Charlie Simms is a boy from Oregon who attends Baird School a Boys boarding school. Not unlike most of the other boys who come from affluent backgrounds Simms is there on a scholarship. He hangs around with George Willis, who's a daddy's boy, and his friends. Now George's friends decides to pull a little prank on the pompous headmaster. The headmaster learns that Charlie and George know who pulled the prank and they refuse to say who. He gives the Thanksgiving Holiday to think about it. He also tells Charlie that he's recommending him to an Ivy League College. Charlie then goes off to a Thanksgiving job--taking care of retired Colonel Frank Slade who's blind when his family goes to visit some family for Thanksgiving. After they leave Slade tells Charlie that he's taking him to New York for his own Thanksgiving celebration.

Al Pacino was helped by a school for the blind in his preparation for this role. He said that he made himself appear blind by not allowing his eyes to focus on anything.

[Charlie comes back to the room to see Frank putting on his uniform]


Lt. Col. Frank Slade:
You're back too fast. You didn't get my cigars, did you? Get outta here, Charlie.

[loads the .45]


Charlie Simms:
I thought we had a deal.


Lt. Col. Frank Slade:
I welched. I'm a welcher. Didn't I tell you?


Charlie Simms:
No, what you told me was, that you gave me all the bullets.


Lt. Col. Frank Slade:
I lied.


Charlie Simms:
Yeah, well you could've fooled me.


Lt. Col. Frank Slade:
And I did.

[pause]


Lt. Col. Frank Slade:
Charlie, how you ever gonna survive in this world without me?


Charlie Simms:
Colonel, why don't you just give me the gun, all right?

[Frank picks up the gun and points it at Charlie]


Charlie Simms:
What are you doing?


Lt. Col. Frank Slade:
I'm gonna shoot you, too. Your life's finished anyway. Your friend George is gonna sing like a canary. And so are you. And once you've sung, Charlie, my boy, you're gonna take your place on that long, grey line of American manhood. And then you will be through.


Charlie Simms:
I'd hate to disagree with you, Colonel.


Lt. Col. Frank Slade:
You're in no position to disagree with me, boy. I got a loaded .45 here. You got pimples. I'm gonna kill you, Charlie, cause I can't bear the thought of you SELLIN' OUT!


Charlie Simms:
[now firm] Put the gun down, all right, Colonel?


Lt. Col. Frank Slade:
What? You givin' me an ultimatum?


Charlie Simms:
No, I'm...


Lt. Col. Frank Slade:
I give the ultimatums!


Charlie Simms:
I'm sorry. All right I'm sorry.


Lt. Col. Frank Slade:
It's all right, Charlie. You break my heart, son. All my life I've stood up to everyone and everything, because it made me feel *important*. You do it... because you mean it. You've got integrity, Charlie. I don't know whether to shoot you or adopt ya.


Charlie Simms:
Not much of a choice, is it, sir?


Lt. Col. Frank Slade:
Oh, don't get cute now.

Continuity: When Simms and Slade meet in Slade's apartment, the amount of whiskey in Slade's glass and bottle repeatedly change.

Written by Robbie Robertson
Performed by Emmylou Harris