[ Joe Cocker's "With a Little Help From My Friends" plays ]
♪ Baby ♪
♪ High 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, oh, I'm gonna keep on tryin' ♪
♪ Get by with a little help from my friends ♪
♪ I'm gonna keep on tryin', now, babe ♪
♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪
And so, for you midyear graduates,
While this ceremony marks the end of your time as students,
It is called "commencement."
For now the real work begins.
December 1972 was a time of change for my family,
A time of strange occurrences, improbable events...
- ...Peter Almquist... - ...And a few surprises.
Norma Arnold.
After a 20-year sabbatical in the kitchen,
My mother was graduating from state college.
We were all pretty proud of her.
As for my father, after a half a lifetime at Norcom,
He decided to invest in the future.
[ tools whirring ]
Well, the future of furniture, anyway.
The place looks wonderful, honey!
What?!
I said it looks wonderful!
Oh!
You think it looks good now?
Wait till the deal closes.
We're gonna retool the whole place,
Make it completely state-of-the-art.
Wait till you see it.
Amazing... in three short weeks,
The guy had made the transformation
From employee to proud almost-owner.
Hey, partner!
Make that co-proud-almost-owner.
- Charlie. - Norma.
How's the college graduate? Ready to come work for us?
I'm keeping my options open, Charlie.
[ Chuckles ]
How about you, Kevin? You ready to come aboard?
Well, I figured I'd finish high school first.
Great idea. Oh, Jack.
Uh, by the way, I called the bank.
I put off the closing till Friday.
Why? Is there a problem?
No, no, I just heard about a real sweet deal
We can get on some machinery in Pittsburgh,
And I wanted to get right on it.
Oh. Sure. Good thinking.
Norma, Norma, have you seen
The dining-room sets they've got here?
Well, no, actually, I haven't.
Well, no time like the present. Come on.
- Go ahead. - Come on.
There was no denying it.
The Arnold fortunes were definitely on the rise.
Come on. I'll show you some of the other stuff we make here.
We were riding high
On wings of lumber and glue. You know those, uh...
Those little stools that you saw outside?
Well, this, uh, drill-press...
And no one was more excited than Dad.
He was just like a kid at Christmas.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
Speaking of which...
Oh, look. Bread's got a new album out.
[ Sighs ] I hate bread.
Yeah, but the chicks love 'em.
Listen, are you gonna help me or not?
I thought I was.
All right, listen, if you were Winnie,
What would you want from me?
Well, I'd want you to hold me,
And I'd want you to tell me that you love me.
And I think that would be present enough.
All right. A Maserati.
That's helpful.
Maseratis aside, I was faced
With the annual yuletide challenge of a lifetime...
Ho, ho, ho!
Finding a present for my best girl.
Look at these prices!
Who in their right mind would shop in a store like this?
Oh! Hi, Kevin.
- Ask a stupid question. - Hi, Jeff.
Winnie, what are you doing here?
Just some shopping.
Uh-huh.
So, what'd you get?
Just some stuff.
Right.
Oh.
It was pretty obvious that in that box
Was something large for a medium-sized Arnold.
Well, I better get going.
Yeah.
We're... Better get going, also.
Yeah, we got some stuff to buy.
See ya.
Did you see the size of that box?
Yeah.
So, what are you gonna do, man?
There was really only one thing to do.
Cashmere.
It's the fabric of royalty.
Go for absolute broke.
How big of a box does it come in?
You really think she'll like it?
There's not a woman alive who wouldn't.
And it's on sale.
$99.99.
$99?
$99.
That's almost $100!
Very close, yeah.
Uh, I'm gonna think about it.
She might be allergic.
Yeah, she's got a hive problem.
I understand.
[ Sighs ] great. Now what am I gonna do?
Well, you know, hickory farms is having a sale
On, uh, cheese logs.
[ Sighs ] thanks.
Ow! I'm stuck in this tree!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
Ow!
[ Grunts ]
Come on, Wayne. Swing your end around.
I got pine needles in my arm!
Come on. Quit foolin' around. Get the tree in there.
[ Grunting ]
After all these years,
Dad had finally bought a tree worthy of our mansion.
That's some tree, Jack.
What'd you buy, the biggest one on the lot?
Come on. Let's get it up. You ready?
One, two, three.
Okay, maybe it was a little too worthy.
[ crunching ]
[ Sighs ] you better get the saw.
Great! Bonnie and I get the top part.
Suckers!
Don't you think you're going a little overboard, honey?
What are you talkin' about?
Besides, it's Christmas.
I felt like splurging.
It was incredible...
It was like Santa Claus making a house call...
Uh, Dad?
Yeah, Kev?
And I was gonna be next on his list.
Could I, uh... Borrow a couple bucks?
Like, say, $99.99?
W it's just...
You know, I want to get something for Winnie,
And I'm running a little short, so...
Sure. No problem.
Bingo.
Down the chimney he came.
Oh, honey, Charlie called while you were out.
He said he won't be able to make it over tonight.
- And then... - What's he getting... cold feet?
My Santa went south.
What's that supposed to mean?
It means nothing... he said everything was fine,
He had a few last-minute things he had to take care of,
And he'd see you at the bank on Friday.
Dad?
Oh!
Sure.
Buy her something special.
Right. Thanks, Dad.
Well, like they say...
If at first you don't succeed...
[ shouting indistinctly ]
Ask Mr. Chong.
[ shouting in Chinese ]
Mr. Chong?
Uh...
What?!
I've been thinking.
And, you know, I've been here for about six months.
And I've done a pretty good job.
Wouldn't you say?
[ laughs ]
[ Speaking Chinese ]
All in all, a promising start.
Well, what I mean is...
- I like it here. - Huh?
You're a great guy.
Hmm.
Yeah, I-i learn a lot here.
Hmm.
And, you know, this being Christmas and all...
Hmm?
So, what do you say?
You don't have to give me a gift.
No. No, I meant me.
I'm not giving you a gift, either.
Hmm.
Seems what we had here was a failure to communicate...
Mr. Chong, I don't think you understood what I meant.
At least in English.
I need a raise!
There. The universal language.
[ sizzling ]
Hmm.
And what else could the guy say but...
Get back to work.
Hey!
[ Speaking Chinese ]
December 17th... closing day for Dad's new company.
It was Jack Arnold versus the first national bank.
Needless to say,
It was a pretty big moment for the old man.
And we, in turn, were more than happy to share it with him.
So, how long is this gonna take?
Where's Charlie? He's 15 minutes late.
Honey, just be patient.
He's probably stuck in traffic,
You know, with everyone out holiday shopping.
Uh, Mr. Arnold?
We're ready for you now.
Uh, what about Barrett? Shouldn't we wait?
Oh, that won't be necessary.
We can start on the preliminaries.
Uh, well [chuckles] here goes nothing.
Good luck, honey.
Yeah. Go get 'em, Dad.
- Yeah. - Knock 'em dead.
And with that, my father headed off
To lay claim to his corner of the American dream.
Ah, come on in, Jack.
- Just help yourself. - Thanks.
It was kind of inspiring.
Hey, if I open up three accounts,
I can get the coffee maker,
The toaster, and the can-opener.
After all, this was a savings and loan.
In a place like this... Anything could happen...
[ telephone rings ]
Yes. Mr. Barrett.
I see. No, I understand.
Well, it is a bit late, but, uh...
[ clears throat ] I think we may have a problem.
And I mean anything.
Apparently his finances are shaky.
He's withdrawn his application.
- One thing was clear. - What?
- Whatever it was... - That's impossible.
- ...It wasn't good. - Apparently not.
Thank you.
We're sorry, Jack. Uh...
I don't believe it.
[ Sighs ] Jack? What happened?
He's not coming. He crapped out.
Why?!
I'll tell you why. He doesn't have the money.
It was horrible.
- And then... - I knew it.
Things got worse.
Let's get the hell out of here.
Jack.
I said let's go!
Nice going, butthead.
What'd I say?
Now!
And with that, there went Christmas...
There went that cashmere sweater...
- There goes my can-opener. - ...And we were left
With nothing but a stocking full of coal.
I'm telling you, Harv, it's a terrific opportunity.
They've got a solid customer base and a lot of potential.
Well, just let me know.
There's a lot of people interested in this.
Yeah. Merry Christmas to you, too.
Whoever it was who said
Holidays are a time for joy and celebration
Obviously wasn't hanging around my house that week.
How's it going, honey?
Oh, I don't know.
I think I have a couple of prospects.
Did you talk to the bank? Maybe they can help.
I don't have enough collateral to carry the whole loan.
You know how conservative banks are.
But don't worry.
Maybe there's a way we can make this work.
Still, even though Dad was doing his best
To keep our spirits up...
Kev, hand me one of those ornaments, huh?
You had the feeling
Things weren't exactly tinsel and glitter.
I don't know.
Maybe I ought to make a few more calls.
And the worst part was...
There was nothing we could do to help.
♪ Four calling birds, three French hens ♪
Not that my life was any bed of mistletoe.
Come on, you got to be joking!
I mean, 100 bucks? For a sweater?
Well, I-it's cashmere.
- The fabric of royalty. - So?
99 bucks is too much to spend for any woman.
What am I supposed to do?
I think she's gonna buy me something really expensive.
Well, maybe you should go for it.
I mean, last year, I spent 87 bucks on a gift.
And she loved it.
Who was that for?
Oh, it's just somebody I know.
Oh, come on, chuck. It was for your mother, wasn't it?
[ Chuckles ]
Maybe.
Hi, Kevin!
- Whoops. - I was just wondering...
Are you coming over Christmas eve?
- Sure. - Oh, good.
I can't wait till you see what I got you.
It's really neat.
Well, listen, Winnie,
I hope you didn't go overboard or anything.
I mean, I would love anything you got me,
And, besides, it's just the thought that counts.
Don't be silly. It's Christmas.
I can't wait.
Ohh!
Man, are you in trouble. [ snickers ]
It boiled down to this...
My goose was cooked.
[ shouting in Chinese ]
Mr. Chong...
Look, I know we talked about this,
But I got to have that raise.
Hmm.
Look, I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't really important.
Hmm.
- Hey, I just thought... - You got it.
I do?
50 cents more an hour.
It was like discovering scrooge had a heart.
Wow! Thank you!
Starting tomorrow.
Tomorrow?
But that's Christmas eve.
So?
So... No one works on Christmas eve.
Congratulations.
Now you're one of Santa's little helpers.
Ho, ho, ho.
Yeah.
Ho... Ho... Ho.
Driving home that night,
It seemed like the yuletide spirit was everywhere.
The suburbs were practically blazing with holiday cheer.
It was almost as if every house on every street in America
Had its Christmas lights on.
Except one.
There was only one light burning in our house.
Dad?
Huh?
How's it goin'?
- It's goin'. - Jack?
Honey, tomorrow's Christmas eve.
Don't you think we should put up the lights?
Sure.
Jack...
Why don't you come to bed?
[ Exhales sharply ]
In a minute, Norma.
I just want to run these figures again.
That Christmas eve day, I had a lot on my mind.
I'd like to say I was thinking only of my Dad,
But I still hadn't found a gift for Winnie.
[ grunts ]
Sorry.
It's okay.
Then I ran into the Grinch.
Mr. Barrett.
Hey, Kevin.
So, uh... How you doin'?
Uh...
You know, I-I'm okay.
How's your Dad?
Great.
He's just... Great.
The thing is, for a guy
Who couldn't come up with his share of the money,
He sure was buying a pile of presents.
Thanks.
So, uh, you're doing a little shopping.
Yeah, well, the, uh, company
Gave us a small bonus for Christmas.
Company?
Well, yeah, I kind of went back to Norcom.
Oh.
Listen, you understand.
I got a wife, three kids.
The economy the way it is...
You understand, right?
Yeah. Sure.
But I didn't. I just didn't.
Anyway, I got to get going.
Say hi to your folks for me.
Merry Christmas, Kevin.
And I guess that's when
I saw Charlie Barrett for who he was.
Not a Grinch...
Just a scared, little man
Who'd turned tail and run from a risk.
[ electricity crackles ]
As opposed to, say, my Dad...
Damn these things.
A man who hated Christmas lights.
You okay, Dad?
You know I paid a fortune for these things?
Almost 4 bucks.
Yeah, back in 1946.
You need any help?
Nah. I got some more lights in this box.
I'll give you a hand.
Oh, geez.
I can't do anything right.
Of course I could see he needed help,
Something to lighten the mood,
Take his mind off things.
I ran into Charlie at the mall.
How is he?
Well...
He went back to Norcom.
Yeah, I heard.
Oh.
Well, I was just thinking...
I bet you could go back.
I mean, I bet Norcom would love to have you back.
I can't go back, Kevin.
- Well, sure, you can! - Listen.
Charlie Barrett did not talk me into this.
I did it because I wanted to. I did it because I had to.
I did it because it was time.
Understand?
Sure, Dad.
Besides, I got better things to do with my life.
I got to untangle these lights.
[ Both chuckle ]
And the funny thing is,
Standing there that winter afternoon...
I knew things would be all right.
Maybe my father would never be his own boss.
But in my eyes, he was something more.
He was his own man.
Jack?
- Hi. - Hi.
Oh, I see you got the lights out.
Yeah. How was shoppin'?
Fine.
Honey, I have to talk to you about something.
I think I figured a way to make this work.
Norma, I've been over those figures six ways from Sunday.
And without a loan, there's no way to make it work.
I don't have enough collateral.
Actually, Jack, you do.
What do you mean?
I just went down to the bank.
You did what?
I talked to that loan officer.
I told him about your plans and projections.
But mostly I told him about you...
About the kind of man you are.
I told them they should believe in you
The way that I do.
They think that's collateral enough.
You did that?
They want to see you on Monday.
I don't know, Norma.
It's a hell of a risk.
I don't think so, Jack.
I guess some gifts are simple.
They come from the heart.
With a lifetime guarantee.
[ sighs ] come on.
Let's get these lights up.
And that afternoon...
- Oh! Hey! - ...Christmas finally arrived.
That Christmas eve,
I delivered egg rolls and pork lo mein
For 50 cents more an hour.
This is so beautiful.
I can't believe this.
It must've cost a fortune.
Then I turned right around and squandered the profits...
On cashmere.
I love it.
Still, I think it was worth it.
I hope you like this.
It's not like yours, but...
As for that big box,
It turned out to be something much, much smaller.
[ chuckles ] the new bread album.
Do you like it?
[ Scoffs ] yeah! They're my favorite!
I hated it. I loathed it.
I despised it.
Merry Christmas, Kevin.
Merry Christmas.
Then again, on the other hand...
[ utensil clinking on glass ]
I'd like to make a toast.
That night, we skipped the customary dinner at home.
Seemed there was a more fitting place to gather.
To, uh...
New beginnings.
New possibilities.
To my family.
And to my girl.
Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas. - Merry Christmas.
[ laughter ]
We stayed up late.
We talked about old times, new times.
We ate turkey and dressing...
And egg rolls.
After all, the way I saw it,
That year, we had a lot to celebrate.