Kick the Can - Recap

At Sunnyvale Rest Home, Charles Whitley puts on a suit and comes downstairs with a suitcase, telling the other mostly-apathetic residents that his son is coming to get him. He goes outside and his son pulls up. Charles gets into the car and his son drives a few feet, then stops. Across the street, a group o children play Kick the Can. The residents look on as Charles' son explains he didn't come to take him away, just that he promised to talk to him. Charles gets out and walks wearily back to the rest home. As he goes, he sees the children playing and pcks up their can. One of the kids asks for the can back while the others look on. Charles sits down against a tree and considers the object.



Later, Charles is up in the room he shares with his old friend Ben Conroy, a tired old man who doesn't like the children making noise as they play outside. Charles admit that his son has a lot going on and it was a foolish idea for him to consider going home with him. When the children make more noise, Charles remembers how he used to play Kick the Can and notes that the minute kids stop playing kids' games, they start to get old. He wonders when Ben stopped believing in magic and Ben asserts it happens when they grow old. Charles wonders if the children know a secret but Ben tells him to forget it. Concerned, Ben goes to the home's doctor, who explains that some old people goes senile. As they leave, Charles starts acting childish, then runs outside and tries to get the other resident riled up. When they refuse, he tells them to show a little interest and starts playing in the sprinkler. Cox gets Charles into bed and warns that he'll have to isolate him, but Ben is worried that it will kill him.



Ben goes to see Charles and warns him to act normal or he'll be put in a ward. Charles considers the idea but then sees the can on his dresser. That night while everone else is sleeping, Charles take the can and checks on Ben to see if he's asleep. He then gets the other residents to meet him in the common room. Once everyone is assembled, he says that they all have to be a little crazy to make the magic work. They wonder if they can move enough but Charles tells them that they are all the same. He hands the can around and tries to get them excited. Finally they agree to play and Charles comes up to ask Ben to play with them. Ben tells him that he's tired and old and needs to sit down, but Charles refuses. He's forced to leave Ben and he goes to get the others. One of them sets off a firecracker and tosses it out the window to distract the night nurse so they can sneak out.



Ben hears the noise and goes to get the superintendent, informing him the others went outside. They hear laughter and run outside only to find a group of children. Ben approaches one of the children and calls out to him, wondering if he's Charles. The boy looks at him and Ben asks him to take him with them. The young Charles runs off with the other children while Ben quietly begs him to remember who he is. Cox goes to look for the elderly residents, while Ben picks up the can and realizes that Cox will never find the residents no matter how hard he looks.



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