Original subtitles

[MUSIC - DAVID ROSE, "HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN"]

Hand me one of those pom-poms.

All right.

Whoo-oh!

Whoa!

[tires screeching]

How's his family doing?

Hm, his mother comes every day.

She's tried to get him to start therapy, but it'll take time.

And what about his father?

Oh, he rarely comes.

And when he does, he stays five minutes.

He hasn't been around here in weeks now.

I want my legs back.

Can you help me with that?

No, I can't.

Then just get out of here.

Just get the hell out of here!

Hey, friend?

Yeah?

You, uh, you parked in a handicap zone.

So what?

Well, so it's there for a reason.

Well, maybe you want to make me move my car.

No.

Anybody in here on that blue Chevrolet parked out front?

Yeah, I do.

Why?

You better see for yourself, pal.

[police radio chatter]

What's going on?

I just parked it.

It was fine!

You might be the best looking boy in school and all that,

but I'm a nice person.

I'm a good person.

You have no right to be rude to me.

Why do you keep coming around here anyway?

I mean, are you doing a report on cripples or something

like that?

Oh, nuts!

I swear I'd lose my head if it wasn't screwed on.

I got to go back to the nurse's station

and pick up your schedule.

I'll be right back.

Take your time, man.

I'm not going anywhere.

Mark, could you get my book for me?

I blew it.

Hey, kid, get Scotty his book, will you?

Hey, man, you got legs.

Get it yourself.

Hey, man, ain't you got arms?

You said that I blame my son for what happened.

That's right.

I bought him that motorcycle.

JONATHAN: It's all arms, all upper body strength.

Legs just swinging free.

See that?

Yeah, and what am I supposed to there, fall flat on my face?

Hey, it's about time you started

using those artificial limbs.

That's not going to be easy, but everybody falls on their face

once in a while.

[huffs] You've got to be crazy.

Why?

Because it's a crazy idea!

I'll never be able to do that.

Yeah, well, you're not going to know if you don't try,

right? - Forget it!

You know, Deke, you never would have

made it in the big leagues.

You got no guts.

I got work to do.

I'll see you later.

DEKE LARSON, JR: Hey!

When do we start?

Where'd this come from?

A friend of mine.

Some friend.

Yeah, he hasn't let me down so far.

I got somebody I want you to meet.

Hey, Richie!

Deke, I want you to meet Richie.

Richie, this is your man.

Hi.

Hi.

He's going to work with you every morning.

He'll give us a routine, we'll practice during the day,

and then we'll all get together again in the evening.

You're putting in a lot of time.

How come?

Because he's a friend, too.

Is that good enough?

Yeah, sure, why not?

What do we do?

I mean, how do I work this thing?

I call this thing the monster.

Because the whole time while you're working it,

it's just your arms that are holding you up.

It's not like some of the bar routines

where you can hang down for a while.

This is all upper body strength.

It's all arms.

So far so good.

Now, tell him what you were telling me about the kind

of focus you have to have.

Right, well, you know how in baseball you

have to be all focused in on one thing,

especially if you're a pitcher?

Yeah, you kind of have a tunnel vision.

I mean, you're aware of the runners

through the corner of your eye, but everything's

focusing on the strike zone.

Yeah, well, you can't quite do it

that way in the pommel horse.

If you do, you end up square on your butt.

You have to be sort of in a daze.

Not really focused in on any one thing.

And one more thing.

You know that commercial with a bull in it?

Yeah.

That's how strong you're going to have to be.

[music playing]

Hi!

I brought us some cheeseburgers.

I thought you might be hungry.

Hey, actually, my mother's not a veggie kick

and I'm dying for a burger.

Deke?

Deke, what's wrong?

They split up.

My mom and dad.

That's why he hasn't been coming to see me.

Deke, I'm so sorry.

It's like I'm no good to him anymore, you know?

So he just dumps all of us.

It's all because of me.

It's not true.

It is.

Your parents split up just because of you?

Oh, I guess it's just a coincidence

that they split up right after I have the accident.

[sighs] I did it.

I screwed all our lives up.

Mine, my-- my dad's, my mom's, god, even my little brother's.

You know, it sounds to me like your father's

got his own problems.

Maybe he's using you for an excuse not to face them.

Don't let him be your excuse for undoing all the wonderful work

you've done.

It's really easy for you to talk

from where you are, isn't it?

You got two parents.

And you got two legs.

So why don't you use them!

Deke, I'm not going to let you push me away.

I'm your friend.

Yeah, well, maybe you're the only one who got anything

out of me being wrecked-up.

You finally got a boyfriend who couldn't run away from you.

You know, you're not the only one in the world that can hurt.

[music playing]

Hey, Deke. Where you been?

You're late! - Yeah, I know.

I'm sorry.

I-- was busy in my room counting my blessings.

All right, what's the matter?

What's going on?

Nothing's wrong!

I'm just tired of messing around this horse, that's all.

What are you talking about?

I'm talking about I'm tired of trying

to win one for the gipper.

I'm tired of trying to please my old man.

He doesn't give a damn one way or the other.

I want you to try doing this for yourself.

Let your father win his own victories.

Do this for you.

Hey, listen, man, I don't need some flunky orderly telling me

how to run my life, you know?

Hey, Deke, you're doing too good to quit now.

Come on, man, what do you care?

Find some other cripple you can--

Deke, you've come too far.

You're good!

Get out of my life, man!

Who do you think you are?

I'm the guy who hit you that's who.

[music playing]

It wasn't my fault that it happened, but it did.

You knew he was the guy that hit me.

That's right, Deke, I know.

Yeah, now it all makes sense to me.

This is a "let's feel sorry for Deke" club, isn't it?

Well, I'm sorry to wreck it for you.

And, Richie, I want to thank you for all your help.

Now, if you'll just do me one favor.

Just go to hell!

[music playing]

NURSE (ON INTERCOM): Dr. Parker, Dr. Phil

Parker, emergency admitting.

I don't feel like talking right now, Scotty.

That's good.

Because you've been talking enough.

So right now, you listen.

I told you that I tried to live in the minute.

To think of what I have, not what I don't have.

People who aren't on wheels are dumb enough.

But when I see somebody who ought

to know better throwing away what I'll never have,

it drives me crazy!

You know what I wish?

I wish I could get one arm to move.

You know why?

I'm asking you a question!

You know why?

Hey, I don't care why, OK?

Good enough for you?

Not good enough.

Nowhere near good enough.

See, because if I could get just one arm to move,

I wouldn't have to have some nurse come in

and wipe me when I go to the bathroom.

Pretty basic, isn't it?

And then I see you.

And you got a chance to go out there and make people see you.

Not your wheelchair, not your prosthesis, or your crutches.

You got a chance to make them see you.

And you got a chance to fly around that horse

like Superman or something.

Something most people with legs could never do.

You got a chance to stretch up and fly.

And you're throwing it away because you're afraid to live

without the crutch.

What crutch?

Being handicapped.

That's the best crutch in the world.

Don't expect anything from me.

I'm just a poor cripple.

And every time somebody like you does that, it makes

it that much harder for me.

I'm going to be a lawyer.

And you're throwing a roadblock up in my way

because you make those turkeys think I can't do something

because I'm handicapped too.

Let me tell you something, pal.

I am more than just the parts of my body that don't work.

And so are you.

But if you can't live without the excuse

of being handicapped, then--

go hide in a closet somewhere until you can.

You'll make things a hell of a lot easier for the rest of us.

[music playing]

Hi.

What can I get you?

I want to see Jonathan.

Oh, he's gone home now.

Could you give him a message then for me?

Surely.

Tell him we got a date to work out tomorrow.

All right!

I'll tell him.

DEKE LARSON, JR: Oh, yeah, and one more thing.

Yup?

Tell him, be there!

[phone ringing]

Hello?

JONATHAN (ON PHONE): Robert?

Jonathan Smith.

Look, this isn't a good time to call.

I-- I know you tried today.

JONATHAN (ON PHONE): Can Richie work

out with Deke tomorrow morning?

What are you talking about?

Richie came home and said--

JONATHAN (ON PHONE): Tell him to forget what happened.

Tell him he better be on his toes

because Deke Larson thinks he can beat him.

You mean it?

JONATHAN (ON PHONE): I mean it.

Thank, God!

JONATHAN (ON PHONE): You got that right.

I'll see you later.

ROBERT: Rich?

Hey, Rich!

[music playing]

Nice night, huh?

Yeah.

It's 2 o'clock in the morning.

I thought you had a bar exam tomorrow.

I do.

Perhaps you got to get some sleep?

Yeah, I suppose.

What's the matter, you scared?

Me?

Yeah, you!

Yeah.

Tough Scotty.

Scared to death.

It's always easier telling the other person to get

along without the crutch.

Oh, come on.

Don't you think you have a right to be scared?

You think guys who aren't on wheels

aren't sweating out tomorrow?

Sure they are, but they're different.

Why?

Because I feel an obligation to a lot of other guys like me.

Yeah, well, don't.

What you're doing is tough enough without carrying

anybody else on your shoulders.

But what if I fail?

What if I don't make it, I don't pass?

I don't know.

What does everybody else do?

Come on, I'm not like everybody else.

Oh, really?

That's funny.

I thought that's what you were trying to prove.

That you weren't just like everybody else.

Oh, Jonathan.

You sure have a way of kicking out a guy's crutch.

All right.

Now that I got it kicked out, why

don't you go get some sleep?

You got a big exam tomorrow.

Yeah.

it's quite a guy you got there.

[party blowers honking]

Uh, I passed the bar!

If you need a lawyer you got one!

[cheering and applause]

ALL: Speech! Speech!

Speech! Speech!

Speech!

Huh, I--

I want to say thanks to a lot of you here for your encouragement

and for being friends.

Passing the bar was my first big step.

Now I know it's not going to be easy getting people to accept

me at first, but I'll make it.

I've had a lot of tougher challenges in my life.

Hm, I made a promise to myself years ago and I kept it.

It doesn't do any good to promise other people.

It's too easy to jive them if you want to.

You can't jive yourself.

I wanted to be a lawyer.

And I promised myself I would.

Make a promise and keep it.

[cheering and applause]

Hey, you're all done, Mac.

Are you all right?

Yeah, yeah, I am.

That's the problem.

What are you talking about?

I'm talking about me being here.

I-- [clears throat] I don't have to be here.

You know what Scotty was talking about today?

About making yourself a promise and keeping it?

Yeah.

Well, I made that promise [inaudible]

But I never kept it.

What was it?

To stop pretending that I had to be here and to--

and to call my son and tell him I was ready to go home.

[chuckles] I've been ready a long time.

How come you've never that?

Well, [inaudible] it's hard to explain.

I-- I-- mean it will--

it'll sound dumb.

Try me.

Well, you know when you--

when you raise a boy, they always try

to have that father figure--

big and strong.

And your boy looks up to you.

Well, I'm not that anymore.

I'm feeble.

He wants me to live with him.

Hell, I can't even pull my own weight anymore.

A father doesn't want his boy to see him like that.

Mac, you're all wrong.

You took care of that boy when he was growing up, didn't you?

Yeah, the best I could.

Yeah.

How did that make you feel, you know, caring for him

and seeing that he turned out right?

Good.

It made me feel good and proud.

You damn right it did.

Well, he's got a chance now to do the same thing for you.

And you're stealing that from him because of your pride.

What do you think?

At your age he needs to have the toughest father on the block?

Do you think he's going around saying

my dad can whip your dad?

No, no.

That-- that'd be stupid.

Yeah.

No more stupid than what are you doing.

You know what I think you ought to do, Mac?

I think ought to make that phone call.

NURSE (ON INTERCOM): Dr. Shadle please call the page operator.

Dr. Oscar Shadle, call the page operator.

Yeah.

Yeah, uh, me too.

Yeah, me too.

Hm, OK.

Bye, son.

What did you say?

Um, he said to get my butt home.

He needs his dad.

[music playing]

[doorbell buzzing]

Uh, I'll get it, Mom.

Hi.

Hi.

Can I talk to you?

Um, yeah, sure.

Come on in.

I'll just be a minute.

I've got to get back to work.

Deke wants to see you.

No.

I'm sorry, I can't do that.

Why not?

Because I don't feel like being hurt anymore.

You care a lot about him, don't you?

Too much.

Then give him another chance.

He's changed an awful lot these past few weeks.

He's not sitting around feeling sorry for himself anymore.

And he really wants to see you.

Can I ride over with you?

You bet you can.

I'll just be a minute.

[music playing]

Hi.

Oh, hi.

I got a message that you wanted to see me?

Yeah, I should have done it sooner,

but I've been working out.

It's a bunch of bull.

Eleanor, I want to apologize for what I said earlier.

It wasn't true.

Yeah, it was.

You are the first boy who couldn't run away from me.

Well, if that was the case, then it was lucky for me.

Um, what's all this stuff?

Are you going home?

Yeah.

Well, you must be happy about that.

Yeah, sure, I guess.

It's just going to be a little weird seeing my dad

when he comes by to pick up my little brother

for baseball practice.

Hey, don't worry, I'm not getting into one

of my little self-pity numbers.

I'm going to show him.

Show him what?

That I'm still a winner.

I'm going to compete a week from Friday.

What?

So soon?

I'm ready.

I don't even know if he'll be there.

Have you talked to him yet?

Just on the phone.

Hi, how are you doing?

Great, got to run.

Have you tried to talk to him?

Well, if he doesn't want to see me, fine!

You know?

I don't need to see him.

Somebody's got to take the first step.

Yeah, well, he's the one with legs.

Let him do it.

Sounds like you two are a lot alike.

Maybe.

Listen, I got a favor to ask of you.

Sure, what is it?

I need you to help me learn how to dance.

[gasps] I'm not much of a dancer.

Well, I've got an extra crutch you can borrow.

Eleanor, may I have this dance?

Well, why the sudden need to learn to dance?

Well, there's not much else to do at the prom.

I mean, we can talk, but I'd rather dance with you.

Did you just ask me to the prom?

Mm-mm.

I'll think about it.

[giggles]

Yeah?

Can I talk to you for a minute?

Yeah, I guess so.

Whatever it is, make it quick.

I'm in the middle of packing.

I got a flight out tomorrow.

Your son's meets tomorrow.

Yeah, I know.

And you're not going to be there.

Yeah, well, this trip came up and, uh, I got to go.

Well, what the hell do I want to be there for!

He's just going to go out there and be a freak show

for those people, you know?

A crippled gymnast.

Yeah, he's just a freak show.

He's going out there because he

thinks you don't want anything to do

with him unless he's a winner.

Well, he's not going to be a winner anymore!

You think I don't want that for him?

I'd give anything to give him back his legs.

Your son doesn't want your pity!

He wants you!

He needs to think he can still amount to something.

And he needs you to be in his corner to tell him he's right!

Yeah, well, if that's what he needs,

I'm the last person in the world to hold up

as a shining example because I never

amounted to a hill of beans.

I'm just a working stiff who never made it.

You're his old man, idiot!

There was nothing in the world bigger and better

than that to a kid.

I mean, my old-- my old man was a stonecutter.

When I was a little kid that's all

I could think about growing up and becoming

a stonecutter like my old man.

Yeah, well, I was a baseball player

and he is never going to be a baseball player.

So what good am I to him?

I told you, you're his old man.

And he needs you!

Yeah, well, I can't do it.

I can't.

Well, that is hard to believe.

To think your boy wanted to grow up to be like you.

[music playing]

How's Jamie doing?

Oh, he finally went to sleep.

That's good.

You know, mom, I was thinking how funny it is.

I was blaming myself for Dad's leaving.

And all the while, Jamie was thinking it was his fault.

It's so funny what kids get to thinking.

It's not just kids, believe me.

I keep thinking-- if only I'd done this or--

or I could have tried a lot harder.

How does it happen?

Not really talking, I think.

You know, we had almost too perfect a family life.

We never got pushed far enough to have

to deal with a real problem.

And then when one finally cropped up,

we didn't know how to handle it.

You know, I've learned a lot through all of this.

I'm not saying I wouldn't like things to be the way they were,

but you find out the stuff that you

thought was important really isn't that important after all.

I mean, there would have come a time in my life, Mom,

that I would have to accept the fact,

even if this hadn't happened, that I'm not

going to play baseball anymore.

I would've been too old or something like that.

You know what I mean?

I love you, Mom.

We're going to be all right.

[music playing]

There you go.

Where to?

Airport, please.

Hey, Deke, good luck!

Hey, you go out there and you give

it your best shot, all right?

I can use the competition, you know?

You got it.

And, Richie, listen to me.

Thanks, man.

OK.

I'm going to get Mac.

You sit tight and relax.

Hey, Mark, I'm paralyzed from the neck down.

How much more relaxed do you think I can get?

MARK: [chuckles]

[tire popping]

Ah!

Sorry, I'm going to have to change a tire.

Will I still make my flight?

Yeah, not by much, but we'll make it.

[tire popping]

What the hell's going on here?

This is all new rubber!

Well, can you get on the radio and get me another cab?

Oh, yeah, sure.

I'm sorry about this.

Dispatcher, L35.

Dispatcher L35.

Why me, God?

Now my radio's gone.

I'll do the best I can.

Sorry.

Oh, OK, but hurry!

Hey, got a problem?

Well, yeah, I was going to the airport

and the whole damn cab fell apart.

Yeah, well, I'm going there.

Jump in. - Great!

Thanks!

Boy, you couldn't have come along at a better time.

Yeah.

It must be your lucky day.

What are we stopping here for?

For your son's gym meet.

What's going on?

I've been working with your boy.

You're from the hospital?

That's right.

Look, you're going to miss your plane one way or the other.

Why not come inside?

I'll get another cab.

Hey!

You were a minor-league ballplayer,

but you got a chance to be a major-league father.

It's up to you.

[music playing]

I'll be inside with your boy.

How'd you make out?

I don't know yet.

Hey, you ready?

Yeah, ready as I'll ever be.

Where have you been?

Just out messing around.

ANNOUNCER (ON INTERCOM): The next gymnast will

be from Meadowview High School.

Deke Larson Junior.

Hey, you got company.

I'll be darned.

He showed up.

Hi.

Hello, son.

[sighs] Let's do it.

Go get 'em.

[music playing]

CROWD: Oh!

[gasps]

[whistling]

It's going to cost me at-- at a chance to win.

Sorry.

Hey.

Who gives a damn!

[music playing]

I've been waiting for you to say that.

I love you, son.

Walk like a champion.

You got it.

[chuckles]

[MUSIC - DAVID ROSE, "HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN"]