Original subtitles

Eleanor, these utility bills are going through the roof

and look, we gotta change our habits.

Take pop, for instance, he's always taking long hot showers.

Oh, Roc, how long could he be taking?

Twelve minutes and 34 seconds.

I timed him, Eleanor. He should take showers like me.

Water on, water off.

Lather up, water on, water off, bam!

I'm out of there in three minutes.

- Hey, dad. - Hey, pop!

Daddy... hey, what's wrong?

I just came from the DMV.

They wouldn't renew my driver's license

'cause I failed the eye test.

They said I need glasses.

- Oh, pop. - Oh, daddy, I'm sorry.

All my life I've had perfect vision.

Trying to make me feel like an old man.

That snot-nosed kid that took my license away

wasn't even alive when I told Thurgood Marshall

I thought Brown had a good case against the board of education.

Well, daddy, don't let it get you down.

We'll get you some glasses and everything

it's gon' be fine.

Yeah, I guess that's the thing to do.

Yeah, pop, it is, you know, just relax

and, you know, get this off your mind.

- Yeah. - Oh, that's a good idea.

I think I'll go upstairs and take a nice, long hot shower.

Hey, hey, pop.

Hmm?

You know, pop, I read somewhere...

...long hot showers can impair your vision.

♪ Baby ♪

♪ There's a man ♪

♪ With no future ♪

♪ So it seems ♪

♪ Can't live out his dreams ♪

♪ Now he's tricked into thinkin' ♪

♪ He won't succeed ♪

♪ And he can't believe ♪

♪ Live your life today ♪

♪ Oh yeah ♪

♪ Not for tomorrow ♪

♪ Not for tomorrow ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ Live your life today ♪

Sweetheart, look, we need to talk.

N-n-not now, I'm getting ready to watch the football game.

Oh, Roc, it'll be half-time before the TV warms up enough

to even see a pitcher. Now, this is important.

We need to decide on a guardian for the baby

in case something happens to you or me.

Yeah, yeah, we should talk about that, that's important.

- Uh-hmm. - I don't believe this.

Daddy, what's wrong with you now?

I went to get my glasses

and the doctor said my vision problems

were caused by high blood pressure.

And then he said, "You should get a physical, old timer."

Little doofus wasn't even alive when I marched in Chicago

with Bobby Seal.

Pop, you never marched--

Oh, don't interrupt your father.

So I got the physical, and they said I also have gout

and some hearing loss, oh, which is common among the elderly.

Oh, daddy...

Well, maybe I should just accept it.

I am getting on in years.

You know I'm the only one of my friends

who doesn't have any artificial parts.

Well, come on, pop, don't let what the doctor say get to you.

You know, you are strong and as sharp as you were 20 years ago.

That's right, you the youngest

most spirited person I know.

You still a great mack daddy, pop.

- Oh, you really think so? - Absolutely.

Well, I'm glad I got my family around me to keep my spirits up.

Well, anyhow, don't let me interrupt you, it sounded like

you were talking about something pretty important.

Yeah, we were, we're trying to decide on the guardian

for the baby just in case something happens to Roc or me.

Oh, that's easy, I'm the boy's grandfather.

I should be his guardian.

- Well, why shouldn't I be? - Well, you know, um...

You know, uh, pop, you know it's, uh...

Well, E-Eleanor, you explain it to him.

Well, daddy, uh, all Roc is trying to say

it's just that, it's just that, it's...

Oh, why don't you just say it?

You want someone younger.

See, pop, I told you, your mind is sharp as ever.

Sure, for an elderly gentleman.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to stare down

The Grimm Reaper and have me a cheeseburger.

Hey, pop, how's my old man doin'?

Watch your mouth.

- What'd I say? - How you doin', Joey?

Alright, uh, yeah, listen, uh

my phone jack in my apartment is broken

and being the landlord you should know that every apartment

has to have at least one working phone jack, it's the law.

Don't worry about the jack, I'll fix it.

- Alright, thanks, Jack. - Alright, Jack.

Alright.

You know it's kind of fun being your tenant

I'mma go back to my apartment and find some more broken stuff

that the law requires you to fix.

- Roc, baby? - 'Uh?'

I hate to say it, but there is one person

who stands out as the obvious choice

to be the baby's guardian.

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

No, Eleanor, no, no, no, not him, no.

Roc, he's young, he's family...

He's unemployed, he's irresponsible

he's selfish, he's a deadbeat.

A-a-and believe me, Eleanor

my list is a lot longer than yours.

- Is that you, Roc? - 'Yeah, open up, Joey.'

Alright. Alright.

Yeah, I'mma open...

Hey, come on, hey, hey, hey, you wipe your feet?

No, I forgot, lie down.

Come on in.

Man, hurry up and fix this phone jack

how you expect my women friends to get in touch with me?

Joey, why does it always have to be women?

Why can't you settle down with one woman?

- When are you gonna grow up? - Roc!

When I get ready to settle down I'll settle down.

You know see, Joey, you know, something, you...

Shut up, you're never gonna change.

No one will ever be able to count on you for anything.

What is.. wait, wait a minute, something else is on your mind

why don't you just go ahead and say it?

I'll tell you what's on my mind, Joey.

Eleanor and I have to pick a guardian for the baby

in case something happens to us

and you would be the obvious choice, you know?

But you're too unreliable, so we picked the list of people

we trust to do the job and you're not on it.

Wait a minute, hold it, hold it, you're not even gonna

consider me for this, Roc, this is my nephew

wee talking about, I love him, now if something

were to happen to you and Eleanor

I could step in, I'd be responsible.

I could take care of Little Shaka.

We named him Marcus.

Really? W-where was I?

You were probably at the track.

Listen, let me, let me,

let me prove to you that I can do this, alright?

Why don't you let me keep the baby for a night?

- What? - Yeah, yeah.

Now listen, you and Eleanor

haven't been out in months, right?

Why don't you get together, go out have a nice time.

- And let me babysit? - Joey, you out of your--

No, wait a minute, wait, Roc, come on, come on, come on

this is important to me, alright?

I-I wanna prove to you that I can do this.

Well, we'll see, you know, I have to talk to Eleanor first.

Alright, good, good, good, then see if-if that happens

then I can start taking Marcus for strolls in the park.

Oh, yeah? You really want to do that?

Oh, you know it, guy like me, good-lookin' guy

son of the great mac daddy pushin' the baby stroller

in the park, women would be on me like flies

uh, like bees to honey.

Oh, Eleanor, this is nice.

Joey's not here, right?

Sheila's away visiting her aunt in LA

you know what I mean? The baby's asleep.

Now we can have a nice relaxing dinner

just you, me and pop, just like in the old days.

- Yeah. - Mm!

You know I think I'll get me

one of these African walking canes.

The kind with all those carvings in there.

As long as I'm entering into my twilight years

I want to hobble around in style.

Oh, come on, pop, you're not gonna be hobbling.

Oh, not yet, but pretty soon.

Yeah.

I'm just an old man buying a cane.

That's what it all comes down to in the end.

Could be my last purchase.

I should get it on credit.

Daddy, now look, you got some medical things to take care of

but basically you're in good health

now please, don't go overboard.

Yeah. Maybe you're right, Eleanor.

She is right, pop, come on, just sit down and relax

let's have a nice dinner like we used to in the old days.

The old days...

Yeah, yesterday when I was young

taste of life was sweet.

Now the days grow short.

Daddy... will you please cut it out?

Well, I'm just facing facts.

Every day I'm gettin' older...

...and I'm already a burden to you

and pretty soon I'll be a bigger burden.

Oh, pop, no one ever said you were a burden.

Oh, no?

Then why are you timing my showers?

Now my eyes may be going but I can still make out

a large hulking figure standing outside the bathroom

with a stopwatch.

I just did that 'cause--

And I know you don't like me

turning up the thermostat at night.

Now you think you fooled me when you put up

that Out-of-Order sign.

Alright, alright, if you want to bring it up, yeah, sure

I think you could cut back on some things, pop

you know what I mean? I mean, we have a baby now.

You know, we need to save money.

Well, I've been thinking too.

There is a way I could save you a whole lot of money.

I could move into the senior citizen's home.

Oh, daddy, that's ridiculous.

Well, you'd save a bundle of money

you wouldn't have to feed me and you won't have to

pay my hot water bills.

Well, who cares about that?

We just wanna have you around.

Right, Roc?

Right, Roc?

- What'd you say? - Oh, admit it.

Isn't there a part of you that would just

love to save all that money?

No, I mean, uh...

That's it. I'm moving to the senior citizen's home.

Pop, don't go, I-I don't want you to go, you know.

It's just that, you know, when you, you know

when you start talking about money

I-I get confused.

Well, I'll clear things up for you.

- I'm out of here. - Daddy, no!

Oh, pop, you know something, pop?

I don't r-really believe you're going to do it.

Oh, I'm calling the senior citizen's home now.

Well then, okay, pop, I'm calling your bluff.

If you want to go to a home, then you go right ahead.

Well, I'll show you who's bluffin'.

Daddy Emerson, now you stop this right now.

Eleanor, he's not calling the senior citizen's home.

Right now, he's listening to a recording that says

"At the tone, the time will be.."

Hello.

Uh, can I have the admissions office, please?

The admissions office? You can tell he rehearsed this.

Mr. Williams. Yeah, Andrew Emerson.

Uh, we talked earlier about me maybe movin' in there.

Well, I'm doin' it.

Oh, great.

Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow.

If you don't mind, I'd like a ride over there.

I'll pay for the gas.

Well, here you are, pop.

- Do you like it? - Well, yes, I do.

No, you don't, pop. Come on. Look, you had your fun.

- Come on, let's go home. - Roc, you better be goin' now.

You'll be late for work.

Alright, pop.

When you get tired of playin' this game give me a call.

No, I won't, just do me a favor

from the money you save on my showers

buy Marcus a lollipop for me.

Tell him it's from his old granddad

the one in the old folks home.

Alright, pop.

Hi, I'm Andrew, I just came in--

The last person who talked durin' "Murder She Wrote"

almost lost an eye.

Excuse me.

- 'Say what?' - Don't loud talk me.

I said Reggie Jackson was the greatest

ballplayer who ever lived.

Okay, yeah, Reggie was somethin'

but the greatest ballplayer I think

that ever lived was to say, "Hey, kid."

Willie Mays.

No, you're both wrong.

The greatest ballplayer ever was Mr. Hank 'The Hammer' Aaron.

They, they even named a candy bar after him.

The Oh Henry! bar. I've never heard of a Oh Willie! bar.

Watch your mouth, now don't be talkin' about--

Oh, you two are just a bunch of

loudmouth opinionated hardheads

but I think I'ma like it here.

Well, it takes one to know one.

- Okay. - Sit down, will you, please?

- I'm Ollie. - Andrew.

- That's my friend Matthew. - Matthew.

Man, lok at that, what's your, what's your claim to fame?

- I kissed Lena Horne. - Oh, I kissed Lena Horne.

- No, I kissed Lena Horne. - Whoa!

- But she kissed me back. - Look out!

- Oh! - Wait a minute, let's play...

♪ Rock-a-bye baby in the tree top ♪

♪ When the wind blows the cradle will rock ♪

♪ When the bough breaks the cradle will fall ♪

♪ And down will come baby cradle.. ♪

Babies fallin' out of trees, that's a sick song.

Come on, we gotta find somethin' else for you to listen to, huh?

How about a story, okay? Check this one out, alright.

Little Red Riding Hood walking through the woods, right

and a wolf.. No, you don't need to hear that either.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpt...

Man, they say TV is violent.

Oh, oh, that's the door.

I got to get the door. You wanna get the door?

"No, Uncle Joey, I can't walk." Okay. Yeah.

I'll be right back. Right back.

Hey, Jill, baby, what you doin' here?

Well, Joey, I'm on my way to a party over Tommy Sanders house

his band will be there

and the guys from Kenny Brown's band will be there.

Baby, people are going to be jamming all night.

Oh, man, I can get with that too.

I could take my trumpet over there

and blow them punks back to music school.

Yes, you could.

I can't, I'm busy.

Whoo! Ha-ha! Yes, you did get busy.

No, no. No, that's, that's not mine, baby.

T-that's my nephew, I'm watching him

for my brother and sister in law.

Well, what's the problem?

Bring him along, he'll be alright.

- Won't you, cutie? - You know what.

That's a good idea. Tha-that's a great idea wait a minute, baby.

I'll be right back. I'll get my coat.

I'll get my trumpet, pick up some diapers and we...

No, I can't, uh, take that baby out of the house.

It wouldn't be responsible.

Well, does brother and sister in law

really have to know, I mean, we're only going

down the block and you could be back home

before they even get here.

Yeah, yeah, but I would know.

I'm sorry, baby.

I got to pass.

Alright, but you are gonna miss one great party.

- Yeah. - And I'm gonna miss you.

Goodnight, Joey.

You took the words right out of my mouth.

So, so, look, Eleanor was pushin' and pushin', right.

Look, but little Marcus didn't wanna come out, right.

So, the doctor, the doctor, he didn't know what to do

so I stepped in, I said

"Son, this is your father.

Get out of there."

"Don't make me come in and get you."

He said, "Okay, pop."

Jumped right out into my hands.

I'm not kiddin' but I gotta tell you

when the head was born, it was big, just like Roc.

Oh! And I thought that was gonna kill me.

But, honey, after the head was born

everything else was easy, I was home free.

You know what I'm sayin', girlfriend.

And speakin' of babies, let me go check

on this big one over there.

- Hey, baby. - Who are you talkin' to?

Oh, yeah, I know.

Three generations of Emersons livin' under the same roof

you're lucky man, Roc.

Ain't nobody ask you nothin' about that.

Okay, you naughty...

Yeah, Eleanor, I guess with pop gone

we missin' a generation, huh?

I know. I sure miss him.

Yeah, I miss him too, baby.

- Roc, Eleanor... - Jill, hey.

Uh-huh. Well... He didn't go for it.

Wha-what, I mean, what, did you give

you give him the whole story and everything?

Y-y-yeah and lay that kiss on him, right?

I told him the story, I gave him the kiss

but Joey would not leave that baby.

Ooh, Roc...

- Good Lord, he passed. - Yes, he did, good for him.

Okay, now I do believe the two of you owe me dinner?

- Yes, dear, have a seat. - Dinner?

- Handle it, Roc. - Oh, oh, yeah, we got a dinner.

Dinner. Dinner. Uh, here you go.

- Darlin'. - Okay, here you go.

Come on. More pretzels over here!

Wait, man, that Roc, now, see

gettin' mad at me for spending his money is one thing

but doing this to you, pop, now, that-this-this is tired.

Uh, the next time I see that knucklehead I'mma gonna tell him

about his self, I'mma tell him he's a tight wad

he's a penny pincher and he's selfish

he need to take a good look at his...

Hey, pop.

Roc, just the man I wanna see.

Where's my rent money, Joey?

Roc, lookin' good. Pop, I'll talk to you later.

Look, pop.

I came here to ask you to come home.

Well, Roc, you don't have to say that.

I know this is an important time in your life.

You startin' your family now and you don't need

an old man in the way.

Oh, pop, how many times I have to tell you

you're not in the way, pop.

Roc, what happens when the day comes

that I need someone to feed me and to dress me?

Now I don't want you to have to deal with that

and I don't want you seein' me like that.

Now, I've always been an independent person.

And that's the way I want you to remember me.

Listen, pop

if I'm starting a family, I'm gonna need you

more than ever, pop.

I want my son to learn from you, pop.

I mean you've seen things, you know

that Marcus should know about.

I want you to tell him about the struggle black people

have gone through in this country.

I want you to tell him about your stories

you know about the Civil Rights Movement.

'At least the ones that are true.'

I want you to teach him the same values

you taught me, pop.

Oh, come on, pop. Please, come home.

Well, I do like telling my stories.

But if the time ever comes when you--

Pop, pop, pop, listen, when I was a kid

you are always there for me

and I'm gonna be there for you, pop.

Well, you are a good son.

I know, pop, so let's pack up and get out of here.

Now, hold on, not so fast, you know here

when I take long showers nobody complains.

Okay, pop, you know, I-I won't time your showers at home.

Well, that's not the only thing.

They keep the heat up here and...

...it gets nice and toasty at night.

Okay, pop, you-you can, okay, you can, you know

you can turn the thermostat up at night

if you like at home, okay?

And when I feel like eatin' in my room

they serve me and they pick up the dishes when I'm done.

Is there anybody here who knows any stories

about the Civil Rights Movement?

That's okay, we can forget about the butler service.

I'll come home anyway. Uh, hold on a minute.

Son, would you bring my bags, please?

You mean you already packed?

Well, when you called and said you were coming to visit

I knew you were going to beg me to come home

and that's where I wanna be anyway.

So you still put me through this whole negotiation.

Just another example of my age wisdom, Roc.

Oh, I can't wait to tell my grandson this story.

Yeah, come on, knucklehead.

No, no, no, Jill, Jill, there's, no, no.

There's no hard feelings, alright?

No, hey-hey-hey, the important thing is

I passed the test, right, yeah.

No, baby, no hard feelings, you know me

I appreciate a good scam anyway.

Listen, seein' you the other night though made me realize

how long it's been, you know what I'm saying?

So, uh, so, baby, I was wondering, uh

I'd like for you to come over to my new place and, uh

you know maybe have a nice, romantic dinner together

what do you think?

Yeah, oh, that's great. That's good, yeah.

Yes, tonight, tonight, please. Yeah.

Why don't you come over now?

Uh-huh, yeah. Oh, that'd be great, baby.

That would be perfect.

Yeah, okay.

I'll be waiting for you. Okay.

Bye-bye.

'Hey, son, I thought I'd pay you a surprise visit.'

Hey, pop, no, pop! Hey, pop!