[ music playing ] [ no audible dialogue ] [ soundtrack music continues ] [ acoustic guitar playing ] Little early
for Christmas, don’t you think,
Joe? Well, this will kill
during the holidays. Two shots of espresso, 6 ounces
2% percent milk, 4 pumps chocolate,
2 pumps caramel, whipped cream.
[ imitates explosion ] Red and green sprinkles. Looks good.
Think you were meant
to do this. Gotta do what you love. That is what they say. Hey, guys, where’s
my chai latte? Ticktock. I’m on it. Hey, you gonna play
something tonight? [ sighs ]
You know, I would, but I forgot my fedora. No, uh, we’re having
family dinner tonight. Gracie is making
her world-famous
spaghetti. Aw, man, say no more. [ slurping ] Gracie, that is
not how we eat
at the dinner table. Really? Gracie, if we’ve
told you once, we’ve told you
a thousand times. This is how we eat
in this house. [ both laugh ] It’s in your hair! Eww.
Eh? 1, 2, 3. Oh, come on! [ laughs ] Don’t copy him. You are
cleaning that up. Why is it so hard? They sent
a duplicate copy. We miss one? Uh... yeah, but I called, and they said we
have till next week. How short are we? It’s fine, fine. GRACIE:
Daddy. Daddy? Yes? You know,
I’m going to audition for the school play. You are?
Mm-hmm. Gonna try out
for the part
of the shrub, but I need someone
to rehearse with. Happen
to know anyone? Yeah. Yeah,
I think I do know someone. Living room, 15 minutes. Okay, just gotta go
get the bread. [ switch clicking ] Great. Let’s add this
to the list. Son of a-- Ah-ah-ah.
That’ll be a quarter. Thank you. Give me your line. Ready? Stop! Who goes there? It is I, Prince Turtle
from the Terrapin Kingdom! Welcome to the forest. Is that it?
Yep. I only have two lines,
but my teacher says they’re very important
to the story. Well, she is right. Remember, there are
no small parts, just small actors. Well, actually, the part
of the tree stump is an itty-bitty role. It just sits there
the whole time. Okay, honey bunny.
It’s bedtime. Time to start
thinking about
brushing those teeth. [ groans ]
I was gonna
go check on Pop. I can. How--How was he today? He seemed fine. [ TV ]
Get ready, San Antonio. "The Song" is coming
to the Alamo City this Saturday. And if you think
you’ve got what it takes to be a world-class
singer-songwriter, well, now’s your chance, so be sure to get
your submission in today. Hmm. I didn’t know they
were coming to town. Hey, honey, maybe
you should audition. ...a check for $250,000. You should audition,
Daddy, so you could win
and we could be
zillionaires, and then we can get a dog. Zillionaires? You don’t have to be
a zillionaire to get a dog, though. Cool, so we
can get a dog? No.
Yeah. Okay, sweetie.
Shh. Please visit our website
thesongtvshow.com for details on submissions. I think
you should try. What’s the worst
that could happen? They don’t
choose you? Honey, I appreciate
your faith in me, but it’s
not gonna happen. ♪ That ham is lovely ♪ ♪ And your eyes
are blue ♪ ♪ I’d like to take
a bite of each of you ♪ ♪ I got my fork and knife ♪ ♪ And here is my spoon ♪ ♪ I’d like to eat you up ♪ Pbbt pbbt! ♪ I’d like to eat you up,
pbbt pbbt ♪ ♪ I’d like to eat you up ♪ ♪ ’Cause I love you ♪ Dad. Yeah? Why don’t you
like singing? Uh, I do. Then why don’t you sing? No time, I guess. Why? Well, I have to,
uh, earn a living. I have to--
gotta make money to pay for this house
and for food, ’cause your mom
eats a lot. And your education
at Harvard so you can
become President. But I’m going to be a vet. Well, then
the presidency can
be a backup plan. Good night, sweetie.
Wait. People can make a living
out of playing music, right? Uh, some people can. Well, so why can’t you? It’s complicated, babe.
Why? Well, the music
that I make may not sell
tons of records, and people that earn
a living making music, they make music
that people want
to listen to. Well, how do you know
they won’t like yours unless you play it
for them? Because I just do. And I love you,
little ham sandwich. All right,
say good night, Gracie. Good night, Gracie. Now I lay me down
to sleep. I pray the Lord
my soul to keep. Make my daddy
do the show. GRACIE: Let’s go.
Let’s go. Let’s go. [ tap on wall ] Pop, I got
some food for you. Ah, pick a pile.
Set it down. I’m almost done. [ pills rattle ] You still taking
these meds, Dad? Ah. Are those the same ones
you were working on
yesterday? The very ones. They look
pretty good to me. Well, you don’t have
to listen to Mr. Ogleton every time
they slip off his nose. The man is a N-U-T, nut. Well, he found
the right repairman,
then, huh? [ gasps ] Ah. Oops. Oops, oops, oops. It spilled
on your psalms. Proverbs, but not to worry. Scripture scholars
everywhere agree that spilling coffee
on the pages doesn’t
ruin the value. It’s more about
how you live your life. That’s good stuff, Dad. Good night. Thanks for dinner. ♪ One thousand voices
are calling my name ♪ ♪ Which one is right,
and who’s playing games? ♪ ♪ You gotta live
from the heart ♪ ♪ Tell doubt who’s in charge ♪ ♪ I am ♪ ♪ On the ♪ ♪ On the way to the top ♪ ♪ Where all my dreams
come true ♪ ♪ Everybody’s telling me
what to do ♪ ♪ Gonna live from the heart ♪ ♪ Tell ’em all who’s in charge ♪ ♪ I am ♪ ♪ Oh, the demons of doubt ♪ ♪ Live in the heart of my ear ♪ ♪ They got it
all figured it out ♪ ♪ They sow the seeds of fear ♪ ♪ But in the ear of my heart ♪ ♪ Is the voice of love ♪ ♪ That... ♪ ♪ That makes me stop
and stand and rise above ♪ Look alive.
Boss man in the house. Gentlemen. Good morning, sir.
Good morning. Could I interest you in
a Hail Mary Christmas Mocha? [ imitates explosion ] [ chuckles ] Joe, I really
don’t remember that
being on the menu. You inventing things
again? Trying to, sir, but it could be
on the menu. Mm. Ben, um... could I talk to you
for just a minute? Yeah. Yeah, sure thing.
♪ "The Song" ♪ [ TV ] Surprise,
South Texas music fans. Get ready for the chance
of a lifetime. San Antonio, the city famous
for the River Walk and Alamo, plays host
to "The Song" this weekend. Now in its third season, "The Song" is
the reality television show that seeks out
undiscovered songwriters from across the country. Saturday night is
the last regional competition, where 10 songwriters
will compete for the final slot
on the grand finale tour. I--I don’t know
what to say. Ben, you have been
a great employee. You have seniority, and I am loyal
to my employees. I wouldn’t
have made the offer if I didn’t think
you could handle it. And this is good money
for the family... [ whistles ]
benefits. ...$250,000, a record deal... But, of course, if you
don’t want to do this-- No, no. No. No, I-- I want it, absolutely. Good.
I appreciate it, and I will
not let you down. ...Red Richards,
and Ben Cantor. There you have it,
San Antonio. Congratulations, buddy. [ scoffs ]
News travels fast. ...songwriter will be voted on by "The Song’s"
broadcast television audience. And when the show
culminates in New York City... No, this is--
this is a mistake. ...one of our very own just might be crowned
winner of "The Song." Hey, honey.
Not funny. Okay, what exactly? I told you I didn’t
want to do that. I don’t have
my Ben decoder ring on, so you’re gonna have to be
a little bit more specific. It’s on TV.
It’s on Channel 8. Shelby is rumored to be
in the works on her next CD. A live broadcast was... Um, honey,
this was not me. Well, I didn’t do it!
So who did?! Ah, think I found
the culprit. Who? Your daughter. How?
How? Maybe a few weeks ago, when I was
looking for Lucky, I might have found
some of Daddy’s music, and then later I heard
about the contest on TV and took a disc
and copied it
onto an MP3. I have no idea,
but she did it. Wait a second.
Who’s Lucky? My mouse. We have a mouse? W-We have a mouse? Well, not anymore. When did
we get a mouse? Honey, just forget
about the mouse. This is--
This is really exciting. Honey, you were chosen. This is your dream. Okay, it’s dead
and gone, baby. My dream is to put food
on the table On the table and raise
a decent kid, okay, not be
on some reality show. I gotta go. Is he mad? Well, he’s not happy. [ sighs ] How did you get into... ♪ "Which means that
every song I write ♪ ♪ Is the one
I wrote for you" ♪ It’s pretty. BEN: Hey. Sorry I’m late. Don’t look at me. Hi. Hi. So we were thinking that maybe
your dream isn’t dead. Maybe it’s
just been neglected and is really,
really hungry, so we thought we’d better
feed it some dinner. This part
was Mom’s idea. [ Ben sighs ]
Okay, guys, that part of my life
is over, okay? I had a shot. I took it.
Didn’t work out. I’ve moved on. Why am I not convinced? My heart’s not in it. You gotta follow
your heart, kid. No doubt about that. Thank you, Pop. Yes. Now
can we get on with
our lives, please? I actually
have some good news
to share. [ clears throat ]
You are now looking at the new manager
of the Monterey
Coffee Bar. Heh.
That’s great. That’s the good news? Yeah, Dad,
that’s the good news. You really know
how to take the wind
out of a guy’s sails. Does your
new job include
a record contract and a big
cash prize? Gracie. Honey, of course,
we’re happy for you. Thank you. Okay, well,
let’s eat. Gracie? Ah, it’s gonna be
so cute. Here we go. [ telephone rings ] Hello.
Ben Cantor, please? Uh, he is not here.
This is his wife. Oh, this is Wes Colborne
from "The Song." I was hoping to talk to him
about the contest on Saturday. Of course. Well, I was
a little surprised we hadn’t
heard back from him. Left a few messages
on his cellphone. Yes. I’m so sorry. He’s been really busy. Maybe if I could
leave the information
with you, we’d know
that he’s up to speed? Uh, sure.
Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Um, yes, that’s great.
Go ahead. We’re going to need
everyone at the theater by 5:00 on Saturday
for the orientation. Shooting starts at 8:00,
so that will give us just enough time
for a quick sound check, get him through hair
and makeup, et cetera. We’re happy
to send a car if he
should need a ride. Mrs. Cantor? Uh, yes, yes!
No. No, no, no. He does--He does
not need a car.
We have a car, and we
will make sure
he gets there. Very good. Well, we look forward
to meeting everybody
on Saturday. Okay, great. What are
we gonna do now? Okay, I have
one last idea. Better be good. It’s not.
It’s really bad, actually. [ jazz playing ] You sure you
wanna do that, son? Oh, I’m sure, old man. Bring it on. Tommy! "The Art
of the Improvisers." Easy. Ornette Coleman. Freddie Hubbard
on trumpet. Jimmy Garrison on bass. Chick Webb on drums. That is impressive! One of my favorite
recordings from 1961. Oh, I was
a little surprised
to hear that Chick Webb played drums on
that particular album, seeing how he
passed away in 1939. [ sighs ] Yeah. I’m gonna keep it
this time, teach you a lesson.
Yeah. You meant
Billy Higgins. Yep,
Billy Higgins. See you next week. Well, well, well! Will wonders
never cease? Heh heh. Hi, Mickey. Hello, hello. Can I interest you
in some vintage vinyl? No, thank you. I actually came here
to talk to you. Tommy, you know
all those breaks you’re constantly
asking me for? No. Take a break, Tommy. Don’t mind if I do. Well, it’s been forever. Mm-hmm.
You look fantastic. Thank you.
Last time I saw you, in fact, I believe
you were pregnant. I was. Actually... You have some
photographic evidence
of your work, do you? I have proof. Look at that. Wow! Oh,
she’s a lucky girl. Thank you. ’Cause she looks
nothing like her father. You keep that.
Yeah? Yeah. Ben would
want you to have it. Uh-huh. So what
can I do you for? Um, it’s about Ben. Not interested. Come on, Mickey.
Hear me out. I just need you
to talk to him. [ chuckles ] After 10 years,
he needs to talk
to me, does he? I wouldn’t have come down here
if I didn’t think
it was important. He always had
a lot of respect for you. And a very peculiar way
of showing it. Let me save you
some time. If it’s about money,
look around. And for the record,
this is not a bad day
for us. Mickey, this isn’t
about money. Okay. It’s about music. I don’t know
if you’ve heard, but Ben was chosen
as a contestant on "The Song." I hadn’t heard that. I’m getting
a headache. Yeah, well,
he doesn’t want to do it. Of course he doesn’t, ’cause it might
actually lead
to something. Oh, come on.
That was a two-way street. You and Ben
both screwed that up. Okay. I just want you
to talk to him, convince him to do it. Manage him.
I know he’ll listen to you. [ chuckles ] Listen to me? Ben? Yeah. You guys
were great together. Mickey, he needs this. He’s not happy. And you can’t tell me
that you don’t still
care about him and that you don’t still
think about what you guys had. I had to let go of
foolish dreams and hopes
a long time ago. He left me no choice. So, no, I don’t live
in the past. Sure was great
to see you. And take care
of this little girl,
will you? You guys
did that right. I hope I didn’t bother you. No bother at all. Hmm. Not living
in the past, huh? Ha ha. I forgot
that was up there. Yeah. You’re doing the show. Mickey. You’re doing the show. How did you even know
about the show? I live in the world, Ben. Alicia. Alicia. That name
sounds familiar. I will not deny nor confirm
this allegation. The point is I have
reluctantly agreed to become
your manager again. [ chuckles ]
You’re still-- You still
managing acts, Mickey? No. I was so traumatized
after you quit, I couldn’t help anyone else
become a genius. Well, thanks for
stopping by, Mickey, but I don’t need
a manager, ’cause I
ain’t doing the show. That’s where you’re wrong. You owe me.
Heh. I do not
owe you anything. This is a second chance
for both of us. I’m not gonna let it
pass us by again. Well, it’s been nice
chatting, Mickey. Maybe we
should do it again
in another 10 years. I have to go
to work. Don’t make me
get physical. [ laughs ] Just say you’ll do it,
and I’ll leave you be. It’s not gonna happen,
Mickey. Okay. [ foam whooshes ] Here’s this.
Thank you. What you have for me? Two to go. Two mocha frappes. You got it.
Whipped cream? On one. For here?
To go. No problem.
One more question. Yep.
Who is this guy, and why has he been
staring at us all day? That’s just Mickey. He looks like he wants
to settle a debt. No, he’s just
an old acquaintance. He’s kind of
freaking me out, man. Yeah, he’s good like that. It was a long time ago,
Mick. [ engine whirring ] Morning!
Oh! [ sighs ] Okay, this is
getting ridiculous. Get used to it. Really? You could just say you were gonna do
the thing, you know. [ sighs ] Then we could get cracking
on them songs. Mickey, if you
want to drive around
with me all day or hang out
at the coffee bar,
please be my guest. Yeah, I got
a different plan, man. Oh, yeah, what?
You gonna kidnap me? No. That’s too weird. I did get these
at a local shop, though. Oh, you’ve got
to be kidding me. Does it look like
I’m kidding you? Look at this, huh? I am gonna make a fool
out of myself, and you and I are gonna
look like such idiots.
Wake up! Oh, I’m awake. You’re the one that’s asleep
at the wheel here. It’s a whole
new world. Yeah. You got the Internet,
iHeartRadio... Take ’em off. Take ’em off.
YouTube, Twitter... Take ’em off. Take ’em off.
Facebook. All right.
They’re not even real. Look, you just push
the button, and they come right off. I’m just trying
to make a point. All right. I’ll leave you be. Leave her out of this. Gracie has nothing
to do with this. She’s got everything
to do with it. If it wasn’t for her,
I wouldn’t be sitting here
right now, and you wouldn’t have
this extraordinary opportunity to show your daughter
what it means to actually
follow your dreams! How ’bout that
as a reason? All right, fine.
I’ll do it. Really? Yes. [ laughs ] But I’m not doing it
for you. I know that. [ music playing ]
Sound check. Sound check.
Come on. Give me a little more
on three. Check. Yeah. One. One, come on. I’m home. [ overlapping chatter ] Keep it moving,
people. In 90 minutes,
we let the audience in. GRACIE: Look, Daddy.
It’s Trip Richards. He looks much different
than he does on TV. That’s show business
right there, sweetheart. What song are you
gonna play tonight? Uh, I don’t know. I haven’t really decided.
What? You guys, relax. You’re making me
nervous. Are you Ben Cantor? Yes, I am. I got him.
Yep, on our way. You were supposed
to meet in the lobby
to check in. We don’t do
public entrance, miss. I’m sorry.
You’re here, because... They--He’s with me.
Everyone’s with me. Mickey Hart,
manager-slash-producer. This is a coupon
for a free sandwich. I mean that. All right,
let’s talk about,
uh, dressing rooms. What’s the situation? There isn’t one. No, Ben. Sparkling water, please? Towels, fluffy... I’m so sorry.
We need to get
you ready. Okay, thank you.
I got this, though. Don’t worry
about a thing. All right, let’s go.
I got it all covered. I got Ben.
Yeah, we’re on our way. MICKEY: Focus on the music!
Eyes on the prize! Well, she has no idea
who she’s dealing with. [ chuckles ] Literally no idea. I’ve missed you, Pop. You’re much shorter
than I remember. Still know
just what to say. [ laughs ]
I have the gift. [ laughs ] You know,
before we arrived, Benjamin Franklin
called, and he was hoping
to get his glasses back. [ laughs ] Ay. [ both laugh ] So you think Ben’s
really got a shot, eh? I do, yeah. Yes, I do. You seem to have
some doubt. Well, let’s put it
this way. When Ben was nine years old, he had his first
Little League game. Uh-huh. He struck out
four times in a row, got hit by a line drive, then scooped up
a grounder and promptly
threw it to me, sitting in the crowd. [ laughs ] And even after all of that, I still thought he was gonna
be the next Joe DiMaggio. Point is, I’m not sure I have
the most objective opinion. Sure. It’s the blessing and curse
of being a father. Yeah. I, uh, have a cat. Ah. Great talk, Mick. As always. Ladies and gentlemen, live from the Alamo City,
San Antonio, Texas, it’s "The Song"... ♪ "The Song" ♪ the only competition show that celebrates America’s
undiscovered songwriters. The unsung heroes
of the music industry, these singer-songwriters
get the chance to share their songs
with America. From open mic nights
to back alley clubs, songwriters of all genres
vie for a chance to become one
of three finalists on our grand finale
winner-take-all tour. This year’s winner
will join winners
from seasons one and two, who have gone on
to international
fame and fortune. ♪ "The Song" ♪
And now, please welcome your host
and emcee of "The Song," Trip Richards! Thank you! Thank you
very much, San Antonio! What a pleasure it is
to be here in the Alamo City. We are all here tonight
because we love songs, and we love songwriters, and we’re going to find
the best in the country. This is the last stop
on our contestant search. Tonight we have 10 finalists
vying for one last spot, and we’re happy to have our other two finalists
here with us tonight. So let’s hear it for
Rafael Amato of Athens, Georgia. And Angel Fender all the way
from San Jose, California. Tonight’s winner
will join Angel and Rafael on our 10-city tour
culminating in New York City for the grand prize
of $250,000, a recording contract,
and a new car. All right. Let’s get
this show started right now. Ladies and gentlemen,
please welcome from Dallas, Texas,
Mark Spencer! ♪ I can use
some company tonight ♪ ♪ To chase away
this emptiness I fight ♪ ♪ I’m on the road
and far away from home ♪ ♪ Everything I know ♪ ♪ Bring me home, love ♪ ♪ Steer my soul ♪ ♪ To the simple that we know ♪ ♪ To surrender being alone ♪ ♪ Light me homeward ♪ ♪ Makes me real ♪ TRIP: Red Richards! [ no audible lyrics ] Ladies and gentlemen,
Julie Nolan! ♪ Don’t be surprised
my life’s full circle, baby ♪ ♪ Danger’s coming down ♪ ♪ I come back around ♪ Good. Nice. ♪ I come back around ♪ Not bad. [ audience cheering ] Now please welcome our
final contestant of the night, local boy Ben Cantor. [ cheering ] Whoo! No. No, no, no. No, no, no, no,
no, no, no. Come on, honey.
Come on. ♪ Some grow up ♪ ♪ Never certain of love ♪ ♪ So they toil ♪ ♪ For the attention
they’ve lost ♪ ♪ They’d do anything to bring
a little comfort to their soul ♪ ♪ But every single effort ♪ ♪ Cries what they need most ♪ ♪ They’re saying hold me close ♪ ♪ Share the love
that I’ve been missing ♪ ♪ Hold me close ♪ ♪ Help me trust in love again ♪ ♪ Hold me close until I know ♪ ♪ That love is here to stay ♪ ♪ Can you hear me say ♪ ♪ Hold me close? ♪ ♪ Some let pride
conceal inside ♪ ♪ The hollow of their heart ♪ ♪ As they wait ♪ ♪ So their heart will beat ♪ ♪ Some reveal
their heart unhearing ♪ ♪ Begging for embrace ♪ ♪ Let your outstretched arms
say, "Come to me" ♪ ♪ And hold me close ♪ ♪ Share the love
that I’ve been missing ♪ ♪ Hold me close ♪ ♪ And help me
trust in love again ♪ ♪ Hold me close until I know
that love is here to stay ♪ ♪ Can you hear me say ♪ ♪ Hold me close? ♪ ♪ Hold me close ♪ Wow,
gonna be close. [ cheering ] Great, isn’t he? Sure is. What the hell
do you know? Come here, Ben! All the way
from here
in San Antonio. Give it up!
Way to go.
It was excellent. ♪ "The Song" ♪ Whoo-ooh! TRIP: Welcome back
to "The Song." Let’s get right to it. And our two top contestants
of the evening are... Julie Nolan... [ cheering ] And... Ben Cantor! [ cheering ] All right,
ladies and gentlemen, this is it, the moment we have all
been waiting for, the third finalist, to join
Angel Fender and Rafael Amato on our grand finale tour. The winner in San Antonio is...
Come on, Daddy. Come on, Daddy. Julie Nolan! [ cheering ]
♪ "The Song" ♪ Thanks. Great job. Congratulations. Julie Nolan! I thought
you had it, man. Well, you can’t say
we didn’t try. Second place,
not so bad. That’s good. Let’s go.
All right. Well, I thought
you were amazing. POP: You had
the whole crowd, Ben. Everyone was with you. You can’t tell me
that didn’t light
a fire in you. Well, I mean,
I’m not gonna lie. Of course it felt good,
but, you know, I know how it ends. Well, forget them, then.
Give me the word. I’ll make some calls
and have a tour booked
by tomorrow. And by tour, do you mean
a handful of smelly bars singing to a few drunks?
Till we get a following. I could be
a loadie. You could, or a roadie. We’ll probably
have some. I could
take tickets. There you go. I could sell popcorn. Now we have a team. Well, I appreciate it,
you guys. I do, but it’s bedtime, and I have to wake up
to reality tomorrow. Mickey, it’s good to see you.
Yeah. Maybe we can, uh,
hang out sometime, yeah? I’d like that. Okay. Bedtime. Night, Dad. [ telephone rings ] [ ring ] [ ring ] Hello.
Ben? It’s Wes Colborne
from "The Song." We have a slight
controversy brewing
behind the scenes. Okay. Julie Nolan, our winner
from last night, plagiarized her lyrics, so, you know,
we can’t have that. Short of it is
you’re our winner. We’re gonna make
an announcement to the media
this afternoon. I just thought
you might like to know
ahead of time. Well, uh, wow. Okay. We’ll have production
get ahold of you, walk through
all the particulars, but you might want
to start packing. Tour bus
leaves tomorrow. Eh, tomorrow? Congratulations. Uh, hello? Honey,
what’s that about? That was the guy
from the show. Wes? Yeah. I won. What? Yeah, I won. He said the--the girl
who won last night, she was disqualified.
Why? I guess she cheated. What?
Yeah, it’s-- He said that I’m
the finalist. I’m in. Honey... Wait. You won? Yes, I guess. That’s what he said. I knew it. Honey, I knew it! Somehow I knew
that you had won! Honey, this is amazing! Ben? Hello? No, it is--it’s amazing. I can’t--But come on. I can’t--I mean,
There’s no way. There’s no way what? He--He wants me
to leave tomorrow. Tomorrow?
Yeah. Oh, my gosh.
I can’t-- I mean, come on. I have a--a family.
I have a job. Oh, honey. Barista, songwriter. Barista, songwriter. Just forget about
the job. This is what you
always wanted, right? I didn’t think--
Baby, I didn’t think that I would win this
in a million years. I did this to get you
and Gracie off my back. Okay, you did it,
and you won. No, actually I didn’t win. I lost, and she won. No. Honey, she cheated,
okay? You won. This is not some
"American Idol" singing
competition, honey. This is
about songwriting, and you won
fair and square. You need shampoo.
I’m not going anywhere. Get your toothbrush.
This is ridiculous. Hey, where is
your toothbrush? Oh, and you should
take my comb-- Hey, come on!
What are you doing? Come on, now. Honey, you’re running out
of excuses. I’m not making excuses! Yes, you are. Sweetheart, if you want
to be a good husband, then do what you love, and if you want to be
a good father, then follow your dreams! Why is everybody such
an expert on my dreams? Ben, come on!
Look at me! If you
can honestly tell me that your path in life
is at the coffee shop and not out there
sharing your music
with the world, then I am telling you
honestly from my lips
to God’s ears, I swear to you I will never say
another word about it. Good morning,
by the way. [ jazz playing ] Pack your bags. We’re going on tour. 8 A.M. tomorrow.
There’s the address. Don’t be late. [ music playing ] [ no audible dialogue ] Mom. Mom, not too... [ car horn honks ] [ laughs ] Ha ha! You ready? Oh, I was born ready
for this, darlin’. I’m supposed
to leave my car there the whole time
we’re gone, though? I don’t think
anyone’s gonna want
to steal it, Mick. You don’t? I got news for you,
little miss. That right there is
a classic 1965 Ford Mustang, pony interior,
Rally-Pac tech, and a 428 Cobra Jet V8. Yeah! And poker. I think that we have
another Taylor Swift
on our hands. Gambling on the bus
already. We haven’t even left. Hey, there. Mickey. Sorry. Uh,
you’re in my light. Oh, my goodness.
I’m so sorry. [ grunts ] You want to hear
a secret? Okay. When I’m onstage and Daddy’s
singing his songs, I’m singing ’em
just for you. Really?
But how will I know? ’Cause of
our super-secret code. I love you,
little ham sandwich. Love you, too. All right. Bye. Hi.
Hey, how’s it going? [ music playing ] Not bad... for an old man. Heh heh. This is not
how Zeppelin did it. [ muttering lyrics ] ♪ Can’t live here
on my own ♪ ♪ Can’t...alone ♪ [ groans ]
♪ I can’t... ♪ Morning.
Hey. Is that a new song? Kind of stuck here. Need some fresh eyes
on it? Yeah. Yeah, why not? Do you want some fruit
or something? No, I’m good. Maybe some croissant?
I’m good. I’m good. <i>Pancito. Pancito.</i>
[ speaking Spanish ]
in the morning. I don’t know
what that means. Here. Tell me
what you got. It’s in three-four.
Okay. [ humming tune ] [ groans ] BEN: I’m feeling this. Yeah?
This is good. It’s better, right? Uh, verse, verse, pre. Going into the bridge. Um, it’s good. It’s really good. I kind of wish
I wrote it. All right. Let’s do the--the hook
one more time. Okay.
♪ Since that day ♪ ♪ I can’t live on my own ♪ ♪ I can’t live life alone ♪ ♪ I must have you
right here ♪ That’s it.
That’s it. You just tag it, That’s it, man.
Tag it. Yeah, see? Mickey likes it.
Yeah, man. Do you guys
write together? MICKEY: Oh, God, no. He writes the magic. I’m the manager, roadie, babysitter. So who’s
your favorite writers? Uh, CSN, Neil Young. Carole King.
Carole King. Carly Simon,
Billy Joel. Joni Mitchell. J.T. Justin Timberlake. James Taylor. Jackson Browne.
Jackson Browne! Who is Jackson Browne? Uh-oh. Just an out-of-date
songwriter, honey. Nobody important. Mama knows best. Just writers that
defined a genre. No biggie. So you guys
just never made it, huh? Well, that’s not-- No, never did.
No, no. No. Well, it’s--
it’s not too late. But sometimes it’s hard
to admit when it is. God,
I miss you guys. Aww. I miss you, too. How’s Pops doing? Pop’s good.
He’s puttering around. Well, tell him
I say hey, okay? I will.
Five minutes, Ben. Okay. Yeah, it looks
like I gotta go. Okay. Good luck, okay? I love you. All right. Thanks, baby. Bye. ♪ Can I talk you down
from that mountain? ♪ Let’s go! Let’s go!
Sorry. ♪ Can I talk you down
from that mountain? ♪ [ feedback ]
Whoa. ♪ Can I talk you out-- ♪
Too much monitor, guys! Whoa, okay.
Okay. Can we take that
from the top? Okay, okay.
Change of plans. We’re gonna head
to hair and makeup,
all right? Come on. Look, am I gonna get a chance
to do it again, though? Maybe. We’ll see.
I’ve done, like, half of it. TBD. Come on. Let’s go.
Okay. Mickey,
tell me the truth. How bad was that?
Hey, listen, once they work out
the sound and the lights and about
eight other things,
we’re golden. Hey, Ben, you got a minute? Yeah. They’re calling me
to hair and makeup. Yeah, great, great. I just think
it might up the tempo. I do--I don’t know, man. I mean, that song
is just meant for a guitar
and one voice. And I get that totally. But I think adding a--
you know, a second guitar might just, you know,
really spice things up. Spice things up? Yes. These voters, they get bored
so easily. Imagine that. No offense, Trip, but you’re starting
to make it feel like you’re pulling
an Ed Sullivan here. Wait. What? Bob Dylan, ’63. Are you trying to change
my man’s song? No. Look, just call it
reliable advice, okay, guys? Yeah, we’re gonna
call it that. Mickey, I don’t--
doesn’t feel right. Doesn’t feel
like me. I just-- Speaking of which...
Okay. have a gander
in this mirror, will you? Yeah, let me see
what you-- Oh. Oh, wow!
Uh-huh. Hmm. [ chuckles ] Uh, Megan, right?
Uh-huh. Is it possible to maybe
dial this back, like, 10... Thousand? You know? Well, it’s your face. What do you want it
to look like? Just kind of like it did
when I came in. Fantastic. Mm. Okay.
Uh-oh. Hi, Ben. I’m Jinky.
Hi, Jinky. Would you put this on
for me, please? MICKEY:
What is that? Don’t put that on. Personal space? Uh, this is--
No, no.
No, we’re good. What’s happening
with that? This is your shirt
for tonight. Um, I was just thinking about wearing this,
what I have on. Really? You don’t
wanna wear this? With the stripes, though...
Thank you, Jinky. Thank you. this is gonna look
much better onstage. It will. It will,
so we should go. Okay.
We should go. Can you grab
those wipes? Thank you, Jinky.
Let me just grab-- Get the whole thing.
That’s right. Yeah.
Yeah. We’re done. Thank you. Thank you, ladies.
Goodbye. Bring down the hair in front
and everywhere, really. Okay. Now please help me welcome San Antonio finalist,
Ben Cantor! [ audience cheering ] You know, you should, uh--
should really talk
to him, Mickey. Hmm.
He could win this thing. He just needs
to take it up a notch. Yeah, I been down
that road before. What you see
is what you get. Fine. It’s his funeral. Oh, look.
He may have decided to spice things up
after all. Wow, a harmonica. ♪ Perched
on a perilous pack of lies ♪ ♪ Worse, you think
your heart is in disguise ♪ ♪ Look, you’re
a see-through ghost of a man ♪ Well, Trip, if he wants
to wear jeans and
a boring shirt, at the end of the day,
he can wear jeans
and a boring shirt. And the ratings? We’re fine. Ben is not
our monkey. Yet. ♪ Can I talk you down
from that mountain? ♪ ♪ Oh, can I talk you in ♪ ♪ Out of the rain? ♪ ♪ Can I talk you out... ♪ You can win, Daddy.
You can do it. ♪ ...that has you bound? ♪ ♪ Come on down ♪ ♪ Yeah, come on down ♪ ♪ Come on down ♪ ♪ Come on down ♪ [ applause ] Last place. Give the audience
a chance. You’re the kind of artist
that grows on people. Mickey, that’s code for
singer who doesn’t sell. I’m not saying that I
expected to win tonight, but last? And by a huge margin,
I might add. Okay. You know what?
You may have lost tonight, but you can still
win the contest. Remember, this thing
is about total votes. Remember that. From all shows combined. Oh, you know,
I really hate
these things. They make me look
so cheap. Well, they made you
look like a winner from where I was
sitting, sweetie. Great job tonight,
Angel. It was
really beautiful. Thanks, Ben.
You know, you, too. I-I’m sorry
that you lost. I really loved your song.
Oh. Well, it’s too bad
that it’s not
up to Angel. Heh. But you know what?
You hang in there. I’m sure you’ll find
your audience someday. Gee, thanks, Pam. I’ll just give it
the old college try. First of all, it’s Jan, and I’m just trying to make
you feel better. Sorry. Mom. Mom, please? Good job, buddy. Yeah, I, uh, felt like
a puppet out there. I mean, why did I
let them dress me up
like that? I haven’t even
released a record, and I’m already
a sellout. You know, I want to know
when did "sellout" become such a bad word? I mean, if I’m an artist, I want to sell out
the arena, right? I mean, that doesn’t
make any sense. Well, you know,
it is actually possible to make money
doing what you love while still maintaining
your integrity. [ chuckles ]
Oh, really? Well, if anybody ever
figures out how to do that,
then let me know, and I’ll give it
the old college try. Excuse me. Cheers. [ guitar playing ] MICKEY: You know,
I was thinking. Hmm.
First of all, here’s to you. Doing a terrific job. I was thinking, though, maybe she’s got a point. Who? Jan. Really? I mean, what if you did
tweak a couple of songs, compromise the wardrobe
to be more TV friendly? Is that the worst thing
that could happen? Okay, how many tweaks
and compromises until you become
a sellout? And how many sellouts
until you lose
your soul? Right. I don’t know.
I--I get it. I know where
you’re coming from. It’s just that
this conversation is starting to sound
very familiar. Why don’t we pretend we
never had this conversation? Night, Mick. Night. ANGEL: Night.
Night. ANGEL: So w-we were
kind of wondering. What’s up with Ben? Yeah, we couldn’t help
overhear your conversation. [ sighs ] He’s got a slightly
different perspective on the music business
is all. What does that mean? There was
a moment in time when he could have been
a household name. Back when you two were finding
your way around the playground, we got ourselves
a heck of a record deal, yeah, with a huge advance. Okay. Well, how much
was a huge advance? You know, back
in the Middle Ages? Heh heh. Well, It was enough
for me to pay off a rather large debt,
a trip to the Bahamas, and a dream purchase
of a refurbished classic
1965 Ford Mustang. Oh, you mean
that old car you-- That was new once?
Hey! Don’t talk smack
about the ’Tang. [ chuckles ] Okay. Well,
I mean, how come-- how come I never
heard his songs? He walked away. Are you serious? He showed up
that first day ready to record his songs,
beautiful songs, and they had chosen
other songs, someone else’s, a different sound. They hired dancers
for a music video. He lasted a week,
to his credit, and then he told them where
they could put their contract and walked out. Well... at least you guys
made some money. <i>Au contraire, mi amigo.</i> We had to give
every cent back
and then some. Music videos
and the studio time, that deal cost us money. And I thought
it was the worst decision
of his life. It was all there... and then gone. So when you hear Ben
use words like "integrity," he’s not trying
to impress anyone. It’s what makes him
who he is. Well, I’ll tell you what. After I win this thing, I’ll buy you
both refurbished
classic new cars. [ chuckles ] And lesson lost. You’re welcome to the rest
of this pizza. Good night, kids. Night. You wanna play again? Yeah. How do you--
How do you say it? <i>Tres? Tres?</i> [ piano playing ] ♪ Bird in a cage ♪ ♪ Something to eat ♪ ♪ Somewhere to sleep ♪ ♪ But nowhere to turn ♪ ♪ You called me your queen ♪ ♪ Strapped to this perch ♪ ♪ Promising love ♪ ♪ But then you adjourned ♪ ♪ I can’t break these bars ♪ ♪ Is this who you are? ♪ ♪ Grant my freedom to fly ♪ ♪ Open the door ♪ ♪ Just let me go ♪ ♪ You know my home is the sky ♪ ♪ Your body, your eyes ♪ ♪ Are telling me no ♪ ♪ You don’t want to do that ♪ ♪ You don’t want to do that ♪ ♪ One day while stroking
my plumes so gently ♪ ♪ I will catch you
off your guard ♪ ♪ And fly from this prison ♪ ♪ You’ll be leaving ♪ ♪ With the scars
you gave your heart ♪ ♪ You don’t want that ♪ ♪ You don’t want that ♪ No! No! No! No, no, no! Stop! It’s the wrong one. Mom, it’s just
a sound check. We’ve talked
about this. Rehearsal,
performance, whatever. It’s not hip.
It’s not pop. It’s the wrong song! I apologize,
Mrs. Fender. We’re finished. We were just
admiring her song. Come on.
We’ve got Wardrobe. All right. Mom!
Unbelievable. Go.
Sorry. Angel’s coming
your way with mom. [ radio crackles ] No, no, no. <i>De verdad.</i>
<i>Yo entiendo. Tranquila.</i> Miss you, too. Yeah. I love you. All right. Bye. Hey. You okay? Heh. It’s, um--It’s my mom. I’ve never been
so far from-- You know what, man? Never mind.
Forget it. I-- No, no, no. No, it’s-- Trust me. I get it. Being on the road,
it’s hard, away from your family. She-- She works two jobs to help me stay
with it, you know, and before
this show, all of my contests
were local, and she was
always there. When I see her out there
in the audience and I think about all
that she’s done for me, it’s like
nothing can stop me. Yeah. It’s tough
being away from home. This is
what gets me through. Wow. They’re beautiful. They keep me alive. That’s great, man. I still wish
she was here. Rafael,
we need you onstage. All right, man.
All right. Break a leg. [ show theme plays ]
♪ "The Song" ♪ ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, live from Chicago, Illinois,
it’s "The Song," the only competition show that celebrates America’s
undiscovered songwriters. It’s night two
of our grand finale. Angel, Rafael, and Ben
are racking up votes, hoping to be our next winner, but only one finalist
will be crowned winner of... ♪ "The Song" ♪
"The Song." And now, Trip Richards! All right. Good evening, Windy City, and welcome to night two
of our grand... Rafael to the stage! ...is really heating up, so please keep
those votes coming. [ audience applauding ] Go get ’em,
buddy. Thanks, man. Ladies and gentlemen,
Rafael Amato! [ cheering over lyrics ]
♪ Let’s get to it ♪ ♪ You called out my name ♪ ♪ My temperature rolls up ♪ ♪ Played your game ♪ ♪ You warm my soul ♪ ♪ But I almost burn my skin ♪ ♪ So I call you ♪ The waker
of the wildfire within ♪ ♪ Since that day,
I can’t live on my own ♪ ♪ I can’t live life alone ♪ ♪ I must have you right here ♪ ♪ Left alone with this power ♪ ♪ Each hour a tower ♪ ♪ A flame in my veins ♪ ♪ Runs like fear ♪ ♪ So you,
you called out my name ♪ ♪ Like a fool,
I touched your flame ♪ ♪ You burn me ♪ ♪ But I love
everywhere I’ve been ♪ ♪ So I call you ♪ ♪ The waker
of the wildfire within ♪ [ applause ] TRIP: Rafael Amato! Good job. Let’s bring out
our next contestant, shall we? Ladies and gentlemen,
from San Jose, California, the beautiful and talented
Angel Fender! ♪ Come back to me ♪ ♪ I am empty ♪ ♪ And hopeless
without you right here ♪ ♪ I thought that my life
would be free ♪ ♪ The moment
that you disappeared ♪ ♪ But now I know
how much of me went away ♪ ♪ And nothing prepared me
for this much heartache ♪ ♪ ’Cause since
you’ve been gone ♪ ♪ I’ve tried to find ♪ ♪ Something to get you
right off of my mind ♪ ♪ But the hole in my heart ♪ ♪ That makes me this blue ♪ ♪ It cannot be mended
by anyone but you ♪ ♪ So restore
what you ripped apart ♪ ♪ The hole in my heart ♪ ♪ Whoa oh ♪ [ applause and cheering ] Want to--
Listen, let’s do it. What do you wanna do,
the same thing? Yeah. Say...
Howdy. ...for our final contestant
of the evening, from San Antonio, Texas...
That’s a good selfie. Ben Cantor!
Hey, that’s you. All right.
Wish me luck. All right.
You don’t need it. [ audience cheering ] ♪ What do you want from me? ♪ ♪ What can I give to you? ♪ ♪ What do you want from me ♪ ♪ That isn’t already yours? ♪ [ applause ] ♪ Here I stand ♪ ♪ There you go ♪ ♪ My soul in my hand ♪ ♪ You’re out the door ♪ ♪ How can I provide ♪ ♪ If you run and hide ♪ ♪ And leave my heart
on the floor? ♪ ♪ When we first met ♪ ♪ You were my pet ♪ ♪ You chose me ♪ ♪ Darlin’, please remember ♪ ♪ Empty out my pockets ♪ ♪ Worn out all my soles ♪ ♪ What you want,
no one really knows ♪ ♪ What do you want from me? ♪ ♪ Hah ♪ ♪ What can I give ♪ ♪ To you, baby? ♪ ♪ What do you want from me ♪ ♪ That isn’t already yours? ♪ ♪ Ooh, ohh ♪ TRIP: Ben Cantor, everyone! ♪ "The Song" ♪ And the winner of tonight’s
leg of the competition, with an overwhelming 72%
of the votes is... Dear Lord,
please let my baby
win tonight. Rafael Amato! [ applause ]
♪ "The Song" ♪ Give it up for Rafael! Thank you, Chicago! Give him a hand! How’s that
integrity thing working for you? I wouldn’t--
wouldn’t read those. People can be
cruel sometimes. Sometimes honesty is
mistaken for cruelty. Yeah, you may very well
be right about that. [ clang ] RAFAEL:
That didn’t sound right. We stopping? Where are we? [ knock on door ] We have
a little problem,
folks. It’s nothing
we can’t handle. We’re gonna
have to tow the bus in. All right. Yeah, it’s
all crapped up. Gonna be
two hours plus. Ben. Go back to the bus,
Mickey. I need some time
for myself. Yeah, but I sort of learned that that just means
you’re upset, so why don’t you tell me
what’s going on? ’Cause I got
a train to catch. Okay, I’ll tell you
what’s wrong. I sang
the blues tonight because you
wanted me to,
and I lost. First of all,
you sang the right song,
and you killed, so I stand by
that suggestion.
Second of all-- No, you don’t have
a second of all. I lost. There’s more to it than that. Who helped Rafael
with those lyrics, huh? Off the top of his head
with his hands tied
behind his back? I’ll give you
that it was a good song, but you made it
a great song. How many people
can do that? That is exactly
my point! Where is the payoff? I help him
with his song, and he wins,
and I lose. Unless you’re
young and flashy and wear
a short skirt, what do you have
to show for it? Let’s not rush you
into a short skirt. This isn’t funny. This is a game
to them, Mickey.
It’s a game, and unless you buy in,
you are not gonna win. So all the integrity talk, we’ll just throw that
out the window? ’Cause you really
had me going with that. I want to try
something different. All right. Enlighten me. Success. Success? I want to win. Yeah, that’s good. But success... your way, ’cause
otherwise it’s just Jan-- Yeah, Jan’s winning,
and it isn’t luck. Do not bring luck
into this. You realize
how lucky you are, right? Put the music aside
for just a second. You know what I would give
to have your life, your family? [ gasping ] What’s happening? [ sighs ]
I forgot to call Gracie. You see what I’m saying? There you go.
Shh! ♪ I found you standing there ♪ ♪ Empty-handed there ♪ ♪ Waiting for ♪ ♪ Love to come your way ♪ I’m sorry. I just--
I got so caught up in the-- [ sighs ] ALICIA: It’s okay. It’s getting
really tough out here. I’m gonna have
to dive in deeper if I’m gonna win
this thing. Hey, whatever
you gotta do. I know you can win. I love you. ♪ All the fears you felt ♪ ♪ All the lies and tells ♪ ♪ You were made to be
the arms of love ♪ ♪ Reach out ♪ ♪ Reach out ♪ All right, I’m all yours. Do whatever. Really? Jinky, too? Go to town. Jinky. Yeah. [ music playing ] Now that’s what
I’m talking about. It’s perfect. Ladies and gentlemen,
Ben Cantor! [ applause ] [ playing electric guitar ] Wow. ♪ One thousand voices
are calling my name ♪ ♪ Which one is right? ♪ ♪ Who’s playing games? ♪ Is that Dad? Holy... Um, I’m not
100% sure. ♪ On the way to the top ♪ ♪ Where all my dreams
come true ♪ ♪ Everyone’s telling me
what to do ♪ ♪ I’m gonna live
from the heart ♪ ♪ Tell them all
who’s in charge ♪ ♪ I am ♪ ♪ The demons of doubt ♪ ♪ Live in the heart of my ear ♪ ♪ They’ve got it
all figured out ♪ ♪ They sow the seeds of fear ♪ ♪ But in the ear of my heart ♪ ♪ Is the voice of a love ♪ ♪ That makes me stop
and stand and rise above ♪ [ electric guitar continues ] [ new song plays ] ANGEL: ♪ Guidelines
for disaster ♪ ♪ Show up moments after ♪ ♪ Tell one single, solitary lie
♪ Ladies and gentlemen,
Ben Cantor! ANGEL: ♪ The road
that could destroy you ♪ ♪ Stretching out before you... ♪ [ crowd cheering ] ♪ ’Cause when you step
into the darkness... ♪ TRIP: The winner is... Ben Cantor! [ audience cheering ] Then two,
you get to go again. All right. ♪ Here we go,
we get to roll again ♪ Morning, Philadelphia. We have a special guest
with us today,
Ben Cantor. [ crowd cheering ] Take care, everyone!
Ben Cantor! Guess I’m starting
to find my audience, huh? [ ringtone chimes ] Oh, you can just
put ’em over there. Hey, Pops.
How you feeling? Oh, what’s going on? Do you know
what groupies are? Oh, boy. Well, honey, a groupie is... You know. No? Well, a--
a groupie is... someone who likes
to take group photos. When you get to be
as famous as your dad, there tends to be
lots of them. Really? Cross my heart. Because Cooper at school
says groupies are girls who like to, um-- they like
to kiss musicians. [ scoffs ]
That’s preposterous! Maybe that’s why
he hasn’t had time
to call me lately, because of all
the groupies. Well, it’s hard to say. Probably just busy. I should probably
ask my mom. Uh, your mom
might not need
to see this. Her mom might
not need to see what? [ playing electric guitar ] [ cheering ] Hey, there’s
a phone call for you. Who is it?
Take a message. Ben! Hello. Ben!
[ siren blaring ] Ben, it’s your dad. I went outside
to take the trash cans
to the curb, and he came out
to help me, but the next thing
you know, I just turned around,
and he was on the ground. But he hasn’t been himself
the past couple of days. I really should have known
that something was wrong. Well, how are you?
How are you holding up? [ sighs ]
I’m fine. How’s Gracie? She’s... fine. Luckily
she was at school. She’s at my sister’s now.
She’s okay. I talked to the doctor. He said it’s
a blood clot
most likely, and they say--
they’re just gonna
keep him in there, you know,
a few more nights. Honey,
where have you been? Honey, you know
where I’ve been. I’ve been here. I’ve been focused. Just relax. This is almost over. Okay. Um... so I put a ticket
on hold for you, and... there’s a flight
that leaves later tonight, or you can just come
in the morning if you want. Honey,
I can’t just leave. I can’t. I-- I mean, we leave for
New York tonight. I don’t even
know what song
I’m singing yet. Ben, this is your father. I know that! And he would
want me to stay, and he would
want me to stay
and win this thing. I mean,
don’t you want that? This is not about
what I want. This has nothing to do
with what I want. Please, everything
that we’ve given up, do you want me to stop
right now? Ben, what is
going on with you? What is--I can’t talk
about this right now. Tell my dad
that I love him and that I will see him
in a couple of days
when this is all over, and I’m sure
he’ll understand, and I--I wish
that you could, too. I have to go. Bye. [ car horns honking ] Guys, welcome to New York!
This is it. This is the big time. Believe it or not,
I am gonna miss this bus. ANGEL:
Yeah, me, too. Not me.
The ride was bumpy, and the smell
was awful. DEEJAY: Good morning, Manhattan.
If you’re the only person who hasn’t heard about
"The Song" grand finale, it’s tonight
right here in the Big Apple. [ horns playing ] You guys are
out of tune! Uh, Did you tune?
Did you tu-- No, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no. Stop, stop, stop,
stop, stop! Stop! You guys,
you’re killing me.
You’re late. Remember the four
we talked about? Okay. What? Phone.
Who is it? Mr. Colborne. Hello. Ben, listen.
This is great. Our ratings
are better than ever. so anything you want, anything you need,
you’ve got. I’ll be down there
in a little while
to check things out. Great. Thank you.
Actually, I could use a little help down here.
Thank you. Okay. So, uh,
the four measures
that we talked about, uh, drums, bass, I need
you guys to drop out. Everybody else,
just carry on. Yeah? Hey, wait, wait, wait. I thought we were out in two,
in quiet for two, and then we blow it out--
Okay, wait. Wait.
Stop. Stop. Okay, there’s
no thinking
involved here. I’m telling you
what to do. Whatever you say,
maestro. Let’s go. Just take five. Mickey! Yeah? Hey, do you know
where the sound guy is? No, I don’t know who
the sound guy is. That’s great.
Is anybody at work today? Is there something I can do,
Ben? No. Yes, actually.
I need a chopper. A chopper?
Yes, a chopper. You need a helicopter?
No, a motorcycle. If you need
a ride somewhere,
I’m sure I could-- No, no. No, no,
for--for the show. Mickey, remember the show? So I’m thinking
I ride the chopper in, jump off, grab my guitar,
kill it, get on, drive off. You’re gonna enter
on a motorcycle? Yes, I’m gonna enter
on a motorcycle. Where do you want
this ball? Where are my other two? There’s only one. No, I said I need three. I just talked to Penny.
She said she was gonna get me three,
left, center, right. Okay. Okay.
Yes, make it happen. Thank you. Ben, you got a second? Uh, don’t have a second. Well, listen, I’m a man
of my word, okay? We agreed
to ride this thing
through together. It’s just that
you’ve made this severe
left turn here, a-and I
just don’t want to be
a part of it anymore, but I will fulfill
my obligation and stick with you
on this show. Win or lose, though, you’re on your own
after tonight, okay? Is that all? Yeah, that’s all. Great. Great. So I can get back
to work, then? Yeah, and I’ll get
the motorcycles, ’cause it’s important
to the music. Are you seriously
coming for me right now? You know that
Angel’s numbers are
totally on my tail, and just when
I’m about to cash in, you--you want to get
all high and mighty
all of a sudden? Give me a break! Where were your ideals
10 years ago? I didn’t have any! Believe it or not,
I got them from you. You taught me
what was right, and this ain’t it. This is what’s called
entertaining the crowd, and this is what’s
gonna win me $250,000 and a car
and a record deal. You’ve soared past
entertaining the crowd about
a thousand miles ago. You’re nothing more
than a selfish circus act
at this point, and I want nothing
to do with it! I’m selfish? I’m selfish?! Do you have any idea
why I’m here, why I am
doing this?! No, I don’t! I am doing this
so my wife can live in a house that’s
not falling apart, so I can
send my daughter
to school one day, not to mention
taking care of my dad, so if that is selfish,
yes, I’m being selfish! Wake up, Ben.
If you think your family wants you to win this
for their benefit, you’re more far gone
than I thought. If you think
your family wants you to win in--in guy-liner
and on a Harley, then I don’t even know
who the hell you are! I-Is this the part
where you talk about you didn’t do it
for the money? [ sighs ] I was here ’cause I
believed in you. Good luck. What? Can we get
back to work, please? Ah. This will go great
with her shoes. I don’t know if
you are not hearing me or just ignoring me, but I want this dress. Uh, but we haven’t
fitted her for it.
It’s too long. No, this is
the be-all, end-all. It’s fine. This dress
and the black heels. Yes, ma’am. Rafael. There’s someone
here to see you. Mom? [ Ms. Amato laughs ] <i>Ay, mijito.</i> <i>No entiendo. ¿Cómo--</i> How did you get here? It’s not important. If I had to crawl, I was gonna come
and see you. You look so handsome. We need you
on set now. [ sighs ] You sing pretty,
you hear me? Yeah. For you. You go. Go, mi amor. <i>Ay, yo te amo, mi amor.</i> [ door opens ] Um, not right now. Sorry to bother you, sir. Wow, I have been doing
this show for three seasons. I have never seen anyone
with this many admirers. I really like your songs. Thank you. God, I really
like the stuff you did early on
in the competition. You know, those songs had
a very different voice. Yeah.
I guess I’ve always liked stuff that’s less pop, you know.
Thank you. That-- That’s so sweet
of you. Can you-- I just need a second
to, like, clear my head. Yeah, totally.
No, big night. Heh heh. Good luck. [ door closes ] I am so sorry. For God’s sake. I forgot that
your interviewers are here. No.
They need you in the media room. Wait.
Can you postpone it? Looks like
"Entertainment Tonight"
is here and the local
news station, KUTV. It’s all on your call sheet.
I know, but can you just push it
back a little bit? Because I don’t
want to talk to
anybody right now. Um, sir--
I don’t want to talk
to anybody right now! I don’t want anybody
to take my picture. I don’t want to sign
any autographs. I’m sick of this!
I’m sick of flowers! I’m sick
of teddy bears!
All these roses! All this crap,
it means nothing! Junk! I don’t want it! It’s trash! Get out! [ sighs ] ♪ I spoke of true love’s call ♪ ♪ You listened to it all ♪ ♪ But your being ♪ ♪ Never held a word ♪ ♪ The risk you want to take ♪ ♪ Shows up on your face ♪ ♪ Receive love ♪ ♪ In exchange for every hurt ♪ ♪ Real belief ♪ ♪ Makes the trade complete ♪ ♪ You must only lift
your arms of love ♪ ♪ Reach out ♪ ♪ Reach out ♪ ♪ Reach out ♪ [ fading]
♪ Reach out ♪ [ car horns honking ] [ audience applauds ] ♪ "The Song" ♪ ANNOUNCER: And now
please welcome Trip Richards! New York! Yeah! Well, it all comes down to this. Ladies and gentlemen,
the final night, and everyone has a shot at
the grand prize of $250,000. [ cheering ]
Yeah. A recording contract,
and a new car. So please cast your votes
after the final performance. They will be tallied
in real time, and tonight we will crown
one of these three winner of "The Song"! Well, let’s get
this show started. Our first performer
is Rafael Amato. [ cheering ] [ rock-’n-’roll plays ] ♪ Got a house on the hill,
plenty of thrills ♪ ♪ Cash in my hand
and a fabulous spin ♪ ♪ I’m at the top of my game ♪ ♪ There ain’t nothin’
I can’t do ♪ ♪ But I ain’t got nothin’ ♪ ♪ If I ain’t got you ♪ ♪ My future is bright ♪ ♪ My heart’s out of sight ♪ ♪ Big head of steam ♪ ♪ I’m livin’ the dream ♪ ♪ I got plenty of style ♪ ♪ No one would say
it’s not true ♪ ♪ But I ain’t got nothin’ ♪ ♪ If I ain’t got you ♪ ♪ If I ain’t got you ♪ ♪ I ain’t got
no heart and soul ♪ ♪ If I ain’t got you ♪ ♪ I ain’t got nowhere to go ♪ ♪ I got my mind made up ♪ ♪ Fill my cup ♪ ♪ A big diamond ring
to place on your finger ♪ ♪ I’m workin’ it hard ♪ ♪ Baby, won’t you give me
what I’m due? ♪ ♪ Because I ain’t got nothin’ ♪ ♪ If I ain’t got you ♪ ♪ Got my mind made up,
fill my cup ♪ ♪ A big diamond ring
to place on your finger ♪ ♪ I’m workin’ this hard ♪ ♪ Baby, won’t you give me
what I’m due? ♪ ♪ Because I ain’t got nothin’ ♪ ♪ If I ain’t got you ♪ ♪ ’Cause I ain’t got nothin’ ♪ ♪ If I ain’t got you ♪ ♪ ’Cause I ain’t got nothin’ ♪ ♪ If I ain’t got you ♪ [ cheering ] Did you see that? You were amazing,
<i>mijo. Dios mío.</i> Can’t believe it. [ speaking Spanish ] Up next, for her final song,
is Angel Fender. ♪ I see you
walking around head down ♪ ♪ Who robbed you
of a bird’s-eye view? ♪ ♪ You look like
you’re bound to lose ♪ ♪ And standing
on unstable ground ♪ ♪ Been put down ♪ ♪ Someone’s been
telling you lies ♪ ♪ Trying to disguise ♪ ♪ That on the day
you were born ♪ ♪ You were set apart ♪ ♪ Like a flower from thorns ♪ ♪ With a beautiful heart ♪ ♪ So, girl, I’m speaking true ♪ ♪ There’s only one you ♪ [ applause ] ♪ Look in the mirror ♪ ♪ And see, beauty ♪ ♪ Goes way deeper
than just your eyes ♪ ♪ So don’t compromise ♪ ♪ ’Cause on the day
you were born ♪ ♪ You were set apart ♪ ♪ Like a flower from thorns ♪ ♪ With a beautiful heart ♪ ♪ So, girl, I’m speaking true ♪ ♪ There’s only one you ♪ ♪ It’s gonna keep happening ♪ Uhh. ♪ You’re gonna hurt again ♪ ♪ Pain has its way
now and then ♪ ♪ Life happens
from time to time ♪ ♪ Just another hill to-- ♪ [ microphone feedback ]
[ audience gasps ] [ musicians stop playing ] [ audience murmuring ] [ applause ] WOMAN:
We love you, Angel! Stay away from me. Okay.
All righty. Okay.
ANGEL: Stop. TRIP: Thank you so much,
ladies and gentlemen, for your wonderful support
of Angel Fender. You threw her
under the bus. Angel is still in the running. Not too late
to cast your votes. And now for the final song
of the night, and I cannot wait to see
what he is going to do. It is my pleasure to introduce
the one and only Ben Cantor. [ cheering ] [ clears throat ] Thank you. Uh, I’m probably
gonna mess this up. I was going
to come out here guns blazing and--and explosions and disco balls and--
[ laughter ] Yeah, not--not one,
but three, actually. [ laughter ]
I know. Love you, Ben! Thank you. I love you, too. How about this band? [ cheering ]
Is this amazing? And all I did today
in rehearsal was yell at them. Sorry, guys. Sorry. I’m gonna sing a song, uh, I wrote a long time ago. Alicia, Gracie, this is the one
I wrote for you. [ plays guitar ] ♪ Every time I see your face ♪ ♪ Smiling back at me ♪ ♪ It gives me strength ♪ ♪ To keep the faith ♪ ♪ And believe what I can’t see ♪ ♪ Love around my soul ♪ ♪ You hold my heart
in all I do ♪ ♪ So every time I write a song ♪ ♪ It’s the one I wrote for you ♪ ♪ Remember when we
used to live on tips... ♪ That’s my boy. That’s my angel. He bought
my plane ticket. ♪ We’d make it to the stars ♪ ♪ Though that dream
is dead and gone ♪ ♪ I’ll give what’s overdue ♪ ♪ So every time I write a song ♪ ♪ It’s the one I wrote for you ♪ ♪ As long as you look
in my eyes ♪ ♪ And love me
with your... ♪ I love this guy. Yeah. Me, too. ♪ ...hold my hand as we
walk miles and miles ♪ ♪ I can find the strength
to fashion words into a tune ♪ ♪ Which means
that every song I write ♪ ♪ Is the one I wrote... ♪ Did Daddy just lose? No, honey. Daddy just won. ♪ Maybe someday
grace will bring ♪ ♪ A chance to change our life ♪ ♪ Maybe I can write a song ♪ ♪ To teach us how to fly ♪ ♪ Until that grace
arrives so wise ♪ ♪ I’ll do just what I do ♪ ♪ So every time I write a song ♪ ♪ It’s the one I wrote for you ♪ ♪ So every time I write a song ♪ ♪ It’s the one
I wrote for you ♪ He had it in the palm
of his hands. He had it. [ cheering ] Ha ha. Nice surprise. Stay for the results? Nah. I think
we’re done here. [ music playing ] [ music continues,
no audible dialogue ] [ music continues,
no audible dialogue ] JOE: Yes. Finally get
to make my drinks. I got it. Take this
out to Ben, would you? Aye-aye, Captain. ♪ Maybe someday
grace will bring ♪ ♪ A chance to change our life ♪ ♪ Maybe I can write a song ♪ ♪ To teach us how to fly ♪ ♪ Until that grace
arrives so wise ♪ ♪ I’ll do just what I do ♪ ♪ So every time I write a song ♪ ♪ It’s the one I wrote for you ♪ ♪ So every time I write a song ♪ ♪ It’s the one
I wrote for you ♪ [ applause ] When I found him again
and saved him from himself, he was a barista
at this place making coffee. That’s fascinating.
Hey, hey. Less than--I don’t know.
Hey! You made it!
Hey, how are you? Ah, I’m good. I thought
you had a meeting. I did, which is one
of the reasons I’m here now. Please say hello
to music producer
Larry Fraser, all the
way from Los Angeles. Pleasure to meet you. What brings you down
to San Antonio? You, actually.
Sit down, please. Sit. Larry’s here in town producing Shelby Winters’
new record. And, uh, well, Larry,
you better tell him, ’cause I’m--
I’m gonna lose it. Hey, there you are. Hey.
I called. Pop’s fine.
Oh, great. Oh, uh, Larry, this is my wife Alicia and my daughter Gracie.
Hello. This is Larry. He is in from L.A.
Oh. Yes, well, I was just
telling your husband that Shelby Winters
is recording her
new album in town, and, well, she’s a big fan
of your husband. Shelby Winters
knows who my dad is? Mm-hmm.
She loves your songs. So much, in fact,
she wants to record two of them
on her new album. What’s an album? I’ll tell you later. And if you’re free,
she’d like you to duet on "The One
I Wrote For You." Is this a joke? MICKEY:
That’s what I said.
It is what I said. Now recovered,
of course.
As your manager, I worked out
a tremendous deal allowing for
my normal 20%. 15.
15% And as a show
of good faith, I was authorized
to give you
this advance on behalf
of Ms. Winters. Now, to be clear, this check is
non-recourse. Yep, no payback,
no matter what. Right.
And the songs,
the ownership? Ben. And
the publishing rights? Ben. This is
where I lose it. Holy...
Holy... Mm-mm-mm. [ laughs ] MICKEY: Put it
on their tab, honey. [ laughter ] All right, 20%. Oh, no.
17.5 is fair,
don’t you think? [ laughter ] Thank you. LARRY: My pleasure. Oh, man.
Thank you, sir. Thank you so much.
Congratulations. Gonna be
a good Christmas now. Did you put
the check in there? GRACIE: So we’re
getting a dog. Whoo-hoo! [ electric guitar playing ] ♪ One thousand voices
are calling my name ♪ ♪ Which one is right? ♪ ♪ Who’s playing games? ♪ ♪ I gotta live from the heart ♪ ♪ Tell them all
who’s in charge ♪ ♪ I am ♪ ♪ On the way to the top ♪ ♪ Where all my dreams
come true ♪ ♪ Everyone’s telling me
what to do ♪ ♪ I’m gonna live
from the heart ♪ ♪ Tell them all
who’s in charge ♪ ♪ I am ♪ ♪ The demons of doubt ♪ ♪ Live in the heart of my ear ♪ ♪ They’ve got it
all figured it out ♪ ♪ They sow the seeds of fear ♪ ♪ But in the ear of my heart ♪ ♪ Is the voice of a love ♪ ♪ That makes me stop
and stand and rise above ♪ [ new song plays ] ♪ Some grow up ♪ ♪ Never certain of love ♪ ♪ So they toil ♪ ♪ For the attention
they’ve lost ♪ ♪ They’d do anything to bring
a little comfort to their soul ♪ ♪ But every single effort ♪ ♪ Cries what they need most ♪ ♪ They’re saying hold me close ♪ ♪ Share the love
that I’ve been missing ♪ ♪ Hold me close ♪ ♪ Help me trust in love again ♪ ♪ Hold me close until I know ♪ ♪ That love is here to stay ♪ ♪ Can you hear me say ♪ ♪ Hold me close? ♪ [ new song plays ] ♪ You still think you deserve
a lifetime of suffering ♪ ♪ You still think ♪ ♪ There’s no such thing
as love’s covering ♪ ♪ Well, you’re like a baby
inside of the womb ♪ ♪ Heck, yeah ♪ ♪ You can’t conceive how much
your mother cares for you ♪ ♪ Don’t be a fool ♪ ♪ Can I talk you down
from that mountain? ♪ ♪ Oh, can I talk you in
out of the rain? ♪ ♪ Oh, can I talk you out of
the fear that has you bound? ♪ ♪ Come on down ♪ ♪ Yeah, come on down ♪ ♪ Come on down ♪ ♪ Come on down ♪
