-♪ What would you do
if I sang out of tune? ♪
♪ Would you stand up
and walk out on me? ♪
♪ Lend me your ears,
and I'll sing you a song ♪
♪ I will try not to
sing out of key, yeah ♪
♪ Oh, baby, I get by ♪
- ♪ by with a little help
from my friends ♪
-♪ All I need is my buddies ♪
-♪ High with a little
help from my friends ♪
-♪ I'm sayin' I'm gonna get higher ♪ - ♪
try with a little help from my friends ♪
-♪ Whoa-oa-oa-oa ♪
-♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪
-♪ Somebody who
knows quite sure ♪
♪ Baby ♪
-♪ By with a little
help from my friends ♪
-♪ Said I'm gonna make
it with my friends ♪
-♪ Try with a little
help from my friends ♪
-♪ Oh, I'm gonna
keep on trying ♪
-♪ High with a little
help from my friends ♪
♪ I'm gonna keep on
trying now, baby ♪
-♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪
[Bat cracks]
-And there it is!
Dimaggio has hit in
56 straight games!
-There are a lot of
great records in sports.
Rocky marciano fought to victory
In 49 straight
heavyweight prizefights.
The university of oklahoma
Won 47 college
football games in a row.
-Score!
-But in the annals of sports,
There was one record
that surpassed them all,
One destined to go
unbroken for time immemorial.
[Whistle blows]
-Arnold wins! The
crowd's going wild!
[Imitates crowd cheering]
I had beaten paul
pfeiffer at basketball,
As near as I can
remember, 788 times in a row,
Give or take a hundred.
-Want to play again?
-Sure. Loser's out.
It was a streak that went
All the way back
to kindergarten,
Maybe even before.
- Brand-new game.
Hondo's bringing
the ball up court.
He's looking good, folks.
He goes left. He goes right.
He goes left!
-Not that I was some
kind of all-american.
It's just... I was me.
Whereas paul...
Paul was... Paul.
1-Zip.
-Okay, no more mr. Nice guy.
- Really?
- Count on it.
-But we both knew better.
We knew some
things never change.
And in basketball...
Steal!
As in our friendship...
Jumper from the
corner. I called the sh*ts.
[Whistle blows]
-Men.
Let's talk about...
Opportunity.
The opportunity...
[Chalkboard creaking]
To be part of something big...
Really big...
Bigger than all of us.
Gentlemen...
Basketball tryouts
begin this afternoon.
[All groan softly]
Who'd like to play?
[All groaning]
-Now, ordinarily, the
chance to play varsity ball
Is something any
kid would jump at...
-Hands!
- In any other school...
-Anyone.
- In any other town...
For any other coach.
He must be dreaming.
-Yeah, no way I'm
playing for that joker.
-Kisling.
How about you?
-[Groans]
-But in the world
according to ed cutlip,
Volunteers weren't born.
-What about you, hill?
-They were made.
-Martinson.
[Chalk squeaking]
Steele.
-Made you wonder if this is
how they pick teams in russia.
-Who else?
-What are you doing?
-Shh!
-Call it wisdom.
Call it cowardice.
All I knew was, I was
gonna dodge this b*llet.
-Pfeiffer.
-Unfortunately,
the b*llet hit paul.
-Me?
Why me?
-I don't know. Maybe he
thought you were someone else.
-Huh?
-Poor guy. He'd become
a victim of the system.
But don't worry.
There's got to be some way
we can get you out of this.
-Ah. Men.
-Uh... Hi, coach.
-So, pfeiffer, see you at
tryouts this afternoon?
Hmm?
-Okay, it was clear
this kid needed help.
Uh... He can't make it.
He's busy with...
Uh, bassoon lessons
after school.
-Huh?
-Hmm. Didn't know you
were a bassoon man.
-I'm not.
I'll be there, coach.
-Atta fella.
-Paul, why'd you do that?
-Well, I don't
know. He asked me.
-[Scoffs] come on,
paul... Get serious.
-What do you mean by that?
-Man, you don't actually want
to go to those tryouts, do you?
[Sighs] trust me. You
don't want to do this.
I mean, let's face it, the
whole idea's a joke, right?
-[Sighs]
Maybe you're right.
Maybe it's stupid.
-'Course it was stupid.
Paul pfeiffer on
a basketball team
Was like barney fife
working for the fbi.
-♪ Come on, everyone, we
got to get together now ♪
-Yeah, it was really fun.
-I don't believe it.
[Indistinct conversation]
-Hi, paul.
-Hi, guys.
-Paul, where have you been?
-I... I was...
I was doing something.
-Uh-huh.
Like trying out for
the basketball team?
-Well... Yeah.
-Really? How'd it go?
-As if we couldn't
guess. Crash and burn.
-I think it went pretty well.
At least, coach
cutlip thought so.
-You're kidding.
-Well, I mean, I haven't made
the team yet or anything,
But... So far, so good.
-Well, I think that's great.
I'm so proud of you. Aren't
you proud of him, kevin?
-Uh... Sure.
-Of course I was proud of
him. That went without saying.
I was proud enough to say...
Paul? How about getting
us another pitcher of soda?
-You got it! This one's on me.
Hey, woody, could you
fill that up for me? Thanks.
-Good old paul.
-Yeah.
But, suddenly,
"paul was paul"...
- Hi, paul.
- Hi. Nice to meet you.
- Wasn't quite paul.
Something was different.
Something was... Wrong.
Come on, let's play.
-Now?
-Yeah. Why not?
-I thought we were gonna
study american history.
-The w*r of 1812 was
fought in, uh, 1812.
There, we studied. Okay?
Actually, as it happens,
it was fought in...
Your ball out.
-[Sighs] okay.
-'Course, I was only
looking for a friendly game...
And maybe a few answers.
So, how come you didn't tell me
You were trying
out for the team?
-Well, I did... Kind of.
-Yeah, but then I
thought we agreed
That it was a bad
idea, didn't we?
You know, that whole
thing about cutlip and...
-Hey, he's not so bad.
-What?
-Well, he isn't... Really.
-What was this? Heresy?
-I just thought I'd,
you know, give it a try.
-Paul, you don't think
You're actually gonna
make the team, do you?
- Well...
- I mean, come on,
it's ridiculous.
You can't even
b*at me. You know?
[Scoffs]
-I-i don't know, kev.
I just thought
maybe I'd give it a sh...
-1-Nothing.
So we played.
And for the first time
ever, paul didn't do
A running commentary
on the action.
Yes!
To this day, I don't
know if I was really hot
Or if paul was really cold.
But what I did know was...
I was teaching paul a lesson.
-Ow! Foul!
-A lesson he'd never forget.
-Hey!
-And it was for his own good.
Swish! [Sighs]
21-3. End of game... I win.
For the record...
Win number 790.
So, want to go again?
[Dog barking in distance]
Go ahead.
Free sh*t.
You know, people just
don't always appreciate
The nice things you
try to do for them.
The day after
victory number 790,
Things were a little touchy.
Hey.
But I didn't avoid paul.
-Hey.
-And he didn't avoid me, either.
We were just... Nonchalant.
I was nonchalant.
Hey.
He was nonchalant.
-Hey.
-It was kind of like the
nonchalant challenge.
But by the end of
the day, it was clear.
Somebody had to break the ice.
What's going on?
-Oh, nothing.
-So, do you want to come over
to my house after school today?
-Can't.
-Obviously a bald-faced lie.
Well, you know, I could
really use your help
Studying for history.
I mean, that stuff's
really tough, you know?
And besides,
"Mission:
impossible's" on at 4...
-Thanks, but... I got
something I got to do.
-Like what?
-Basketball tryouts.
-What?
I couldn't believe it.
I'd explained to
him, argued with him,
And the kid still
wouldn't listen to reason.
-See ya.
-And that settled that.
If paul insisted on being
something he wasn't...
I had only one option left.
[Whistle blows]
-Millman! Let's show
a little hustle, huh?!
Shake a leg!
-It was time to appeal
to a higher power...
To use the term loosely.
-Thompson!
You want a tea
party, go to boston!
[Chuckles]
-Mr. Cutlip?
-Arnold.
-I was wondering if we
could talk for a second.
See... It's about paul.
Paul pfeiffer?
-Ah. Pfeiffer.
He's not in any kind
of trouble, is he?
dr*gs? Theft? Armed robbery?
-Uh...
-Good. Glad to hear it.
-And... So much for small talk.
It's just, I'm his best friend,
And, uh... He actually thinks
you might put him on the team.
[Snickers]
-Oh, he does, does he?
-Yeah.
And...
Frankly...
I think you might
be leading him on.
-That so?
-Well, yeah.
I mean, I've played tons of
b-ball with him in my backyard,
So, yeah, I should know.
I b*at him every time.
You know?
'Course, in some way,
I knew I was betraying
my best friend,
But facts were facts.
-This isn't your backyard, son.
-Huh?
-Pfeiffer... Look at him.
-So I looked at paul.
He still looked like
the guy I'd beaten
790 Times in a row.
The only thing is...
He didn't play like him.
-Yeah!
[Clapping]
-Looking sharp there, pfeiffer!
-It was astonishing.
This was the man who'd
launched a million air balls
In my backyard?
I felt like I was watching
a total stranger,
Some kid I'd never even met.
-Yeah!
-So, I did the only
thing I could think of.
Attaboy, paul! Way to go!
And there you had it.
One word from me,
And, suddenly,
paul was paul again.
[Indistinct shouting]
-Air ball!
-Ugh!
-Come on, pfeiffer!
You're playing like a girl!
[Whistle blows]
Pankus! Get in
there for pfeiffer!
All right, let's
hustle it up, now!
Hill!
-After that, there didn't
seem to be much reason
To stick around any longer.
I mean, hey...
-Martinson, the
game is basketball!
Look it up in a dictionary,
will you? Come on!
-Didn't want to embarrass
the guy or anything.
I tried to study for my
american history test
That evening,
But somehow, I just
couldn't concentrate.
Maybe there was a reason.
-Butthead at 3:00.
Launch m*ssile.
-Wayne, knock it off, will
you?! I'm trying to study!
Wayne!
-What's the matter,
little brother?
You seem... Troubled.
You want to talk about it?
-No.
-I understand.
Some things... Just
too deep for words.
-And even though I knew I
should let the matter drop...
What do you mean by that?
-You think I'm
made out of stone?
Hey, I live around here.
I see things.
It's paul, isn't it?
I mean, you carry the guy
on your back for 14 years,
And now he doesn't
need you anymore.
Ungrateful twerp.
But, uh, don't... Don't
let it get to you.
I mean, the guy's always
been a loser, right?
-It was... Horrible.
In one fell swoop, my
neanderthal brother
Had looked into my
innermost feelings,
And it wasn't a pretty sight.
-He's not a loser, wayne.
-Sure he is.
You know it, and I know it.
If he walks like a duck...
If he talks like a duck...
Then it must be the pfeiffster.
[Chuckles]
-But, suddenly, I
knew it wasn't true...
Not anymore.
And at that moment, I
knew what I had to do.
[Thunder rumbling]
Ugh! Wayne! Think about it!
-[Grunting]
[Crickets chirping]
-When you're 14,
bruises heal quickly...
Some of them, anyway.
But that night, I
felt a kind of hurt
I knew wasn't gonna
just disappear...
Not by itself.
-I want a game.
- What?
- You heard me.
I want a game.
-Why? So I can b*at
you one more time?
-Who says you're gonna b*at me?
-Paul, I b*at you every time.
-Yeah. Well, maybe
not this time.
-[Sighs] forget it.
I don't really feel
like letting you win.
-I want a game.
-[Sighs] paul, come on.
I've been creaming you
for the past 14 years!
What makes you think it's
ever gonna be any different?
-Because!
-Because what?
-Because things change, kev.
I've changed.
-[Sighs]
Not to me.
-I know.
[Dog barking in distance]
-Prove it.
Loser's out.
-1-Zip.
-1 Up.
That night, paul
pfeiffer and I played
The most important
game of our lives.
Ah!
-Ugh.
8-6... Mine.
-We both played hard,
and we both played to win.
And no game ever mattered
more... To both of us.
11-10... Mine.
Maybe change is never easy.
You fight to hold on.
You fight to let go.
But that night,
After 790 consecutive losses...
Paul finally b*at me.
[Crowd cheering]
Paul made the
basketball team that year.
[Indistinct shouting]
And he had some loyal fans.
But his biggest fan...
-Come on, paul!
- Was also his best friend.
[Indistinct shouting]
[Whistle blowing]
[Crowd cheering]
I guess sometimes you
have to grow apart...
To keep growing together.