Original subtitles

Everyone in the world is different from everyone else.

That's easy to see.

Just look.

But everyone is lucky enough to have one thing in common.

One thing that binds everyone together.

Everyone has a heritage, a family history, traditions handed down from

grandparents and great -grandparents.

Our next performer is Kyle Johnson.

Kyle?

Hey! I'm down here!

Kyle?

Kyle? But what if I'm not that lucky?

What if I'm the only person who doesn't have a heritage? What if I'm different?

I said I'm down here!

Can't you see me?

Kyle.

Kyle.

It's time to get ready for the game.

Go.

I was having this really weird dream about this Heritage Day thingy that's

on at school. Pre -game anxiety.

Everybody gets it.

I used to dream I was at the game wearing nothing but my underwear.

And I was just in the band.

You'll do fine, Kyle. You always do.

Here, have some yogurt and a fruit bar. It'll help you keep your energy up. That

sounds good. I might have some of that myself.

Where's our family from, Dad?

We're from right here, son.

No, no, I mean, where did we come from?

You know, what's our heritage?

We moved here from Cleveland.

We're Americans, Kyle. That's all the heritage we need.

Hey, come on, Kyle. You're going to be late for the game. Let's go.

Don't forget to wear your lucky coin.

I had this really weird feeling, like there was something they weren't telling

me.

This was the first time our school had ever made it to the state basketball

playoffs.

Tonight was the quarterfinals, and we were going all the way this year, state

champions.

And I...

was the reason why

everything

was going my way

I was one lucky guy

Hey, luck's got nothing to do with it.

I'm in charge of the Heritage Day committee.

You're in charge of, like, every committee.

I mean, somebody's got to do it.

I'm putting together the program, and I wanted to know what you're going to do

for Heritage Day.

I don't know. I mean, you know, this whole Heritage Day thing. It's like so

public television.

It's your history.

Yeah, but I mean history.

You know, it's like so ten minutes ago.

Now, sports.

That's what's happening now. That's where I'm coming from.

That's right.

Well... Even if you are some kind of mindless jock, you've still got a

Mindless?

America is a nation of immigrants, Kyle.

Everybody's ancestors came from another country.

Yeah, up our jerky.

So where's your family from? Is Johnson an English name, or did they change it

from Johansson or something?

Uh, we're from Cleveland.

Ha ha, very funny. Now come on, you know what I mean.

Look, uh, I've got a test. Okay, see you guys later.

Jocks.

Time's up, people. Put your test papers on my desk on your way out, please.

Thank you.

You'd be better off leaving them blank, Kyle. Remember, I subtract points for

wrong answers. The risk school.

I do it specifically to discourage what you just did.

Guessing at the answers.

You know, in real life, you can't depend on luck to make up for not knowing.

These answers are all correct.

Is this like Italian food or something?

It's something I saw in Eat Smart magazine.

Why?

Oh, I just thought, you know, maybe it was like an old family recipe.

You're lucky your mom makes you such healthy meals, Kyle. It's probably why

you're such a good athlete.

Kyle just has a natural talent for sports.

Yeah, you know, it's probably genetic.

I mean, I bet if you go back far enough, we've had great athletes in our family

for generations.

You know, great soccer players, maybe.

Or cross -country skiers.

Or... bullfighters.

You better eat your salad. You don't want the oil to separate.

Yeah, Dad. I was talking with the girl in charge of the Heritage Day committee.

Is it Bonnie Lopez?

She's always in charge of everything.

I know.

Yeah. Anyways, she says that everyone's family comes from somewhere else.

I mean, if you go back far enough, we couldn't have always lived in Cleveland.

Unless we're Indians.

But we're not Indians, are we?

I don't think so.

Okay, then what are we?

You know, where did we come from?

I think your great -grandfather moved there from Buffalo.

No, Dad, I mean before that, before we came to America.

Why are you so interested in your family all of a sudden?

I don't know. I mean, you know, with Heritage Day coming up, I don't want to

the only kid who doesn't know what he is.

You're Kyle Johnson.

You're a good student, a good boy, a great athlete.

Just because some people are obsessed with where their ancestors came from

doesn't mean you have to be, too. Mom, I'm not obsessed. Being an individual is

what America's all about, Kyle.

It doesn't matter where you're from.

You can be anything you want to be.

Fresh ground pepper?

There it was again.

The feeling that they were hiding something from me.

At school the next day, I tried to find out what it was.

If you're looking for sports trivia, try gofindthewife .com.

Actually, I'm looking for information on my family.

You know, my heritage.

Man, there's surely a lot of people named Johnson. Yeah, a full million

Maybe you should narrow that search down a little. Why don't you start with your

father and trace your family back that way?

Oh, I tried that, but I couldn't find him.

Did you look in Cleveland?

Here, move over. Let me try.

Look, you don't have to help me. I'm head of the Heritage Day Committee,

remember?

My job is to help the heritage impact.

It's not important to me anyway.

I mean, so what if I'm from Germany or England or whatever?

It doesn't mean anything to me.

Then why were you on the computer?

Okay, what about your mother's family? Where were they from?

I don't know.

Well, half of your heritage comes from her, you know.

Well, yeah, but I never really thought about my mom's family.

Well, what was your last name before she got married?

Don't tell me. You don't even know your mother's maiden name.

How are you ever going to get a credit card?

Look, if you really want to find out about your family heritage, you might

talking to your parents. They are your family.

I couldn't tell Bonnie that I thought my mom and dad were hiding something from

me.

That day after school, it got weirder.

The first weird thing was my dad's old high school yearbook.

He wasn't in it.

At least, Bob Johnson wasn't in it.

Nothing.

Um, I'm going to go shoot some hoops.

Okay. Don't be late for supper. I'm making stir fries.

Why would he change his name from Smith to Johnson?

You know, I mean, if you're going to change your name, at least change it to

something interesting.

But you know what?

Maybe he didn't pick it.

Maybe it was the FBI or something.

Like they gave him a new identity.

No, man. I mean, you've got to be like a hitman or something before they let you

do that.

No.

Man, how do you make those shots?

You know what?

Maybe they were like these big radicals in the 60s, you know, and they had to go

underground.

Yeah, or you know what? Maybe they're really aliens and they got stranded on

Earth when their spaceship crashed.

You just touched the rim.

Yeah, I did.

My dad measures me like every week to see if I'm getting taller.

Then he measures my vertical jump.

And if I can touch the rim, man, he's sure lucky.

What does luck have to do with how high you can jump?

You're the luckiest guy in school, Kyle. Everybody knows it.

You know what? I think it's because of that lucky charm.

Maybe it really works. What, this?

No, this is something my mom gave me when I was a baby.

Hey, check it out. Somebody lost ten bucks.

Luck and a half, man. You're always finding money lying in the street.

Hey, or a team. All right, I'll split it with you. Cool.

Hey, man, check it out.

Hey, you know what?

I saw that guy on TV once.

No, no, no, the thing behind him. It's the same as my coin.

That was like Chinese or something.

Hey, you know what? I think this guy's Irish.

Maybe my mom's Irish.

Top of the morning to you.

Top of the morning to you.

Top of the morning to you.

All right.

Yo, the feet of the bomb. But, like, what's with the arms?

It's something called step -dancing. Like, step right up with a shamrock

Now, why wouldn't your mother want you to know if she was Irish?

I don't know.

I just get this really weird feeling whenever I talk to her.

I mean, it's like they don't want me to know anything about my heritage.

I did know you really cared about this heritage stuff.

Well, I don't.

I mean, I didn't anyway.

Now I feel like I'm missing something.

Yeah.

Top of the morning to you.

Oh, sweetie.

Top of the morning to you.

Maybe I should read this.

Look.

They have these good luck thingies like yours.

Those are just, you know, fake.

Mine's real gold.

You can always tell the real thing.

Yeah, I guess so.

Did you make those yourself?

Or is it your ma still does it for you? Then you have grown.

Give me my shoes.

They're called basketball shoes, sir.

Yeah, you buy them at a store?

It's a store, is it? Oh.

Yeah. Ow!

And what'll become of your feet when the road becomes hard and stony?

Oh, look at this, boy -o.

Good Irish leather, huh?

Soft as a spring shower and tough as a landlord's heart.

You can't put your feet up there.

Get the boys a bag of spuds.

Hey, how'd you... Where'd he go?

I wish you did.

If the blood in your veins is as green as a shamrock and your heart's full of

irony, then the saint of the steppe loves you.

If you believe in the little people and you know that there's a pot of gold at

the end of every rainbow, then you belong to the saint of the steppe.

Let's go get some blood.

Kyle?

Top of the morning to you.

Did you do something to your hair, Mum?

I just thought I'd try a more natural look.

Now sit yourself down and I'll put your breakfast on the table.

Is that bacon I smell?

It is.

And I have a pair of hen's eggs frying for each of you.

Bacon and eggs?

Isn't that a little heavy on the cholesterol?

Time you put some meat on your bones.

Now sit down, the two of you.

Does Mum sound a... I mean, does Mum sound a wee bit...

I just said a wee bit.

Yeah.

I've been thinking about what you said, Kyle, about your heritage.

And there's something I have to tell you. Uh, Kate, are you sure this is the

right time? I didn't know you was trying to hide it, Bobby.

It's about me family, Kyle. Kate, why don't we just go out and talk? We're

Irish.

Why didn't you guys tell me about this before now?

Oh, I wanted to protect you, Kyle.

From the way it was when the Irish first came to America.

From the jokes and the dirty jobs nobody else would take.

And the signs in the shop windows saying, no Irish need apply.

I wanted you to be 100 % American.

Mom, that Irish immigrant stuff was like over 100 years ago.

Wasn't it?

I remember when I was a little boy, my mother used to make bacon and eggs every

morning for breakfast. And we'd have white bread, toasted with a lot of

margarine on it, and then... Hens, eggs, and a

rasher of bacon. Potato cakes, bangers, and a black and white pudding.

What's black and white pudding?

Blood sausage and pork sausage.

And I've packed some crevines and colcannon for your lunch.

I mean, it's really weird.

You know, at first it's like she's trying to hide where her family's from.

now she's cooking all this Irish food, and she's even talking funny.

Okay, so what about your dad changing his name?

Oh, well, it really doesn't seem like it's such a big deal now, you know. I

mean, at least I know I got a heritage.

You know, at least I know I'm... Hey, some green.

Every day.

Yep.

I guess it must be the luck of the Irish.

That was the beginning of the unluckiest day of my life.

I lost my lunch.

Yeah, and on your pants, too.

That's nasty. Well, I was going to, you know, buy my lunch, but I lost my money.

Well, you want some chips?

They're in my mouth.

Look, that's never happened to me, Russell.

All right, I can't remember losing anything, ever, in my whole life.

Look, it is just bad luck.

It happens to everyone.

Hey, Kyle, you want my dessert? Chocolate makes me break out.

Yeah.

Well, so much for bad luck.

Kyle can touch the rim. No way, man. Yeah, way, man. I saw him do it. Come

Hey, Kyle, show them how you can touch the rim.

Yeah, come on, Kyle.

Come on, do it, Kyle.

Come on,

do it.

Get a lighter, man. You can't even get the net.

All right, let's line up, guys.

Tonight is the semifinal of the state tournament.

You win tonight, you make history. The first time this school has ever had a

basketball team make it to the championship game.

All right. All right. Listen up.

There's no running on game days.

Make sure everybody stays sharp. I want everyone to make 10 foul shots before

you go home.

That's make them, not take them. Russell.

Any day now?

Look, you're trying too hard, Russ.

Relax.

Let it drop.

Give me five more.

So how many do you have left?

Ten.

You haven't made any yet?

Man, I've never seen you go ice cold like this.

Yeah, that's because I've never been ice cold.

Well, do you want me to hang until you make your shot?

No, man, it's cool.

I'll catch up with you at the game.

I think you need a little more arc in that shot. I just lost my temper for a

second. I don't want to perpetuate a stereotype, but they say the Irish are a

little hot -headed.

How did you know I was Irish?

Russell told me.

So what are you going to do for Heritage Day?

I saw some Irish dancing over the weekend.

Maybe I could do that.

You're going to learn a step dance between now and Heritage Day?

Didn't look that hard.

Well, everything's easy for you, isn't it?

What's wrong with you?

Well, are you mad about something?

I've known you for a long time, Kyle.

You're a nice guy and all that, but you'd be a better person if everything

hadn't always been so easy for you.

Look at basketball.

The last game, you guys were outplayed, but you won anyways because you got

lucky.

The state championship isn't supposed to be something you just luck into.

Look, just because you know everything does not mean you know anything about

basketball.

Lucky shot.

That wasn't luck.

That was practice.

You know, hard work.

What do you mean practice? You don't even play basketball.

It was the perfect ending for the worst day of my life.

Too bad it wasn't over yet.

And half the time I missed the rim completely.

I just... Everyone

has an off night, Kyle. I never did before.

The important thing is your team won. You're going to the final. Yeah, thanks

Drake. He played a great game, especially after Coach took me out.

You don't need to be playing basketball.

You should be hurling.

Mom, I'm not sick.

I just played lousy.

Are you sure you're feeling all right?

I might drink a bit of a warm Bonnie clobber before I go to bed.

Do you smell something's... I mean dead. Smells like something's burned.

Ah boys, there's nothing like a peat fire to put the taste of air in your

breakfast.

My dad says if we don't win tonight, he's going to adopt the other team.

Hey, you look shorter.

I think maybe I'm having the growth spurt.

No, I'm just, you know, packing on a little weight.

My mom's selling this Irish cake. We had spuds again.

I mean, potatoes.

Hey, maybe that's why they blocked so many of my shots last night.

I wasn't getting enough vertical jump.

You were moving okay, like you always do.

So you think everybody's going to be ticked at me because I played so lousy?

Look, they're not going to turn on you over one game.

Besides, we'll still go for the finals.

Nice.

Way to choke, Johnson.

Hey, watch me touch the rim.

Hey,

good girls.

Oh, look, there's Drake.

Hi, Drake. Great game.

Drake, stop.

Well,

he did play a great game.

Hey, Kyle.

I just want to... I got to go to class.

Sorry.

Can anyone tell me what a magnet is?

Ollie. A piece of iron that attracts another piece of iron. Good.

But a magnet doesn't just attract iron.

Man, one bad game and I feel like I'm nobody.

Kyle, since you feel like talking, why don't you tell us what three kinds of

metal are attracted by a magnet?

Uh, iron and, um... Anyone?

Russell. Iron, cobalt, and nickel. Very good.

Iron, cobalt, and nickel.

Now, take your magnet.

and one of the metal objects in front of you.

If that object is attracted to the magnet, then it must contain either

cobalt, or nickel.

I thought you said that was solid gold.

It is.

Magnets don't lie, man.

No, no, no, no, no.

This is different.

This isn't my lucky coin.

Look, I've got to call my mom, all right?

I bet that coin was like a family heirloom or something.

That's probably why she wanted me to wear it.

No, that's probably why you had such a bad game last night.

Somebody must have stolen it.

Oh, for the love of Mike.

Kyle. Kyle, I need to talk to you. Look, I'm a little busy right now.

He lost his lucky charm thingy. What?

It's a gold coin. It's probably like 100 years old.

Got it.

That's just a quarter.

He just bulked up.

There's something wrong with this stupid phone.

Look, Kyle, I have to go. I'm going on a field trip with the young achievers,

and I just wanted to say I hope nothing I said yesterday threw you off your

game. You know about you being lazy?

Lazy? You never said I was lazy. I mean all that other stuff about everything

being too easy for you, about not deserving to win the state championship.

Whoa, check out that hair.

And my dad won't let me die, mind. He's got this thing about Dennis Rodman.

without an excuse, the coach might not let you play. An excuse?

Okay, first I found out I've been robbed. Now my hair is turning red.

Hey, I used to be taller than you.

Oh, since Parasarvas, I am getting shorter.

There's something your mother and I need to tell you, son.

I am a leprechaun, Kyle.

Mom,

I know it's hard to believe, Kyle.

I mean, when I first met your mother, I... You're not a leprechaun, too. No,

I'm from Cleveland.

We'd have told you sooner, Kyle, but we wanted you to grow up like a normal

American boy.

But then when I started to have this wee little spell... Mom, you're a foot

tall. Oh, it could be worse, believe me.

It's probably just an allergic reaction.

Boiled potatoes, something like that.

I don't think you have any reason to worry.

What?

Me?

You mean I'm a leprechaun, too?

And what else would you be?

And you with the blood of the clan O 'Reilly rushing about in your veins.

Doesn't mean you can't lead a perfectly normal life, Kyle.

Normal, yes, normal.

Dad, look at my hair. And I'm getting shorter.

You don't look short to me.

How's it look, Dad?

Maybe an inch.

Or two.

Two inches?

Dad, you said this was like an allergic reaction or something.

How long does it take to wear off? Well, actually, it's never happened before.

According to your mother, as long as the O 'Reillys have their luck, every

member of the clan can pass as a normal human.

Ordinary size, all of that.

Of course, I'm not really sure how it all works.

Well, okay.

Okay, maybe that's what's wrong with Mom.

You know what I mean? Maybe we're just out of luck. No, no, that can't be the

problem. Well, how do you know that?

Your lucky coins.

That's the luck of the clan O 'Reilly.

I lost my lucky coin.

What's this about losing your coin when it's hanging about your very neck?

Look, it's not mine. It's fake.

Somebody must have switched it with the real one.

The dirty knife.

It's nothing but a bit of iron and gold paint on it. Are you saying somebody

stole your coin? You know, I bet it was this really weird old guy me and Russell

talked to at the Luck of the Irish. You know, that Seamus McTiernan dancing

thing? Yeah, I bet he was like a pickpocket or something. Wasn't that

the fairgrounds?

Kyle, you know you're not supposed to go there without asking us. Look, Dad, I

just wanted to learn about my heritage.

You can't blame him, Bobby, and we not telling him the truth.

Now, what's this about an old man?

Gray in the hair, was he? Yeah. I mean, he started walking up to us and talking

about his shoes.

Said he made them himself.

Was it a snake he had on the sole of his shoe?

Yeah. Yeah, it was.

The miserable old sinner to play such a trick, and you his own grandson.

He was my grandfather?

He's your grandfather O 'Reilly. And may his name be cursed for a lawyer.

Oh, I'll not let him get away with it if I have to pry the coin out of his

thieving fingers meself. And he me own da.

I knew we should have moved as soon as they built that new potato chip factory.

We were bound to run into him sometime.

You mean Emerald Isles? Sure. And it's he that owns the whole company. And

can't do oatmeal without burning it.

Come along, boys.

And we'll shame him with what he's done.

Maybe I should drive?

Yes.

Kate, I think you should wait in the car. You might attract attention.

That's how it was when we first came to this country.

People looking down on you because you're a bit different.

Um, Mom?

Am I going to get as small as you are?

You're only half leprechaun, Kyle.

It'll be days before you're down to this size.

Plenty of time for me to make you some wee little gillies for your feet.

Don't worry, Kyle.

We'll get your coin back.

He says he's married to Mr. O 'Reilly's daughter.

Right.

The chair group is here.

Son, relax. Just listen.

Everything's going to be fine.

If my granddad lives right in... I mean, granddad, why don't I ever get to see

him? Because I'm not... Because I'm not a leprechaun.

And I don't believe in mixed marriages. That's why we had to leave Cleveland. We

even changed our name so Kate's family couldn't find us.

Well, if you and Mom, you know, like, love each other, why should it matter?

Well, sometimes leprechauns can be small -minded.

Come on.

Right, sir.

I'll handle it.

Mr. O 'Reilly says he doesn't have a daughter, and for you to go away and not

be bothering him again.

I'm not leaving here until I see Mr. O 'Reilly.

Are you okay, Dal?

Don't worry, Kyle.

We're not giving up.

Just going to talk a little strategy with your mother, that's all.

Yeah.

Oh, look at them. They look so nice.

On behalf of our president and founder, Mr. Riley O 'Reilly, I'd like to say

welcome to Emerald Isle.

If you follow me, we'll begin the tour.

Please stay for group at all times.

Some of the machinery can be dangerous.

Now, the potato chip was invented in the late 1800s when a cook accidentally

sliced some potatoes too thin and discovered they turned crisp when he

them. As you can see.

We've come a long way since then.

Are there any questions so far?

Yes. Will we get to meet Mr. O 'Reilly?

Oh, no. Mr. O 'Reilly is far too busy to be seeing us today.

Where's his office?

It's in another part of the building.

Now, if you follow me, we'll first see how the potatoes are washed.

What are you doing here?

You're not a young achiever. I have to talk to Mr. O 'Reilly. Why?

Remember how I told you my coin was stolen? Well, I think he's the one that

it. He's like a millionaire. Why would he steal your coin? Because he's my

grandfather. Why would your grandfather steal your coin? Do you have to know

everything? He and my mom don't really get along, and I guess he did it to get

back at her.

I think we have intruders.

Sidney, you'll feel better after having a night down in me office.

Well, Bridget, make yourself a pair of shoes.

It's good for the soul.

When you make your own shoes, you're the master of your feet.

Look, I don't want to make a pair of shoes, and I don't want to be a

Oh, there's no use rallying against what you are, boy.

If green's just not your color, then why don't you put your kind back on?

Or has your ma not told you it's the coin that you pass for human?

Look, I don't have my coin, all right? You do.

You took my real coin and switched it with this fake one so I wouldn't know

about it. I did no such thing by all.

You'll not have to blacken me name by saying I did.

Oh, but wait, it's your ma who took it to turn you against me.

Oh, it's a traitor she is. And to her own people.

My mom doesn't have the coin. She's changing faster than I am. She's this

Really?

Why, without our luck, the O 'Reilly clan would start to... Am I looking a

green?

And the trousers could use a roll.

Now, why aren't you getting short as fast as my mom did?

It's not easy for an old man to change.

But what does Kyle's lucky coin have to do with everybody turning into a

leprechaun?

It's not Kyle's luck.

It's the luck of the clan O 'Reilly.

It's all that's held us together for a thousand years and more.

A thousand years of invasion and oppression being forced from the land.

A thousand years of stony fields and famine saying goodbye forever as you

get on a boat for a distant shore.

And now when we finally made it here in America and are just about to have all

our luck, you've lost it!

Why did I have to wear it? Huh? Why not you or Mom?

You're the youngest member of the clan O 'Reilly, and it's always the young that

have all the luck.

Oh, I might as well go lay down in the gutter. It's nothing but bright, rusty,

and rude for the O 'Reillys now that our clan is out of luck. Hey, luck isn't

everything. I mean, it wasn't luck that built this factory. Oh, well, not you,

no. And I might still be a short -order chef if it had not been for a bit of

luck one day when I sliced the spuds too thin.

Are you saying... you invented the potato chip? That was over 100 years

This is all my fault. I mean, everything was going great until I started trying

to find out what I was.

Now I got red hair and pointy ears.

I wish I never would have found out anything.

I wish I didn't have a heritage. There must be something you could do.

If your coin was stolen, you could go to the police.

Oh, yeah, and tell them I'm a leprechaun and I've lost my luck?

Yeah, right.

Do you have to do that?

Of course I do.

I'm Irish.

That's how I manifest despair.

No,

no, no.

I'm not Irish.

I'm an American.

Look, maybe I wasn't the only person who got robbed of that lucky Irish thing.

You know, maybe they already caught the guy who did it. You know, I'm sure we

could talk to Seamus McTiernan.

What? This petty worker?

That stage Irishman with his neon shamrocks and his heart full of blarney

rubbish. Why didn't you tell me it was at his show you lost your coin? I would

have known it was him that stole our look.

I didn't say it was him.

And who else would it be? And him a fair daring, as plain as I'm standing here.

A what?

Kate!

Kate!

I can't find him anywhere. I don't know where he is.

Stop!

I know who took my coin. It was Seamus McTiernan.

Grandad says he's like a fur derrick leprechaun. He says they're all thieves

liars. Oh, really?

No. O 'Reilly.

O 'Reilly, O 'Reilly.

And you must be Bubby.

Yeah. Don't believe a word he says, Kyle.

It's he that took it to spite me.

Oh.

And it has only forgiven you what you deserve, Kathleen O 'Reilly, for daring

marry outside the little people.

But I swear on me mother's grave, it wasn't me that... Ma!

Don't be wasting your sympathy on him, Kyle.

Swearing on his ma's grave. And she's still living in Sligo and healthy as a

horse. You're a fine one to be calling me a liar.

And did you not tell me when you first met Bobby that he hailed from the shores

of Erie? And you know my ears aren't what they used to be. And I'd never

you met some lake in Ohio.

You guys, that stuff's all in the past. Can't you just forget about it?

Forget the past?

Yes.

The important thing is what's happening now, today.

All right, we've got to get our luck back before it's too late.

Well, well, maybe it is too late to be objecting to a marriage, and your boy

will have grown up now like a man.

Well, I'll not be apologizing for Mary and Bob, but I am sorry for the trouble

it caused you.

Let bygones be bygones?

There's no time for formalities, Bayou.

Seamus McTiernan is making off with our luck.

Come on, let's opt for the thief.

All right.

Oh.

Bonnie, look.

I gotta go. I'm going with you.

Well, what about the young achievers? They're supposed to be about seizing

opportunities. How often do you get an opportunity where you get to help a clan

of leprechauns get their luck back?

Besides, I only joined the Young Achievers because my parents made me.

I really wanted to play basketball.

But they said the Achievers would look better on a college application.

I guess it's my card we'll be taking.

That's a new seatbelt.

It's going to be a bumpy ride.

Am I going to grow a beard like that?

Oh, not for a good many years, I'm glad to say.

Kyle?

Hey. Hey, Kyle. I wasn't sure if you... Whoa.

Check out those ears.

Are those real?

Are they getting worse?

Oh.

Oh.

You okay?

What's going on?

I think we've got enough people at the car already.

Hey, it's that guy.

Oh, with the beard.

That's me, Granda.

Kyle, it's not our way to be telling the whole world all about us.

Would you stop your jabbering and drive the car?

Can you not see that the road is clear?

Miss Johnson?

Hello, Russell.

You wait here.

I'm going to check this out. Be careful, doll.

Bobby! Bobby!

If you get into any trouble with Seamus, try making a bet with him. Oh, the fair

Derrigo go wild for gambling.

Thanks.

to meet you and may it be a slippery one.

That was the last of that corned beef, sir.

Can we... You

better

get home.

You got a big game tonight.

But what about you?

You're the reason that we made it to the state finals.

I can't play looking like this.

I never could play anyway.

Not really.

I was only good because I was lucky.

Basketball isn't everything, Kyle. I should know.

Well, I can't play baseball or football either.

I meant sports isn't everything.

Look, I liked who I was, all right?

And that's who I want to be.

We should have told you a long time ago.

I'm sorry, Kyle. That was our mistake.

It's okay, Dad.

Dad.

Things could be worse, Kyle.

Yeah? How?

It's almost enough to make you homesick for Ireland.

If you had sense enough not to drive without a spare tire... Oh, if you

married me, daughter, none of this would have happened. That has nothing to

do... It doesn't do any good trying to blame each other. I mean, I know this is

miserable, but... Please don't say it could get worse.

It might.

But you can make it better if you just keep trying.

I mean, when the Irish came to America, things were tough.

And they had to work at jobs other people wouldn't take. And they didn't

paid what they deserved.

Well, at least they got paid.

The important thing is they didn't give up. They kept trying until things got

better, and that's what makes them special. Not where they are now, but the

spirit that kept them going on the way there.

She's a young achiever. I'm an American. That's what we all are.

Maybe I can walk down to the gas station. I'll get a patch to fix that

going to get that chopper on if it kills me. Hey, we can get the tire off. I'll

check the trunk for tools.

Okay. I'll be going with you, Bobby, and not left waiting in the car.

I better go, too.

I have to go call the Young Achievers.

If I get in trouble for leaving the field trip, my dad will give me his.

You're not going to get it to med school speech.

Well, thanks for helping out, Bonnie.

I mean, you know, you being here.

Kind of makes me think maybe I haven't lost all my luck.

Do you really mean that?

Or is it just Blarney?

Hey, wait up, Mr. Johnson.

What?

Do you think we can still get our luck back around there?

I don't want to be lying to you, Bio.

But it'd take a miracle to catch Seamus now.

Well, at least it stopped raining.

Hey, look. There's a rainbow.

Hey, maybe there's a pot of gold at the end of it.

Are you okay, Brenda?

You can get to the end of a rainbow.

Well, I could.

If I was only 200 years younger.

No. The rainbow is just the sunlight refracted in the clouds.

There's no end.

You're some kind of scientist.

I'd like to be one someday.

Yes, well, I'm a leprechaun. So don't be telling me about rainbows.

Hey, look over there.

Come on.

to celebrate or something.

I'll give him something to celebrate.

You buy his weight here.

I'll slip in and get our luck back. I'll get it.

Your ma would never forgive me if I was to allow you to go to a place like that.

Look, it's my responsibility.

Keep your eyes peeled.

It's our luck.

That it is, Kyle Boy. Our lucky day.

This is my coin.

I can tell it's like this weird feeling.

You can never tell about feelings, you know. So why don't we just take the

lot of it to be certain?

Come on. Give me a hand with the pot, boy.

Whoa, whoa. Grandad, you can take it all. It's not ours.

What? You think that dirty thief deserves it? And he surely stole it from

leprechauns like ourselves.

Well, we don't know that for sure.

And if he did steal it, we should tell the police.

You daft boy.

Calling in the peelers? When all this gold is just lying there for the taking.

You mean stealing.

I mean seizing the opportunity.

I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone. This wheel, the wheelbarrow, two

streets wide and narrow.

Crying goggles and muscles, alive, alive, oh.

Alive, alive, oh, alive, alive, oh. Crying goggles and muscles, alive,

oh.

The streets aren't paved with gold, Kyle.

You have to take it where you can find it.

If you'll...

I struggled as I did when I first came to this country. We didn't come to

America to steal.

We came here to work hard, get ahead, and make something of ourselves.

We, now, is it?

Sure, and it's worth a pot of gold to hear you count yourself among the little

people.

Even such a big, lovely pot as this.

away from that.

Kyle!

And you'll not be getting away either.

No. Give me that lucky coin, and maybe I'll let the old man go. Oh, don't trust

him, Kyle. He's a fur derrick. Quiet!

Fur derrick.

I'll make a bet with you.

A wager, is it?

What exactly did you have in mind?

I bet that I can beat you.

Beat me what?

Video games, is it?

TV trivia.

Sports.

If I beat you at sports, you let my granddad go and I get to keep my lucky

But if you don't beat me, then the coin is mine. And no more of this chasing

after me.

Okay.

Well, you've got yourself a wager.

Hey, what's going on, Kyle?

Where are we?

And what are we wearing?

It's hurling, Kyle!

Granda?

Watch out for the sleazer!

The what?

The sleazer!

Man,

what are we doing here?

Sports.

Look, I bet Seamus I could beat him at sports.

Man, sports are more like football, baseball, basketball.

You may have gotten lucky at hurling, but you'll not be beating me at the

of the chariot wheel.

What kind of sports are these, anyway?

Do you know nothing at all your heritage?

It's the torch and games that were played in Ireland for 3 ,000 years.

Oh.

Those games.

What do I do now?

That coin?

Does it have anything to do with greed?

It's power.

Power, boy, when I'm after taking the luck from every leprechaun in America.

Because I'd love power over the lot.

Kyle's on the wrestling team at school.

Well, it's just junior high.

It's a king we had in Ireland.

And it's a king I'll be.

King of the leprechauns.

Yeah, well, America, we don't believe in kings.

We believe in baseball.

Without your luck, there'll be no more denying what you are.

You'll see how welcome you are in America. You'll need the little people

and different from everyone else.

I mean, it's back to the lot of era.

Back to the old country and the old ways.

This

is

the last of the sports.

If Kyle doesn't win this one, it's all over.

But dancing's not a sport.

It is an isle.

I am the sage of the steppe!

What sort of steppe is that?

My steppe.

that coin now, boy -o.

What are you talking about? We tied.

We said, if you didn't beat me at sports, the coin was mine.

Well, the tie's not beating me, so hand it over.

Man, what a cheat.

Oh, he's a devil for twisting words about.

He'd make a lawyer tell the truth.

The coin, boy -o.

I don't have to be getting rough with you.

What about my granddad?

You said you'd let him go.

I said I might let him go.

Or I might just make him my slave forever. I bet I can beat you without my

What? I bet I can beat you at basketball, even without my lucky coin.

You've got nothing left to bet, boyo.

If I lose, I'll be your slave.

Oh, no, don't do it, Kyle. Bye. And if you win, you get your luck back.

Is that it?

Yeah. You're not going to trust this guy again, are you, Kyle? Now, none of

that. We're all good Irishmen here.

Irishmen.

Yeah.

Okay, so if I win, if I win, I get my coin back, and you'll live forever in

land of my fathers, and never leave the shores of Erie again.

Let's just play ball, boys.

Not some lucky coin.

Oh, he's got all the luck he needs.

Right in here.

Yeah.

The luck's inside him.

And mine's inside me.

The luck of the Irish.

Ten times that. Hidden away in a cave and caught up.

Do you remember the rest of our bet?

Oh, I remember it, Boyle.

Word for word.

It's home you're sending me.

To live forever in Ireland.

I'll be king of the leprechauns yet.

And then I'll settle with you.

And the clan O 'Reilly!

I said the shores of Erie.

Would you at least learn how to say it?

The land to your fathers is an eerie boil.

It's air.

My father's from Cleveland.

Sure hope he can swim better than he plays basketball.

I tell you, she's been all day interviewing for our scholarship

Scholarship? Oh, a memorable day. Why,

Bonnie's at the top of our list for a full college scholarship after she

finishes high school course.

Bonnie, you should have told me.

Except there's one thing that might keep her from getting it.

You see, we like our scholars to be well -rounded.

Does she not play some sort of sport?

Sport? Oh, yes. She's going to play basketball next year. Is that right,

Whatever you say, Dad.

Well, you've got one lucky girl there, Mr. Lopez.

But aren't we all lucky to be living in so grand a country where

anything is possible?

heritage. But Americans come from all over and not just one place. And so do

This land is your land.

This land is my land.

From California to the New York Island.

From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters.

This land was made because we went.