Turn on, tune in, and drop out.
"Subterranean Homesick Blues" - Bob Dylan
In 1969...
A lot of people were doing a lot of things...
A lot of other people didn't understand.
"Love-ins"...
"Be-ins"...
"Happenings"...It was...different.
It was weird.
Kevin, call your sister for dinner.
Karen! Dinner!
But where we lived, things were still pretty much normal.
With one exception.
OK - we knew her name was Karen.
But other than that...
She might as well have been from Mars.
Mars, or...Pluto.
A "D" in math?
Mom.
Don't "mom" your mother.
As far as I could tell, her main function in the family was an on-going battle-of-wills with our parents.
You've always been good at math.
There's gonna be plenty of math on the SAT's, believe me.
Dad, geometry has nothing to do with life! (Frowns.)
"D" in math...
You're not even listening to me! (Frowns.)
Not that my relationship with her was entirely nil.
Pay attention now...
Watch it!
But it hadn't always been like that.
We used to play together.
We used to share things. She'd tell me secrets...
She'd make me laugh. We used to have fun.
But that was then.
Hey!
A little privacy. (Nods.)
Do you mind?
Uh...sure!
Karen had her world...
And I had mine, and never the twain shall meet.
Until one day...
Get in!
Us? (Frowns.)
Get in - we need to talk to you.
What was this? An actual conversation in public?
I was suspicious.
Paul...
Was less so.
I think we should get in! (Smiles.)
Well, this was different! Life in the fast-lane.
Boy! Sharp turns, huh? (Smiles.)
So where are we going?
Going crazy - want to come?
We need a favor.
We need you to drop these off for us at Tina Desario's locker.
At your school? (Frowns.)
First floor, end of the hall...
One-oh-seven.
Will you do it?
Why don't you do it? (Frowns.)
We can't - were not gonna be in school.
We're taking one of our free days.
Right? (Smiles.)
Oddly enough...I smelled a rat.
A free day?
It's kind of an...
Independent study course.
We all take it.
What'd they think I was? A naive little kid?
I don't think I want to do it.
Oh, come on...(Frowns.) Be cool.
Yeah. Come on, Kevin - be cool! (Smiles.)
Uh-oh. A cheap, obvious appeal to my sense of cool.
Well, what if somebody stops me?
They won't. Nobody pays any attention.
Look - if it's a teacher...
Just tell them your getting your books. If it's a student, uh...tell him it's none of his business. (Shrugs.)
I don't know...
Look, it's just this once.
Do it for me. (Smiles.) OK, Kevie?
Whoa - "Kevie".
She hadn't called me that in years.
OK...
But just this once.
OK - I said I'd do it.
So the best thing to do is just find the locker, drop the notes, and get out while the gettin' was still good.
Need some help?
I had a decision to make. Student? Teacher?
Uh...
None of your business? (Smiles.)
You did it?
You you really did it?
I told you he'd do it.
Boy! That is so cool!
Yeah - I was cool.
After all...
I was I was playin' with the big guys, now.
So! Where do we go now?
You guys got one minute to get to class!
Not exactly what I had in mind.
Still, Karen and I had kinda shared something.
And there was no harm done.
Where you and Karen go in Julie's car this morning?
Hmmm?
Woops. Maybe I spoke too soon.
Not that it's any of my business, of course.
I saw you at the bus-stop. So, let's just say I'm...
Curious.
Leave it to Wayne...
To ferret out potential mis-doings.
You gave Kevin a ride?
Well, sure!
A ride to where?
To school...
Right, Kev?
Uh, yeah! To school.
In...Julie's car?
Oh. (Nods.) That was nice of you.
Except...they didn't go right to school.
Did ya, guys?
No...(nods)...we didn't, Wayne.
I didn't think so.
See, Julie's car was sputtering...
It does that when it's low on gas...
But Julie thought that we could make it to a gas-station.
What?!
Really...
But then...we saw Kevin and Paul...
So Sandy said, "Let's pick 'em up...
"In case we have to push".
Help!
And then?
And then...(gestures)...we made it to the gas-station.
And there was this really cute guy working the pumps...
So we stopped to talk for a while...
And then...we dropped Kevin and Paul off at school!
Right, Kev?
What was I gonna say?
This story wasn't gonna float!
Well...(Frowns.)
You were lucky.
Huh?!
You could have been late for school. (Nods.) Both of you!
Mom, they didn't -
Why the hell is Julie drivin' around with no gas. Didn't she ever hear...
Of checkin' the gas-gauge?
Dad...
That funny little dial on the dashboard.
Maybe...We should give Karen some money so she can chip in for gas.
Amazing. Karen had pulled it off.
She got them thinking like...parents!
Well, I gotta do my homework.
I was beginning to look at my sister with a new respect.
The gas-gauge.
That was some story. (Smiles.)
I can't believe Mom and Dad bought it.
They never listen.
Yeah...
That was pretty fun today, huh? (Smiles.)
What was fun?
Well, you know, the school and all...(Smiles.)
I-I can't believe your lockers are the same size as ours. (Smiles.)
Yep. We were really connecting now...
So, uh...where'd ya go today? Really. (Smiles.)
Kevin!
Be careful with that.
Sorry!
Don't you have any homework to do? (Frowns.)
Well...
And close the door on your way out. OK? (Frowns.)
OK...(Frowns.)
If that's the way she wanted it.
Fine.
Anyway, that was the end of my relationship with my sister.
Until...
We need another favor.
Come on, man!
Look - it's the last time, I promise.
No way! (Gestures.) I-I-I just did you a favor last week!
It's really important. (Frowns.)
Really...important.
It sounds pretty important to me!
Amazing. Did they think they could turn me on and off like a...
...like a...
Your gonna get in trouble! Karen - you're ditching school! (Frowns.) Mom and Dad are going to find out...
I guess he's not as cool as we thought. (Nods.)
Fine. I'm not cool.
It's OK. (Frowns.)
You don't have to do it. I understand. (Nods.)
Aw, heck. Was I made of stone?
Let's go...
OK...some words that come to mind, here. Sucker, stooge, push-over.
Hi!
Still, Karen had said it was important.
Maybe there was a reason she was skipping school. Something I wouldn't understand...
Something complicated.
Like...
"The Hill"?!
I was mad.
This was why I was risking life and limb?
That's really beautiful...
Brightwing.
"Brightwing"?
The rain'll wash it off. And then it'll be perfect.
Gimme a break.
Hey! (Frowns.)
Kevin...(Smiles.)
Look. We've got to talk - about the notes - about everything!
You haven't told anyone, have you? (Frowns.)
No, but...!
I wanted to tell her that this was wrong.
That somebody was bound to find out. That she c-
I knew I could trust you!
I could always tell her tomorrow.
Well, in for a penny, in for a pound.
Whatever that meant.
Wednesday morning's were becoming routine.
Hi.
Hi!
George Finch. (Nods.)
Kevin Arnold.
How ya doin'? (Nods.)
Not bad...
Seeya, George!
And then after school...I was up to the hill.
"Here's a little song you can all join in with"
"It's very simple and I hope it's new"
"Make your own words up if you want to"
"Any old words that you think will do, yeah"
"Yellow, blue, what'll I do"
"Maybe I'll just sit here thinking"
"Black, white"
"Stop the fight, does one of these colors ever bother you"
It was fun!
"Here's a little dance you can all join in with" Maybe because they were big kids...and I was a little kid.
"It's very simple and I hope it's new" Or maybe it was something else.
"Make your own steps up if you want to"
"Any old steps that you think will do"
I'm not avoiding you, Paul. (Frowns.)....I-I just went on a ride with myself - that's all......Yeah......Alright. Seeya tomorrow.
What's that on you face?
Uh...
I was, uh...
Uh-oh...Stay calm, now. How would Karen handle this?
Fingerpainting!
Fingerpainting?
Uh, yeah...in art class.
Come on, Kevin. (Frowns.) Fingerpainting is for five-year-olds.
Th-th-that's the idea...it was just...like, uh...an experiment.
Oh, please continue.
This is fascinating.
Uh...
See...
Ugh...
Um.
Wayne...
Wayne - run and get me a band-aid...
???????????
Thank you...
And suddenly I got this...
Weird feeling.
My God - my mother was spilling her own blood, making my dinner...
And all I was giving her in return were lies.
Honey? Are you OK? (Nods.)
Uh, s-sure, Mom.
Well, you look all white. (Smiles.) It's just a little cut. It's nothing to worry about. (Smiles.)
Lies.
-Open it up! We know you're in there!
-Open up! No use tryin' to hide from us...
-We know all about your secret!
-Open up, Kevin!
-Mom? (Frowns.) Dad? (Frowns.)
-Book 'em, Norma.
Suddenly, I felt in over my head.
And then...the next night...
It happened.
Um, Karen?
Is something wrong at school?
I don't think so. Why?
How's your math coming?
Fine! (Nods.)
I'm doing it now.
Phew - false alarm. Just a homework nudge.
I just got a, uh, call...
From a guidance counselor...
A George...something.
Did she say "George"?
Do you know him?
Yeah! Yeah, he's cute. (Nods.) He's young.
He looks like a student.
George Finch.
He wants me to...come in for a conference, tomorrow.
What kinda conference? (Frowns.)
I'm not sure.
He said we'd discuss it tomorrow.
What's this all about?
I have no idea, Dad.
Maybe he wants to talk about my future.
Maybe he wants to talk about my life.
Isn't that what everyone around here likes to talk about? (Frowns.) What's gonna happen to poor Karen?!
Wow!
Another great performance.
Maybe she could pull it off!
Anyway, now was not the time to panic.
I'm comin' with you to that conference.
Now was the time to panic.
You've gotta tell 'em. (Frowns.)
We've gotta tell them, now.
And they're gonna find out tomorrow, anyway!
So what?
Did this person have cement in her head?
Well, if we tell them now, they'll understand.
They'll ground us for a couple of weeks...(nods)...but you know Mom and Dad...they're -
I hate to burst your bubble, little one...
But Mom and Dad are not the sun and the moon.
Huh?
They're people! Like you and me!
Wrongo!
They were Mom and Dad.
But -
Kevin, I'm sorry I got you into this.
But everything's gonna be OK. Now, will you trust me?
Only if you do something for me.
What?
You've got to promise not to cut school anymore.
And you gotta promise to stop going to the hill. (Pause.) Will you do that?
OK. (Nods.)
Really? (Smiles.) You promise?!
No school...no hill. (Smiles.)
And suddenly, it was like a ten-ton weight had been lifted off me.
Everything is gonna be just fine, Kevie.
Yeah.
That night, it did seem fine.
Things were back to the way they should be. It was going be OK.
Now, look. It-it, I know 's two-thirty in the morning...and we're, we're just tryin' to find our daughter.
We thought she might be with Julie.
No - Julie's not here!...Who?
Sandy Potter?
No, I called her first. Maybe they're at Tina's.
Who the hell is Tina...?
Karen had lied to me.
Did you look in your garage?....The garage! Doesn't she keep that bucket of bolts in the damn garage?
It was time to face the music.
Uh, I-I know where she is.
Well check it, for - !
He didn't even check his damn garage...
Uh, I-I've been helping her ditch school, and, and-and...
Look, look, uh, check that Tina...
What's-her-name's number...
Karen was right - they never listened.
I-I know where she is! She's at the hill. It-it...that's where she goes...
With Julie and Sandy and Tina!
A note...
Julie left a note.
I said she's at the hill! (Frowns.) That's where she goes - that's her big secret! (Frowns.)
They took Julie's car...They've gone to San Francisco.
They've run away?
I'll, uh...put on some clothes.
Oh, my God...
I didn't sleep. I laid there...
Thinking about what had happened to Karen...to me...to all of us.
About how big the world is, and how full of strangers. And how I might never see my sister again.
(Music "Catch the Wind" - Donovan starts and plays throughout.)
"In the chilly hours and minutes"
"Of uncertainty"
"I want to be"
"In the warmhold"
"Of your loving mind"
"To feel you"
"All around me"
"And to take your hand"
"Along the sand"
"Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind"
"When sundown pales the sky"
"I want to hide awhile"
"Behind your smile"
"And everywhere I'd look"
"Your eyes I'd find"
"For me to love you now"
"Would be the sweetest thing"
"It would make me sing"
"Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind"
"When rain has hung the leaves with tears"
"I want you near"
"To kill my fears"
"To help me to leave"
In 1969, people tried so hard... "All my blues behind"
To find themselves.
Sometimes they got lost. "For standing in your heart"
"Is where I want to be"
"And I long to be" Sometimes they found their way home again. "Ah, but I may as well"
"Try and catch the wind"
"Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind"