♪ 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 ♪
-♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
-♪ Somebody who
knows quite sure ♪
♪ Baby ♪
-♪ By with a little
help from my friends ♪
-♪ Said I'm gonna make
it with my friends ♪
-♪ Try with a little
help from my friends ♪
-♪ Oh, I'm gonna
keep on trying ♪
-♪ High with a little
help from my friends ♪
♪ I'm gonna keep on
trying now, baby ♪
-♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪
-I grew up in a neighborhood
That was like a lot of
other neighborhoods...
Where the boxes we
lived in were distinguished
Only by the names
on the mailboxes
And the cars in the driveways.
It was a place
Where hard-working
americans circled their wagons
To protect themselves
from the outside world.
-Wayne, don't forget the
trash. Tomorrow's tuesday.
-Hey, it's kevin's turn.
-No, it's not.
-Just do it.
-Our lives were made
up of little moments...
-Want more scalloped
potatoes, honey?
- All delicately intertwined.
-Oh, thanks mom.
-Karen called today.
-How much?
-Just $35 till the
end of the month.
-The nixon administration
said today...
-Send her a check.
-Hey, that's mine!
-Not anymore, angelface.
-Wayne...
Give your brother the roll.
-Maybe we weren't
aware of it then,
Amid the school paper drives
and the scalloped potatoes
And the sounds of the
neighbors' children playing...
But life was rich there
in our small sanctuary,
And precious.
- Very good.
- It is?
-And the only thing that
could ever change that...
-Hello?
- Was death.
-Jack? It's your father.
-Hey, hey, hey!
-It's grandpa. Hi, grandpa.
How are my boys?
-Not that grandpa
was dead, exactly.
In fact, he was
alive and kicking.
-Ah!
Got your nose!
-Like a fine, old wine
or an old smoked ham,
The guy just seemed to
get more robust with age.
-Hi, albert.
Let me take your coat.
-I appreciate you
putting me up, norma.
I really do.
-Oh, now, don't be silly.
You're always welcome here.
-So, uh, how long you
staying for, gramps?
-Well, we'll see. We'll see.
-Somehow, he just
filled the house with life.
He's going to a funeral.
-W-who d*ed?
-Oh.
You didn't tell them, john?
-Uh... No, dad.
I thought you'd
probably want to.
-Jack?
-Well... I guess
you ought to know.
Aunt rose passed away
yesterday morning.
-Oh, dear. Aw, poor aunt rose.
-Well, not to worry, norma.
She had a full and
productive life.
Didn't she, boys?
-Sure, gramps.
-Right.
-It was true.
Aunt rose had had a
full and productive life,
Which left just
one little question.
-Who's aunt rose?
-Actually, she wasn't your aunt.
She was, uh...
Well, she was my first cousin.
-By 10:00 that night,
I was sorry I asked.
-Look at that.
You know where that was taken?
-No. Why don't you
tell us, grandpa?
-That was up at the lake house.
-Nice bathing suit.
-Yeah, well...
That's what they looked
like in those days, wayne.
Yeah.
You know, she was...
82 Years old when she d*ed.
Can you boys even imagine that?
-'Course, when you're 14,
82 Isn't much different
from 42, or even 102.
Still, if gramps
needed a friendly ear,
He could count on us.
-Come on, dad.
The boys should get some sleep.
-Yeah. You're right, john.
I guess I've been bending
you boys' ears too much, huh?
- Nah...
- Nah...
It was fun, grandpa.
-A lie... But a good lie.
After all, the guy
was going to a funeral.
The least we could do was
give him a pleasant send-off.
-Oh! And set your alarm clocks.
We got to leave by 8:00.
-Hold on, here.
Did he say...
-Did he say "we"?
-It was obvious somebody
had to clear this up.
We chose the big guy.
-Uh, dad, about
those alarm clocks...
-I meant to tell
you... I forgot mine.
You'll have to get us up.
And we can go in my car.
-Uh, well...
You know, dad,
We weren't really planning
on going to the funeral.
-Not going? Of
course we're going.
-I-i have to fly to seattle
thursday morning, and...
-The funeral's tomorrow,
john. You got plenty of time.
Norma, where are the glasses?
-Oh, here. Let me.
-Now, of course,
what was needed here
Was a simple
clearing of the air,
A collective
statement of intention.
-This just isn't a
good time for me, dad.
-Funerals are never
a good time, john.
Besides, I think
the boys should go.
-Great. Now he was
dragging us into this.
-Uh, well, the, uh,
boys have school.
-Then write a note.
I think "death in the family"
is an acceptable excuse.
-Dad, it...
-What is the matter
with you, son?
Rose was family. Our family.
Doesn't that mean
anything to you?
-But the truth
is... It really didn't.
Not to me, anyway.
-I'll bet that kevin,
there, would...
Like to pay his last
respects to one of our own.
Wouldn't you, son?
-Then suddenly,
I was all that was standing
between us and aunt rose.
-S-sure, grandpa.
I guess so.
"Sure, grandpa. I guess so."
Butthead.
-It wasn't fair.
I'd been cast
As the benedict arnold
of the arnold clan
Just for being a
dutiful grandson.
-Are phil and opal coming
to the funeral, albert?
-Oh, yeah.
They drove down last night to
help iris with the arrangements.
And ray's flying
in from portland.
-Iris? Ray? Who
were these people?
-And, uh, lloyd
will be there, too.
-Lloyd?
- Yeah, you remember lloyd. He...
- Yeah, dad.
I remember.
-The thing is, I
couldn't understand
Why all this was so
important to the old guy.
-It'll be good to
see the family again.
Right, kev?
-And why was he picking on me?
-Right, grandpa.
-I'm glad you decided to come.
Do-do-do-do!
-Here we are. Rose mckinsey.
My deepest condolences.
-Somehow, I understood
exactly what he meant.
-This isn't little
weegie, is it?
You know why we call
him "weegie," don't you?
Because he couldn't say "wayne"
until he was about 4 years old!
-Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
There was a second
gunman on that grassy knoll.
I know what I'm talking about.
-And this must be
kevin! Just look at you!
You look just like your mother!
-Times have been tough, norma.
I know it wouldn't take much
To get the business
back on its feet again,
But it's just one
thing after another.
You know what I mean?
-You two... You could be twins!
-All in all, a
sobering experience.
After about 45 minutes of this,
Our little twig
on the family tree
Was just about
ready to branch off.
Oh, god.
- What?
- There. Right over there.
-Oh, god.
-I'll be right over. Excuse me.
-This was dad's cousin lloyd.
He'd made a mint
selling aluminum siding.
-How you doing?
-Probably the only
person in the world
With enough nerve
to call my father...
-Cuz!
How the hell you doing?!
-Just great, lloyd. You?
- Never been better.
- Oh.
-E-except...
Except for this, of course.
Hey...
You're looking different, jack.
Put on a few?
-I don't think so.
-Maybe you're just getting old!
-It was the kind
of give-and-take
That always affected
dad the same way.
I have to go to the john.
-Good idea.
-Hey!
I'll bet I missed a few
birthdays in there somewhere.
I don't have any change.
You can split
this up, can't you?
-Hello, cuz!
-Sure.
-You bet.
Thanks.
-No problem.
Now, get yourself
something real nice.
Okay?
-And suddenly we
were starting to feel
Pretty kindly towards aunt rose.
-All right, boys.
Time to say goodbye.
-Doesn't she look natural?
They do such good work here.
Hm.
-As we stood there,
face-to-face with mortality,
It's hard to describe
The emotions that
swelled within us.
-Give me the money.
-What?
-Half of it's mine.
I'll get the change.
-Wrong. I'll get the change.
-Okay. Fine. I trust you.
-In the presence of death,
Mere words often
seem... Inadequate.
-Go on. Get it.
-No way.
-I said get it.
-Why don't you get it?
-I don't think so.
-Sure, it was only
about 18 inches or so,
But in the greater
scheme of things,
That $20 bill was
from here to eternity.
-I know you boys
are gonna miss her...
But remember...
She's at peace now.
-Maybe she was...
But we weren't.
-All right.
We walk up to the casket,
You keep a lookout,
And I'll take care of the rest.
You got it?
-Are you sure we should do this?
-What's the matter? You chicken?
-No, I'm not chicken.
-Well, then you got to help me.
- No, I don't!
- Yes, you do! You dropped it!
- I didn't drop it!
- Yes, you did drop it!
-No, I didn't drop it!
No, you didn't!
I... You dropped it!
-It's 20 bucks!
-I reached for
your hand, and you...
-Hey! Hey! Hey!
What's going on here?
-Nothing, grandpa.
-Well, cut it out!
This is a funeral,
not a fistfight.
Now, where's your dad?
-I don't know.
-It's time to drive
to the cemetery.
Besides, he's already
missed the coffin-closing.
-Yeah.
It looked like this case
was closed, all right.
-What the hell were you
doing back there, john?
-I was getting some air.
- "Getting some air"?
-I guess you could say
It was a kind of a solemn
ride to the gravesite.
-The flowers were
lovely, albert.
-Yeah. They were, weren't they?
I haven't seen so many
flowers since... Helen d*ed.
You remember that,
don't you, john?
-Yeah. Yeah, I remember, dad.
-Phew.
Boy, it was hot
that day, remember?
-Dad, I remember, okay?
-Just making conversation.
-But while gramps and dad
Chewed the fat
in the front seat,
Where I sat, I had
problems of my own.
-Hey, cut it out!
-Oh, sure, after I hit you once
for every dollar you lost.
-Hey, I didn't lose it!
-Oops. Lost count.
Better start over again.
-Wayne.
Kevin. Stop it.
-All right, I told you boys.
Now, let's just... Just all
Try to put a good
face on this, all right?
-But the fact is, I didn't
feel like putting on a face.
- Man...
- John...
There's something I've been
meaning to talk to you about.
-I was a 14-year-old kid
with a sore shoulder,
Down 10 bucks, on my
way, in a cramped car,
To bury somebody
Who had absolutely
nothing to do with me.
-Have you, uh...
Have you thought any more
About buying that plot
next to your mother and me?
-And then, suddenly, aunt
rose's funeral hit home.
-Dad, do we have
to talk about this?
-Something you should
be thinking about.
-Dad...
-You don't want these
boys making the decisions
For you, do you?
They'll have enough to think
about when the time comes.
-Dad, I've taken
care of it, okay?
-It was the first time
I'd heard that my dad
Had a little patch of
earth with his name on it.
And, of course, there was
only one thing to do about it.
- Boys, you just stop it!
- What do you think
you're doing?
Stop, both of you. Kevin.
-All right. All right!
That's it! Get out,
the both of you!
-What?
-If you can't go to a
funeral and be respectful,
Then don't go!
-Grandpa...
-If you change your mind,
The cemetery is 2
miles down the road!
-Dad!
-Hmm. No help there.
Or there.
So I just had to hope
gramps was bluffing.
-I'm serious
about this, damn it!
Now get out!
- But, i...
- Now!
-I had never seen my
grandfather so furious.
And there you had it.
Stranded in the
middle of nowhere,
With nothing to show
for it but a clean suit.
-Ow!
-First you lose my money!
And now this, butthead!
-You idiot!
-Whoa! Jerk!
-Moron!
-Dorkface!
-Where you going?
-I'm walking!
-Grief wears a lot of faces.
Some people cry, some
people hand out money...
Others throw dirt clods.
And for the first
time that day...
-Hey, wait up!
- I was starting to feel
a little grief of my own.
-Jerk!
-Idiot!
-Scrooge!
-We ask that you
comfort them in their loss
As you receive rose
into your kingdom.
Amen.
-Amen.
-Some journeys take
longer than others.
By the time we got to the
cemetery that afternoon,
I knew I'd traveled
more than just 2 miles.
Something was
happening in my life...
Something so big I
couldn't take it all in.
-And though we may feel
poorer for her passing...
We should seek
comfort in the knowledge
That we are, in
fact, so much richer.
Richer for having known her,
For having been
touched by her kindness.
Would anyone like to say a
few words about rose mckinsey?
-I, uh, I believe I would.
I guess, uh...
I guess my cousin rose...
Liked family gatherings more
than anybody I've ever known.
Even after she had...
Trouble getting around, she...
Always loved to
have a chance to see...
The folks.
As she liked to call us.
Of course, lately, it seems like
The only time we ever
get together is, uh...
When there's a wedding or...
Or when somebody leaves us.
-As I stood there, listening
to grandpa's words...
A lot of things began
to become real for me.
Aunt rose,
The loss gramps was feeling,
And why coming here
was so important...
For all of us.
-But I can tell you one thing.
Rose is not gone from us.
She never will be.
She will always
Be a part of us...
As long as we remain a family.
Part of...
The folks.
Part of who we are.
Even for those who...
Really didn't know
her very well.
-I guess that's
when I understood
What my grandfather had
been trying to explain to me...
That my life was bigger
Than the little
neighborhood I lived in,
And that these strangers
who surrounded me
Weren't just relatives.
They were my family.
And the death of one
affected each of us in some way.
- Hey. It was 20 bucks.
-We'll be seeing you, rose.
-The thread of
my aunt rose's life
Had been permanently
woven into mine,
Leaving me with questions.
And driving home that night,
My fragile, little family
hurtling through the darkness,
I knew I'd have to face
those questions one day.
-Dad?
-Hmm?
-Don't ever die, okay?
-Nah...
I'm not gonna die.
-But for now...
That was good enough for me.