Original subtitles

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

♪ and I'll bet we'll be together for a million more ♪

♪ oh, it's like I started breathing ♪

♪ on the night we kissed

♪ and I can't remember what I ever did before ♪

♪ what would we do, baby

♪ without us?

♪ what would we do, baby

♪ without us?

♪ and there ain't no nothin' ♪

♪ we can't love each other through ♪

♪ ooh-hoo

♪ what would we do, baby

♪ without us?

♪ sha-la-la-la

Uh, mail call.

Gas bill, electric bill. Ah, where's Andrew?

I've got his diaper bill.

You'll have to give it to him in the morning,

Mallory and Nick are putting him to bed.

Elyse, some college catalogues came for you.

Oh, good, I was waiting for those.

You going to live here or at the dorm?

I ordered them for Mallory.

I think it's about time she got her applications together.

Ohio State, Rutgers, Bloomingdale's.

Mallory sent for that one.

Oh, well, we know she can get in there.

Hey, ma, hope it's all right,

I invited Skippy over for dinner tonight.

His parents went out.

Oh, that's nice. What's the occasion?

Well, they said they wanted to eat

in the company of civilized human beings.

Ah, well, we don't feel that way here.

Welcome.

Well, we finally got Andrew to sleep.

Nick read to him.

Oh, what did you read to him, Nick?

Uh, Motorcycle Maintenance, Volume I.

I hope you left out the dirty parts.

Ah, Nick.

Hey, Al-ex.

How my little friend?

Hey, Ni-ick.

I'm fine, thank you.

Hey, I noticed you're all dressed up again, you know?

Uh, that's a cute little outfit you got on there.

I was hoping you'd notice.

Who is that?

That's Nick, Mallory's new boyfriend.

Hey, I'm out of here. I'll see you later, babe.

Bye, Nick.

Hey.

Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey.

Hey.

Oh, Mallory, a lot of catalogues came for you today.

You probably want to start looking through them.

Oh, my Bloomingdale's catalogue! Thanks, mom.

Honey, I was referring to the college catalogues.

You have to start deciding where you want to apply.

Oh, there's no real rush, mom.

Oh, look, this is too important to put off, Mal.

You don't want to find yourself scrambling at the last minute.

That's right, Mal.

A lot of those schools in the Philippines

fill up pretty quick.

I'll tell you what, I'll divide the catalogues into categories

of the schools that are sure things,

possibilities and long shots.

Well, you really don't have to go to all that trouble, mom.

Are you kidding, honey?

I have been looking forward to this moment for 17 years.

Great.

Look at this catalogue for Pembroke.

They have one of the most

progressive curriculums in the country.

Now, they emphasize creativity and individuality

over grade point average.

What a revolting concept.

This is such a great time to be a young woman.

You know, everything is open to you.

There is so much you can do.

All right, I'm sorry.

I know I tend to get a little emotional

when I think of everything that's in store for you here.

Yeah.

Alex, I need your advice.

I have to break mom's heart

and I know you can tell me the best way to do it.

You flatter me.

Alex, what would you say if I told you

I didn't want to go to college.

I'd say, I think the academic world could survive the blow.

Well, what about mom?

It'll kill her.

Why is it so important for her that I go to college?

Come on, Mallory.

Look, no one is expecting you to go to Harvard.

Y-you put in a few years at a junior college,

you come out with a diploma,

everybody's happy and you're none the smarter.

What do you say?

Alex, I've already made up my mind.

I'm not going to college.

What are you gonna do, Mallory?

Are you gonna marry Nick?

I mean, did it ever occur to you

that at least one of you should know how to read?

Alex, I'm not marrying Nick. I have big plans, you know.

I'm gonna work my way up to assistant manager

of the boutique, and then I'll be manager,

and then I'll become a buyer, and then I'll have my own shop,

and then I'll have a chain of shops,

and then I'll keep expanding

till I'm the largest retailer in the country.

And a major fashion trendsetter in the entire world.

Then what?

Alex, I'm serious.

Well, then, uh...

I think you should say to mom what you just said to me.

With the same passion and the same conviction.

Every time I start to, I chicken out.

Well, mom is no dope, you know.

Come next fall, she's gonna notice you're still here.

I know, I know.

I'm gonna tell her.

All right. You got a plan of attack?

No.

Well, do you have any statistics

to back up your position?

No.

Do you have any idea at all

what you're gonna say to her?

No.

Enjoy college.

Mom, I just don't feel right about this.

Oh, honey, this is your first college interview,

it's understandable if you're a little nervous.

But I'm here with you.

Mom, before we go through with this,

there's something I've been meaning to tell you.

I haven't said it before

'cause I haven't known exactly how to put it.

Elyse, good to see you again.

Oh. How are you?

Fine. Fine, Frances.

This is my daughter, Mallory.

Frances Wilder.

Hello, Mallory. It's a pleasure to meet you.

Please, sit down.

Oh, Elyse, you can stay a few minutes

while we get acquainted.

Then Mallory and I will have a private interview.

So, Mallory, tell me about yourself.

Well, um, I'm 17, I have two brothers and a sister...

No, no, no, no. I mean, tell me about yourself.

Uh, I think what Frances wants to hear

is something more personal,

about your hopes, your dreams, your fears.

That kind of thing.

Oh.

Do we have to start with such a hard one?

No. We - we can start with something else.

Um, what did you enjoy most about high school?

I don't like high school very much.

Well, honey, I know that's not true.

I know you're enjoying your senior year.

Don't worry, Elyse.

Mallory's not the first person to sit in that chair

and say she didn't like high school.

Takes courage to be honest.

I hated high school.

So, Mallory, uh, did you find high school dull?

Not exactly dull.

Unchallenging.

No, not that either.

Mundane?

Excuse me?

You know, "mundane," of or pertaining to the world

characterized by the practical, the transitory, the ordinary.

Uh, no, not exactly.

Well, what, then?

Hard. Hard.

Difficult. Not easily yielding to understanding.

Elyse, I know what "hard" means.

Sorry.

Exactly what do you find hard about high school?

Exactly everything.

Look, I...

I'm not a good student. I'm not very smart.

Well, Mallory's always had trouble applying herself,

but she's got a lot of potential.

I mean, all of her teachers have said that

from the very beginning.

She's - she's creative in so many ways.

Mom, really.

Well, it's true, honey.

You remember that poem

that you wrote in the third grade,

and you got up and recited it in front of the whole class?

That was a good poem.

Recite it for Francis now.

Mom, this is embarrassing.

No, go on.

I'm sure she'd love to hear it.

Here, I'll start you out.

Snow is falling all around

From the sky down to the ground

Never the other way around.

Mom, the poem is 10 years old.

Holds up.

Mallory, have you written any poems recently?

No, I'm not good at that.

I'm not good at anything in school.

Honey, that is perfectly...

Come on, mom, I'm not smart.

Why am I the only one who can accept that?

Because it's not true.

Yes, it is true. Look, I don't want to go to Pembroke.

I'm sorry, Ms. Wilder.

Honey, there are lots of other schools.

No offense, Frances.

Look, I don't want to go to any other schools either, mom.

I don't want to go to college!

Mallory, you can't mean that.

Yes, I can! I'm only here today

because I didn't have the guts to tell you sooner.

You're the one who wants to go to college, not me.

I just want to go home.

Hi, Mal. How'd the interview go?

Hi, Elyse. How'd the interview go?

Hey, Alex. How'd the interview go?

Mallory, I'd appreciate it if you would stand still

while I'm talking to you.

Thank you.

Now, go to your room.

Gladly. I won't have to listen to you lecture me anymore

on the importance of a college education.

How'd the interview go?

I'll tell you how the interview went.

Steven, your daughter wants to throw away her life.

She doesn't want to go to college!

I can't believe it.

Well, it's true, mom.

She told me last week.

If you knew she didn't want to go to college,

why didn't you tell us?

Well, because I didn't think it was my place to interfere.

When has that ever stopped you before?

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Mom, come on.

Don't take it out on me

because you're angry at Mallory.

I'm not angry at Mallory.

I am surprised and...angry.

Look, I know how much this means to you, Elyse,

but we can't always expect Mallory

to do what we'd like her to do.

Don't you start caving in, Steven.

This is very important to Mallory's future.

Who's caving in?

You are! I can tell by your posture.

You're taking on that "let's-be-reasonable" slouch.

She's right, dad. You're slouching.

That is just my normal slouch.

I have no intention of being reasonable.

Good.

Although, if I were going to be reasonable,

I would have to say I'm... I'm not completely sure

we should force Mallory to go to college.

I knew it.

It may not be the right thing for her.

Dad, you're slouching again.

Before I go to my room, I have to say one thing.

Go ahead.

A lot of successful people didn't go to college.

Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison...

Moses.

Moses?

Moses, dad! The guy who parted the Red Sea!

Didn't he go to Dartmouth?

All I'm saying, if I'm not good at something,

why should I do it?

Mallory, you're 17 years old.

You have your whole life ahead of you.

You have no idea what kind of subjects

might excite you in school,

what new ideas might open up to you

and new areas you've never dreamed of before.

See this - this could be the most special time of your life,

but it comes once and then it's gone forever.

I don't want you to miss it!

What's going on?

Nothing! Nothing! Nothing!

Oh.

Who's winning?

Jennifer, we are in the middle of a discussion.

What'd she do?

I'll tell you later.

Look, Alex, Jennifer, your mother and I

want to talk to Mallory alone.

No, it's okay. they don't have to leave.

I've already said everything I have to say.

To whom? Your friends?

Nick? I mean, they may not think college is important,

but we do, and you certainly haven't discussed it with us.

Mom, leave Nick out of this. It has nothing to do with him.

Doesn't it? Well, maybe if you

had a boyfriend who was in school,

you might be a little more interested in going yourself.

Ooh. Ooh.

That is untrue!

Mom, I don't care what you say,

I'm not going to college.

And I'm not going to my room!

I'm going for a walk, and if I pass a college on the way,

I'm not attending it!

Come in.

Mallory. Hey, you're just in time

to check out my latest sculpture.

What do you think?

Everything is a mess. It's horrible, Nick.

What? Too much yellow?

No, the sculpture's beautiful.

I've just got other things on my mind right now, okay?

My life is falling apart.

Hey.

What happened?

I got in a huge fight with my parents.

They're gonna force me to go to college.

Think about that.

Uh, can I get you something to eat?

Let's see, I, uh...

I think my aunt went shopping today.

Yeah, she did.

Some baking soda? Ketchup?

Nick, didn't you hear what I said?

Yeah, I heard ya.

Well, you don't have to hold anything back.

My parents are acting like tyrants.

You can say whatever you want.

Okay.

I think your parents are right.

What?

I think you should go to college, Mallory.

I can't believe it. Why?

I don't know, I-I've always had this picture of you in college.

You know, like, I'd come by, you'd cut class.

We'd go places.

You know, see, and then at night you'd come by here

And you'd tell me what you learned, and I could learn, too.

You see, it'd be just like I'd be going to college with you.

Except I wouldn't have to get up in the morning.

I don't want to go.

Mallory, I think you're making a big mistake.

Someone as smart as you should go to college.

Are you kidding me?

I'm not smart.

You know how I feel when I'm in class?

I feel like - like two men in suits are gonna come in

and point a finger at me and say,

"you, get out of here. You don't belong here."

Hey, that's what happened to me.

You know, except in my case, they were right.

I don't know, Nick.

Maybe I'm afraid.

Of what?

Failing.

Letting my parents down.

I'm just afraid I'm gonna be lost.

Hey, I'll find ya.

Do you really think I'm smart?

If you weren't, you wouldn't be able

to appreciate my sculptures.

You know, I mean, other people,

they come up to it and they say, "what's that?"

or they just make a face.

But you know how to find something in 'em.

You know how to see things.

You know, that's why you should go to college.

You might be able to see things,

things that could change your life.

You know, this does kind of make me think of sailboats

and a seashore on a summer day.

Families playing, children,

flowers and peace.

What do you call it?

12-car pileup.

Look, the important thing is that you see something.

It doesn't matter what.

Do you really think I'm smart?

I know you are.

Hey, that doesn't mean I don't think you're beautiful, too.

You're great, Nick.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Well, I guess I'd better be going.

My parents are probably worried about me.

Uh, hey, Mallory?

Could you do me a favor?

Sure.

Uh, just don't tell your parents that I agreed with them.

You know, it may spoil our relationship.

Oh, it's just you.

Not the thrill it used to be, huh, dear?

No sign of Mallory, huh?

Elyse, you can't worry about Mallory

every time she walks out that door.

She's a big girl now.

I'm sure she's fine and she'll be home any minute.

How can you be so sure?

Fathers know these things.

It's the paternal instinct,

a sixth sense.

Also, I called Nick.

She left 12 minutes ago.

If she's not home in 30 seconds I'm calling the police.

Are you, uh...

You doing all right?

Yeah, I guess so. I don't know.

I've been better.

Look, Mallory's a terrific kid.

She's never been a great student and she's never enjoyed school.

Subconsciously, Elyse, I think,

uh, we both knew this was coming.

I just don't want her to miss any opportunities, Steven.

I don't want her going through life

wondering what might have been.

I don't think there's a person in the world

who doesn't wonder that from time to time.

Except maybe Alex.

Andrew's calling for you guys.

You better hurry up, he's fading fast.

Yeah, I gave him a cup of black coffee.

That ought to hold him till you get up there.

Hi.

Oh, hey.

Did I miss dinner?

Yeah. Good thing, too.

We had lima beans.

Yech.

I hid mine under the mashed potatoes.

That is the first place they look, Jennifer.

I saved you a lamb chop.

It's in Alex's briefcase.

Thanks.

Mom and dad still upset?

They're calming down.

So how come you don't want to go to college, Mallory?

Same reason you told mom and dad

you don't want to take piano lessons.

Be a waste of time.

I'm starting piano lessons next Tuesday.

It was either that

or I help around the house an extra hour every week.

That's blackmail.

When you're 12, they call it "creative parenting."

All right, who put the lamb chop in my briefcase?

I don't know. It must have been the lamb-chop fairy.

Hey, Mal, when did you get back?

Just now.

Listen, if you want to avoid a confrontation

with mom and dad, you better get out of here.

They're gonna come down any minute.

I might as well get it over with.

Listen, you know, uh, my feeling is that they're split on this.

You know, and you could use that to your advantage.

I mean, play them against each other.

You divide and conquer.

When I, uh - when I say "divide and conquer,"

I-I mean that in the most respectful, obedient...

Coming!

I'm with him.

Hello.

Hello.

Hi.

Sorry I was gone so long.

I hope you weren't worried. I was at Nick's.

Mallory, we have to talk.

I know.

Look, I was discussing with Nick this college thing...

What Nick says has no bearing on the situation.

His opinion is completely irrelevant.

He is not a member of this family!

He thinks I should go to college.

I've always like that boy.

Look, I'm really confused. I don't know what to do.

Listen to Nick.

Well, you got to understand,

it's not just that I don't want to go to college.

I have big plans. I want to work at the store full-time.

Well, honey, you can't make a career out of that.

Well, I don't plan on being a saleswoman forever.

See, by the time I'm through,

I plan on owning a whole chain of stores.

I even have a name for them.

They'll be called "What's in Store."

Do you get it?

What's in store and what's in the store.

That's very good, Mallory.

I'd certainly shop there.

Dad, it's gonna be only women's clothing.

Well, then I'd just browse there.

I-I think that's a great ambition, honey.

I-I also think there are a lot of things you could learn

in college that would help you to run a business successfully.

It's not just that, mom.

I'm afraid I won't do well in college

and that I'll let you down,

that I'll be a disappointment to you.

Mallory, don't ever think you're gonna disappoint us.

We just want you to keep your options open.

That's all we're saying.

Don't be afraid to try new things.

Okay, I have a proposition for you.

I go to college for a year, but at the end of the year,

if I don't like it and I don't want to go back,

you'll respect my decision and not fight me on it.

I've got to admit, it sounds reasonable.

And I'm not slouching.

Well, I like the idea, too.

I'm sorry, mom. I know this has been real hard on you.

Oh, honey, if I've acted crazy,

it's only 'cause I want the best for you.

And I'm gonna have it, I promise.

Uh, listen, mom and dad.

Um, about that, uh, uh, "divide and - and conquer" crack,

I didn't...

I mean, uh, surely you don't think that...

I'm coming!