CHEERS: THE MOTION PICTURE (TV)
Summary
One in this comedy series about a group of regulars at a Boston bar.
Woody's father gets a bad impression of Boston from his uncle's recent visit and considers demanding Woody to return to Indiana. He also believes that Woody's friends are "weirdoes" who are bad influences on him. Diane gets a video recorder to document everyday life in Cheers and set Woody's father straight. However, the others quickly become frustrated with Diane's filmmaking technique, especially the script she wrote for them. Diane gets indignant and storms off, leaving Sam to take up the task of filming. After a few days, Sam screens the finished film for the bar on a projector. It documents Woody interacting with his friends, including a scene where Woody makes it seem as though he is going to put a puppy to sleep if he is forced to return home. There is also footage of Woody at a chaotic cookout in Carla's yard, Woody accompanying Cliff on his mail route, Woody and Norm going out to eat at a restaurant together, and Frasier talking about Woody and the psychiatric profession. All of these scenes paint their subjects in unflattering lights, demonstrating that they are "jerks."
Diane re-cuts the film in order to make it more of a "shattering emotional experience." The result is a barely-comprehensible film replete with random stock footage and pretentious voice-overs. Everyone except Diane loathes the finished product. Woody asks that the current film not be sent to his parents, but Diane reveals that she already sent Woody's father a copy. Woody's father ends up asking Woody to return, and Woody prepares to leave Cheers. Everyone gives him parting gifts and says goodbye as Woody walks out. However, he rushes back when his father calls the bar, explaining that he changed his mind and that Woody can stay in Boston. Everyone is happy that Woody gets to stay. Woody reveals that while the film had no effect on his father's decision, he received an unsigned note with some simple advice about his son's independence, and that was what convinced him. The episode ends as Al, an old man who was in the bar the whole time, takes credit for writing the note. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: April 2, 1987 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:24:45
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:70716
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Boston; Bars
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1982-1993
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- James Burrows … Executive Producer, Created by
- Glen Charles … Executive Producer, Created by
- Les Charles … Executive Producer, Created by
- Peter Casey … Producer
- David Lee … Producer
- David Angell … Producer
- Tim Berry … Co-Producer, Director
- Phoef Sutton … Writer
- Craig Safan … Music by
- Judy Hart Angelo … Theme Music by
- Gary Portnoy … Theme Music by
- Ted Danson … Cast, Sam Malone
- Shelley Long … Cast, Diane Chambers
- Rhea Perlman … Cast, Carla Tortelli
- John Ratzenberger … Cast, Cliff Clavin
- Woody Harrelson … Cast, "Woody" Boyd
- Kelsey Grammer … Cast, Frasier Crane
- George Wendt … Cast, Norm Peterson
- Doris Grau … Cast, Corinne
- Al Rosen … Cast, Al