George Scraps His Sculpture/Transcript

Introduction

Muffy looks at a painting of a banana and broccoli in an art museum.

Muffy: Ooh, it's divine! I'll take it!

Arthur: (French accent) Excellent choice, Madam. No one captures broccoli like the 17th century Dutch painter, van Plop.

Buster: (French accent) Stop! It's a fake! This is not a genuine van Plop. It is a copy by the master forger: Le George!

Muffy: (gasps) Le George!

Le George is shown painting a forgery of the Mona Lisa.

Buster: (voiceover) Yes, Le George. His copies are so good, no one can tell the difference. Some of the filling from the sandwich Le George is eating falls onto his palette. He dips his paintbrush in it. They hang in museums and private homes around the world. He's shown examining the forgery of the Mona Lisa with a magnifying glass. But I knew there had to be something that made Le George's paintings unique. He sniffs a painting of a tree propped up against the wall of his study. And then I found it. (end of voiceover) Lunch! Le George is shown making a forgery of a portrait. (voiceover) Le George eats his lunch while he works, and whether it's mustard or grape jelly, some always ends up on his canvases.

Le George takes a bite out of his sandwich, causing some of the grape jelly filling to squirt onto his canvas. Then, a crashing sound is heard as Buster breaks down his door.

Le George: (gasps) Le drat!

***

Buster is escorting a handcuffed Le George to the police station as a crowd of people watches.

Muffy: (in the crowd) How sad.

Francine: He had so much talent.

Buster: Yes, but his downfall was this: no matter who he tried to be, he could never avoid being himself-- Le George.

Le George looks at the camera with a devious look on his face.

Title Card: George looking at a sculpture with Wally and then looks sad

(in class, Mr. Ratburn shows his students a flyer for the County Art Show.)

Mr. Ratburn: The county-wide art show is next month. We need a volunteer to contribute a work of art.

George: (yawns)

Mr. Ratburn: Ah. George, splendid. I'll be right back. Just have to order our new telescope.

George: What just happened?

Buster: I think you just volunteered to make a piece of art.

George: I did?

Buster: Relax! You have a whole month. That's ages away.

***

Mr. Ratburn brings the telescope to class.

Arthur: Hey! It's our new telescope!

Buster: And it only took a month to arrive.

Muffy: Ooh, the county-wide art fair is this weekend. Can't wait to see your piece, George.

George looks shocked.

Francine: Yeah! What'd you make?

George: Uh... a sculpture?

Buster: What's it look like?

George: Well, it's kinda hard to say.

Arthur: I'm sure it's great.

Francine: Yeah! Just think, you'll be representing our class to the whole county.

George: (nervously) Uh...

***

In George's garage, various tools and parts are on the table.

George: Uh... (as Wally) George? You've been uh-ing for two hours now. (as himself) I know! But I have less than a week to come up with something. Everyone's counting on me. (as Wally) So, start sculpting already. You have wood, you have wire... (as himself) But nothing I think of is any good. I don't even know if I know what good looks like.

***

At the library in Muffy's House, she shows George a picture of "The Thinker" in a book.

Muffy: "Good" looks like this.

George: "The Thinker?"

Muffy: By Rodin. You know it's good, 'cause it's famous. Just do that.

George: (confused) Just make Rodin's "The Thinker?"

Muffy: Well, don't do it exactly. Do it better.

George: Better?

Muffy: You know, with more oomph. Here, I got you a few gift certificates to the art supply store. Nothing says oomph like new art supplies.

With an unsure expression, George looks at the gift certificates and then at the book with the picture of "The Thinker."

***

In his garage, George looks at his finished sculpture, a moose version of "The Thinker," with an unsure expression.

George: (to Wally) So, does that have more oomph or less oomph? (as Wally) Less. Definitely less. (as himself) (sighs)

***

Francine is on her computer in her apartment.

Francine: (appalled) "The Thinker?" Muffy's taste is about a hundred years out of date.

She stars typing on the keyboard.

Francine: You want a sculpture that's moving. Like this kinetic sculpture by Arthur Ganson.

An image of the sculpture appears on Francine's computer screen. It makes a rattling sound. George looks at it and gets an idea.

***

In his garage, George has created a kinetic sculpture by hanging various items on ropes.

George: Okay, time to make it move. He smacks the sculpture with Wally's head to make it move, but it moves more wildly than he expected, causing him to almost get hit by it. (yelps)

The sound of parts clattering is heard as the sculpture breaks apart.

***

Cut to Mr. Ratburn's classroom.

Buster: I'm telling you, it should be a giant sculpture of an alien. He shows a photo of Abraham Lincoln. Like this!

Buster: Are you sure? No way he was that tall.

Muffy: George, "The Thinker."

Binky: The "Little Dancer" by Degas. I could pose for you!

Buster: Or... why don't you make a huge sandwich?

George: Oh!

He runs out of the classroom.

Buster: And don't forget to sculpt the mustard!

***

George is waiting in line at the school cafeteria, carrying a lunch tray with a sandwich, a slice of cake, a piece of bread, butter, and a juice box on it.

George: Everyone has a different opinion. How do I know which one is right?

Arthur: Is there a right opinion?

Binky: Sure there is! Mine.

Muffy: You're gonna trust someone who likes olive oil-flavored yogurt?

Francine: What's wrong with that?

Muffy: Ugh, that's what you put on bruschetta.

Binky: You have red velvet! That's a kind of cake.

Muffy: You have no taste, Binky Barnes.

Binky: What?

George walks away from the line.

***

In his garage, George is screwing a high-heeled shoe to a wooden board. Carl is standing next to him.

George: Yogurt, art, everyone has different tastes about everything. And now they're all fighting about it.

Carl: How are you going to please everyone?

George: Well, Brain thought I should do something like this, He points at a picture of a robot on the door of the cabinet. but Buster likes the Lincoln Memorial. So, I combined them, with a little bit of "The Thinker" and the "Little Dancer" thrown in.

Carl: I don't understand what it is.

George: Neither do I. But it'll have to do. Help me bring it to the curb? My dad is going to drive it to the fair.

George and Carl pick up the sculpture and carry it to the curb.

Carl: Actually, I kind of like it. But I'd like it more if it looked like a train. Bye.

George: Bye, Carl. (sighs) At least I'm done. A crashing sound is heard. Wha...? George's sculpture has been loaded onto the back of a recycling truck, which drives off. Stop!

***

George is chasing after the recycling truck on a bicycle. He arrives at the recycling center and knocks on the window of Mr. Frensky's office.

George: (frantic) Mr. Frensky! Did you get my call about the sculpture?

Mr. Frensky: Don't worry, we're on the lookout for it. George enters the office. I was just telling my friend about your art problem.

Kevin Sampson: Guess one person's art is another person's trash. And vice-versa. Kevin Sampson. He and George shake hands. Pleasure to meet you, George. Oliver's got a great eye. He's been mailing me interesting doodads for my work for years.

George: What is your work?

Kevin Sampson: Just being Kevin Sampson, I guess. Whoa! Look at these!

Mr. Frensky: Oh yeah, I saved those for you.

(Mr. Frensky hands Kevin a cardboard box containing various types of plastic gloves on sticks.)

George: What are you gonna do with them?

Kevin Sampson: Beats me. But if I listen to them, I'm sure these little guys will let me know. He shows George the plastic gloves. That's part of my job.

The sound of the recycling truck's horn honking is heard from outside. Mr. Frensky raises the beam to let the truck in.

Mr. Frensky: Hey, George, I think they found it.

***

George's sculpture has been recovered from the truck, but it shortly falls apart.

George: (sighs)

Mr. Fresnky: This it?

George: It's ruined! And I used up all my best materials making it.

Kevin Sampson: Hey, there's a great place for art supplies just a stone's throw from here.

George: Really?

***

Kevin and George are looking at various items in trash bins.

Kevin Sampson: Look at that, and that. What did I tell you?

George: Uh...

Kevin Sampson: Check out that old fan. Maybe its days as a fan are done, but I'll bet you it's still got some secrets.

George: Secrets?

Kevin Sampson: Sure. Maybe that fan's got a whole dream life, but it needs someone to help give it a voice.

George looks thoughtful. The camera zooms in on the fan and it first changes into a flower, then a windmill, and finally the sun.

George: (gasps in delight)

***

George puts down a spool next to all of the other items he's collected, but then sits down on the ground in despair.

George: I have no idea what to do. And the art show is only a day away. Oh, maybe I'm just not an artist... (as Wally) Well, you could try using the gift certificate Muffy gave you for art supplies. And I could use a little varnish while you're at it. (as himself) (sighs and takes the gift certificate)

***

Outside the craft supply store, George puts down his bicycle helmet on the seat of his bike and is about to walk into the store, when he sees a sign outside Crawford Gallery with a picture of Kevin Sampson reading "Kevin Sampson Gallery Opening Reception! 4-7 p.m."

George: Huh?

He walks up to the sign.

George: Kevin Sampson?

He walks into Crawford Gallery and approaches Kevin, who is looking at a model ship.

Unknown gallery visitor: Pretty captivating, honestly.

George: Huh?

Kevin Sampson: Hey there, George.

George: Did you make all of these?

Kevin Sampson: Guilty as charged. Want to know a secret? When I really need help making a piece, I turn myself into a little bird.

He turns into a bird and flies atop the sails of the model ship.

Kevin Sampson: Then I can hop all around it and see it better.

He flies back next to George and returns to his normal form.

George: I've never seen anything like this.

Kevin Sampson: Good! If you had, it would mean there's more than one of me out there.

George: Huh?

Kevin Sampson: The art you make comes from you, so it's bound to be unique.

George: But what if I can't make anything amazing? I'm representing the whole class.

Kevin Sampson: Don't worry about that. Your job is just to be George. That's what your friends are counting on.

George: My friends... Of course! Got to go! Sorry! Bye!

He runs out of the gallery.

Kevin Sampson: Good luck, George!

***

In the hallway of Lakewood Elementary, Mr. Morris is vacuuming.

George: Mr. Morris!

Mr. Morris: You look like you're on a mission.

George: The trash from Mr. Ratburn's class-- how many days-worth is still at the school?

Mr. Morris: Probably about two weeks' worth. Follow me.

Mr. Morris runs down the hallway, and George runs after him.

***

In his garage, George picks up the box that the telescope Mr. Ratburn ordered came in from his pile of items. He is then shown applying glue to a paper plate and sticking another paper plate to it, cutting wrapping paper with scissors, putting white fluff on the end of a stick, screwing, and finally painting while eating a peanut butter sandwich. He picks up a piece of chalk and then transforms into a bird just like Kevin did to examine his work. He then turns back to normal.

***

At the county-wide art show, George is standing next to his sculpture, which is covered in a white cloth, in front of an audience. He removes the cloth, and the other kids are in awe at his creation.

Francine: It's...

Binky: A train?

Muffy: Something about it seems familiar.

Buster: Hey, I know that trash!

George: Yes, because the sculpture has all of you in it. Like here. This is the box for the new telescope that Brain raised the money for. And these are the cups from the yogurt you were all arguing about.

Muffy: (scoffs) Olive oil. Ew.

George: And Francine, remember when you gave Muffy a thank-you gift for cat-sitting?

Francine: (nods)

George: I used the wrapping paper to make paper butterflies. And here's chalk representing Mr. Ratburn, and the whole thing's in the shape of a train. Because it's like we're all on a train together heading into the future. He removes a plank from the side of the table his sculpture is on, revealing a plaque reading "Friendship Train." A "Friendship Train."

Muffy claps, and the rest of the audience follows her.)

Muffy: Beautiful! That's amazing.

Arthur: (whistles)

(George pick up Wally)

George: (as Wally) Oh, it's not really my cup of tea. (as himself) Well, you're entitled to your opinion, Wally.

Wally winks at Kevin, and he winks back. An iris shot focuses on Kevin's face.

Special appearance by Kevin Sampson

Kevin Sampson: Oh, thank you.