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The Point of the North to South Brothers Car Trip


Marvin and Buddy and Bobby when they lived at home sharing the same bedroom couldn't get along many times and their father wanted them to make sure and that they could get along just for 5 minutes. Finally when they grow up, Marvin just finished with the air force, Buddy just finished college at Architecture School and Bobby just done for the year at an institution academy that he needed to go to.

Their father orders a car which the Libner Brothers thought was their old car from a long time ago but later on they find out that it wasn't. Even though their father wants that car delivered without a scratch as a gift to their mother, after they arrive at their destination they finally find out that the car itself wasn't the main point of the North South Cross Country Journey from Detriot to Florida. The main point was when Marvin told his Dad "We all got together". We all got together which was their fathers wish for a long time was the point of it from teaching them to be be together and get along together as brothers and know each other better after being separated from 3 to 5 years.

There were other mishaps that I wish didn't happen like if Marvin didn't speed along the road, then they wouldn't have knocked over that sign and had to wipe themselves out all the money all three of them had on them. Plus when Marvin made that call he could have tried to ask his Dad to wire them some money where he was at.

Plus how can their father wish them to get together when from my judging Fred couldn't get along with his brother Phil and when Phil came by to see that Stop Sign he was working on the two of them had an arguement but the thing that bugs me the most is they are broke. So I am wondering if their parents gave them more money or if Uncle Phil came through the next week when he had the money. Plus I am also wondering why Doc would still charge the Libner Brothers for the car fixing even though they did more work with his materials fixing it or maybe its because they used his material even though they helped him with the fixing but a place like Maaco never lets customers help them but that year Maaco didn't exist.

Yet another thing I learned was it only costs in 1963, three dollars to feed 3 people a big meal in a diner yet today it costs over 10 bucks for some decent meal there for one person. If prices were low how can a fine be as high as that amount when back in 1963 250 bucks is the same as 5000 bucks is today.

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The point of the trip was that the father wanted the three of them to get together and get along before he died. If you notice, Alan Arkin never takes off his hat, and his eyebrows are very, very thing. That's because he's been going through chemo.

Marvin doesn't ask Dad for money because he wants to do as his father said - get the car back without a scratch. So they have to use their own money to get the car fixed. Them putting their money together (and their heads together) worked for the story, and kind of showed that they could take care of themselves once Dad died. So they're broke - we've all been there.

Doc charged them because a) they used his shop and parts b) it added to the comedy to have the "Cadillac Surgeon" sitting by while the boys did all the work. And yes, this is way before Maaco.

I can't help you re: the fine. I do remember that right around that time, gas was about 30 cents a gallon. I was very young then, but those were the days!

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Smart pickup on the hat! I missed that.

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