Over the years, a family develops a kind of character.
A sense of heritage. A feeling of roots.
For my family, those roots extended all the way to the back of our garage.
It was kind of our Plymouth Rock.
Hey - look at this.
The old placemats. They'll be great if we have a dinner party.
Yeah, great.
Remember these? Those are mine!
Bonnie'll love 'em in the kid's room.
Hey, but -
Thanks.
The final week of nineteen-seventy-two.
Where I lived, it was a time of change.
Most particularly in the person of...
Wow - curtains.
My new brother.
Sure - maybe this looked like the same doofus I'd shared a room with for fifteen years...
but in one way, he was different.
Will ya look at this pattern, huh?
Wayne was in love.
Come on - let's show Bonnie.
And somehow...Our garage was never gonna be the same again.
Hey - look at these!
This stuff's great!
Not that I begrudged the guy his good fortune.
After all, he'd found the girl of his dreams.
These are nice, Wayne.
Bonnie Douglas. Twenty-three, divorced, and mother of one.
You sure it's alright if we take all this?
- Oh, of course it is. - Yeah - of course it is!
Uh, peekaboo!
- sweetheart... - Wh-what did I do?
But it wasn't what he'd done that was so perplexing...
it was how he was doing it.
Honey... You know, you're looking awfully thin -
are you sure you're getting enough rest?
You know, working two shifts at the plant...He doesn't have time to sleep...
Besides...who says I want to sleep?
God...
Wayne? A little help, here...
Oh, yeah. Well...Put it in back, and...don't break anything.
Look at those eyes. What a handsome, handsome boy...
Yeah. Hell of a lot better lookin' than his old man.
Which, around my house...Was kind of a sore subject.
Has, uh...James been...calling again?
Well, no...a couple times, but, you know...just to say "hi".
Mom... Don't worry.You know, the guy's a jerk.
Come on...we gotta go.
And there it was.Almost overnight, Wayne had changed.
He'd become a picture of patience...Sacrifice.
So...can I give you a buck for your help? Huh? Huh?
Generosity.
Hang on to it.
Suit yourself.I'm goin' for the night-shift.
It was almost ironic.
My no-good, lay-about brother...had become...A devoted family-man.
As opposed to say...me.A man devoted to avoiding his family.
Hut-hut. hike!
No matter what the cost.
back! Back!
In the first ten days of Christmas recess...
I'd participated in thirteen semi-organized...Semi-suicidal touch football games.
Jeez. This ground is rock-solid.
I think I broke somethin'.
- What are we doing here? - Of course, the reason was obvious.
Got ya outta the house, didn't it?
He's right. Come on, guys...let's huddle up.
At sixteen, we were men on the run, fleeing house, home, and parents.
Afraid of nothing. Except, maybe...
What are you guys doin' for New Year's eve?
Uh. Serving drinks at my parent's party. You?
My uncle's showing home-movies.
New Year's eve. The nightmare of family togetherness.
Hey, ya know...Eddie Putnam's having a big party.
Yeah...at his parents' ski-condo. In the mountains.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
Plus, Eddie's folks are gonna be out of town, in Aruba.
It was an image to warm the heart...Of any red-blooded adolescent.
A beacon of romance...revelry...freedom...
A moonlit night.Eddie Putnam's dad's ski-condo...and Winnie.
- Happy New Year. - Happy New Year.
And suddenly, from the ashes of Christmas at home...a new hope arose.
A New Year's inspiration.
And all of it...just two hours by car.
Alright - I'm goin'. Count me in.
- Everyone - go long. Ready... - Break!
and with that, The plan was set.
A New Year's blowout.
Down. Set.Hut-hut!
And nothing could stand in my way.
- Except... - A party...
At a ski-lodge?
Just one little hitch.
Well...it's not exactly a lodge... And it's not really a party. Just...
The bash of the century.
.a get-together, ya know?
They're not gonna have beer, are they?
Mom, come on! Beer?
Totally ridiculous.
So, what do you say?
Well...I guess it would be OK...
Great.
Except, we already have plans for New Year's eve.
- We? - We do?
Your brother's taking us all out to dinner.
The whole family.
Including Winnie.
What?!
istn't that sweet? He wants to be his treat
Well, that's great, but I
you know i think it's really important to Wayne.
He's been working so hard...Knocking himself out for Bonnie and the baby.
Yeah, well...thanks but no thanks.
Kevin!
Mom!
Hmmm. Clearly, we were at an impasse. So, faced with a tough decision,
Mom did what any fair-minded parent...Would do.
Why don't you ask your father, honey?
Ask me what?
- Dad - about that New Years eve thing... - You're going, and that's that.
So much for fair-mindedness.
Bye, honey!
I'd been set up, sold out, and shipped down the river.
With New Year's eve fast approaching...
I knew my only hope was...To look to a higher source.
Wayne - why can't the family get together another night?
Because. Holidays are a time for family.
- yeah - ow, The chothes are hot
Wayne!
Besides...I thought it would be a nice thing to do.
Who was this guy?And what had he done with my brother?
Look... I've got other things to do on New Years' eve.
And I was just thinkin' that the family could just hang out without me.
Hang out? We're not just hangin' out! We're goin' to a supper-club.
A supper-club?
God - it was worse than I thought.
Oh, yeah! Dinner and a show..maybe a comedian or something.
I reserved us a table right up front.
Will you give me a hand folding this before Bonnie gets here?
OK, then. Maybe it was...Time to take a different tack.
Boy...That must be settin' you back a few bucks.
You know, I hear those supper-clubs cost a bundle.
Hey...What's money if you don't have people to spend it on, huh?
And that's when it hit me.
This wasn't love...This was insanity.
WAYNE: Besides...
It wouldn't be the same without you there, son.
Son?
OK...Enough was enough.
Look, Wayne. Number one, I'm not your son.
And number two, I don't want to spend New Year's eve in a stupid supper club...
You don't?
No! That's what I'm saying!
Well...
Sure - maybe it was selfish...
But under the circumstances...Absolutely necessary.
Hey - I'm sorry I'm late.
- Oh, that's OK. You get caught up? - Kind of...I saw James.
Woops.
What'd he want?
"What did he want?" - The same old thing,
to hash everything out we've been through like a hundred times.
I'm shopping, I'm having a good time,and I come out of the store,
and he's sitting there, waiting for me.
Why? W-what? Is he following you? I'm gonna kill this guy! Ya know, I'm sick
Wayne - don't worry...I set him straight for good...I told him it's over like twenty times.
Are ya sure?
Definitely.
And there ya had it.Love at the laundromat.
Two kids...Working it out.
And one kid making his get-away.
So, Kevin? Are we gonna see you New Year's eve?
what?
rats!
Well...you know, I was just...talking with Wayne...
and, don't worry.He's gonna be there.
- But I thought - - It'd mean a lot to us, Kevin.
Right, honey?
And with that kiss...There went my night of revelry.
There went Eddie Putnam's dad's...Ski-condo.
See ya there!
And in its place...I was left...With just one thought.
New Year's eve...Was gonna be one...long...night.
Everybody on this field here today...
December thirty-first, the final day of nineteen seventy two.
Bands were playing, the crowds were cheering...
Teenagers were sulking. Big-time.
So, what do you think?
- About what? - My new suit!
Pretty sharp, huh?
You bought a new suit?
Yeah! I want to look good for tonite.
You don't think it's too, uh...
Wayne...You're blocking the TV.
Oh. Sorry.
Great. It wasn't bad enough I was stuck in the house.
Now I had to share it with a love-struck...Clotheshorse.
Oh, maybe Dad has a better tie.
W- wayne... Look - about tonight...
Hey. You don't have to say a word - I know what you're thinkin'.
- You do? - Sure!
You don't have to wear a suit.
A jacket and tie will do just fine. OK, buddy?
uh-ha
So, while the rest of my teenage world was heading off...To a New Year's bash in a snow-covered north...
I was doomed to a night of...
Family.
I remember the first New Year's eve that Jack and I spent together.
I was nineteen and we had dinner with your parents..
- remember, honey? - yeah, i remember
Yeah, this was homey.
I just think it's so great what you have here.
The two of you...
The history you have... How much you love your kids...
Well, that's what we're here for.
- Right? - Right.
Gimme a break...
And David's gonna have his first New Year's eve!
God...
OK! Let's get a move on!
- Seeya there! - OK. You want to take him?
Wayne - sure I can't help you out with the bill, tonight?
Sorry, Dad. Tonight's my treat. It'll be a night you never forget.
Right, Kev-bo?
Which as it happened...Was exactly...What I was afraid of.
- Seeya there! - Bye!
And so, there was nothing to do...But roll out the barrels, and start the fun.
I mean, hey - How bad could it be?
A few hours later...I had my answer. In spades.
By nine-fifteen...
It was clear...this was gonna be the worst New Year's eve in history.
Bar none.
I'll tell ya, I wouldn't mind having those girls at my next luau...
if ya know what I mean.
- He's funny, isn't he? - Yeah. A riot.
I feel like I'm on location with Jack Lord.
But it wasn't just the bad jokes...And stupid hats...
And the God-awful music that were gnawing at me.
Did ya hear the one about the peanut walking down the street?
There was something missing here.
- Something like... - Dad, where's Wayne?
- Got me...probably hit traffic. - What...for an hour-and-a-half?
Don't worry, honey - he'll be here. This is his night.
But I wasn't so sure.
I bet he's at someplace good.
Like a party.
Kevin, will you stop? Why don't you just relax, and have fun?
OK, ladies and gentlemen.
Now we got a special treat for you! Straight from I don't know where...
*** Max the Magnificent!
- That's it. I'm calling Wayne. - Kevin...
But I'd had it. I was outta there.
thank you
You know what I need from the audience is a...volunteer.
- How about you, sir? - No, I...no.
Oh, come on, Jack - you love magic...
- No, I... - Come on...
***I must say, I insist.***
Ah, well. Like they say...a bird on the head...
Come on, butthead - pick up!
But Wayne was still unaccounted for.
Face it. This whole evening was one colossal bust.
Bonnie?
- You're late. - Kevin, hi...
The way she was dressed made me glad I hadn't worn a tux.
Is your family here?
Well, they're inside.Arent' ya gonna come in?
- Is Wayne here? - No...
- Isn't he with you? - No.
What happened?
I mean...he spill something on his suit?
But suddenly I had a feeling this wasn't about haberdashery.
I was hoping he was here. He was so upset when he left.
He left?
What do you mean he left?
Kevin... Wayne and I split up.
What?!
It's not that I don't love him.I mean, he came into my life,
and he's done so much for me...and you see how great he is with David...
But...
It's just that I just saw James, and I didn't think I'd feel anything...
It was...weird.
There we were - some phoney magician...Harassing my dad...
While my brother's whole life was coming apart.
Maybe I shouldn't have told him tonight.
God - you really must hate me, huh?
Not to mention your folks - what they're gonna think of me...
But if she'd come looking for forgiveness...
I'm sorry. I really am. But not for you.
Yeah.
Kevin! You don't want to miss this!
They're about to saw your father in half.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, for my finale -
sawing a human body...In half.
But somehow, I knew I couldn't stay to pick up the pieces.
Kevin, is everything alright?
No. We gotta find Wayne.
That night we looked for Wayne everywhere.
Bonnie's house...our house...six coffee-shops, four bars...
even the bowling alley.
But he was nowhere. It was like he...vanished.
And then just when we were ready to give up...
Isn't that Wayne's car?
Where?
We found him.
Yeah, that's it.
Maybe you should go in alone.
Yeah.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect.
For some reason, I'd never actually hung out at a laundromat on New Year's eve.
So I tried to prepare myself for the worst.
An outraged maniac. A jilted slob.
He shoots!
Or, just a guy in a bad suit...Tossing socks at a washing machine.
Wayne?
Hey, butthead!
Fancy meeting you here.
Catch.
That a way...
You missed it. I sank sixteen in a row!
OK. Seventeen.
All the people that were here earlier doing laundry were...very impressed.
You'd be surprised how many people save their laundry for the major holidays.
Is it me, or.. am I the only one talking here?
Ya know...we missed you at the dinner club.
Oh, yeah? How'd it go?
good, They had a m-magician.
Sounds like hell.
Yeah.
Listen, uh...
I heard about what happened.
Yeah. Me, too.
Ya know... You can't...make...someone fall in love with you.
Nah, no...You can't make 'em fall in love. It's just gotta happen!
And I guess that's when it hit me.
How hard this guy had tried.
How hard he'd been trying his whole life.
And suddenly it all made sense.
Who my brother really was.
Not the family man he'd wanted to be...
Or the stupid older brother I'd fought with my whole life.
But just another grown up kid...
with the broken heart
Kevin? Are you guys OK? It's almost midnight!
Say this for my girlfriend...She had timing.
We are here, in Times Square...
Another year, huh?
Nineteen seventy-two was a memory.
- Five! Four! - Like it or not.
Three!
Two!
One!
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year...
The funny thing is...Looking back now...
- Happy New Year, Kevin. - Happy New Year.
What I remember most is how it ended.
So, butthead...You gonna kiss her or not?
Come on! You're only young once...
Hell - the guy was right.
So maybe that New Year's eve, nineteen seventy-two...
Didn't work out exactly like any of us planned.
There was heartbreak we didn't anticipate...
and events we couldn't have imagined.
Still, it wasn't all bad. There was a magician.
So maybe there was a message in it all.
The future was calling us. And no matter what...
There was no turning back now.
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