Greetings From California | Short Film

Hi there. Hello. Hi, I'm Ben. I was wondering, do you know of any campgrounds nearby? Nope. Sir, can I ask you another question? What? Do you know of anybody around here that might have some work available? Nope. Don't know of anyone. So what kind of work might you be looking for? I'll do anything! You say you were looking for a campground? Yes, sir. Yeah, I mean, I stay at campgrounds most nights, mainly to help save on money. You got a tent? Yes, sir. I got a tent. All right, then. Find a little spot up there by the house and set up your tent. I won't charge you for the camp. Well, this is my project. It's something I can use some help with. Wow, nice car. This is going to be one hot ride once it's finished. I think so. You need some TLC here or there, but it'll come together well. Is this going to be your Sunday ride once it's finished? This is going to be one hot ride. It's not for me. Not for you? Who's it for? My son. He loves muscle cars from the 60s. It's a present for him, when he gets back. When he gets back, where is he now? Afghanistan. He's fighting in Afghanistan. Doing his duty. Fighting for me, fighting for you, and all of us. So we continue to live our way of life, free, in this great country we live in. This is going to make one great present for your son when he gets home. His tour of duty ends in about three months, and that's why I need help finishing it up before he arrives. Well, let's get to it. There's a lot that needs to be done. Out here in front, you probably have to remove the radiator. Change the carburetor, too. Yep. Have to remove all those rotted hoses and those belts. The head has to come off. We have to check the cylinder heads. Check for oil leaks. Change a few gaskets. Yep, I hear you. I hear you. Now down here, we're going to have to go inside and change the upholstery. Hey, there. Hey, there. Ben, you hungry? Yeah, I'm a bit hungry. All right, then. Come on up. Got some dinner on the table. You get to eat every day, young man? Well, yeah. I mean, you know, some days more than others. A lot of times there isn't much, but I manage. I see. Looks like the storm has passed. Nice and clear. Yeah, beautiful night. Well, I must admit, you're pretty handy with those tools. You're doing a good job. I'm glad you think so. So where is it you're going on this trip of yours? Well, I'd like to see every state if I could. I don't know if that's possible, but I intend to see as much of the country as I can. Right now I'm heading south to Florida. I'd love to see Key West where the road ends. Then I'll probably head out west, see Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Pacific Ocean, kick around there for a while, then head up north to Oregon and Washington and see what's up there. It's on a trip. Yeah. It's been my dream for a long time, and I figure I should do it now before I have to settle down. Well, you're probably right, kid. In life, you've got to do what you want when you can when you're young, so there's no regrets in the end. Well, I'm done for the night. I'm going to head over to the Taj Mahal and get some sleep. Good night, Tom. Hey, Ben. Yeah? Why don't you sleep inside? You can stay in the bedroom in the back. Would that be all right? I don't want to put you out. Yeah, it's fine. It's my son's room, but he's not using it right now. Just remember to keep it tidy. All right, great. I appreciate it. That's good stuff, Tom. Nothing like a good breakfast. Most important meal of the day, they say. We'll see how much we can get done today. Made good progress yesterday. A few more days like it, we'll have this car ready to go. Yeah, I think so. Sounds like you've got a visitor. Mr. Freeman? Mr. Tom Freeman? Oh, no! Oh, Lord, no! This is not possible! No, this is not possible! Hey, Tom. It's been a few days since you ate. That's not good. You've got to eat something. I'm going out to the garage. I'm going to work on the car. But I'm leaving you a tray of food here right by the door in case you get hungry. Okay? What the hell is going on here? What are you doing? I'm trying to fit this shock absorber into place, but it's a tight fit. I'm having a hard time with it. Hey, you want to give me a hand and see if we can fit him on there? Yeah. Sure. See? That's all we needed was an extra pair of hands. It's almost done. Yeah, it's almost finished. I got the radiator cleaned and installed. The belts are installed, and I checked the timing. All we've got to do is grease the wheel bearings, maybe switch out the brake pads. This tire's ready to be installed, and that's it. Tighten the trunk, give it a good wash. It's ready to go. Good job, kid. You've done a good job. Thank you. You're welcome. Glad you think so. Let's give it a go. Let's go. Here's the key. Heading out early? Thought I'd head out early, cover some ground. Got to say goodbye. Goodbyes can be kind of hard sometimes. I think you forgot something. Oh, no. I can't accept this. It's yours. I'm giving it to you. I can't take this. We did this for your son, I meant. Listen, I thought about this a lot. My son's no longer here, and I think he would agree with my decision. Are you sure about this? Absolutely. Besides, I like this. He's a young soul. Take him around the country on a trip like yours, and it may make your walking a little easier. Thank you. Really, I appreciate it. Truth is, if I were a young man, I might want to go along on this trip of yours. Thank you. Really, thank you. Hey, when you get to a place out there you really like, you send me a postcard, would you? You bet. Greetings from California. Hey, Tom. I've traveled throughout the U.S. for the past few months. It's a magnificent country out there. I've been in California for some time now, and I think I'm going to settle here for a while. I like it out here. The car's in great shape. I've taken good care of it, and it's taken good care of me. It's become like an old friend that shared this amazing trip around the country with me. I hope you're doing well, and I'll write again soon. Ben.