LRF NOW Original Series: American High School - Season 1 Episode 2

 

American High School
Genre: Teen/Comedy/Romance
Executive Producer: Richard Linklater 
Writer: Chad Taylor

Season 1 Episode 2 The Move

Cast:
Cooper Hoffman .... Buzz Gentrie (Regular)
Shea Whigham .... Vern Gentrie (Regular)
Judy Greer .... Helen Gentrie (Regular)
Morris Chestnut .... Reese Johnson (Recurring)
Sydney Park .... Gwen Johnson (Regular)

Plot: Buzz looks longingly out the window of a bus as his family travels from the airport to their new home at Camp Stevenson, the U.S. Army’s new base in South Korea. Vern goes to base headquarters while Buzz and Helen get settled in. Buzz says he told Stevie he would call him later that night and Helen tells him that it is going to be hard for him to keep in touch with his friends that way given the time difference. And he knows how his dad is about staying up past curfew. She prefers he sends letters instead. When Vern gets home, he tells them that he met his new second-in-command and invited him and his daughter over for dinner the next evening. Buzz feels his heart instinctively flutter upon hearing the word daughter, although he has no clue if she is his age or not. Helen, meanwhile, is flustered at this — gesturing around at their empty home. Vern throws his hands up and says “whoops”.

After a hectic day of last-minute decorating, the Gentries host executive officer Reese Johnson (Morris Chestnut). The two of them salute one another and Vern commends Reese on his Bronze Star from the Aleutian Islands in World War II. Reese introduces himself to Helen and Buzz before seeing an extra plate at the dinner table. He apologizes and says that his daughter must be running late putting on her make-up or something. He asks if he can be excused momentarily.

At the Johnson household, Gwen (Sydney Park) is passed out on the couch. The phone begins ringing and it wakes her up. The first thing she sees is the clock on the wall and realizes she overslept. Instead of answering the phone, assuming her father is on the other line, she quickly throws on a sweater and briefly brushes her hair.

Gwen arrives at the Gentrie’s house and Reese introduces his daughter, visibly disappointed at her tardiness and disheveled look. He jokes to Helen under his breath that he must’ve been wrong about Gwen doing her make-up. Gwen apologizes and says she’s still a little jet-lagged from the flight. She looks across the table and her eyes briefly meet with Buzz’s. Despite being brief, a perceptive Helen notices and the first thing she asks is Gwen’s age. She reveals she’s 16, prompting Helen to give knowing look to 16-year-old Buzz.

As their supper progresses, the families get along as well as they get to know each other better. They talk a bit about Gwen’s late mother, who was a Korean immigrant herself. Vern, who is in a good mood, says they should have some dessert. He requests the kids grab some ice cream and some bowls. In the kitchen, Gwen reaches for some bowls and the top shelf, hastily-assembled, collapses. This causes a domino effect that sees all three shelves fall down on one another and all the dishes shatter. Gwen immediately freezes in place and her face becomes red. Buzz whispers to her not to worry about it, as he will take the fall for this one. She thanks him. The three parents enter the kitchen and see the mess. Before Gwen can say something, Buzz holds up the ice cream and asks if they can just eat directly out of the tub.

END CREDITS SONG: "Rauncy" - Ernie Freeman
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4j1wO5Td9g