George is visiting his folks.
ESTELLE: Georgie, your father and I have a surprise for you.
GEORGE: Oh God.
FRANK: Your mother and I are gonna renew our vows.
GEORGE: Renew your vows? The vows you recited at your wedding? I’ve got news for you. Whatever they were, they didn’t take.
ESTELLE: Don’t get smart with us, Georgie! Your father and I want to renew the love we have for each other! And you’re giving me away.
George reacts.
Then at the coffee shop with Jerry:
JERRY: Giving her away? You should be thrilled. Just as long as you don’t have to take her back.
GEORGE: They’re throwing a ceremony. The whole kit and caboodle.
JERRY: Notice it’s never half a kit and caboodle?
GEORGE: (annoyed) Yeah. I’ve noticed. Oh and get this – Kramer’s my father’s Best Man.
JERRY: He’s never been the best anything.
GEORGE: My folks are renewing their vows. And Ellen, who is again dumping me, keeps renewing her vow never to see me again.
Kramer enters and joins them.
GEORGE: How come you’re the Best Man?
KRAMER: I think that goes without saying.
GEORGE: This whole thing’s a joke. They’ve been at each other’s throats for forty years. How can renewing their vows change anything?
KRAMER: I’ll tell you what you should do. Bring a notary to the ceremony and have him certify the vows. That way, they’ll have to abide by them or they can be locked up for perjury.
GEORGE: (a beat) Kramer, that’s a brilliant idea.
JERRY: Careful. You could be locked up for perjury.
GEORGE: No, don’t you see? Either they’ll have to love and obey each other, and stop their incessant yelling, or they’ll be thrown in jail. Either way – I win!
Later at the renewal ceremony…
KRAMER: (to Estelle) Just look at you. You’re the picture of relative youth!
ESTELLE: Relative?
KRAMER: No, I’m just the best man, but I feel like family.
GEORGE: Where’s the notary? This has disaster written all over it, I just know it.
JERRY: Relax. You’re not losing a mother, you’re losing your mind.
NOTARY: Sorry I’m late. Half-way here, I remembered I forgot my seal.
GEORGE: You remembered you forgot your seal?
JERRY: He remembered. And he forgot. He’s Even-Steven.
NOTARY: (to Frank) Before you recite your vows, I’ll need you to sign them.
FRANK: What are you talking about? Who the hell are you?
NOTARY: Your vows. I’m the notary.
Justice of the Peace hands vows to notary.
FRANK: I didn’t order any notary.
GEORGE: I did. It’s my little gift to you. To make sure that this time… they’re official.
FRANK: What are you talking about?
GEORGE: Your vows! The love you two express for each other has to be given… the gravitas and respect it deserves. If you abide by your vows… everything will be hunky-dory.
FRANK: And what if I don’t?
GEORGE: … I’m sure they’ll let you two have conjugal visits.
FRANK: Here, give me the damn paper.
Frank signs it.
GEORGE: (to Jerry) Now I know how Carter felt when he pulled off that peace treaty.
ELAINE: Can we get this show on the road? I need to get back to de-linting sweaters for Mr. Pitt.
JERRY: He’s got you de-linting sweaters now?
ELAINE: Hey, it’s a step up from un-salting his pretzels.
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE: We’re gathered here today to witness the re-joining of Frank and Estelle Costanza. May I have the vows please?
Notary hands him the freshly sealed and document to refer to.
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE: (reading) “I, Frank Costanza, take again as my wife, Estelle Costanza…”
KRAMER: (teary-eyed) This part always gets me.
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE: “ … as a continual thorn in my backside…”
GEORGE: Continual thorn? Stop! Let me see that. (Grabs vows, starts reading) “…to aggravate me for the rest of my life. I, Estelle Costanza, take again as my husband, Frank Costanza, the cheapest man who doesn’t clip his ear hair I’ve ever known…” Are you nuts? You can’t recite these vows!
FRANK: Why not? They come from our hearts.
ESTELLE: Your father’s right. For a change.
NOTARY: Their new vows are on an affidavit on which they’ve already affirmed under penalty of perjury that the information is the truth. Your father signed it in my presence. Notice my seal.
GEORGE: I see your seal! Well that’s just great. Now they’re legally obligated to drive each other bonkers, along with me!
JERRY: (to notary) Question: The next time my friend here gets a Dear John letter, if your seal isn’t on it, does that mean he didn’t officially get dumped?
NOTARY: No, he’d still be dumped.
JERRY: (to George) Hey, I tried.
.
You might also like:
Seinfeld: George’s parents get a vow renewal
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=15132
The Seinfeld episode about a Notary
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=10208
