The '60s, man.
Influential musicians like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez...
Playing guitars and singing like prophets.
The times, they were a-changin'.
(THUD)
The class, they are a-sleepin'.
It's not your fault, Dad. It's just the stuff you're saying.
I'm talking about the '60s, man.
Nobody cares about when you were our age.
Riley, it was over 50 years ago. How old do you guys think I am?
There's no right answer to this, sir.
You should teach us future class, you know, give us something we could use.
Listen, Dad, you're doing a wonderful job up there
and we're very happy that you're all jazzed up...
But history has nothing to do with us.
I'm gonna snap this chalk now.
-Uh-oh. -Snap.
What did you guys do yesterday?
I think I had grapes.
Do you know what yesterday was?
Grapes day.
It's history.
Every decision you make every day,
every time you decide to turn left instead of right,
you make history and you affect someone else's.
And if you refuse to learn that, I guarantee you,
you guys will not become the best person you can be.
Because history is all about missed opportunities.
"History has nothing to do with us," wasn't it, Ms. Hart?
Can't remember, it was, like, five minutes ago.
Fine.
I am not gonna teach you guys about the '60s.
ALL: Yay.
You are.
-(GROANING) -Yay.
History is alive, even if you weren't. But now you're gonna be.
You will visit the 1960s and give a report.
Time travel.
How do we do that, Dad? We weren't there.
-You were. -How?
You all have grandparents or great-grandparents.
Choose one who was around during that time.
Learn all you can about them and report back.
Then we'll see if history has nothing to do with us.
Living history.
Now I'm all jazzed up.
-(GROANING) -Yay.
(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)
(MUSIC CONTINUES)
You're a new face.
So are you, but everything's new to me, the people... (CLICKS FINGERS)
...the places... (CLICKS FINGERS) ...The whole happening scene, man.
First time you ever said that, isn't it?
I practiced the whole way here.
Let me get a vibe.
I dig you immedia-tois.
What does that mean?
I don't know. I made it up.
Well, here's what I want you to make up for me:
a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream,
because I'm dangerous.
You got a name, dangerous?
Rosie. Rosie McGee.
-what's yours? -Ginsburg.
Nice to meet you, Rosie.
What's the picture for?
For the moment we first met. I'll get your hot chocolate, McGee.
I know this is weird, but have we met before?
Haven't we all?
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
I've been waiting For a day like this to come
Struck like lightning My heart's beating like a drum
On the edge of something wonderful
Face-to-face with changes What's it all about?
Life is crazy
But I know I can work it out
'Cause I got you To live it with me
I feel all right I'm gonna take on the world
Light up the stars I've got some pages to turn
I'm singing...
Take on the world, take on the world Take on the world
(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)
Welcome, to Cafe Hey, pronounced, "Heh."
ALL: Heh.
You're getting better at that. Tonight's gonna be legendary, man.
Let's just see what flows.
(CLICKS FINGERS)
Black.
White.
Green. Tan.
No one listen to the man.
Freedom is the only plan.
Free to be who you am.
Can't you see?
That you... are... me.
Karma.
(CLICKING FINGERS)
Whatcha writing?
Oh! Just observations.
You know, thoughts about the people I meet.
These are deep, man. You're one deep chick.
Chick? Down here I'm a chick.
(SIGHS)
Why'd you come here tonight, Rosie?
I came to make some new friends.
You see, there's two tables over there.
The one the left, Bob and Joan,
table on the right, a blonde girl all alone.
She's new around here, too.
Go left or right.
What to do?
Karma.
You are really interesting looking.
Are you as interesting as you look?
Sure, are you as weird as you talk?
Oh, my gosh. Yeah, man.
I am the weirdest cat there is.
Really? 'Cause you seem like a nice, normal girl to me.
You figured me out in five seconds and you've hurt me.
How can I make that up to you?
Could we be friends? I would be a very good friend to you.
Yeah, I could use a weird friend.
Then you should pick...
Oh, they both landed on me.
All right, status report.
I got a guitar that belonged to my great-grandmother Rosie,
and her very weird journal.
My dad is sending something about my great-grandfather.
We don't talk about him much. His name was Merlin.
Merlin? Was he a wizard? Ha!
Okay, Farkle Minkus. What was your great-grandfather's name?
Ginsburg.
You make no sense to me whatsoever.
Whatcha looking at?
Art book. Ms. Kossal gave it to me.
It's got all the best artists and their best paintings.
It's amazing and depressing.
She's trying to motivate you.
Ain't working. Look at these.
I could never do anything near this. These people all have something to say.
Well, you only know that because they went ahead and said it.
You know, someday you're gonna make somebody
a wonderful fortune cookie.
Let me take a picture of everybody.
-What for? -(CAMERA CLICKS)
I don't know. It's us.
We may be important to somebody someday.
You guys are already important to me.
How?
You teach me how to be friends.
ALL: Aw.
Maya, aren't you bringing that?
What, this book of
"Why Bother Trying, I'll Never Be as Good as These Guys"?
That's a very discouraging title.
I love you, Riley, but I'm leaving this here.
It makes me feel bad and... It's really heavy.
You're making me feel bad.
There's some pretty heavy stuff in here.
"The girl with the long, blonde hair." Who's that about, I wonder.
(SIGHS) It's my first time here and I would like to remember everything.
Maybe I'll write about it later.
It's my first time here, too.
I'm on my way to California.
My bus broke down, bad luck.
I don't understand why these things happen.
Because if you're bus doesn't break down,
then we don't become friends.
If I go sit at that table instead of this table,
then I'm not friends with...
May Clutterbucket.
Yow.
What's in California for you, May?
I'm going to say Clutterbucket now.
But just so you know, when I say it I am not making fun of you.
Well, there's a place where people are making art and playing music.
Sounds cool. Where is it?
It's a place called Topanga canyon.
I'm sure I'll love it.
Topanga...
What a beautiful name for something that you want to love.
I'm gonna remember that.
May, take the stage, May. You're up.
(APPLAUSE)
What's your name, new friend?
Rosie McGee.
Wish me luck, Rosie McGee.
Wow, you're going to sing?
I'm going to try.
Yay, go get 'em! And remember, you're beautiful, man.
(PLAYING GUITAR)
Car drove off
Airplane flew
I stayed here
Missing you
I grow old
Never see
That you were there
Missing me
Are we now?
What were we then?
Will we look back
And wonder when?
What could have been
What isn't yet
Will you remember
Or forget?
(APPLAUSE)
Wow!
I'll remember, because that was great.
Let's hear it for May Clutterbucket.
(SCOFFS) What are you laughing at, Bob Dylan?
Merlin. Merlin Scoggins. Take the stage, cowboy.
Who the heck is that?
So that's him. I've heard about him.
(PLAYING GUITAR)
MERLIN: Hello.
I'm Merlin Scoggins.
LUCAS: Hello.
I'm Lucas Friar.
My great-grandpa used to do that. He was a man named Merlin Scoggins.
And this record was a big hit.
That's amazing, Lucas.
Why didn't you ever tell us any of that?
Yeah, I'm gonna tell Maya I have a country-singing great-grandpa
and that I actually do come from cowboys.
Yeah, because I need more nicknames to go with
"Hopalong", "Sundance," and "Ranger Rick".
No, I'm done with that.
I am so impressed with your rich, Texas heritage
that I am officially throwing out all of those old nicknames forever.
Wow, thank you, Maya.
No problem, Bucky McBoingBoing.
From what I can piece together, my great-grandmother, Rosie McGee,
was a weird, little, wide-eyed goofball who only saw the best in everybody.
Who's like that?
Nobody.
I'd like to play you my great-grandfather's song.
-(RECORD SCRATCHES) -(COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYS)
MERLIN: Hello, I'm Merlin Scoggins.
I ain't got change in my pocket But I see it on the streets
There's been change on the faces Of the people that I meet
Hey mister, brother, sister
Could you spare a man some change?
Hey, mister, brother, sister
Can you spare a man some change?
(APPLAUSE)
This seat taken?
By you.
See what I did?
Yeah, you're not a normal girl at all.
I liked your song, ma'am.
I liked yours.
And what do you do?
Ah, who knows?
She's an observer of humanity.
Well, we need those.
The observer, the singer, and the mystery man.
(CAMERA CLICKS)
That's gotta be worth something to somebody someday.
Well, thank you all for your kind words and I'll be on my way.
Oh, do you have to go?
I try not to stay any place too long...
especially when people do that.
Stay here with this one too long and she might change us for the better.
Aw.
(CHUCKLES) Yeah, anyway...
You keep writing down those observations.
And you, you keep playing.
What, my new song,
"Why Bother Trying, I'll Never Be as Good as You Guys"?
That's a very discouraging title.
You have something to say.
Well, now, you only know that, because I went ahead and said it.
Here.
Why are you giving me this?
You were great.
No, he's going to change the world.
I'm not gonna change a thing.
Where are you going?
Don't you worry, weirdo. I'll be right back.
My great-grandmother never saw her friend again.
The world has never heard of May Clutterbucket.
My great-grandfather had one huge hit.
People thought he was gonna change the world, but he didn't.
After an appearance in a small cafe in New York City,
he made some bad choices. He went to jail for a little while.
He went left instead of right.
And why do you think that was, Mr. Friar?
Don't know.
Maybe he needed some better friends.
Rosie liked observing things.
I'm going to read something from her journal.
It's called "The Girl with the Long, Blonde Hair."
"She said she would be gone for a moment,
"I am still waiting.
"We could have been friends, Maybe in some other life.
"The girl with the long, blonde hair."
It sounds like Rosie was a pretty good writer.
There's a little bit more.
"If you quiet your voice, if you stop,
"because you think other people are better,
"then you are not who I know you are, the girl with the long, blonde hair."
You wrote that.
I continued it.
I am a continuation.
That's what history's about, right, Dad?
(CHUCKLES) Oh, now I get it.
Rosie had a daughter, and her daughter had my mom.
Rosie gave me my mom and she gave my dad his wife.
This has been in our family for over 50 years.
But I feel like it belongs with you.
So I hope that whenever you see it,
it will remind you that even though Rosie's friend gave up,
you never should.
Oh, no.
(PLAYING GUITAR)
Hello.
I'm Bucky McBoingBoing.
I got a great-grandson Who's a Ranger Rick
And a Hopalong and a Sundance, too
Everybody!
ALL: I got a great-grandson Who's a Ranger Rick
And a Hopalong and a Sundance, too
(LAUGHING)
Hi, I was in here the other day
and I lost something that turns out to be important to me.
Thanks.
"Maya's art goes here. Change the world.
"Love, Riley."
Weirdo.
Riley, what is so important?
(GASPS) Really?
I get to sit here with you?
Okay.
Look at this.
"Topanga, what a beautiful name for something you want to love."
(BELL RINGS)
Yeah, okay.
We are all part of a puzzle called history.
We are each a tiny piece of that puzzle
that comes together and makes a picture.
Well, you're not gonna believe the picture I just found.
My Great-Grandfather Ginsburg, worked at a Greenwich Village cafe.
Riley, Lucas, what year did your great-grandparents visit New York?
BOTH: 1961.
Whoa.
I knew it. What month?
-BOTH: December. -Say it again.
BOTH: Whoa.
And what was the name of the club?
-Cafe... -Hey.
That's where my great-grandfather worked.
Maya, what did you learn about your great-grandmother?
Nothing, my mom said to leave it alone.
I don't know anything.
I know you, Maya. You're not a puzzle to me at all.
You went behind her back and snooped around, didn't you?
No.
What did you find?
No.
Tell me her name.
Say it or I will.
May Clutterbucket.
What?
I come from a long line of Clutterbuckets.
Oh, this is the greatest day of my life!
All of our relatives met each other on the same night.
Your great-grandmother was my great-grandmother's friend.
No. They never became friends. She walked out. She left.
And you didn't tell me?
Tell you what?
That I come from people who give up?
That I am a Clutterbucket?
Change history.
Excuse me?
Your relatives didn't realize
they would have been better off being friends.
That was a missed opportunity.
Don't let your history be one of missed opportunities.
Learn from the past.
I don't want to be a Clutterbucket.
You're not.
You're all Hart.
On December 14th, 1961,
four pieces of a puzzle came together
and our lives touched.
(CHUCKLES) How great is history class now, everybody?
ALL: Shh!
Great-Grandfather Ginsburg was hard to research,
because he was never in any of the pictures,
because he took them.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have achieved time travel.
Thank you. I am Farkle!
(ACOUSTIC GUITAR MUSIC PLAYING)
You're early.
Where are we going today, Dad?
I thought you guys didn't care about any of that stuff?
No, that was yesterday. Yesterday is history.
What do you have for us today, Mr. Matthews?
The year was 1963.
"I have a dream that my four little children
"will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged
"by the color of their skin
"but by the content of their character.
"I have a dream today."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
A lot of things happened in 1963.
The '60s, man.