One Day at a Time (1975–1984): Season 9, Episode 11 - Dear Max - full transcript
♪ This is it (this is it)
♪ This is life, the one you get
♪ So go and have a ball
♪ This is it (this is it)
♪ Straight ahead
and rest assured
♪ You can't be sure at all
♪ So while you're
here enjoy the view
♪ Keep on doing what you do
♪ Hold on tight,
we'll muddle through
♪ One day at a time
(one day at a time)
♪ So up on your feet,
somewhere there's music playing
♪ Don't you worry now,
just take it like it comes
♪ One day at a time
(one day at a time)
♪ One day at a
time, one day at a time
♪ One day at a
time, one day at a time
- Mother, your birthday
is not until Friday.
There is no surprise.
- You're lying,
Annie, I can tell.
Your nose always
runs when you tell a lie.
- That is ridiculous.
- See?
- Mother, what's the matter?
Don't you like surprises?
- I love surprises, that's
why I had my hair done.
- Look at that, these kids
should be more careful.
- Say, you know, when
they turn on the lights
and jump out, believe
me, I will be surprised.
Oh, a surprise party,
you shouldn't have!
They didn't.
- [All] Surprise!
- Oh, gotcha.
- We fooled you this time.
- No, you did not fool
me, I knew all about it.
- No you didn't, or
you would've had time
to have your hair done.
I'm sorry, you look great.
It makes you look very young.
- I can live with that.
- Oh, Mom, Sam
wanted to be here.
He's sorry he couldn't
be, but he sends a kiss.
- Oh, well, good.
But did he send a present?
- Of course.
- Okay.
- Talking about
presents, Katherine,
you probably noticed
I came in without one.
But that doesn't mean
I don't have one, I do.
It's out in my truck, I'm
gonna go out and get it now,
and Katherine, I really
think you're gonna like it.
- Oh, goody, goody, goody!
- Keep everybody away
from the door, okay?
- Well, come on, what
are we waiting for?
Let's open my presents!
- Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Before you open the presents,
everybody say
goodnight to Annie.
(everyone saying goodnight)
Yeah, she's sleepy, come on.
Up to beddy-bye.
- [Katherine] Max,
Max, where's Julie?
- Don't ask.
- It's kind of a sore point.
She's visiting a
girlfriend in Chicago.
- Yeah, she was supposed to
be back a couple of days ago,
but, um, she called
and said that she was
gonna stay a couple more days.
- Why?
- Well, we don't know.
Max doesn't wanna talk about it.
- Come on, it's your
birthday, open up.
- Okay. (doorbell ringing)
- I'll get it.
- Oh, boy, my favorite,
and chocolate, too!
- Special delivery
for Max Horvath.
- Uh, I'll take it for him.
- Who's it from?
- Julie.
- Max, you got a
letter from Julie.
- What are you talking about?
- Here.
Special delivery.
- Maybe she needs money.
- Or maybe it's
something cute for me
because she missed my birthday.
Oh, remember when she
mailed me the frog from camp?
- Yeah.
- And the post
office canceled it.
(sighing)
- Oh my God.
- What is it, is she all right?
- She's done it.
- Done what?
- She's left me.
- Left you?
- Can't you hear?
I said she's left me.
Your sister walked
out on me and her child.
- Dammit, she promised
she wouldn't do anything, Max,
without first talking to you.
- What?
You knew about this?
- I knew she was
thinking about it, yeah.
We had a six-hour talk
before she went to Chicago.
- You knew she was gonna leave,
and you didn't say anything,
you just let her walk?
- Max, I begged her
to talk it all out with you.
- Well, thanks a lot.
But then, walking out on your
husband runs in this family,
doesn't it?
Here, you want a laugh?
- Hey, Max, she
didn't just walk, Max!
- Uh, I think I'll take him a
piece of cake and some milk.
- I think it's gonna take more
than cake and milk, Mom.
- She says she's
staying with a friend and
she's looking for a job.
- But, but doesn't
she want her baby?
- Oh, Mom, it's really
hard to understand.
I'm not even sure I do.
- But this is her baby!
- She knows that,
for God's sake, Mom.
She just doesn't
think that she'd make
a good enough mother for Annie.
She kept talking about
how erratic her life has been,
how irresponsible, how
she ran away with a boy
when she was 16, how
she refused to go to college
because she wanted to
become a dress designer,
and then she dropped that
to go work in a free clinic.
How she walked down
the aisle with Fred,
and then she married Max.
- Oh, but even so...
- There are a lot of even
so's and if only's, Mark.
You know
something, I really, uh.
I really hate being
her mouthpiece.
I wish she were
here to talk for herself.
- "The only chance I
or you or Annie have
"is if I can somehow take
responsibility for my own life.
"Somewhere, I have to
make sense in this world.
"I need to find that somewhere.
"Maybe I never will.
"My little girl is
very precious to me,
"but she can count on you.
"She'll never want for love
and warmth and guidance.
"Max, you know how I feel.
"We've been over and over it.
"I need time.
"I'm very, very frightened.
"I love you both, Julie."
- Damn her.
Oh, my poor Julie.
- Katherine Romano?
- [Katherine] Yes?
- Happy birthday!
(strumming banjo)
♪ Oh I came to take you
dancing with my top hat on my head
♪ Your birthday's
here another year
♪ Be glad that you ain't dead
♪ Oh dear Katherine,
we'll dance until the morn
♪ Say ain't it
great to celebrate
♪ The day that you were born
♪ Without a care
- Hey, that was great, Al.
Thanks a lot, Al, I
owe you one, kid.
Man plays a sweet potato, too.
So, Katherine,
happy birthday to you.
- Thank you.
- Oh, geez, look at this.
I guess I really overdid it.
- I can't believe this,
this is the worst thing
that's ever happened.
- Well, we only had a couple
of weeks to rehearse, I mean.
- Schneider, it was
very, very sweet, really,
but we've just had
some terrible news.
- What?
- Uh, Julie has
left Max and Annie.
- What?
Well, who's gonna
take care of Annie?
- Max.
- But she's a baby,
she needs a mother!
(Annie crying)
- I'll go check in on her.
- No, no, no, I'll get her.
- Hold it!
I'll take care of Annie.
She's a Horvath, not a Romano.
Not any more.
- I still can't believe this.
- Oh come on, Barb,
it's not that big a surprise.
They've been fighting
ever since I've known them,
and it's gotten worse
since Annie was born.
- But leaving her baby!
- Yes, Mom, she's
leaving her baby.
For years now I have
accused Julie of being
irrational and
headstrong and selfish,
but this is so enormous
that I'm gonna butt out,
and I really think you
should butt out too, Mom,
because Julie is going
through more pain
than either one of us
can ever understand.
- For God's sake,
Mom, she left her baby.
- Yes, I know that.
And while all of you sit
around and judge her,
do you mind if I
worry about Julie?
She's my baby.
- I spoke to him.
I told him, you know,
that's he's not the first guy
that this has ever happened to.
I told him, you
know, that there's light
down at the end of the tunnel.
I told him no matter
what, we all love him.
- And what did he say?
- It sounded like "go to lunch".
- Dwayne, Schneider.
(sighing)
I'm sorry, everybody.
I'm sorry.
- Would you like some coffee?
- No thanks, I'm fine.
- Max, how about
we get out of here
and leave you alone, huh?
- I'm fine, okay?
It's happened.
Julie's made up her mind,
I'll just have to accept it.
Come on, Grandma,
it's your birthday,
let's have some cake.
- Oh, good.
- [Mark] Here, here's my plate.
- Would you rather she
had taken Annie with her?
She wanted to.
You know she's been
struggling with this for months.
- I don't care, okay?
And I don't need any
of your explanations.
Julie's gone.
I am now the
mother and the father,
and I will take care of her.
- Okay, and we're
gonna help all we can.
- That's right.
- And I'll be here any
time you need me.
- I think maybe I can
get you a guest ticket
to the father and daughter
night over at the Lodge.
It's a tough ticket.
- Look, I love you all,
and I know you love Annie.
But we're not gonna be here.
- [Katherine] What?
- Annie and I are gonna to to
Texas and be with my family.
- But we're family.
- You're Julie's family.
- Come on, now, Max.
I mean, geez, you know Julie.
She's likely to turn
up here at any time.
- Well, good for Julie,
but Annie and I
aren't gonna be here.
- He's taking the baby to Texas.
- Maybe he doesn't mean it.
- Yes he does.
- We're losing Max and Julie and
little Annie all in one day.
My birthday.
Black Tuesday.
- Come on now, folks.
Come on now.
When tragedy strikes, I mean,
that's the way
life is, you know?
I mean, you gotta deal with
whatever you've been given.
I mean, whether it's
happiness or sorrow,
it's all part of life's plan.
I mean, it's like
a great big test.
You have to have the
strength to see it through.
Somebody do something!
- Oh, Annie, talk
to Julie again.
- And say what?
Give her some more of my
inspired parental wisdom?
It's done so well up until now.
- Somehow I don't
think we have to
worry too much about Julie.
She'll survive.
- Our little Annie is going to
be raised by a single parent.
Well, a man who
used to have a beard.
- [Mark] Oh, Grandma.
- She's right.
No, no, she's right.
A single father cannot,
cannot raise a daughter.
It doesn't work, and it's
not good for the daughter.
I mean, all right, we all
heard of Tarzan raising Boy.
But did anybody ever
hear of Tarzan raising Girl?
And why?
- Because it's a
jungle out there.
Schneider, lots of men are
raising their children nowadays.
- Do you think that you
could raise a little girl
all by yourself?
- I've done it with Barbara.
Okay, all right.
I wouldn't want to, but
if I had to, I think I could.
- Dallas Cowgirls.
- What?
- Our little Annie could grow
up to be a Dallas Cowgirl.
Oh, we can't let that
baby out of this family.
- It's not our decision.
- I'm gonna go home,
I wanna be with Sam.
Tell Max I love
him, I love Annie,
and this whole thing is
really just killing me too.
- I could wait until
Max is asleep,
and then I'll get the baby,
and I'll keep her.
- Isn't life strange?
I mean, the minute everything
seems to be going great,
something goes wrong.
- Here you go.
- What's that?
- It's a check for
our half of the rent.
- Aw, come on, Max, we
don't care about the rent.
Barbara, tell him we
don't care about that.
- We don't care about the rent.
- Just take the check.
- No, forget, the check.
Max, Max, wait, wait, wait.
Come here, come here, come here.
Sit down, talk to us.
Come on.
Would you, uh, would
you like a glass of wine?
- No, I don't want any wine.
- Well, how about a pretzel?
- Please.
- Max, please don't shut us out.
- Please, we're a family here.
- Uh.
I made a list out of
some of our stuff here.
I know we bought
the television together,
but you can keep our half of it.
I'll take the vacuum cleaner.
You can keep our
half of the food.
- No no no no, I've
seen your half of the food.
(sighing)
- I hate giving up my
job at the travel agency.
- Then don't.
- I can't stay here.
- You belong here, Max.
Annie belongs here.
We love you both very much.
Please think about Annie.
- Oh, really?
- No, I'm sorry, but
she's losing her home
and her mother the same day.
That's wrong.
- I'm sorry, Barbara,
I've made up my mind.
- You can change it.
Come on, you've got a great
job here with a great future.
What are you waving at?
- The man's had
enough grief today.
You don't have to add to it.
- Fine.
Okay, fine.
- Please, you guys.
- I won't say another word.
- I'm not...
- No, go ahead, you talk to him.
- All right, I will.
- Tell him I think it's dumb.
- Max...
- Tell him it's gonna cost
a lot of money to move.
- What I'm trying to say...
- Tell him, tell him there's
rattlesnakes down there.
Well, tell him if he stays,
he's never gonna have
to hire another babysitter.
- I know, I know that.
(sighing)
I just can't stay here.
- Max, I think you're wrong.
- You think, you know.
- Look, I'm gonna go up
and check on Annie, okay?
Can you talk to him?
- Okay.
- Don't screw it up.
- Aw, come on, Max,
I'm a good listener.
You can say
whatever you want to.
You can yell, scream, cry.
I'm used to it, I'm a dentist.
We love living with
you in this house.
It's fun, it's warm.
I mean, who am I trying to kid?
I never had a brother.
- You don't have to
say that, I appreciate it.
I feel the same way.
(sighing)
I love Julie.
- [Mark] Of course you do, Max.
- You have no idea how
sweet she can be sometimes.
And then there's
other times, I...
I can't figure her out.
You know, one night she came
to bed with a pad and pencil.
She wanted to fight by note so
we wouldn't wake you guys up.
Then she ate the
last piece of paper
so I wouldn't get
the last word in.
- Well, that's Julie.
One time I was in the
tub and she accidentally
came into the bathroom.
She covered my eyes so I
wouldn't be embarrassed.
- I remember, she
came back laughing.
I just gotta get away
from here, that's all.
It's too painful to be here.
Everything reminds me of her.
I want Annie to
forget her mother.
- [Mark] Oh, Max,
you don't mean that.
- Yeah I do, I do mean it, Mark.
What do you want me to tell her?
You want me to tell her
that her mother's a saint,
because she deserted us, huh?
She walked out on us.
It's a totally selfish move.
And if we stay hear,
Annie's just gonna
keep hearing about
it and hearing about it
and hearing about
it, and all of a sudden
she'll be grown up and
she'll think it was her fault.
In Texas we'll have new roots,
and she'll forget about the
ones that were torn up here.
- Well, I don't want
Annie to forget me.
I love her.
- I don't even know if
I can take care of her.
I think that a child should
be raised by two parents.
I don't want her to grow
up and feel half loved,
half cared about.
Oh, God, I'm scared.
I'm scared.
(sobbing)
I got a little baby
without a mother.
- Excuse me.
I'm sorry, but um.
I was hungry for...
an ice cube.
Want one?
I'm sorry, Max, I just.
I wanted to say one more thing.
You need our help.
And we want to give it to you.
I mean, that's what we're
here for, to help each other.
Oh, Max, I love you,
and I don't want you to go.
- Thanks.
I love you guys too.
(sighing)
There's just too
much of Julie here.
- Max, I thought
you'd be asleep.
I, uh.
I just, I just...
Wanted to make sure that
the baby was all tucked in.
Goodnight.
- Sure are a lot of people
here that care about you.
Some of them a little
nutsier than others.
But they sure care.
(sighing)
So, let's see.
Um.
We gotta get your hobby
horse out of the garage.
Schneider made that for you.
You're gonna miss him.
Kids understand him.
Of course, old Fuzzy Bear.
Won't forget him, or Frog.
Or Tooth.
Uncle Mark gave you this.
Now, don't worry, your
Aunt Rose in Texas
will give you plenty
of nice things too.
She's got a nice farm there,
big old tractor out in the back.
A lot of fun to climb
on, if you like climbing.
(sighing)
It's not gonna be the same
without your mother, though.
One thing you've
gotta know is that
her problems are her own.
You have nothing
to do with them.
(sighing)
Oh, Annie.
I love you so much.
You're just lying
there peacefully
'cause you think I have
all the answers, don't ya?
I don't.
I don't know what to do.
One thing I do know, though,
and I was very wrong about,
is that I don't want you
to forget your mother.
She loves you very much.
I'm gonna make sure
you always know that.
I'm so confused.
I don't know if I'm
doing the right thing.
I wish I had the right answer.
Please, somebody, help me.
I don't know if taking
you away is right or not.
I don't know if I'm
taking you away
because of you or because of me.
Maybe it's better
if we stay here.
I don't know, I don't know.
(knocking)
Come in.
- Hi.
I'm sorry to, um.
But we have some problems.
See, Mom called, and
Sam is on his way over.
He wants to beat some
sense into your head.
And then Mark
has this crazy idea
that we should go
to Texas with you,
and Grandma's downstairs
threatening a hunger
strike if you go.
And Schneider removed the
distributor cap from your car.
- Well, thanks for
telling me all that.
- Yeah, I thought
you should know.
- Well, now I know.
- Okay.
- Goodnight.
- Goodnight, maybe, uh...
- Yeah, yeah.
(sighing)
We have to stay.
If we leave, these people
would never survive.
(upbeat music)
♪ This is life, the one you get
♪ So go and have a ball
♪ This is it (this is it)
♪ Straight ahead
and rest assured
♪ You can't be sure at all
♪ So while you're
here enjoy the view
♪ Keep on doing what you do
♪ Hold on tight,
we'll muddle through
♪ One day at a time
(one day at a time)
♪ So up on your feet,
somewhere there's music playing
♪ Don't you worry now,
just take it like it comes
♪ One day at a time
(one day at a time)
♪ One day at a
time, one day at a time
♪ One day at a
time, one day at a time
- Mother, your birthday
is not until Friday.
There is no surprise.
- You're lying,
Annie, I can tell.
Your nose always
runs when you tell a lie.
- That is ridiculous.
- See?
- Mother, what's the matter?
Don't you like surprises?
- I love surprises, that's
why I had my hair done.
- Look at that, these kids
should be more careful.
- Say, you know, when
they turn on the lights
and jump out, believe
me, I will be surprised.
Oh, a surprise party,
you shouldn't have!
They didn't.
- [All] Surprise!
- Oh, gotcha.
- We fooled you this time.
- No, you did not fool
me, I knew all about it.
- No you didn't, or
you would've had time
to have your hair done.
I'm sorry, you look great.
It makes you look very young.
- I can live with that.
- Oh, Mom, Sam
wanted to be here.
He's sorry he couldn't
be, but he sends a kiss.
- Oh, well, good.
But did he send a present?
- Of course.
- Okay.
- Talking about
presents, Katherine,
you probably noticed
I came in without one.
But that doesn't mean
I don't have one, I do.
It's out in my truck, I'm
gonna go out and get it now,
and Katherine, I really
think you're gonna like it.
- Oh, goody, goody, goody!
- Keep everybody away
from the door, okay?
- Well, come on, what
are we waiting for?
Let's open my presents!
- Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Before you open the presents,
everybody say
goodnight to Annie.
(everyone saying goodnight)
Yeah, she's sleepy, come on.
Up to beddy-bye.
- [Katherine] Max,
Max, where's Julie?
- Don't ask.
- It's kind of a sore point.
She's visiting a
girlfriend in Chicago.
- Yeah, she was supposed to
be back a couple of days ago,
but, um, she called
and said that she was
gonna stay a couple more days.
- Why?
- Well, we don't know.
Max doesn't wanna talk about it.
- Come on, it's your
birthday, open up.
- Okay. (doorbell ringing)
- I'll get it.
- Oh, boy, my favorite,
and chocolate, too!
- Special delivery
for Max Horvath.
- Uh, I'll take it for him.
- Who's it from?
- Julie.
- Max, you got a
letter from Julie.
- What are you talking about?
- Here.
Special delivery.
- Maybe she needs money.
- Or maybe it's
something cute for me
because she missed my birthday.
Oh, remember when she
mailed me the frog from camp?
- Yeah.
- And the post
office canceled it.
(sighing)
- Oh my God.
- What is it, is she all right?
- She's done it.
- Done what?
- She's left me.
- Left you?
- Can't you hear?
I said she's left me.
Your sister walked
out on me and her child.
- Dammit, she promised
she wouldn't do anything, Max,
without first talking to you.
- What?
You knew about this?
- I knew she was
thinking about it, yeah.
We had a six-hour talk
before she went to Chicago.
- You knew she was gonna leave,
and you didn't say anything,
you just let her walk?
- Max, I begged her
to talk it all out with you.
- Well, thanks a lot.
But then, walking out on your
husband runs in this family,
doesn't it?
Here, you want a laugh?
- Hey, Max, she
didn't just walk, Max!
- Uh, I think I'll take him a
piece of cake and some milk.
- I think it's gonna take more
than cake and milk, Mom.
- She says she's
staying with a friend and
she's looking for a job.
- But, but doesn't
she want her baby?
- Oh, Mom, it's really
hard to understand.
I'm not even sure I do.
- But this is her baby!
- She knows that,
for God's sake, Mom.
She just doesn't
think that she'd make
a good enough mother for Annie.
She kept talking about
how erratic her life has been,
how irresponsible, how
she ran away with a boy
when she was 16, how
she refused to go to college
because she wanted to
become a dress designer,
and then she dropped that
to go work in a free clinic.
How she walked down
the aisle with Fred,
and then she married Max.
- Oh, but even so...
- There are a lot of even
so's and if only's, Mark.
You know
something, I really, uh.
I really hate being
her mouthpiece.
I wish she were
here to talk for herself.
- "The only chance I
or you or Annie have
"is if I can somehow take
responsibility for my own life.
"Somewhere, I have to
make sense in this world.
"I need to find that somewhere.
"Maybe I never will.
"My little girl is
very precious to me,
"but she can count on you.
"She'll never want for love
and warmth and guidance.
"Max, you know how I feel.
"We've been over and over it.
"I need time.
"I'm very, very frightened.
"I love you both, Julie."
- Damn her.
Oh, my poor Julie.
- Katherine Romano?
- [Katherine] Yes?
- Happy birthday!
(strumming banjo)
♪ Oh I came to take you
dancing with my top hat on my head
♪ Your birthday's
here another year
♪ Be glad that you ain't dead
♪ Oh dear Katherine,
we'll dance until the morn
♪ Say ain't it
great to celebrate
♪ The day that you were born
♪ Without a care
- Hey, that was great, Al.
Thanks a lot, Al, I
owe you one, kid.
Man plays a sweet potato, too.
So, Katherine,
happy birthday to you.
- Thank you.
- Oh, geez, look at this.
I guess I really overdid it.
- I can't believe this,
this is the worst thing
that's ever happened.
- Well, we only had a couple
of weeks to rehearse, I mean.
- Schneider, it was
very, very sweet, really,
but we've just had
some terrible news.
- What?
- Uh, Julie has
left Max and Annie.
- What?
Well, who's gonna
take care of Annie?
- Max.
- But she's a baby,
she needs a mother!
(Annie crying)
- I'll go check in on her.
- No, no, no, I'll get her.
- Hold it!
I'll take care of Annie.
She's a Horvath, not a Romano.
Not any more.
- I still can't believe this.
- Oh come on, Barb,
it's not that big a surprise.
They've been fighting
ever since I've known them,
and it's gotten worse
since Annie was born.
- But leaving her baby!
- Yes, Mom, she's
leaving her baby.
For years now I have
accused Julie of being
irrational and
headstrong and selfish,
but this is so enormous
that I'm gonna butt out,
and I really think you
should butt out too, Mom,
because Julie is going
through more pain
than either one of us
can ever understand.
- For God's sake,
Mom, she left her baby.
- Yes, I know that.
And while all of you sit
around and judge her,
do you mind if I
worry about Julie?
She's my baby.
- I spoke to him.
I told him, you know,
that's he's not the first guy
that this has ever happened to.
I told him, you
know, that there's light
down at the end of the tunnel.
I told him no matter
what, we all love him.
- And what did he say?
- It sounded like "go to lunch".
- Dwayne, Schneider.
(sighing)
I'm sorry, everybody.
I'm sorry.
- Would you like some coffee?
- No thanks, I'm fine.
- Max, how about
we get out of here
and leave you alone, huh?
- I'm fine, okay?
It's happened.
Julie's made up her mind,
I'll just have to accept it.
Come on, Grandma,
it's your birthday,
let's have some cake.
- Oh, good.
- [Mark] Here, here's my plate.
- Would you rather she
had taken Annie with her?
She wanted to.
You know she's been
struggling with this for months.
- I don't care, okay?
And I don't need any
of your explanations.
Julie's gone.
I am now the
mother and the father,
and I will take care of her.
- Okay, and we're
gonna help all we can.
- That's right.
- And I'll be here any
time you need me.
- I think maybe I can
get you a guest ticket
to the father and daughter
night over at the Lodge.
It's a tough ticket.
- Look, I love you all,
and I know you love Annie.
But we're not gonna be here.
- [Katherine] What?
- Annie and I are gonna to to
Texas and be with my family.
- But we're family.
- You're Julie's family.
- Come on, now, Max.
I mean, geez, you know Julie.
She's likely to turn
up here at any time.
- Well, good for Julie,
but Annie and I
aren't gonna be here.
- He's taking the baby to Texas.
- Maybe he doesn't mean it.
- Yes he does.
- We're losing Max and Julie and
little Annie all in one day.
My birthday.
Black Tuesday.
- Come on now, folks.
Come on now.
When tragedy strikes, I mean,
that's the way
life is, you know?
I mean, you gotta deal with
whatever you've been given.
I mean, whether it's
happiness or sorrow,
it's all part of life's plan.
I mean, it's like
a great big test.
You have to have the
strength to see it through.
Somebody do something!
- Oh, Annie, talk
to Julie again.
- And say what?
Give her some more of my
inspired parental wisdom?
It's done so well up until now.
- Somehow I don't
think we have to
worry too much about Julie.
She'll survive.
- Our little Annie is going to
be raised by a single parent.
Well, a man who
used to have a beard.
- [Mark] Oh, Grandma.
- She's right.
No, no, she's right.
A single father cannot,
cannot raise a daughter.
It doesn't work, and it's
not good for the daughter.
I mean, all right, we all
heard of Tarzan raising Boy.
But did anybody ever
hear of Tarzan raising Girl?
And why?
- Because it's a
jungle out there.
Schneider, lots of men are
raising their children nowadays.
- Do you think that you
could raise a little girl
all by yourself?
- I've done it with Barbara.
Okay, all right.
I wouldn't want to, but
if I had to, I think I could.
- Dallas Cowgirls.
- What?
- Our little Annie could grow
up to be a Dallas Cowgirl.
Oh, we can't let that
baby out of this family.
- It's not our decision.
- I'm gonna go home,
I wanna be with Sam.
Tell Max I love
him, I love Annie,
and this whole thing is
really just killing me too.
- I could wait until
Max is asleep,
and then I'll get the baby,
and I'll keep her.
- Isn't life strange?
I mean, the minute everything
seems to be going great,
something goes wrong.
- Here you go.
- What's that?
- It's a check for
our half of the rent.
- Aw, come on, Max, we
don't care about the rent.
Barbara, tell him we
don't care about that.
- We don't care about the rent.
- Just take the check.
- No, forget, the check.
Max, Max, wait, wait, wait.
Come here, come here, come here.
Sit down, talk to us.
Come on.
Would you, uh, would
you like a glass of wine?
- No, I don't want any wine.
- Well, how about a pretzel?
- Please.
- Max, please don't shut us out.
- Please, we're a family here.
- Uh.
I made a list out of
some of our stuff here.
I know we bought
the television together,
but you can keep our half of it.
I'll take the vacuum cleaner.
You can keep our
half of the food.
- No no no no, I've
seen your half of the food.
(sighing)
- I hate giving up my
job at the travel agency.
- Then don't.
- I can't stay here.
- You belong here, Max.
Annie belongs here.
We love you both very much.
Please think about Annie.
- Oh, really?
- No, I'm sorry, but
she's losing her home
and her mother the same day.
That's wrong.
- I'm sorry, Barbara,
I've made up my mind.
- You can change it.
Come on, you've got a great
job here with a great future.
What are you waving at?
- The man's had
enough grief today.
You don't have to add to it.
- Fine.
Okay, fine.
- Please, you guys.
- I won't say another word.
- I'm not...
- No, go ahead, you talk to him.
- All right, I will.
- Tell him I think it's dumb.
- Max...
- Tell him it's gonna cost
a lot of money to move.
- What I'm trying to say...
- Tell him, tell him there's
rattlesnakes down there.
Well, tell him if he stays,
he's never gonna have
to hire another babysitter.
- I know, I know that.
(sighing)
I just can't stay here.
- Max, I think you're wrong.
- You think, you know.
- Look, I'm gonna go up
and check on Annie, okay?
Can you talk to him?
- Okay.
- Don't screw it up.
- Aw, come on, Max,
I'm a good listener.
You can say
whatever you want to.
You can yell, scream, cry.
I'm used to it, I'm a dentist.
We love living with
you in this house.
It's fun, it's warm.
I mean, who am I trying to kid?
I never had a brother.
- You don't have to
say that, I appreciate it.
I feel the same way.
(sighing)
I love Julie.
- [Mark] Of course you do, Max.
- You have no idea how
sweet she can be sometimes.
And then there's
other times, I...
I can't figure her out.
You know, one night she came
to bed with a pad and pencil.
She wanted to fight by note so
we wouldn't wake you guys up.
Then she ate the
last piece of paper
so I wouldn't get
the last word in.
- Well, that's Julie.
One time I was in the
tub and she accidentally
came into the bathroom.
She covered my eyes so I
wouldn't be embarrassed.
- I remember, she
came back laughing.
I just gotta get away
from here, that's all.
It's too painful to be here.
Everything reminds me of her.
I want Annie to
forget her mother.
- [Mark] Oh, Max,
you don't mean that.
- Yeah I do, I do mean it, Mark.
What do you want me to tell her?
You want me to tell her
that her mother's a saint,
because she deserted us, huh?
She walked out on us.
It's a totally selfish move.
And if we stay hear,
Annie's just gonna
keep hearing about
it and hearing about it
and hearing about
it, and all of a sudden
she'll be grown up and
she'll think it was her fault.
In Texas we'll have new roots,
and she'll forget about the
ones that were torn up here.
- Well, I don't want
Annie to forget me.
I love her.
- I don't even know if
I can take care of her.
I think that a child should
be raised by two parents.
I don't want her to grow
up and feel half loved,
half cared about.
Oh, God, I'm scared.
I'm scared.
(sobbing)
I got a little baby
without a mother.
- Excuse me.
I'm sorry, but um.
I was hungry for...
an ice cube.
Want one?
I'm sorry, Max, I just.
I wanted to say one more thing.
You need our help.
And we want to give it to you.
I mean, that's what we're
here for, to help each other.
Oh, Max, I love you,
and I don't want you to go.
- Thanks.
I love you guys too.
(sighing)
There's just too
much of Julie here.
- Max, I thought
you'd be asleep.
I, uh.
I just, I just...
Wanted to make sure that
the baby was all tucked in.
Goodnight.
- Sure are a lot of people
here that care about you.
Some of them a little
nutsier than others.
But they sure care.
(sighing)
So, let's see.
Um.
We gotta get your hobby
horse out of the garage.
Schneider made that for you.
You're gonna miss him.
Kids understand him.
Of course, old Fuzzy Bear.
Won't forget him, or Frog.
Or Tooth.
Uncle Mark gave you this.
Now, don't worry, your
Aunt Rose in Texas
will give you plenty
of nice things too.
She's got a nice farm there,
big old tractor out in the back.
A lot of fun to climb
on, if you like climbing.
(sighing)
It's not gonna be the same
without your mother, though.
One thing you've
gotta know is that
her problems are her own.
You have nothing
to do with them.
(sighing)
Oh, Annie.
I love you so much.
You're just lying
there peacefully
'cause you think I have
all the answers, don't ya?
I don't.
I don't know what to do.
One thing I do know, though,
and I was very wrong about,
is that I don't want you
to forget your mother.
She loves you very much.
I'm gonna make sure
you always know that.
I'm so confused.
I don't know if I'm
doing the right thing.
I wish I had the right answer.
Please, somebody, help me.
I don't know if taking
you away is right or not.
I don't know if I'm
taking you away
because of you or because of me.
Maybe it's better
if we stay here.
I don't know, I don't know.
(knocking)
Come in.
- Hi.
I'm sorry to, um.
But we have some problems.
See, Mom called, and
Sam is on his way over.
He wants to beat some
sense into your head.
And then Mark
has this crazy idea
that we should go
to Texas with you,
and Grandma's downstairs
threatening a hunger
strike if you go.
And Schneider removed the
distributor cap from your car.
- Well, thanks for
telling me all that.
- Yeah, I thought
you should know.
- Well, now I know.
- Okay.
- Goodnight.
- Goodnight, maybe, uh...
- Yeah, yeah.
(sighing)
We have to stay.
If we leave, these people
would never survive.
(upbeat music)