"Would you want to grow up here?" "I have to." "I'm Alex Mack." "I was just an average kid until my first day of Junior High." "One minute I'm walking home, the next, there's a crash and I'm drenched in some weird chemical." "And since then..." "nothing's been the same." "My best friend Ray thinks it's cool." "And my sister Annie thinks I'm a science project." "I can't let anyone else find out." "Not even my parents." "I know the Chemical Plant wants to find me and turn me into some experiment." "But you know something?" "I guess I'm not so average anymore." "Alex..." "Alex, wake up." "Dad?" "What are you doing up so early?" "I have a presentation to make on GC-161." " I need you." " [sighs]" "I thought I had it all worked out but it's reading "incomplete."" "This is the last time, Dad." "I can't keep doing all your work for you." "I made some cocoa before I woke you." "It's cold." "[zapping]" "Ah... perfect." "Here's your problem, Dad." "The convergence equation is off by .232." " It can't complete itself." " Unbelievable." "Alex, what would I do without you?" "Mmm... [zapping] [zapping and buzzing]" "[alarm clock ringing]" "Alex..." "Alex!" "Annie... what's wrong?" "You're dreaming again!" "That's what's wrong." "[knocking on door]" "[Mr Mack] Annie?" "Alex?" "You girls all right?" "[groans]" "Good morning, Dad." "What was all that noise?" "Um, Annie just knocked some of her books over." "Look at this mess." "Alex, you've got to try and be a little neater." "Please clean up this room before you leave for school." "Bottom of the 12th, two outs, two men on." "Dad says it's late, I say no way." "Just as he's about to send me to bed, wham!" " A three-run homer." " Sure." "At the moment I realized my destiny." " The big leagues." " Yeah, right." "Dad and I sometimes stay up all night talking about baseball." "He's even getting off early from work and come home and teach me a few of his pitches." "That's great." "Why don't you grab your mitt and come on over?" "No..." "I have some stuff to do at home." "Dad!" "Dad!" "Hey, Dad, want to play some catch?" "Oh!" "Alex, look what you made me do." "You really have to be more careful." " Look at this." " I just wanted to play some catch." "Not right now, honey, I have a lot of work to go over." "Is this a game anyone can play?" "Alex was a little over-enthusiastic to see me." "So am I-- I've reached the next level" " of my D.N.A. project." " Dad has a lot of work to catch up on." "Already?" "That's amazing." "We were only talking about it three weeks ago." "It was two, but once you explained the principles" "I understood it." "Come on, I want to show you." " You grasped that concept so quick..." " I know." "Maybe we'll play some other time." "Daddy, can you check my book report for me?" "Oh, uh... sure, honey." "Let's see... the yearling." "I don't believe I've read this one." "It's about this poor, lonely kid in Florida." "I'm not sure I explained the theme right." " Does it sound okay?" " The theme?" "Is that the same as the plot?" "To be honest, your mom is much better at english than me." "Sure." "Okay, Dad." "[clears throat]" "George, could I see you in the kitchen?" "In a minute, honey." "Now, George." "Uh-oh." "George, you're a wonderfully kind loving, generous man..." "Thank you, Barbara." "But sometimes you manage to hide all of that." "I did something wrong?" "Only if you consider ignoring Alex wrong." "I didn't ignore her." "Your english is better than mine." "That's not the point." "You need to be there for her as much as you are for Annie." "Now, Barbara, aren't you exaggerating?" "Actually, I think I'm minimizing this problem." "You know Annie and me have a special... rapport." " It's "Annie and I."" " You see what I mean about my english?" "George, I'm being serious." "You need to find a way to make this up to her." "You're right." "What do you suggest?" "I suggest... that you figure this out on your own..." " By Saturday." " Saturday?" "!" "It was my dad's screwball that got me." "I was thinking about my hall-of-fame speech when, bam!" "The ball bounced off the glove and hit me in my head." "I'd rather get conked on the head than play catch by myself." "But check this out." "Dad felt so bad about beaning me he offered to take us to the amusement park tomorrow." "He says the new Thunderstorm Roller Coaster might be safer for me than playing catch." "The one that does the 360-degree loop?" "Yes!" "Alex!" "I have a surprise for you." "We're going on a little trip-- just you and me." "Isn't that great?" " A trip?" "Great." "When?" " Tomorrow." "Tomorrow won't work, Dad." "I'm going with Ray and his dad to the new Thunderstorm ride at the amusement park." "I'm sorry, Alex, this is something your mother really wants us to do." "I mean, it's something I want us to do." "It'll be more fun than any roller coaster ride." "Yeah..." "I'm sure." "[car starting] [man on radio] Good morning, Paradise Valley." "It's going to be another hot, hot day in the land of sun and science." "[calypso music playing on radio]" " [calypso music continues playing]" " Seventh grade was touch." "I remember how I struggled with my paper on electromagnetic radiation." "You did that when you were my age?" "Well, actually I was a couple of years younger than you." "I skipped two grades." "Uh... but, Alex, we all have our own talents." "Like that key chain you made for me in camp a couple of years ago?" "I couldn't have done that." "Hi, honey, I'm going to run some errands." "You want to come with me?" "No, I can't, I'm working on my D.N.A. project and I have a deadline." " Okay, you want any help?" " I don't think so." "I'm attempting to create a fabrication of how man might evolve into the 21st century." " Great." " See you later?" "Okay." "We're almost here, Alex." "Dad... where's there?" "My favorite place when I was a kid." "It was filled with fun and adventure." " What is it?" " Rocks, Alex, rocks." "[chuckling]" "Your first geological experience." "You'll never forget it." "Rocks are going to be more fun than Thundrstorm?" "Absolutely." "Dad, are you sure you know where we're going?" "This place looks kind of... scary." "Scary?" "Not at all, honey." "[animal howling]" "Oh... oh... very, very interesting." "Normally this type of quartz isn't found around this area." "Really..." "This whole area was a silver mine." "I came here a lot when I was a kid." "Maybe you found everything interesting back then." "Here, Alex, let me help you." "Whoa... oh." "[sighs] I don't need your help, Dad." "I think I can find my own rocks." "Alex, be careful." "Don't worry, I can take care of myself." "[screaming] [screaming]" "Daddy!" "Over here!" "Daddy!" "I'm over..." "[screaming]" "[wind whistling]" "Dad!" "[echoing]: ..." "Dad!" "Dad!" "..." "Dad!" "[zapping]" "Help!" "... help!" "Somebody help me!" "... help me!" "[knock on door]" "Hi, honey, I'm home." "how's it going?" "Slowly." "Hey, how about you take a break and come have some lunch with me?" " No, thanks, Mom." " This is great." "Please don't." "Does this spin... ooh!" "Oop!" "Be... be careful." "Sorry, I didn't mean to delay man's evolution." "Make fun if you want, but it's really important to me." "Aren't you getting a little too tense about this?" " No, I need to finish this." " By when?" " By whenever." " I thought so." "You get back to work." "I'll see you later." " [pieces fall]" " Oh... [sighing] Mom, wait." " Maybe I could eat something." " So come on." "[grunting]" "[wind whistling]" "Daddy?" "..." "Daddy?" "Dad!" "..." "Dad!" "..." "Dad!" "Alex?" "!" "..." "Alex?" "!" "Alex?" "!" "..." "Alex?" "!" "Alex!" "[grunting and groaning] [grunting and groaning]" "[panting]" "Alex!" "Alex, where are you?" "Daddy!" "Down here!" "Daddy!" "Alex!" "Are you okay?" "!" "Yeah, I think so." "Daddy, get me out of here." "Don't worry, I'll get help and have you out of there in no time." "No!" "Daddy, don't leave me." "[bird cawing]" "I remember when you were a little girl" "Daddy told you about the theory of relativity and you got all excited." "You must have been proud." "Actually I was frightened." "You were only eight." "I know I get intense about my work but I'm always feeling like I have to achieve something big." "Sweetheart, you'll achieve a lot." "But sometimes you have to take a break." "There's more to life than work." "That's actually something" "I have to keep reminding myself about." "I know what you mean." "My friends were going bowling the other night and for a second I really wanted to go." " Then I decided not to, and..." " Wait a minute." "You wanted to go bowling?" "Mm-hmm." "See, this really cute guy named Chris was going..." "Never mind... never mind." " I'm going to go finish my work." " Wait a minute, come on, tell me." "Tell me about Chris." "Okay, he's in my history class and he's really cute and he has this long hair and he's so funny." " Does he know that you like him?" " No way!" " Okay, I'll tell him." " Mother..." "Step back, Alex." "Look out!" "Now put that around your waist." " Dad, you forgot to tie it." " What?" "That's okay, I can do it." "Okay, Dad..." "I'm ready." "[grunts]" " [grunting] - [snap]" "Dad, hurry, it's breaking!" " Hang on, Alex!" " [screams] I can't!" " Grab my hand, Alex!" " Don't let me go, Dad!" " Hurry, Daddy, help!" " [snap] [creaking]" " [snap]" " Hang on!" "Help me!" "I got you!" "Hang on!" "[groaning and gasping]" "[chuckling]" "[Annie] The more I thought about it, the more I was afraid" "I was going to make a jerk out of myself." "Let me get this straight." "You understand gravity waves and atom-splitting and you're afraid of a few gutter balls?" " Well... yeah." " [chuckles]" "That's kind of the way Alex and I feel when you and Daddy start talking about science." "I think it hurts Alex, too." "She feels like there's nothing special about her yet." "I think she's starting to get over that." "[both chuckle]" "See?" "Isn't this nice?" "Just sitting around doing nothing for a change?" "Yeah... but there's something else I'd rather be doing." "Oh, right, I know..." "your D.N.A. project." " Go ahead, I understand." " No, that's not it." " Could we go bowling together?" " Bowling?" "There's nothing else I'd rather be doing." "Let's go." "Alex, I told you to be careful." "You didn't listen to me." "Now you know what it's like, Dad." " Alex, I listen to you." " Not like you listen to Annie." "Isn't that why Mom made you do this with me?" "Alex, it's true your mom and I discussed this but I wanted to do it." "Sometimes it's just easier for me to talk to Annie because we both love science." "Sorry I'm not a genius." "You don't have to apologize, Alex, I do." "You're really so special." "Sometimes I wish I could be more like you." "Like me?" "I don't even want to be like me." "Don't say that, Alex." "You do all these things I never did." "I hardly ever played sports and I've never been to an amusement park in my whole life." "What kind of a kid were you?" "When I was your age I used to stay here digging around until it got too dark to see." "My dad would have to come get me." "That's when I first discovered science." "I think I know what you mean." "I'm discovering things that are changing my life, too." "Really, Alex?" "Like what?" "Well, um... maybe I'll tell you on our next trip." "Our next trip?" "That sounds great, Alex." "[engine grinding]" " Dad, pop the hood." " Alex, the battery's dead." "You can't make it start." "Dad... just open the hood." "[pop hood]" "Start it, Dad." " [engine grinding] - [zapping]" " [engine running] - [calypso music playing on radio]" "You can fix cars?" "There's so much about you I don't know, Alex." "Girl's got to have a few secrets." "Good evening, Paradise Valley!" "That was "Bali the Bullfighter" by Storm Hippen." "[announcer trilling] [calypso music continues playing]" "Captioned by Grant Brown"