[Opening credits]
[various film clips from 1973]
NARRATOR: The summer of 1973 was a time of restless energy. The first generation to grow up on Sgt. Pepper was heading out into the world. Searching for truth, looking to find themselves. Having a blast. Me, that July I was working in my dad's furniture factory. Sanding the edges off about 500,000 pieces of wood per day.
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INT. DAY. JACK'S FURNITURE FACTORY
WAYNE: Hey scrote! Pick up the slack will ya?
KEVIN: Shut up Wayne.
WAYNE: That's no way to talk to your supervisor.
KEVIN: You're not my supervisor.
WAYNE: If I'm not your supervisor, why am I wearing a jacket and a tie?
KEVIN: Got me.
WAYNE: Uh huh.
NARRATOR: In what had to rank as the dumbest career move in history I traded my job at Chong's Chinese for a future in sawdust. [JACK comes up to KEVIN]
JACK: Kevin, you're checking the machine after every load, right?
KEVIN: Right, dad.
JACK: And you're being careful?
KEVIN: Yeah, dad.
NARRATOR: The worst part was for some inexplicable reason everything my father did irritated the heck out of me. [JACK checks the machine]
KEVIN: Dad what are you doing?
JACK: Checking the machine.
KEVIN: I just told you I checked it.
JACK: I heard ya.
NARRATOR: And vice-versa.
KEVIN: So why did you ask me in the first place?
JACK: What did you say?
KEVIN: I didn't say anything.
JACK: Alright let's just get back to work. Pay attention to what you're doing.
KEVIN: I always pay attention. [KEVIN grinds the wood into the sander]
JACK: Uh huh
NARRATOR: Face it nothing was going right. My job, my future, my family, not to mention the last night I'd spent with my girl.
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WINNIE: Yeah I guess so.
KEVIN: Winnie, are you sure you want to do this?
WINNIE: Well it's a good job.
KEVIN: What being a lifeguard at some stupid resort?
WINNIE: Kevin, my uncle went through a lot of trouble to get me this job. Besides what's wrong with being a life guard?
KEVIN: What, nothing. (Sighs) Just you're going to be so far away, and...and...
NARRATOR: Of course what I wanted to say was how much I would miss her.
KEVIN: It's gonna be just so inconvenient.
WINNIE: Inconvenient?
KEVIN: Whose stupid idea was this anyway?
WINNIE: I think it was yours.
KEVIN: Mine?
WINNIE: You're the one who said we should spend the summer finding ourselves.
KEVIN: I didn't say that. What I meant was we should find ourselves but you know still be together. Uh, keep, our space, only not really.
NARRATOR: Yeah that was it in a nutshell.
WINNIE: Kevin, do we have to argue? This is our last night together. I'll think about you every minute.
NARRATOR: And well, putting it that way...
KEVIN: Me too.
NARRATOR: What was I worried about? We'd think about each other every minute.
WINNIE: Ah, I have to start looking for bathing suits [KEVIN looks at WINNIE with a surprised look]
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WAYNE: Safe hands make a safe factory.
NARRATOR: Yeah.
KEVIN: Shut up butthead.
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JEFF: [JEFF hurries to the table and sits down with open map] We're leaving.
KEVIN: What?
CHUCK: We're driving cross country. We take off in three days.
KEVIN: You're kidding!
JEFF: Well, we're going to New York, then New Orleans and then San Francisco.
CHUCK: This town is closing in on us
KEVIN: Great. I guess it's just me and you this summer.
PAUL: Yeah except uh I'm gonna be busy with advanced summer school courses.
JEFF: Oh yeah, I was going to do that too, but I decided to have a life.
KEVIN: Terrific. What am I supposed to do now?
JEFF: Well why don't you come with us?
CHUCK: Yeah, what do you say, Kev?
JEFF: Y-yeah, we'll be on the road.
CHUCK: Living by our wits.
JEFF: We'll go where ever we want to go.
CHUCK: Do what we want to do.
JEFF: If we want to wake up in Kansas City...
CHUCK: We'll wake up in Kansas City.
JEFF: Think about it...
NARRATOR: And faced with the call to the open road, the song of the high way, the lure of total irresponsibility
PAUL: You're dreamin' You're parents are never gonna let you go.
NARRATOR: There was really only one reply...
KEVIN: I'm in
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KEVIN: What do you mean? It'll be a great trip.
NORMA: Now where are they going exactly?
KEVIN: New York, New Orleans, San Francisco.
JACK: San Francisco.
WAYNE: Don't forget to put some flowers in your hair.
KEVIN: Look dad, I just think you don't understand. I mean this trip will be good for me, I'll be out on my own.
JACK: Forget it!
KEVIN: Why?
JACK: You wouldn't survive two seconds on your own.
KEVIN: Oh yeah?
JACK: What are you going to live on?
KEVIN: Hey, I got money saved up. And besides we'll be living on our wits.
WAYNE: [laughs]
JACK: Oh brother.
NORMA: You know honey, Karen's going to be flying in on the Fourth of July weekend and, I thought it would be a good chance for all of us to be together.
JACK: Look there's no sense discussing this any further, you're not going and that's final.
NARRATOR: Gees what was this a family, or a firing squad?
[KEVIN stands up and pounds the dinning table]
KEVIN: Ok, see I don't know why I asked you anyway. This is my
life and it's my decision. Ok? And I'm going to do what I have to do.
________________________________________________________
NARRATOR: And so three days later I got up at dawn...
JEFF: Thanks for letting us use your sleeping bag.
KEVIN: No problem.
NARRATOR: To say goodbye to my friends.
CHUCK: Hey we'll send you a postcard from New Orleans.
KEVIN: You're going to have a great time.
JEFF: Nah come on it won't be that good.
CHUCK and JEFF: Yes it will! [Laughing]
CHUCK: I keep thinking we're going to meet these two girls, and they're both going to fall in love with me.
KEVIN: Good luck.
JEFF: We're not eating until Saint Louis.
CHUCK: [Yells from car driving down the street] See ya.
________________________________________________________
KEVIN: [on the phone in the factory] Winnie.
WINNIE: [WINNIE appears in a split screen on the phone at the pool] Kevin is everything ok?
KEVIN: Yeah, yeah I just wanted to talk to you. I really miss you.
WINNIE: Well, I really miss you too.
KEVIN: You do?
WINNIE: Of course I do.
NARRATOR: Yeah.
GUY: Winnie!
NARRATOR: That's what I needed, a loving voice, a sympathetic ear...
KEVIN: How's the job?
WINNIE: Great!
KEVIN: It is?
WINNIE: Well its pretty good, you know there's a lot to do over here.
KEVIN: Oh that's good I'm really happy for you.
WINNIE: So how are things with you [man yells from pool "Hey Winnie", splashes water]
KEVIN: Working for my dad isn't exactly...
WINNIE: [to man in pool] Hey cut it out... quit splashing [someone yells "Winnie come on..."]
KEVIN: Winnie, what's going on?
WINNIE: Oh it's nothing Kevin. But I've got to get back to my job, ok?
KEVIN: Oh, yeah, sure, work.
WINNIE: I'll talk to you soon.
KEVIN: Sure, I just hoped...[WINNIE hangs up] Great. Just great.
NARRATOR: I don't know, maybe it was Winnie, or the noise, or the heat, but at that moment I felt like I was going to burst. [JACK sees KEVIN near the phone]
JACK: I don't believe it. What are you doing here?
KEVIN: I was just making a phone call
JACK: You're supposed to out there working, I can't leave you for one minute.
KEVIN: What's your problem?
JACK: What was that?
KEVIN: Dad get off my back!
JACK: What?
KEVIN: You're on top of me every second telling me what do with me life. Do this! Don't do that! I hate this job.
WAYNE: What's going on here
JACK: You know what your problem is?
KEVIN: Yeah, I can't stand it here.
JACK: Uh uh, you think you're too good for this job.
NARRATOR: And that's when it happened. I looked at those guys and all I saw was mediocrity, and hard work and being chained down for the rest of your life.
KEVIN: Yeah, that's right, that's right, maybe this job is good enough for you, but it's not good enough for me.
JACK: Fine. You don't want to work here, I don't want you here
NARRATOR: And after seventeen years of living under my fathers thumb...
KEVIN: Ok I quit, I'm out of here [KEVIN throws protective
goggles on the floor]
________________________________________________________
[KEVIN is in his room packing, NORMA is in the doorway]
NORMA: Honey, I wish you wouldn't do this.
KEVIN: I've gotta go.
NORMA: You really don't you know, you could just put that bag away.
KEVIN: I've got to be on my own. I've got to find myself.
NORMA: I know, but you can find yourself here. People don't realize it, but there's lots places you can find yourself. I mean you can go into a restaurant, lost, not knowing what you're doing, and all of a sudden you can find yourself.
NARRATOR: It was wise, and touching, and kind all at once...
NORMA: It can happen anywhere.
NARRATOR: It came from the heart of the woman who loved me, and raised me, and I could only think of one thing to say...
KEVIN: Mom I've got to get going [KEVIN zips up bag] I'll call when I get someplace.
________________________________________________________
NARRATOR: All I knew was I was seventeen and on my way. I was gone and I didn't look back.
[KEVIN driving down a country road]
NARRATOR: Freedom, it was more that just a full tank of gas and a highway under my wheels. It was me on my own, with no one to answer to but call of summer, and fun.
________________________________________________________
PARKING ATTENDANT: Welcome to the Cascades, will you be staying?
KEVIN: Take care of my car [KEVIN hands keys to parking attendant]
PARKING ATTENDANT: Yeah, its a classic.
NARRATOR: Never mind that, this was perfect, fresh air, sunshine and of course...
KEVIN: Winnie! Winnie!
WINNIE: Kevin?
________________________________________________________
KEVIN: Me neither.
WINNIE: You just got in your car and drove all this way?
KEVIN: Well, yeah. I wanted to see you.
NARRATOR: It was what you might call a hero's welcome...
WINNIE: Oh!
NARRATOR: Almost
KEVIN: I mean, you're happy to see me, right?
WINNIE: Of course I'm happy to see you. I'm very happy to see you.
KEVIN: Good.
WINNIE: I just can't believe you're here that's all.
KEVIN: Yeah, well, things kind of blew up at home. I uh, I had a fight with my dad, and I kind of quit my job.
WINNIE: You did?
KEVIN: Yeah.
NARRATOR: Hey hey.
WINNIE: Kevin, that's awful.
NARRATOR: Hey hey
KEVIN: Well not exactly. You know I thought that maybe we could be together and maybe I could get a job here.
WINNIE: Here?
KEVIN: Yeah. Maybe you could put a word in for me or something
WINNIE: Well maybe, but I don't really know anybody [several people walk past and greet WINNIE]
1ST BOY IN LOBBY: Hi Winnie, How ya doin'? See ya at the pool.
WOMAN IN LOBBY: How ya doin'?
2ND BOY IN LOBBY: See ya at the pool.
3RD MAN IN LOBBY: Hello Winnie!
NARRATOR: Hum... [WINNIE seems more popular than she led on]
KEVIN: Listen Winnie, if you don't want to do this
WINNIE: No. Of course I do. Maybe I could help. What kind of a job would you want?
KEVIN: It doesn't matter. You know I could be a life guard, or a caddie, or an assistant tennis coach, or you name it, what ever.
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KEVIN: Hey watch it!
NARRATOR: Tennis anyone? In another dazzling career move I'd gone from sweatshop lackey to bottom of the barrel busboy.
[KEVIN walks out of the kitchen with a tray with bread baskets. NICK walks past and grabs a roll.]
KEVIN: Hey!
MR. DEXTER: Mr. Arnold, ready to get to work?
KEVIN: Yes sir.
MR. DEXTER: You have to set up all of these tables, got it?
[KEVIN walks away from MR. DEXTER, who follows behind]
KEVIN: Butthead.
MR. DEXTER: What did you say?
KEVIN: Butter, I brought some butter.
MR. DEXTER: Needleman, can't you do something about your uniform?
HOWIE: My tux is in the cleaners. [MR. DEXTER turns and walks away] Welcome to the Cascade resort and tennis club.
KEVIN: Thrilled.
HOWIE: You should always bring out three extra baskets of rolls. These people are like locusts.
KEVIN: Really?
CUSTOMER: Hey busboy! My coffee's cold.
MR. DEXTER: Needleman! You are batting zero today, buddy.
NARRATOR: Ok clearly this wasn't going to work. So maybe it was time to present my full resume.
KEVIN: [KEVIN walks across dinning room to MR.DEXTER] Listen, Mr. Dexter?
MR. DEXTER: Yes Arnold?
KEVIN: This job isn't exactly what I had in mind.
MR. DEXTER: Well they're digging a new septic tank out back. How are you with a shovel?
NARRATOR: On the other hand...
KEVIN: Never mind
__________________________________________________
KEVIN: Winnie, hi.
WINNIE: Oh, hi Kevin. Kevin, this is Eric he's the head lifeguard here.
KEVIN: Hi, I'm the new golf pro.
ERIC: Oh that's a joke, right?
KEVIN: Yeah.
ERIC: I'm gonna go for a swim, ok?
WINNIE: I'll watch the pool.
KEVIN: And don't forget to take off your sunglasses.
ERIC: Gotcha
NARRATOR: Yeah, ten-four
KEVIN: So, this is the pool, huh? [Stands up on the side of the lifeguards chair]
WINNIE: [Blows whistle]
NARRATOR: Great, a woman with a whistle.
WINNIE: Listen Kevin, employees aren't really allowed around here during the day.
KEVIN: Sorry, [gets down from lifeguards chair] but uh I'll still see ya tonight, right?
WINNIE: Sure.
KEVIN: Great.
WINNIE: Except, the lifeguards are kind of having this meeting by the lake, and I kind of promised that I...
KEVIN: Winnie, is it just my imagination, or am I spoiling your plans or something?
WINNIE: What are you talking about?
KEVIN: You know I came all the way up here to see you, and now I'm not gonna see you. You know I just feel like I'm getting in the way here.
WINNIE: No, it's not that.
KEVIN: Then what is it?
WINNIE: I was just really surprised to see you, and its really busy around here, you just gotta give me a chance to get used to it.
NARRATOR: Of course the way she said it, it sounded reasonable enough.
KEVIN: Ok, sure.
WINNIE: Thanks, I really appreciate it.
KEVIN: Yeah, well you know I gotta unpack tonight anyway. So I'll just hang out with the busboys, ok?
________________________________________________________
KEVIN: [HOWIE is cutting his toes nails next to KEVIN's face] Howie, mind moving your feet a little
HOWIE: Yeah, no problem [moves feet in front of KEVIN]
NARRATOR: And what a crew they were.
NICK: Do you guys think I look a little like Steve McQueen, huh, what do you think?
MICKY: Oh yeah, I'm always getting you two mixed up. Hee hee hee.
NARRATOR: Yeah this was some fun, kind of like living in a zoo.
KEVIN: Hey, what do you guys do around here for fun?
NICK: Well there are lots of things to do.
MICKY: Needleman has a pile of magazines.
KEVIN: Is there anything else?
NICK: Yeah well, there's poker with the band.
HOWIE: But you don't want to play poker with the band.
MICKY: No you definitely don't want to play poker with the band
________________________________________________________
KEVIN: Mind if I sit in?
[All band members laugh]
BAND LEADER: You got money?
KEVIN: Yeah, sure.
BAND LEADER: Then make yourself comfortable. [Others laugh]
BAND MEMBER 3: Here we go!
BAND MEMBER 2: You want a Pepsi?
KEVIN: No thanks.
BAND MEMBER 3: Five card draw.
HOWIE: Do you know what you're doing? This is the band!
MICKY: These guys play for big stakes.
KEVIN: Yeah, yeah Don't worry.
BAND LEADER: Ten bucks.
NARRATOR: I mean hey, who did these jokers think they were dealing with here? Besides a chump with a pair of twos.
HOWIE: Oh man.
KEVIN: I'm in.
BAND LEADER: Ay ay como un pescadito.
BAND MEMBER 2: I raise you twenty.
MICKY: Oh gees.
NARRATOR: Obviously the merengue business was booming.
BAND LEADER: It's twenty to you kid.
HOWIE: Twenty to you.
BAND LEADER: I know, Howie.
NARRATOR: Ok, my manhood was on the line, such as it was, so...
KEVIN: I'm in.
MICKY: Ok Kevin.
BAND MEMBER 3: How many?
KEVIN: Give me three.
NARRATOR: After all I knew a little bit about cards.
BAND MEMBER 2: Trace.
NARRATOR: One lucky draw you're in the chips, or...
BAND MEMBER 1: Ten bucks.
NARRATOR: I could bluff.
KEVIN: I'll raise you twenty.
BAND MEMBER 4: [Speaks Spanish] I fold.
BAND MEMBER 2: El foldo.
BAND MEMBER 3: I fold.
BAND MEMBER 1: And I raise you twenty. What's it gonna be kid? You in or out?
NARRATOR: Like they say, when the going gets tough the tough get going.
KEVIN: I'll raise you twenty back.
BAND LEADER: I fold.
KEVIN: Well what do you know, the pot is mine.
HOWIE: Ok Kevin [laughing]
MICKY: Way to go, Kev.
________________________________________________________
NARRATOR: And my dad said I couldn't survive. I was surviving just fine thank you. I was on my own and doing alright. There was just one more thing that could make this night perfect.
[Music Percy Sledge "When A Man Loves A Woman"]
KEVIN: [KEVIN walks down to the lake looking for WINNIE] Excuse me.
BOY: Huh?
KEVIN: Have you seen Winnie Cooper?
BOY: Winnie Cooper, yeah I think she's with Eric, right?
GIRL: Um yeah, Winnie and Eric are right over there.
KEVIN: Thanks.
[KEVIN sees WINNIE and ERIC kiss.]
Please mail to reynders@merck.de Peter if you find any errors, or if you have any comments or suggestions.