(THEME SONG PLAYING)
All right.
Tank full of gas, the open road,
and no destination.
Let the road be our guide.
Where we going, Shawn?
Man, this trip is exactly what I needed
to take my mind off everything.
I'm so sorry about your dad dying.
You're not helping me, Cor.
I'm sorry about Angela.
How about I drive off a cliff right now?
Would that make you sorry?
Shawn, why are we really on this trip?
I'll tell you later.
When?
When the time's right.
Well, will you at least tell me
when we get to wherever it is
we don't know where we're going?
Yes.
What?
Well, it's just, you know.
No. What? Tell me.
Well, if one guy's wearing a bandanna,
it's cool.
If two guys are, it's...
Ah, say no more.
The "one bandanna" rule has been enforced.
I'll just save mine for another time.
(BOTH SIGHING)
This is a real truck stop.
We have a real truck.
And we stopped here.
You know, I think I'm gonna get Topanga a hat.
Yeah. She'd like one.
I'll get her a hat then.
How you doing, "Amy Sue"?
I haven't seen you here before.
What do you think?
I think you're cute.
What can I get for you?
"World's best hash browns."
Good choice.
How about you?
His daddy died.
You should have the chicken-fried steak.
What kind of animal is that from?
(ENUNCIATING) Chicken fried steak.
I don't want any trouble.
I'm gonna have the chicken-fried steak.
Thank you.
I'm sorry your daddy died.
Thank you. I can tell you mean that.
More gravy, Amy Sue.
You don't need it, Merle.
Hey. You know, that looks like the guy from ZZ Top.
Hi, guys.
I love this place.
Where you from?
Philadelphia.
I always wanted to go there.
Is it scary?
Uh, not really.
I'm a cop.
Yup. He's the chief of police.
How come you've never been to Philadelphia?
My dad says we're just fine here.
Yell if you need anything.
Hey, new guys. I'm Stacey.
You know, this place is crawling with chicks.
Hi, Stacey.
You're searching for something.
I can tell.
Yeah. I am.
She's peering into your freaking soul.
He's coming.
Well, hello there,
authentic, grizzled, old roadside diner man.
Do you see her?
Yes, I do.
That's Amy Sue. She's my daughter.
You're a lucky man.
Do you see her?
Yes, I do. That's Sarah.
She's my daughter, too.
You must have quite a gun collection.
Do you see her?
Let's see you explain that one.
Stacey and Ali.
My daughters' best friends
and just like daughters to me.
Watch yourselves.
Now, you look familiar.
Never been here before.
I didn't say you been here.
I just said you looked familiar.
Whoa, Betty.
All right, Shawnie, eat up.
We got a lot of road to cover in two days.
Cory, I'm not being fair to you. You should go home.
What do you mean, I should go home? What about you?
Oh, do you have to go home before we sing?
Oh, what, you girls got yourself a little band, huh?
You play a little Johnny Cash?
How old are you?
(CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY)
Uh, honey, I'm taken.
We don't get a lot of city guys around here.
We'd be interested to know what you think.
Oh, this'll be cute.
See, they wanna hear what we think of their band.
I hope they do that Achy Breaky.
I mean it. You need to go home.
What do you mean, I need to go home?
What about you, Shawn?
I wonder if this band's any good.
(SIGHS)
Jack, we're gonna have to talk about this sometime.
Oh, good. 'Cause I thought you wanted to talk about it now.
I do.
I know.
You first.
Okay. Um...
When we were kissing...
Just don't say anything stupid, okay?
See, I was just keeping everything bottled up...
Just don't say that it didn't mean anything,
'cause that would be hurtful.
Oh, no. It felt like it meant something,
but, you know, maybe it didn't.
This is where we kissed, you know.
I was just in a real vulnerable place that day, I guess.
Right. Right. Maybe it was just a friend
comforting a friend.
Yeah. Yeah, was just a friend comforting a friend.
Right. Right. That way, no one gets hurt.
Yeah.
Any reason to tell Eric?
No. That would be hurtful.
Hey.
Oh, hey, I saw you two kissing.
We wanna dedicate this song
to our two wandering guests.
(POP MUSIC PLAYING)
(HARMONIZING)
You're coming back home with me.
Hey, I wanna hear them sing.
You are.
(SINGING CAN'T HELP MYSELF)
(ALL CHEERING)
Wow.
Do you think we're any good?
You guys are awesome.
You shouldn't be here dishing our hash browns.
What do you think, mystery boy?
I agree with Officer Bob.
Good. Because we want you to help us leave this town.
Well, what's stopping you?
He thinks the city's a dangerous place
and something terrible's gonna happen to us.
Could you talk to him for us?
Yeah, it's just that he's very large,
and, uh, I gotta get my friend here back home.
Come on, Shawn.
Cory.
I'm not going home.
Shawn, why do you keep saying that?
Because you're not hearing it.
That's what I needed to tell you.
I brought you on this trip so I could say goodbye.
Ok. Goodbye.
Now let's go.
Life changes, you know?
People go separate ways.
Shawn, what, are you breaking up with me in a restaurant,
in a public place so I won't make a scene?
You think I won't make a scene?
No, I know you'll make a scene,
but I'm not going home.
Well, when are you gonna go back, then?
Maybe never.
Shawn, just because
things are not going perfectly in your life
does not mean that you tear everything up
and end up in who knows where.
Sarah? What, Shawn?
Can I see that picture?
Do you hear me here?
What do you think you're gonna find?
This one? Yeah.
Well, how about that?
Look.
Ok. Now it just got interesting.
You know that guy?
Kind of. He's my father.
That's your father?
Hey, Dad.
No. No, don't call him over. He hates me.
Why do you guys have a picture of my dad?
Dad, hurry.
This boy bothering you?
I just stopped here for lunch.
This is Chet Hunter's son.
Yes, of course he is.
I knew you looked familiar.
Chet's been showing us pictures of you
for I don't know how long.
I like the one where you're getting a bath in the sink.
Great. You're Shawn.
Yeah. How's medical school?
Actually, it's just college.
(LAUGHS) Chet always tells a good story.
And you're Cory. Yeah.
The kid Shawn's always getting out of them scrapes.
Um, actually...
Now, how come there's a picture of my dad at this truck stop?
Chet wouldn't drive his rig
between Pennsylvania and Ohio without stopping here
and telling us some of his latest adventures, right?
That's right.
He also said that Shawn was perfect
for one of your daughters, as I recall.
I don't recall that.
I recall that.
Which one?
It's me.
Well, Dad always did have good taste.
Thanks.
Now he's never coming home.
So, what's your daddy up to now?
Oh, Cory, none of these people know.
No, they don't.
Know what?
Well, I... I hate to have tell you this, but...
My dad died last week.
So, who shot him?
(ALL LAUGHING)
Is it okay that people are laughing?
Of course it's okay.
Just thinking about that ugly son of a gun's face
is enough to make you laugh.
Is it okay that I'm laughing?
(SIGHS)
Your father died, Shawn, but he ain't gone.
When someone you love leaves you,
they're never gone.
They stay right here.
You know what I mean?
How well did you guys know my dad?
Pretty well. He was...
He was always running from something.
He had that way about him.
I always thought he was running for something.
For what?
You.
You were all he talked about, kid.
Your father wanted to be perfect for you.
Well, he would've been perfect if he had just been there for me.
Well, Chet may not be here now,
but the man deserves a toast.
Definitely.
But I'm horrible at these things.
Cory, would you say something?
No. I'm mad at you, Shawn.
Are you mad at him?
No.
Do me the honor of a toast.
All right.
Chet Hunter was not a saint.
(ALL LAUGHING)
But, uh, you know, he loved Shawn as much as he possibly could.
And even if he wasn't always around to show it,
we all know he wanted to be.
And I'm sure, if he could,
he'd be right here with you right now.
I believe that.
I believe that, too.
To Chet Hunter, Shawn's father.
ALL: Hear, hear!
To Chet Hunter.
My father.
Eric, I am really glad that we're talking about this.
Yeah. See, we didn't wanna tell you
'cause we thought it would make it all weird between us.
Yeah.
You know, when I saw you guys kissing, it bothered me.
And I didn't know why. I didn't know if, like, I was jealous
or I felt betrayed or...
Uh, you know what I think it was?
I think that Jack just... He really needed a friend,
and I tried to be that for him.
Well, you're a good friend.
You saw me, Eric. I was in a dark place.
Right. And you know what, come to think of it,
I'll admit it, I may have gone a little too far.
Maybe I did, too.
Yeah? Really?
So, you just all went too far?
Yeah.
So then we're still three friends.
You know what, I think we're better friends than we ever have been.
Yeah. You know something?
This talking thing, this feels really good.
We should be able to talk about stuff
when they just go too far.
Yeah.
Ok. Well, um,
I got some stuff in the dryer,
so I'm gonna go, all right?
(CHUCKLES)
Eric's a stud.
(DOOR CLOSES)
That's good. That's really good.
Yeah, you know, um, I really respect that
when somebody can just come out
and say how they're feeling. No games.
I wanna kiss you.
I wanna kiss you, too, Jack.
I'm on a journey, Cory,
so I've gotta stay on this journey.
Oh, you're on a journey.
It was a two-day trip.
Now it's a journey.
Soon it will be a voyage.
I'm looking for something, okay?
And I'm not gonna be able to find it at home,
and I'm not gonna be able to find it with you.
Then why am I on this trip?
Why did you bring me in the first place?
So I could get your blessing.
'Cause I wanted to say goodbye.
Oh, you are sick, sir.
So this was a fling? You know, I feel cheap.
Now give me the keys. Whoa.
Give me the keys. We are spending the night in the trailer.
No. Give me the keys. I am turning this trailer around
and taking you home. No.
You just wait until Feeny hears about this one.
Cory, I need your help, okay?
Tell me everything's okay.
Tell me I'm making the right decision.
Okay, fine. You want my help?
Come here. Go home, finish college,
and work on your people skills.
We're gonna sleep on it.
(GRUNTING)
Come here. (KNOCKING ON DOOR)
We need your advice.
Perhaps we should get up.
Right.
We wanna see if we can make it
somewhere other than here.
Their father will never let that happen.
It doesn't matter. I'm not leaving.
Amy Sue and I are all Dad has.
Sarah, we can't stay here the rest of our lives.
Look, this is a big decision.
Could you tell us what you really think?
No. No, I can't,
because I don't know you.
I don't want to.
I'm not gonna.
You can't make me.
You girls are better than every band I've heard at college.
I mean, you have a real shot out there.
And even if things don't work out,
you'll never know what your lives are gonna be like
if you don't see what else is out there.
So talk to your father, you know. He'll understand.
He seems like a very understanding guy.
(SCREAMS)
Why are you in here with my daughters?
I'm not.
Cory thinks we're good, Dad.
He thinks we should take a chance and leave.
She's a liar!
Why do you want my girls to leave me?
I don't. It's just...
You know, there comes a time
in every man's life, Bill...
You don't want me to touch you, do you?
Why don't you keep doing it and see what happens?
(CHUCKLES) I was just gonna say,
there comes a time in every man's life
where he has to let go of the people he loves
and, you know, let them find their own way.
(LAUGHS)
I'm not talking about you.
I'm talking about them.
I'm not talking about them.
I'm talking about me.
I want to go home.
Now, hold on, little man.
And I was almost out the door.
We'll stay here, Daddy.
You need help running the place. You need us. We'll stay.
Girls.
You're fired.
Thank you, Daddy.
We'll make you proud of us.
I'm already proud.
And if anything should happen to them,
I'll hunt you down like a dog.
(LAUGHS) Then we'll see each other again soon.
Are you sure you're gonna be ok without us?
I'm not gonna be without you.
You're always right here.
Shawnie?
Yeah?
You're fired.
From what?
From me.
I mean, I don't know what you're looking for,
but I guess you need to go away for a while to find it.
You sure, daddy?
We're sure, Bill?
I'm afraid so, kid.
Listen, if you ever need anything
or you ever need my help...
I know.
(SIGHS)
It's so hard to let them go.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Take care of yourself, okay?
CHET: You gonna crank it up or what?
Dad? (CHUCKLES)
Bet you didn't expect to see me, did you, Son?
What are you doing here?
You're looking for something.
I thought I'd try and help you find it.
That's very cool of you.
Well, I was always a cool guy.
(LAUGHS)
I miss you.
I know.
But remember,
I'm always right here.
(ENGINE STARTING)