Original subtitles

? What would you do if I sang out of tune? ?

? Would you stand up and walk out on me? ?

? Lend me your ears, and I'll sing you a song ?

? I will try not to sing out of key, yeah ?

? Oh, baby, I get by ? ? By with a little help from my friends ?

? All I need is my buddies ?

? High with a little help from my friends ?

? I'm sayin' I'm gonna get higher ?

? Try with a little help from my friends ?

- ? Whoa-oa-oa-oa, yeah ? - ? Ooh, ooh, ooh ?

[ Nat King Cole's "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" plays ]

? I love you ?

[ Slide projector clicking ]

? For sentimental reasons ?

? I hope you do believe me ?

When my parents started out together,

Everybody still listened to the Andrew Sisters...

Everybody was having babies, and everybody liked Ike.

Everybody knew that if they just worked hard...

? I love you ?

And did all the right things,

A sort of paradise of family life lay ahead.

? And you know you were meant for me ?

? Please give your loving heart to me ?

[ Loud rock music plays ]

I guess "paradise" is a relative kind of word.

Turn that noise down!

That "noise" is the best guitarist in the whole world!

Yes, and I'm the best cook in the world!

Now turn that down before you cause us all brain damage!

You know, Mom, I live here, too.

And if I want to listen to my music...

Mom told you to turn it down! Now turn it down!

I know what she told me.

You want to live here, you'll live by these rules.

[ Indistinct arguing ]

My sister, that sweet, little blond-haired angel,

Had turned into something stranger to my parents

Than an alien from space.

The only thing they agreed on

Was that the best form of communication

Was yelling at the top of their lungs

And that the best form of listening was...

Also yelling at the top of their lungs.

Values.

Literature very often is but a conflict of...

- Values. - Values.

Now...

Where do we get our values?

Winnie.

From school?

Yes.

Anywhere else?

Kevin.

From our parents.

Yes, okay. Very good, Kevin.

Parents.

Anywhere else?

The Beatles?

[ laughter ]

Yes, that is very good.

We do get a lot of our tastes and our values from our...

Cultural heroes.

Now...

Is there...

Anywhere else...

That we might get our values?

Hmm?

TV!

How about... Books?

- Ohh. - Oh, books.

Now...

Do we always agree on... on what values should be?

That was Joey Santino.

He'd always wait for miss white

To ask a really easy rhetorical question.

Yes.

And then he'd get it wrong.

Anybody else?

Yes, Mr. Pfeiffer.

No.

Good!

Now...

Do values change through time?

Say, from generation to generation?

Christine Hansen... she always gave

These thoughtful, complete, downright inspired answers.

She made us all sick, but teachers loved her.

Yes, Miss White.

Some values change from generation to generation.

But I think the really important ones

Are the heartfelt human values,

And they stay the same throughout the ages.

That is very good, Christine. Okay.

What a pain in the ass.

Okay, now, as we read,

As we evaluate those characters that we meet,

How do we know which values should change

And which values are,

As Christine so eloquently put it,

Heartfelt and timeless?

That was a tough question in any time.

But in 1968...

Yes, Christine?

Can I go to the bathroom?

In 1968, even Christine Hansen couldn't answer that one.

? The answer is blowin' in the wind ?

? How many roads must a man walk down... ?

And yet, in 1968, maybe more than ever,

The question kept coming up.

Take that whole incident with my sister, Karen,

- And Louis. - ? Yes, and how many seas... ?

For two weeks, all we heard about was "Louis says this"

And "Louis says that."

? before she can sleep in the sand? ?

And then one day...

We all got to meet him.

[ engine shuts off ]

[ Guitar playing ]

This was Louis.

? Yes, and how many times... ?

He was a junior at the state university,

An honor student in political philosophy,

Active in student government

And various non-profit social causes.

But I didn't know that.

[ music stops ]

All I knew was that he was on my sister like mold on cheese.

Wow.

Paul, she's my sister!

So what? She's not my sister.

For all Karen's rebelliousness and independence,

Or maybe because of it,

I couldn't help feeling she needed my protection.

Go out.

[ Guitar twangs ]

Sorry!

[ Doors close, engine turns over ]

I don't know what it was about Louis that I didn't like.

Guess there was something about him I didn't understand...

Something that was taking my sister away from us.

Get out of here. Leave my wife alone.

[ dramatic music plays ]

Steve!

Between it being at the college

And it being a weeknight and my parents, I mean...

[ sighs ]

It's just gonna be such a hassle.

Well, I know a few Vietnamese peasants

Who probably feel that it's worth the hassle.

Come here, you.

Oh, I don't think I can march... not tonight.

Okay.

Mm.

Iced tea okay?

Yeah, sure.

Can I make a phone call?

Sure.

[ Dramatic music plays loudly ]

Kevin? Can you turn that stupid thing down?

I was here first!

It's okay, Karen.

I sort of like watching these old fascist films.

They're like parodies of themselves by now.

[ Telephone dialing ]

Hi. It's me.

Yeah, sure I had fun, Marissa.

Marissa? Did he say he had fun with Marissa?

Listen, uh, tonight, 7:30, we're marching from Jenkins Hall

To the administration building, and...

What?

Of course you can crash at my place.

And that she could crash at his place?

Okay. Good.

I love you, too.

- And that he loved her? - No, no, no...

I couldn't believe it. What a sicko.

It wasn't enough that this guy was all over my sister

Like a fungus in a damp basement.

No, he was a multi-basement kind of guy.

I was outraged.

Okay, so, I'll pick you up at 7:00. Bye-bye.

[ Receiver clicks ]

[ Imitating hero in a western ] Louis...

I'm gonna have to ask you to step outside.

Wh-what do you mean?

I'm onto you, Louis.

Ii don't know what you're talking about.

[ Both grunting ]

Take that, you lowdown,

Snake-bellied, lily-livered weirdo.

[ Gasping ]

[ Normal voice ] sorry, sis. He was no good.

[ Gasps ] oh, Kevin!

I'm so glad I have a brother like you.

I'm gonna make your bed for you from now on.

Mm! Mmm!

Can I help you?

Who's Marissa?

A friend.

What kind of friend?

Are you asking if she's my lover?

[Shudders] did he have to use that word?

You must be Kevin, huh?

You must have heard me talking on the phone with Marissa.

You want to punch me?

Do something violent?

[ Sighs ]

Kevin, your... your sister and I... we love each other,

But it's an... it's an open and a trusting love.

We don't own one another like a farmer owns a cow.

You understand that?

[ Thinking ]yeah.

You're saying if it weren't for cattle-rustling laws,

You'd have cows sleeping over at your place, too.

Kevin, I can share love with your sister,

And she can share love with me.

That doesn't mean I can't share love with Marissa, too.

Sounded like a lot of sharing to me.

I had a hunch everybody was getting pretty small portions.

Does Karen know about this?

Louis, is he bugging you?

Kevin, do you think that maybe you could play somewhere else?

Oh, Karen, he's fine.

We were just talking about relationships.

[ Chuckles ]

I talked to Marissa. She can make it tonight.

Oh, good. That makes me feel a little less guilty.

She really did know about Marissa.

Okay, now I was officially confused.

I felt like I had to take action...

To make a stand, to do something.

But I had no idea what.

Kevin, are you just gonna stand there?

Yes.

[ Chuckles ]

I watched Louis and my sister make out for about 20 minutes.

After a while, I started feeling like a third wheel.

Fortunately, my subconscious had a plan.

Louis is here.

Oh?

Yeah, he's in the living room...

With Karen.

Hmm.

Well, don't you want to meet him?

I'm sure if your sister wants me to meet Louis,

She'll introduce him.

I don't want to interfere in her life.

Oh, really?

Would it help you to know

That this guy is screwing around

With half the state university system?

What's he like?

Bingo.

Disturbing.

What?

[ laughing ] Kevin!

What kind of a word is that for you to use?

I don't know.

Well, what does that mean... "disturbing"?

Kevin?!

What does that mean?

Okay! Don't get mad at me!

Heh-heh-heh.

If I couldn't stop this guy myself,

I could at least get the troops fired up.

[ both laughing ]

Mom, this is Louis. Louis, this is my Mom.

Well, hi, Louis. It's nice to meet you.

Mom, do we have any carrots?

Yes, honey, we have carrots,

But I thought it might be nice

If I said hello to your... Friend.

It's really nice to meet you.

So, uh, I'm making dinner now, Louis.

There's plenty of chicken if you'd like to stay.

That's very nice of you, but, actually, um...

Louis doesn't eat meat, Mom.

[ Chuckles ] it's no big deal.

I just have some qualms about the way livestock's raised.

That's all.

Sure, sleeping with it's no problem, but eating it...

Well, you're more than welcome to stay

And fill up on salad and vegetables if you like.

Well, thanks. Maybe, uh... maybe I'll take you up on that.

So...

You don't eat any meat?

No, I really don't.

Ha!

My mother was gonna expose this guy for the weirdo he was.

So, Mrs. Arnold, what do you do?

I beg your pardon?

I mean, you know, for a living?

[ laughing ] oh, of course. Right.

For a living.

Nothing.

I mean... I'm a housewife.

Oh, that's... that's certainly not nothing.

[ laughing ] no, you're right about that.

God knows it's demanding at times.

I'll bet.

You find it fulfilling?

Fulfilling?

[ laughs ]

Who the hell did this guy think he was?

Asking my mother if her life was fulfilling?

I guess I've never really thought about that.

Maybe you should, Mom.

Yikes.

Did you go to college, Mrs. Arnold?

Oh, yes, I was a history major in college.

But I met Karen's father in my freshman year,

So I-i never finished.

You regret not finishing?

[ laughing ] oh, no!

Wow. That's great.

I mean, a lot of women find it demeaning,

Spending their lives serving their husbands and children.

Okay, look out.

Mom is gonna nail this guy now.

[ gasps ] oh, my god!

Oh, I am so sorry!

Oh, and your being a vegetarian and everything.

I'm sorry. I am such a klutz.

I couldn't believe it. Why was she apologizing to him?

My Mom likes serving us!

This Louis guy is a major butthead!

Okay, historically, Wayne was not the guy I turned to

In times of crisis.

But bottom line... the Wayner was my brother,

And when it came to protecting our kinfolk,

I knew we stood as one.

So he's a butthead. It's just Karen.

So, he said stuff to Mom.

So?

And he's a radical... you know, like at college?

So?

And he and Karen are lovers.

And I'm not sure if Karen knows about this,

But he's got another lover... named Marissa.

Whoa!

Two lovers?

You know, I bet they do it in the microbus.

I mean, I swear I saw it rocking back and forth before.

You know what we could do?

We could drill a hole in it and set up a camera.

You know, I bet sometimes, when he's doing it with Karen,

He shouts, "oh, god, Marissa!"

Oh, god! Oh! [ Smooching ] Marissa! Marissa!"

Well, there was one more hope.

Hi, Louis. Nice to meet you.

And it was no small hope.

It was Dad, the Maginot Line of family resistance.

Things were gonna be okay.

Dad would take care of this guy.

Now the Arnold men would stand together.

"oh, god, Marissa! Marissa!"

Well, some of the Arnold men.

No chicken?

Louis doesn't eat meat, Dad.

Hey, just thought I'd mention it.

No meat, Louis?

No, meat, uh... meat just doesn't turn me on, really.

Yeah, that's not what I heard, pal.

[ Scoffs ]

No meat, huh?

Imagine that.

I knew it.

Dad would carve through this guy

Like a butcher carves through a pork loin.

Oh, I heard, honey,

Why the Vandovers didn't go to Brian's funeral.

They were in Chicago.

Dick's mother had a stroke.

Oh.

One of the boys on our block was killed in Vietnam

Several weeks ago.

Oh, I-i know. I mean, uh, Karen told me.

Another meaningless death.

I beg your pardon?

Ii just meant that...

It's such a shame, uh,

A kid has to die for basically no reason.

More broccoli, anyone?

I don't think it's meaningless

When a young man dies for freedom and for his country.

I just have a little trouble

Justifying dying for a government

That systematically represses its citizens.

Oh, honey, try the potatoes. I put grated cheese on them.

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

It means that the United States government

Is responsible for the oppression

Of blacks, women, free speech.

Well, perhaps, little lady,

You'd like to go live in Russia for a while, huh?

Oh, uh, I-i think what Karen's saying is that, uh...

Look, buster...

I happen to believe that freedom and democracy

Have certain advantages that communist dictatorships don't,

And that is what Vietnam is all about!

No, man, that's what they brainwash you

To believe it's all about.

They [scoffs] they turn people into brainwashed morons.

My hunch was that my father would not let

Being called a "brainwashed moron" at his dinner table

Go by unremarked.

So...

You think I've been brainwashed, do you, Louis?

No. No.

Look, I think anyone

Who supports the American war effort in Vietnam

Is having the wool pulled over his eyes.

I see.

Just like they did with Korea.

What the hell do you know about Korea?

I was in Korea.

I lost a lot of good friends there.

Daddy, that doesn't have anything to do

With what we're saying.

And they weren't brainwashed!

They were brave men

Who weren't afraid to fight for what they believed in.

Now, if you're afraid to fight, why don't you just say so?

Why don't you just admit that you're chicken?!

You're damn right! I am chicken.

I don't want to die like your friends!

What do you think that you achieved over there, hmm?

Do you think that those people are free?

They're not free, man.

Except to buy Coca-Cola and, uh, Nestl�'s Quik,

Get loans from Chase Manhattan bank.

- That's crap! - You were used, man,

And your friends were used. That's crap!

Daddy, you never listen to what we say!

Some of what we say is true!

Don't accept all this death and then justify it.

It is wrong!

Your friends should be alive.

They should be enjoying dinner and arguing with their kids,

Just like you are.

What do you know about it?

Who the hell are you to say that?!

You see this, man?

[ Exhales sharply ]

This is my draft notice.

In two weeks, I can go to jail...

I can go to Canada...

Or I can go get shot full of holes

Like your friend Brian Cooper.

You keep thinking the way you do, Mr. Arnold...

And these two will be next.

And I just hope that's what they want.

Excuse me.

[ Door opens, closes ]

And so after all, Karen left with Louis.

[ door closes ]

And Dad and Mom and I were left with our thoughts.

Can I have her potatoes?

And Wayne was left with himself.

Who was right, and who was wrong?

? I love you ?

Well, I'm supposed to be an adult now,

And I still can't completely figure that one out.

? For sentimental reasons ?

But at some point, late at night, near sleep,

The ideas and the disagreements sort of dissolve,

And you're just left with the people.

? I'll give you my heart ?

And people were no different then than they've always been

And always will be.

? I love you ?

[ Crying ] you told me you loved her.

You never told me you were sleeping with her.

? And you alone were meant for me ?

[ Door slams ]

? Please give your loving heart to me ?

? And say we'll never part ?

Young girls get their hearts broken.

? I think of you every morning ?

Men and women suffer alone over the choices they've made.

? Dream of you every night ?

[ Snoring ]

And young boys, full of confusion, full of fear,

Full of love and courage...

? ...Whenever you are in sight ?

Grow up stealthily in their sleep.

? I love you ?

? For sentimental reasons ?

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