Original subtitles

[theme music]

Some ride, huh?

Don't you love it?

It's almost like being at Disneyland.

Yeah, except this is Morgan land.

I mean, he owns the elevator, the building,

probably half the world by now.

Yeah, it could be.

Your friend sure has been successful, hasn't he?

Well, you got that right.

I read somewhere where he's one of the 10

richest men in the country.

Which is why I can't understand what he'd want me for.

So your sister didn't give you any kind

of clue when she called you?

No, just said Luke had a problem,

you know, needed my help.

You guys were best friends when you were kids, right?

[chuckling] Blood brothers, inseparable

all the way through school.

You know, I'm the godfather of his son Gary?

Just can't figure out what Luke would need with an ex cop.

It sounds to me like he just needs an old friend.

[chuckling]

[music playing]

[buzzing]

Yeah?

MISS AMES: Mr. Gordon is here, sir.

Send him right in, Miss Ames.

Hold any calls, please.

Mark.

Luke.

[laughter] It's so good to see you.

Oh, man, it's been too long.

Oh, this is my partner, Jonathan Smith.

A pleasure.

You're the one that's kept him so busy

these last few years, huh?

Guilty as charged.

Please, guys, sit down.

You want some sort of refreshments?

No, I'm fine.

Thank you.

Well, it's quite a place you got here.

Oh, yeah.

Mark, it seems forever since we got

together to sing some old songs and tell a few lies.

As I recall, the lies were always better than the singing.

[laughter] No argument there.

I miss those days.

We had fun, didn't we?

Yeah, sweet youth and innocence--

how do you replace it?

No way, my old friend.

Hey, speaking of sweet youth and innocence,

how's Gary doing?

Well, he's the reason I contacted you, Mark.

Gary's your problem?

I don't believe it.

Well, he's not into drugs or something

stupid like that, is he?

No, far from it.

No, he's a fanatic about his body.

He works out and swims every day.

He's in great shape, top student in school, A achiever,

in the business programs, computers, a wiz at everything.

Hm.

Sounds like a heck of a kid.

How old is he?

19, going on 30 fast.

He's in such a damn hurry to become

a man, to do everything his way to get into the fast lane.

I want him to slow down and be a boy a while longer.

He'll be a man a long time.

Maybe talk to him about it?

LUKE MORGAN: That's the heart of the problem.

We just can't communicate.

I take total blame.

I mean, hell, I was on a flight to Hong Kong the day

he was born.

And as hard as it is to admit, that's about as close

as we've ever been.

Really something, isn't it?

I made motivational speeches all over the world.

And I can't even talk to my own son.

I'm sorry.

Listen, I, uh-- I hate talking about this here in the office.

Can you come out to the house and we can talk better

out there and have some dinner?

Hey, that sounds good to me.

Great.

Let's go.

[music playing]

Helen, there'll be two more for dinner.

A house, he says--

more like a House of Parliament.

[chuckling] Oh, I always had simple tastes, Mark.

You know that.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, and that's not a bad looking second home on wheels,

either.

Hey, you ride a bike?

Oh, a little.

Gary's a champion dirt bike racer.

Won the junior division the last two years.

Oh, this is some beautiful rig.

I just bought that last week.

What it hasn't got hasn't been invented yet.

It's ready to go.

Go where?

Oh, a trip--

camping, fishing, just Gary and me--

a small odyssey, if you will.

Father and son trying to get to know one another.

Hey, that sounds like fun.

What's holding it up?

Gary turned me down flat.

No way, he said-- a waste of time, his and mine.

There's nothing I can say that would change his mind.

So you want Mark to try to talk him into going with you.

LUKE MORGAN: Exactly, Jonathan.

He and Gary have always had a great rapport.

He might reconsider if you came along.

I'd be more comfortable, too.

I know it sounds foolish.

But I'm afraid of being alone, just the two of us.

And what do you say, pal?

All I can do is try.

Oh, it may take some time.

Uh, can you stay as my guest?

Well, that's got to be the motel room.

[laughter]

LUKE MORGAN: Good.

Listen, it's a little after 5:00.

And Gary will be in the gym.

Come on.

[whirring]

Gary, look who flew into town.

Mark.

How are you doing, Gary?

Great.

How are you?

Oh, man, look at you.

Hard to believe you're that little guy

I took fishing a while back.

Well, come on, how are you? - Great.

How about you?

Can't complain.

Oh, this is my friend Jonathan Smith.

Mr. Smith.

Jonathan.

So where you been for so long?

What have you been up to?

I'm not sure you'd believe me if I told you.

Why not?

I always believed everything you ever told me,

even some really tall tales.

Well, some things never change, Gary.

He's still pretty good at those.

[laughter]

Hey, your dad says you're into all kinds of things now.

You're some kind of computer wiz these days.

Yeah, it's a high tech world, Mark.

Got to keep up.

All right, you want to see some of my toys?

Hey, I'd love to.

OK, I'll shower up and meet you in my room.

You got it.

OK.

Nice meeting you, Jonathan.

Same here.

Got the picture, like I'm not here, like I'm invisible.

You got your work cut out for you, Mark.

Hey, nothing worth doing is easy, old buddy--

nothing.

[beeping]

And this little baby will do everything but put you in bed

and tuck you in at night, Mark.

It's got software you wouldn't believe.

I have never seen so much equipment

in one room in my life.

I mean, you could start World War III from in this place.

GARY MORGAN: Well, I need and use every piece of it.

I got a lot of projects going 20 hours a day.

You know what I mean? - Why?

I mean, you're out of school for the summer, aren't you?

Well, per se, sure.

But I got-- I'm taking special computer classes.

And I got this marketing plan going with some other guys.

Got a neat little item we're going to manufacture.

After our survey results come in, I bet you we

sell 5, 6 million of them.

Keep it on schedule, we'll have it on shelves by late fall.

Deja vu.

Hm?

Sound like your father did 35 years ago.

Oh, is that good or bad?

Well, all I know is while he was chasing money,

I was chasing girls.

Could I ask you a question, Mark, and get a serious answer?

Try me.

You ever beat him at anything, I mean anything?

No, can't say I have.

Neither have I.

MARK GORDON: Well, he's a competitive guy, you know.

He doesn't like losing.

Who does?

Losing is nothing.

And winning's not everything.

Hm, not if you're the winner.

Well, I guess every boy wants to be as

good or better than his father.

Thing is, why are you in such a hurry?

[chuckling] You sound just like my old man.

MARK GORDON: Yeah, he said he planned a little trip.

But you won't go along.

He told you right.

Why?

I mean, it's sounds like a fun time.

Fun with him?

[chuckling] You got to be kidding.

I don't think he knows the meaning of the word.

Whoa, wait a minute.

What?

Are we talking about the same guy?

I mean, I had a lot of fun with your dad-- a lot

of laughs over the years.

Yeah, maybe that's because you him.

I don't.

Well, it's never too late.

You know you ought to think more about that trip,

you know-- give you a chance to lay back, relax a little bit.

Yeah, I just don't have the time.

[knocking]

Hey, you two, dinner's ready.

Hey, boy, I'm ready for that.

You do take time out to eat, don't you?

Only under duress.

Consider yourself duressed.

Come on.

Was that a great meal or what?

JONATHAN SMITH: That was terrific.

MARK GORDON: You guys eat like that all the time?

LUKE MORGAN: Uh, not hardly.

Actually, Gary and I both eat on the run most of the time.

Right, son?

Hm?

I said, we don't, uh, get a chance to eat

together very often these days.

Well, yeah, right.

Say, you know what I was thinking?

I was thinking the only thing that could taste any better

would be a big trout right out of the water and flop right

into the frying pan. [chuckling]

Hey, Mark.

Lighten up, OK?

We've been through that-- no trip.

I wish you'd reconsider, son.

I don't get it, Dad.

Why now?

[laughs] That's one of the things that really used

to bug Mom when she was alive.

You never knew how to take a vacation.

Hey, remember the time we went to Hawaii right

after you got your phones hooked up, so you could do business?

Did you ever go near the water?

Did you ever even get wet?

No, I guess I didn't.

No, what you did do was get a building project going--

200 condos.

And we never took a vacation in one of them, either.

That was a long time ago.

Well, nothing's changed.

There's so many things we were going to do together

and never did.

Uh, well, you all have to excuse me.

I got to get back to work.

I'll see you later, OK?

[door closing]

MARK GORDON: This kid's amazing.

I'll say that for him.

I mean, everything he went out for, he's the best--

baseball, gymnastics, motocross.

I mean, you talk about your all around athlete.

No, he's a competitive kid, all right.

I just hope it's for the right reasons.

What do you mean?

Well, is he competing for the fun of competition

or to prove something to his father?

MARK GORDON: Prove what?

That he's a winner too.

Nothing wrong with being a winner.

Well, I think it's important to learn that losing's

not such a big deal.

You know, if you plan your wins and losses in this life

with the same importance, you're on your way to being a man.

[sighing] Yeah, I don't think this kid can handle losing.

I mean, he's never had to.

Wait a minute.

That's it.

What's it?

I think I found a way to get that kid on the trip.

But you're going to have to help.

JONATHAN SMITH: How?

You're going to have to give me the stuff.

Oh, no.

No, Mark, I'm sorry.

Oh, come on, Jonathan.

Now, please.

It's for my best friend.

What do you say?

All right, but within reason.

Within reason.

[sighing] You really think you're going

to con him into this, huh?

If he's anything like his father, and I think he is,

it's a cinch.

Luke never passed up a challenge in his life.

We'll soon find out.

All you got to do now is give me the stuff.

You already got it.

[clanging]

Morning, Tarzan.

Morning.

Hey, you do that all the time?

Yep, every day.

Oh, it looks like a lot of work to me.

It's good for you.

You ought to try it sometime.

Oh, I don't have to Some of us are just naturally strong.

Oh, yeah, sure.

Hey, don't let this tire fool you.

I'm a rock.

I've never met anybody who can lift more weight than me.

Mark, you're into one of your tall tales again.

Put your money where your mouth is.

Are you kidding?

I'm just warming up with this weight.

I mean, no offense, but you wouldn't stand a chance.

Like I said, put your money where your mouth is.

Mark, I couldn't take money from you.

It wouldn't be fair.

Oh, well, let's make it a gentleman's bet.

You win, I'll stop bugging you about the trip.

I win, you go on the trip.

Look, I told you to forget about the trip, OK?

Fine.

You win, I'll stop bugging you about the trip.

I mean, unless you're too chicken to try.

[chuckling] You got to be kidding.

MARK GORDON: No, I'm not kidding.

OK.

OK, you're on.

That's what I like to hear.

Hey, put what you want on the bar.

Jonathan, you want to put another 25 on?

You got it, Gar.

[clanging]

There you go.

[chuckling] [grunting]

[music playing]

Uh, there you go.

[music playing]

[grunting]

[music playing]

Let's put some weight on this thing.

JONATHAN SMITH: Now how about a couple 45s?

MARK GORDON: Sounds good to me.

You got to be kidding.

Just put them on there, my lad.

[music playing]

[clanging]

There you go.

[music playing]

Your turn.

[music playing]

[sighing]

[music playing]

Why don't we put a couple of 35s on here?

That's 430 pounds.

I don't count them.

I just lift them.

[laughter]

[music playing]

[clanging]

Oh, [muttering].

[humming]

Your turn, my lad.

Forget it, you win.

[music playing]

[laughter] I knew it would work.

You were right.

Boy, I feel great when I got the stuff.

Yeah.

[grunting]

[whimpers]

That's cute, Jonathan-- cute.

How's that marketing plan going, Gary?

Well, I was pretty much on schedule.

But this trip's not going to help.

LUKE MORGAN: That's gin, my friend.

MARK GORDON: Oh, no. LUKE MORGAN: [laughter]

MARK GORDON: Yeah, you blitzed me again.

When are you going to let me win one?

Never, I hope.

[chuckling] MARK GORDON: Look at you.

Look at the look in your eye. You love that.

You've always loved that.

You gloat.

Hey, why don't you take him on?

MARK GORDON: Always beating me all the time.

What for?

He'll win.

He always wins.

MARK GORDON: I forgot how.

It's just a game.

Who cares who wins?

I do-- so does he.

MARK GORDON: What are you laughing about?

Believe me, so does he.

Amazing what people think's important in this life.

MARK GORDON: What does it matter?

Better pull into a gas station before we hit the mountains.

[door opening]

Fill this rig up, gents?

Uh, yeah, and check the oil too.

You got it.

Hey, Jonathan?

Yeah?

You want me to drive the rest of the way up to the meadows?

You'll do anything to get out of losing another gin

rummy game, won't you?

Right.

So you don't think you could give me the stuff

again for about an hour?

Mark, Mark, Mark.

Yeah, guess not, huh?

I could hide the 7s.

I got all the luck of a run over snake.

Want a soda?

No thanks.

That's something else we were going to do together--

never did.

[music playing]

[music playing]

Oh, I tell you, Luke, I could get used to this.

[chuckling]

Yeah, I know what you mean.

Those steaks about ready?

I'm so hungry, my belly thinks my throat's cut.

[laughter]

[laughter]

Yeah, they're about ready.

Go tell Gary, will you?

Oh, you got it.

Hey, steaks are ready.

I'm not hungry.

Come on, they smell great.

Mark, I told you I'm not hungry.

Why don't you put this stuff away

and come outside for a while?

[sighing] I got too much work to do.

It is supposed to be a vacation, remember?

Mark, I thought a vacation was when

you did whatever you felt like.

Well, I feel like working on my marketing report, OK?

OK.

Where's Gary?

[sighing] He's got his nose in that plan book.

Yep.

[music playing]

[sighing] How does it happen, Jonathan?

How does a father and a son grow so far apart?

My son, my son.

[sighing]

[music playing]

Well, Luke, nothing worth doing is easy.

You're just going to have to give him more time, that's all.

I don't have the time, Mark.

Oh, come on.

You know, that's been your problem your whole life.

You're in a hurry for everything.

Things like this do not happen in a hurry.

This particular thing has to, Mark.

Why?

Because I'm dying.

[chuckling] You're what?

I'm dying.

Hemolytic anemia, they call it.

It's a disease with a very short survival time tag on it.

My time's almost up.

[sighing]

You sure there's no, uh--

I've had the best medical advice

in the whole world, old friend.

[sighing] Oh.

Uh, um, does Gary know?

No, and I don't want him to.

I don't have his love.

I certainly don't want his pity.

[music playing]

He's dying, Jonathan.

Luke's dying.

I know, buddy.

Did he tell you?

He didn't have to.

Luke's our assignment.

[sobs]

[music playing]

Engine trouble, son?

GARY MORGAN: No, just fine tuning.

I'm going to do some fishing.

Care to come along?

No thanks.

I'm going to catch us some dinner.

Gary is not giving Luke a chance.

And what are you doing now, bailing out?

That's right. I've had it.

Why?

Hey, I won a bet, remember?

Well, I'm welching on it, Mark, so forget it.

I'm giving up.

I don't have time for this.

Well, you had better make time.

Look, Mark, you're his friend.

You don't have to be a success.

I do.

I'm his son.

You can talk to him. I can't.

I don't have anything to say to him.

And he doesn't have anything to say to me.

You haven't given him a chance.

Look, Mark, I don't need a lecture.

He's your buddy.

He wants to spend the time with you, anyway.

That's not true.

It's true enough for me.

Gary, don't do this to your father, please!

Tell him I had to get back for my computer classes.

Can't you at least tell him that?

We don't communicate, remember?

[engine starting]

So long, Mark.

[engine starting]

[engine revving]

[music playing]

How'd you get here?

Same way you did, on a bike.

Why'd you come after me?

Talk you into going back and getting

it together with your father.

Forget it, Jonathan.

Got to give it a chance.

[sighing] Look, I've got my work.

That's what's important to me.

That's what your father thought.

You were complaining about him.

And now you're doing the same thing.

You two are a lot alike.

You know that?

Spare me, OK?

[clicking]

It's not going to do any good.

You're leaking oil.

Must've cracked the case.

[sighing] Oh, damn it!

You're not going to be able to walk out of here,

not before dark.

Look, I'll take you down to the bus tomorrow.

Come on, what's one more day?

I guess I don't have a choice, do I?

No, son, I guess you don't.

[music playing]

They've been gone a long time.

Well, you know how bikers are.

They get going, they lose all track of time.

[chuckling] Time.

Sorry, old friend.

It's a manifestation of the disease.

They tell me it gets more acute toward the end.

[sighing] How much time you have, Luke?

A month, maybe a bit more.

I thought I'd be afraid.

But I'm not.

Are you afraid of death, Mark?

Not a bit, old friend--

not a bit.

[laughter]

What's funny?

Oh, just something I remember reading--

some famous last remarks.

One of my favorites is William Saroyan's.

Everybody has to die.

But I always believed an exception

would be made in my case. - [chuckling]

[laughter]

Oh, how about the one that Woody Allen came

up with when his time comes?

It's not that I'm afraid to die.

I just don't want to be there when it happens.

[laughter]

[laughter]

It's like they say, Mark, it seems

that death shown out the front door

will just come back in by the window.

[laughter] So we just as well be civil, after him a drink,

and be glad he's not from the IRS.

[laughter]

[laughter]

[engine revving]

Well, the prodigals return.

Son, I thought you fine tuned that machine.

[door slamming]

[sighing] I'm sorry, Luke.

All that kid's thinking about is himself.

And who does he think he is?

Don't judge the boy, Mark.

I was a good friend to you, bad father to him.

It's so beautiful this time of day.

Sun'll be going down.

I think I'll take a walk.

You'll have to tell him.

You'll have to tell him his father's dying.

He doesn't want him to know.

Mark, he has to know.

[sighing]

[coyote howling]

[door creaking]

Relax, I'm not your father.

Where is he?

He's sitting by the river.

Gary, um, I've got to talk to you.

Oh, lecture time again?

No.

We're way past the time for lectures.

Good.

Not so good.

I've got something to tell you.

It's not easy.

I mean, you're in such a rush to be a man.

Well, you're going to take this like a man.

[sighing] Luke has got some rare disease, some kind of anemia.

It affects the blood cells.

He didn't want you to know.

Oh, come on.

Did he put you up to this?

Or you doing this on your own?

Gary.

I mean, first your friend gives

me a spiel that doesn't work.

So now you go for the "your father's sick" routine.

Well, forget it, Mark.

He's a bully.

He'll end up tapping on all our graves.

He's terminal.

Mark, please.

Hey, you listen to me.

Damn it, you listen to me.

Your father is dying.

Do you hear what I'm saying?

Luke is dying!

[sighing] But it can't be, Mark.

I'm sorry.

It can be.

And it is.

[music playing]

[sighing] You got a chance now to do something

not many people have.

[sighing] Chance to what?

Chance to tell your father how you really feel about him.

There's so many times in my life I have heard people say,

god, if I'd said this or if I'd said

that to somebody they love.

But they waited, Gary.

They waited until it was too late.

And then all the things that needed saying just never got

said.

[sighing] I don't know if I can.

Sure you can, Gary.

Sure you can.

[sighing]

Listen now, don't, uh--

don't tell him you know he's dying, OK?

He just-- he needs your love, man.

He needs your love freely given.

You understand that?

[sighing]

[music playing]

GARY MORGAN: Hey, you guys caught breakfast yet?

Are you kidding me?

Wait just a minute here.

[laughter] Look at these beauties here.

[laughter] Luke is going to be doing KP all morning.

He has got zip.

And we have got a bet on the biggest fish.

[laughter]

Hey, hey, I got a bite.

I got one.

I got-- he's a big one.

He's-- he's-- I got a big one there.

Oh, here he comes. I got him.

He's a beauty.

[laughter]

Hey, way to go, Dad.

Whoa.

Oh, I don't believe it.

I'm going to have dishpan hands.

Dad, what do you say we, uh, take a walk after breakfast,

huh?

Yeah, sure, son.

That'd be great.

All right, I'll get the grill going.

Did you hear that?

What's going on?

Am I doing something right?

Probably impressed him with that whale you just caught.

[chuckling]

[music playing]

Look, son.

They're so small, you'd pass it by without a glance.

But look, it-- it--

it's so perfect and so delicate.

It-- it's amazing.

And I spent that my whole life not seeing it.

But it's never too late, is it, son?

No, sir.

Hey, now, I've got a terrific idea.

Remember that amusement park we saw

advertised at the gas station?

Wonderland, wasn't it?

Yeah.

How about we drive over there tonight,

do something different?

Sounds good to me.

You know, I've never had cotton candy.

I think I'll try it.

Wonderland, here we come.

[laughter] Great.

[chuckling]

[music playing]

[thump]

[thump]

Oh, yeah.

[chuckling]

[thump]

[laughter]

[music playing]

We've been bumping heads a long time, haven't we?

We missed someplace along the line.

Yeah, we did.

My fault, you know?

I haven't exactly been the perfect son.

This trip's really turning out to be something.

I'm going to hate going back.

Let's not go back.

But what about your computer classes and your business

program?

They can wait.

I'll get to them.

You mean it?

You bet I do.

Great.

Great.

MAN: I'll head over to Soda Springs Junction

and get ourselves a soda pop.

MAN: I have one.

[laughter]

[thump]

[laughter]

Let's see your stuff.

Stand back, son.

I'm going to send this thing into next year.

All right, I'm ready.

[chuckling]

[thump]

Falling a little short of the mark there, Dad, I'm afraid.

Not bad.

Well, I'm going to have to show you how it's done.

Come on, wimpy.

Try it.

All right, you ready for this?

[thump]

[bell ring]

Hey, all right.

CROWD: [applause]

I don't believe it.

I finally beat you at something.

You sure did, son.

And you're going to beat me a lot more before you're through.

[crying]

Mark told you, didn't he?

Told me what?

It's all right, son.

It's all right.

[crying] It's not fair.

It's not fair.

I know, son.

I know.

[crying]

But nobody promised us a tomorrow.

You play life as it comes.

[crying] But everything I worked

for, everything I do is to make you and Mom proud of me.

Now who's going to be there?

Who's going to know?

I'll be there.

I'll know.

[sighing] Dad, I love you.

You know that, don't you?

I love you, son.

Oh.

[patting]

[sighing]

We've waited 19 years for this.

Now let's not stand around and waste it.

Let's enjoy every minute of it--

every minute of it.

[music playing]

[chatter]

[carnival music]

LUKE MORGAN: Hey, Mark!

We're going on the roller coaster.

You guys game?

No, you go on ahead.

OK, coward.

Come on.

Time to go.

[carnival music]

So long, little buddy.

So long.

[chatter]

MAN: Let's go.

[chatter]

[cheering]

[music playing]

[theme music]

[chimes]