All language subtitles for Family Ties.S04E14.Where_s Poppa.eng

(Johnny Mathis & Deniece
Williams' "Without Us" playing)

♪ I'll bet We've been together ♪

♪ For a million years ♪

♪ And I'll bet
We'll be together ♪

♪ For a million more ♪

♪ Ooh, it's like I
started breathin' ♪

♪ On the night we kissed ♪

♪ And I can't remember
What I ever did before ♪

♪ What would we do, baby ♪

♪ Without us? ♪

♪ What would we do, baby ♪

♪ Without us? ♪

♪ And there ain't No nothin' ♪

♪ We can't love
Each other through ♪

♪ Ooh-hoo ♪

♪ What would we do, baby ♪

♪ Without us? ♪

♪ Sha-la-la-la ♪

Okay, Andy.

Let's go over this again.

This is a gift catalog.

I'll turn the
pages. That's right.

And you point to the
things you like best.

He doesn't know what
you're talking about, Mallory.

Jennifer,

I mastered mail order
by the time I was his age.

I remember. That's how
we got our good china.

What's going on?

Oh, we're buying Andy a gift,

and he's pointing out the
things he'd like to wear.

So far he's picked out a
bath mat and a wrench.

Just make sure he
doesn't wear them together.

Good news, everybody.

You're looking at the
newly elected chairman

of the Leland College Parent/
Student Weekend Committee.

Yes, sir.

I was singled
out for this honor.

Unanimously chosen by my peers,

handpicked from a pool of
over 50 qualified candidates.

They pulled his
name out of a hat.

Congratulations.

I'm real excited for you.

Yeah, we'd like
to hear all about it.

Well... Yeah.

Just what does the job involve?

Mom, I'm in charge
of the entire event.

I have here a computer printout
with the name and phone number

of every Leland
student and parent.

For this one weekend,

I'm in complete
control of their lives.

Well, that is frightening.

Oh, well, but it's nice.

We'll finally get a chance
to meet Ellen's father.

Actually, I don't know if
he'll be able to make it.

Oh, that's a shame.

Well, it's partially my fault.

I didn't invite him.

You didn't invite him?

Ellen, this is parents' weekend.

You're legally
obligated to invite him.

Alex, there wouldn't have
been any point in calling him.

He doesn't like these things
and he wouldn't have come.

I was just saving
us both the trouble.

Uh, Ellen, look,
just let us know

if we can help you in any way.

Thanks.

Yeah.

Well, I gotta go. I gotta
get back and study.

Now, wait a minute,
wait a minute, Ellen,

uh, I can't... I can't really
say I'm happy about this.

I mean, it's parents' weekend
and... And your dad's not coming?

Alex, I told you,

it's not his kind of thing.

Even when my Mom was alive,

she always came to
these things by herself.

Yeah, well, how do you
know unless you call him?

Believe me, I know.

Just give him a call, will you?

No, Alex.

All right. All right.

You can use our phone.

Alex, that's it.

I'm not calling him. Get off it.

Ellen, I'm just worried
about you being alone

for parent/student
weekend. I'll be okay.

I mean, everybody else
is gonna be having fun.

There's gonna be
potato-sack races, an egg toss.

Who are you gonna
toss your egg to?

Not a major worry in my life.

You're gonna be lonely.

I'll be okay.

I'll see you tomorrow.

Well, what do you think?

Well, it's an awfully
full schedule, honey.

Ten o'clock, parents' welcome.

Ten-fifteen, written
exam on that welcome.

That's right. They don't
pass, they go home.

Alex, how come there's
so many pictures of you

on this pamphlet?

The printer insisted.

Alex, all these events you've
planned seem pretty boring.

Boring, Jennifer? Look
at the bottom of the page.

Parent/student rodeo.

And?

Parent/student
wet T-shirt contest.

And?

Parent/student full
contact kickboxing.

I don't know if we're in good
enough shape for this weekend.

Well, you can start training

by helping me carry all
this stuff out to the car.

All right, you can carry
it as far as the porch.

I'll take it from there.

Ellen.

Alex, I just got this
message from my father.

It says he's coming here
for parents' weekend.

It says that the chairman of
parents' weekend invited him.

It says that the chairman
called him personally

to insure that he was coming.

Let me see that.

You had absolutely no right.

This is a personal matter and
you shouldn't have interfered.

I... I did not interfere
in a personal matter.

I... It was... It was
a very official call.

I said the same
thing to your father

that I said to all the
other parents I called.

Oh, really? You said
to all the other parents,

"Ellen really wants
you to come"?

Yes, I did.

And they're... And
they're all coming

and they're very
anxious to meet you.

Alex, I am very
angry about this.

I don't want to see my father.

Well, Ellen, he
wants to see you.

He said he was real
excited about coming.

That's really strange.

Well, what's so
strange about it?

My father and I
don't get along at all.

We've hardly said a word to
each other in the last five years.

And when we do speak
it usually turns into a fight

within the first two minutes.

I guess I shouldn't have
called him then, huh?

The man has no respect
for the way I live my life,

for... For the things
that are important to me.

All he cares about is
business, profits, making money.

(exhales)

I'm shocked.

He can be so unfeeling.

And the last time we spoke,
he called me from his car phone,

and put me on
hold for 15 minutes.

C-car phone?

What, uh...? What kind
of car does he have?

It was probably the limo.

Limo.

He was on his
way to the stables.

Okay.

Car phone, limo, stables.

I'm starting to get
a warm glow inside.

This guy sounds rich.

This guy's your father.

Ellen, you're rich.

I love you.

Alex, calm down.

Whoa, whoa, I
can't believe this.

I've fallen in love with a
girl who I think has no money

and she turns out to be rich.

My instincts are incredible.

Ellen,

when do we get married?

Alex,

he's rich, not me.

I don't want anything
to do with his money.

Oh, I understand.

I'll handle it.

Stop it!

Look, come on,
you know I'm kidding.

Look, I'm... I'm sorry

that I got you into
such a difficult situation.

Oh, Alex, I don't know
how I'm gonna get through

this weekend with him.

Well, look, he... He... He's
coming all this way, right?

And... And he did say
he wanted to see you.

Give him a chance.

Okay.

Hi, Alex.

ALEX: Hi.

Hey, what do you two have there?

Oh, we decided instead
of getting Andy a gift

from a catalog, we're gonna
make him a ski sweater.

I didn't know you
two know how to knit.

We don't. But Andy
doesn't know how to ski.

(doorbell rings)

Uh, excuse me.
I'm Franklin Reed.

I'm looking for an Alex Keaton.

Well, I just happen to be one.

Please come in.

Uh, I'll take your coat.

Ellen told me to meet
her at her dorm room,

but, uh, she wasn't there.

So her roommate said
I might find her here.

Yeah, well, I'm, uh... I'm
sure she'll be here any minute.

Uh, in the meantime,
please, uh, sit down,

make yourself comfortable.

Thank you.

So, Ellen tells me you're rich.

Uh, that is... That is, uh,

richly deserving of
many compliments.

So you're Ellen's boyfriend.

Uh, yes, I am.

What are you?

Poet? Dancer?

Communist?

Ab... Absolutely not, sir.

Uh, no, I'm against
all those things.

Oh?

Well, that's refreshing.

I assumed you'd be
another one of those

bohemian-punk-hippie-parasite
types.

Oh, no, sir, no.

I stand before you
as a representative

of all that is good and
decent in this country.

And, I may add,

I'm very sympathetic
to the upper classes.

Well, this is a
pleasant surprise.

Thank you.

Uh, getting back to your wealth,

Ellen... Ellen, tells me
you're a corporate lawyer.

That's right. We deal in...

Acquisitions, antitrust matters,

takeovers, statutory mergers.

(gasps)

Are you interested in the law?

Oh, yes, sir, as it
pertains to money.

Alex, I think I like you.

Well, thank you,
sir. I know I like you.

(doorbell rings)

Uh, excuse me.

Alex, I don't know what
happened to my father.

He never showed up.

He's here, Ellen.

She's here.

Ellen, where were you?

I've been waiting
for you at the airport.

You said meet you
at your dorm room.

Why would I say that?

I don't know but
that's what you said.

I did not say that.

I'm not making this up, Ellen.

You know, you two look alike.

Well, anyway, hello, Dad.

It's nice to see you.

Hello.

Ellen, I have to
admit it, I'm surprised.

Alex, here, impresses me.

He's a straight thinker.

He's got his priorities in line.

And he's not a communist.

I expected him to be another
one of your modern-art boobs.

Dad, art happens
to mean a lot to me,

although I know you
don't appreciate it.

Alex, what do you think about
this modern-art nonsense?

(scoffs): Me?

What...? What do I think
about this modern-art nonsense?

I love it...

sometimes.

Ow.

Can I help you, Alex?

No. I'm... I'm fine.

Thank you very much.

What happened?

Uh, there was a little mishap

during the parent/student
football game.

ALEX: A... A little mishap.

I'll tell you what happened.

Ow... I, uh... I took a handoff.

Twenty-yard line,
faked out a few parents

Uh, drew Bob Lekowski's
mother into a block.

I... Uh, I had the
whole field ahead of me.

I'm running along,
all of a sudden

I'm hit from behind
by some crazy parent

with a... With a
bone-crunching illegal tackle.

How many times do I
have to apologize, Alex?

Alex, she didn't
hit you that hard.

Oh... Oh, no? The football
coach offered her a scholarship.

Oh, come off it, Alex.
It was a clean hit.

Don't be such a mama's boy.

Let's go give Andy his sweater.

Okay. Whoa, whoa, wait a minute.

Wait... Wait a minute, Mal.

Where'd you get this,
the Octopus Shack?

It's not for you,
Alex, it's for Andy.

This is not a one-person
sweater, Mallory.

I am aware of that.

I made it for him to
wear with a friend.

You should have played, Ellen.

Dad, I told you, I'm not
very good at football.

Well, maybe you
can get some pointers

from Elyse "Hacksaw" Keaton.

Actually, Ellen
is a great athlete.

Did you know that, Alex?

Oh, Dad, please.

Oh, no, no, no.

Ellen was good at everything.

Swimming, ice skating,

baseball,

horseback riding.

Do you ride, Alex?

Uh, me?

Uh... no.

Used to, used to.

Uh, had to give it up.

Had a bit of a mishap.

I, uh, got thrown.

Actually it was off
a merry-go-round.

But, uh... But the point
is I got right back on.

Well, Ellen didn't
fall off much.

If she had kept riding, she
could have been really good.

She could have made
it to the Olympics.

But she stopped.

She didn't have
that killer instinct

like your mother does, Alex.

Dad, all I wanted to
do was ride a horse.

You were the one who
wanted me to come home

with a ribbon or win a prize.

And what is wrong with winning?

With showing you're
the best at what you do?

Nothing. Nothing
is wrong with it.

I gotta go.

I've got some things I gotta
get done back on campus.

Uh, do you want a
lift back to your hotel?

All right.

Well, I guess I'll see you
tonight at the big dance.

Uh, yeah.

Uh, looking forward to spending
some more time with you, sir.

I'll save the last
dance for you, Alex.

Well, this is a wonderful party.

I'm very impressed.

Alex has fine
organizational qualities.

Oh, yes, yes.

We've been aware of it
ever since he was in diapers

and he organized that
parent/baby weekend.

Mm, it was a cruise.

Well, Alex is a fine boy.

You should be very proud of him.

We are. And you should
be proud of Ellen too.

She's a wonderful girl.

She's been a great
influence on Alex.

Yeah, Alex is
almost to the point

where he can say
feminist without laughing.

(laughs)

Feminist.

(laughing): Did
somebody say "feminist"?

Dad, where have you been?
I was waiting downstairs.

Ellen, you said we were
gonna meet up here.

No, I said we'd wait
downstairs in the lobby.

Well, the important
thing is we're all together.

Excuse me.

(piano playing slow dance music)

May I have this dance?
Thought you'd never ask.

Excuse us.

Would you like to dance?

Oh, no, thank you.

I don't really enjoy dancing.

Ellen, it's your major.

Well, you always thought
dancing was a waste of time.

Well, maybe I changed my mind.

People do that, you
know, even fathers.

Whatever you say.

I don't really enjoy being
treated like a stranger, Ellen.

Well, I'm sorry, but
who are we kidding?

We are strangers.

I am not a stranger.

I am your father, and I
deserve some respect.

MAN: Smile.

Look, Dad, do we
have to get into this?

I don't expect
anything from you now.

I don't want you
to try to apologize

or make up for lost time.

Just don't expect me
to suddenly pretend

that everything
is fine between us.

All my life, you've either been
ignoring me or criticizing me.

My grades were
never good enough.

My friends weren't good enough.

Nothing I ever did was
good enough for you.

And nothing I ever did
was good enough for you.

You were always
rebelling against everything.

If I said yes, you said no.

Just for the hell of
disagreeing with me.

Enjoying yourselves?

Yes. No.

Okay.

Do you know why I
always disagreed with you?

No. Do you have any idea

why I argued with
you about everything,

why I stopped competing
in those horse shows,

or why I ran away from home?

Because I wanted
you to notice me.

I know I didn't spend
enough time with you.

And I regret that.

But we can't change
the past, Ellen.

I know I made mistakes with you,

but I want to make a new start.

But now I can make it on my own.

I have my artwork
and I have my friends

and I have Alex,

who is just the opposite of you.

He knows that there's more
to life than making money.

I'm sorry, Dad.

Some things just
happen too late.

Honey, you can't blame yourself

for everything that
happened tonight.

Come on, Mom. I
brought this all on myself.

I called Mr. Reed
without asking Ellen.

I... I forced them to
spend time together,

and as a result I...
I helped break up

an already shaky
parent/child relationship.

And I lost a potential
father-in-law.

Well, tomorrow's a new day.

If you want to talk,
honey, we're here for you.

Okay?

Sorry it's been a rough night.

Yeah, thanks,
guys. I appreciate it.

(knock at door)

Hi. Hi.

How're you feeling?

Okay, I guess.

Where's your Dad?

He's on his way
back to the airport.

Yeah.

Listen, Ellen, I'm
sorry about all this.

I mean, if it wasn't for
my calling your father

and pressuring you to see him,

none of this would
have happened.

It would have
happened eventually.

You just kind of sped
the whole thing up.

It's because I
couldn't accept it.

When you said you...
You didn't want your father

to come up for parents' weekend.

I mean, it didn't
seem right to me.

I couldn't believe it.

I mean, sure, I... I
argue with my parents.

We have our share of
fights, but that's all they are:

arguments and fights.

We have it out,

they see where they were wrong,

and it's over.

We never stop caring
about each other.

Alex, what you have with
your family is very special.

If I had lived here, I never
would have run away.

Don't be so sure, Ellen.

I never told you this,

but I had a fight with
my parents one time

and I ran away.

Why? What happened?

Well, I was, uh...
I was 6 years old.

It was 1972.

They voted for McGovern.

I couldn't stay.

So I got all my important
papers together,

tied my briefcase
to the end of a stick,

set out.

Where did you go?

I wanted to go to
Washington, you know, to, uh,

live with the Nixons.

But I... I got as far
as Skippy's house,

and after 10 minutes there,
I was ready to come home.

Good.

I like happy endings.

(sighs)

I'm sorry about what
happened this weekend.

Sorry for you.

I'm sorry for your dad.

I mean, I actually
liked the guy.

I guess maybe deep
down inside I like him too.

I don't know, I feel
like trying to reach out,

but we just don't know how.

(knock at door)

Mr. Reed.

Hello, Alex.

Ellen.

I just came to say
a proper goodbye.

We may not be seeing
each other for a while.

I guess not.

And I... I wanted
to give you this.

What is it?

It's a picture from tonight.

Despite the circumstances,
I think it came out all right.

But I'm not smiling.
I'm sort of smirking.

Sometimes you take
what you can get.

Ellen, I know I'm not the
easiest man in the world

to get along with.

But I'm trying.

You have to believe
that. I really am trying.

I know it.

Ellen,

I love you,

and I don't want to lose you.

Maybe we can try again.

I'd like that very much.

Well...

Daddy.

Have a good trip back.

I will.

Goodbye, Alex.

Goodbye, Mr. Reed.

Well,

what do you want
to do next weekend?

( upbeat jazz theme playing)