Happy Days (TV Series)

Welcome Home: Part 2 (1983)

Ron Howard: Richie Cunningham

Photos 

Quotes 

• Richie Cunningham : [an angry Richie has been drinking heavily at a local bar... Fonzie is trying to take him home]  I would REALLY like to be alone right now.

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : No you don't.

  Richie Cunningham : Let's get something straight right now, all right? The days when The Fonz can come riding in and solve all my problems with a few choice words are long gone! So why don't you leave-a-mundo?

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : You're absolutely right. This is not a frosh mixer. I can't fix you up with a date, but you are my friend, we can talk about it and I haven't said 'a-mundo' in an awful long time!

  [Richie turns away] 

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : Fine... you don't wanna say anything, we won't talk. Then we'll go home. You know why? 'Cause there's a lotta people worried about you.

  Richie Cunningham : [angry]  I'll leave when I damn well feel like leaving!

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : Good plan... good plan.

  [gets up] 

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : Except something in my soul tells me that you want to leave

  [yanks chair out from under Richie's feet] 

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : right now. So Richie, put the beer down and let's go home, OK?

  [Richie stands up and punches Fonzie in the face] 

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : So we got that out of our systems, right? Come on, Richie. Let's go.

  Richie Cunningham : I said I'll leave when I feel like it!

  [swings at Fonzie again and misses] 

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : [Fonzie restrains him and pins him to a pool table]  What, are you crazy? You think I'm gonna let you do that a second time?

  Richie Cunningham : I'm gonna get you for that, Fonz! I'm gonna kick your butt!

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : Right... right.

  Richie Cunningham : [Richie slowly comes to his senses]  Fonz... what am I doing? I'm going crazy!

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : [gently]  It's OK... you're OK. Wanna get up.

  Richie Cunningham : [softly]  Yeah.

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : [Fonzie releases him and pats his shoulder]  You're OK.

  Richie Cunningham : Man... I can't live like this. I can't go around living my life pretending I'm happy all the time! It's no good, Fonz! It's no good!

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : I get the picture. You've been living your life for everybody else, right? You've been the perfect son, the perfect student, the perfect father...

  Richie Cunningham : [interrupting]  Perfect soldier!

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : Perfect friend!

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : It's time to take responsibility for your own life. You've gotta do what you wanna do, Richie.

  Richie Cunningham : [shakes his head]  No, it's not that simple. See, my dad got me that job at the newspaper.

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : So what?

  Richie Cunningham : My wife, Lori Beth, has her heart set on living in Milwaukee!

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : Your wife Lori Beth has her heart set on spending the rest of her life with you! Don't sell her short! I mean, she loves you, Richie! She'll back you in anything you want to do! We all will!

  Richie Cunningham : Look, you're single. You don't know what it's like having people depending on you each and every day!

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : [raising eyebrows]  Are you delirious? All right, I'll be fair with you... I don't have a wife and kids. But if I had yours, I would let nothing stop me!

• Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : [enters through kitchen]  Hey Richie! I got 'em! Two first-class tickets to Tinseltown!

  Richie Cunningham : First class? Oh, Fonz... I can't afford First Class.

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : Of course you can... I got 'em from Yolanda down at the travel agency. One more date and you're going to Europe!

  [awkward silence] 

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : Well, I guess this is it, huh?

  Richie Cunningham : Yeah. Fonz, listen... um, I'm a writer... or at least I hope so.

  [pulling envelope from his jacket] 

  Richie Cunningham : Yet sometimes it's a little easier to express myself with words. I wrote this to you this morning. Because I knew when we were face to face like this, that I... well, I might not be able to find the words. How do you thank somebody who's been everything to you?

  [Fonzie nods] 

  Richie Cunningham : Your brother, your protector. You delivered my own child. I just don't know how I can ever say that.

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : [shrugs]  I think you just did.

  [Richie goes to put the letter back in his pocket, but Fonzie takes it from him... he whispers as his voice breaks] 

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : I just wanna tell ya... that I love you. Very much.

  [walks out] 

• Richie Cunningham : [an angry Richie has been drinking heavily at a local bar... Fonzie is trying to take him home]  I would REALLY like to be alone right now.

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : No you don't.

  Richie Cunningham : Let's get something straight right now, all right? The days when The Fonz can come riding in and solve all my problems with a few choice words are long gone! So why don't you leave-a-mundo?

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : You're absolutely right. This is not a frosh mixer. I can't fix you up with a date, but you are my friend, we can talk about it and I haven't said 'a-mundo' in an awful long time!

  [Richie turns away] 

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : Fine... you don't wanna say anything, we won't talk. Then we'll go home. You know why? 'Cause there's a lotta people worried about you.

  Richie Cunningham : [angry]  I'll leave when I damn well feel like leaving!

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : Good plan... good plan.

  [gets up] 

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : Except something in my soul tells me that you want to leave

  [yanks chair out from under Richie's feet] 

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : right now. So Richie, put the beer down and let's go home, OK?

  [Richie stands up and punches Fonzie in the face] 

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : So we got that out of our systems, right? Come on, Richie. Let's go.

  Richie Cunningham : I said I'll leave when I feel like it!

  [swings at Fonzie again and misses] 

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : [Fonzie restrains him and pins him to a pool table]  What, are you crazy? You think I'm gonna let you do that a second time?

  Richie Cunningham : I'm gonna get you for that, Fonz! I'm gonna kick your butt!

  Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli : Right... right.

• Richie Cunningham : [Richie tells his parents and Joanie that he's moving his family to California]  Everything you said made a lot of sense... it was good advice. But I talked it over with Lori Beth, and we've decided that we have to give this a chance.

  [pause] 

  Richie Cunningham : Look, when we get to California, I might have to get an odd job or something. But this is what I really, really want to do.

  [pause] 

  Richie Cunningham : Now the only regret I have is that I have to say goodbye.

  Howard Cunningham : [standing up, addressing Marion]  Give me that famous, pre-signed checkbook of yours, will ya?

  [Marion hands it to him] 

  Richie Cunningham : Dad, Dad... now wait... wait a minute... I really don't want to take any of your money.

  Howard Cunningham : Richard, you remember before when I was telling you about the sacrifices I made for my family? Well, for a little while, I forgot why. But it's because I wanted my children to go as far as their gifts could take them.

  [hands him a blank check] 

  Howard Cunningham : Now you take this and you fill in whatever amount you think you need.

  Marion Cunningham : [stands up]  You know something? I don't know when I've been so proud of both of you. And now you're gonna leave just when I'm getting used to your moustache! It's gonna look very nice... on a screenwriter.

  Richie Cunningham : [gratefully]  Thanks, Mom.