♪ What would you do
if I sang out of tune? ♪
♪ Would you stand up
and walk out on me? ♪
♪ Lend me your ears,
and I'll sing you a song ♪
♪ I will try not to
sing out of key, yeah ♪
♪ Oh, baby, I get by ♪
- ♪ by with a little help
from my friends ♪
-♪ All I need is my buddies ♪
-♪ High with a little
help from my friends ♪
-♪ I'm sayin' I'm gonna get higher ♪ - ♪
try with a little help from my friends ♪
- ♪ Whoa-oa-oa-oa, yeah ♪
- ♪ ooh, ooh, ooh ♪
-There was a time when
the world was enormous...
Spanning the vast,
Almost infinite boundaries of...
Your neighborhood...
The place where you grew up...
Where you didn't think twice
About playing on
someone else's lawn.
- Right there.
- Okay.
- That looks good.
- Great. Do you have your marker?
-And the street
was your territory
That occasionally got
invaded by a passing car.
-Come on, let's play ball.
-It was where you didn't
get called in to come home
Until after dark
And all the people and all the
houses that surrounded you
Were as familiar as the
things in your own room.
And you knew they
would never change.
-Come on! It's time for dinner!
-I ought to sell this dump.
-Which is not to say that they
couldn't transfer ownership.
-What, honey?
-There's dry rot
in the basement.
The whole foundation
could be going.
-After 17 years of
cleaning out gutters,
Plugging leaks,
and patching roofs,
My father had developed
a philosophical view
About residential living.
-I ought to sell this dump.
-Not that we didn't
take him seriously.
-Have some coffee, jack.
-Nope, the best thing to do
When dad was talking real estate
Was change the subject.
-Dad?
Can I have a raise
in my allowance?
-That was one way.
-Hey, you know how the
babes are when it's summer.
"Take me here,
Give me this, give me that."
-Get a job.
-What?
-You heard me. You
want money? Make it.
-Well how come she's
not getting a job?
-She's got other things to do.
She's busy with her graduation.
-Nice play, shakespeare.
-Eat it, dork.
-I ought to sell this dump.
-Around our house,
it was an old refrain.
We'd heard it a
thousand times before,
And it was nothing
to worry about.
Maybe there was
sawdust in the cellar,
But all in all, my
foundations were sound.
-♪ I've got sunshine ♪
-More than sound.
-♪ On a cloudy day ♪
-Winnie cooper...
The light of my life,
The cornerstone
of my existence.
- ♪ When it's cold outside ♪
She was...
- Cheap, fake, and dependable.
- ♪ I've got the month of may ♪
-What?
-This.
I'm giving it to becky.
-Why?
-It's a tradition.
Everybody's getting one.
-How much did you pay for that?
Nine bucks.
-Whoa.
That's a lot of money.
-Maybe. But you know what
you get for nine bucks?
-A ring worth two bucks?
-Insurance.
Summer's coming. This
will keep 'em faithful.
Hey, it's a small price to pay,
Especially when you're
dating super cooper.
That's ridiculous.
Of course it was.
Winnie and I didn't need a ring.
We had something... Special.
I was hers, and she was...
Mine.
All mine.
Not to brag or anything.
- Hi!
- Hi.
-I brought you some ice cream.
-Neapolitan. I hated neapolitan.
But neapolitan ice
cream in a paper cup
From the gentle hands
of the woman I adored,
Well... I love this!
And I did.
The fact is, with
summer on the way
Things had never been better.
-Damn!
It's worse than I thought.
-You sure, honey?
-The whole beam's
turning to sawdust.
-Maybe we should call
someone in to look at it.
-Are you kiddin'?
You know how much
those guys charge?
-Uh-oh.
Dry rot in the
cellar was one thing.
Dry rot in dad's wallet
was quite another.
-I'm tellin' you, norm,
We ought to get
rid of this place.
-And suddenly, this
was sounding serious.
-Cooper says the
houses around here
Are going for three
times what they used to.
-Dad?
Seemed like it was time
For a second opinion.
Maybe we should... Get it fixed.
It's a good house.
It's our house.
I like it.
There... Simple,
eloquent, and effective.
-Cooper give you the
name of that realtor?
-Yeah, I think I
have it somewhere.
-Good.
-Mom?
-Your father just wants to see
What his options are, honey.
It's nothing to worry about.
-Sure, obviously, there
was no need to panic.
Now all I needed was
someone to convince me of that.
Trouble was, that
someone was winnie.
And I couldn't tell
her. It wouldn't be fair.
Why should she be forced
to deal with that pain,
That agony?
Nope, the best thing to
do was keep it to myself.
Winnie, we're moving.
-What?
-She, of course,
took it pretty hard.
-I think we could work it out.
-What?
-Well, it might not be so bad.
-Seemed to me she was failing
To consider the
ramifications of all this.
Winnie, don't you know
that it's impossible
To survive a
long-distance relationship?
-Well...
-I mean, susan boluty
and jeff broke up
Just because they were
put in different homerooms.
-I would feel the same
no matter where you lived.
Wouldn't you?
I mean, it's not
like it's your fault
If your parents
make you move, is it?
-The thing was, she
was obviously trying
To be supportive and
kind and understanding
When what I really
needed was a heart-felt...
-Please don't go, kevin.
-Right words, wrong neighbor.
-Man, it just wouldn't
be the same without you.
I don't know what we'd do.
-Well...
Still, this wasn't so bad.
I mean, if you have to go,
It's nice to know
you'll be missed.
I'm sure you'd survive.
-You're right.
-What?
Kev, no matter
what, I promise you,
After you're gone,
I'll do everything I can
to take care of winnie.
-Great.
-A waiter?
-Well, at least I wasn't the
only one who was suffering.
-Wayne, your father
went to a lot of trouble
To find you this job.
-I don't get it.
I mean, what did
I ever do to him?
-What's your job, to
scare away the customers?
-Kevin.
-One more word and
you die, butthead.
-In fact, baiting my brother
Was about the only
way I could think of
To turn back the
rising fear that...
-Okay, I just talked to a guy
Who's coming over to look
at the house tomorrow.
Probably take us for
every penny we got.
-Dad, are you serious?
-You bet I am.
-And there you had
it... The death sentence.
Worst of all, no one else
was even batting an eyelash.
Dad, you can't do this!
-Huh?
-I mean, you haven't
even asked us
What we think about it!
-I got to ask permission
to get the dry rot fixed?
-Then you're not
selling the house?
-Course not.
-There. I told you.
-And suddenly, the
skies began to clear.
-Who is this, anyway, jack?
-Guy I met across the street.
-Suddenly, my fears
had disappeared.
The world was great.
We were staying!
-He's gonna be working
on cooper's house
After they move out.
-Huh?
-Jack.
-Uh... Sorry.
-The coopers thought it
was best if winnie told you.
They're not moving far, honey...
Just a few miles.
-Oh.
-You know what the best part is?
The coopster's going to a
different school next year...
Across town.
Looks like, "bye-bye, butthead."
-Wayne!
-I didn't believe it.
I had to find winnie so she
would tell me it wasn't true.
-The death of galaxies,
The collapse of stars,
The destruction of the
universe as we know it.
-Somehow I understood just
where this guy was coming from.
-Here today, gone tomorrow.
-My world was ending.
The girl next door
was moving away.
-Poof.
-Not that I wasn't
handling it like an adult.
I don't believe this.
I just don't believe this!
How come you didn't tell me?!
-I didn't know.
Not for sure.
Maybe it won't be so bad.
We're only moving four miles.
-Four miles?!
In 13-year-old terms,
Approximately the distance
from new york to paris.
Winnie, you're gonna be going
To to a different
school next year!
Don't you understand
what that means?
We got to do something.
-Like what?
-Maybe we could...
Talk to your dad.
Sure, sit down with the old man,
State our case, lay
out options, and...
Who was I kidding?
-Kevin, we'll be
all right, won't we?
-I wanted to believe that...
More than anything.
At least we'll have part
of the summer together.
-Sure.
-Winnie?
-We're moving in three weeks.
-Three weeks?
This is horrible!
You must feel like
k*lling yourself!
-Fortunately, my friends were
there to help soften the blow.
-Hey, arnold.
Heard the coopster's
taking a powder.
-Come on, hobson.
Show a little
sensitivity here, huh?
-Yeah, just lay off, will you?
-Yeah, kevin and winnie
are gonna be just fine.
-Thanks.
-Besides, just because she's
going to a different school
Doesn't mean...
- She's going to lincoln?
-Yeah. Why?
-Nothing, except ever see
the guys that go there?
They average six feet tall.
They all play football...
Some of them professionally.
And they surf.
-They surf?
-And that's just the
seventh graders.
-Get out of here.
-You've got one
option, arnold...
Protect your territory.
Think about it.
-But I didn't have
to think about it.
Did I look like the kind of kid
who'd let himself be stampeded
By a dumb, mean-spirited,
little twit like that?
Ha!
I'll take that one.
How much is it?
-$48.
-Got anything for $9.50?
13 Is a crazy age.
You're too young to vote,
and too old not to be in love.
You live in a house
someone else owns.
But your dreams are
already somewhere else.
You face the future
armed with nothing
But the money you've
earned from mowing lawns
And a $9 ring with
a purple stone.
And you hope against hope...
That'll be enough.
By the last day of school,
I'd pretty much made up my
mind things were gonna be okay.
-I'm gonna miss this place.
-Yeah, well, it's not all
that great, you know.
I mean, I hear they got really
great lockers over at lincoln.
Uh-huh, and seventh
graders the size of trees.
-I hate this.
-Okay, so she was feeling down.
Fortunately, I was in
the possession of a cure.
I got this for you.
It's not much, but...
I mean, they had this
great one for 48 bucks.
But, uh...
Anyway...
It's stainless...
And rustproof, and...
I'd like you to wear it.
It was kind of a big moment.
Here we were... Two
ships, tossed in the storm.
But suddenly,
through the clouds,
A light was breaking...
The light of hope,
The light of love.
-I can't take it.
-And then the lights went out.
Beg your pardon?
-I can't wear it.
-Some thoughts
that sprang to mind...
Maybe she was allergic to
semi-quasi-precious metals,
Or...
Well, you know, it
doesn't have to be purple.
I mean, they come in
all sorts of colors...
Uh, blue, uh, pink.
-It's not the color.
-Oh.
Well, then...
-Kevin, we have to be sensible.
-What are you talking about?
-Kevin, I've done a lot
of thinking about us...
About what you said
About long-distance
relationships.
Well, yeah, but that was
just mostly hypothetical.
-We...
-And suddenly it was clear.
She wasn't just
cleaning out her locker.
She was cleaning out her life.
Winnie, are you
breaking up with me?
But she didn't have to answer.
Her silence said it all.
It had the sound of moving
on, the sound of "goodbye."
I understand.
-I have to go.
-I know.
And then she was gone.
June in the suburbs...
Nothin' like it...
Lawn mowers mowing,
kids being kids...
Moving vans moving.
I was starting to develop a
complex about summer vacations.
-You got to be kidding me.
-Kidding you? This
is what I'm wearing.
-That?!
-Well, give me a break!
I'm wearing a dress!
It's a statement.
-I'm gonna check the cellar.
-Well, at least everything
was normal around my house.
As for the rest of
the neighborhood,
It was definitely
going downhill.
-Don't worry, scrote.
I'm sure she'll send
you a postcard.
Unh!
I'm going for a walk.
-Winnie? Winnie!
-Hi.
-Hi.
-She looked...
Small and lost...
Like a little girl
sitting in a moving van,
Which I guess she was.
Can I come in?
-I guess so.
Have a seat.
-Oh, I can't stay.
I've got karen's graduation.
I'd been planning what to
say for about two weeks...
About life, about love.
So what did you get in english?
Just asking.
-Winnie!
They're packing up my stuff.
My brother's stuff, too.
They're putting his in storage.
I think this is gonna be
good for my mom and dad.
-Yeah. I think so, too.
-Winnie? Where are you?
-So, I'll probably
see you around.
But somehow, I knew I wouldn't.
And not just because of a
few miles or a new school.
It was because...
Things could
never be the same...
These lawns, these
streets, this place.
Winnie cooper was leaving...
Leaving her home,
leaving her past...
Leaving...
-You...
-Karen arnold.
-I wasn't there when winnie's
moving van pulled away.
I didn't want to be.
I was with my family...
Which was changing, too.
-Whoa!
-It looks great, honey!
-Look at the hat.
Look at the hat.
-Things were gonna
be different now.
-Here. Check it out.
-My sister would
be off to college.
My brother was...
My brother...
- "...has been found worthy..."
-My mom and dad
would stay behind
To fight the battle of
dry rot and crabgrass
And growing older together.
-Let's have a toast.
Here's to karen.
-You got one, wayne?
-No, I haven't got one.
-As for me?
Well, I had my own
distances to cover.
Four miles... New york to paris.
The thing is, until winnie left,
Everything in the world
was outside my front door.
But now...
Maybe the world would
have to get a little bigger.