd hate me
for running out on you,
and your mother and Don.
Not that I
would've blamed you.
But I just didn't think
I could take it.
That's why
you never called?
Seems kind of silly now,
doesn't it?
You coward!
You spineless,
selfish coward!
You let me spend 49 years
eating my insides out
wondering what
happened to you,
wondering why you left.
And all the time you were
two hours away,
slapping stuff in a scrapbook?
It feels like
this is taking a turn here.
Didn't it ever occur to you
I might be wondering
where you were?
That I might be growing up
with all kinds of guilt
thinking I was
the reason you left?
Look at me!
I'm 59 years old.
I'm negative, I'm insecure,
I've got bad knees,
and it all started
the day you walked out.
How are your
bad knees my fault?
Because I ran out the
back door looking for you
and I tripped over Don.
You don't care
about my knees.
You don't care about me.
You don't care about anybody but yourself.
That's not true!
I've got a scrapbook!
You think that
makes you a father?
Don was more
of a father than you,
and he wasn't even allowed
in the living room.
I always thought
that somehow
you wanted to see me
and you just couldn't.
Now I find out you could,
and you didn't
have the courage.
Well, I do hate you.
I wish Hayden
had never found you.
Whole life would be better
off if I'd never had a father.
Thank you for this.
LUTHER:
Don't look at me like that.
You're not getting
any of this.
Just leave me alone
and let me eat this.
What's the use?
I'm not in the mood
to eat anyway.
Come on, if you're
gonna eat this,
you're gonna eat it
on the back porch.
Come on, back porch.
Come on.
Okay, okay. There we go.
I hope you enjoy that as much
as you enjoyed my breakfast.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
(DOG BARKING)
Quincy?
Hayden.
Hey, Luth, can I come in?
Sure.
How are you feeling?
I'm okay.
Well, I thought you
might need some company.
I'm okay. What happened today is
over, Hayden.
I really don't expect
you to cheer me up.
Well, I wasn't very
comfortable sitting at home
knowing you're over here being
all miserable and everything.
Yeah, I'm okay.
In a way, it's kind of
a relief it's over.
(DOG BARKING)
Now that I know what kind
of person my father is,
I don't miss him
that much.
I'll be happy
if ll never see him again.
HORACE:
Shut up, you stupid mutt!
Oh, no.
What's the matter? I just saw him again.
It's my father.
What?
Gee, what am I gonna do?
I don't want to see him.
Well, Luther,
the man's come over here.
He obviously
wants to talk to you.
Well, I don't want
to talk to him.
Luther, he's come
all the way from Wisconsin,
he's climbing up
45 steps,
and if he makes it,
I think a reward
for all that hard work
would just be
to hear him out.
What could he say now
that would change anything?
Well, Luth, you know,
he could say he loves you.
He could say he made the
biggest mistake of his life
walking out on you
50 years ago.
He could say, you know,
he'd end up a bitter and broken man
unless you two get back
together again.
If he's gonna say
all that, let him in.
Well, I don't know if he's
gonna say all those things.
Well, he'd better say
something, or I'm gonna hit him.
Go ahead, let him in. Yeah.
Mr. Van Dam?
Yes?
HAYDEN:
What are you doing there?
Sucking on a nitro
pill if you must know.
(EXCLAIMING)
You don't live here,
do you?
Good.
No.
I know Luther
never married,
and that was
my last pill.
Hello, Luther.
Hayden says
you have a lot to say,
so go ahead
and say it.
I don't have
anything to say.
I just came
to give you this.
No, no,
Luther, Luther.
Hayden, you wanted
me to hear him out.
Now I heard him out,
I want him out.
Now,
just wait a second.
You mean, Mr. Van Dam,
you came all this way
just to give Luther
a scrapbook?
I don't need it anymore.
The boy hates me.
Okay.
Are you sure you don't
have anything more to say?
Well, I...
I'm giving it to him
because I thought about
what Luther said today,
and he was right.
Right about what?
Right about me using the
scrapbook all these years
to make myself
feel like a father.
The truth is,
I was never a father to him.
I might as well have had
a Joe Montana scrapbook.
I mean, I don't have a
relationship with him either,
but at least
he's a better football player.
And that's all
I came to say.
Now, hold on,
Mr. Van Dam.
Are you sure there's nothing
more you want to say?
About what?
I told you,
the boy hates me.
I don't know
what to say to him.
You could tell him
you love him.
You could tell him that,
well, leaving him
50 years ago
was the worst thing
you ever did.
You could tell him that you could
end up a bitter and broken man
unless you two can find
some way to reconcile.
I thought
I had said all that.
When? You didn't say
anything remotely like that.
Didn't I imply it?
Mr. Van Dam,
if you want to have
a relationship
with Luther,
you have to tell him
how you feel about him.
Well, that stuff
is hard for me.
It can't be any harder
than what you've
already been through.
How do you feel about me?
Well, I feel you're
the only successful thing
that I've ever been a part of.
And as small a part
as that was,
it's the only thing in my
life that I'm proud of.
You mean that?
I like the way
you turned out.
I never thought I turned
out all that great.
Well, considering
the seed you sprang from,
you grew pretty tall.
Well, Mom was tall.
Hold it.
If I'm leaving, I may need
a lift down the stairs.
You don't have to leave now.
You can stay.
You had dinner?
No.
You like
corned beef hash?
No.
- Well, I can fix something.
- All right.
I don't suppose
you'd like to wait outside
till we finish eating
and then you can take me
down the stairs?
I'll take you down, Dad.
Uh...
Can I go now?
I don't need him anymore.
Do you?
Okay then, see ya.
Hayden.
Thanks.
It's hard to believe
after all these years
I'm finally having dinner with
someone I can actually call Dad.
Yeah, it's hard to believe
after all these years
I'm finally going to get
something for Father's Day.
Maybe.
filmed before a studio audience.
(BELL JINGLING)
Oh, Christine,
look at this place.
I thought
you'd like it.
No, I love it.
Oh, look at this
old baseball uniform.
These old photographs, huh?
Look, they got a
picture of George Halas'
first Chicago Bears team.
How did you ever
find this place?
I told you if you'd ever come to
Wisconsin with me some Sunday,
we'd find something
for you to do.
I thought I heard that bell.
Howdy do,
howdy do?
That's not just
an old man talking.
I said it twice because
there's two of you.
Is this your shop?
No, I'm for sale.
I'm one of the antiques.
Of course it's my shop.
Boy, you've got a lot
of fantastic stuff here.
MAN: Thank you.
Thank you.
I like to think it's the
finest sports memorabilia shop
in the whole Midwest.
It probably isn't,
but I like to think that.
(CHRISTINE CHUCKLES)
So, what can
I sell you?
Hey, well, listen,
how much for this old football helmet here?
Oh, football man.
I can sell you that for $100.
There's a fascinating story
that goes with that helmet.
Oh, yeah, what?
Buy it and I'll tell you.
No, no, no.
I think before I spend $100,
I'd kind of like to hear
a little bit of the story.
Harvard, 1946.
How do I know you're
not just making that up?
How do I know
you've got $100?
Okay, I'll take it.
All right,
you want me to wrap it up,
or are you gonna
wear it home?
No, you can wrap it up.
Hey, did you ever
play any ball?
Oh, check out
that picture over there
under the catcher's mask.
Which one's you?
I'm that tall handsome fellow
there in the back row.
Elmer Nutt?
You think he's handsome?
Of course, you probably
think he's handsome, too.
No, no, I'm that
lone drink of water there.
Number 27.
Horace Van Dam?
That's right.
Offensive tackle,
defensive end
of the Danville
Silver Streaks.
Of course, Horace
was my Christian name.
Everybody called me Dutch.
You know,
because I'm Dutch.
Did you ever look at
these cleats over here?
There's a fascinating story
that goes with these cleats.
Yeah, yeah, they're great.
Hey, you know.
I work with a fella
from Danville,
and his name's Luther Van Dam.
You guys any relation?
Well, the shop's closed.
Huh? Wait a minute.
I said shop's closed.
Leave a check on the counter.
Don't come back.
What are you talking about?
All I want to do
Bye!
Is just talk to you.
What was that
all about?
You know, Christine,
Luther's dad ran out on him
when he was 10 years old.
Luther never
seen him since.
I think we just met
Luther's father.
Morning, guys.
Hey, Coach.
Hey, you want a donut?
No.
Uh, Daub, you know,
I'd kind of like to talk to Luther in private
for a minute
if you don't mind.
Oh, sure.
Did you want to
talk over donuts?
Okay.
No.
I'll be in the team room.
Thanks, Dauber.
What do you want
to talk to me about?
I haven't done
anything wrong, have 1?
No. You haven't done
anything wrong.
Luther, I just want
to ask you a question.
If you had information
that you think...
(SLURPING)
Luth, if you
had information
that could probably
change someone's life,
but you're not sure if it
would change it for the good
or for the bad,
would you be a good friend
if you told him or if
you didn't tell him?
What do you
know about Dauber?
Nothing. Got some kind of
disease, doesn't he?
No. This is not
about Dauber.
This is about you.
Oh, my God,
what have I got?
Oh, jeez.
You haven't got anything.
I got information that could
change your whole life.
Don't tell me!
I haven't even
told you what it is.
I don't have to know
what it is.
If it's gonna
change my life,
I know it's probably
gonna be for the worse,
'cause that's the way my life
goes, and I just don't want...
I don't want
you to tell me.
Luth, now,
this is something
that I think
you should really know.
You do?
Yeah, I mean,
if it were me,
I'd sure as hell want to know.
You would?
Okay, tell me.
Well, you'd better
sit down.
If I have to sit down,
I don't want you to tell me.
Luther!
Okay.
Tell me. Tell me. Tell me.
I haven't even
said anything yet, Luther.
Before I tell you,
I wanna ask you
a question.
What was
your father's first name?
Huh?
Was your father's
first name Horace?
Yeah, but that's not
what everybody called him.
Everybody
called him "Dutch"
because, you know,
that's what we were, Dutch.
Why did you want
to ask me that for?
Because I think
I found him.
What are you
talking about?
Christine and I went to
this little shop where they
sell old sports souvenirs.
And the guy
who owns the shop
is named
Horace Van Dam.
There could be a lot of
people named Horace Van Dam.
With the nickname "Dutch"?
He's from Danville.
He's got a picture
of himself playing ball
for the old
Danville Silver Streaks.
Hayden,
I haven't seen my dad
since he ran out on us
when I was 10 years old.
I know.
This is the first news
I've heard about him
since Mom came down
to breakfast that morning
and says,
"Where's your father?"
Did you say anything
to him about me?
Yeah, yeah, I mentioned
that I knew a fella,
you know, by the name
of Luther Van Dam.
What did he say?
Well, he didn't
actually say anything.
He just kind of, uh...
Well, he ran away.
Yeah.
He's good at that.
Anyway, Luth, I thought
I should tell you.
You know, I mean,
if you want to see him,
I can tell you
where he is.
Huh? Yeah.
Sure I want to see him.
I mean, if it's him,
I'd like to see him.
No other reason,
just ask him why he left.
Would you go with me?
You sure you want me to?
Hayden, I'm shaking right now
just thinking about going.
I don't trust myself
driving to Wisconsin.
Okay. Sure.
So, he runs
a sports souvenir shop, huh?
Yeah. Yeah, he does.
Clears up one mystery.
Now I know what happened
to all my baseball cards.
(BELL JINGLING)
I'm coming.
I'm coming.
Whoops! Store's closed.
Oh, no, wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
I can't wait,
my lunch is ready.
Come on, Mr. Van Dam, please.
I just want
to talk to you.
I know you're
Luther's father,
and I know this
is hard for you.
But I brought Luth with me and
he really wants to see you.
Oh.
Get my pills.
They're on the counter.
Oh, jeez.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, hold it, hold it.
Hold it, hold it.
I'm just going to get
a glass of water.
No, you weren't.
No, you weren't.
You were running away
'cause you
don't want to see Luther.
And I'm thirsty.
Look, Mr. Van Dam,
you may not
want to see him,
but he sure
wants to see you.
My God,
he's your son.
He's been waiting
50 years for this moment.
You at least
owe him that much.
Can I change
my shirt?
No!
You stay right there,
you don't move.
Well, you can
move a little, just...
Listen, I'll talk
sports, but that's it.
(WHISPERING) Come on.
Luther, there's someone here
who wants to see you.
Dad?
If you came
for your baseball cards,
I sold them all.
Maybe you two should talk.
I'll just wait outside.
Hey, no, wait.
I want you to stay.
Well, Luther, this could...
Hayden, I don't want to do this alone.
Maybe I should leave
and you two can talk.
No, wait a minute.
No, you're not
going anywhere.
I can't imagine what this must
be like for the two of you,
but you've got a chance
to do something now
you haven't done
in 50 years.
Just talk.
Come on,
you must have a million questions
you want to ask
each other.
I know I do.
Then ask him,
Luth.
Right.
So, what kind of rent
do you pay for this place?
Luther, come on.
Hayden, I don't know
where to start.
I don't even know
this guy.
Well, start with the question
you've been wanting to ask him.
Ask him why the hell
he ran out on you.
Well, why did you
run out on us?
I mean,
was it me? Did I...
Did I say something
to make you mad?
No, it wasn't you.
I mean,
I know I was kind of
a sloppy kid.
I was always
bringing home stray dogs.
One time I brought
home that old bum.
No, no, I told you.
It wasn't you.
And it wasn't
your mother,
and it wasn't even
that old bum.
Actually, I kind of liked Don.
No, it was me.
I just wasn't cut out
to be a family man.
There, I've said it.
Are you happy?
Luther, now it's getting personal.
I think I'm gonna go.
No, Hayden,
I want you to stay.
What do you mean you weren't
cut out to be a family man?
You were
a great family man.
You taught me
how to ride a bike.
You taught me
how to play ball.
I was gone
for weeks at a time.
You were
a traveling salesman.
No, I wasn't.
You weren't?
This is really
getting personal.
No, Hayden,
I want you to stay.
If you weren't
a traveling salesman,
who were you?
I was just a guy
that couldn't settle down.
How come you never tried
to get in touch with me?
I mean, didn't you
care about me at all?
Hey!
Never think
I stopped caring about you.
I always cared about you.
In fact, I want
to show you something.
This will prove how much
I cared about you.
I have a scrapbook
of everything you ever did.
And it's the most
treasured thing I own.
Where the hell
did I put it?
Here it is, right here.
(GROANING)
This is it, here.
It's all me in there?
Yeah, this is your life
for the last 49 years.
You know, I've even got
that personal ad you placed
when you tried to find me.
I was very touched by that.
Well, these are all pages
from the old
Danville Commercial News.
Well, they're from all over.
I've got every clipping
of every game you've played in
or coached since high school.
(EXCLAIMS)
How did you get
all this stuff?
Well, now that you're here,
I might as well tell you.
Luther, I've never lived
more than two or three hours
away from you since I left.
What?
Whenever you moved, I moved.
What are you talking about?
I've been following you.
For 49 years?
Hell, it wasn't easy.
You moved a lot.
Danville, Champaign...
Wait.
Let me get this straight.
You're telling me,
for the last 49 years
you've known where I was,
how I was, what I was doing,
and all the time you weren't even
more than a couple of hours away?
That's right.
And all just to be
close to you.
But I didn't even know
if you were alive.
Why didn't you call me?
Well, if I knew it was going
to be this easy, I would have.
But I was afraid.
Afraid of what?
I was afraid you'd hate me
for running out on you,
and your mother and Don.
Not that I
would've blamed you.
But I just didn't think
I could take it.
That's why
you never called?
Seems kind of silly now,
doesn't it?
You coward!
You spineless,
selfish coward!
You let me spend 49 years
eating my insides out
wondering what
happened to you,
wondering why you left.
And all the time you were
two hours away,
slapping stuff in a scrapbook?
It feels like
this is taking a turn here.
Didn't it ever occur to you
I might be wondering
where you were?
That I might be growing up
with all kinds of guilt
thinking I was
the reason you left?
Look at me!
I'm 59 years old.
I'm negative, I'm insecure,
I've got bad knees,
and it all started
the day you walked out.
How are your
bad knees my fault?
Because I ran out the
back door looking for you
and I tripped over Don.
You don't care
about my knees.
You don't care about me.
You don't care about anybody but yourself.
That's not true!
I've got a scrapbook!
You think that
makes you a father?
Don was more
of a father than you,
and he wasn't even allowed
in the living room.
I always thought
that somehow
you wanted to see me
and you just couldn't.
Now I find out you could,
and you didn't
have the courage.
Well, I do hate you.
I wish Hayden
had never found you.
Whole life would be better
off if I'd never had a father.
Thank you for this.
LUTHER:
Don't look at me like that.
You're not getting
any of this.
Just leave me alone
and let me eat this.
What's the use?
I'm not in the mood
to eat anyway.
Come on, if you're
gonna eat this,
you're gonna eat it
on the back porch.
Come on, back porch.
Come on.
Okay, okay. There we go.
I hope you enjoy that as much
as you enjoyed my breakfast.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
(DOG BARKING)
Quincy?
Hayden.
Hey, Luth, can I come in?
Sure.
How are you feeling?
I'm okay.
Well, I thought you
might need some company.
I'm okay. What happened today is
over, Hayden.
I really don't expect
you to cheer me up.
Well, I wasn't very
comfortable sitting at home
knowing you're over here being
all miserable and everything.
Yeah, I'm okay.
In a way, it's kind of
a relief it's over.
(DOG BARKING)
Now that I know what kind
of person my father is,
I don't miss him
that much.
I'll be happy
if ll never see him again.
HORACE:
Shut up, you stupid mutt!
Oh, no.
What's the matter? I just saw him again.
It's my father.
What?
Gee, what am I gonna do?
I don't want to see him.
Well, Luther,
the man's come over here.
He obviously
wants to talk to you.
Well, I don't want
to talk to him.
Luther, he's come
all the way from Wisconsin,
he's climbing up
45 steps,
and if he makes it,
I think a reward
for all that hard work
would just be
to hear him out.
What could he say now
that would change anything?
Well, Luth, you know,
he could say he loves you.
He could say he made the
biggest mistake of his life
walking out on you
50 years ago.
He could say, you know,
he'd end up a bitter and broken man
unless you two get back
together again.
If he's gonna say
all that, let him in.
Well, I don't know if he's
gonna say all those things.
Well, he'd better say
something, or I'm gonna hit him.
Go ahead, let him in. Yeah.
Mr. Van Dam?
Yes?
HAYDEN:
What are you doing there?
Sucking on a nitro
pill if you must know.
(EXCLAIMING)
You don't live here,
do you?
Good.
No.
I know Luther
never married,
and that was
my last pill.
Hello, Luther.
Hayden says
you have a lot to say,
so go ahead
and say it.
I don't have
anything to say.
I just came
to give you this.
No, no,
Luther, Luther.
Hayden, you wanted
me to hear him out.
Now I heard him out,
I want him out.
Now,
just wait a second.
You mean, Mr. Van Dam,
you came all this way
just to give Luther
a scrapbook?
I don't need it anymore.
The boy hates me.
Okay.
Are you sure you don't
have anything more to say?
Well, I...
I'm giving it to him
because I thought about
what Luther said today,
and he was right.
Right about what?
Right about me using the
scrapbook all these years
to make myself
feel like a father.
The truth is,
I was never a father to him.
I might as well have had
a Joe Montana scrapbook.
I mean, I don't have a
relationship with him either,
but at least
he's a better football player.
And that's all
I came to say.
Now, hold on,
Mr. Van Dam.
Are you sure there's nothing
more you want to say?
About what?
I told you,
the boy hates me.
I don't know
what to say to him.
You could tell him
you love him.
You could tell him that,
well, leaving him
50 years ago
was the worst thing
you ever did.
You could tell him that you could
end up a bitter and broken man
unless you two can find
some way to reconcile.
I thought
I had said all that.
When? You didn't say
anything remotely like that.
Didn't I imply it?
Mr. Van Dam,
if you want to have
a relationship
with Luther,
you have to tell him
how you feel about him.
Well, that stuff
is hard for me.
It can't be any harder
than what you've
already been through.
How do you feel about me?
Well, I feel you're
the only successful thing
that I've ever been a part of.
And as small a part
as that was,
it's the only thing in my
life that I'm proud of.
You mean that?
I like the way
you turned out.
I never thought I turned
out all that great.
Well, considering
the seed you sprang from,
you grew pretty tall.
Well, Mom was tall.
Hold it.
If I'm leaving, I may need
a lift down the stairs.
You don't have to leave now.
You can stay.
You had dinner?
No.
You like
corned beef hash?
No.
- Well, I can fix something.
- All right.
I don't suppose
you'd like to wait outside
till we finish eating
and then you can take me
down the stairs?
I'll take you down, Dad.
Uh...
Can I go now?
I don't need him anymore.
Do you?
Okay then, see ya.
Hayden.
Thanks.
It's hard to believe
after all these years
I'm finally having dinner with
someone I can actually call Dad.
Yeah, it's hard to believe
after all these years
I'm finally going to get
something for Father's Day.
Maybe.