History Recap / TheTwilightZone1959S3E21KickTheCan

-->'''Creator/RodSerling''': Sunnyvale Rest, a home for the aged. A dying place, and a common children's game called "Kick the Can", that will shortly become a refuge for a man who knows he will die in this world, if he doesn't escape into The Twilight Zone.

Charles Whitley, an old man living in Sunnyvale Rest Home, gets depressed when his son visits and doesn't take him home like he said he would. After watching some children playing outside, he is struck with a sense of inspiration and says that he's discovered the secret of youth: if you act young, you become young. His childhood friend, the grumpy and cynical Ben Conroy, claims this theory to be ridiculous. Charles starts horsing around and acting like a child, but the others tell him to cut it out or he'll risk being locked in an asylum. That night, Charles wakes the other residents and tells them his idea. Although skeptical at first, they agree to try it, going out into the street to play the classic childhood game of kick-the-can. Charles asks Ben to join them, but Ben angrily refuses to participate in such foolishness. Charles tries to convince Ben to at least try something new, but Ben remains adamant, so Charles sadly goes out and joins the game.

Ben contacts the home's superintendent, Mr. Cox, and asks him to help round up the rambunctious old people. They go out into the street to find several children playing kick-the-can. Mr. Cox chases the children away, but one of them stays behind to stare at Ben. Ben quickly recognizes him as a child version of Charles. Now believing that his friend was right, Ben begs little Charles for forgiveness and a second chance, but the former elder no longer recognizes him and runs away, leaving Ben in the dust. Mr. Cox comes back and tells Ben that he can't find the retirees anywhere, but Ben says they ''won't'' be found. He picks up the can and sadly walks back into the home, having paid the price for his disbelief.

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-->'''Creator/RodSerling''': Sunnyvale Rest, a dying place for ancient people, who have forgotten the fragile magic of youth. A dying place for those who have forgotten that childhood, maturity, and old age are curiously intertwined and not separate. A dying place for those who have grown too stiff in their thinking - to visit - The Twilight Zone.

-->'''Creator/RodSerling''': Sunnyvale Rest, a home for the aged - a dying place and a common children's game called kick-the-can, that will shortly become a refuge for a man who knows he will die in this world, if he doesn't escape into - The Twilight Zone.

An old man named Charles Whitley gets depressed when his son visits, but doesn't take him home like he said he would. After watching some children playing outside, he is struck with inspiration and says he's discovered the secret of youth. If you act young, you'll become young. His childhood friend, fellow retiree Ben Conroy, now a cynical and grumpy old man, says that is ridiculous. Charles starts horsing around, acting like a child, but the others tell him to cut it out or else he'll be put away.

That night, Charles wakes up the other residents of the retirement home and tells them his idea. Although skeptical at first, they agree to try it, and go out into the street to play kick-the-can, a fun childhood game. Charles asks Ben to join them, but he angrily says he will not participate in foolishness. Charles tries to convince his friend to at least try something new, but Ben is adamant, so Charles sadly goes out and joins the game.

Ben contacts the home's superintendent, Mr. Cox, and asks him to help round up the old people. They go out into the street to find several children playing kick-the-can. Mr. Cox chases the children away, but one stays and stares at Ben. Ben quickly recognizes him as the child version of Charles. Now a believer, Ben begs for forgiveness and a second chance, but Charles apparently doesn't recognize him and runs away, leaving Ben in the dust. Mr. Cox comes back and says he can't find the retirees anywhere, but Ben says they won't be found. He picks up the can and sadly walks back into the home.

-->'''Creator/RodSerling''': Sunnyvale Rest, a dying place for ancient people, who have forgotten the fragile magic of youth. A dying place for those who have forgotten that childhood, maturity, and old age are curiously intertwined and not separate. A dying place for those who have grown too stiff in their thinking - to visit - The Twilight Zone.

* AssholeVictim: Downplayed. Ben is more of a GrumpyOldMan than a {{Jerkass}}, but as the only character who doesn't try to act like a child, he stays the same age.
* AdaptationDeviation: In the original episode, it is Charles Whitley, a long-time resident of the Sunnyvale Rest Home, who suggests playing the game of Kick the Can that makes him and the other residents (bar Ben Conroy) young again. All of the formerly elderly people choose to remain young. In the ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie'' adaptation, the newly arrived resident Mr. Bloom takes the place of Charles. After being children for only a short time, all of the residents except for Mr. Agee ask to become old again. Mrs. Dempsey is upset that she will live out her life without ever meeting her beloved husband Jack. Mrs. Weinstein does not want to go through the pain of losing loved ones all over again. Mr. Mute does not want to have to go through school all over again.
* CanonForeigner: Mr. Bloom, Mrs. Dempsey and Mr. and Mrs. Weinstein are major characters in ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie''. None of them appear in the original episode.

* BittersweetEnding: Most of the retirees regain their youth, but Ben is left alone.
* FountainOfYouth: Charles convinces the other Sunnyvale Rest Home residents, with the exception of Ben, that playing kick-the-can in the street is the key to recapturing their lost youth. When he and the superintendent Mr. Cox investigate, Ben finds that Charles and the others have regressed to young children. After this transformation, the young Charles fails to recognize Ben.
* GenderFlip: In the original episode, the Sunnyvale Rest Home administrator is Mr. Cox. In ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie'', it is Miss Cox.
* GrumpyOldMan: Ben.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Charles and Ben have been friends for almost their entire lives.
* InnocenceLost: Charles regrets that growing up means having to let go of childhood games and beliefs, recalling that Ben once believed in magic. He thinks that people start to grow old as soon as they stop playing these games.
* MissedTheCall: Ben's failure to step out of his comfort zone, even for a moment, bars him forever from joining the others.
* RealAfterAll: Charles' belief in magic is proven to be right.
* TheRemake: This episode was remade as the second segment of ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie''. It was directed by Creator/StevenSpielberg.
* ScatterbrainedSenior: Mr. Cox dismissively assumes Charles has become one of these due to his childlike behavior, but this is far from the case. It probably ''is'' happening to some of the other residents (one of them recalls the same childhood memory twice in a row), but since they're all willing to indulge in a bit of fun with Charles for old time's sake, they turn out fine in the end.
* SillyRabbitCynicismIsForLosers: Ben stubbornly refuses to step out of his comfort zone and embrace his friends FountainOfYouth and have just a little bit of fun. They become young children, while Ben is stuck alone in the rest home by himself.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Young Charles doesn't recognize Ben when he sees him at the end.

* ScatterbrainedSenior: Mr. Cox dismissively assumes Charles has become one of these due to his childlike behavior, but this is far from the case. It probably ''is'' happening to some of the other residents (one of them recalls the same childhood memory twice in a row), but since they're all willing to indulge in a bit of fun with Charles for old time's sake, they turn out fine in the end.

* TheRemake: This episode was remade as the second segment of ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie''. It was directed by Creator/StevenSpielberg.

!!Tropes:

* MissedTheCall: Ben's failure to step out of his comfort zone, even for a moment, bars him forever from joining the others.

-->'''Creator/RodSerling''': Sunnyvale rest, a home for the aged - a dying place and a common children's game called kick-the-can, that will shortly become a refuge for a man who knows he will die in this world, if he doesn't escape into - The Twilight Zone.

* BittersweetEnding: Most of the retirees regain their youth, but Ben is left alone.

-->'''Creator/RodSerling''': Sunnyvale Rest, a dying place for ancient people, who have forgotten the fragile magic of youth. A dying place for those who have forgotten that childhood, maturity, and old age are curiously intertwined and not separate. A dying place for those who have grown too stiff in their thinking - to visit - The Twilight Zone.

An old man named Charles Whitley gets depressed when his son doesn't visit, but says he's discovered the secret of youth. If you act young, you'll become young. His childhood friend, fellow retiree Ben Conroy, now a cynical and grumpy old man, says that is ridiculous.

Ben contacts the home's superintendent, Mr. Cox, and asks him to help round up the old people. They go out into the street to find several children playing kick-the-can. Mr. Cox chases the children away, but one stays and stares at Ben. Ben quickly recognizes him as the child version of Charles. Now a believer, Ben begs for forgiveness and a second chance, but Charles says it is too late and runs away, leaving Ben in the dust. Mr. Cox comes back and says he can't find the retirees anywhere, but Ben says they won't be found. He picks up the can and sadly walks back into the home.

An old man named Charles Whitley says he's discovered the secret of youth. If you act young, you'll become young. His childhood friend, fellow retiree Ben Conroy, now a cynical and grumpy old man, says that is ridiculous.