The Shore Thing/Transcript

Introduction

In a fantasy, Arthur and Binky are panning for gold in a stream while a mule waits.

Arthur: Looking forward to something neat is always fun, especially when you end up with something that’s better than what you expected. Like when Brain and I had to make dessert for a class party.

Flashback: Brain is peeling bananas.

Brain: These will be the best chocolate banana splits ever.

Arthur: Oh no, The ice cream melted! Now what do we do?

Brain fills a chocolate milkshake in Arthur’s glass.

Brain: Chocolate banana shakes. What else?

Arthur drinks and smiles.

Flashback: An about three-year-old Buster unpacks a toy spaceship in the presence of his mom and a man dressed as Santa Claus.

Arthur: Or Buster's best Christmas ever.

Little Buster: Wow! Thanks, Santa!

“Santa” takes off his beard.

Little Buster: Daddy, you made it home for Christmas!

They hug.

Flashback: Pal walks around in a brown paper bag that covers everything except his paws and tail..

Arthur: Or when Pal finally got his new chew toy, but had more fun with the shopping bag.

The flashbacks end.

Binky: Hey! I got something!

There is a gold nugget in Binky’s pan.

Arthur: Wow, Binky! Real gold!

Binky: Who needs that? I found a quarter!

Arthur: See? You just never know.

Title Card: Arthur Swims

Mr. Read is about to put something into the oven when a shark fin passes behind him. It is revealed to be Arthur carrying Sharky.

Arthur: Rrr!

Mr. Read: Ahh!

Arthur: Gotcha!

Mr. Read: Arthur, what's this all about?

Arthur: What else? Aqualand.

Mr. Read: Aqua what?

D.W. (from living room): Aqualand...! Come look!

Arthur runs out.

Arthur: Aren't you coming?

Mr. Read: I have to get this in the oven, Arthur.

Arthur: Dad. Aqualand. TV. Now!

Arthur sits down beside D.W. on the floor. Mr. Read follows.

D.W.: See, Dad? That's Aqualand.

The TV shows several marine-themed amusement park attractions.

Announcer (on TV): Gift Galleon, the Polar Coaster, Squid Scrambler, Deluxe Great White Sharkade... is Aqualand!

D.W.: Aqualand! Can we go?

Arthur: Yeah, the rides are cool.

D.W.: And they have the best souvenirs!

Mr. Read: But it looks like just another amusement park.

Arthur: But it's not, it's...

Mr. Read: I know, I know. Aqualand.

He sits down on the couch.

Mr. Read: I remember a place near the ocean when I was a boy. And I'll bet it was a lot more fun than...

Arthur+D.W.: Aqualand?

Mr. Read: Yes. In fact, I'll show you this weekend.

D.W.: A place more fun than Aqualand?

***

Binky, Arthur, Buster, Brain and Sue Ellen play in the city pool.

Binky: Impossible! Nothing could be more fun than Aqualand.

Buster: Yeah, Binky’s right. I hear the Polar Coaster is so cool, they have to defrost it!

Arthur: That's it!

Buster: What’s it?

Binky: My Dad's home movies. They have have scenes of an old park by the beach.

Flashback: An old film of an amusement park is shown. The Reads watch from the couch.

Arthur (narrator): And, man, it had everything! Rollercoasters, a fun house, even an old carousel. It looked so neat!

The flashback ends.

Binky: I think it's called Marine World. And, hey, maybe it is better than Aqualand.

Buster: Maybe they have a ride that goes 20.000 leagues under the sea, just like in Jules Verne’s story.

In his imagination, he stands inside an observation capsule at the bottom of the sea.

Buster: How's the water, Captain Nemo?

A man passes in a submarine and gives him the thumbs up.

The fantasy ends.

Sue Ellen: Or a Hawaiian island "surf's up" simulator.

In her imagination, she surfs on a ‘wave in a tank’.

Sue Ellen: Hang ten, dudes!

Binky: The fantasy ends.

Binky: Ahoy, mates! They must have a pirate ride too.

In his imagination, he steps off a boat onto an island and approaches some tough-looking pirates.

Pirate: What took you so long, my boy? Help yourself. (laughs)

He points to a treasure chest full of sporting equipment.

Binky: (laughs)

The fantasy ends.

Binky: Oh, man! I can't wait to go to Marine World.

***

On Saturday, Mr. Read packs beach equipment into the delivery van while D.W., Arthur, Buster, Binky and Sue Ellen wait.

Binky: Psst, Arthur. I couldn't find my swimming trunks.

Mr. Read: Don't worry, Binky. You're fine.

Arthur: What do we need swimsuits for, anyway?

Mr. Read: You'll see when we get there.

Arthur and Binky exchange confused looks.

***

The delivery van drives on a freeway. It takes the exit to Beach Drive, drives down a country road and stops on a parking lot by the beach. The kids get out.

Arthur: Hey, this is just the beach!

Mr. Read: And don't forget the ocean.

Arthur: But what about Marine World, like we saw in your home movies?

Mr. Read: Oh, Marine World's been gone for years. In fact, we're standing right where it used to be.

Everyone gives Arthur angry looks.

Mr. Read: But don't worry, we're going somewhere even better. Ocean Zone!

Arthur: Ocean Zone?

D.W.: How do we get there?

Mr. Read: Oh, you'll know when you find it. I know you're all good swimmers. So just pick a swimming buddy and make sure you tell me where you're going.

He walks onto the beach with a parasol and a picnic basket.

Brain: What are we going to do now?

Binky: I don't know. There's not much to do around here.

The kids walk onto the beach.

***

Arthur and Binky stand on the shore and look at a big rock sticking out of the water.

Arthur: Let's look for Ocean Zone over there. We can wade right over.

Binky: But I'll get my pants wet!

Arthur: Then how do we get there?

Binky: That's a tough one.

Two gulls float by on a piece of wood.

Brain and Buster stand on the beach nearby.

Buster: Hey, let's swim across to see if Ocean Zone is on the other side.

Brain: Er...it looks kind of deep.

Buster: No. I'll show you.

He throws a stone which does not make if halfway to the rock. Brain gives him a look.

Buster: Oh. Okay. Um, I'll use a bigger rock.

He picks a rock which reveals itself to be a crab.

Buster: Whoa!

He drops the crab. It walks off with many other crabs. Brain and Buster follow them.

Brain: Wow! Look at them go!

They come to some tide pools.

Brain: Hey, sea hares!

Buster: Sea hares? Hm, Do you think they know Bionic Bunny?

Brain looks in another pool.

Brain: Sea anemones.

Buster: A starfish!

Brain: “Sea stars” is the preferred term.

Buster: Wow, this place is crawling with stuff!

They look in another pool.

Buster: Wow!

***

Sue Ellen wades into the water while D.W. collects shells on the beach.

D.W.: These shells are neat! [screams]

Some kelp is wrapped around her foot.

D.W.: Help! An octopus is grabbing me!

Sue Ellen: That's just kelp, D.W.

She unwraps the kelp.

D.W.: (sighs) Kelp, Kelp!

Mr. Read comes running with a surfboard.

Mr. Read: (pants) What's wrong?

D.W.: I was minding my own business and that kelp attacked me.

Mr. Read: Sue Ellen, why don’t you try looking for Ocean Zone up the beach. We'll be right here.

He hands Sue Ellen the surfboard.

Sue Ellen: A surfboard? Okay.

She runs off.

Mr. Read: That's quite a shell collection you have there, D.W.

D.W.: They're not just shells, they're souvenirs.

She walks back with her dad. She drops a snail shell. A hermit crab pops out and follows them.

***

A while later, Mr. Read has set up towels and the parasol. D.W. plays with her shells while he finishes blowing up an armchair. Arthur comes running.

D.W.: (hums to herself)

Arthur: Dad, can I borrow something to get to Ocean Zone?

Mr. Read: Whatever you need, thanks.

Arthur: Thanks!

He runs away with the inflatable armchair. Mr. Read tries to sit on it without looking and falls into the sand.

Mr. Read: Oof.

D.W.: (giggles)

***

Brain and Buster look into a tide pool with a lobster in it.

Brain: A lobster in its natural habitat.

Buster: Wow! I wonder what other strange creatures lurk in these waters.

***

Sue Ellen rides the surfboard. She waves at Mr. Read and D.W. on the beach. Mr. Ratburn swims by. His nose sticks out of the water like a shark fin.

Sue Ellen: Shark!

Mr. Ratburn: No, just Mr. Ratburn. You should always swim with a buddy, so here I am.

An actual tailfin swims by.

Sue Ellen: A real shark!

Sue Ellen quickly swims away, pursued by the fin. She reaches the beach, followed by Mr. Ratburn.

Sue Ellen: (pants)

Mr. Ratburn: Relax. It's just a dolphin. See?

The dolphin jumps out of the water.

Mr. Ratburn: And as you know, a shark is a fish with a cartilaginous skeleton and lateral gill slits while a dolphin is a warm-blooded aquatic mammal.

Sue Ellen: With a ridiculous sense of humor.

She gets back in the water.

***

Binky stands on the inflatable armchair while Arthur pushes it towards the rock.

Binky: Land ho! Can't you go any faster?

Arthur: (strains)

Arthur: You try being the outboard motor for a change.

Binky: Why? Then I'll get wet too. Whoa!

Arthur shakes the chair so that Binky falls into the water.

Arthur: (laughs)

Binky: Oh, well, now that I'm wet, let's go!

He helps Arthur push the chair.

***

D.W. supervises her dad who is building a sand castle.

D.W.: And make sure the walls are extra-strong. I want my shells safe. Hey, I forgot one!

She picks up a snail shell and a hermit crab extends its legs.

D.W.: Oh, What is it?

Mr. Read: Just a hermit crab. That shell is its home. Put it down gently.

D.W.: Beat it! I'm only collecting nice sea shells, not crabby ones!

The crab scuttles off.

***

Arthur and Binky have reached the rock.

Arthur: We made it! And now let's start looking!

Binky: Looking for what?

Arthur: Ocean Zone. What else?

They climb up the rock and do not notice that the chair floats away.

***

At the tide pools, Brain studies a starfish and Buster a sea urchin. Sue Ellen joins them.

Sue Ellen: Did you guys find the Ocean Zone?

Buster: No, but who cares?

Brain: This place is actually quite surprising.

The Reads’ inflatable chair floats by.

Buster: Look! A thrill ride chair!

Brain: Maybe we're closer to Ocean Zone than we thought.

Arthur+Binky: Help! Help!

Everyone runs towards the sound. Due to the rising tide, the part of the rock sticking out of the water has gotten much smaller. Arthur and Binky are trapped.

Binky: Help! Help!

Mr. Read: What happened?

D.W.: Did someone call for kelp?

Arthur: We were looking for Ocean Zone, then the tide came in! Now we're stranded!

Mr. Read: Hold on. I'll be right back.

He runs off.

Shortly afterwards, Mr. Read swims over to the rock on an inflatable mattress.

Mr. Read: I'll be right there, guys!

He reaches the rock, which is now barely large enough for Arthur and Binky to stand on.

Arthur: You made it! All right!

Binky: Great! Let's go.

They jump on the mattress just as a wave washes over the rock.

Arthur: Hey, why aren't you heading for shore?

Mr. Read: I thought we’d take a more exciting way back.

Binky: (nervous laugh) How much more exciting?

Mr. Read: Hold on. Here it comes!

A large wave carries the mattress to shore.

Arthur+Binky+Mr. Read: Whoa!

D.W.: Hey, Stop, Whoa!

Mr. Read picks her up as the mattress hits the beach right where she was standing.

Arthur: That was fun, wasn't it, D.W.?

D.W.: Sure. Real fun.

All except D.W.: (laugh)

Arthur+Binky: Let’s do it again!

Buster: Hey, I want a turn!

Sue Ellen: Me too!

***

The sky has turned red when the kids eventually bring the mattress back to shore.

Mr. Read: So, how d'you like the Ocean Zone?

Arthur: I don't know. We never found it.

Buster: All we found were tide pools.

Binky: And a bi-ig wave.

Mr. Ratburn joins them carrying a bucket full of marine life.

Mr. Ratburn: And I've found enough molluscs for two extra-long lectures, a mid-term and a 200 questions tests. What a perfect day.

His students look worried. He walks away without noticing.

Sue Ellen: And I saw a dolphin and...

D.W.: My shells! They're gone.

The sea has washed over the sandcastle.

D.W.: All my shells. Lost forever!

Arthur: They weren't really yours, D.W. They belong to the... ocean. Hey, this is the Ocean Zone, isn't it? Good one, Dad!

Mr. Read winks at him. Chattering is heard from the ocean.

Brain: Look, more dolphins, and they’re jumping. Let’s go watch.

A hermit crab crawls out of the sand and walks into the sea, past the kids who are looking at the dolphins in front of a beautiful sunset.

D.W.: Wow!