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 ?

[ Piano playing Pachelbel's "Canon in D Major" ]

[ Bicycle spokes rattling ]

When you're a little kid,

You're a little bit of everything...

Artist, scientist,

Athlete, scholar.

Sometimes it seems like growing up

Is the process of giving those things up one by one.

[ music continues ]

I guess we all have one thing we regret giving up,

One thing we really miss,

That we gave up because we were too lazy

Or we couldn't stick it out...

Or because we were afraid.

He's gonna go long!

What a pass!

[ Music stops ] Nice spiral, Joe!

All right, come in. Huddle up.

The '68 jets. We had all the moves.

And there wasn't an imaginary team in the league

That could beat us.

Okay. It's late in the fourth,

The ball's on the 6, and Oakland's up by 3.

Don? That would be Don Maynard -

In Paul's case,

The only wide receiver in pro football

Who was allergic to grass. [ Laughs ]

I want you to slant left, button hook,

And cut the post.

Okay?

Who am I?

You're Emerson Boozer.

You provide vital pass protection.

Blocking? Again?

Well, well, why do I always gotta block?

'Cause you're good at it.

Ready... Break!

[ Clapping ]

[ Crowd cheering ]

And the crowd's goin' wild.

Okay.

89!

235!

Hut, hut, hut! Hut!

Joe Willie Namath...

Fades back to pass...

He's looking for a receiver...

And Maynard breaks free in the end zone!

What a block by boozer!

He's all alone!

Scrambling... Scrambling...

He's wide open!

Touchdown! [Crowd cheering]

And the jets win it 26-23!

Kevin! It's 4:30!

[ Cheering stops ]

Better get a move on.

And so the AFL Championship game

Of 1968 came to a grinding halt.

In front of 60,000 screaming fans,

The league's leading passer

Had to go to his weekly piano lesson.

[ playing scales ]

Ronald Hershmuller.

He was practically a legend in our neighborhood.

He always practiced 4,700 hours a week.

He always played everything perfectly.

His mother always bragged about him

To everybody else's mother.

I hated Ronald Hershmuller.

[ music stops ] There. Finished. How was that?

Nobody plays scales like you, Ronald.

Do you want me to play them again?

Do you want me to play them faster?

I can play them faster.

- Go home, Ronald. - Okay.

Well, I guess I'll see you next week, of course. Uhhuh.

- Good afternoon, Mrs. Carples. - Good afternoon, Ronald.

Oh, and good afternoon to you, also, Kevin.

See ya, Ron.

Ronald.

Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting. [ door closes ]

[ Coughs ]

Mrs. Carples.

She wasn't exactly a poster child

For the American lung association.

But you could say what you thought to her,

Which was kind of neat.

So, how you been this week?

Eh. You?

We had the same week.

Okay, let's get you warmed up, huh?

Ugh!

If there was one thing I hated

As much as I hated Ronald Hershmuller,

It was scales.

[ playing scales ]

Why did I do this to myself?

[ playing melody ]

[ Dissonant note plays ] Keep going.

[ Continues playing melody ] [ coughs ]

[ Music stops ] mm...

Well...

Your playing sounded pretty good to me.

I'd guess you must have practiced...

This was it. Maybe she'd overshoot.

About 42 minutes this week.

What?!

No.

Come on. It was longer than that. I swear!

I round off to the nearest minute.

Oh.

But you said it sounded pretty good.

"Pretty good"... that's not the same as "good."

You know, Kevin...

I'm gonna start to feel guilty for taking your parents' money

If you don't put a little more effort into this.

Have you thought about what you'd like to play

For the recital this year?

The recital? It's time for the recital again?

Already?

Uhhuh.

I think I'm busy that night.

I haven't told you what night yet.

I mean, um...

I'm probably gonna be busy that night.

See, I'm in junior high now,

And there's a lot of demands for my time.

Last year's excuse was much better.

Did your uncle ever pull through?

No, really.

I've got a lot to do besides piano, that's all.

You know, I'm not like Ronald Hershmuller.

Mmhmm.

Well, it's up to you.

So, Kevin, how was your lesson?

Okay.

You know, I bumped into Mrs. Hershmuller

In the supermarket today.

And she told me how excited Ronald was

About playing in the recital this year.

I didn't know this year's recital was coming up.

Did you know this year's recital was coming up?

Well...

Yeah.

Are you gonna be playing in it?

Well...

Mom. Recitals are for wusses.

Of course he's gonna play.

Wayne, there is nothing feminine

About playing the piano.

And even if there was,

I think it's good that Kevin is in touch with that.

[ laughing ]

Look, I'm not gonna be playing in the recital, anyway.

I already told Mrs. Carples that.

Why not?

I just don't feel like it.

Look, I'm not like Ronald Hershmuller.

Well, that's too bad,

Because, you know, I bumped into Mrs. Carples

At the supermarket today, too.

Geez, mom. Did you bump into any food?

And she said that you have real talent.

What?

She said you didn't practice enough,

But that you have real talent.

Real talent?

Okay. Hold it, hold it.

Act casual. Get some more information...

Casually.

Uh... When did she say that?

Well, we were in the produce section.

I was picking out some tomatoes for the spaghetti sauce.

Mom.

Well, that's when she said it.

That you had real talent.

Geez. Real talent.

And she said it right in front of Mrs. Hershmuller, too.

A key bit of information,

But there was still one thing I wanted to know.

Well, did she say I'm as good as Ronald Hershmuller?

Well, no. I-i don't think she said that.

Isn't Ronald Hershmuller like really, really good?

[ laughs ]

You as good as Ronald Hershmuller?

- Fat chance! - Wayne!

Now, no one expects you to be as good

As Ronald Hershmuller, honey.

Look, the only reason he's so good

Is because he practices all the time.

I never practice, or I'd be better than him.

[ Fork clanks ]

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Uh, did I just say that?

What do these lessons cost me?

[ Sighs ] $10, I think.

$10?

Is that $10 a year or $10 a week?

- A week. - I see.

And your teacher says you never practice?

Yeah.

And you say you never practice.

Well [sighs]

I mean, I don't really mean...

Never practice.

And your teacher says you have talent,

But the reason you're no good is because you don't practice.

Am I getting that right? Is that what we're saying here?

I guess.

Well, then [clears throat]

I'd say one of two things is possible.

Either you start to practice

Like this Ronald, uh, Hershmuller

I hear so much about,

Or you're just gonna quit the damn piano!

It's your choice.

[ Playing melody ]

Funny thing was, I didn't want to quit the piano.

Mrs. Carples thought I had talent.

But what if I didn't?

What if somebody else, like say, Ronald Hershmuller,

Was just always better?

[ plays notes dissonantly ]

[ Plays notes loudly ]

[ Sighs ]

[ Playing melody ]

[ Music stops ] Very nice, Ronald.

I'll see you next week.

Adieu, Mrs. Carples.

That's "farewell" in French.

Goodbye, Ronald.

Kevin.

Fr�re Jacques.

[ Door opens, closes ] Okay, Jacques, hit the bench.

We got lots of work to do here.

And if you try to speak French to me,

I swear I'll break all your fingers.

What's the matter?

- Miss Carples... - What?

[ Sighs ]

I know this lesson's already paid for and all,

But, um, it really doesn't make any sense to do it.

Because, um...

Well... I'm quitting piano.

You're quitting piano?

Yeah.

Well, would you mind telling me why?

I don't know.

I don't practice enough.

It's a waste of money.

[ Chuckling ] well, whose fault is that?

I don't know.

Look. I'm not gonna be like Ronald Hershmuller!

Okay.

Just...

I'm never gonna be that good,

Even if I practiced all the time.

[ Sighs ]

He's just more talented than me.

Oh, don't give me that.

You have more talent in your little pinkie

Than Ronald Hershmuller has in his whole body!

Why, that kid's a machine!

You have a feel for music, and you know it!

But that's not the point... who's better, who's worse?

I mean, that's not music.

That's not what it's about.

Sit down.

Huh?

Sit down.

I want you to play something for me...

Pachelbel, "Canon in D Major."

It's my final request.

[ Plays Pachelbel's "canon in d major" ]

[ Plays dissonant note, music stops ]

Keep going.

[ Music resumes ]

All of a sudden, as I started to play,

It was like there was electricity

Flowing through my veins.

Suddenly, I could do no wrong.

[ music continues ]

[ Music stops ]

There.

That's what it's about.

And so I made my decision.

[ playing "Canon in D Major" ]

I would sacrifice...

Endure humiliation...

Deprivation...

Grave physical danger.

But I would play "Canon in D Major"

Like Mrs. Carples had never heard it before,

Like the world had never heard it before,

Like Ronald Hershmuller had never heard it before.

Hmm!

All right, go ahead... take a guess.

You must have practiced a good seven hours.

Hah! A mere 61/2.

I don't know. I didn't really keep track.

Well, it was quite a difference.

- Yeah? - Yeah!

Okay... the fish are jumpin'. Cast out your line.

So...

It sounded pretty good, huh?

No. [ Coughs ]

It sounded good.

It's just a shame your parents can't hear you play it

At the recital.

You got a bite.

Now play out a little more line.

Well, I don't think it's good enough for the recital.

Kevin...

You're playing this piece well enough right now

For the recital,

And you still have a whole week to practice.

Well... I don't know.

It's up to you. I can't force you to do it.

Okay...

Too much, too much! Start reeling in.

Uh, well, if you think I'm ready...

I do.

You're ready!

Play in the recital.

Pretty please, with sugar on top.

Smart fish.

Well...

Okay.

[ Chuckling ] oh, good. All right, now.

Let's see if we can polish this up a little.

Kevin, I'm glad you decided to stick with it.

[ Piano playing softly ]

[ Music continues ]

[ Music stops ]

So, this was it. The dress rehearsal.

And I was ready.

Leave it to Ronald Hershmuller

To actually get dressed up for a dress rehearsal.

Good afternoon, Ronald.

Hello, Kevin.

- Nice suit. - Thank you.

Did you practice this week?

More than you, I'm sure.

Oh, I'm sure. I'm sure.

So what are you playing?

Uh, "Canon in D Major."

Now, I've never actually been hit by a ton of bricks,

But...

What?!

"Canon in D Major."

But you can't play that. See, I'm playing that.

So?

So... Don't you know any other songs?

I know lots of other songs.

But not as well as I know "Canon in D Major."

All right. Let's everybody take your seats.

How could she do this to me? She must have known.

What I'll do first

Is welcome all your parents to this year's recital.

So, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah... Welcome.

Now I would like to introduce our first student,

Mr. Ronald Hershmuller,

Who will be playing the Pachelbel "Canon in D Major."

Ronald.

But wait a minute.

What was it Mrs. Carples had said?

This wasn't about competition.

It wasn't about who's better or who's worse...

Ronald? Play now...

- [ exhales ] - ...Bow later.

It was about music. [ playing "canon in D Major" ]

And anyway, maybe Ronald would screw up.

Maybe he'd screw up royally.

[ music continues ]

Maybe the phone would ring.

Maybe a fire alarm would go off somewhere.

Maybe someone would drop a 10-megaton bomb on the roof.

China had 'em now, didn't they?

Okay. Sure, it sounds perfect now,

But how long can he keep this up?

God, you know I don't ask for much.

[ music continues ]

Okay, god, okay.

I'll never swear,

I'll give my allowance to the needy,

And I won't use that snotty tone of voice

With my mother, okay?

Okay?

Just one lousy mistake.

Aah!

All right. Now take a little bow, Ronald.

[ Applause ]

Ronald, sit down.

This was a disaster.

Ronald had played his piece, my piece...

Perfectly.

Now I would like to introduce our second student...

Good. I needed time to think.

Kevin Arnold.

Now?! Back-to-back?!

What was she tryin' to do to me?

Kevin will also be playing

The "Canon in D Major,"

But I think you'll find it interesting

To hear how two different students

Interpret the same piece of music.

Kevin?

[ Sighs ]

Remember, just keep going.

[ Coughs ]

[ Plays "Canon in D Major" ]

Suddenly, as I started to play,

I thought... Maybe I could do it.

Maybe I could still play it, better than Ronald.

After all, I had a feel for music, right?

If I could just get through it,

Without making a mistake...

[ plays dissonant note, music stops ]

[ Music resumes ]

Or, even say, if I made one little mistake.

[ playing dissonant notes ]

But then it happened.

I started to feel their eyes...

Boring into me.

It was like a chain reaction.

I couldn't stop it.

It just got worse...

And worse!

It was the piano recital from hell!

[ music continues dissonantly ]

And then it was over.

[ music stops ]

Hey.

You had a little trouble.

Okay, so you choked.

But it's no big deal. You'll do better tomorrow night.

Yeah.

You know, it's still not too late to change your mind.

[ Sighs ] mom, I told you yesterday,

I just don't feel like playing in the recital.

I just don't... Want to take the lessons anymore.

But you practiced so hard!

It's no big deal.

I just don't understand why...

Mom!

I'm just sick of piano, okay?

Dad said I didn't have to take lessons anymore

If I didn't want to.

Can I go out for a while?

Paul and Doug are waiting for me.

- Well... - Thanks.

Kevin!

Don't stay out too late.

Okay.

[ Door closes ]

So, Joe...

You predicted the jets would beat the mighty colts.

And here you are, the game's MVP.

Well, how does it feel?

Oh, it feels great, Jim! I mean, I can't describe it!

It's like being on top of the world!

Hi, mom!

Well, looks like it's getting a little dark

In here in the locker room,

So I guess we'll have to wrap up.

Yeah, it is getting kind of late.

I better start heading back.

You coming, Paul?

Oh, no, not yet.

Emerson wants to be interviewed. [ chuckles ]

Okay. See you guys later!

Oh, hey, Joe!

Any last thoughts for our TV audience?

Yeah. Tell 'em it's a night I'll never forget.

[ Bicycle spokes rattling ]

[ "Canon in D Major" playing ]

I never did forget that night.

I remember the light glowing from Mrs. Carples' window.

And I remember the darkness falling

As I sat out there on the street looking in.

And now, more than 20 years later,

I still remember every note of the music

That wandered out into the still night air.

[ music continues ]

The only thing is...

I can't remember how to play it anymore.

[ music continues ]

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