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 ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Somebody who knows quite sure ♪

♪ Baby ♪

♪ By with a little help from my friends ♪

♪ Said I'm gonna make it with my friends ♪

♪ Try with a little help from my friends ♪

♪ Oh, I'm gonna keep on trying ♪

♪ High with a little help from my friends ♪

♪ I'm gonna keep on trying now, baby ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

[Laughs]

Every American family

has its own unique blend of personalities.

[Laughs]

[ Laughs ]

My family was no exception.

[ Sighs ]

[ Groans ]

Within our four suburban walls,

we ranged the full spectrum of types,

from the flamboyant to the demure...

From the repellent...

To the ideal.

Somehow, we managed to fit together

in a kind of fragile alliance.

One for all, and all for one...

With one exception.

[ Barks ]

Buster.

Buster, the family dog.

When he was little, he was cute.

Everyone wanted to cuddle him.

He was the perfect puppy.

Then something happened.

Buster...

Grew up.

[ Barks, growls ]

Suddenly, he wasn't so cute.

- [ Barks ] - Kevin!

- Honey! - Scrote!

And just as suddenly...

[ Barks ]

The family dog...

Had become my dog.

Okay, Buster.

Here we go.

Not that I'd volunteered for the assignment.

Come on. Eat.

Look. Ooh! [ Smooches ] Look.

Oh, yeah.

It's just, when it came to Buster...

The rest of the family preferred a less...

Hands-on role.

What's wrong with him?

Isn't he hungry?

Maybe he has fleas. [ Chuckles ]

Oh, no. Not fleas.

Honey, they'll get in the carpets.

Kevin, haven't you been spraying him?

Dad, he doesn't have fleas.

[ Whimpers ]

Well, then take him for a walk.

Why me? Why can't he do it?

[ Chuckles ] Because he's your dog.

Grampa gave him to you.

[ Chuckles ]

So, by a quirk of grandfatherly fate,

Buster's fate and mine had become tied together...

Come on, boy.

For better or worse...

[ Barks ]

Mostly worse.

You're a lucky guy, Kev.

What are you talking about?

That.

[ Birds chirping ]

Dog food?

You're providing for man's best friend.

Now, that's nothing to scoff at.

Paul, have you ever smelled this stuff?

Well, no, but...

yeah, well, let me tell you...

you're not missing much.

Hey, at least you get to have a dog.

Okay, then.

If you're so crazy about dogs, why don't you just get one?

My parents won't let me.

They say a dog will ruin the furniture

and that every time we go on vacation,

we're gonna have to worry about what to do with it.

But do they care what I think?

A boy should have a dog.

What childhood is complete without one?

Years later, Paul would wind up on a couch

talking to a professional about it.

Paul, trust me. It's not that great.

Really.

I mean, taking care of dogs isn't as easy as it looks.

Y-you got to feed 'em and bathe 'em and walk 'em.

Believe me... it's no picnic.

Old Yeller saved his family from a bear.

Unfortunately, where I lived, bears weren't the problem.

He ate my shoes.

- [ Whimpers ] - Are you sure?

Yeah, I'm sure.

No. I mean, are you sure it was Buster?

Oh, right, butthead.

I mean, who else would be gross enough

to eat Dad's loafers, huh?

[ Barks ]

He also mistook my closet for a fire hydrant.

I don't understand this.

He's never done this before.

I wonder what's wrong.

Whatever it was,

it wasn't exactly endearing the old dog to the old homefront.

[ Barking ]

Can't you at least keep him quiet?

I got less than a week to finish this damn report.

Seemed like it was up to me to save Buster's reputation.

- [ Whimpers ] - Maybe he's sick.

Sick?

Well, his nose is a little warm.

Maybe you should take him to the vet, honey.

Poor guy.

[Chuckles]

Nothing like a warm nose

to bring out the best in a family...

warmth, compassion.

I'll take him tomorrow.

Yeah, and trade him in for a cat.

[ Cat yowls ]

Is he eating?

No. Not really.

Mmhmm. And how long's he been barking?

About three weeks.

Okay, Buster. Let me look at your eyes.

Sure... check the eyes, the ears.

Give him a few doggie pills, and we'd be out of there.

Are you the person responsible for the dog?

Well, yeah. I guess.

In that case,

I have something to discuss with you, Kevin.

Why? Is there something wrong with him?

I could see it was something horrible,

like plague... Rabies.

Are you planning on breeding Buster?

Oh.

Well, I mean, no.

I guess not.

Whew! And I thought it was serious.

Because, Kevin, I think we should have Buster fixed.

[ Whimpers ]

Uhhuh.

Frankly, I think it's the conscientious thing to do.

What we're really talking about here is Buster's well-being.

And it's a fairly simple procedure, really.

And so Dr. Ferleger explained to me

exactly what was involved,

making every detail crystal-clear.

And when it was over...

So, how do you want to handle this?

[ Whimpers ]

Seemed the decision was pretty much up to me.

Mom? Dad? Wayne?

I took Buster to the vet.

And?

Well...

Honey?

Is there something wrong with him?

Well, nothing that can't be fixed.

[ Groans ]

I mean...

There was no sense holding back.

This was a family issue... a matter for the alliance.

Well...

So... I told them.

She said it was the conscientious thing to do.

I explained to them exactly what was involved...

making every detail crystal-clear.

[ Whimpers ]

And when it was over...

[ Knife clatters ]

[ Whimpers ]

Seemed the decision was pretty much up to them.

That's what she said, huh?

[ Barks ]

- Uh-huh. - [ Barks ]

But at least the burden was off me.

This problem was too big for one small kid.

My family would handle it now, together...

one for all, all for one.

May I be excused?

I should go finish the laundry.

Um...

There's a light bulb in the bedroom, uh...

Needs to be replaced.

I, uh...

Got to...

Take out the trash.

Yeah.

Like I said... one for all... All for one.

[ Door opens, closes ]

[ Barks ]

[ Barking ]

Over the next few days, we did our best

to pretend the problem didn't exist.

[ Barking ]

[ Groans ]

Would anyone like some more bacon?

Yeah. Thanks, Mom.

Yeah, me too.

- Coffee's good, Norma. - Mm.

[ Barking ]

Trouble was, in order to ignore the problem...

You had to ignore Buster.

And in order to ignore Buster...

You had to be the village idiot.

[ Barks ]

[ Barking ] My family was stymied.

Trouble is, the only way out...

[ Barks ]

Was the skilled hands of a surgeon.

Okay, bullet-head. You try.

[ Saw whirs ]

Not like that.

[ Saw powers down ] Your fingers!

You want to cut something important off?

I'm sorry.

I guess I just got distracted.

Distracted? Huh?

What about?

Well, see, it's my dog. He's been acting up.

You know, barking, eating shoes.

Barking? Huh?

Oh. I know that problem.

Know it well.

Hold on, here. Was this a man who could help?

A man with a little field experience?

Maybe even a man with a solution?

Do you have a dog?

Oh, had.

Smokey.

Oh, he was a real pal.

Saw me through some tough times, that little devil.

He had three legs, you know.

He hated the first Mrs. Nestor.

Nope. You can't buy loyalty like that anymore.

Ahh, there's nothing I wouldn't do for that little fella.

And for one second, I could have kissed the guy.

So, how'd you keep him from barking?

We had him fixed!

[ Barks ]

[ Growls, barks ]

[ Barking continues in distance ]

Hey!

Okay, butthead. Here's the deal.

Every time your dog barks, I throw something at you.

[ Scoffs ]

- [ Barks in distance ] - [ Sighs ]

[ Thud ] Hey! Wayne, cut it out!

Why don't you tell your dog to shut up already!

Damn it, Kevin! I've got work to do.

[ Scoffs ] Look, Dad, I put him in the cellar.

Try something else.

Our family alliance was falling apart.

It was clear someone had to act.

[ Sighs ]

[ Barks in distance ]

[ Barks ]

[ Door opens ]

And, as usual, it was gonna be me.

It was time to talk Turkey with the pooch.

[ Sighs ]

Come on, Buster.

Give me a break, huh?

Give us all a break.

[ Whimpers ]

Look, Buster, if you stop barking,

then maybe you won't have to go to the vet.

And trust me... you don't want to go to the vet, okay?

[ Growls ]

But somehow I had the sneaking suspicion

all the logic in the world

wasn't gonna change this dog's mind.

So there was only one thing left to do.

Good dog.

Good boy.

Buster and I struck a bargain.

He wouldn't bark...

And I wouldn't sleep.

♪ I couldn't sleep at all last night ♪

♪ Just a-thinkin' of you ♪

♪ Maybe things weren't right ♪

♪ When I was ♪

♪ Tossin' and turnin' ♪

♪ Turnin' and tossin' ♪

♪ A-tossin' and turnin' all day, day, day ♪

Whoever said dog is man's best friend

must have had a king-size bed.

♪ Tossin' and turnin' ♪

Still, over the next few days,

the problem seemed to be solved.

Not a yip, not a peep. Nothing.

Finally.

And losing a little sleep wasn't so bad

if it kept the dogs at bay.

Oh, Kevie?

Whatcha doing?

I'm trying to take a nap. Why?

Oh, nothing.

Just thought you might want to know...

Buster...

Ate Dad's homework.

[ Chuckles ]

[ Growls ]

[ Whimpers ]

- [ Laughs ] - [ Barking ]

Glad he's not my dog. [ Laughs ]

It was pretty clear what was gonna happen

when my father found out.

Dad's not gonna take him to the vet.

He's gonna take him to the pound.

[ Barks ]

[ Whimpers ]

I thought about putting Buster on a night flight to Siberia.

But I knew sooner or later, Dad would find him.

So I took him to the park.

You're in a lot of trouble... you know that?

Do you know what you've done?

[ Barks ]

This is serious, okay?! It's not funny!

But suddenly, I was fed up with a dumb mutt

who absolutely refused to listen to reason.

- [ Barks ] - All right.

Fine. Bark your brains out. See what I care.

I wash my hands of the whole thing.

I mean, Buster,

can't you just try once in a while to fit in?

I mean, are you part of this family or not?

[ Dog barks ]

And then, I guess I got my answer.

[ Grieg's "Morning Mood" plays ]

[ Dogs barking ]

Buster, come back!

[ Dog barks ]

This is your last chance!

I'm warning you!

[ Barks ]

[ Dog whimpers ]

[ Door closes ]

[ Indistinct conversations on TV ]

What's this?

Halfway through.

Kevin! Where have you been?

I was at the park.

Buster got loose.

I had to chase him.

You saw what he did?

Gonna be up all night

trying to patch this thing together.

I'm sorry.

[ Sighs ]

But somehow, Dad's report

didn't seem all that important anymore.

Hey... Where's the pooch?

He ran away.

I think he wanted to.

I let him down.

I think we all let him down.

I'll get my coat.

- Buster! - Buster!

- Buster! - Buster!

That night, I think we all realized something...

- Buster! - ...About Buster,

about ourselves...

- Buster! - Buster!

About being a family.

- Buster! - Buster!

Sometimes it's not enough just to enjoy the good times,

the cute times.

Buster!

Sometimes it's when your puppies grow up

that the work begins.

- Buster! - Buster!

The hard decisions.

[ Sighs ]

[ Engine shuts off ]

[ Sighs ]

Okay.

We'll look again tomorrow when it's light.

But we all knew it was hopeless.

We'd let him go.

And there was no way we'd ever find him.

[ Sighs ]

[ Crash, dog barks ]

Until, of course...

- [ Barking ] - ...Buster found us.

Buster!

- Buster! - Buster!

- Buster! - Oh, come here, Buster!

Look at how dirty he is.

- Buster! - Oh, good boy!

You're a good boy! Look at the boy!

Buster! Hello, sweetheart!

You're so cold! You... are you cold?

We missed you so much!

- We missed you a lot. - Oh, lookit.

Can't believe how dirty he is. Good boy.

[ Bill withers' "lean on me" plays ]

The next morning, we all took Buster to the vet.

And in a way, I guess you could say that Buster's loss...

Was also his gain.

He'd been this little stranger

who turned out to be a part of our family,

a venerable member of the alliance.

One for all, and all for one.

Buster.

Buster, look! Look!

♪ We know that there's ♪

♪ Always tomorrow ♪

♪ Lean on me ♪

And over the years, through good times and bad...

Through seasons of hope and change,

he stood by us all.

A silent partner,

the first one to greet me at the door

when I came home from my senior prom.

The one who stared out our front window

on the day I left for college.

And my Mom said he stayed there for hours.

♪ You have to bear ♪

♪ That you can't carry ♪

♪ I'm right up the road ♪

♪ I'll share your load ♪

♪ If you just call me ♪

♪ Call me ♪

♪ If you need a friend ♪

♪ Call me ♪

♪ Call me, yeah ♪

♪ Call me ♪

♪ Call me ♪