Uncle Sam (1996) Movie Script
1
[ Vehicle Approaches ]
-[ Wind Blowing ]
-[ Gunfire: Distant ]
[Man ] I see it just up ahead, sir.
[ Shovel Scraping ]
[ Engine Shuts Off ]
Captain.
Must have buried in a sandstorm
soon after it crashed.
Another storm revealed the wreckage.
-Did you find anybody from the crew?
-No survivors.
All bodies badly burned
beyond recognition.
Thank you, Captain.
-[ Shouting In Foreign Language ]
-Sergeant!
-Sir!
-Get in that helicopter.
See if you can I.D. anybody by their tags.
-Now, son!
-Yes, sir.
Damn it!
Goddamn it.
[ Sergeant ] It's a crime we did this.
-[ Flies Buzzing ]
-[ Groans ]
-Friendly fire?
-Sergeant!
I don't want to hear that crap!
These things happen in war.
Now get on with it.
[ Groans ]
Master Sergeant Sam Harper.
[ Neck Snaps ]
Damn.
[ Hammer Cocks ]
[ Groans ]
Don't be afraid. It's only friendly fire.
[ Crickets Chirping ]
[ Dog Barking ]
[ Groaning ]
[ Barking Continues ]
-[ Fireworks Exploding I
-[ Cheering ]
[ Glass Shatters ]
Aaah!
[ Knocking ]
-[ Mutters ]
-Mom?
What is it?
-I got hurt.
-Come on in.
-How'd that happen?
-A picture fell over.
The glass broke, and I stepped on it.
Let me see.
[ Clicks Tongue ] Oh. I'll go get
some antiseptic and a Band-Aid.
You'll be all right.
I had a dream... 'bout Uncle Sam.
He wasn't dead.
We were marching
in a Fourth of July parade,
and everyone was cheering him.
Honey, you were so young
when he went away.
You hardly remember him at all.
Yes, I do. He was always nice to me.
Jody, you're imagining that.
He never paid much attention to any of us.
You didn't like him a lot, did you?
Course I did. He was my brother.
You don't talk about Daddy much either.
That's entirely different.
Now, if you don't mind,
I'd like to go back to bed, please.
I didn't mean to bother you.
Just thought I might bleed to death.
-Good night.
-Night.
Sleep tight.
[ Door Closes ]
-[ Sighs ]
-[ Bird Screeches ]
[ Engine Shuts Off ]
[ Sighs ] How come I can't come in?
You're supposed to be on duty.
Who's gonna know?
All right. I tell you what.
I'm gonna be off in about an hour.
I can come back.
Just stop that
and get on with your business.
We have all weekend.
Well, can I at least get
a good night kiss?
You already did.
[ Door Closes ]
-[ Man I Mrs. Harper?
-[ Gasps ]
Wh-- Who are you?
Oh, I-- I'm sorry to startle you.
You-You weren't in, so I-- I waited.
What do you want?
-It's about your husband.
-Sam?
It's been over three years that--
My God. He-He's not alive?
A Kuwaiti military unit discovered his
crashed helicopter in the desert.
They positively identified the body.
All this time not knowing--
[ Exhales ]
Well, now-- If you want, he could be
interred in a national cemetery.
N-No. There's a place for him
next to his mother and father.
I'll make arrangements to stay on
and supervise the details.
I-I'm stayin' at, uh-- at this motel if--
If you need any assistance on my part.
Thank you.
He's entitled to be buried
with full military honors, Mrs. Harper.
He was a hero.
These are his dog tags.
[ Exhales ] I'm sorry, Mrs. Harper.
But you'll get over this in time.
Good night, ma'am.
[ Sobbing ]
Too many rolls and jelly doughnuts.
Too many mothballs too. Whew!
Sergeant Jed Crowley,
reporting as ordered!
[ Gunfire, Explosions ]
-[ Gunfire, Explosions Continue ]
-All of you dead...
but me.
God, how come it was me you let come home?
I-- I never made anything out of my life.
Nothing.
Nothing at all.
-[ Loud Explosions ]
-[Jody ] They're coming. Look out, Sarge!
Hang on, everyone.
This party's gonna get a little wild.
Blast it! I might as well be loading
with a heap of empty helmets.
Just time enough to squeeze off one shot.
Sergeant Sam Harper takes his aim and--
Look out, Captain!
I've still got you up my wing. Bam!
Rat-tat-tat!
Rat-tat-tat!
[ Knocking ]
Hey. Look at you.
Aren't you going to work today?
-I'm taking the day off.
- You look drained. What's the matter?
Uh, Jody, why don't you go get your books?
Okay.
Come on. Let's go.
Uh-- Did you clean up
that broken glass in your room?
-Yeah, before I went back to sleep.
-Okay.
[ Gasps ] Oh. What's the matter?
Somebody from the army
came by the house late last night.
-[ Exhales ]
-They found Sam's body.
Oh, my God.
For a minute, I thought that he was gonna
tell me that he was still alive.
I thought about that
so many times, about--
About him coming in the house,
walking through the door
and it all starting all over again.
Why couldn't they
have just sent a telegram?
I don't know.
They're arranging for the body
to be sent back here.
I don't know how Phil
is gonna react to all this.
Don't worry.
He knows how you felt about Sam.
I thought I'd almost forgotten
the way he made me feel,
the fear when I knew
he was in the house and--
Maybe I can still tell them
not to send the remains back.
Look, Louise,
if you don't do the right thing,
people won't stop talking about it.
I know. [ Sighs ]
I didn't sleep all night.
Well, your house isn't big enough anyway.
We'll bring him here.
I'll just move the furniture
out of the living room...
and start making all the phone calls.
I'll notify the funeral home
for you, okay?
[ Louise ] Thanks.
This is gonna be a Fourth of July
we'll never forget.
[Jody ] Mr. Crandall?
-Yes, Jody?
-Something happened at our house.
A soldier came and told us that my uncle's
body got found over there in Kuwait.
Sam? Sam Harper? Yes.
Do you know he was a student in my class?
How'd the guy get killed?
He was a gunner
in a chopper that got shot down.
But there was a lot of talk
that it might have been us that did it.
Um, why would we shoot
our own helicopter down?
Well, uh-- It's called "friendly fire."
You have to understand,
mistakes are made in combat.
It's always a tragic situation
when things like that happen.
My Uncle Sam, he fought in Grenada
and down in Panama.
-He had medals.
-[ Box Rattling ]
M-My Aunt Louise let me have them,
if you want to see.
Um-- Yeah, sure.
Uh, bring 'em up here, Jody.
Share with the class.
He was a master sergeant
in a special assault unit.
When he got wounded down in Panama,
they gave him this. It's a Purple Heart.
Were you ever in the army, Mr. Crandall?
Uh-- No, I-- I can't say that I ever was.
-How come?
-[ Exhales ]
Well, I-1 grew up during Vietnam,
and, um, many people thought
that was an unjust war.
Many young people, like myself,
protested the war.
In fact, some people
left the country for a while.
-Ran away?
-[ Boy ] Where'd they go?
[ Sighs ] It was a...
very difficult thing to do, Jody,
but you have to understand
that those who left the country...
felt it was a lesser evil...
than blindly following orders
they knew were wrong.
My Uncle Sam said you guys were cowards.
-[ Children Chuckling ]
-[ Softly ] Okay. Uh--
Please. Just take your seat.
- I didn't say you were.
-[ Rattling ]
I just said that's what he said.
Okay, class. Take our your math books.
Turn to page 84.
I want you to copy these equations
off the blackboard.
[ Chalk Scratching ]
When I'm grown up, I'm going in the army,
just like Sam did,
and I'll do
whatever the president says to do...
"cause he knows better.
[ Door Opens, Closes ]
I wanted to help them carry him in.
[ Mouths Word ]
He was my uncle.
Is it all right if I touch it?
-[ Latches Rattling ]
-It's sealed.
How come I can't see him?
Well, your uncle
suffered a great deal, son.
I have all his medals.
I want to put them inside.
He should have them on.
You know what?
I think he'd rather you kept 'em.
You're very proud of him, aren't you?
He was the only one around here
who ever did anything important.
In eight or nine years,
I'll be able to enlist.
I bet you can't wait.
Nice to have met you, soldier.
[ Door Opens ]
Ma'am? I'm going down
to Bingham tomorrow...
to arrange for the honor guard.
Thanks again.
You've, uh, been very kind. Thank you.
If you need anything,
you know how to get in touch with me.
Right. Thank you.
[ Door Opens, Closes ]
Jody! Stay away from the coffin.
It's not something to play with.
I wasn't playing.
[ Exhales ]
[ Raspy Breathing ]
[ Chuckles ]
Yeah, the wife's humpin' a local deputy.
-[ Radlio, Indistinct ]
-So what?
I aim on gettin' a little piece
of that action before I leave here.
Tell you something else.
Sister's not bad either.
[ Chuckles ]
Yeah. [ Sighs ]
I must be batting .750 with the bereaved.
[ Laughing ]
Eh, that's why I volunteered for the job.
It's called, uh,
"public relations." [ Laughing ]
I'll talk at you later. All right.
[ Chortling ]
[ Continues ]
[ Knocking ]
-Hi.
-Hey.
-How are you?
-Good.
Oh, thank you. That's just terrific.
I would've been happy to take you out.
Oh, I didn't want to leave Jody
alone in the house,
not with that coffin in the living room.
Yeah. I guess that could frighten the kid.
Here you go.
You know, that's what bothers me.
It doesn't frighten him.
He just hangs around it all the time.
You never talked much about your brother.
Well, we weren't close.
-He ran away when he was 14,
-[ Cork Pops ]
came back a couple of years later
with a bad drinking problem.
Jody! Come on down for dinner!
-I'm not hungry.
-You come down right now.
You, uh, look like you could use this.
Thank you.
Hey!
Ralph's here.
-Good to see you again, Jody.
-Here you go.
Can I just make a plate
and take it upstairs?
No, you cannot.
Now sit down and eat your dinner.
[ Ralph ]
I'm in the mood to celebrate tonight.
We beat the government's ears off
in court.
That's great.
Yep. The judge upheld
every one of our tax shelters.
We would have been in real trouble
if they'd done their homework,
but of course the I R.S. sends down
a couple of junior agents...
who've got a huge workload-- they haven't
got time to go over all the documents.
We just wear them out
by burying them in tons of paper.
-You mean you cheated them?
-Jody!
I'm just smarter than they are, Jody.
That's all.
It's Ralph's job, Jody.
He's very good at it.
You see, Jody, nobody likes to pay taxes,
but before you know it, the government
Is la king half of what you earn.
We've just figured out legal ways
of getting around it.
-I'm finished.
-No, you're not.
[ Ralph ] Hey.
How would you like to join me
up on the float in the parade on Thursday?
I'm gonna be Abraham Lincoln.
Yep. I have been Honest Abe
for the last five years now.
I even bought the damn costume so I don't
have to rent it anymore. What do you say?
No, thanks.
I'm full. Can I go?
Okay.
But, um, turn off the TV by 9:00. Okay?
I'm not watching TV. I'm in mourning.
-[ Clears Throat ]
-Well--
You know-- [ Clears Throat ]
Maybe he'd show me more respect if, uh,
you'd show me a little more affection.
[ Exhales ] Um, not now, Ralph. Please?
Come on. There's a dead body in the house.
[ Imitating Gunfire ]
All right, Ralph. You're dead.
-[ Crickets Chirping ]
-[ Dog Barking, Distant ]
[ Raspy Breathing ]
Must be awful lonely being dead.
[ Louise ]
Mr. Crowley. So nice of you to come.
Thank you.
Would you like some refreshments, Jed?
Oh. No, thanks.
You know, Sam really looked up to you.
He sure did like hearing
your stories about the war.
Then... I guess
I've got a lot to apologize for.
[ Whispered Chattering ]
[ Woman ] How did you know Sam?
It's the right one.
Jody, honey,
it's not polite to stare like that.
Oh, it's perfectly all right.
The boy's just curious.
I suppose you'd like to see it.
-Yeah.
-Come on.
So... how come it doesn't fall off?
Well, it's strapped on, sort of.
Huh.
I don't have to worry about termites.
-You're kidding.
-No, I ain't kidding.
Tell you what. Rap on it, if you'd like.
It won't hurt me. Go on.
I heard it got blown right off.
Land mine.
[ Chuckles ] What else did they tell you?
-N-Nothing.
-Yes, they did.
But it wasn't so.
Otherwise, how'd I get to be a father
or a grandfather?
No, all those other parts
made it back just fine.
I saw a movie once...
where a guy woke up in the hospital,
and he could still feel his leg,
but it wasn't there anymore.
Uh, that's like, uh,
what they call a "ghost leg."
It's gone, but I swear, some nights I can
still feel my toe down there twitch in".
And then I flip the light on,
right quick, expecting to see it.
And you just take it off at night?
And toss it under the bed. [ Chuckles ]
I remember one time,
my wife got real mad at me...
and she hid it for two days.
[Laughs ] I bet you I behaved then.
Yes, sir, I really behaved.
You know,
she passed over a whole lot of good men
with two legs to marry me,
God love her.
I don't know if I should be in the army,
marines or the air force.
You get that idea
out of your head right now, boy!
Things ain't like they used to be when we
knew who and what we were fighting for!
Hitler and Tojo and-and Mussolini.
We knew what we had to do and why.
Today it's all mixed up.
Nobody knows the whys and whyfors, sonny.
A smart boy like you
ought to know enough to keep out of it.
Be a doctor. Save some lives.
Forget about killing!
-Somebody's got to be soldiers.
-[ Sighs ]
You don't want to get sent back in a box.
Maybe it's better than dying in bed.
Everybody dies anyway.
[ Exhales ]
I guess you aren't gonna listen to me,
are you?
Did you try to talk Sam out of it?
Unfortunately,
I filled his head full of tales of glory--
How we moved up from the beach
and took those Korean bunkers out,
how my sergeant died
and I was given a battlefield promotion
to take over the squad.
Maybe I didn't tell him that
I was the only one of nine men to survive.
And then all of me didn't come back.
No, Sam wasn't like you.
He was an angry kid.
He had to get it out of his system.
I remember... I took him hunting once,
and he scared me.
You see, he liked killin'.
Isn't that what makes a hero?
Let me tell you something.
There are no heroes!
Only crazy men who lose their mind
in the middle of a battle.
Every sane person's got his head down,
trying to stay alive.
But one lunatic...
runs out there, out of control,
crazy full of hate,
and if by some miracle he doesn't die,
they pin a ribbon on him...
and send him home...
and tell him never to be crazy again.
[ Scoffs ] And you want to be a hero.
Say good-bye to your mother for me.
Shame is, it was all about oil,
and that's the God's honest truth--
Keepin' some rich Arabs rich.
I mean, those poor boys,
they died for nothing.
Why don't you just shut up?
Jody!
I'm sorry, but that's it.
You're grounded for the whole weekend.
I mean, no parade tomorrow,
no picnic, no nothing.
-Do you understand?
-Fine.
- I didn't want to go anyway.
-Well, just go up to your room.
[ Mouths Word ]
[ Jody ] "Anybody bad-mouths this country,
you go right after them,
"no matter how big they are.
"People who don't respect
the American way of life...
"deserve to have their butts kicked.
-[ Paper Rustling ]
-Stay tough, soldier. Uncle Sam."
[ Sniffles ]
[ Crickets Chirping ]
[ Chiming ]
[ Chiming Continues ]
-[ Ends ]
-[ Raspy Breathing ]
- You got that lighter fluid?
-Here. Let me do it.
Oh, yeah. Get it on.
Spread it around, baby. Spread it around.
Come on. Light it up.
Light it up. Light it up.
-I got it. Chill. [ Gasps ]
-Yeah!
-Come on! Swing it!
-We were born too late, man.
Vietnam!
[ Shouts ]
[All Laughing, Shouting ]
[ Shouting, Echoing ]
[ Raspy Breathing ]
[ Footsteps ]
[ Hinges Creaking ]
-[ Rock ]
-[Man ] I touch
I say my prayers
If someone hears them
Then I guess they just don't care
I keep fading away
I keep fading away
[ Breathing Heavily ]
[ Continues ]
[ Gasps ]
-Uhh, uhh!
-[ Screams ]
Oh, shit. [ Breathing Heavily ]
You pervert! Stay away from my house!
I'm gonna call the cops this time, Willie!
-[ Tires Screeching ]
-Uhh, uhh!
[ Man ] Hey, what the hell are you doin'?
Geez. What is this?
Who's back there?
Stop following me.
[ Breathing Heavily, Yelps ]
[ Coughing ]
[ Grunts, Screaming ]
-[ Shears Clacking ]
-Now look what you've done.
I gotta wear this in the parade tomorrow
and it's all messed up.
[ Raspy Breathing ]
Oh, my God. What happened to your face?
[ Whimpering, Screaming ]
-[ Whimpering ]
-I hope you got an eyeful.
[ Screaming ]
[ Shears Clacking ]
[ Boy #1 ] All right.
Let's see what you got. Come on.
[Boy #2]
Bet you a dollar I can make this.
Aw. Nothing! You suck.
-Oh, yeah! Bing!
-No!
-Oh!
-In the hole.
Lucky shot, man. Oh.
I'll catch up with you guys in a second.
Where you goin'? All right. Later.
-[ Zipper Opens ]
-[ Urinating ]
-[ Grunts ]
-[ Spraying ]
God! Quit it. What are you doin'?
What is that?
[ Yelping, Grunts ]
Stop. Stop it! What are you--
What are you doin'?
Stop, please. [ Groaning |
Aaah! Aaah! Stop it!
[ Spraying Continues ]
[ Groans ] Oh.
Oh. Oh, God.
Oh. Ahh.
Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Ah! Hey!
Oh! Hey! Hey!
Hey! Let me out of here!
Somebody help me!
Help! Help! Help!
Hey! Hey! Hey! Help! Help!
Help me! Somebody help me!
Somebody help me! Help me!
What's taking him so long?
I don't know, man. Maybe
we'd better go back and look for him.
Nope. I gotta get back before my dad
sobers up and finds out I'm gone.
All right. You go on then.
I'm gonna go back and look.
[ Raspy Breathing ]
Good night.
[ Hinges Squeak ]
Rick, where are you?
Come on, man! Quit fooling around!
Where are you? Let's go home!
Hey, Rick, are you still here?
-[ Grunting ]
-[ Raspy Breathing ]
[ Grunting ]
[ Bones Cracking ]
[ Birds Chirping ]
-[ Chattering ]
-[ Pulley Squeaking ]
Take your places, everyone! And remember,
no waving at relatives or family.
I want you to keep in character.
Taylor. Taylor, remember now.
You are young Washington.
And Jeff, you're his father.
Taylor, put the can of soda down.
I want you to take this seriously.
All right. The hatchet.
Where's the hatchet?
You don't have it?
Well, who's got the hatchet?
I've had about enough of this nonsense.
Well, maybe it's back
in the classroom. I'll go look.
No. Taylor, you stay right where you are.
I'll go get it.
Where is that hatchet?
Hey, what's the holdup?
We'll miss our place in the march.
Um, Mr. Crandall went back to get the ax.
[ Drum Cadence ]
[ Marching Band ]
[ Whinnies ]
[ Continues, Distant ]
[ Cheering, Distant ]
I'm not missing this.
She had no right to take them.
[ Marching Band Continues ]
[ Boy ] I don't want to go.
That's exactly why we are going.
So they can all see what they did to you.
Madge, if the boy feels uncomfortable--
It's just like you to back down again.
They were all juveniles.
No one was gonna put them in jail.
[ Madge ] They're all gonna
be there today. Their parents too.
All of them having such a good time.
Well, they won't have
so much fun once we get there.
-[ Chattering ]
-[ Band: Rock ]
I can't believe the Cronins are here.
See what happens
when you play with fireworks.
-Don't stare.
-Mom!
Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Cronin.
ls it all right
if I talk to Barry a minute?
Here's your friend Jody.
Yeah, it's me. I'm glad you showed up.
I'm not even supposed to be here.
I'm supposed to be grounded.
I'd like to come over sometime.
We could kinda hang out.
Come on, Barry. I know you can hear me.
I'll come over and we'll do stuff.
Like what?
Like listening to CDs
or I could read to you.
- I got a whole collection of war comics.
-[ Madge Chuckles ]
I don't think so.
He is still recuperating, you know.
Madge, the boy needs somebody besides us.
He's gotta have friends.
His friends did this to him.
I wasn't there that day, Mrs. Cronin.
I swear I wasn't
[ Chattering Continues ]
[Ends ]
-[ Applause ]
- Thank you.
Now I'd like to
welcome you all here today
to our glorious
Fourth of July celebration.
But before I introduce Congressman
Cummings and all our entertainers,
we're gonna have the National Anthem
sung by young Jesse Colpern.
So, Jesse, why don't you come on up here?
[ Applause ]
Thank you.
-Well, uh, Rick and Clete--
-Help!
This is for you guys.
Miss Brasher.
[ "The Star-Spangled Banner" ]
Oh, say
Can you see
By the dawn's
[ Screeching ]
Early light
What so proudly we hailed
At the twilight's
-Last gleaming
-[ Booing ]
Whose broad stripes and--
[ Booing ]
Folks, uh, I think we can do a lot better
than that ourselves. What do you say, huh?
Oh, say can you see
By the dawn's early light
[All]
What so proudly we hailed
At the twilight's last gleaming
Whose broad stripes and bright stars
-Through the perilous fight
-[ Raspy Breathing ]
O'er the ramparts we watched
Were so gallantly
[ Fades ]
Who is it? Who are you?
[ Whispering ]
I'm here to do what you want me to.
What do you mean?
I'll make them all feel your pain.
What is your name?
Even in darkness, you can see me better...
than those with eyes.
You know me.
-[ Country Rock ]
-[ Cheering, Whistling ]
[ Continues ]
-Who was that man?
-What?
There was a man here just a minute ago.
-He just went away.
-Oh, you mean Uncle Sam.
Who's in that Uncle Sam suit?
Damned if I know, but he sure does
make a good one, doesn't he?
[ Engine Shuts Off ]
All right. Now-- Wait a minute--
Take a look here.
Glasses, no glasses.
-No glasses.
-Huh.
Don't I have anything better to do than to
waste the day talking to these hicks?
Alvin, you need every vote you can get.
[ Woman ] You don't have my vote.
I thought you said the crowd
was gonna be friendly, Dan.
I'm surprised that cheap crook
has the nerve to show his face.
We can't all be war heroes, Jed.
Oh, it can't be as bad as all that.
Congressman, you had 14 fictitious people
on the government payroll.
-Well, you ought to-- Hi.
-[ Woman ] Are you kidding?
You ought to be able to plea bargain
that down for me.
[ Man ] Cheap crook.
Be grateful that there are people here
willing to listen to you
without throwing rocks.
-[ Man ] Here we go!
-[ Screams ]
I suppose you found it quite amusing...
when that boy went up there
and made mockery of the National Anthem.
-Your kind of humor.
-Hell, it's a lousy song.
Nobody can remember the words.
I'll give you 50 bucks
if you can recite all the words
without making a single mistake.
See, you can't do it. Nobody can do it.
Francis Scott Key.
I mean, what else did he ever write?
Nothing.
Not a single other hit.
Hmm.
What the hell does he know?
[ Raspy Breathing ]
I'm all right.
I'm all right.
[ Country ]
-Really looking for it, aren't you?
-What are you gonna do?
Well, what do you think
I ought to do, kid your age?
Where'd you get this shit from?
- I found it.
-Mm-hmm.
You got any more on you?
Come on. Empty out your pockets.
Uh-huh.
Now, I want you to get back there
and you help your mother at that smoker.
You work the rest of the day,
you make yourself useful,
and maybe we'll let this go.
-You hear me?
-Yeah.
Okay.
[ Sniffs ]
[ Coughs ]
Now where's the cleaver?
-On your mark, get set, go!
-[ Gunshot ]
[ Cheering ]
[ Grunts ]
Out of my way.
-Move out, girls!
-Huh?
-Watch out!
-[ Grunts ]
Ow!
Out of my way, girl.
-Watch out!
-[ Laughs ]
Hey, you, watch out.
[ Grunts ]
[ Yelps, Grunts ]
[ Grunting ]
-Oh, sh-- Wow.
-Mmm, mmm.
Nice costume. Can you help me find
my way back to the road?
Freak. Goddamn.
[ Spits ]
Who the hell are you?
[ Screams ]
-[ Man ] And we have another lucky winner.
-[ Chuckles ]
-Good shot.
-It's my lucky day.
Here you go, lady.
All right, sir. Step right up.
Let's go. Try your luck here.
Please don't put your arm around me.
I'm sorry. Just seems
like the natural thing to do.
Besides, everyone knows
we're seeing each other.
-It's not them I'm worried about.
-Well, then who is it?
[Man On P.A.]
Everybody get lots of munchies?
-I don't know.
-Come on, Louise.
No one's paying any attention to us.
Let's get some ice cream. Hi. Cherry.
-[ Man ] That'll be one dollar.
-It's Sam, isn't it?
He's long dead,
and you're still afraid of him.
It's funny.
That's exactly what attracted me
to him in high school.
Nobody ever got in his way.
Well, we all knew he had a mean streak.
[ Man ]
One dollar! Impress your girlfriend!
- Test your strength! Right here!
-[ Raspy Breathing ]
[ Gunshots ]
[ Gunshots ]
The way you shoot, you should
get a job working at the post office.
You know, pal, you should take it easy.
'Cause after all,
we're doing this for charity.
[ Country Rock ]
[ Continues ]
Hey, Ralph, how long
you gonna sit up there?
Come on. Am I gonna have to spend
the whole day by myself?
Don't give me the silent treatment, you.
[ Screams ] Oh!
Oh, my--
All that loud music.
I didn't hear any gunshot.
Why would anybody try to hurt Ralph?
He was so harmless.
I know why. He was a crook.
Jody, just be quiet.
You're not even supposed to be here.
-[ Siren Wailing ]
-I'm sorry.
I guess no place in this country
is safe anymore.
Uh, Mayor, are we actually
gonna go through
with the program
for this afternoon or, uh--
Well, I don't see why not.
Folks have been looking forward
to this day all year. Damn!
Clyde, Del, get this body
out of here as soon as possible.
Listen. I need you to stall your speech
for a few hours.
I want out of here.
No. Let's give the television
and news people the chance to show up.
Look, this isn't just some
hayseed picnic anymore.
It's a major news story and a chance
for you to talk about law and order.
All right. TV, yes?
Glasses, no glasses. What do you think?
Ready?
-[ Raspy Breathing ]
-[ Door Opens, Closes ]
-[ Engine Starts ]
-[ Vehicle Departs ]
[ Man On P.A. ] Everybody about ready?
Won't be long till sundown
and we can start the big fireworks show.
[ Jody ]
Whoever killed Ralph got away clean.
They'll never catch him.
[ Mother ] Jody, just keep your opinions
to yourself, okay?
I know.
I'm still grounded. I'll go home.
If Sam was around,
this would never have happened.
He would have nailed the killer
and broke both his arms.
Jody, your uncle wasn't a superhero.
Life isn't a comic book.
He was too a hero.
Why do you always put him down?
Maybe because he did
some very bad things to us.
Like what?
Well, why don't you tell him?
-He's too young. He wouldn't understand.
-Why wouldn't I understand?
[ Sighs ]
Look, I don't want to discuss it, okay?
Because it's a lie?
[ Sighs ]
Look, why don't you let me tell him?
He's got to find out sometime.
Louise, you're exhausted.
You don't know what you're saying.
But I do. If we don't do something,
he's gonna grow up just like Sam.
I am gonna be like him.
You see?
Jody,
your Uncle Sam wanted
everybody to be afraid of him,
especially me.
He hurt me so badly that I was afraid
that one day he might kill me.
-You're making that up.
-Now why would I do that?
Why would I want you to hate him?
I don't know.
She's telling the truth, Jody.
I know it's an awful thing to say,
but I was so happy the day that he got
married and moved out of the house.
Because then he'd have another victim
instead of me.
Louise, I'm sorry.
I could have warned Louise.
I could have fold her about...
what he'd been doing to me
since I was six years old,
but I didn't.
Things I couldn't even tell Mom and Dad.
Things I knew were wrong.
But he had a power over me.
I just couldn't fight it.
That's enough. You said enough.
I think that's what came
between me and your father.
Don't you see, honey?
I just couldn't trust men.
Honey, do you understand
what she's trying to tell you?
I'm sorry that happened to you.
Come here, baby.
What's happened in the past
happened, okay?
But he's had a hold on you
ever since you were a little boy.
He could fight better than anyone.
Yeah.
Well, he fought a war in our house,
all our lives, and we were the losers.
So why'd you take my medals?
What medals? I didn't take any medals.
[ Jody ] You know, Uncle Sam's medals.
The ones I kept under my bed.
Jody, why don't you, uh, run along now,
son. I need to talk to the ladies.
[ Sighs ]
They, uh, found another body.
-Oh, my God.
-This one with the head cut off.
[ Rock ]
[ Screams ]
[ Sizzling ]
[ Rock Continues ]
-[ Stops ]
-[ Feedback ]
Now we've had a little tragedy here,
but it's all being looked after.
-People have put a lot of time...
-Someone's been killed.
-Now how'd you know that?
-There are others.
Other dead ones too.
I'm sorry. We should have
left you in the shade.
So there's no reason for anybody to leave.
And we wouldn't want to disappoint
the children, now would we?
Now, ladies and gentlemen,
we're gonna have a few words
from Congressman Cummings,
who will present the award
for this year's cook-off.
So, Congressman,
you want to come on up here?
[ Dan ] Mr. Mayor?
Listen, he went back to the limo
to work on his speech
and now the driver can't find him.
Well, we got to move along
with the program.
I understand.
[ Groaning ]
Okay, now we want to thank the Chamber of
Commerce for these fireworks...
and the Twin Rivers Fire Department
for setting them up safely...
so we don't have a repetition
of last year's tragic events.
Now let me call your kind attention
to our fireworks tower and our big show.
-Take it away!
-All right!
[ Muffled Screaming ]
[ Muffled ] Help me!
[ Screams ]
[ Muffled Screaming ]
-[ Screaming ]
-No!
-No!
-[ Grunting ]
Ohh! Oh, take me home. Now.
What's going on? What's happening?
It's all right, Son. I'm gonna put your
mother in the car and I'll be right back.
-All right. I'll push the wheelchair.
-Hey, thanks, friend.
-How do you unlock this thing?
-They're on the sides.
We don't have to run. He won't hurt us.
Who?
He talked to me. He touched me.
You mean the tall guy
in the Uncle Sam costume?
He knows I'm your friend.
He knows me? Did he tell you who he is?
Oh, he didn't need to. He's your uncle.
-Sam Harper.
-My Uncle Sam? But he's dead.
I never said he wasn't.
What are you two kids still doing here?
Let's get the hell out of here!
We gotta go to the police!
We know who did it.
Is that so? Well, I think the cops
can handle this without your help.
I mean it. We know.
All right. All right,
why don't you try it out on me first?
It's the guy in the Uncle Sam costume.
Good thing you didn't look too close.
He might have killed you too.
-Who the hell was it?
-You're not going to believe me.
My uncle. Sam Harper.
Oh, sure. He just got up
and out of the coffin.
Something like that.
Look, I'm too old for this crap!
Cut it out!
Didn't you tell me you could
still feel that leg of yours...
even though it's gone nearly 40 years?
You don't forget anything, do you?
When I bumped into that guy
in the striped suit,
this-- this feeling came over me...
I haven't felt since
I was laying in that foxhole...
with everybody around me dead.
It was cold and bodies froze.
And I could only keep from freezing
by piling 'em on top of me.
That feeling of being surrounded by death,
it all came back to me.
-So we have to tell somebody.
-You already told somebody. Me.
-[ Jody ] Where are we going?
-Have a look in that casket.
So now you believe in ghosts, huh?
I thought ghosts were supposed
to come out in the dark,
not in broad daylight
on the Fourth of July.
I-I've gotta take her to Emergency.
-You do that and I'll see your boy home.
-That's mighty decent of you, Jed.
Now you do just like Jed says, you hear?
[ Keys Jangling ]
I couldn't open it before.
-Take this.
-Okay.
[ Latch Clicking ]
[ Grunts ]
[ Jody ] That's the sergeant.
Jesus.
-I guess you believe me now.
-Yeah, I guess so, kid.
-What are we going to do?
-Get out of here for sure.
-Where are we going now?
-Don't say nothing.
What were you all doing in there?
-Uh--
-Uh, we, um--
-We-We came by to pay our respects.
-Yeah.
I know where I'd go if I was him.
-Where?
-I'd go get my wife back.
What's the boy talking about, Jed?
Look, don't ask any questions.
Call the police. Louise needs protection.
-Uh, I-I'll just go there myself.
-No, no, no, please.
Promise me you'll stay right here,
because there's nothing you can do.
Look after the kids.
I'll be back as quick as I can.
Jed, I wish I knew
what you were talking about.
[ Jed ] Take care of the boys.
Okay, look, you guys. Just stay right
here, all right? Be back in a minute.
-What are you kids doing here?
-We're going with you.
I don't need your help, so go home!
Sam won't hurt anybody if I'm there.
-Is that so?
-He's right. Sam thinks we're on his side.
Damn kids. Go home to your mother.
[ Gasps, Panting ]
Oh, Louise. Put-Put-Put--
Put the knife down.
-We're here to look after you.
-[ Knife Clatters On Floor ]
Where's your telephone?
We need the state police.
It's in the kitchen.
Here. Take this...
and don't hesitate to use it.
Don't worry.
Jed will handle it. He's a real soldier.
[ Line Ringing ]
[ Sighs ]
Come on, somebody. Answer the damn ph--
[ Line Ringing ]
[ Handset Settles In Cradle ]
Take a good look at me, soldier.
You-- You made me into this.
No.
You never fought for your country.
You just killed for the love of killing.
You're nothing!
So just die!
Oh, Jody.
[ Screaming ]
[ Groans ]
-[ Gasps ]
-My poor, grieving wife.
Do you still... love me?
[ Louise ] Damn you!
-[ Clicking ]
-[ Sobbing ]
Oh.
-A lot of good that'll do.
-It's no use.
That son of a bitch won't die.
[ Raspy Breathing ]
Go on. Get out. Jed, get the cannon.
Come on. Let's get out of here.
You need to go find Sally.
Make sure she's okay.
I came back for you.
You are the reason I'm here.
I wanted to be like you.
You have to be dead first.
Are you...
volunteering?
I was proud of you. You were like a hero.
And now you're killing Americans?
[ Chuckles ] Americans?
These are the same people...
that left me to die in the desert.
Well, now--
Now they've gotta race me.
Your Uncle Sam.
Jody, we're here!
You hear them?
I want them to see us together...
to show I'm not afraid.
They're coming now.
[ Raspy Breathing ]
-I-- I can't fire with Jody there.
-He'll get out of the way.
I'm staying with Sam.
He's taking me back with him.
Is that boy done gone nuts?
Light it.
Can you all see us?
We belong together. He's my uncle.
Ahh!
[ Laughing ]
[ Growls ]
Yes!
Yeah!
All right!
[ Laughing ] Yes!
[ Laughing ] Whoo!
[ Drums ]
[ Major ]
[ am the marine on the border of Kuwait.
I am a soldier. Only God knows my fate.
I'm a sailor in a sea where I might die.
I am the pilot
breathing hell from the sky.
Twenty years ago, I was born in the U.S.A.
I got sent to the Desert Storm
one August day.
I'm young and scared
but still full of pride.
I'm an American, and right is on my side.
Granddad served Old Glory
in World War Number Two,
and I'm still defending
the red, white and blue.
Not one drop of blood
Is worth the oil of Kuwait.
I might kill a man
I don't know enough to hate.
Hell, I don't even know if I'm gonna win.
But I still believe
that freedom's not a sin.
The soldiers of Iraq
are waitin' there to die.
Both sides are still screamin'
the same warrior's cry.
Why? Why? Why?
I am the marine on the border of Kuwait.
I am a soldier. Only God knows my fate.
I'm a sailor in a sea where I might die.
And I am the pilot
breathing hell from the sky.
[ No Audio ]
[ Vehicle Approaches ]
-[ Wind Blowing ]
-[ Gunfire: Distant ]
[Man ] I see it just up ahead, sir.
[ Shovel Scraping ]
[ Engine Shuts Off ]
Captain.
Must have buried in a sandstorm
soon after it crashed.
Another storm revealed the wreckage.
-Did you find anybody from the crew?
-No survivors.
All bodies badly burned
beyond recognition.
Thank you, Captain.
-[ Shouting In Foreign Language ]
-Sergeant!
-Sir!
-Get in that helicopter.
See if you can I.D. anybody by their tags.
-Now, son!
-Yes, sir.
Damn it!
Goddamn it.
[ Sergeant ] It's a crime we did this.
-[ Flies Buzzing ]
-[ Groans ]
-Friendly fire?
-Sergeant!
I don't want to hear that crap!
These things happen in war.
Now get on with it.
[ Groans ]
Master Sergeant Sam Harper.
[ Neck Snaps ]
Damn.
[ Hammer Cocks ]
[ Groans ]
Don't be afraid. It's only friendly fire.
[ Crickets Chirping ]
[ Dog Barking ]
[ Groaning ]
[ Barking Continues ]
-[ Fireworks Exploding I
-[ Cheering ]
[ Glass Shatters ]
Aaah!
[ Knocking ]
-[ Mutters ]
-Mom?
What is it?
-I got hurt.
-Come on in.
-How'd that happen?
-A picture fell over.
The glass broke, and I stepped on it.
Let me see.
[ Clicks Tongue ] Oh. I'll go get
some antiseptic and a Band-Aid.
You'll be all right.
I had a dream... 'bout Uncle Sam.
He wasn't dead.
We were marching
in a Fourth of July parade,
and everyone was cheering him.
Honey, you were so young
when he went away.
You hardly remember him at all.
Yes, I do. He was always nice to me.
Jody, you're imagining that.
He never paid much attention to any of us.
You didn't like him a lot, did you?
Course I did. He was my brother.
You don't talk about Daddy much either.
That's entirely different.
Now, if you don't mind,
I'd like to go back to bed, please.
I didn't mean to bother you.
Just thought I might bleed to death.
-Good night.
-Night.
Sleep tight.
[ Door Closes ]
-[ Sighs ]
-[ Bird Screeches ]
[ Engine Shuts Off ]
[ Sighs ] How come I can't come in?
You're supposed to be on duty.
Who's gonna know?
All right. I tell you what.
I'm gonna be off in about an hour.
I can come back.
Just stop that
and get on with your business.
We have all weekend.
Well, can I at least get
a good night kiss?
You already did.
[ Door Closes ]
-[ Man I Mrs. Harper?
-[ Gasps ]
Wh-- Who are you?
Oh, I-- I'm sorry to startle you.
You-You weren't in, so I-- I waited.
What do you want?
-It's about your husband.
-Sam?
It's been over three years that--
My God. He-He's not alive?
A Kuwaiti military unit discovered his
crashed helicopter in the desert.
They positively identified the body.
All this time not knowing--
[ Exhales ]
Well, now-- If you want, he could be
interred in a national cemetery.
N-No. There's a place for him
next to his mother and father.
I'll make arrangements to stay on
and supervise the details.
I-I'm stayin' at, uh-- at this motel if--
If you need any assistance on my part.
Thank you.
He's entitled to be buried
with full military honors, Mrs. Harper.
He was a hero.
These are his dog tags.
[ Exhales ] I'm sorry, Mrs. Harper.
But you'll get over this in time.
Good night, ma'am.
[ Sobbing ]
Too many rolls and jelly doughnuts.
Too many mothballs too. Whew!
Sergeant Jed Crowley,
reporting as ordered!
[ Gunfire, Explosions ]
-[ Gunfire, Explosions Continue ]
-All of you dead...
but me.
God, how come it was me you let come home?
I-- I never made anything out of my life.
Nothing.
Nothing at all.
-[ Loud Explosions ]
-[Jody ] They're coming. Look out, Sarge!
Hang on, everyone.
This party's gonna get a little wild.
Blast it! I might as well be loading
with a heap of empty helmets.
Just time enough to squeeze off one shot.
Sergeant Sam Harper takes his aim and--
Look out, Captain!
I've still got you up my wing. Bam!
Rat-tat-tat!
Rat-tat-tat!
[ Knocking ]
Hey. Look at you.
Aren't you going to work today?
-I'm taking the day off.
- You look drained. What's the matter?
Uh, Jody, why don't you go get your books?
Okay.
Come on. Let's go.
Uh-- Did you clean up
that broken glass in your room?
-Yeah, before I went back to sleep.
-Okay.
[ Gasps ] Oh. What's the matter?
Somebody from the army
came by the house late last night.
-[ Exhales ]
-They found Sam's body.
Oh, my God.
For a minute, I thought that he was gonna
tell me that he was still alive.
I thought about that
so many times, about--
About him coming in the house,
walking through the door
and it all starting all over again.
Why couldn't they
have just sent a telegram?
I don't know.
They're arranging for the body
to be sent back here.
I don't know how Phil
is gonna react to all this.
Don't worry.
He knows how you felt about Sam.
I thought I'd almost forgotten
the way he made me feel,
the fear when I knew
he was in the house and--
Maybe I can still tell them
not to send the remains back.
Look, Louise,
if you don't do the right thing,
people won't stop talking about it.
I know. [ Sighs ]
I didn't sleep all night.
Well, your house isn't big enough anyway.
We'll bring him here.
I'll just move the furniture
out of the living room...
and start making all the phone calls.
I'll notify the funeral home
for you, okay?
[ Louise ] Thanks.
This is gonna be a Fourth of July
we'll never forget.
[Jody ] Mr. Crandall?
-Yes, Jody?
-Something happened at our house.
A soldier came and told us that my uncle's
body got found over there in Kuwait.
Sam? Sam Harper? Yes.
Do you know he was a student in my class?
How'd the guy get killed?
He was a gunner
in a chopper that got shot down.
But there was a lot of talk
that it might have been us that did it.
Um, why would we shoot
our own helicopter down?
Well, uh-- It's called "friendly fire."
You have to understand,
mistakes are made in combat.
It's always a tragic situation
when things like that happen.
My Uncle Sam, he fought in Grenada
and down in Panama.
-He had medals.
-[ Box Rattling ]
M-My Aunt Louise let me have them,
if you want to see.
Um-- Yeah, sure.
Uh, bring 'em up here, Jody.
Share with the class.
He was a master sergeant
in a special assault unit.
When he got wounded down in Panama,
they gave him this. It's a Purple Heart.
Were you ever in the army, Mr. Crandall?
Uh-- No, I-- I can't say that I ever was.
-How come?
-[ Exhales ]
Well, I-1 grew up during Vietnam,
and, um, many people thought
that was an unjust war.
Many young people, like myself,
protested the war.
In fact, some people
left the country for a while.
-Ran away?
-[ Boy ] Where'd they go?
[ Sighs ] It was a...
very difficult thing to do, Jody,
but you have to understand
that those who left the country...
felt it was a lesser evil...
than blindly following orders
they knew were wrong.
My Uncle Sam said you guys were cowards.
-[ Children Chuckling ]
-[ Softly ] Okay. Uh--
Please. Just take your seat.
- I didn't say you were.
-[ Rattling ]
I just said that's what he said.
Okay, class. Take our your math books.
Turn to page 84.
I want you to copy these equations
off the blackboard.
[ Chalk Scratching ]
When I'm grown up, I'm going in the army,
just like Sam did,
and I'll do
whatever the president says to do...
"cause he knows better.
[ Door Opens, Closes ]
I wanted to help them carry him in.
[ Mouths Word ]
He was my uncle.
Is it all right if I touch it?
-[ Latches Rattling ]
-It's sealed.
How come I can't see him?
Well, your uncle
suffered a great deal, son.
I have all his medals.
I want to put them inside.
He should have them on.
You know what?
I think he'd rather you kept 'em.
You're very proud of him, aren't you?
He was the only one around here
who ever did anything important.
In eight or nine years,
I'll be able to enlist.
I bet you can't wait.
Nice to have met you, soldier.
[ Door Opens ]
Ma'am? I'm going down
to Bingham tomorrow...
to arrange for the honor guard.
Thanks again.
You've, uh, been very kind. Thank you.
If you need anything,
you know how to get in touch with me.
Right. Thank you.
[ Door Opens, Closes ]
Jody! Stay away from the coffin.
It's not something to play with.
I wasn't playing.
[ Exhales ]
[ Raspy Breathing ]
[ Chuckles ]
Yeah, the wife's humpin' a local deputy.
-[ Radlio, Indistinct ]
-So what?
I aim on gettin' a little piece
of that action before I leave here.
Tell you something else.
Sister's not bad either.
[ Chuckles ]
Yeah. [ Sighs ]
I must be batting .750 with the bereaved.
[ Laughing ]
Eh, that's why I volunteered for the job.
It's called, uh,
"public relations." [ Laughing ]
I'll talk at you later. All right.
[ Chortling ]
[ Continues ]
[ Knocking ]
-Hi.
-Hey.
-How are you?
-Good.
Oh, thank you. That's just terrific.
I would've been happy to take you out.
Oh, I didn't want to leave Jody
alone in the house,
not with that coffin in the living room.
Yeah. I guess that could frighten the kid.
Here you go.
You know, that's what bothers me.
It doesn't frighten him.
He just hangs around it all the time.
You never talked much about your brother.
Well, we weren't close.
-He ran away when he was 14,
-[ Cork Pops ]
came back a couple of years later
with a bad drinking problem.
Jody! Come on down for dinner!
-I'm not hungry.
-You come down right now.
You, uh, look like you could use this.
Thank you.
Hey!
Ralph's here.
-Good to see you again, Jody.
-Here you go.
Can I just make a plate
and take it upstairs?
No, you cannot.
Now sit down and eat your dinner.
[ Ralph ]
I'm in the mood to celebrate tonight.
We beat the government's ears off
in court.
That's great.
Yep. The judge upheld
every one of our tax shelters.
We would have been in real trouble
if they'd done their homework,
but of course the I R.S. sends down
a couple of junior agents...
who've got a huge workload-- they haven't
got time to go over all the documents.
We just wear them out
by burying them in tons of paper.
-You mean you cheated them?
-Jody!
I'm just smarter than they are, Jody.
That's all.
It's Ralph's job, Jody.
He's very good at it.
You see, Jody, nobody likes to pay taxes,
but before you know it, the government
Is la king half of what you earn.
We've just figured out legal ways
of getting around it.
-I'm finished.
-No, you're not.
[ Ralph ] Hey.
How would you like to join me
up on the float in the parade on Thursday?
I'm gonna be Abraham Lincoln.
Yep. I have been Honest Abe
for the last five years now.
I even bought the damn costume so I don't
have to rent it anymore. What do you say?
No, thanks.
I'm full. Can I go?
Okay.
But, um, turn off the TV by 9:00. Okay?
I'm not watching TV. I'm in mourning.
-[ Clears Throat ]
-Well--
You know-- [ Clears Throat ]
Maybe he'd show me more respect if, uh,
you'd show me a little more affection.
[ Exhales ] Um, not now, Ralph. Please?
Come on. There's a dead body in the house.
[ Imitating Gunfire ]
All right, Ralph. You're dead.
-[ Crickets Chirping ]
-[ Dog Barking, Distant ]
[ Raspy Breathing ]
Must be awful lonely being dead.
[ Louise ]
Mr. Crowley. So nice of you to come.
Thank you.
Would you like some refreshments, Jed?
Oh. No, thanks.
You know, Sam really looked up to you.
He sure did like hearing
your stories about the war.
Then... I guess
I've got a lot to apologize for.
[ Whispered Chattering ]
[ Woman ] How did you know Sam?
It's the right one.
Jody, honey,
it's not polite to stare like that.
Oh, it's perfectly all right.
The boy's just curious.
I suppose you'd like to see it.
-Yeah.
-Come on.
So... how come it doesn't fall off?
Well, it's strapped on, sort of.
Huh.
I don't have to worry about termites.
-You're kidding.
-No, I ain't kidding.
Tell you what. Rap on it, if you'd like.
It won't hurt me. Go on.
I heard it got blown right off.
Land mine.
[ Chuckles ] What else did they tell you?
-N-Nothing.
-Yes, they did.
But it wasn't so.
Otherwise, how'd I get to be a father
or a grandfather?
No, all those other parts
made it back just fine.
I saw a movie once...
where a guy woke up in the hospital,
and he could still feel his leg,
but it wasn't there anymore.
Uh, that's like, uh,
what they call a "ghost leg."
It's gone, but I swear, some nights I can
still feel my toe down there twitch in".
And then I flip the light on,
right quick, expecting to see it.
And you just take it off at night?
And toss it under the bed. [ Chuckles ]
I remember one time,
my wife got real mad at me...
and she hid it for two days.
[Laughs ] I bet you I behaved then.
Yes, sir, I really behaved.
You know,
she passed over a whole lot of good men
with two legs to marry me,
God love her.
I don't know if I should be in the army,
marines or the air force.
You get that idea
out of your head right now, boy!
Things ain't like they used to be when we
knew who and what we were fighting for!
Hitler and Tojo and-and Mussolini.
We knew what we had to do and why.
Today it's all mixed up.
Nobody knows the whys and whyfors, sonny.
A smart boy like you
ought to know enough to keep out of it.
Be a doctor. Save some lives.
Forget about killing!
-Somebody's got to be soldiers.
-[ Sighs ]
You don't want to get sent back in a box.
Maybe it's better than dying in bed.
Everybody dies anyway.
[ Exhales ]
I guess you aren't gonna listen to me,
are you?
Did you try to talk Sam out of it?
Unfortunately,
I filled his head full of tales of glory--
How we moved up from the beach
and took those Korean bunkers out,
how my sergeant died
and I was given a battlefield promotion
to take over the squad.
Maybe I didn't tell him that
I was the only one of nine men to survive.
And then all of me didn't come back.
No, Sam wasn't like you.
He was an angry kid.
He had to get it out of his system.
I remember... I took him hunting once,
and he scared me.
You see, he liked killin'.
Isn't that what makes a hero?
Let me tell you something.
There are no heroes!
Only crazy men who lose their mind
in the middle of a battle.
Every sane person's got his head down,
trying to stay alive.
But one lunatic...
runs out there, out of control,
crazy full of hate,
and if by some miracle he doesn't die,
they pin a ribbon on him...
and send him home...
and tell him never to be crazy again.
[ Scoffs ] And you want to be a hero.
Say good-bye to your mother for me.
Shame is, it was all about oil,
and that's the God's honest truth--
Keepin' some rich Arabs rich.
I mean, those poor boys,
they died for nothing.
Why don't you just shut up?
Jody!
I'm sorry, but that's it.
You're grounded for the whole weekend.
I mean, no parade tomorrow,
no picnic, no nothing.
-Do you understand?
-Fine.
- I didn't want to go anyway.
-Well, just go up to your room.
[ Mouths Word ]
[ Jody ] "Anybody bad-mouths this country,
you go right after them,
"no matter how big they are.
"People who don't respect
the American way of life...
"deserve to have their butts kicked.
-[ Paper Rustling ]
-Stay tough, soldier. Uncle Sam."
[ Sniffles ]
[ Crickets Chirping ]
[ Chiming ]
[ Chiming Continues ]
-[ Ends ]
-[ Raspy Breathing ]
- You got that lighter fluid?
-Here. Let me do it.
Oh, yeah. Get it on.
Spread it around, baby. Spread it around.
Come on. Light it up.
Light it up. Light it up.
-I got it. Chill. [ Gasps ]
-Yeah!
-Come on! Swing it!
-We were born too late, man.
Vietnam!
[ Shouts ]
[All Laughing, Shouting ]
[ Shouting, Echoing ]
[ Raspy Breathing ]
[ Footsteps ]
[ Hinges Creaking ]
-[ Rock ]
-[Man ] I touch
I say my prayers
If someone hears them
Then I guess they just don't care
I keep fading away
I keep fading away
[ Breathing Heavily ]
[ Continues ]
[ Gasps ]
-Uhh, uhh!
-[ Screams ]
Oh, shit. [ Breathing Heavily ]
You pervert! Stay away from my house!
I'm gonna call the cops this time, Willie!
-[ Tires Screeching ]
-Uhh, uhh!
[ Man ] Hey, what the hell are you doin'?
Geez. What is this?
Who's back there?
Stop following me.
[ Breathing Heavily, Yelps ]
[ Coughing ]
[ Grunts, Screaming ]
-[ Shears Clacking ]
-Now look what you've done.
I gotta wear this in the parade tomorrow
and it's all messed up.
[ Raspy Breathing ]
Oh, my God. What happened to your face?
[ Whimpering, Screaming ]
-[ Whimpering ]
-I hope you got an eyeful.
[ Screaming ]
[ Shears Clacking ]
[ Boy #1 ] All right.
Let's see what you got. Come on.
[Boy #2]
Bet you a dollar I can make this.
Aw. Nothing! You suck.
-Oh, yeah! Bing!
-No!
-Oh!
-In the hole.
Lucky shot, man. Oh.
I'll catch up with you guys in a second.
Where you goin'? All right. Later.
-[ Zipper Opens ]
-[ Urinating ]
-[ Grunts ]
-[ Spraying ]
God! Quit it. What are you doin'?
What is that?
[ Yelping, Grunts ]
Stop. Stop it! What are you--
What are you doin'?
Stop, please. [ Groaning |
Aaah! Aaah! Stop it!
[ Spraying Continues ]
[ Groans ] Oh.
Oh. Oh, God.
Oh. Ahh.
Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Ah! Hey!
Oh! Hey! Hey!
Hey! Let me out of here!
Somebody help me!
Help! Help! Help!
Hey! Hey! Hey! Help! Help!
Help me! Somebody help me!
Somebody help me! Help me!
What's taking him so long?
I don't know, man. Maybe
we'd better go back and look for him.
Nope. I gotta get back before my dad
sobers up and finds out I'm gone.
All right. You go on then.
I'm gonna go back and look.
[ Raspy Breathing ]
Good night.
[ Hinges Squeak ]
Rick, where are you?
Come on, man! Quit fooling around!
Where are you? Let's go home!
Hey, Rick, are you still here?
-[ Grunting ]
-[ Raspy Breathing ]
[ Grunting ]
[ Bones Cracking ]
[ Birds Chirping ]
-[ Chattering ]
-[ Pulley Squeaking ]
Take your places, everyone! And remember,
no waving at relatives or family.
I want you to keep in character.
Taylor. Taylor, remember now.
You are young Washington.
And Jeff, you're his father.
Taylor, put the can of soda down.
I want you to take this seriously.
All right. The hatchet.
Where's the hatchet?
You don't have it?
Well, who's got the hatchet?
I've had about enough of this nonsense.
Well, maybe it's back
in the classroom. I'll go look.
No. Taylor, you stay right where you are.
I'll go get it.
Where is that hatchet?
Hey, what's the holdup?
We'll miss our place in the march.
Um, Mr. Crandall went back to get the ax.
[ Drum Cadence ]
[ Marching Band ]
[ Whinnies ]
[ Continues, Distant ]
[ Cheering, Distant ]
I'm not missing this.
She had no right to take them.
[ Marching Band Continues ]
[ Boy ] I don't want to go.
That's exactly why we are going.
So they can all see what they did to you.
Madge, if the boy feels uncomfortable--
It's just like you to back down again.
They were all juveniles.
No one was gonna put them in jail.
[ Madge ] They're all gonna
be there today. Their parents too.
All of them having such a good time.
Well, they won't have
so much fun once we get there.
-[ Chattering ]
-[ Band: Rock ]
I can't believe the Cronins are here.
See what happens
when you play with fireworks.
-Don't stare.
-Mom!
Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Cronin.
ls it all right
if I talk to Barry a minute?
Here's your friend Jody.
Yeah, it's me. I'm glad you showed up.
I'm not even supposed to be here.
I'm supposed to be grounded.
I'd like to come over sometime.
We could kinda hang out.
Come on, Barry. I know you can hear me.
I'll come over and we'll do stuff.
Like what?
Like listening to CDs
or I could read to you.
- I got a whole collection of war comics.
-[ Madge Chuckles ]
I don't think so.
He is still recuperating, you know.
Madge, the boy needs somebody besides us.
He's gotta have friends.
His friends did this to him.
I wasn't there that day, Mrs. Cronin.
I swear I wasn't
[ Chattering Continues ]
[Ends ]
-[ Applause ]
- Thank you.
Now I'd like to
welcome you all here today
to our glorious
Fourth of July celebration.
But before I introduce Congressman
Cummings and all our entertainers,
we're gonna have the National Anthem
sung by young Jesse Colpern.
So, Jesse, why don't you come on up here?
[ Applause ]
Thank you.
-Well, uh, Rick and Clete--
-Help!
This is for you guys.
Miss Brasher.
[ "The Star-Spangled Banner" ]
Oh, say
Can you see
By the dawn's
[ Screeching ]
Early light
What so proudly we hailed
At the twilight's
-Last gleaming
-[ Booing ]
Whose broad stripes and--
[ Booing ]
Folks, uh, I think we can do a lot better
than that ourselves. What do you say, huh?
Oh, say can you see
By the dawn's early light
[All]
What so proudly we hailed
At the twilight's last gleaming
Whose broad stripes and bright stars
-Through the perilous fight
-[ Raspy Breathing ]
O'er the ramparts we watched
Were so gallantly
[ Fades ]
Who is it? Who are you?
[ Whispering ]
I'm here to do what you want me to.
What do you mean?
I'll make them all feel your pain.
What is your name?
Even in darkness, you can see me better...
than those with eyes.
You know me.
-[ Country Rock ]
-[ Cheering, Whistling ]
[ Continues ]
-Who was that man?
-What?
There was a man here just a minute ago.
-He just went away.
-Oh, you mean Uncle Sam.
Who's in that Uncle Sam suit?
Damned if I know, but he sure does
make a good one, doesn't he?
[ Engine Shuts Off ]
All right. Now-- Wait a minute--
Take a look here.
Glasses, no glasses.
-No glasses.
-Huh.
Don't I have anything better to do than to
waste the day talking to these hicks?
Alvin, you need every vote you can get.
[ Woman ] You don't have my vote.
I thought you said the crowd
was gonna be friendly, Dan.
I'm surprised that cheap crook
has the nerve to show his face.
We can't all be war heroes, Jed.
Oh, it can't be as bad as all that.
Congressman, you had 14 fictitious people
on the government payroll.
-Well, you ought to-- Hi.
-[ Woman ] Are you kidding?
You ought to be able to plea bargain
that down for me.
[ Man ] Cheap crook.
Be grateful that there are people here
willing to listen to you
without throwing rocks.
-[ Man ] Here we go!
-[ Screams ]
I suppose you found it quite amusing...
when that boy went up there
and made mockery of the National Anthem.
-Your kind of humor.
-Hell, it's a lousy song.
Nobody can remember the words.
I'll give you 50 bucks
if you can recite all the words
without making a single mistake.
See, you can't do it. Nobody can do it.
Francis Scott Key.
I mean, what else did he ever write?
Nothing.
Not a single other hit.
Hmm.
What the hell does he know?
[ Raspy Breathing ]
I'm all right.
I'm all right.
[ Country ]
-Really looking for it, aren't you?
-What are you gonna do?
Well, what do you think
I ought to do, kid your age?
Where'd you get this shit from?
- I found it.
-Mm-hmm.
You got any more on you?
Come on. Empty out your pockets.
Uh-huh.
Now, I want you to get back there
and you help your mother at that smoker.
You work the rest of the day,
you make yourself useful,
and maybe we'll let this go.
-You hear me?
-Yeah.
Okay.
[ Sniffs ]
[ Coughs ]
Now where's the cleaver?
-On your mark, get set, go!
-[ Gunshot ]
[ Cheering ]
[ Grunts ]
Out of my way.
-Move out, girls!
-Huh?
-Watch out!
-[ Grunts ]
Ow!
Out of my way, girl.
-Watch out!
-[ Laughs ]
Hey, you, watch out.
[ Grunts ]
[ Yelps, Grunts ]
[ Grunting ]
-Oh, sh-- Wow.
-Mmm, mmm.
Nice costume. Can you help me find
my way back to the road?
Freak. Goddamn.
[ Spits ]
Who the hell are you?
[ Screams ]
-[ Man ] And we have another lucky winner.
-[ Chuckles ]
-Good shot.
-It's my lucky day.
Here you go, lady.
All right, sir. Step right up.
Let's go. Try your luck here.
Please don't put your arm around me.
I'm sorry. Just seems
like the natural thing to do.
Besides, everyone knows
we're seeing each other.
-It's not them I'm worried about.
-Well, then who is it?
[Man On P.A.]
Everybody get lots of munchies?
-I don't know.
-Come on, Louise.
No one's paying any attention to us.
Let's get some ice cream. Hi. Cherry.
-[ Man ] That'll be one dollar.
-It's Sam, isn't it?
He's long dead,
and you're still afraid of him.
It's funny.
That's exactly what attracted me
to him in high school.
Nobody ever got in his way.
Well, we all knew he had a mean streak.
[ Man ]
One dollar! Impress your girlfriend!
- Test your strength! Right here!
-[ Raspy Breathing ]
[ Gunshots ]
[ Gunshots ]
The way you shoot, you should
get a job working at the post office.
You know, pal, you should take it easy.
'Cause after all,
we're doing this for charity.
[ Country Rock ]
[ Continues ]
Hey, Ralph, how long
you gonna sit up there?
Come on. Am I gonna have to spend
the whole day by myself?
Don't give me the silent treatment, you.
[ Screams ] Oh!
Oh, my--
All that loud music.
I didn't hear any gunshot.
Why would anybody try to hurt Ralph?
He was so harmless.
I know why. He was a crook.
Jody, just be quiet.
You're not even supposed to be here.
-[ Siren Wailing ]
-I'm sorry.
I guess no place in this country
is safe anymore.
Uh, Mayor, are we actually
gonna go through
with the program
for this afternoon or, uh--
Well, I don't see why not.
Folks have been looking forward
to this day all year. Damn!
Clyde, Del, get this body
out of here as soon as possible.
Listen. I need you to stall your speech
for a few hours.
I want out of here.
No. Let's give the television
and news people the chance to show up.
Look, this isn't just some
hayseed picnic anymore.
It's a major news story and a chance
for you to talk about law and order.
All right. TV, yes?
Glasses, no glasses. What do you think?
Ready?
-[ Raspy Breathing ]
-[ Door Opens, Closes ]
-[ Engine Starts ]
-[ Vehicle Departs ]
[ Man On P.A. ] Everybody about ready?
Won't be long till sundown
and we can start the big fireworks show.
[ Jody ]
Whoever killed Ralph got away clean.
They'll never catch him.
[ Mother ] Jody, just keep your opinions
to yourself, okay?
I know.
I'm still grounded. I'll go home.
If Sam was around,
this would never have happened.
He would have nailed the killer
and broke both his arms.
Jody, your uncle wasn't a superhero.
Life isn't a comic book.
He was too a hero.
Why do you always put him down?
Maybe because he did
some very bad things to us.
Like what?
Well, why don't you tell him?
-He's too young. He wouldn't understand.
-Why wouldn't I understand?
[ Sighs ]
Look, I don't want to discuss it, okay?
Because it's a lie?
[ Sighs ]
Look, why don't you let me tell him?
He's got to find out sometime.
Louise, you're exhausted.
You don't know what you're saying.
But I do. If we don't do something,
he's gonna grow up just like Sam.
I am gonna be like him.
You see?
Jody,
your Uncle Sam wanted
everybody to be afraid of him,
especially me.
He hurt me so badly that I was afraid
that one day he might kill me.
-You're making that up.
-Now why would I do that?
Why would I want you to hate him?
I don't know.
She's telling the truth, Jody.
I know it's an awful thing to say,
but I was so happy the day that he got
married and moved out of the house.
Because then he'd have another victim
instead of me.
Louise, I'm sorry.
I could have warned Louise.
I could have fold her about...
what he'd been doing to me
since I was six years old,
but I didn't.
Things I couldn't even tell Mom and Dad.
Things I knew were wrong.
But he had a power over me.
I just couldn't fight it.
That's enough. You said enough.
I think that's what came
between me and your father.
Don't you see, honey?
I just couldn't trust men.
Honey, do you understand
what she's trying to tell you?
I'm sorry that happened to you.
Come here, baby.
What's happened in the past
happened, okay?
But he's had a hold on you
ever since you were a little boy.
He could fight better than anyone.
Yeah.
Well, he fought a war in our house,
all our lives, and we were the losers.
So why'd you take my medals?
What medals? I didn't take any medals.
[ Jody ] You know, Uncle Sam's medals.
The ones I kept under my bed.
Jody, why don't you, uh, run along now,
son. I need to talk to the ladies.
[ Sighs ]
They, uh, found another body.
-Oh, my God.
-This one with the head cut off.
[ Rock ]
[ Screams ]
[ Sizzling ]
[ Rock Continues ]
-[ Stops ]
-[ Feedback ]
Now we've had a little tragedy here,
but it's all being looked after.
-People have put a lot of time...
-Someone's been killed.
-Now how'd you know that?
-There are others.
Other dead ones too.
I'm sorry. We should have
left you in the shade.
So there's no reason for anybody to leave.
And we wouldn't want to disappoint
the children, now would we?
Now, ladies and gentlemen,
we're gonna have a few words
from Congressman Cummings,
who will present the award
for this year's cook-off.
So, Congressman,
you want to come on up here?
[ Dan ] Mr. Mayor?
Listen, he went back to the limo
to work on his speech
and now the driver can't find him.
Well, we got to move along
with the program.
I understand.
[ Groaning ]
Okay, now we want to thank the Chamber of
Commerce for these fireworks...
and the Twin Rivers Fire Department
for setting them up safely...
so we don't have a repetition
of last year's tragic events.
Now let me call your kind attention
to our fireworks tower and our big show.
-Take it away!
-All right!
[ Muffled Screaming ]
[ Muffled ] Help me!
[ Screams ]
[ Muffled Screaming ]
-[ Screaming ]
-No!
-No!
-[ Grunting ]
Ohh! Oh, take me home. Now.
What's going on? What's happening?
It's all right, Son. I'm gonna put your
mother in the car and I'll be right back.
-All right. I'll push the wheelchair.
-Hey, thanks, friend.
-How do you unlock this thing?
-They're on the sides.
We don't have to run. He won't hurt us.
Who?
He talked to me. He touched me.
You mean the tall guy
in the Uncle Sam costume?
He knows I'm your friend.
He knows me? Did he tell you who he is?
Oh, he didn't need to. He's your uncle.
-Sam Harper.
-My Uncle Sam? But he's dead.
I never said he wasn't.
What are you two kids still doing here?
Let's get the hell out of here!
We gotta go to the police!
We know who did it.
Is that so? Well, I think the cops
can handle this without your help.
I mean it. We know.
All right. All right,
why don't you try it out on me first?
It's the guy in the Uncle Sam costume.
Good thing you didn't look too close.
He might have killed you too.
-Who the hell was it?
-You're not going to believe me.
My uncle. Sam Harper.
Oh, sure. He just got up
and out of the coffin.
Something like that.
Look, I'm too old for this crap!
Cut it out!
Didn't you tell me you could
still feel that leg of yours...
even though it's gone nearly 40 years?
You don't forget anything, do you?
When I bumped into that guy
in the striped suit,
this-- this feeling came over me...
I haven't felt since
I was laying in that foxhole...
with everybody around me dead.
It was cold and bodies froze.
And I could only keep from freezing
by piling 'em on top of me.
That feeling of being surrounded by death,
it all came back to me.
-So we have to tell somebody.
-You already told somebody. Me.
-[ Jody ] Where are we going?
-Have a look in that casket.
So now you believe in ghosts, huh?
I thought ghosts were supposed
to come out in the dark,
not in broad daylight
on the Fourth of July.
I-I've gotta take her to Emergency.
-You do that and I'll see your boy home.
-That's mighty decent of you, Jed.
Now you do just like Jed says, you hear?
[ Keys Jangling ]
I couldn't open it before.
-Take this.
-Okay.
[ Latch Clicking ]
[ Grunts ]
[ Jody ] That's the sergeant.
Jesus.
-I guess you believe me now.
-Yeah, I guess so, kid.
-What are we going to do?
-Get out of here for sure.
-Where are we going now?
-Don't say nothing.
What were you all doing in there?
-Uh--
-Uh, we, um--
-We-We came by to pay our respects.
-Yeah.
I know where I'd go if I was him.
-Where?
-I'd go get my wife back.
What's the boy talking about, Jed?
Look, don't ask any questions.
Call the police. Louise needs protection.
-Uh, I-I'll just go there myself.
-No, no, no, please.
Promise me you'll stay right here,
because there's nothing you can do.
Look after the kids.
I'll be back as quick as I can.
Jed, I wish I knew
what you were talking about.
[ Jed ] Take care of the boys.
Okay, look, you guys. Just stay right
here, all right? Be back in a minute.
-What are you kids doing here?
-We're going with you.
I don't need your help, so go home!
Sam won't hurt anybody if I'm there.
-Is that so?
-He's right. Sam thinks we're on his side.
Damn kids. Go home to your mother.
[ Gasps, Panting ]
Oh, Louise. Put-Put-Put--
Put the knife down.
-We're here to look after you.
-[ Knife Clatters On Floor ]
Where's your telephone?
We need the state police.
It's in the kitchen.
Here. Take this...
and don't hesitate to use it.
Don't worry.
Jed will handle it. He's a real soldier.
[ Line Ringing ]
[ Sighs ]
Come on, somebody. Answer the damn ph--
[ Line Ringing ]
[ Handset Settles In Cradle ]
Take a good look at me, soldier.
You-- You made me into this.
No.
You never fought for your country.
You just killed for the love of killing.
You're nothing!
So just die!
Oh, Jody.
[ Screaming ]
[ Groans ]
-[ Gasps ]
-My poor, grieving wife.
Do you still... love me?
[ Louise ] Damn you!
-[ Clicking ]
-[ Sobbing ]
Oh.
-A lot of good that'll do.
-It's no use.
That son of a bitch won't die.
[ Raspy Breathing ]
Go on. Get out. Jed, get the cannon.
Come on. Let's get out of here.
You need to go find Sally.
Make sure she's okay.
I came back for you.
You are the reason I'm here.
I wanted to be like you.
You have to be dead first.
Are you...
volunteering?
I was proud of you. You were like a hero.
And now you're killing Americans?
[ Chuckles ] Americans?
These are the same people...
that left me to die in the desert.
Well, now--
Now they've gotta race me.
Your Uncle Sam.
Jody, we're here!
You hear them?
I want them to see us together...
to show I'm not afraid.
They're coming now.
[ Raspy Breathing ]
-I-- I can't fire with Jody there.
-He'll get out of the way.
I'm staying with Sam.
He's taking me back with him.
Is that boy done gone nuts?
Light it.
Can you all see us?
We belong together. He's my uncle.
Ahh!
[ Laughing ]
[ Growls ]
Yes!
Yeah!
All right!
[ Laughing ] Yes!
[ Laughing ] Whoo!
[ Drums ]
[ Major ]
[ am the marine on the border of Kuwait.
I am a soldier. Only God knows my fate.
I'm a sailor in a sea where I might die.
I am the pilot
breathing hell from the sky.
Twenty years ago, I was born in the U.S.A.
I got sent to the Desert Storm
one August day.
I'm young and scared
but still full of pride.
I'm an American, and right is on my side.
Granddad served Old Glory
in World War Number Two,
and I'm still defending
the red, white and blue.
Not one drop of blood
Is worth the oil of Kuwait.
I might kill a man
I don't know enough to hate.
Hell, I don't even know if I'm gonna win.
But I still believe
that freedom's not a sin.
The soldiers of Iraq
are waitin' there to die.
Both sides are still screamin'
the same warrior's cry.
Why? Why? Why?
I am the marine on the border of Kuwait.
I am a soldier. Only God knows my fate.
I'm a sailor in a sea where I might die.
And I am the pilot
breathing hell from the sky.
[ No Audio ]