[cheering]
[tires squeal]
We're in the lead.
[gasps]
[screams]
Hi. I'm Franklin.
Franklin Armstrong, if you wanna be formal about it.
Have you ever thought to yourself, "How did I end up in this situation?"
In order to understand how I got here, let me take you back a little.
[both scream]
[Franklin] You see, my dad serves in the military.
It always keeps my family on the move.
Grandpa always told me, "Don't try to fight change,
because change is undefeated."
[sighs]
[droning adult chatter]
I'm coming.
I've lived in a lot of different places but none that I can call home.
The hardest part is saying goodbye to all of my friends.
Hey, Franklin.
Hey. You guys came to say goodbye?
Oh, you're leaving?
Do you still have my basketball?
Sorry about that.
-Thanks. See ya. -[children giggling]
-Yeah. See ya. -[horn honks]
["Nothing From Nothing" playing]
[sighs]
[wipers swishing]
[yawns]
So this was it. Our new town.
For now, anyways.
One thing was for sure. There was a lack of variety in this place.
Another thing about never staying in one place too long is
you never want to completely unpack your suitcase.
That was fun. Same time tomorrow?
You bet.
[Franklin] Some say making new friends can be hard.
But it's a breeze with this handy little notebook my grandpa gave me.
It has all his favorite tips on how to break the ice.
I've done this so many times now, this will be a piece of cake.
"You can never go wrong if you start with a good joke.
And remember, don't forget to dial up the personality."
Here we go again.
[exhales]
Hi there. I'm Franklin Armstrong.
Whoa! Uh, hello there. I'm Linus.
It's nice to meet you.
Wanna hear a funny joke?
Yeah, sure.
How does the ocean say hello?
Hmm. I haven't the slightest.
It waves.
[laughs]
Get it?
Wordplay. Funny.
Um, what are you up to out here? You gonna make a pumpkin pie?
No, never. I'm tending to my pumpkin patch.
It needs to be more sincere than ever this year.
I happen to have a little gardening experience.
Would you like some help?
Sure. That would be great.
Fall is just around the corner,
and these pumpkins are going to need lots of work
to get ready for the Great Pumpkin.
The great what?
The Great Pumpkin.
The Great Pumpkin rises out of the most sincere pumpkin patch
and brings gifts to all the good little children.
Huh?
This year, he has to pick mine.
Can't you just feel the sincerity all around here?
I think this one looks very sincere.
[screams] You weren't supposed to pick it off the vine.
The Great Pumpkin will never choose me after this.
I'm doomed!
Tell the big pumpkin I'm sorry.
Page 14. "To make friends, don't forget to smile.
And remember, a well-placed compliment can go a long way."
Ah, fresh lemonade. How wonderful.
Mmm. Delicious.
How much for a refill?
Hey! Just what do you think you're doing?
Do you have any idea how long it took me to squeeze all those lemons?
I'm sorry. But isn't that part of the job?
Read the sign.
I deal in psychiatry, not lemonade.
[sighs] Smile. Compliment.
Psychiatry? Interesting.
Do you have many clients? What do you talk about?
I can't tell you that. Doctor-patient confidentiality.
Have you heard how the ocean says hello?
Yeah, yeah. It waves. That's an old one.
Listen, kid. If you're looking for some professional help, take a number.
I dabble in it all.
Anxiety, phobias, lack of confidence and what have you.
Now, if you'll excuse me, my eleven o'clock is here.
Germophile.
Hello, Pigpen. Have a seat.
Pigpen?
[coughing]
I don't understand.
It's never been this hard to make friends before.
My notebook normally tells me all the right things to say.
But not with this crowd.
A delusional pseudo doctor,
a devotee of someone called the Great Pumpkin
and a kid whose parents named them Pigpen?
Boy, aren't you a sight for sore eyes.
Dogs sure do make the world a better place.
Finally, a little sense of normalcy around here.
[chattering]
-[gasps] -[chatters]
Whoo-hoo!
[Snoopy, Woodstock chattering]
If I didn't know better, I'd swear I was in the twilight zone.
[both grunt]
[children chattering, giggling]
[panting]
Is this your beach ball?
That thing sure has a mind of its own.
Thank you for catching it.
You're welcome.
I'm Franklin. Franklin Armstrong.
My name is Charlie Brown.
Thanks again.
Do you want to see my sandcastle, Franklin?
Are you here with your family on vacation?
[Franklin] Actually, we just moved here.
My dad serves in the military, and he was just reassigned.
Oh, yeah? My dad was in the service too.
He's a barber now.
Smart. You can never run out of hair to cut.
What do you think, Franklin?
[sighs] Do you know how the ocean says hello?
-It waves. [laughs] -[laughs]
[droning adult chatter]
Oh, I hear my mom calling me. I have to go now.
Maybe if you're free tomorrow, we could--
[sighs]
See you later, Mom.
I'm sure things will go better today too.
"If you wanna meet new friends, find out where your new friends meet."
[chuckling]
Pizza. Of course. Who doesn't like pizza?
[chattering]
[humming]
[chatters]
-[chatters] -[gasps]
[Lucy] And you should have seen him.
Without even saying a howdy-do,
he walked right up and drank all my lemonade.
Who does that?
I-- I can't go in there.
What can I say? What can I say?
[Shermy] Hey, kid, look out!
Out of the way!
-[screams] -Whoa!
-[clamoring] -What's going on?
-Did you see what happened? -What was that?
What have you got there, Shermy?
We were just doing a little trial run of our soapbox derby car.
The steering could use some work.
-Huh? -What?
Where have you all been? The big soapbox derby race is coming to town.
The winning team gets a trophy and free pizza for a whole year.
Soapbox derby race?
A trophy?
Free pizza!
[all] Yay!
[children chattering]
"Franklin, a surefire way to make friends is to show them that you're a winner.
Everybody likes a winner."
All I need now is to find a partner.
-This is going to-- -Want to team up?
-Sure. -That trophy is going to be ours.
-Do you wanna-- -[giggling]
Do you wanna be my--
Marcie!
Excuse me. Do you wanna be my--
-Do you have a-- -Oh, Schroeder!
What do you say, Snoopy? Partners?
-[chatters] -[chuckles]
[sighs]
You snooze you lose, Chuck.
Can you imagine Charlie Brown behind the wheel?
-He can't even mow the lawn straight. -[Violet, Patty giggle]
Hello again. Remember me from the beach?
Of course I do, Franklin.
Well, what do you think, Charlie Brown? Partners?
Partners.
I can't wait to get started.
Hey!
To build our car, we're going to need a lot of stuff.
Nails, plywood, glue.
[grunting]
[gasps]
[shouts]
[birds straining]
Well, this is certainly awkward.
You're that lemonade girl.
Hmm. If you'll excuse me,
I need this steering wheel for my soapbox derby car.
And you know the rules. Ladies first.
So give it here.
But my partner said he specifically wanted this one.
Oh, yeah? And who might this partner be?
A boy named Charlie Brown.
Charlie Brown? [chuckles] Aren't you in for a treat.
What's that supposed to mean?
Oh, you'll see.
Where is he, by the way?
Already throwing in the towel?
No. He's out at the scrapyard gathering supplies for our car.
Well, good luck to you,
'cause you're going to need a lot more than this steering wheel
to win with Charlie Brown as your partner.
Save it. We don't need any luck.
That's true. You need a miracle.
-Whoa! -It's all yours, newbie.
Here's my card. You may need someone to talk to after the race.
[Woodstock chatters]
Thanks for letting me borrow your tools, Dad.
[droning adult chatter]
Hi, Franklin.
Oh, there he is. Hi, Charlie Brown.
What's the old plumbing pipe for?
I was looking at pictures of old hot rods
and they all had pipes like this coming out of the sides.
Now, that's clever.
It won't help us go faster, but it sure will psych out the competition.
Hmm. These weren't quite what I had in mind when I said to find some wheels.
They're not gonna work if we wanna win.
But the wheels of your wagon would be perfect.
Really?
I don't know. This is my sister's wagon.
Technically, you're only borrowing the wheels for a few days.
And we really need them.
We'll replace them after the race and her wagon will be as good as new.
It looks like we have our wheels.
Great. Let's get to building.
"A great way to build a friendship is to find common interests."
So you said you like baseball?
Absolutely. What about you?
I come from a long line of baseball players.
My great-uncle Eugene Benson played in the Negro Leagues.
What's that?
Well, there was a time
when Black and white baseball players weren't allowed to play together.
So the Black players formed their own league.
It's where Jackie Robinson used to play.
Wow. A kid can really learn a lot hanging around with you, Franklin.
By the way, I happen to manage my own baseball team.
Yeah? You guys any good?
My motto is, "You don't need to win to finish first."
Never heard of that one before.
My grandpa used to say to me,
"Franklin, it's better to build stuff than to buy stuff."
My grandpa says that too. Usually around Christmas and birthdays.
Pliers, please?
Hey, Franklin, what kind of music do you like?
My favorites are Stevie Wonder, Little Richard and, of course,
the godfather of soul, James Brown.
You're not related, are you?
I don't believe so.
[chuckles]
But here's what I'm into lately.
-[jazz playing] -It's John Coltrane.
Listen closely, Charlie Brown.
Jazz has harmonies that stay consistent.
But pay attention.
It has other parts that are always being improvised.
Can you feel it?
I like it.
[both chuckle]
[chuckles]
[both laugh]
Thanks.
[sighs]
Have you ever thought about what you would like to be when you grow up?
I'm not sure, Charlie Brown. But I always have liked outer space.
Maybe one day, I could get to go up there. Like Neil Armstrong.
Armstrong? Any relation?
[laughs] Good one.
What about you, Charlie Brown?
I've often thought I'd like to be a pro ballplayer.
You get to go to new cities all the time.
You're always on the move. What a life.
I've moved a lot.
And trust me, a life on the road might sound nice, Charlie Brown,
but it's not so great.
Hey, you know what we need? A secret handshake.
-Uh-- Mmm. Uh-- -Not like that. [stammers]
[laughing]
[both giggling]
Camouflaging our car was a brilliant idea, Franklin.
Yeah. We don't want anyone stealing our awesome design
while we're doing our test run.
Sir, drag increases as the square of speed.
Our design's success relies on a knowledge of physics.
That's all fine and dandy, Marcie, but think "monster truck."
Raise the mast, Pigpen.
Like Magellan's trusty ship the Victoria circumnavigated the globe,
so shall we circumnavigate the neighborhood to win the race.
Can I ask you a question?
What's the deal with that kid and his pumpkin patch?
Who? Linus?
He has his quirks.
But once you get to know him, there's no one better.
He's one of my best friends.
You must miss your best friend.
Who can really say what a best friend is anyway?
Well, in my opinion, a best friend is special and different.
It's someone that you can totally trust, that always has your back.
In some ways, your best friend knows you better than you know yourself.
[screams]
-[construction noises] -[chattering]
That's one strange dog you have there, Charlie Brown.
Tell me about it.
-[chattering] -[construction noises]
This is a special moment, partner.
The first real test of Unstoppable.
Systems: Check.
Helmets?
Check.
Seat belts?
Check. Steering?
[squeaking]
-Check. -Check.
Roger. We are go for launch in T-minus three, two, one.
[both grunting]
We need to slow down.
We can't win if you keep slamming on the brakes.
Let's see what Unstoppable can really do.
[whimpers]
-[tires screech] -What are you doing?
Remember, stay off the brakes.
[Charlie Brown] Sorry.
-[whimpers] -Don't you dare! I said no brakes.
I've got this.
-Whoa! -Whoa!
[both screaming]
[Charlie Brown grunts]
[sighs]
Franklin?
Look at what you did.
I told you, "Stay off the brakes."
What? I was trying to prevent us from crashing.
Why didn't you listen to me?
Man, was lemonade girl ever right about you.
What's that supposed to mean?
[sighs]
Forget it.
It's getting late. I think I'd better head home.
[thunder rumbling]
[thunderclap]
[chatters]
[sighs]
There's no bits of wisdom in here for this situation.
Man, now how am I supposed to make friends in this town?
-[twig snaps] -Who's there?
-What are-- -I didn't--
No, no. Y-You first.
I'm surprised to see you back here, Charlie Brown.
I'm not a quitter, and I'm not about to start now.
I've never won anything before,
and I think we have a good shot to win this race.
Really?
But what about our car?
It really isn't in that bad of shape.
There is still a chance we can make the race tomorrow
if we work together.
You'd still be willing to be my partner?
Of course.
[thunderclap]
[both laughing]
-Quickly put that in the car. -Got that one.
-[Franklin] I'll put this one. -[Charlie Brown] Here. Take this.
-[Franklin chuckles] -It's gonna be a long night.
[children chattering]
Welcome to the Champion Soapbox Derby Race.
[cheering]
[Jose] This is the most amazing combination of twists, turns and hills
to test our racers here today.
A year's worth of pizza's on the line, but it's more than a delicious meal
that challenges these young drivers at the brink of this 100-foot hill.
Go get 'em, my Sweet Babboo.
[chortles]
[drilling]
[honks]
[Charlie Brown, Franklin panting]
Come on. Hurry. We're almost out of time.
The 30-second card is up. The race is about to begin.
It's like my grandpa always says, "You gotta want it to get it."
So, Charlie Brown, do you want it?
Let's go get it.
[Jose] And we're off!
["Johnny B. Goode" playing]
What an exciting start.
-Lucy and Schroeder take the lead. -[children cheering]
Right brake now!
[tires squeal]
[Jose] What a bold move by Franklin and Charlie Brown.
Left!
[tires squeal]
It's working. [laughs]
[cheering]
Patty, the steering broke.
That wasn't part of the plan.
[both scream]
Whoo-hoo! [chortling]
-[screams] -[tires screeching]
Eat my dust.
[grumbles]
-[beeping] -[howls]
-[chatters] -[shouts]
[chatters]
[rocket charging]
[teeth rattling]
[engine sputtering]
[screams]
[Linus shouts]
[Snoopy screams]
[Jose] Lucy and Schroeder are holding onto first,
but Franklin and Charlie Brown are coming in hot.
Hey, let's stay off the brakes and lean into the curve.
Are you sure, Charlie Brown?
Trust me.
[creaking]
[both groan]
[cheering]
Huh?
We're in the lead.
[groaning] I can't see.
[gasps]
Hey! Who put this rope here? That could be dangerous.
Whoopsie.
-[all gasp] -We can make it.
But the others won't.
When I call for it, lock up the brakes.
What? No, w-we can win.
Brakes, now!
[tires screech]
Good grief!
[both scream]
[crash]
[shouts]
-Victory! -[cheering]
The trophy for first place goes to Lucy and Sch--
Thank you. I accept.
And now for a little speech that I have prepared. [clears throat]
[grunts]
I can't believe it. We were so close.
After everything we've been through,
only to lose because of a stupid snack cart.
What a tragedy.
How can you just stand there?
Don't you have anything to say?
Didn't you even care about winning the race?
This race meant everything to me.
I thought if I could win, it would-- it would…
It would what?
Help me fit in, help me make some friends in this town.
I wanted to impress all of you so I could become a part of the crew.
Then why did you throw it all away back there?
I couldn't let that happen to the others.
Some things are more important than winning.
I hope you're not disappointed that you chose me to be your partner.
Not one bit, Franklin.
Getting to know you has been the best thing to happen to me all year.
Sorry I never realized how difficult it must be
having to make new friends all the time.
It's tough.
To not know what people are going to think of you,
to not know if you're going to be able to fit in.
I never get enough time to really get to know anybody.
And nobody ever cares about getting to know me.
I care, Franklin. And I'm honored to call you my friend.
Even though we may not have won,
it would have been nice to at least finish.
-Some people are naturally born winners. -[snoring]
Not to come off like I'm bragging or anything…
Did you see what Charlie Brown and the new kid did?
I hope they're okay.
Should we go check on them?
Look, there they are.
[children] Huh? What?
[all gasp]
[both panting, grunting]
-[child 1] Whoa! Look at that. -Wait a minute.
-[child 2] What's going on? -Where's everyone going?
-[child 3] Wow! -What are you all staring at?
I'm the winner.
[groans]
[both strain, grunt]
-[gasps] -[Schroeder] Oh, no.
Don't give up.
You can make it.
-[applause] -[cheering]
Are they cheering for us, Charlie Brown?
-Come on! -Don't give up!
-Yay, Charlie Brown. -Keep going!
-Go, go, go! -Franklin!
I think they are, Franklin.
[both groan]
[cheering]
-[both grunting, groaning] -[child 4] You're almost there!
Just a little further.
[both grunting, groaning]
[cheering]
[both panting]
You made it, Franklin.
No, we made it, Charlie Brown.
It's like you said. You don't need to win to finish first.
[children cheering]
-We all saw what you guys did back there. -Yeah.
It was Franklin's idea.
If he hadn't done it,
you would all be the ones wearing ice cream right now.
-Good job, Franklin. -[child 5] Great job, Charlie Brown.
-Hey, you! -[children] Huh?
I just wanna tell you one thing.
That was quite the gutsy maneuver back there, Franklin.
You really saved the day.
Free pizza's on me tonight.
[chuckles] I mean us.
[cheering]
[droning adult chatter]
I'll be right there.
My parents wanna see me for a moment.
I'll see you tonight.
Did you see what my friend Charlie Brown and I did?
[yelps, grumbling]
[children chattering]
[jazz music playing]
Ooh.
Yeah, yeah, you got us there.
But then we went wide,
and we cut you down and passed you right back.
Only to set up for the next hairpin.
It was all part of our plan.
[Patty, Violet laughing]
Franklin, I'm so glad you made it.
Hey, Charlie Brown. Sorry I'm late.
My parents had something very important to tell me.
My dad is taking a new job. And that means…
You're leaving.
[record scratches]
[children] What? Leaving? Franklin? Say it isn't so. Huh?
No, no. The job is here in town.
We really like it here. We're staying.
[all cheering]
[chuckling]
["Moment's Notice" playing]
Have a slice, Franklin.
Thanks, Pigpen.
Coltrane. Good choice.
Hey, Franklin. We're having a pickup game at the ball field tomorrow.
-You wanna come? -Count me in.
This race with a partner like Charlie Brown
showed me a thing or two about friendships.
They're not perfect.
I'm not perfect.
But we can get through the rough spots together as friends.
Hey, Franklin. We saved you a seat over here.
Come join us.
Ain't that what friendship's really all about?
["Happier Than the Morning Sun" playing]
[no audible dialogue]
It must feel great to not be living out of that suitcase anymore.
It sure does, Charlie Brown.
"You know you've found your home when you're surrounded by good friends."
Did your grandfather always say that?
No, that one is mine, Charlie Brown.
[song ends]
[toy squeaks]
Is everyone ready for a fun day at the park?
Hold on tight.
[grunts]
Big brother!