Original subtitles

Gone were the days when you grew up and stayed close to your parents like my mom

and dad did.

Education and opportunities were pushing the next generation further away, and a

lot sooner.

And by 1969, Mama was sensing the shift.

Can't say I'm getting pizza with the girls.

But I made your favorite.

Come on, Mom. We only have a few more months together before we all head off

college.

Well, all right.

Oh, hey, Karen.

Um, okay, don't be mad, but I'm having dinner at Tammy's. We just both been so

busy at work, we barely get to see each other. But, Mom, it smells great,

really.

Hey, now, don't be sad.

Maybe it's a good thing.

No fighting over the last piece of chicken with Bruce, no complaining from

about food she doesn't pay for.

It's nice of the two of us, isn't it?

Sometimes I feared they wouldn't miss me until I showed up on a milk carton.

wonderful world of Disney.

Not it. Not it.

Williams, resident.

Dean speaking.

Dad, Spumlee from the real band.

Tell him I'm not here.

But you always tell me not to lie.

Kim.

He's not here.

But I heard I wrote that song for Marvin Gaye and probably wants me to come back

to the band.

Ain't that always the way?

Good. Everyone's here.

I've been thinking it over.

With things going the way they are and Kim headed off to college soon, Bruce

getting busier and busier, this might be our last chance to make family

memories. So, I would like for us to go on a family vacation.

Well, we always go on family vacations.

What about Lake Chewacla? Not a picnic where we all get chiggers. A real

vacation, Bill.

Like the ones you see on TV.

What about?

Austin, Texas.

I applied to the University of Northern Austin, and I got the acceptance letter

yesterday. I didn't know how to tell you. That's a really good school.

Why'd they let you in?

Congratulations, honey.

I just didn't realize you were applying to school so far away.

Well, it's one of the first schools to have an African -American studies

program. Still.

They offered me a scholarship. My baby girl's going to the University of

Northern Austin.

You know, look at how happy the students are reading on the choir.

Oh, Kim, this is a decision that could affect your entire life.

You can't just make it based off a brochure. Which is why Austin is the

place for us to go on vacation.

Then you can check it out with me. I think if you go to Austin, it might be

Right, Lil?

And we could help Kim make this major decision.

I'm so excited. Thank you.

You know, Austin is only 1 ,300 miles from California.

And you know it's in California, right? For the millionth time, Dean, we are not

going to Disneyland.

I've been watching the wonderful world of Disney nonstop. And like most kids,

was highly susceptible to the power of Disney magic.

There was no way I was going to let us get halfway to the happiest place on

Earth without actually going there. But I knew I had my work cut out for me.

Have you bought a tank of gas lately?

It's up to $0 .34 a gallon.

I've got hotel, gas, food, and tickets already priced out.

There's even a line for souvenirs, or as I like to call them, lifelong memories.

That's my little accountant right there. Dean, there's no way... I've got $18

.97 all saved up. It's not much, but it'll cover some of the cost.

I was saving up for a new bike, but this is more important. You'd be willing to

give up your life savings.

If it means I get to go to Disneyland, yes.

We can go to Disneyland.

Yes.

Convincing my father to take us to Disneyland was nothing short of a

But when he let me keep five of my dollars, oh, look at God.

I was finally going to get my Disney vacation.

And Mama was going to get what she wanted.

All of us together.

All right, I'm ready to leave.

Oh, not again.

Thankfully, Dad checked his rearview mirror and noticed I was missing.

Eventually.

Mom,

Kim is chewing too loudly.

Grow up, Dean.

We're in Texas, so far away. Why don't we play the license plate game?

One point per date, right?

Well, that sounds like homework.

Let's play punch buggy instead.

Kim always suggested punch buggy because she knew she had an unfair advantage.

Y 'all can play, but no hitting your sister.

But, Dad. I don't care how hard you hit your rules or rules.

Punch buggy. Ow.

Well, you can't hit me back because I'm a girl.

Rules are rules.

The forecast is mostly sunny.

Sounds like one of my songs, because it is one of my songs.

Is that my old band?

Can they play your song?

Not without paying me a whole lot of money, they can't.

They ought to be ashamed of themselves for this.

Oh, punch buggy. No punch bag.

Come on, Dean. Read the card.

Sounds like a real hit, too. And that was the Commanders with their hip new

number, Sweet Millie. That's been running up the charts.

We didn't think it could get any worse for Daddy.

Until...

We should pull over at the next gas station and get that checked out.

Actually, if we pull over, I can call Tammy.

I was supposed to check in by now. The car's fine.

Let's just focus on our family vacation. You can call when we stop for dinner.

You can catch the Commander's opening for The Temptations tomorrow night at

Strand Theater in downtown San Antonio. Wow, The Temptations?

Man, that is so cool.

What, dummy? Shut the hell up.

So what do you say?

Bruce looks upset.

You think he's okay?

I accidentally overheard, and it does not sound good.

I think he and Tammy are breaking up.

Accidentally, huh? I couldn't help but listen through the bathroom walls.

He was talking so loud.

Rude, right? Poor Bruce.

It'll be fine, Mom. I'm sure there's plenty of women with kids that didn't do

it. What? That's his type, right?

Oh, here he comes. Quick, pretend we're talking about something else.

Hey,

Bruce. We weren't talking about you or anything.

You okay?

Can you guys drop me off at the bus station?

I gotta get back to Montgomery and patch things up with Tammy.

Do you really think talking things through face -to -face will help?

Probably not.

She was pretty clear on the phone that it's over.

I'm sorry, baby.

Things have been rocky between us for the past few months, so I probably

have seen this coming.

Why don't I take him over to the bar?

He's going to need something stronger than a banana split.

That's a good idea.

I'm sure he could use some support from his father.

It'll be okay, Dad.

When you think you know someone, then they kick you out the band.

And then they're going to steal the song you wrote and make it worse.

I mean, changing Sweet Lily to Sweet Millie is low.

You can fit in.

Why?

Who's Millie?

Bumbley's dog.

Dumb by my band, you got me. Dumb by Danny.

Yeah.

And I can't help but feel like it's my fault.

Like, maybe I should have done more.

Fault for the relationship, but... Hey, what are you gonna do?

We gonna toast.

To bad breakups? No.

To moving forward.

Man, I miss all three of them glasses.

In the morning, we'll start with the regular campus tour.

That's approximately two hours. And then I want us to check out the library.

But, Mom, that's an unscheduled stop.

I'm not sure we have time.

Kim, it's the fifth largest university library in the country, you know. Why

would anyone know that? You need to start taking this more seriously.

All right, you want to check out the library?

We'll find some way to make up time.

Maybe Dad can drive past the speed limit.

And get pulled over in some sundown town in Texas?

Now, that's the steamboat Mickey ain't gonna save you from.

Okay, well...

Maybe you two can go on the college tour while Dad and I get the car fixed so it

can make it to California.

That's a good idea.

I just hope Bruce is going to be okay.

Come on, man. He fought in a war.

Little did I know, Dad had other plans besides getting the car fixed.

Sorry I dozed off.

I was up all night planning our ticket strategy.

The e -tickets get you on the best ride, so I think we should start there.

Then the D tickets.

Wait, wait a minute. Where are we?

I thought we were getting the car fixed.

Where's the mechanic?

You said to make one quick stop.

Mm -hmm. But one last fight with his band.

Wow. This campus is so beautiful.

Hey, come on over now. Don't be shy.

My name's Gil, soon to be class of 71.

Go Tigers.

And I'll be leading y 'all on this campus tour. We'll be getting anything

everything. So if y 'all wouldn't mind just saving your questions till the end.

Or now.

Now is fine.

What percentage of students come from out of state?

About 20%. So that's down from last year's 25%. Is there any reason?

This is so embarrassing.

Not gonna lie.

There was a part of me that thought my dad was about to murder his former

bandmates. But even worse.

But we're going to miss the Dapper Dan's on Main Street.

I just want to ask him a few questions.

Unless your band members are brooms and buckets and you're wearing a sorcerer's

hat, then I don't care.

Bill Williams, is that you?

Oh, it's me, all right.

We've been trying to reach you for weeks, Bill. You never pick up the

what? To hear how you stole my music.

No, man.

We got a royalty check with your name on it. What?

Yeah, man.

This jockey's been giving Sweet Millie a lot of spins.

And there's no way we were going to keep your share.

Bands are no band.

Oh. Well.

Thank you. Of course, Bill. No hard feelings.

We don't want you feeling like Pete Bitt.

Uh, who said I did? Sorry. You're right. That's presumptuous.

Pete left the Beatles. This is more Florence Ballard. Right.

She was kicked out of the Supremes.

We don't want you feeling like her.

Wait, there was a fifth Beatle and a fourth Supreme, and they're not famous?

Think of all that money that they're just missing out on.

Sorry, Dad.

Okay, friends, let's head on.

Excuse me.

Excuse me again.

Yes. William, another question.

Mom, stop.

What if a student studying, I don't know, Afro -American studies?

wanted to double major so that the other major could lead to a job.

I haven't followed up to that one, Gil.

What if that student didn't want to double major and wanted to have an

life in college?

What if that student wanted to pay their own expenses?

Why don't we let some of the other prospective parents maybe just have a

to ask them questions?

I'm actually with Lillian on this. Yeah, she makes a good point. There's nothing

wrong with majoring in English.

You already speak the language.

When are you going to realize that where I go to college is my decision, not

yours? I am just trying to help you. Oh, well, you could help me by leaving me

alone. That's a good idea. How about I start that now?

And we're walking.

We're walking.

It's tough when a man who's used to having all the answers starts to

himself. I guess some things change.

Come on.

Cues to almost be over by now.

Look who decided to show up. Chill, my man. Chill. How can we chill when you're

pulling this crap in every city? Yeah, and that's your last two no -shows. I'm

back in the hole.

This tour was supposed to get me out of there, not deeper in it. And if we

continue to postpone this tour, Carol's going to leave me for a third time.

Well, at least you still got Barbara.

Man, Barbara left me back in Omaha.

Come on, man. Just show up on time, man. Yes, things had changed for my dad.

But things with the band had stayed the same.

And in that moment, dad didn't feel so bad about being on his own.

No amount of success would ever be more important to him than his family. Dean,

what are you standing there for?

Let's split.

Where is everyone? We need to go.

Your daughter kicked me off the tour. And for no good reason.

Fine,

maybe for some good reason.

Yeah, where's Kim?

I thought she was with you. She left the tour an hour ago. I thought she came

back here to wait. We need to find her.

Don't worry. I'm sure she's somewhere safe.

No, we need to find her for the group discount at Disneyland.

Lillian, fix your son.

I'll go find Kim.

I'm sure whatever your mom said or didn't say or did or didn't do, it's

because she wants what's best for you.

It's not her.

I mean, it's always her, but not just her.

It's all this pressure.

All through high school, everyone told me I was going to college. You guys, my

teachers, all the folks at church, I don't even know.

Like...

How am I supposed to make a decision that'll determine my entire future?

That's a tough one. Yeah.

You know why I wanted to go here?

Because I wanted all the decision -making to be over with.

Instead, it's just led to more decisions I have to make.

I'm glad my problems are so funny to you.

I'm laughing because I spent the last 24 hours questioning a lot of my own

decisions about the band.

And?

Did you make the right decision?

I'll never know.

Really, it doesn't matter.

What matters is that you make a choice and that you make the best out of it. I

don't want a lesson.

Can't you just tell me what to do?

I can't do that for you, Kim.

You know that.

How to become an adult is being comfortable with the uncertainty.

Just trust her. Whatever you decide, it's the right decision for you.

Come on now.

Your brother's going to have a heart attack if we don't give him his family

vacation he's been wanting his whole life.

His whole life? He didn't say anything about this until two days ago.

I didn't think so either.

But to be honest, we don't pay that close attention.

I'm sorry about what happened back there.

If I'm being honest, there's a part of me that regrets that I didn't leave home

for college.

And there's a part of me that's jealous that you have that option.

I didn't even know you were thinking about going anywhere but Tuskegee.

I had a few options.

Then my dad got sick, and I didn't want to be far away from my family.

But sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I...

Went somewhere like University of Northern Austin.

But if you didn't go to Tuskegee, then you would have never met Dad and we

have never been born.

I'm sure you would have.

You just have somebody else to die.

Mama.

Kim, I want you to know that I support you no matter what choice you make.

Promise? Promise.

And from now on, let's just be honest with each other about everything, no

matter what.

Bill.

What was that?

Bill, you said you fixed the car.

Yeah, about that being honest thing.

All right.

Thank you.

He says they really backed up.

It's going to be at least a day until they can get to us.

I guess I'll have to find us a hotel for tonight.

Tonight? But that barely gives us any time at Disneyland.

Sorry, son.

I don't think we're going to make it. Are you kidding me?

All I ever wanted to do was go to Disneyland and visit the happiest place

Earth. You made sure everybody else got what they wanted. But what about me?

It's never about what I want.

Bill, he's right.

What he wanted was this trip to Disneyland, and instead he had to put up

all of our stuff.

So you know what we're going to do? We're going to give Dean a trip to

Disneyland if it's the last thing we do.

Bill, you're going to take that song money, and you're going to tip that

mechanic so hard the car's going to be ready in minutes.

And we're going to use this driving chart, which is very detailed for

who can barely ride a bike.

And we're going to take turns driving and shifting.

I do the driving. Well, it's the only way for us to drive through the night to

get Dean a day at Disneyland.

Think we can do that?

Good. Now let's get going.

And Bill, if it jingles, it's not a real tip.

I never dreamed of.

There's Mickey.

There's a castle.

Main Street. It's the train.

Well, what do we do first?

Oh, teacups. Matterhorn. Bathroom.

I drank four cups of coffee to get through the night shift.

Well, I guess we could split up, but just for the morning.

Which is because, Mama, I want food.

And

I

play a song.

Shoot.

I'm not going to Northern Austin.

Really?

Yeah.

I'm not ready to be so far away as to know.

Is that pathetic?

Of course not.

You know, after you took off, I actually stayed on for the rest of the campus

tour. You did? Yeah.

I mean, it got me thinking.

Most of me and Tim were fighting about how to do what I wanted for my future.

Honestly, I didn't know what I wanted.

So I stepped on that campus and it just felt right.

So I don't think I'm going to apply.

That is so exciting, dude.

I'm happy for you.

Hey.

Oh, and hey, Kim, by the way, don't tell Mom and Dad yet.

I don't want to bum them out at the happiest place on earth.

As long as you don't say anything about me not going. I don't want to give Mom

the satisfaction of being right.

Deal.

Mama set out for us all to have an unforgettable family vacation.

And that's exactly what we got.

It was the most memorable trip of my childhood.

And the last time I was able to pee in a cup to save time on the road.

Kimmel's got Wanda Sykes, Blue Tangs RZA, and music from Bailey Zimmerman.

tonight.