Fallen Angel (2003) Movie Script
1
I suppose our lives
are really just a collection
of moments.
Some moments tell us who we are,
others, what we might have been.
Hey.
Hey, Chief.
It's the birthday boy!
You going any way
in particular, Terry?
Going to see my dad.
Your old man was supposed
to come fishing with me
before it got too cold.
He's working.
Well, someday.
When he's not working, okay?
Okay.
All right.
Happy birthday.
Thanks.
I mark my ninth birthday
at the moment I tried
to cross the distance
dividing my father and me.
I went looking for my father
in a world he kept separate
from me.
A world of summer people
who came to Rose Point.
My father worked
as their caretaker,
opening their mansion cottages
at the end of May each year,
and maintaining them
through the long Maine winters.
It was a place where people
named their houses: Northwinds,
Fairhaven, Kettlecove
and here, Serenity Cottage.
Some men are making money
right now.
I'm making ice.
What are you doing there?
You lost?
I thought you were going
to the carousel.
I thought maybe
we could go together.
Can't. I got work to do.
See, I have a job.
And these people,
they can take away my job,
just like that.
And then where would we be, hmm?
Poor.
You got it.
The Wentworth family
is coming up
to Serenity Cottage
for Christmas again.
They want a skating rink.
Where they come from?
New York City.
It's backwards, you know.
No heat. The pipes will freeze.
I guess people are just silly
sometimes.
Anyway, I've a mountain to climb
to get this place ready.
Can I help?
What do these people think
they're doing?
Don't they know it's
winter up here yet?
I wonder.
Summer people.
They're supposed
to migrate with the birds.
We shouldn't have to deal
with them again until June.
Get the door, huh?
Don't touch anything.
Look, this isn't a place
for kids.
His shop was
my father's kingdom,
a place where my mother,
when she was alive,
had never been welcomed.
This was the center of his life
and I longed to be a part of it.
Son.
Stay clear.
The top.
Got it?
Got it.
First thing we gotta do
is them shutters at Serenity.
Be sure you dress warm now.
Yep? Morning, Mac.
Morning!
You want some coffee?
No, that's all right.
I just stopped by
to drop something off.
For me?
Maybe you should wait for
Christmas to open that, hmm?
Nah, go ahead
and open it now...
t's a birthday present, too.
Wow. A fingerprinting kit.
Just like the ones
we use at the station.
Well, we gotta get going.
Yeah, go out and freeze
to death, you two.
What do you say?
Thanks, Chief.
Ah, you're welcome, son.
You go and, uh, keep
your old man in line now.
Well, come on.
Let's get 'em settled.
Where are we? It's freezing.
Serenity!
I don't know why
I let you talk me into this.
Here we are.
Ah, everything looks great, Mac.
Thanks, Mac. Thanks a million.
Sure.
And you, you must be
your father's right-hand man.
Charles Wentworth.
I'm Terry McQuinn.
A strong handshake. That's good.
How old are you, son?
Nine.
Wow. What are you,
tall for your age?
This is my daughter, Katherine
and she's...
You want to tell Terry
how old you are, Teapot?
Mm-hmm. I'm four.
Hey.
So, what do you want
for Christmas, son?
I already got this.
It's a fingerprinting kit.
Wow. Look at that.
Teapot, should we give Terry
our fingerprints?
Put your thumb here.
Press and do mine.
And your other fingers there.
All right. Okay.
Fingerprint.
And there?
Yep.
Boom!
Boom!
Look how pretty yours are.
Here, you want to keep them?
Thank you.
You know what?
I'm gonna put these
in a safe place.
Aren't we going to go see
the sick children, Daddy?
Yes, we are, sweetheart.
You know what?
I want you to go upstairs.
I want you to wash
the ink off your hands.
I'll be right down, okay?
Excuse me, Mac.
I'll be right back.
Sure.
Come on, sweetheart.
Let's get those hands washed
and something warm to drink.
Okay.
I don't remember it
being this cold.
It's winter, ma'am.
Ho, ho, ho, ho!
Oh, not that again.
Come here!
My husband has been apologizing
for my money ever since
he began spending it.
But he makes up for it
on the tennis court,
don't you, dear?
And the golf course.
He used to be an All-American
football hero.
That's enough, dear.
That's enough.
Hey, Mac, will you let
your son come with us?
It's a tradition of mine.
Every Christmas we try
and cheer up the children
at the hospital.
Come on. We won't be gone long.
Oh, come on, Mac.
It's Christmas.
Christmas is a time
for children, right?
Come on.
Come on, Teapot.
Ho, ho, ho, ho!
It's Santa!
Are there children in here?
Ho, ho!
You look like you need
a Christmas present.
Merry Christmas.
Ho, ho, ho, ho!
Merry Christmas.
Have you been good?
Bring one to your
friend over there.
Hold on.
Merry Christmas!
Give this kid a present.
Thank you!
Merry Christmas!
Can you skate, son?
Not really.
I have skates.
That's right. She can
really fly across the ice,
can't you, Teapot?
Uh-huh. You taught me daddy.
We'll be back at the
cottage in no time.
Whoa!
Katie!
Katie!
Look out, Katie!
Are you all right?
Are you all right?
Oh, my... God...
Yeah, I need you to make
a report on it, all right?
Take the measurements.
It's okay.
Let me help you, Katherine.
There.
We're gonna be okay.
What happened?
A woman's dead.
Her child's in surgery now.
They broke down by the side
of the road.
Wentworth's car ran over them.
He's disappeared.
Disappeared?
We're out looking for him now.
Thank you...
for bringing him home.
You shouldn't have been
in that man's car.
Someday you'll know
who you are...
and where you belong.
There were a lot of prayers
that Christmas.
Prayers that the child
would survive.
Prayers that Mr. Wentworth
would be found.
None of the prayers
was answered.
Mrs. Wentworth had my father
close the place that winter.
He never took me to work
with him again.
Hey, Terry, nice speech..
Dad.
Hey, what are you doing here?
Thanks for coming.
Oh, no.
That ceremony over already?
Should've known better than
to expect you to be there.
Yeah, well, Mr. Jacobi called me
and I just didn't think it
would take me this long.
Couldn't he get one of his other
lackeys to get ice for him?!
What did you say?
You heard me.
Climbing over that gate...
You can get arrested for that.
We've never had a criminal
in this family before.
We've never had a family.
Never had a family?
Then who've I been working
for all my life, hmm?
A bunch of people
that don't care about you.
I have spent my entire life
providing for you.
Well, Dad, you did a great job.
You get out of here.
You get out of here now and
don't ever bother me at work again!
Yeah. I'd better let you go.
I think I hear
Mr. Jacobi calling.
I hope you get
a big tip for this.
You know what your problem is?
You think you're better than me.
Oh, I will be.
I'm shoving off, Pop.
I'll try to keep in touch.
That day, I took a vow
that I would be a better man
than my father.
I wouldn't lose sight of
the things that are important.
Charlie, that outline you sent
over is totally unacceptable.
Bill Sanders is never
going to approve it.
Now, I need to hear back
from you ASAP.
And if you can't reach me here,
try me on my cell.
I want to hear back
from you right away.
Hey, Bill. What's up?
The Chandler deal got
the green light.
Well, I told you not to worry.
That takes care of
your weekend. Sorry.
Don't be.
I'll talk to you later, Terry.
All right.
Wendy, there it is.
I need that by noon, all right?
Hey, six girls from the typing
pool and the Swiss Alps.
Oh, that sounds like
Christmas to me.
Oh, I can't. Why not?
Too much work.
Deck the halls
with piles of money, huh?
Do they still have typing pools?
Terry McQuinn.
Hello, Terry.
It's your father.
My doctor wants
to speak with you.
Hi. Uh, my father
is a patient here.
His name, please.
Uh, McQuinn.
I'm sorry. I'm not finding him.
How do you spell that?
M-C-Q-U-I-N-N.
That's the last name.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Uh, I'd better call
his doctor for you.
Your father...
He died?
I'm sorry.
This is a very nice piece.
It should get a good price.
Mr. McQuinn, did you have a list
of things you'd like to keep?
I haven't been back here in
20 years; You can sell it all.
The auction house could
write you a check
for $5,000 for the whole lot.
$7,500.
I'll have to check.
I want everything out of here
by the end of the week,
so the realtor can start
showing the place.
That would be no problem, sir.
I never saw this.
Is that your mother?
She died when I was little.
I thought my father got rid
of all her photos after that.
He never wanted any up.
Hey, sleeping beauty!
Hey, you can't sit here.
Can I turn around here?
Be my guest.
Thanks.
I walked towards
Serenity Cottage,
thinking how far I'd ventured
from this place
and the person I'd been
when I'd last seen it.
The years now seemed
to have gone by in a flash.
I wonder if my father had
felt the same loss at the end,
if he'd been surprised at how
quickly his time had passed.
Please leave your number
for my Mommy.
All right. Um...
I'm calling from Rose Point.
Uh, here's the number...
It's 207-555-0139,
for your mommy.
Okay.
Hello.
Hi, I'm returning a call
to Mr. McQuinn.
There was a message
left last night.
Uh, yeah, yeah.
That was me. Yes.
Is everything okay, Mr. McQuinn?
Uh, I'm not Mr. McQuinn.
I mean, not the Mr. McQuinn
who's opening your cottage
for you. I'm his son.
His son?
When I spoke with your father,
he didn't tell me he had a son
working with him.
I'm not working with him.
I'm here from California
because my father died.
Mr. McQuinn died?
Yes, Yes...
I just spoke with your father
on Monday.
I'm-I'm so sorry.
How well did you know my father?
I didn't know him.
I've never been to Rose Point.
We just spoke on the phone.
I'm leaving. I was supposed
to leave last night.
I'm just trying to tie up
some loose ends here.
You'll have to find someone else
to open your cottage for you
if you're coming for Christmas.
Um, I'm sorry,
I'm going to have to go here.
I'll try
and call you back later.
Okay. I'm so sorry.
Bye.
Okay. Bye-bye.
Doctor Brand,
call extension 2357.
Doctor Brand,
call Extension 2357.
Respiratory therapist
to emergency.
Respiratory therapist
to emergency.
May I help you, sir?
Um, I, uh...
I wanted to buy some presents
for the children for Christmas.
There's a tree for presents,
down the corridor.
Would you like to contribute
to the Children's Gift Fund?
Uh, I knew a man
named Charles Wentworth.
Did you?
Yeah, I came to
this hospital with him
one Christmas Eve,
a long time ago.
We brought presents
for the kids.
That was the last time
I saw him.
30 years ago, on Christmas Eve,
after Charles Wentworth
delivered gifts
for the children,
there was a bad accident.
You remember.
Uh-huh.
Hmm.
I was on shift when
the little girl came in.
That poor family... and Charles.
He came to work here
a few years after that.
We became great friends.
Is he still here?
Oh, no. I'm so sorry.
I didn't mean to mislead you.
Charles is dead.
Now, since he passed away,
we established this fund
and every year at Christmas,
we bring gifts for the children,
in his memory.
Hey, can I show you something?
Come on.
I first met Charles
right in here.
He was standing here,
holding his mop
and he was gazing out
those windows.
Now, he worked nights,
and every once in a while
I would find him here
on his breaks.
He swore he could see the lights
of Rose Point from here.
Well... that's not possible.
Do you know why he ran away?
The police ruled
it was an accident.
There were no
charges against him.
He was lost.
He disappeared.
Charles killed a woman
and her child.
I think he would have
taken his own life
if it hadn't been
for his daughter.
He kept hoping
he'd see her again.
Of course, there was never
any chance of that.
Why not?
His wife divorced him
and took the child away
and he agonized over that.
And then one evening he just...
he just didn't show up for work.
And, I thought,
"Well, that's my fault
I finally pushed him too hard."
But then his brother came
and told me he'd died.
It was a heart attack.
Hey. How are you?
Good. You?
I'm all right, thanks.
Um, I could use some help.
That's what we're here for.
What can I do for you?
Well, I'm looking for someone
who can open up one of
the cottages at Rose Point.
We might be able
to find somebody.
I'll... I'll ask around.
What's your name?
Terry McQuinn.
My father
was caretaker out there.
Mac?
Oh, look, I'm real
sorry about your dad.
Thanks. There's a work order
in my father's shop
to open up Serenity Cottage
for Christmas.
Yeah. He was in here on Monday
telling me about it.
After all these years,
the Wentworth's daughter
is coming back.
The daughter?
Yeah?
Wendy... Can you hear me?
I'm still in Maine.
Yeah, I know. The contractor...
I know, I know, I know.
Look, uh... yeah there are
14 different things
I'm supposed to do
in the office today.
But look, I'm thinking of
staying here for a few days.
There's some work here...
Wendy, can you hear me?
Yeah. Can you hear me?
Hold on, I'm losing you,
hold on.
I'm going to go outside.
Hello?
Hold on.
Can you hear me?
Wendy...
Look, you're...
you're breaking up.
Um, let's... just put
all my calls on voice mail
and I'll check in later. Yeah.
Okay. Just get back to us, okay?
People say I should
sell this place.
But I'm not smart enough.
You followed me from Rose Point.
I saw a light. I thought...
Yeah, I was helping
a man open a cottage.
My father?
You're... you're Mac's boy?
I am.
Well, that's something.
He and I were talking
about you just the other day.
I'm going to miss him.
My name's Warren.
Terry.
I remember spending a lot
of time here when I was a kid.
Your father rebuilt most of
these carousel horses for me.
He charged me a small fortune
for the work.
But, uh, he was worth it.
Yeah, he was good
at what he did.
Oh yeah, he was the best.
So... you came home.
I won't be here long.
I'm going back to L.A.
in the next few days.
Oh yeah, you don't
want to stay around here.
This time of the year
there's nothing but cold here.
Oh, yeah...
you catch your plane tomorrow.
I can take care
of the cottage for Mac.
Nothing I can't handle there.
So, my father never
told you, I guess,
but Serenity Cottage
has quite a history.
No. Really?
You don't see stars
like this where I live.
Too much smog.
Well, good night.
Yeah.
12 bedrooms?
And a locked gate.
That sounds dreadful.
Well, I've rigged it
to stay open.
Eventually, I'll find the key.
Your father sent us keys.
Oh. That's good.
I never asked you your name.
Katherine.
Katherine.
Uh, are you sure
it's not going to be
too much of an imposition?
Olivia and I...
Olivia? Your daughter?
My sleeping beauty.
She's on my lap, snoring away.
How old is she?
Six.
Do you have any children?
No.
No, um, a friend of my father's
has offered
to open the cottage for you,
but I was thinking
that I-I may stay around
a few days to help him out.
Oh, oh, that would be
very kind of you.
We're so excited.
I've been telling Olivia
that our Maine days
are going to be live-over days.
Days so wonderful, you want
to live them over again.
Anyway, I'll let you go.
Um, have a safe trip home.
Yes. Good night.
Bye.
As a boy, I stood in this room
with my father,
and I had dreamed
of one day becoming him.
That was before we became
so angry at one another.
You knew these were here.
Hmm. These photographs...
All of these pictures...
Your father saved 30 years ago,
before the movers
could take them away.
When he showed me these
pictures for the first time,
he said that nobody
should ever be
completely forgotten
in this world.
Your father and I had
an argument, after he got word
to open up the place
again for Christmas.
I said we should take
all of these things away.
Why?
Sometimes, things are better
left the way they are.
Do you think
he saved these things,
in case she ever came back?
I don't know.
Imagine my old man
caring about these things.
I talked to a woman
at the hospital
who knew Charles Wentworth.
She told me he died.
So...
what do you say, son?
You want me to take over
from here,
so you can catch your plane?
There's nothing here that
I can't handle by myself.
Uh, you're probably right.
I ought to just hire you
to open the cottage
and head back home.
But I'd like to stay
a few more days,
get things started with you.
You know, it's amazing,
but I'm actually enjoying
getting some dirt on my hands,
for a change.
Well, it's whatever
you think is best.
Looks like I'll have to...
get me a different coat.
I spent half the night
working on that.
My father might not be
too impressed.
Don't sell yourself short.
It belongs to Serenity Cottage.
Never saw this picture before.
Hmm.
You may be too
young to remember,
but after your mother
became ill,
your father brought her
to ride the carousel
every Saturday morning.
Did he?
Hey. So, you stuck around
for awhile.
Yeah.
Decided to stay
and open the cottage
for Katherine Wentworth.
Didn't exactly bring
the right clothes
from California.
Well, good for you.
That's a big job.
Yeah, but I've got some help.
A friend of my
father's named Warren.
Oh, Warren Wentworth?
What did you say?
Warren.
The old-timer from the carousel.
Charles Wentworth's brother.
You're a bad liar.
I always was.
Do you want to
tell me the truth?
I wish you hadn't come home
from California.
That's no offense to you.
I don't mean to hurt you
in any way,
but this isn't easy for anybody.
What isn't easy?
The truth.
The symphony is on tonight.
Another half hour, I'd say.
It's the warmth
from the engines.
I think of them
as fallen angels,
spread out like that.
There's my brother.
Charles Wentworth.
You told the woman in
the hospital he was dead.
Yeah, Callie Bronson.
Well, she tried to fix
what couldn't be fixed.
He came apart after he met her.
He couldn't go back to work.
I thought that would be best,
but I-I don't know what's best.
I don't know what's right.
I don't know anything.
If you want to leave
those photographs
in the cottage
for Katherine, you can.
Roll down the window.
Call to him.
Tell him his daughter
is coming up here
to Rose Point for Christmas.
I don't know. Do...
do whatever's in your heart.
Why don't you hang on to these?
Are you still at Rose Point?
Yes, uh, I should be leaving
in a few days.
Look, I-I meant
to ask you, um...
what room did you sleep in
when you came here as a child?
I'm sorry.
I'm in the midst of a tickling
fight with a little monster.
Um, uh... I-I've never
been to Rose Point.
My mother closed the cottage
after my father left her.
Just before I was born.
Your mother
never brought you here?
No, too many painful memories,
I guess.
Oh, okay.
Well, I see.
I want to talk to him, Mommy.
Olivia!
Hello?
We're excited, Terry McQuinn!
Is there snow there?
Um, well, there's a little bit,
and I'm sure there's going to be
quite a bit more
when you get here.
Okay.
Oh, hi.
Well, uh, thanks for everything.
Don't mention it.
I'll, uh, I'll let you go, then.
Okay, okay. Good night.
Good night.
Some men are making money;
I'm making ice.
What does it look like, Mommy?
The house is the
color of the sky.
It's all blue, with windows
everywhere and shutters.
It has a huge porch,
and five chimneys
and it looks like a castle.
It's really beautiful.
Uh, hello.
I thought we were alone here.
Have you come to
Maine for Christmas?
Um, no... I-I'm Terry McQuinn.
Oh, you decided to stay?
I did.
Oh, I'm Katherine.
Nice to meet you.
Uh, this is my Olivia.
Uh, that's Lawrence,
our family friend
and driver.
Uh, Livvy, this is the nice man
who opened our house for us.
I remember you, Terry McQuinn.
You do?
Oh, oh, from-from the phone.
Well, um... we'd better
go in and get settled.
Yes.
It was a pleasure
to finally meet you.
It's great to meet you.
Hopefully, we'll see
you again soon.
Bye.
Bye.
Do you want a sandwich?
Take a sandwich.
The changes to paragraphs one,
two, nine and 12 are perfect.
However...
Uh, however, I suggest
we also make changes
to the terms of compensation.
It's just over there.
Hello again.
Good morning.
It's Terry McQuinn.
Yes, it is.
Was everything okay last night?
Yeah.
You did so much work for us.
I don't know how to thank you.
I had help. It was good work.
I... I enjoyed it.
Good for the soul, you mean.
Ah, but not for the hands.
Are we to blame for that?
Just my own stupidity.
I was thinking on the way up,
you must have worked here,
as a boy, with your father.
You may have met my mother.
Uh, my father only brought me
out here a couple of times.
He didn't think I belonged
out here.
Livvy's been fascinated
by the gate
from the moment
we first arrived.
One of these keys opens it.
Uh, I think
it was the small one.
Oh...
I dropped it.
Here, Mommy.
Wonderful!
Thank you, love.
You're welcome.
Here, you may want to make
yourself a copy?
Sure. I'll get this
right back to you.
Okay.
We've eaten,
but have you had any breakfast?
Um... I have, thanks.
But I was actually hoping
that you'd like to go with me
on a little adventure.
An adventure.
What did you have in mind?
I'd like to show you something.
Okay.
Were you warm enough last night?
We were fine.
I spent most of the night
walking from room to room.
It was strange,
but I couldn't get over
this incredible sense
of deja vu.
My mother swears she
never brought me here,
but she revises history.
She just told me about the place
last month,
before she and her new husband
left for Europe.
I think it was 'cause
she felt guilty.
Uh... you know what?
I, uh, I think I made
a wrong turn here.
I'm sorry.
Here, look what Olivia
found last night.
Uh, Lawrence said
they're someone's fingerprints.
A little Sherlock Holmes
must've stayed in
the cottage once.
Here it is.
Oh, Terry!
A carousel!
Olivia, what a special
surprise for us.
Thank you.
Olivia, there's a horse here
that's been waiting
for you to ride.
Really? Uh-huh.
Come on.
I'm gonna lift you up, okay?
Okay!
All righty, here you go.
There you go.
This one has a pretty mane.
Can you feel that?
Yeah, it feels wavy.
Bumpy.
I want to go, Mommy.
Okay, Teapot.
Well, a friend of mine
runs this place,
but he doesn't seem
to be around.
Oh! Oh!
It's a magical carousel ride.
So how long's the cottage
been in your family?
My understanding is that my
mother's grandfather bought it
after making a fortune inventing
a machine that made shoelaces.
Shoelaces? Amazing!
Does she see anything?
Not anymore.
Uh, up until the first year,
she could see bright lights.
I was teaching her colors,
but we never finished.
I don't know, Terry.
There's a lot that
is sad all around us,
but I'm trying to teach Olivia
that the world
is still beautiful.
I mean, bad things happen,
but it doesn't make a carousel
ride any less magical.
I loved the carousel,
Terry McQuinn.
Well, I'm glad you did.
You know, when
I was a little boy
the carousel was my favorite
thing in the world.
What's your favorite thing now
in the world?
That's a good question.
I guess, Olivia, that...
that I would have to say that
my favorite thing in the world
is the water.
What does the water
look like here?
Uh... it seems
to go out forever.
And there's this island
right out in the middle.
It's called Pumpkin Island.
Oh, let's go there, Mommy!
Oh, sweetheart, it's wintertime.
It's much too cold.
I'm not cold.
Are you cold, Terry?
Well... no.
As a matter of fact,
I'm not cold.
Please, Mommy?
We'll see.
Okay, we'll see.
You grew up in
a beautiful place.
I ran away from here.
To find fame and fortune?
Oh, I don't know anymore.
Just to be some place
far away from Maine.
You know, when I was a kid,
I was so determined
to leave here,
and now that I'm back, I...
the reasons why I left are
becoming less clear to me.
Don't we all try to escape where
we came from one way or another?
You think so?
Yeah.
My mother had all
the money in the world,
and yet she was unhappy.
And all I wanted to do was
to separate myself from that...
Do something meaningful.
And what was that?
Social work.
A far cry from Park Avenue.
You seem content.
Yeah, that's 'cause of Olivia.
She's a beautiful little girl.
Yeah, she is.
When I first met her,
she was nine months old,
and she'd already been
in four foster homes.
Nobody wanted a blind baby,
not even my ex-fianc.
I took her in.
Fell in love.
I couldn't give her away.
She's lucky to have you.
I'm the lucky one.
You know, Katherine,
doing this work
for you and Olivia...
it's the nicest thing
I've done in a long time.
Should I give it a try?
Sure, go on.
Be careful.
Okay!
How is it?
This is great!
Listen, uh, tonight, in the city
they're doing Dylan Thomas's.
A Child's Christmas in Wales.
Would you like to go with us?
If-If you're not too tired
from working.
I won't be too tired.
Good.
We'll pick you up at 7:30.
Do I need my tux?
Absolutely.
Over the hills we go
Laughing all the way,
ha, ha, ha!
Someone told me I might, uh...
find some men down here
to help clear the ice
off the cottage roofs.
I guess not.
We can ride the elevator
up from here, Olivia.
Mmm! That'll be fun.
That'll be fun.
Uh, you go ahead.
I'll be right there.
Okay.
Mommy... Mm-hmm?
Excuse me.
Would any of you like
to work for good wages?
It's, uh... ten dollars an hour.
More if you stay
through Christmas.
Can I take
some of these men with me?
Sure.
I'll pick you up
here in the morning.
What time?
7:00 okay?
Yeh.
Thank you.
Yeah, Wendy. It's Terry.
Uh... yeah, I got
your message last night.
When you get in
and you get this message...
uh, tell Sanders I'm drafting
a new version as we speak,
and I'll get it
to you right away.
Okay. Bye.
Whenever you're ready.
It's great
that you found those men.
What men?
Terry has some nice men
cleaning the
roof of the cottage.
Why?
Well, so that the roof
doesn't leak and fall in.
It's going to be
freezing out there.
I'm not cold.
Oh, that's right.
Terry, I didn't tell you.
Olivia doesn't get cold.
Do you?
Never.
No. Well, not even
the other night,
when you and Jack
were out walking?
Olivia, were you out
by yourself?
No, Mommy. Jack was with me.
Honey, you know
you're not meant to go out
without me or Lawrence.
I'm sorry. Jack
wanted to take a walk.
Jack always wants
to take a walk.
We'll talk about it later.
I think Jack really
likes it here.
I do, too.
How would you like to live here?
But what about all my friends
in New York?
We'll make new friends
here in Maine.
Terry is our friend already.
Hold on.
Would you live here with us,
Terry McQuinn?
We have 12 big bedrooms.
I counted them.
I feel like the
Swiss Family Robinson.
Just tie it off up there.
May I lift you out, Olivia?
Lift me, Terry.
Come here.
Aw.
Hey, you know what?
If I was Jack,
I'd be so glad to have
found a little girl like you.
Blind like me?
Exactly like you.
Come on, Jack.
Let's go.
Mommy, Jack found something.
What is it?
"Our beloved dog, Sally."
What is it, Mommy?
A dog is buried here.
Sally.
My mother talked
about a dog I had
when I was a little girl.
I don't remember the dog,
but her name was Sally.
It's your dog, Mommy.
That's why Jack and I found it.
No, darling. It couldn't be.
Let's go, Olivia.
We should start walking back.
She's so independent.
Olivia will always be the most
important person to me.
It's funny, I... I don't know
where it comes from...
The closeness I feel.
Olivia has taught me
to live in the present.
It's this great gift that
small children give to you.
There is no future to a child.
There is only what is here
and now in front of you.
What's happening?
Terry, be careful.
The water's freezing.
Terry!
Terry... oh!
What's going on?
Where is he?
Is he in the water?
Don't move!
Where is Terry?
Is he all right?
Come here, baby.
Put this on.
My hands are frozen.
Okay. Sit down, baby.
Okay, don't worry,
everything will be okay.
We'll be home soon.
But I need you to lie
next to Terry
to help keep him warm.
Here, grab the rope, will ya?!
Come in.
Feeling better?
Yeah. A hot shower
thawed me out pretty good.
Yeah, thank you.
Good, good. One of the men
would like to talk to you.
Sure.
He's driving us back.
You dry enough?
Yeah.
Uh, the other guys wanted me
to ask you for our money.
I said we could wait
if you can't pay it now.
No, no, no, of course, sure.
Um... will a hundred
for each of you be enough?
Oh, yeah, more than enough.
Okay, well, it's still
a little wet from the lake.
Here you go.
Thank you.
No, wait, please.
Do you remember the man
who was caretaker here?
You knew him once.
I'm... his son.
You and I have been
gone a long time.
But we've both come back.
In the hospital, there are
presents for the children.
They have your name on them.
My name?
Charles Wentworth.
Hey...
I won't be back tomorrow.
No, no. I-I can use the help.
I'm sorry.
Come on in.
You sure California can survive
this long without you, son?
I'm trying to help your brother.
Guess he couldn't handle it.
I want to show you something.
Come on.
He called me for
a ride this morning.
It's the first thing he's
asked me for in five years.
I don't want anything
to happen to him.
I don't want to lose him.
He was my brother long before
he had anything to do
with these people out here.
Warren, we have no right
to keep them apart.
When your father first told me
that she might be
coming up here,
I asked him if he knew
what kind of woman
she had grown into,
and, of course, he didn't.
I'm worried that she might
be like her mother.
She might hurt him.
Can you understand that?
I took them for a ride
on the carousel.
I know. I was there.
You may have been
right all along, Terry,
but I'm still concerned
that my brother
won't be able to face her.
We sat in the car
and waited for you
to come back that night.
Yeah, well, I couldn't
live with myself.
It was an accident.
It was a mother and her child.
I came back here, though.
I used to sleep on
people's boats in the harbor.
I hid in the woods
by the golf course.
I was here, I was here
hiding in the pump house
when the movers came.
I watched them.
I never came back here
after that.
They took everything important.
Not everything.
My father saved some photographs
of you with your daughter.
Ow!
So every year on December 25th,
we celebrate
the birth of Christ.
"C" is for Christmas.
What do you want
for Christmas, Olivia?
I don't know.
Hmm. Well, I'll bet
Santa Claus knows.
All right, I better get this
angel into her pajamas.
Just a little while more.
It's late.
You've had a busy day.
A live-over day, Terry.
For me, too.
Good night.
Bye, bye, pumpkin.
Hello.
Terry, it's Bill.
Listen, I've been all over Wendy
to get those contracts
back from you.
Yeah. I'm working on them.
Well, she says she sent them
to you days ago.
I'm doing them right now.
Listen, I know it's not
a good time, but...
Look, they're almost done.
You're busy.
I'll just leave this.
No, no, no. Come in.
Uh, Bill, uh, I, I'll get
'em to you tomorrow.
Some pie.
Thank you.
Lawrence survived it
but he has a cast-iron stomach.
I've got a fork here somewhere.
You fixed the sled here
with your father's tools.
Yeah, anything that doesn't fall
apart an hour after I fix it,
is a miracle.
If my father was here,
he could do it five times better
in one fifth the time.
It's good.
I've been thinking about what
you said to me...
...about how
Olivia has taught
you to live in the present.
How do you live?
The future, always.
You are only as good
as your next deal.
That's a tough way to live.
Yeah. I know.
I didn't used to think so.
This is the future, too.
Being here with you.
What do you mean?
I never knew it, but...
I've been waiting
a long time for this
and I've been looking for you.
Where?
Everywhere.
Maybe I shouldn't
have done that.
No, no.
It was the right thing to do.
You sure?
I'm sure.
This is hard for me.
When I adopted Olivia,
I built this small world for us
where I could love
and protect her.
I realize I've been
protecting myself
and I'm scared to let anyone in.
Katherine, that's
what my father did.
He built this small world
for himself.
Only he worked himself to death
because he never let anyone in.
Not even his own son.
Maybe he was afraid.
I don't know.
In my way,
I think for the last 20 years
I've been doing the exact
same thing
and I don't want to continue
to make that mistake.
You won't.
I'm in my pajamas,
all ready for bed.
Aren't you something?
I want Terry to tell me
a story tonight.
Oh, uh...
well, I've never told
a bedtime story before.
I think I have an idea.
You ready?
Yep.
You ready to try it?
Let's go, then.
Ticklish?
Yeah, ticklish!
Ticklish!
Look who's sleeping.
I told her a story about a bird
who invades mailboxes,
and carries away
all the unwanted mail.
The bills and the sad letters.
There was a child
who befriended the bird
and together they read
all the letters.
Rewrote them
and took out all the sad parts.
How does it end?
I'm not sure.
Maybe it's better that way.
For the last two nights,
she's wanted to sleep here.
Thank you.
Would you do something for me?
What?
I want you to go back
in your mind
to your earliest memory.
I don't have a good memory.
Just try.
Everybody says that.
Just try. You have to try.
I remember our family doctor
sitting on the end of my bed
telling me I had measles.
I must have been about six
or seven, I guess.
Go back farther.
I remember standing in the fog
on my first day of school.
I was wearing my shiny shoes.
My mother said I called
my patent leather shoes
"my shiny shoes."
I loved them.
Mm...
I remember those shoes.
Of course you do.
You were standing
right beside me.
The shoes had elastic straps
that held them on.
The right strap was loose
and the shoe kept falling off.
You couldn't know that.
Tell me how you know that.
I, I sprained my ankle
and the bandage had stretched
the elastic on my right shoe.
You couldn't have known that.
On my ninth birthday
I was given
a fingerprinting kit.
This is you, Katherine.
You were here, in this house.
I knew you when
you were a little girl.
And this is
your father.
You were here with him.
What are you talking about?
When you were a little girl,
you came to Rose Point
with your parents
for the holidays.
No, I, I, I never came here.
I never knew my father.
Yes, you did.
Your mother divorced him
and she took you away.
But he's still here.
You're not making any sense.
Katherine,
the man who helped us
the other day,
the one who carried you
from the boat.
His name is Charles.
Stop it, Terry!
Stop it!
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Stop it!
I've been wanting
to tell you, Katherine.
You didn't say anything!
I was trying
to do the right thing.
By keeping it from me?
I feel like a fool.
I went on and on
about never having been here.
I'm so sorry.
You knew.
My own father stood
right next to me
and you knew?
I was just trying
to respect his wishes.
And what about mine?
Did you think I wouldn't care?
I, I didn't know what to think!
There wasn't any plan.
When you first got here,
I wanted to tell you,
but then you seemed so happy.
I was worried
it would upset you.
Please...
Just go, Terry! Just go!
Yeah, uh-huh.
I seem to have settled
everything here.
I'm on a flight this afternoon.
I'll be in the office
in the morning.
All right.
I'll see you then.
Bye.
Hello, Olivia.
Terry!
I wanted to come
and say good-bye.
I'm sorry.
I have to go home now.
It's time to get back to my job.
Good-bye, Terry McQuinn.
Merry Christmas.
Charles!
I'm heading back to L.A.
this afternoon.
Well, it was nice
to see you again.
I told Katherine everything.
She knows who you are.
I wish you hadn't done that.
I didn't do it for you.
This belongs to you.
I think my father would want you
to have it.
They look very happy
together, don't they?
I remember that.
Do you?
You pulled through
for us again, Terry.
Percy is in love with the deal.
Ecstatic.
Well, that's good. I'm glad.
That's a big boost for you
up the partnership ladder.
Terrific.
I hate it.
It is the worst contract
I've ever seen.
I told you five times
a separate trailer for my gym.
I want to see
an acceptable contract by noon.
I'm not being rude.
This is just how I feel.
Well, Terry.
I'm sure you can handle it.
I'll talk to you later.
And don't forget lunch
with Switzer, huh?
This could be a big problem.
We could lose the client. Mary?
Robbins?
I don't know, Bill.
Terry, what do you think?
I think...
Terry?
Terry?
It's story time at my house.
Hello.
Merry Christmas, Terry.
Katherine?
I woke you. I'm sorry.
I didn't even think
about the time difference.
No, I was awake.
I wanted you to know...
we're all here.
My father. All of us.
I was hoping for that.
Well, thank you.
It's because of you.
I'm so glad it worked out.
Terry...
I-I was wrong.
I needed time to think.
When you left,
I realized everything.
I should never have let you go.
Katherine, are you sure?
I'm sure.
I've fallen in love with you.
I know
your life's out there now.
I know.
Not anymore.
Turn around.
What?
Just turn around.
I suppose our lives
are really just a collection
of moments.
Some moments tell us who we are,
others, what we might have been.
Hey.
Hey, Chief.
It's the birthday boy!
You going any way
in particular, Terry?
Going to see my dad.
Your old man was supposed
to come fishing with me
before it got too cold.
He's working.
Well, someday.
When he's not working, okay?
Okay.
All right.
Happy birthday.
Thanks.
I mark my ninth birthday
at the moment I tried
to cross the distance
dividing my father and me.
I went looking for my father
in a world he kept separate
from me.
A world of summer people
who came to Rose Point.
My father worked
as their caretaker,
opening their mansion cottages
at the end of May each year,
and maintaining them
through the long Maine winters.
It was a place where people
named their houses: Northwinds,
Fairhaven, Kettlecove
and here, Serenity Cottage.
Some men are making money
right now.
I'm making ice.
What are you doing there?
You lost?
I thought you were going
to the carousel.
I thought maybe
we could go together.
Can't. I got work to do.
See, I have a job.
And these people,
they can take away my job,
just like that.
And then where would we be, hmm?
Poor.
You got it.
The Wentworth family
is coming up
to Serenity Cottage
for Christmas again.
They want a skating rink.
Where they come from?
New York City.
It's backwards, you know.
No heat. The pipes will freeze.
I guess people are just silly
sometimes.
Anyway, I've a mountain to climb
to get this place ready.
Can I help?
What do these people think
they're doing?
Don't they know it's
winter up here yet?
I wonder.
Summer people.
They're supposed
to migrate with the birds.
We shouldn't have to deal
with them again until June.
Get the door, huh?
Don't touch anything.
Look, this isn't a place
for kids.
His shop was
my father's kingdom,
a place where my mother,
when she was alive,
had never been welcomed.
This was the center of his life
and I longed to be a part of it.
Son.
Stay clear.
The top.
Got it?
Got it.
First thing we gotta do
is them shutters at Serenity.
Be sure you dress warm now.
Yep? Morning, Mac.
Morning!
You want some coffee?
No, that's all right.
I just stopped by
to drop something off.
For me?
Maybe you should wait for
Christmas to open that, hmm?
Nah, go ahead
and open it now...
t's a birthday present, too.
Wow. A fingerprinting kit.
Just like the ones
we use at the station.
Well, we gotta get going.
Yeah, go out and freeze
to death, you two.
What do you say?
Thanks, Chief.
Ah, you're welcome, son.
You go and, uh, keep
your old man in line now.
Well, come on.
Let's get 'em settled.
Where are we? It's freezing.
Serenity!
I don't know why
I let you talk me into this.
Here we are.
Ah, everything looks great, Mac.
Thanks, Mac. Thanks a million.
Sure.
And you, you must be
your father's right-hand man.
Charles Wentworth.
I'm Terry McQuinn.
A strong handshake. That's good.
How old are you, son?
Nine.
Wow. What are you,
tall for your age?
This is my daughter, Katherine
and she's...
You want to tell Terry
how old you are, Teapot?
Mm-hmm. I'm four.
Hey.
So, what do you want
for Christmas, son?
I already got this.
It's a fingerprinting kit.
Wow. Look at that.
Teapot, should we give Terry
our fingerprints?
Put your thumb here.
Press and do mine.
And your other fingers there.
All right. Okay.
Fingerprint.
And there?
Yep.
Boom!
Boom!
Look how pretty yours are.
Here, you want to keep them?
Thank you.
You know what?
I'm gonna put these
in a safe place.
Aren't we going to go see
the sick children, Daddy?
Yes, we are, sweetheart.
You know what?
I want you to go upstairs.
I want you to wash
the ink off your hands.
I'll be right down, okay?
Excuse me, Mac.
I'll be right back.
Sure.
Come on, sweetheart.
Let's get those hands washed
and something warm to drink.
Okay.
I don't remember it
being this cold.
It's winter, ma'am.
Ho, ho, ho, ho!
Oh, not that again.
Come here!
My husband has been apologizing
for my money ever since
he began spending it.
But he makes up for it
on the tennis court,
don't you, dear?
And the golf course.
He used to be an All-American
football hero.
That's enough, dear.
That's enough.
Hey, Mac, will you let
your son come with us?
It's a tradition of mine.
Every Christmas we try
and cheer up the children
at the hospital.
Come on. We won't be gone long.
Oh, come on, Mac.
It's Christmas.
Christmas is a time
for children, right?
Come on.
Come on, Teapot.
Ho, ho, ho, ho!
It's Santa!
Are there children in here?
Ho, ho!
You look like you need
a Christmas present.
Merry Christmas.
Ho, ho, ho, ho!
Merry Christmas.
Have you been good?
Bring one to your
friend over there.
Hold on.
Merry Christmas!
Give this kid a present.
Thank you!
Merry Christmas!
Can you skate, son?
Not really.
I have skates.
That's right. She can
really fly across the ice,
can't you, Teapot?
Uh-huh. You taught me daddy.
We'll be back at the
cottage in no time.
Whoa!
Katie!
Katie!
Look out, Katie!
Are you all right?
Are you all right?
Oh, my... God...
Yeah, I need you to make
a report on it, all right?
Take the measurements.
It's okay.
Let me help you, Katherine.
There.
We're gonna be okay.
What happened?
A woman's dead.
Her child's in surgery now.
They broke down by the side
of the road.
Wentworth's car ran over them.
He's disappeared.
Disappeared?
We're out looking for him now.
Thank you...
for bringing him home.
You shouldn't have been
in that man's car.
Someday you'll know
who you are...
and where you belong.
There were a lot of prayers
that Christmas.
Prayers that the child
would survive.
Prayers that Mr. Wentworth
would be found.
None of the prayers
was answered.
Mrs. Wentworth had my father
close the place that winter.
He never took me to work
with him again.
Hey, Terry, nice speech..
Dad.
Hey, what are you doing here?
Thanks for coming.
Oh, no.
That ceremony over already?
Should've known better than
to expect you to be there.
Yeah, well, Mr. Jacobi called me
and I just didn't think it
would take me this long.
Couldn't he get one of his other
lackeys to get ice for him?!
What did you say?
You heard me.
Climbing over that gate...
You can get arrested for that.
We've never had a criminal
in this family before.
We've never had a family.
Never had a family?
Then who've I been working
for all my life, hmm?
A bunch of people
that don't care about you.
I have spent my entire life
providing for you.
Well, Dad, you did a great job.
You get out of here.
You get out of here now and
don't ever bother me at work again!
Yeah. I'd better let you go.
I think I hear
Mr. Jacobi calling.
I hope you get
a big tip for this.
You know what your problem is?
You think you're better than me.
Oh, I will be.
I'm shoving off, Pop.
I'll try to keep in touch.
That day, I took a vow
that I would be a better man
than my father.
I wouldn't lose sight of
the things that are important.
Charlie, that outline you sent
over is totally unacceptable.
Bill Sanders is never
going to approve it.
Now, I need to hear back
from you ASAP.
And if you can't reach me here,
try me on my cell.
I want to hear back
from you right away.
Hey, Bill. What's up?
The Chandler deal got
the green light.
Well, I told you not to worry.
That takes care of
your weekend. Sorry.
Don't be.
I'll talk to you later, Terry.
All right.
Wendy, there it is.
I need that by noon, all right?
Hey, six girls from the typing
pool and the Swiss Alps.
Oh, that sounds like
Christmas to me.
Oh, I can't. Why not?
Too much work.
Deck the halls
with piles of money, huh?
Do they still have typing pools?
Terry McQuinn.
Hello, Terry.
It's your father.
My doctor wants
to speak with you.
Hi. Uh, my father
is a patient here.
His name, please.
Uh, McQuinn.
I'm sorry. I'm not finding him.
How do you spell that?
M-C-Q-U-I-N-N.
That's the last name.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Uh, I'd better call
his doctor for you.
Your father...
He died?
I'm sorry.
This is a very nice piece.
It should get a good price.
Mr. McQuinn, did you have a list
of things you'd like to keep?
I haven't been back here in
20 years; You can sell it all.
The auction house could
write you a check
for $5,000 for the whole lot.
$7,500.
I'll have to check.
I want everything out of here
by the end of the week,
so the realtor can start
showing the place.
That would be no problem, sir.
I never saw this.
Is that your mother?
She died when I was little.
I thought my father got rid
of all her photos after that.
He never wanted any up.
Hey, sleeping beauty!
Hey, you can't sit here.
Can I turn around here?
Be my guest.
Thanks.
I walked towards
Serenity Cottage,
thinking how far I'd ventured
from this place
and the person I'd been
when I'd last seen it.
The years now seemed
to have gone by in a flash.
I wonder if my father had
felt the same loss at the end,
if he'd been surprised at how
quickly his time had passed.
Please leave your number
for my Mommy.
All right. Um...
I'm calling from Rose Point.
Uh, here's the number...
It's 207-555-0139,
for your mommy.
Okay.
Hello.
Hi, I'm returning a call
to Mr. McQuinn.
There was a message
left last night.
Uh, yeah, yeah.
That was me. Yes.
Is everything okay, Mr. McQuinn?
Uh, I'm not Mr. McQuinn.
I mean, not the Mr. McQuinn
who's opening your cottage
for you. I'm his son.
His son?
When I spoke with your father,
he didn't tell me he had a son
working with him.
I'm not working with him.
I'm here from California
because my father died.
Mr. McQuinn died?
Yes, Yes...
I just spoke with your father
on Monday.
I'm-I'm so sorry.
How well did you know my father?
I didn't know him.
I've never been to Rose Point.
We just spoke on the phone.
I'm leaving. I was supposed
to leave last night.
I'm just trying to tie up
some loose ends here.
You'll have to find someone else
to open your cottage for you
if you're coming for Christmas.
Um, I'm sorry,
I'm going to have to go here.
I'll try
and call you back later.
Okay. I'm so sorry.
Bye.
Okay. Bye-bye.
Doctor Brand,
call extension 2357.
Doctor Brand,
call Extension 2357.
Respiratory therapist
to emergency.
Respiratory therapist
to emergency.
May I help you, sir?
Um, I, uh...
I wanted to buy some presents
for the children for Christmas.
There's a tree for presents,
down the corridor.
Would you like to contribute
to the Children's Gift Fund?
Uh, I knew a man
named Charles Wentworth.
Did you?
Yeah, I came to
this hospital with him
one Christmas Eve,
a long time ago.
We brought presents
for the kids.
That was the last time
I saw him.
30 years ago, on Christmas Eve,
after Charles Wentworth
delivered gifts
for the children,
there was a bad accident.
You remember.
Uh-huh.
Hmm.
I was on shift when
the little girl came in.
That poor family... and Charles.
He came to work here
a few years after that.
We became great friends.
Is he still here?
Oh, no. I'm so sorry.
I didn't mean to mislead you.
Charles is dead.
Now, since he passed away,
we established this fund
and every year at Christmas,
we bring gifts for the children,
in his memory.
Hey, can I show you something?
Come on.
I first met Charles
right in here.
He was standing here,
holding his mop
and he was gazing out
those windows.
Now, he worked nights,
and every once in a while
I would find him here
on his breaks.
He swore he could see the lights
of Rose Point from here.
Well... that's not possible.
Do you know why he ran away?
The police ruled
it was an accident.
There were no
charges against him.
He was lost.
He disappeared.
Charles killed a woman
and her child.
I think he would have
taken his own life
if it hadn't been
for his daughter.
He kept hoping
he'd see her again.
Of course, there was never
any chance of that.
Why not?
His wife divorced him
and took the child away
and he agonized over that.
And then one evening he just...
he just didn't show up for work.
And, I thought,
"Well, that's my fault
I finally pushed him too hard."
But then his brother came
and told me he'd died.
It was a heart attack.
Hey. How are you?
Good. You?
I'm all right, thanks.
Um, I could use some help.
That's what we're here for.
What can I do for you?
Well, I'm looking for someone
who can open up one of
the cottages at Rose Point.
We might be able
to find somebody.
I'll... I'll ask around.
What's your name?
Terry McQuinn.
My father
was caretaker out there.
Mac?
Oh, look, I'm real
sorry about your dad.
Thanks. There's a work order
in my father's shop
to open up Serenity Cottage
for Christmas.
Yeah. He was in here on Monday
telling me about it.
After all these years,
the Wentworth's daughter
is coming back.
The daughter?
Yeah?
Wendy... Can you hear me?
I'm still in Maine.
Yeah, I know. The contractor...
I know, I know, I know.
Look, uh... yeah there are
14 different things
I'm supposed to do
in the office today.
But look, I'm thinking of
staying here for a few days.
There's some work here...
Wendy, can you hear me?
Yeah. Can you hear me?
Hold on, I'm losing you,
hold on.
I'm going to go outside.
Hello?
Hold on.
Can you hear me?
Wendy...
Look, you're...
you're breaking up.
Um, let's... just put
all my calls on voice mail
and I'll check in later. Yeah.
Okay. Just get back to us, okay?
People say I should
sell this place.
But I'm not smart enough.
You followed me from Rose Point.
I saw a light. I thought...
Yeah, I was helping
a man open a cottage.
My father?
You're... you're Mac's boy?
I am.
Well, that's something.
He and I were talking
about you just the other day.
I'm going to miss him.
My name's Warren.
Terry.
I remember spending a lot
of time here when I was a kid.
Your father rebuilt most of
these carousel horses for me.
He charged me a small fortune
for the work.
But, uh, he was worth it.
Yeah, he was good
at what he did.
Oh yeah, he was the best.
So... you came home.
I won't be here long.
I'm going back to L.A.
in the next few days.
Oh yeah, you don't
want to stay around here.
This time of the year
there's nothing but cold here.
Oh, yeah...
you catch your plane tomorrow.
I can take care
of the cottage for Mac.
Nothing I can't handle there.
So, my father never
told you, I guess,
but Serenity Cottage
has quite a history.
No. Really?
You don't see stars
like this where I live.
Too much smog.
Well, good night.
Yeah.
12 bedrooms?
And a locked gate.
That sounds dreadful.
Well, I've rigged it
to stay open.
Eventually, I'll find the key.
Your father sent us keys.
Oh. That's good.
I never asked you your name.
Katherine.
Katherine.
Uh, are you sure
it's not going to be
too much of an imposition?
Olivia and I...
Olivia? Your daughter?
My sleeping beauty.
She's on my lap, snoring away.
How old is she?
Six.
Do you have any children?
No.
No, um, a friend of my father's
has offered
to open the cottage for you,
but I was thinking
that I-I may stay around
a few days to help him out.
Oh, oh, that would be
very kind of you.
We're so excited.
I've been telling Olivia
that our Maine days
are going to be live-over days.
Days so wonderful, you want
to live them over again.
Anyway, I'll let you go.
Um, have a safe trip home.
Yes. Good night.
Bye.
As a boy, I stood in this room
with my father,
and I had dreamed
of one day becoming him.
That was before we became
so angry at one another.
You knew these were here.
Hmm. These photographs...
All of these pictures...
Your father saved 30 years ago,
before the movers
could take them away.
When he showed me these
pictures for the first time,
he said that nobody
should ever be
completely forgotten
in this world.
Your father and I had
an argument, after he got word
to open up the place
again for Christmas.
I said we should take
all of these things away.
Why?
Sometimes, things are better
left the way they are.
Do you think
he saved these things,
in case she ever came back?
I don't know.
Imagine my old man
caring about these things.
I talked to a woman
at the hospital
who knew Charles Wentworth.
She told me he died.
So...
what do you say, son?
You want me to take over
from here,
so you can catch your plane?
There's nothing here that
I can't handle by myself.
Uh, you're probably right.
I ought to just hire you
to open the cottage
and head back home.
But I'd like to stay
a few more days,
get things started with you.
You know, it's amazing,
but I'm actually enjoying
getting some dirt on my hands,
for a change.
Well, it's whatever
you think is best.
Looks like I'll have to...
get me a different coat.
I spent half the night
working on that.
My father might not be
too impressed.
Don't sell yourself short.
It belongs to Serenity Cottage.
Never saw this picture before.
Hmm.
You may be too
young to remember,
but after your mother
became ill,
your father brought her
to ride the carousel
every Saturday morning.
Did he?
Hey. So, you stuck around
for awhile.
Yeah.
Decided to stay
and open the cottage
for Katherine Wentworth.
Didn't exactly bring
the right clothes
from California.
Well, good for you.
That's a big job.
Yeah, but I've got some help.
A friend of my
father's named Warren.
Oh, Warren Wentworth?
What did you say?
Warren.
The old-timer from the carousel.
Charles Wentworth's brother.
You're a bad liar.
I always was.
Do you want to
tell me the truth?
I wish you hadn't come home
from California.
That's no offense to you.
I don't mean to hurt you
in any way,
but this isn't easy for anybody.
What isn't easy?
The truth.
The symphony is on tonight.
Another half hour, I'd say.
It's the warmth
from the engines.
I think of them
as fallen angels,
spread out like that.
There's my brother.
Charles Wentworth.
You told the woman in
the hospital he was dead.
Yeah, Callie Bronson.
Well, she tried to fix
what couldn't be fixed.
He came apart after he met her.
He couldn't go back to work.
I thought that would be best,
but I-I don't know what's best.
I don't know what's right.
I don't know anything.
If you want to leave
those photographs
in the cottage
for Katherine, you can.
Roll down the window.
Call to him.
Tell him his daughter
is coming up here
to Rose Point for Christmas.
I don't know. Do...
do whatever's in your heart.
Why don't you hang on to these?
Are you still at Rose Point?
Yes, uh, I should be leaving
in a few days.
Look, I-I meant
to ask you, um...
what room did you sleep in
when you came here as a child?
I'm sorry.
I'm in the midst of a tickling
fight with a little monster.
Um, uh... I-I've never
been to Rose Point.
My mother closed the cottage
after my father left her.
Just before I was born.
Your mother
never brought you here?
No, too many painful memories,
I guess.
Oh, okay.
Well, I see.
I want to talk to him, Mommy.
Olivia!
Hello?
We're excited, Terry McQuinn!
Is there snow there?
Um, well, there's a little bit,
and I'm sure there's going to be
quite a bit more
when you get here.
Okay.
Oh, hi.
Well, uh, thanks for everything.
Don't mention it.
I'll, uh, I'll let you go, then.
Okay, okay. Good night.
Good night.
Some men are making money;
I'm making ice.
What does it look like, Mommy?
The house is the
color of the sky.
It's all blue, with windows
everywhere and shutters.
It has a huge porch,
and five chimneys
and it looks like a castle.
It's really beautiful.
Uh, hello.
I thought we were alone here.
Have you come to
Maine for Christmas?
Um, no... I-I'm Terry McQuinn.
Oh, you decided to stay?
I did.
Oh, I'm Katherine.
Nice to meet you.
Uh, this is my Olivia.
Uh, that's Lawrence,
our family friend
and driver.
Uh, Livvy, this is the nice man
who opened our house for us.
I remember you, Terry McQuinn.
You do?
Oh, oh, from-from the phone.
Well, um... we'd better
go in and get settled.
Yes.
It was a pleasure
to finally meet you.
It's great to meet you.
Hopefully, we'll see
you again soon.
Bye.
Bye.
Do you want a sandwich?
Take a sandwich.
The changes to paragraphs one,
two, nine and 12 are perfect.
However...
Uh, however, I suggest
we also make changes
to the terms of compensation.
It's just over there.
Hello again.
Good morning.
It's Terry McQuinn.
Yes, it is.
Was everything okay last night?
Yeah.
You did so much work for us.
I don't know how to thank you.
I had help. It was good work.
I... I enjoyed it.
Good for the soul, you mean.
Ah, but not for the hands.
Are we to blame for that?
Just my own stupidity.
I was thinking on the way up,
you must have worked here,
as a boy, with your father.
You may have met my mother.
Uh, my father only brought me
out here a couple of times.
He didn't think I belonged
out here.
Livvy's been fascinated
by the gate
from the moment
we first arrived.
One of these keys opens it.
Uh, I think
it was the small one.
Oh...
I dropped it.
Here, Mommy.
Wonderful!
Thank you, love.
You're welcome.
Here, you may want to make
yourself a copy?
Sure. I'll get this
right back to you.
Okay.
We've eaten,
but have you had any breakfast?
Um... I have, thanks.
But I was actually hoping
that you'd like to go with me
on a little adventure.
An adventure.
What did you have in mind?
I'd like to show you something.
Okay.
Were you warm enough last night?
We were fine.
I spent most of the night
walking from room to room.
It was strange,
but I couldn't get over
this incredible sense
of deja vu.
My mother swears she
never brought me here,
but she revises history.
She just told me about the place
last month,
before she and her new husband
left for Europe.
I think it was 'cause
she felt guilty.
Uh... you know what?
I, uh, I think I made
a wrong turn here.
I'm sorry.
Here, look what Olivia
found last night.
Uh, Lawrence said
they're someone's fingerprints.
A little Sherlock Holmes
must've stayed in
the cottage once.
Here it is.
Oh, Terry!
A carousel!
Olivia, what a special
surprise for us.
Thank you.
Olivia, there's a horse here
that's been waiting
for you to ride.
Really? Uh-huh.
Come on.
I'm gonna lift you up, okay?
Okay!
All righty, here you go.
There you go.
This one has a pretty mane.
Can you feel that?
Yeah, it feels wavy.
Bumpy.
I want to go, Mommy.
Okay, Teapot.
Well, a friend of mine
runs this place,
but he doesn't seem
to be around.
Oh! Oh!
It's a magical carousel ride.
So how long's the cottage
been in your family?
My understanding is that my
mother's grandfather bought it
after making a fortune inventing
a machine that made shoelaces.
Shoelaces? Amazing!
Does she see anything?
Not anymore.
Uh, up until the first year,
she could see bright lights.
I was teaching her colors,
but we never finished.
I don't know, Terry.
There's a lot that
is sad all around us,
but I'm trying to teach Olivia
that the world
is still beautiful.
I mean, bad things happen,
but it doesn't make a carousel
ride any less magical.
I loved the carousel,
Terry McQuinn.
Well, I'm glad you did.
You know, when
I was a little boy
the carousel was my favorite
thing in the world.
What's your favorite thing now
in the world?
That's a good question.
I guess, Olivia, that...
that I would have to say that
my favorite thing in the world
is the water.
What does the water
look like here?
Uh... it seems
to go out forever.
And there's this island
right out in the middle.
It's called Pumpkin Island.
Oh, let's go there, Mommy!
Oh, sweetheart, it's wintertime.
It's much too cold.
I'm not cold.
Are you cold, Terry?
Well... no.
As a matter of fact,
I'm not cold.
Please, Mommy?
We'll see.
Okay, we'll see.
You grew up in
a beautiful place.
I ran away from here.
To find fame and fortune?
Oh, I don't know anymore.
Just to be some place
far away from Maine.
You know, when I was a kid,
I was so determined
to leave here,
and now that I'm back, I...
the reasons why I left are
becoming less clear to me.
Don't we all try to escape where
we came from one way or another?
You think so?
Yeah.
My mother had all
the money in the world,
and yet she was unhappy.
And all I wanted to do was
to separate myself from that...
Do something meaningful.
And what was that?
Social work.
A far cry from Park Avenue.
You seem content.
Yeah, that's 'cause of Olivia.
She's a beautiful little girl.
Yeah, she is.
When I first met her,
she was nine months old,
and she'd already been
in four foster homes.
Nobody wanted a blind baby,
not even my ex-fianc.
I took her in.
Fell in love.
I couldn't give her away.
She's lucky to have you.
I'm the lucky one.
You know, Katherine,
doing this work
for you and Olivia...
it's the nicest thing
I've done in a long time.
Should I give it a try?
Sure, go on.
Be careful.
Okay!
How is it?
This is great!
Listen, uh, tonight, in the city
they're doing Dylan Thomas's.
A Child's Christmas in Wales.
Would you like to go with us?
If-If you're not too tired
from working.
I won't be too tired.
Good.
We'll pick you up at 7:30.
Do I need my tux?
Absolutely.
Over the hills we go
Laughing all the way,
ha, ha, ha!
Someone told me I might, uh...
find some men down here
to help clear the ice
off the cottage roofs.
I guess not.
We can ride the elevator
up from here, Olivia.
Mmm! That'll be fun.
That'll be fun.
Uh, you go ahead.
I'll be right there.
Okay.
Mommy... Mm-hmm?
Excuse me.
Would any of you like
to work for good wages?
It's, uh... ten dollars an hour.
More if you stay
through Christmas.
Can I take
some of these men with me?
Sure.
I'll pick you up
here in the morning.
What time?
7:00 okay?
Yeh.
Thank you.
Yeah, Wendy. It's Terry.
Uh... yeah, I got
your message last night.
When you get in
and you get this message...
uh, tell Sanders I'm drafting
a new version as we speak,
and I'll get it
to you right away.
Okay. Bye.
Whenever you're ready.
It's great
that you found those men.
What men?
Terry has some nice men
cleaning the
roof of the cottage.
Why?
Well, so that the roof
doesn't leak and fall in.
It's going to be
freezing out there.
I'm not cold.
Oh, that's right.
Terry, I didn't tell you.
Olivia doesn't get cold.
Do you?
Never.
No. Well, not even
the other night,
when you and Jack
were out walking?
Olivia, were you out
by yourself?
No, Mommy. Jack was with me.
Honey, you know
you're not meant to go out
without me or Lawrence.
I'm sorry. Jack
wanted to take a walk.
Jack always wants
to take a walk.
We'll talk about it later.
I think Jack really
likes it here.
I do, too.
How would you like to live here?
But what about all my friends
in New York?
We'll make new friends
here in Maine.
Terry is our friend already.
Hold on.
Would you live here with us,
Terry McQuinn?
We have 12 big bedrooms.
I counted them.
I feel like the
Swiss Family Robinson.
Just tie it off up there.
May I lift you out, Olivia?
Lift me, Terry.
Come here.
Aw.
Hey, you know what?
If I was Jack,
I'd be so glad to have
found a little girl like you.
Blind like me?
Exactly like you.
Come on, Jack.
Let's go.
Mommy, Jack found something.
What is it?
"Our beloved dog, Sally."
What is it, Mommy?
A dog is buried here.
Sally.
My mother talked
about a dog I had
when I was a little girl.
I don't remember the dog,
but her name was Sally.
It's your dog, Mommy.
That's why Jack and I found it.
No, darling. It couldn't be.
Let's go, Olivia.
We should start walking back.
She's so independent.
Olivia will always be the most
important person to me.
It's funny, I... I don't know
where it comes from...
The closeness I feel.
Olivia has taught me
to live in the present.
It's this great gift that
small children give to you.
There is no future to a child.
There is only what is here
and now in front of you.
What's happening?
Terry, be careful.
The water's freezing.
Terry!
Terry... oh!
What's going on?
Where is he?
Is he in the water?
Don't move!
Where is Terry?
Is he all right?
Come here, baby.
Put this on.
My hands are frozen.
Okay. Sit down, baby.
Okay, don't worry,
everything will be okay.
We'll be home soon.
But I need you to lie
next to Terry
to help keep him warm.
Here, grab the rope, will ya?!
Come in.
Feeling better?
Yeah. A hot shower
thawed me out pretty good.
Yeah, thank you.
Good, good. One of the men
would like to talk to you.
Sure.
He's driving us back.
You dry enough?
Yeah.
Uh, the other guys wanted me
to ask you for our money.
I said we could wait
if you can't pay it now.
No, no, no, of course, sure.
Um... will a hundred
for each of you be enough?
Oh, yeah, more than enough.
Okay, well, it's still
a little wet from the lake.
Here you go.
Thank you.
No, wait, please.
Do you remember the man
who was caretaker here?
You knew him once.
I'm... his son.
You and I have been
gone a long time.
But we've both come back.
In the hospital, there are
presents for the children.
They have your name on them.
My name?
Charles Wentworth.
Hey...
I won't be back tomorrow.
No, no. I-I can use the help.
I'm sorry.
Come on in.
You sure California can survive
this long without you, son?
I'm trying to help your brother.
Guess he couldn't handle it.
I want to show you something.
Come on.
He called me for
a ride this morning.
It's the first thing he's
asked me for in five years.
I don't want anything
to happen to him.
I don't want to lose him.
He was my brother long before
he had anything to do
with these people out here.
Warren, we have no right
to keep them apart.
When your father first told me
that she might be
coming up here,
I asked him if he knew
what kind of woman
she had grown into,
and, of course, he didn't.
I'm worried that she might
be like her mother.
She might hurt him.
Can you understand that?
I took them for a ride
on the carousel.
I know. I was there.
You may have been
right all along, Terry,
but I'm still concerned
that my brother
won't be able to face her.
We sat in the car
and waited for you
to come back that night.
Yeah, well, I couldn't
live with myself.
It was an accident.
It was a mother and her child.
I came back here, though.
I used to sleep on
people's boats in the harbor.
I hid in the woods
by the golf course.
I was here, I was here
hiding in the pump house
when the movers came.
I watched them.
I never came back here
after that.
They took everything important.
Not everything.
My father saved some photographs
of you with your daughter.
Ow!
So every year on December 25th,
we celebrate
the birth of Christ.
"C" is for Christmas.
What do you want
for Christmas, Olivia?
I don't know.
Hmm. Well, I'll bet
Santa Claus knows.
All right, I better get this
angel into her pajamas.
Just a little while more.
It's late.
You've had a busy day.
A live-over day, Terry.
For me, too.
Good night.
Bye, bye, pumpkin.
Hello.
Terry, it's Bill.
Listen, I've been all over Wendy
to get those contracts
back from you.
Yeah. I'm working on them.
Well, she says she sent them
to you days ago.
I'm doing them right now.
Listen, I know it's not
a good time, but...
Look, they're almost done.
You're busy.
I'll just leave this.
No, no, no. Come in.
Uh, Bill, uh, I, I'll get
'em to you tomorrow.
Some pie.
Thank you.
Lawrence survived it
but he has a cast-iron stomach.
I've got a fork here somewhere.
You fixed the sled here
with your father's tools.
Yeah, anything that doesn't fall
apart an hour after I fix it,
is a miracle.
If my father was here,
he could do it five times better
in one fifth the time.
It's good.
I've been thinking about what
you said to me...
...about how
Olivia has taught
you to live in the present.
How do you live?
The future, always.
You are only as good
as your next deal.
That's a tough way to live.
Yeah. I know.
I didn't used to think so.
This is the future, too.
Being here with you.
What do you mean?
I never knew it, but...
I've been waiting
a long time for this
and I've been looking for you.
Where?
Everywhere.
Maybe I shouldn't
have done that.
No, no.
It was the right thing to do.
You sure?
I'm sure.
This is hard for me.
When I adopted Olivia,
I built this small world for us
where I could love
and protect her.
I realize I've been
protecting myself
and I'm scared to let anyone in.
Katherine, that's
what my father did.
He built this small world
for himself.
Only he worked himself to death
because he never let anyone in.
Not even his own son.
Maybe he was afraid.
I don't know.
In my way,
I think for the last 20 years
I've been doing the exact
same thing
and I don't want to continue
to make that mistake.
You won't.
I'm in my pajamas,
all ready for bed.
Aren't you something?
I want Terry to tell me
a story tonight.
Oh, uh...
well, I've never told
a bedtime story before.
I think I have an idea.
You ready?
Yep.
You ready to try it?
Let's go, then.
Ticklish?
Yeah, ticklish!
Ticklish!
Look who's sleeping.
I told her a story about a bird
who invades mailboxes,
and carries away
all the unwanted mail.
The bills and the sad letters.
There was a child
who befriended the bird
and together they read
all the letters.
Rewrote them
and took out all the sad parts.
How does it end?
I'm not sure.
Maybe it's better that way.
For the last two nights,
she's wanted to sleep here.
Thank you.
Would you do something for me?
What?
I want you to go back
in your mind
to your earliest memory.
I don't have a good memory.
Just try.
Everybody says that.
Just try. You have to try.
I remember our family doctor
sitting on the end of my bed
telling me I had measles.
I must have been about six
or seven, I guess.
Go back farther.
I remember standing in the fog
on my first day of school.
I was wearing my shiny shoes.
My mother said I called
my patent leather shoes
"my shiny shoes."
I loved them.
Mm...
I remember those shoes.
Of course you do.
You were standing
right beside me.
The shoes had elastic straps
that held them on.
The right strap was loose
and the shoe kept falling off.
You couldn't know that.
Tell me how you know that.
I, I sprained my ankle
and the bandage had stretched
the elastic on my right shoe.
You couldn't have known that.
On my ninth birthday
I was given
a fingerprinting kit.
This is you, Katherine.
You were here, in this house.
I knew you when
you were a little girl.
And this is
your father.
You were here with him.
What are you talking about?
When you were a little girl,
you came to Rose Point
with your parents
for the holidays.
No, I, I, I never came here.
I never knew my father.
Yes, you did.
Your mother divorced him
and she took you away.
But he's still here.
You're not making any sense.
Katherine,
the man who helped us
the other day,
the one who carried you
from the boat.
His name is Charles.
Stop it, Terry!
Stop it!
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Stop it!
I've been wanting
to tell you, Katherine.
You didn't say anything!
I was trying
to do the right thing.
By keeping it from me?
I feel like a fool.
I went on and on
about never having been here.
I'm so sorry.
You knew.
My own father stood
right next to me
and you knew?
I was just trying
to respect his wishes.
And what about mine?
Did you think I wouldn't care?
I, I didn't know what to think!
There wasn't any plan.
When you first got here,
I wanted to tell you,
but then you seemed so happy.
I was worried
it would upset you.
Please...
Just go, Terry! Just go!
Yeah, uh-huh.
I seem to have settled
everything here.
I'm on a flight this afternoon.
I'll be in the office
in the morning.
All right.
I'll see you then.
Bye.
Hello, Olivia.
Terry!
I wanted to come
and say good-bye.
I'm sorry.
I have to go home now.
It's time to get back to my job.
Good-bye, Terry McQuinn.
Merry Christmas.
Charles!
I'm heading back to L.A.
this afternoon.
Well, it was nice
to see you again.
I told Katherine everything.
She knows who you are.
I wish you hadn't done that.
I didn't do it for you.
This belongs to you.
I think my father would want you
to have it.
They look very happy
together, don't they?
I remember that.
Do you?
You pulled through
for us again, Terry.
Percy is in love with the deal.
Ecstatic.
Well, that's good. I'm glad.
That's a big boost for you
up the partnership ladder.
Terrific.
I hate it.
It is the worst contract
I've ever seen.
I told you five times
a separate trailer for my gym.
I want to see
an acceptable contract by noon.
I'm not being rude.
This is just how I feel.
Well, Terry.
I'm sure you can handle it.
I'll talk to you later.
And don't forget lunch
with Switzer, huh?
This could be a big problem.
We could lose the client. Mary?
Robbins?
I don't know, Bill.
Terry, what do you think?
I think...
Terry?
Terry?
It's story time at my house.
Hello.
Merry Christmas, Terry.
Katherine?
I woke you. I'm sorry.
I didn't even think
about the time difference.
No, I was awake.
I wanted you to know...
we're all here.
My father. All of us.
I was hoping for that.
Well, thank you.
It's because of you.
I'm so glad it worked out.
Terry...
I-I was wrong.
I needed time to think.
When you left,
I realized everything.
I should never have let you go.
Katherine, are you sure?
I'm sure.
I've fallen in love with you.
I know
your life's out there now.
I know.
Not anymore.
Turn around.
What?
Just turn around.