Original subtitles

I bet we've been together for a million years.

And I bet we'll be together for a million more.

Oh, it's like I started breathing on the night we did.

And I can't remember what I ever did before.

What would we do, baby, without us?

What would we do, baby, without her?

And there ain't no nothing we can't love each other through.

What would we do, baby, without her?

Sha -la -la -la.

That's gross.

I'm sorry, Jennifer. Next time I'll go in the garage, okay?

Mom, what's for dinner?

Soy meal and hearts of palm casserole.

Again?

I'm glad we only have three meals a day.

Alex,

you promised to go in the garage.

You've got a fever. You should take some aspirin and go right to bed after

dinner. No, no, it's just a cold, Mom.

Anyway, I can't go to bed early.

Got to hand in my term paper on the Declaration of Independence tomorrow.

going to be up all night working on this.

Alex, you're sick.

I'm sure your professor will understand if you turn it in late.

Yeah, Mom can write your teacher a note like she does for me.

A note.

Jennifer, this is a term paper on Thomas Jefferson.

This is not a book report on our friend the policeman.

It was our friend the fireman, and I got an A on it.

Steve Skippy just called me up and asked me if I wanted to go to the Van Halen

concert with him on Sunday. What'd you say?

I asked him if he'd sell me the tickets so I could go with a normal guy.

Perfect.

Alex, what's all that stuff?

This stuff, Mallory, as you so eloquently refer to these items, are two

treasures of American history.

This is the famous John Trumbull painting of the signing of the

Independence. And this, Mallory, this is the Declaration of Independence.

How'd you get it?

This is not the original, Mallory.

Elise, Alex, you remember Ed Nelson, PBS in Washington?

Right. Hi.

Alex,

talk to your dad. Maybe you'll have more luck than I did in convincing him to

come to Washington tomorrow morning. Ed, come on. We've been over this.

What's going on? There's some important congressional hearings tomorrow

involving funding for public broadcasting, and we need your husband

In front of Congress? Dad, the Congress?

Ed, I am flattered by the offer, but I told you there are a lot of important

things going on here tomorrow, and I just can't get away. Right, Elise?

What's going on tomorrow that's so important?

That haircut appointment.

Look, Dad, you can't pass this off. I mean, this is big.

Destiny is calling you.

See?

Oh, hi, Dad.

I just came to get some juice for your mother. She couldn't sleep.

How come? Baby kicking?

No, I wasn't.

I've been tossing and turning this Washington thing. It's really been on my

mind. Well, Dad, come on. It'll be great. Okay, picture it. You're in the

conference room. It's jammed with reporters, okay? Hanging on your every

Flashbulbs popping all over. The chairman bangs his gavel. Ha, ha, you

finally refusing to be silenced.

Alex, there are other station managers who are experienced at this sort of

thing. I'm just not in their league.

Dad, look, at the Continental Congress in 1776, Thomas Jefferson was a young

guy, an unknown, facing the crowd, complete nobody, just like you.

And when John Adams asked him to write the Declaration of Independence, he must

have been a little overwhelmed, just like you are, but he said yes.

Thomas Jefferson was a great man, Alex. I'm not a great man. I'm Stephen Keaton.

Dad, Thomas Jefferson wasn't Thomas Jefferson until he was Thomas Jefferson.

You know, he didn't know he was going to be Thomas Jefferson. I mean, one day he

was Thomas Jefferson, and the next day he was... I know. Thomas Jefferson.

Look, great event made.

Great men.

Thomas Jefferson say that?

Uh, no.

I did.

See, Dad, if Thomas Jefferson had given in to his fears, if he hadn't written

the Declaration of Independence, they would have got somebody else.

Somebody less brilliant. Somebody less eloquent.

And without this masterpiece, Dad, the revolution might never have succeeded.

He did do a nice job on it.

Yeah, thank you. See?

It was Jefferson's destiny to write the Declaration of Independence, just like

it's your destiny to go to Washington and testify.

How do you know so much about people's destinies?

That's my destiny.

Alex, I appreciate what you're saying. I really do, but I'm just going to have

to go with my instincts on this one.

I'm not going to testify. Dad.

I'll see you in the morning, son.

Yeah. Try to get to sleep.

Come on, Alex, wake up. We got a lot of work to do. Why? We got to clean up in

here, and then we got to go clean the stable.

Stable? Ah, stable. What are you talking about?

Skippy.

Skippy, what's going on?

Why am I wearing these clothes?

If you weren't, you'd be naked.

Skippy, what date is it?

It's July 3rd.

July 3rd what?

It's July 3rd, sir.

No, Skippy, what year is it? Oh, it's 1776.

Whoa.

I'm not used to it either. You know, I'm still writing 1775 on my checks.

Good day, Mr. Jefferson.

Sir?

Hello, Skipford.

Oh, young boy.

Stable boy.

Me? I just saw my horse tied to the post outside.

Now, I've asked you numerous times to please put him inside the stable when it

rains. The rain can damage his coat.

Oh, Thomas.

I'm glad you're still here. Oh, hello, John. Good evening, Mr. Adams.

Sir.

Thomas, I just did some informal polling of the other delegates, and I think the

vote tomorrow is going to go our way.

Independence from England. It'll be quite a day, John. Yes, it will.

And the delegates also agree that you're the man to write the document which

officially declares our independence from the king.

Will you do it?

Skippy, pay attention. You are about to witness one of the greatest moments in

the history of mankind.

Never mind that.

Betsy Ross's window shade is up.

I am very honored to be asked to write this declaration, John, but my answer is

no. Oh, come now, Thomas.

You're the finest writer amongst us. And the most eloquent of thought, I dare

say. Why, just the other day, you impressed us all so much with your talk

the natural rights of man, about liberty and self -government. That...

That was nothing, John. I had a few glasses of ale, that's all.

Come now, Thomas, it is no time for false modesty.

I'm not being modest. I just have a lot to do tonight.

I'm having my wig fluffed.

What about John Hancock? He's very good.

He writes in those nice, big letters.

Very easy to read.

If you don't change your mind by morning, I'll ask him. Well, I think

man. Come on, John, I'll walk you to your horse.

Skippy, Thomas Jefferson isn't going to write the Declaration of Independence.

Let's get busy here. Skippy, look it. You don't understand. Without

brilliance in that document, the revolution against England will fail.

So what? I like England.

Look, Skippy, I got to do something.

Do you know where Jefferson lives?

I live next door to the Jeffers.

Take me there. No.

Uh -uh, Alex. Don't get me involved in this.

I'm in enough trouble already for cracking that stupid bell.

Look, Skippy.

The history of the nation, perhaps of mankind, depends on what we do in the

couple of hours. Oh, great.

He works with me down at the statehouse.

He'd like to talk to Mr. Jefferson.

Alex, what a nice name. Well, my husband's upstairs. Won't you come in

Yeah.

Young man, you're not well.

You should have yourself leeched.

Say there, Mallory.

I happen to have a couple of tickets to the turkey shoot this Sunday.

Are you interested?

This very cute minute man asked me today.

Well, this guy may be a minute man, Mallory, but someday, you'll see, I'm

to be an indentured servant.

Mother, what's for dinner?

Turtle and flummery pie.

Again? Good thing we only eat thrice a day.

Let's eat.

Tom, dinner's ready, and you have company.

Honey, I can't find my dressy britches.

pudding stain all over the front.

What are you doing here? I really must speak to you, sir. It's very important.

Can't it wait until tomorrow? Dinner's ready, and I hate cold turtle and

flummery pie.

No, no, sir, it can't.

Listen,

you have to write the Declaration of Independence.

I mean, only you can make it bold enough and thought -provoking enough to

convince the nation that the revolution is a just cause.

Oh, and how does a stable boy such as yourself come to know so much of these

matters?

I'm a history buff.

Sir, look, I know what you're thinking.

It's only natural that you'd be overwhelmed by this.

I am not overwhelmed. I just have a lot to do. A good wig fluffing takes time.

Destiny is calling you.

Answer the call. You are a great man.

I am not a great man. I'm just a farmer from Virginia.

I'm just Thomas Jefferson.

What have I ever done that was great?

Well, for one thing, you got your picture on the $2 bill.

Ah, you see, this will be the first thing.

Well, don't you get it? Great events make great men.

Who said that?

I did.

Well, I haven't yet, but I will.

Ah, Mr. Jefferson, take my word for it.

This is a big career move for you.

Bob, your dinner is on the table. I'm going to be skipping dinner, Martha.

But you love turtle and plumbery pie.

Not every night, dear.

That's not the reason. I have some work to do. I'm going to take a crack at this

independence thing.

Declaration. Declaration of independence.

I guess you just have to get these silly things out of your system.

All right.

All right, young man, you've convinced me. Now be on your way so I can get to

work. Oh, sir, please. Can I just watch you? I mean...

It'll mean a lot for me to see this. I mean, more than you can even imagine.

You want to watch me write? Yes, sir. And I'll be real quiet.

I won't say a word. Very well. Very well.

Thank you.

Whoa. Wait a minute. One minute.

I just think you should use this yellow crinkly kind.

It is neat looking.

Ah,

sorry.

Just seeing how it's going.

Coming along fine, thank you.

We hold these truths to be...

these truths to be...

Damn! Come on, what's the matter? I

am stuck on this one phrase.

We have the right to govern ourselves in order to protect our most fundamental

human right.

The existence of these rights is so obvious as to not require any further

justification. How do I say that?

Ah, may I make a suggestion?

No!

We hold these to be pretty darn clear.

Now, that's no good. We hold these truths to be

obvious even to a big dope.

these truths are self -evident. How do I say that?

Just like that.

Just, uh, just, uh, like that. Like, we hold these truths to be self -evident.

Well, I'll put that down for now.

Otherwise, we'll be here all night.

That they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.

I should probably list a few.

And among these are life, liberty...

Life, liberty...

Maybe just life and liberty.

No, no.

Oh, sir, it can't be just life and liberty.

It's got to be life, liberty, and the... of...

What of what?

It'll come, dear.

And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection

of divine providence,

We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortune, and our sacred

honor.

Well, gentlemen, what do you think?

Splendid, Thomas. A brilliant piece of work.

And I like the crinkly yellow paper.

Okay, let's sign this baby and ship it off to England.

Now, gentlemen, settle down.

Settle down.

Let's do this in an orderly fashion.

I'll sign first.

John Hancock.

Okay, who's next?

Hey, come on, John.

you took up practically the whole page.

Well, they seem to like it.

Why shouldn't they?

It's one of the finest things ever written.

You know, young man, when I think that the future of this nation we're creating

today will be in the hands of young people like yourself, it makes me very

proud.

Well, I'm proud to have someone like you to set the standard.

Ah, Mr. Jefferson.

Thank you, lad.

For everything.

Hey, come on. Quit shoving.

Thomas Jefferson wrote this thing. He should be signing it.

Tom, will you get over here and put your John Hancock on this?

You did, Mom, I remember. Now, listen, both of you.

Alec, you've been down here all night?

No.

No, I was at the... I had to go to

Philadelphia.

You were there.

You were all there.

But, Jennifer, you didn't want to eat the turtle and flummery pie.

What?

Mallory, you had a date with a Minuteman.

What? And Mom, Mom, you wanted to leech me.

Good morning, everybody.

Skippy. Skippy. Skippy, you cracked the Liberty Bell.

I'm sorry.

I swear I'm sorry. I hardly touched it. I just, I just... Wait a minute.

I did not.

Are you all right? I'm fine.

I'm fine, but...

It happened.

I was there.

Morning, Ed. Morning.

Stephen will be right down.

That's John Adams.

What? It happened, Mom.

I changed his mind.

Change of heart?

Yes, Ed, I've decided to come with you to Washington.

Ray!

That's wonderful, Stephen, but last night you were so set in your decision.

Well, let's just say I changed my mind.

Thank you, lad.

For everything.

You're welcome.

Boy, this is weird.

Ed, if you can wait for a few minutes, I'll go finish my packing. Sure thing.

Oh, Alex.

Yeah, Dad? If it rains again tonight, don't forget to put my car in the

Right.

Dad, wait a minute. What did you just say?

I said don't forget to put my car in the garage.

Garage.

Right.

Sit, Ubu, sit.

Good dog.