Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Home Again (2017) Movie Script
The following
presentation is rated pg.
This presentation deals
with mature subject matter.
Viewer discretion is advised.
- I don't get it.
- No.
You're breaking the rule.
I'm doing the right thing.
I'm the oldest
and I'm in charge.
Well, you're not doing
a very good job of it.
Just trust me.
Hi, Mr. Everett!
Well, hey, it's Peggy,
Mary Lou and bunny.
My favorite family.
What can I do ya for?
How much to mail this to Denver?
It has to get there fast.
Well... let me see.
So how are you all
getting along these days?
[Mary Lou]: Two of the cows
wouldn't get up this morning.
I think it's milk fever...
But the other cows are fine.
We've got plenty of milk
and some real good
cheese this week.
Well, I will just
have to stop by
and pick me up some.
Did you want to
send that first class?
Yes.
Okay, that'll be $5.78.
Is there a... Sixth class?
Let me see.
How much you got?
$2.05.
By golly, that's gonna do it.
And with two cents to spare.
All done! Oughta
be there by Friday!
Thank you.
Bunny, give
Mr. Everett a nickel.
[Mr. Everett]: Thank you.
And this...
Is for you.
[Mary Lou]: Thank you.
And can you please
Mark it "fragile"?
Will do.
What do you got in here anyway?
Hope.
[]
It's no secret I don't care
gonna shout it
out everywhere
I love my baby
hot, cold, fast or slow
I love my baby
gonna tell everybody I know
[]
In the evening, in my bed
I hear voices in my head
they say, "never...
Never ever let her go"
[]
I love my baby
gonna tell everybody I know
well, I love my baby
gotta tell everybody I know
[]
Other women don't
mean a thing to me
[]
You can pick 'em all up
drop 'em all in the sea
[]
If I got no money
she don't care
she'll open up
her pocket book
and pay my fare
I know she loves me
up, down, high or low
[]
I love my baby
gotta tell everybody I know
I'll say it again
I love my baby
gonna tell all
y'all that I know
- Oh, are you finished?
- Yes.
Oh, I love this!
I know just where
this should go.
Oh, I believe it
is already there.
I thought you liked antiques.
I do.
True antiques have character...
And provenance...
Provenance?
A history.
Yes, a story, a pedigree.
But junk is, well, just...
Trash waiting to be made
into treasure.
Trust me, this'll look great
on one of those blank
walls that you keep staring at.
I don't see the point in
decorating a temporary space.
Oliver, you're going
to have to face it
sooner or later...
The old dlo space is now
the new online shipping room.
We're not going back there.
[]
Hmm...
Now, how did I have this before?
Um...
Hmm...
Uh... let's see.
Oh! How about...
Here?
You want to hang it
without anything in it?
[Shane]: Right!
It's very avant-garde.
Whoever's looking at it
will see whatever
they want to see.
I would like to
see a picture in it.
[Shane]: You said you wanted
to break out and try new things.
I did.
Yes, you did.
At least let me get it centered.
Oh!
Did you know
that four out of five
post office brides
marry outside of
their own zip code?
It's a new world, Rita.
Believe it or not,
there's nothing pending
in the pending box
and all the bulk mail
has been debulked,
so it looks...
Like a light day.
Well, I suggest we
take an early lunch!
Oh! Well, Ramon
bought a new restaurant.
It's very cool and very chic.
It's called "bistro Ramon."
We could go there.
What's the matter
with the mailbox grille?
New horizons, Oliver.
Just let me hang
this, and then we can...
Perhaps we should measure first
and then we can find...
Ooh!
Find the stud.
Oh...
[Norman]: Huh!
There's a new horizon.
Wow. What is this?
Some sort of secret room?
I have no idea.
Looks like that water leak's
gotten into everything.
I wonder.
[Shane]: Oliver...
There's undelivered
mail here from 1999.
All the zip codes
are all addressed to...
How did you know?
This...
Is the lost mailbag
of Harry snapp.
[Rita]: He's real?
I always thought
he was just a legend.
[Oliver]: Oh, yes.
Who's Harry snapp?
Harry was a mail carrier,
something of a
disagreeable loner,
who suddenly disappeared
about 18 years ago.
Yeah. Postal lore has it
that he would
spend his lunch hours
hiding somewhere
in this building,
scratching off lottery tickets
and entering magazine contests.
And then one day,
he just didn't show up.
"You may already be a winner..."
Sounds like he
finally hit the jackpot.
They never found
his last delivery.
'Til now.
It's mostly just
waterlogged right now,
and, well, magazines
and junk mail
and the occasional...
Wow!
Antique porcelain vase.
No, just the wall.
Structural damage?
Define damage...
Any sign of an address?
No. The postmark
and address are gone.
Then, we are now obligated
to return it to the sender.
Senders.
There's a partial return:
"Peggy, Mary Lou, and bunny..."
Something "county road..."
Something, something.
Well, facilities and maintenance
can have a crew
here by the 13th.
Excellent.
Next year.
Well, then we shall
take matters into our own hands.
Oh, my.
[Oliver chuckles]
Uh, Norman!
Extraction kit, please.
Careful. It's waterlogged,
it may disintegrate.
Norman, handwriting?
It's dated 18 years ago
and written with a fountain pen,
but the handwriting
is adolescent female,
10, maybe 11 years old.
A child who values
the written word.
Well, why don't I start?
"Dear sir,
I am sending you this vase
because we really
need to sell it.
When I called you last year,
you said you thought maybe
it was worth some money,
but you'd have to see it first,
so here it is.
You also said you would
have to know how old it is
and where we got it
and the whole story of it.
So here it goes.
We live on a farm.
It is very hard work
and hardly anybody
has a real farm anymore.
But my mom says that's
the way we've always done it
and that's why
our milk is the best,
and that nothing beats
happy cows and
hard work and hope.
But that's where
the vase comes in,
because times are bad again
and we are almost
out of hope now.
We are a family of farmers.
Our family has been raising cows
and selling milk
and making cheese
for more than a hundred years.
The women in our
family always have girls,
and they all grow
up to be farmers,
except every once in a while,
a girl gets born who
just wants adventure.
That was
great-grandmother Betty.
When world war ii started,
great-grandma
Betty left the farm
and joined the
women's army corps.
Everybody understood
why Betty ran
off to join the war,
but all the women in
our family are farm folk,
and maybe they wander sometimes,
but sooner or later,
they all come home.
When Betty went to war,
she got married
to an army captain.
And the man who married them
gave them this vase
as a wedding present.
She didn't bring
her husband home.
Just the vase.
And a baby.
That baby was
our grandma Isabel.
Five generations
have lived on this farm,
with this vase,
and we all believed what
great-grandma Betty had said,
that the vase was probably
worth a lot of money.
She called it our
"just-in-case-vase."
We could only sell it
if we really, really
didn't have a choice...
But if we were
the strong American
women we were raised to be,
we would always
think of something else
before it came to that.
And we always did.
One year, we practically
lost a whole herd of jerseys
to a cow epidemic.
Sometimes, a bad year
meant we just ate
eggs and peanut butter
and cans of soup,
so the cows could have hay,
but they never sold the vase.
[Singing]
Sometimes, there were
tornados, and droughts,
and blizzards, and floods.
Sometimes, we had
to trade stuff away...
But we never sold the vase.
But six months ago,
daddy died in a tractor
accident in the west pasture,
and that's why we
are in trouble now.
Our mom and
dad really, really...
Loved each other,
and...
Our mom and dad really,
really loved each other,
and she's still so sad,
she can't get out of bed,
and Peggy and I are
trying to take care of bunny
and the cows
and go to school
and...
Trade milk to pay the bills.
Then last week,
a lady came from
the social services
and asked where our mother was.
We told her she was sleeping
and she said she'd
be back next week.
So if we can just sell the vase,
we can pay the bills,
and mama will feel better
before somebody
comes to take us away."
Well, that's all there is.
I hope that they're...
They're still...
How old would she be now?
Oh, about 28?
Ms. Mcinerney,
would you do some research
on 100-year-old family
farms in the area?
Norman, let's clean up that mess
and figure out what
to do with the room.
And Rita, will you take
photographs of the vase,
and make a few copies,
and then lock the
vase away in the safe?
Wherever the safe is now.
Got it.
If the vase truly
is from Europe,
then I doubt we'll
be able to trace it
back to some dairy farm in...
I'm assuming Colorado...
If it was misaddressed
and returned to sender,
then Mary Lou would
never have heard back
from "dear sir."
So whoever "dear sir" is,
I'm sure she called
him or wrote him again
to try to track it down?
An art dealer, perhaps?
There can't be that
many in Denver.
Oh, well,
there's 87 in Denver proper.
In Metro-Denver...
Point taken, Rita.
Then let's narrow that down
to European
porcelain specialists.
You guys remember
my cousin serge?
[Shane]: Serge?
The one who entered a
monastery in Minnesota?
The little brothers of
perpetual frost. Yeah.
He's relevant to this
conversation because...
Because he has a twin, Igor!
And he's the associate director
of decorative arts
at the Colorado
museum of fine arts!
He always liked bowls and pots.
And they've got
lots of pots there.
Oh, look.
They used it for packing.
"Persephone, 3/4 bucket.
Didn't drink.
Seems dehydrated.
Venus, wouldn't pasture.
Penelope, Minerva, electra..."
Seems like some sort
of cow diary, I think.
Oh.
It says "see attached
vet prescription."
Well, maybe the name of the
vet can help us locate the farm.
The second page is missing.
It must have fallen apart.
Though it looks like
it was stuck
together long enough
for some impressions
to get transferred.
I might be able to pull
something off of that
if I had a bigger lab
and a laser and a
spectral-imaging system.
But the budget only approved
a paper shredder this year.
Well, there must be
some government agency
to whom we can turn.
What about Dale
at the state division
of investigations?
Ah.
Well, there's...
There's a thought.
She's still a special
agent there, right?
A very special agent.
[Oliver]: I'm going to
give her a call right now.
Do you really think
it's a good idea
for Oliver to be...
Reaching out to Dale?
[Shane]: Oh, absolutely.
And you go with him.
Ah.
[Norman]: And
she's really smart.
She has a photographic memory,
and she was miss
special delivery,
and we like the same things,
and the same music,
and the same
books and everything.
So when's the wedding?
Well, it's still pretty new.
I haven't even met her family.
Just wait till they meet ours.
Well, the style
certainly seems to be
18th-century rococo.
So it's either quite valuable...
Or an excellent reproduction.
We're not actually interested
in the value.
I am, kinda.
We're looking for
an art dealer in the Denver area
that might have specialized
in 18th-century porcelain
and been interested
in buying or selling
something like this
18 years ago.
Well, there aren't a lot
of those around here,
but I can try
to put a list together for you.
That would be great.
Thank you very much.
Just a quick question.
If we were interested
in the value of the vase,
what would be a ballpark figure?
Well, if it's genuine,
and it has a
verifiable provenance,
it could be worth a great deal.
500 or 600 maybe?
Oh, no. Not that much.
250...
$300,000.
[Gasps for air]
[Oliver]: If Dale
can help us out,
perhaps I'll see another farm.
I've only been to one...
Once, when I was a boy scout.
Rita?
Oh, I'm sorry.
Sorry. I was just
thinking about Dale.
Dale?
I imagine she'll be
back any minute.
You know, I...
I always wondered if...
You two had been a...
"Thing."
A "thing"?
Well...
You know, we've
always been good friends,
but there...
Might have been
a time where I...
But she didn't...
But then she...
But then I was...
Do you mind if we
change the subject?
No. Sure. Okay.
Oh! My parents
are driving their rv
up from Albuquerque
to meet Norman today!
- Really?
- Mm-hmm.
- Does Norman know?
- No.
It's short notice,
and my parents are
very spontaneous.
And if I told Norman,
he would get that
tummy thing he gets,
you know,
when he's terrified.
Yes.
Unremitting convulsive
stomach syndrome.
You know him so well.
Anyways, I just thought
if I didn't give him
time to think about it,
then he wouldn't have time to...
Convulse.
That's very thoughtful, Rita.
Thank you.
So, spectral imaging is
going to take six weeks.
But I do have a friend
in digital resonance
who was able to
pull a few words...
"antibiotics,"
"appetite,"
nothing that helpful except...
A partial phone number!
Oh, wonderful.
Mm-hmm.
And the prefix and area
code matches byers county...
Oh, well, that narrows
it down, at least.
Thank you very much.
So happy to help.
- How's Norman?
- We're engaged!
Oh, that's... wonderful.
Congrats!
Thanks.
And... and...
How is Shane?
Well, things are good.
She's good.
I'm good.
I'll just meet you outside.
- Sure.
- Bye.
Oliver, it's okay to say it.
You and Shane are...
A "thing."
An early thing.
I figured.
And, you know what, it's...
I'm really happy for you.
I think you need
somebody like Shane
to shake you up a little.
Do you think I need shaking up?
Absolutely. Yes.
You and I, we...
We solve our problems
by knowing where the lines
are and following the rules.
And Shane...
Well...
She colors outside the lines,
if you know what I mean.
But if you put
the two together...
You've got...
A mess?
Or maybe something beautiful.
[]
Where's Rita?
Oh, she's on her way,
she stopped by the dlo to
drop off a piece of evidence.
Evidence?
So you really are
like detectives.
Yes.
But postal.
And you're Rita's boss?
Well, we're all
more like colleagues.
Ms. Mcinerney and
I, and Norman and...
What's the deal with norm?
He's a good man
and a dear friend.
I would trust him with
my life, Mr. Haywith.
You can call me bill.
Oh!
I had an uncle bill.
William O'Toole...
No, "bill" is short for "bilbo."
You know, like in the hobbit.
You have to add
the goat's milk first,
then the whey,
and the cactus root.
Hmm.
I'm a little short
on goat's milk.
Almond milk!
Goats, almonds...
They're all god's
children, right?
So this is a popular cocktail
in Albuquerque you say?
Oh, yes.
It's called an "area 51."
You don't know what's in there,
but one drink,
and you know something
weird is going on.
Oh...
And then I met
Evelyn... sunny...
And we decided to
change our names
the summer of '69.
Everything changed in '69.
How is it
you came to choose
the name "sunny,"
Mrs. Haywith?
Well...
We met during the
summer of love in '67,
when I was Evelyn,
and for awhile,
I was "mystic Harmony..."
And in '69, we
went to Woodstock,
and it rained and rained...
And we didn't see
blue skies for days.
And finally, Billy
said one morning,
"the only sunrise
we're going to see today
is the sun in your eyes.
And I became "sunrise."
Sunrise.
Sunny!
That's wonderful.
You see, now there
really is a sunrise in there.
Take them off.
See that little...
See that little gold
fleck right there?
See?
- [Norman]: Oliver!
- Norman!
Oliver, you're never
going to guess...
[Rita]: Norman!
- [Whirs and crunches]
- [Rita]: I want you to...
[Whirring and crunching]
meet my parents.
Oh, you're just so adorable...
What I can see of you.
I'm really sorry
that I blended your
glasses, Mrs. Haywith.
[Bill]: Hey, sunny,
they've got the byrds on here.
The Beatles, the monkees,
the turtles...
[Laughs] The animals.
All the musical
species of the '60s!
Is that a joke?
Maybe.
So, you're from new Mexico!
[Norman]: Land of enchantment.
Some enchanting land developer
wants to turn our rv park
into Wally's wacky waffle world.
You know, we're so
thrilled for Norman and Rita.
Norman actually reminds me
of a small woodland creature.
Thank you.
[Rita]: All right,
so I found a glasses
place down the street
that's open 'til 5:00.
Perfect.
[Sunny]: Now, honey,
lemme see that ring.
The ring that Norman got me?
Well, who else
would give you one?
[Rita laughing] Right.
Well...
He hasn't given me it yet.
I have it.
I bought it.
I just, uh...
I put it in my pants.
I mean, I put it
in my pant pocket,
and then I changed my pants
when I went to see
Rita to give it to her,
and then when I got
home, I was so happy,
I forgot,
and I sent all my pants to
the laundry the next day...
Well, not all my
pants, of course!
[Everyone laughing]
We've contacted
the laundry service
and there's been a
rather extensive search
over the last few weeks...
So, it's lost?
[Shane]: No. No.
No, no, no, no, no.
We're fairly certain
that it's somewhere at
Tony's tip top cleaners.
[Norman]: Yeah. I go
there a lot to look around.
[Rita]: Norman
described it to me, daddy,
and it sounds very beautiful.
It's in the shape of an owl.
An owl! Oh, how precious?
Honey, you've always loved owls.
Billy, hasn't she
always loved owls?
Yes.
Will you excuse me a moment?
I have to walk around a little.
[Sunny]: Of course, darling.
Is he okay?
Yeah. Yeah. It's just
usually he's a little more...
[Oliver]: Engaging. He just...
Sometimes when
he's surprised, he...
He gets the erks.
Erks?
Unremitting convulsive
stomach syndrome.
You're marrying a
guy who convulses?
Hey, what's... what's that?
[Bill]: Oh, nothing.
Come on, sunny.
Let's... order your glasses.
[Sunny]: We'll see you later.
[Rita]: Okay.
This way, this way.
Maybe I should have given
Norman a little more notice.
Oh, I don't think
you could have prepared
anyone for this, Rita.
[Shane's cell phone rings]
Shane mcinerney.
Yes, hi!
Okay.
Can you send those to me?
Great. Thanks.
Thanks so much, Igor.
Well, Norman's cousin
has some leads for us.
Oh. Great.
[Shane]: We have one
more left on this street.
So this is the vase?
Wow.
No wonder she wanted it back.
Way back in '99 or so,
my dad started
getting calls and letters
from this little girl,
who said that she'd
sent us a vase to sell.
Dad didn't know
anything about it,
but she swore she'd sent it.
Looks like it got lost
in the mail after all.
We are trying to correct that.
He said she'd call every week,
and then every month,
and then every couple of years,
until the calls just
kind of stopped.
Did she ever leave a number?
Actually, yeah,
and dad kept it pinned up
behind the counter forever,
but when I took this place over,
I sort of cleaned house.
[Shane]: We have a
partial phone number
from the same area.
Is there any chance
that you might remember
the area code or the prefix?
Probably not.
It was up there for so long,
it was just kind of
part of the wallpaper,
you know?
Wait, isn't this the area
code for byers county?
Yes. Yes, it is.
Edgewood's in
byers county, isn't it?
[Oliver]: Edgewood. Yes.
Okay, because I do
remember my dad saying,
"that kid from
edgewood called again."
Does that help?
Very much.
I'd really like to know
how a kid from edgewood
managed to get ahold
of something like that.
Well, all we can tell you
is that it had a
very loving home.
Well...
Take good care of that vase.
It probably belongs in a museum.
And if you do find the owner,
and she is still interested,
we'll buy that in a
New York minute.
[Oliver]: My dad's
coming in today
to see what we can
do about that room
you smashed your way into.
[Shane]: Don't you mean
"the room into which
I smashed my way"?
Or have I finally
broken you down
and ruined your love affair
with the English language?
I can't imagine you
ruining anything.
Anyway, Rita's parents
are dropping by today,
so that's perfect.
What is perfect?
Did you notice yesterday
Mr. Haywith had
a present that
he wanted to give,
and then after he met Norman,
he decided not to give it?
Mr. Haywith doesn't like Norman.
Well, everyone likes Norman.
Norman isn't engaged
to everyone's daughter.
Just bill's.
And every father
wants what's best
for their daughter.
Norman is the best.
Norman is what's best for Rita
because he gets her.
And Rita gets him.
But Mr. Haywith doesn't get that
because he doesn't get Norman,
and he's not going to get that
without help.
So I have an idea.
Perfect.
Yes, may I speak with
the postmaster, please?
Yes, I'm calling from
the usps dlo in Denver.
May I ask how long you've
worked at the edgewood branch?
And this is the
unattached objects area,
where the contents
have become separated
from their address
and they require
special handling.
[Rita]: Oh, yeah.
Norman is very good
at special handling.
- Is that a guitar?
- [Rita]: Oh, yeah.
You wouldn't believe
what people put in the
mail with just a stamp.
Coconuts, bricks...
Norman even delivered
a giant bear once.
Oh, stuffed.
I really miss that bear...
[Oliver]: Good news.
We may have a lead
on our dairy farm.
The edgewood postmaster
is expecting us at 2:00.
Wonderful.
Oh, did you know
that edgewood, Colorado
is the site of
the smallest
museum in the state?
The international
museum of barbed wire.
16 square feet.
Well worth the drive.
Rita, how far
would that drive be?
Oh, um...
87.5 miles, without
the toll roads.
[Norman]: There isn't much
we could do around here
without Rita.
Where did she get her
photographic memory?
[Sunny]: Well, her grandmother
memorized the entire
1972 federal tax code,
so I guess it
runs in the family.
[Laughing]
Do you like kids, Norman?
Oh, yes.
I was one once.
I liked it.
Is there any insanity
in your family, Norman?
Um...
[Mr. O'Toole]: Anybody here?
The clean-up
committee has arrived!
Mr. O'Toole!
Welcome, welcome!
Rita's weird hippie
parents are visiting
and Norman broke
her mother's glasses
and her father
doesn't like him. Help!
Got it.
[Oliver]: Dad!
These are Rita's parents,
sunny and bill haywith.
This is Joseph O'Toole.
Bill! Just call me Joe.
And sunny!
Lovely to meet you!
Same here. Congratulations!
When I heard the
news about these two,
I gotta tell you...
Hey! Hendrix!
Were you at that concert?
Front row.
No kidding! Me, too!
[Laughs]
[Sunny]: For heaven's sakes!
You're practically family!
Can you handle a drill, bill?
I build furniture in
Albuquerque. Yes.
[Sunny]: I weave.
I'm a Weaver.
Well, perfect!
Whaddya say we old peaceniks
show these kids how it's done,
if you've got a little time?
Norman, why
don't you just tell us
where you want us to start?
Oh, well...
I thought we could
clean up the new room
and turn it into a
nice office for Rita.
Aw!
[Oliver]: An excellent
idea, Norman.
Brilliant.
And maybe a meditation space?
Hmm!
Yeah, I'm thinking
a waterfall of hanging
beads to divide the space up.
Oliver would love that.
[Joe]: Well, I think
we have a plan.
Rita, do you mind
if I steal your
folks for awhile?
[Rita]: Please!
I mean, of course. Of course.
Great!
You guys, go deliver something!
We'll... we've got this.
Follow me. Come on.
This way?
They're so great, aren't they?
[Mr. Everett]:
Here it is right here.
Sign there, and yeah.
Thank you.
Mr. Everett?
Ah, I'm guessing you
must be Mr. O'Toole?
Yes, and these
are my associates.
What can I do you for?
Well, we are attempting
to deliver an object
that may have shipped
from this post
office 18 years ago.
Oh, I can hardly remember
what we shipped yesterday!
Do you know who shipped it?
It's a small community. I
don't forget my neighbors.
[Shane]: We only
have first names.
Peggy, Mary Lou...
And bunny.
Yeah. The kellser family.
Oh, you know them?
Been around forever.
Are they still a family?
Yeah, the family's
down on county road 119.
Can't miss it.
And they still live on the farm?
Well...
At least until Saturday.
[]
Wow.
[Norman]: Hello?
[Shane]: Hello?
Wow.
"Colorado camembert."
I want to try that.
Cool.
Oh, Norman, look.
Yes. It's like being here
a hundred years ago.
This seems like
your kind of place.
Are you going steady?
Oh!
Uh...
We are!
We're engaged!
Can I see your ring?
Uh...
That's a long story.
I put the ring in my pocket
and then I lost it.
Was there a hole?
A what?
I had chicken feed
in my pocket one time,
but there was a
hole in my pocket,
and the seeds went
all over the floor.
Oh... huh.
- Wanna see the cows?
- Oh...
Oh...
Well, you know,
we would love to,
but we really need
to talk to your mom.
My mom drove to the
drugstore, but she'll be right back.
You can meet aunt bunny.
She's right on the
way to the cows.
Oh. Good.
Well, we'll just stay here
and wait for your mom.
What did you say
her name was again?
Peggy.
I'm Abby.
Okay...
And this is Sookie.
She's very stubborn.
She likes to be milked last.
And arabelle is
always wandering off.
Polly's really sweet,
but she has to be the
first one out of the parlor
or she'll stay in
there all night.
Uh... you allow Polly to
sleep in your living room?
No, silly!
The parlor is where
the cows get milked.
Silly.
You can pet her if you want.
[Oliver]: Careful
of your foot there.
[Abby]: It's all right.
[Cow bells jingling]
There's aunt bunny!
Race you to the farmhouse!
[Shane]: I am very proud of you.
I know that wasn't easy
and all you want to do
is wash your hands
right now, right?
Was I that obvious?
No.
I just...
Know you that well.
Ms. Mcinerney?
Would you like to
go steady with me?
Why, Mr. O'Toole!
This is all so very sudden!
Oh, you're serious?
No, no.
I mean...
Well... I...
I told Dale we were "a thing."
"A thing."
Is that...
Is that different
than going steady?
I'm not sure.
Maybe you have
to be a thing first,
then steadily continue
being a thing...
To subsequently
qualify it as steady.
What does "steady"
actually mean?
Well, you know...
It's...
No, I don't,
because I live here,
in the 21st century.
It's, uh...
It's like...
The wall you knocked down.
Mm-hmm...
Yes? We were over
here, being... friends,
and now we are over here.
Being... more than friends.
And... I don't know
what to call that.
Hmm.
Progress.
Shall we go meet aunt bunny?
I think we shall.
Oh...
Watch out.
- Thank you.
- Mm-hmm.
[]
Aunt bunny says you
can sit on the porch
and she'll make some lemonade.
I'll go get your friends.
Oh! I forgot to mention
that Polly likes to hear music
when she has her babies,
so don't forget to sing to her.
Oh, no.
She... she thinks we're
here to buy the place.
[Birds twittering]
[Shane]: Listen to that.
This must be
what heaven is like.
I hope not.
It's too much work.
Oh, my goodness.
Hello!
[Shane]: You must be
Abby's grandmother?
That's right.
Kim kellser.
Abby says your name is O'Toole?
Yes, Oliver O'Toole.
This is Ms. Mcinerney.
I'm afraid your granddaughter
thinks we're here
about the sale of your farm,
but we're not.
Oh.
Actually, that's a
breath of fresh air.
What brings you here, then?
We are from the
dead letter office
of the U.S. postal service.
We found something
your children may have mailed
to a Denver art
dealer 18 years ago.
The vase?
Yes.
It is safe and in
good condition.
We just have a few details
that we need to clear up first.
Do you believe in
god, Mr. O'Toole?
I do.
Good, because you just might
be the answer to our prayers.
[Kim]: Apparently, they'd
sent the vase to an art dealer
Mary Lou had found
in the phone book.
It took a lot of courage
for them to admit
what they'd done.
But Mary Lou took the blame,
and all she said in
her defense was...
Was that she was
trying to save the family.
That's the day I got out of bed,
I got my act together,
and I never looked back,
I never cared if I ever
saw that vase again.
Until now.
'Cause we have to move.
[Kim]: I never thought
I'd hear myself say this,
but if there was ever a time I
was tempted to sell that vase,
it would've been now.
But I didn't have it to sell.
And then you folks
come up the road.
So if it really is
worth some money,
there wouldn't be a
better time to find that out.
Well, it will need to be
appraised, of course,
and we do have some indication
that it may be worth
quite a great deal...
if it is genuine.
And, of course, we'll
have to come up with
some sort of way to
authenticate ownership.
There aren't any receipts.
It was a wedding gift
to my grandmother.
We have a picture.
That's right!
Abby, would you go find
that old scrapbook, please?
Mm-hmm.
A photo would be great,
and then we would just
have some forms to be signed
by all three senders.
What do you mean, all three?
Well, the box was
marked "return to sender,"
and in the case
of something so
potentially valuable,
we would need the signatures
of all three names
on the return address.
Peggy, Mary Lou, and bunny.
We haven't seen Mary
Lou for over two years.
[Oliver]: Mary Lou has
quite a way with words.
She wrote a beautiful letter.
Yeah, she did.
If it's not sweet enough,
you can put in more sugar.
- It's just right there.
- Thank you.
If you put in too much at first,
you can't fix it,
but you can always put in more.
That's just the
way I make it, too.
Peggy!
Peggy!
Guess what!
The mail people found our vase!
[Peggy]: So you're saying
there's actually
someone in Denver
with an offer to buy it?
[Oliver]: I believe
the exact quote was
"in a New York minute."
Well, then it must
be worth something.
[Oliver]: If it's authentic
and not a reproduction.
An authentic what?
[Shane]: We're
not actually sure,
but our friend at the museum
said it could date
from the 1700s.
Wow.
And then there's the
matter of ownership.
Well, it's ours.
That picture will prove it.
[Oliver]: Nevertheless,
the return address indicates
that the vase was mailed
by three individuals,
so we require a
signature from all three
in order to release it.
[Bunny]: Well, I'll
sign something.
Bunny, they need you
and me and Mary Lou.
Leave it to her to
complicate things for us,
even when she's not here.
Peggy...
Is there a way that we
could contact Mary Lou?
Well, she's really busy.
[Peggy]: We send emails
that never go through.
We send letters to a p.O. Box
that she's never in
the country to check.
She sends us
postcards, fruit baskets.
No, she hasn't quite thought
to send us an actual address.
And even if she did get
a letter that we sent her,
and even if she stopped
"following her heart"
long enough to read it,
and even if she did
sign your papers,
and even if she
managed to send it back,
I doubt any of that would happen
in time for us to sell the vase
and get the money
so that we can pay
our taxes and our bills
and save our farmhouse
and let our mother die in peace!
[Abby]: I found it!
[Norman]: Could
you show it to us?
Maybe inside, while the
grown-ups are talking.
Wow. That looks old.
[Bunny]: Okay. Bye.
[Kim]: Okay. Thanks, bunny.
[Kim]: Peggy, our problems
are not their problems.
They're just trying to help.
And for the record, you
all followed your heart.
You followed your heart,
and when your heart got broken,
you brought all the
pieces back here,
and this place put you
back together again.
Bunny has followed
her sweet, little heart,
even if it only goes as
far as the back fence.
But she loves the
animals and the peace
and it makes her happy.
And you'd do well, missy,
to find a way
to make that kind of
peace with your sister.
I apologize.
It's been a tough...
We understand.
Okay.
Peggy acts angry,
but, really, she just
misses her little sister.
They were so close until
that vase went missing,
and things changed.
Maybe now...
Do you drive a
stickshift, Mr. O'Toole?
Oh...
Well, i'm...
I'm a bit rusty.
I can.
- Yeah?
- Mm-hmm.
[Kim]: It doesn't
kill you right away.
But it kills you.
And there's no cure.
Even if we could
find the right doctor,
and the right treatment
to slow it down,
sooner or later,
the bone marrow just
stops making red blood cells.
And some fancy, expensive
vase isn't going to change that.
But, if it's true,
if we could sell it,
and postpone the auction,
it sure would be nice
to be looking at all this
when my time comes.
It is a truly beautiful place.
Abby says
that Sookie is stubborn,
Polly likes to
stay in the parlor,
and, well, arabelle
likes to wander.
That's just who they are.
They're all different.
Mary Lou always...
Always had crazy
ideas growing up.
And always managed
to make them work.
That's why it was so hard on her
when her biggest dream
disappeared in the U.S. mail.
We are so sorry about that.
It made us stronger.
And it made Mary Lou
determined to prove herself.
She went to college,
she worked for a newspaper
and a radio station,
and now she runs
around the world,
following war after war,
and tells stories
about folks who're
fighting to survive
in a lot worse
circumstances than ours.
When was the last
time you saw her?
Three christmases ago.
She and Peggy
got into an argument
about something silly,
as usual,
and it ended up where
things always ends up.
I came back.
What do you want from
me? I'm not a farmer, okay?
Oh, yes. Well,
that is the truth!
- If you had been...
- You're jealous.
Oh, great, we're
back to the vase!
[Peggy]: Yes!
[Mary Lou]: I'm
sorry, I'm sorry,
and I'm sorry!
I was a 10-year-old kid.
I can't keep coming back here
just to be put on trial
over and over again.
I'm out of here.
[Kim]: And now
there's always a reason
why she can't make it back here.
She's always...
"Embedded" with some troops
in some combat zone somewhere.
Does she even know
you've been sick?
I... I don't know.
I don't even know where she is.
It's so...
It's so peaceful here.
Yeah.
This is my favorite time of day.
When the cows come
home for the night.
The sun starts to set,
the evening comes,
and somehow, they just
know it's time to come home.
Someday, so will I.
I just hope we're all
together when I do.
[Kim]: I love that one.
Oh, look at that.
There's my grandmother
before she enlisted.
[Peggy]: I'm still not clear
exactly how you guys
are all involved in this.
[Kim]: This is her
when she was a baby.
[Rita]: Oh, wow.
She's very pretty.
She looks a lot like Mary Lou.
Oh.
So, can you make an exception?
I mean, we can prove
that the vase is ours,
and you have me and bunny,
and that's two out
of three signatures.
Yes. However,
the accompanying letter
was written by Mary Lou.
I understand the urgency.
This is obviously...
An unusual set of
circumstances, but...
Okay.
I get it.
But...
Can you help us
track down Mary Lou?
Well, from what I hear,
Mary Lou could be anywhere
in the world right now.
But you found us.
You must be good.
I've got a card.
She's an associate news producer
at a news agency in New York.
She's never actually
there, but it's a start.
Could you just try?
Please?
Even if it ends up being
too late for the auction,
the truth is...
It might just be enough
to bring Mary Lou home...
In time for mom.
[Kim]: Oh, here it is.
[Rita]: Oliver, look!
This is Betty on
her wedding day.
There she is,
there's her husband,
holding the vase,
and their commanding
officer who married them.
The one who gave them the vase.
Where was that taken?
France.
She was stationed in London
and allied
headquarters in Paris.
[Rita]: Wow.
Imagine being in
the middle of all that.
Yeah.
She was quite a character.
To tell you the truth,
I always suspected
she'd exaggerated
the value of the vase
just to give us some hope.
Wouldn't it be something
if it turns out she's right?
Yes. Yes, it would.
So, is that what you needed?
You know, we...
We'll have to compare this vase
with the one we
have at the office.
Could we take this with us?
Or perhaps get a copy of it?
I have a copier in the back.
Perfect.
Here, sweetheart.
Thanks.
We need to leave.
Hey!
I milked my first cow!
Oh! Wow!
We might have a problem.
[Oliver]: I think my dad
may be able to
help us out with this.
[Shane]: I'll start
researching right after dinner.
[Rita]: If it's true,
this could be
really, really serious.
[Oliver]: Well, let's not
jump to conclusions.
Two and two don't
always equal four.
[Norman]: They
always have to you.
I'm just trying to
think outside the box...
Or in the picture frame.
When did you learn
to drive stickshift?
Hey, listen.
Do you guys hear that?
[Bill, sunny and Joe singing]
...and how many seas
must a white dove sail
before she can
sleep in the sand?
Yes, and how many times
must the Cannon balls fly
before they are
forever banned?
The answer, my friend
is blowing in the wind
the answer is
blowing in the wind
Oh, hey!
Bravo!
Welcome to the flower
power sing-along hour!
[Sunny]: I'm not a lot of
help 'til I get new glasses,
so I'm the muse.
[Oliver]: It's clearly working.
Wow!
Look at this place!
It's coming along, right?
We need your
expertise with something.
Do you mind?
[Joe]: Sure.
Great song.
Rita says that
she used to sing that
to her imaginary
childhood friend,
Hudson.
Hudson the invisible owl.
She told you about Hudson?
Oh, yeah. We tell
each other everything.
Oh!
I brought you
some fresh raw milk.
Milked it myself.
I know you like
healthy things, so.
Came from a cow
named petula. Yum!
Thanks.
I'll put it in the fridge.
That was so thoughtful
of him, wasn't it, bill?
He milked it himself!
Bill?
[Joe]: Well, it's possible.
[Shane]: All we know
is that she brought it back
from France after the war.
[Joe]: It looks like
the same vase.
But even if it was a gift,
if it comes through this office,
you're obligated to confirm
what you're delivering.
[Norman]: Regulation
87k, paragraph b.
"The mail recovery agent
must pursue all
avenues of identification,
restitution, and repatriation."
Norman is very good
at rules and regulations.
This is so exciting
to be right in the
middle of the action.
Normally, I wouldn't
share postal business,
but, frankly,
I need some feedback
on how best to proceed.
Well, the vase is worth
a lot of money, right?
Most likely.
And the people it belongs
to really need the money?
Really, really need it.
The question is, does
it really belong to them?
Well, when I saw the
French flag in the picture,
I remembered a
course I took in college
about the art that went
missing during world war ii.
Some of it was stolen
during the German occupation
from museums or private homes,
and then it was sold, or traded,
or hidden away.
Now, some of it has been
recovered and returned,
but there's a lot of it
that's still out there,
and people are looking for it.
Family heirlooms,
old masterpieces...
And you think this could be
one of those
stolen pieces of art?
Well, if it's from
Europe after the war
and it's as valuable
as we think it could be,
then there's a very,
very good chance
that it belonged
to another family...
That it was taken from.
And who knows what
happened to them.
[Bill]: Let's go gas
up the starcruiser.
We're back at it again tomorrow?
You got it.
- Goodnight.
- Goodnight.
- Goodnight.
- Goodnight, Norman, dear.
- Goodnight, daddy.
- Goodnight, sweetie.
Mr. Haywith,
don't forget your...
Oh...
Milk.
[Sighs]
[]
Sir, I direct a
government task force
that is quite
familiar with the...
[]
Great. Thank you so much.
It's valued at
over half a million.
[Rita]: Wow.
[Oliver]: Of course,
it is quite familiar
with the management
of sensitive material,
and I can assure you that...
Alright, then please transfer
me to the international desk.
[]
Thank you.
So?
Mary Lou's news crew
is embedded with an
undisclosed combat unit
in an undisclosed country,
shooting footage for a
television news special.
Does she have an
undisclosed phone number?
She communicates occasionally
through satellite conferencing,
but sometimes, that
doesn't even work.
Oliver, that's
not going to help.
The auction is in three days.
However...
The news director was
willing to try another call,
if I can make it to New York.
Ms. Mcinerney, would you
book me a flight tonight?
Sure.
If it doesn't fall under
the task force budget,
I'll cover it with the
O'Toole foundation.
You are not going
to believe this!
Mr. Benshan says it's
at least 200 years old.
And it was probably
made for a Duke,
or a prince, or
a king in Austria.
[Norman]: And it was
probably given to a loyal subject
and handed down
through the generations to...
- To...?
- [Norman]: Somebody.
But it's definitely
worth at least a farm
and a few years' worth of
state and local property taxes.
So he called a collector who...
- Wants to buy it!
- Wants to buy it!
[Rita laughing]
- Oh, let's go tell my parents!
- Oh, okay!
I can book you on a
redeye that leaves tonight
and returns...
As soon as I'm able.
Oh! You guys
have got to see this.
Where did Oliver go?
Hold on.
Um...
Do you mind if I take
off and work from home?
It's gonna be a long night.
No, no, of course not.
We'll be fine.
- Goodnight.
- 'Night.
Say "special delivery!"
Special delivery!
[Camera shutter clicks]
Hey!
I thought we could all meet
up for dinner at Ramon's later.
I just need to run
an errand first.
Oh, let me guess.
You're gonna stop
by the tip top cleaners?
Uh, no.
But I should run.
They close at 5:00.
Joe, will you
join us for dinner?
I'd love to,
but I have an appointment
with my accountant.
Raincheck?
Sure. Here, let me help you.
Thanks.
You coming, daddy?
You go ahead. I'll catch up.
Daddy.
[Sighs]
Look...
I know you don't like Norman.
I never said I didn't like him.
I don't get him.
Well, you would if you tried.
You just don't want to.
Ever since you guys got here,
all he's done is
tried to be nice.
The errand he's
going on right now
is to pick up mom's glasses.
He invited you for dinner.
I mean...
He milked a cow.
He lost your engagement ring.
What does that say about a guy?
I'm sorry,
it's just... it's not what
I imagined for you.
You want to know what I
imagined for me, daddy?
Somebody sweet and kind
and generous and unselfish.
Somebody who's right there
to pitch in and help
when you need it,
somebody who thinks
that I make sense,
no matter what I say.
Somebody who doesn't
care that I wear glasses
because he sees the
world the same way I do
and he always tries to find
something beautiful in it.
He's exactly what
I imagined, daddy.
Because I imagined
somebody like you.
Forgot my keys.
Did you hear any of that?
Sure did.
And I'm thinking
maybe you're the one
who needs the glasses.
[Ramon]: Mrs.
Haywith! Your glasses!
I see you are once again
a woman of great vision!
Oh, Ramon!
You're... so...
so Ramon.
I have a very special table
for my little postal family.
It will be ready
in a few minutes.
So, anyway, I looked
across the Washington mall,
and there he was,
handing a Daisy to a
national guardsman,
and I just knew.
Same with me!
It was love at first sight.
Of course, we had a
lot of things to work out.
The war, Watergate,
the Beatles breaking up...
Very hard.
Oh, yeah.
And, of course, there
was the moon landing.
I was for, Billy was against...
Oh, interesting.
Look, he's a good man, Norman.
He's just a sad dad right now.
What do you mean?
He used to be her hero.
Now she has two.
I wish Oliver was here.
He knows how to
handle these things.
So do you.
Well, I don't think he's coming.
He may surprise you.
Or we'll surprise him.
[Bill chuckles]
Say, that was a short dinner.
I, uh... Canceled it.
Well, see, I...
Wanted us all
together for a reason,
but Oliver had to leave,
and Joe had an appointment,
and Shane had...
Anyways,
things don't always
end up the way we plan.
You put all your
hope into a vase,
and it gets lost in the mail.
You put a nail in a wall, and
the whole thing falls down.
You fall in love
with the most amazing
woman in the world.
You buy her a ring,
you put it in your pocket,
and it disappears.
You think you know
what happened.
Then one day, a light goes on,
and you realize
that it fell through
a hole in your pants,
and got kicked under the bed,
and you find it weeks
later in your snowboot.
[Gasps] Oh!
[Norman]: You know,
a miracle like that,
you want to share it
with everybody you love
over a nice dinner...
Together...
But like I said,
sometimes plans change,
and I don't think
that I can let
another minute go by
without doing this, so...
Rita?
Mm-hmm?
This ring looks like an owl,
not just 'cause I know
that you like owls,
but...
Because owls are beautiful...
And wise, like you.
They're smart like you,
and they are so brave.
It doesn't matter
how dark it gets,
they just keep flying
through the night,
because they can see
what nobody else can...
And so do you,
probably because
someone else who's wise
and smart and brave...
Taught you how...
And now I get to fly right
alongside you forever...
And I am so grateful for that.
With this owl ring,
I thee...
Engage you.
[Laughing]
Mm...
I love you.
[Laughing]
Okay.
Nice job.
Thanks.
Thank you.
Thank you!
I love you!
[Woman]: I guess if
you flew all this way,
it must be important.
It is.
Okay, Mr. O'Toole.
If she's on schedule,
she should be up
in about 30 seconds.
Thank you.
It's a choppy feed,
and you only have a few minutes
before the satellite passes,
so if you could keep it
short, that would be great.
Here we go.
Give me some contrast.
Hey, you guys. You there?
Got you loud and
clear, m.L. You okay?
[Mary Lou]: Yeah.
I got the b-roll you wanted.
We're just wrapping up here,
and then we're
heading stateside.
Check. It's uploading.
Coming through now.
You got a visitor
from the post office.
The what?
Uh, the United States
postal service, Ms. Kellser.
It is a long story,
but we've located the vase
you mailed 18 years ago
to a Mr. Sam benshan in Denver.
You're kidding me.
I'm not.
Um, it's in good condition,
and it's possibly worth
a great deal of money.
Wow!
This is like...
This is like the
ultimate do-over.
When I was a kid, I
messed up big time,
and I lost that thing,
and I never really
forgave myself.
I don't think my
family did, either.
Well, I can't speak for them,
but they certainly
seemed pleased.
You saw them?
How are they?
Uh, Ms. Kellser,
we need a signed consent
to release the vase
and return it to
you and your family.
Yeah.
Just send me something
in care of the newsroom,
and I'll sign it and
send it right back.
Unfortunately, we're under
an urgent time constraint.
Under the circumstances,
I can accept a verbal consent,
if you are amenable.
Amenable?
Yeah, I'm amenable.
Go for it,
and, um,
can you give my mom
and my sisters my love?
And tell Abby
auntie moo says hi.
I will.
Thanks.
Uh, Ms. Kellser!
Yeah, yeah?
Uh, I was told
that sooner or later,
all the kellser women
follow their hearts back home.
If it's at all possible...
Perhaps you should...
Make that sooner.
Why? What's going on?
Uh, well, um...
Your family is...
Your mother's not..
Hello?
Hello, can you...?
[Static]
We're out of range.
[Dale]: Great. Appreciate it.
[Dale]: Well...
Interpol, German
restitution files...
It's all there.
I was hoping I was wrong.
Well,
most people wouldn't even
have made the connection.
I guess... I don't know...
I just...
Think outside the box...
Which is a good thing!
Only thing is, now
you're stuck with the truth.
Yeah, and now we have find a way
to break it to the kellsers.
You'll find it.
You and Oliver.
You'll do just fine.
[Kim]: I'd forgotten
what it looked like.
Looks just like that.
So what's next?
I would like Oliver to be here
before we explain that.
He should be driving up any...
Any minute now.
My future in-laws
are picking him
up from the airport.
I'm sorry.
What does he need
to be here to explain?
Well...
Ahem.
We have hit a bit of a bump.
The auction is tomorrow.
We can't afford a bump.
[Car horn honking]
That'll be Oliver. Excuse me.
Billy, look at this place.
Hi! Norman!
[Rita]: Oh! My parents
want to see the farm!
[Sunny]: Oh, god, honey.
Whoa.
Welcome back.
Thank you.
It's great to see you
again, Mr. O'Toole.
It's great to see
you all as well.
Where might Abby be?
She's on her way
home from school.
Ah.
Mrs. Kellser,
in the course
of processing this return,
we discovered
a little bit about
the provenance
of this vase.
Well, if that means that
it's worth a lot of money,
that could really solve
everything for us, right?
Well, we had all hoped
the vase was worth
a great deal of money,
and, for your sake, it is.
Um, however...
We also found out
that it's quite rare,
and Mr. Benshan
has an ardent collector
of 18th-century porcelain
who made an offer
to acquire it from you
once you were to
take possession.
Once we "were"
to take possession?
Does that mean you
didn't find Mary Lou?
Uh, actually, I did.
She's overseas
and was unable to sign
the "intent to deliver" form,
but she did give me
verbal confirmation
that she had, indeed,
delivered the vase.
How did she sound?
I saw her, actually,
briefly, on a video
conference call.
She has limited
communications ability.
How does she look?
Uh...
Well, the video quality
was a bit inconsistent.
Did she ask about us,
or the farm, or anything?
Oh, yes.
We didn't have much
time to elaborate,
but yes.
Okay, so, what is the bump?
Well...
The vase was created
for a member of the
Austrian royal family
in 1748,
and it stayed with that family
until it was given, ironically,
as a wedding gift,
to a very prominent
political family
in Frankfurt, Germany
named rubel.
It remained in the
rubel family's possession
for the next 72 years,
passed down from father to son
until 1939, when, um...
[Oliver clears his throat]
When the, uh, family home
and its entire contents
were confiscated,
and all but one member
of the rubel family...
Uh, disappeared.
My lord.
[Shane]: Yes, that, um...
That person was Johann rubel,
a teenager at the time,
who managed to escape to France
with nothing but the
clothes on his back
and a family photograph.
After the war,
he made his way
to the United States.
He worked his way
through college,
he started a family,
and he spent his free time
searching for
his lost relatives.
The only record that he found
was an inventory of everything
taken by the Germans
from his childhood home.
Um...
The vase was part of a shipment
intended for the
private collection
of a German officer in France,
but the shipment went missing,
and the best guess
is that the contents
were stolen.
The vase found
its way to France,
most likely in the black market,
or an antique shop,
and eventually to
the American officer,
and into Betty's hands.
I seriously doubt that...
She had any idea
what she really had.
How did you find this out?
When I saw Betty's
wedding day picture,
a bell went off in my head.
It turns out that
Johann's grandson
had posted a description
and the photograph
on several Internet
search registries.
When I posted a
description of the vase,
I was able to find a match,
and I contacted him.
Mr. Rubel is now in his 80s,
and, um...
Well, he was very happy.
We thought you might
want to see the vase...
One more time
before we have to...
I don't believe this.
I understand this must be...
A difficult blow...
But...
We are not just required
to deliver the mail.
We are also responsible
for what we deliver.
Is there some sort of a
way we can fight this?
I mean...
There has to be a point
when you have it for so long,
it just...
It's yours!
I mean, it was a
gift to our family.
We did not steal this.
No, we didn't,
but that doesn't
mean it belongs to us.
I'd rather lose this farm
than lose my soul, Peggy.
I'd imagined you might say that.
We are so very sorry.
Please tell Mr. Rubel
it was an honor to
have a piece of his family
living with us for a while.
I'll tell him.
So what do we do now?
We'll get up in the morning
and auction off our farm,
and pay off our bills,
and you'll close things up,
and I'll take my medicine...
And we'll teach Abby
how a kellser woman lives...
And how she leaves.
Hi, mama!
Hi, honey.
I love it! Such an
elegant paradox.
A world of possibility
inside a simple frame.
So very Shane and ovilear.
Such a thoughtful gift.
It was "ovilear's" idea.
[Bill]: Hey, Ramon,
another round of
area 51, please.
Of course!
[Bill]: Thanks, man.
Excuse me.
"Ovilear"?
Ovilear.
Area 51? I'll take one of those.
[Oliver]: Dad...
We can't thank you enough
for helping with Rita's parents.
Are you kidding?
A week in a tiny, dusty room,
singing folk songs
with aging hippies,
I felt like a kid again.
[Laughing]
And you're gonna love
what they did with the room.
They made it into
a lab for Norman.
Really?
It was bill's idea.
Sadly, though,
they weren't able to work in
the waterfall of hanging beads.
[Oliver, disappointed]: Oh...
Well, that is a shame, hmm?
[Chuckles]
Sure is, isn't it?
- Oh, my goodness.
- We'll survive.
What is this?
It's from your dad.
Oh...
Oh...
Hudson!
Oh...
Thank you, dad.
Look!
Hudson the invisible owl?
Well, one day when she was six,
she didn't want Hudson
to be invisible anymore,
so I went to the toy store,
and I made him visible.
Mm.
Found him in the attic
a couple of weeks ago.
I just thought she
should have it,
so that...
Well, you know.
You try to teach
your kids to love,
and then you turn into a jerk
when they finally
go out in the world
and do it.
[Chuckles]
I'm sorry I was so tough on you.
I'm sorry I blended
your wife's bifocals.
It wouldn't have
been the first time.
[Laughing]
Hey, you guys.
Hi, honey.
So?
Oh, I got a
present for you, too.
[Keys jingling]
[Rita gasps, laughs]
You're giving us an rv?
Sort of like a
honeymoon present.
We're thinking of
getting off the road
and settling down around here.
Oh!
Maybe find ourselves
a nice rocky mountain
geoponic collective,
get back to our roots.
You were farmers?
Oh, yeah. We lived off the land.
We grew everything ourselves.
It was compost heaven.
Compost heaven.
[Laughs]
[Laughing]
[Gavel bangs]
[Auctioneer]: Ladies
and gentlemen,
we will begin the
bidding at $265,000.
[Fast auction patter]
$265,000. Do I have 270?
I've got 265, I've got
270, do I have 275?
275, I've got 275.
Do I have 280?
280, I've got 280. 280.
Do I have 300? Do I got 280?
Got 300. Got 300.
Do I have 310? 310.
Thank you, sir. I've got 310.
310, do I have 320?
I've got 310. I've
got 320 over there.
320. Do I have 330? 3...
330 from the
gentleman in the back.
Got 330. How about 340?
I've got 330, 330.
Do I have 340? 340.
From the gentleman in
the front. Thank you, sir.
We've got 340. Into a 345.
Got 340. Do I have 345?
We got 340 going
once, going twice...
[Man's voice]: 400.
[Auctioneer]: $400,000 from
the gentleman in the back!
Now $400,000. Do
I have four and five?
$400,000 going once,
$400,000 going twice...
Sold...
[Bangs gavel] To the
gentleman in the back.
[Kim]: I'm not sure I
understand what just happened.
Mrs. Kellser, you're
not just looking
at the dead letter
office task force
of the United
States postal office.
We also comprise the
executive committee
of the board of trustees
of the O'Toole foundation.
It's a philanthropic
organization
begun with funds given to me
by a father I never knew,
whose unusual success resulted
in a rather remarkable fortune,
of which I am the custodian.
So, you're rich?
Well...
Oh, yeah.
[Laughing]
Mrs. Kellser?
With your permission, of course,
the O'Toole foundation
would like to help you
put the kellser family farm
into a living lands conservancy,
and this would
guarantee, of course,
that it could never
be sold or developed.
Wow.
[Peggy]: Thank you...
Um... But what's the catch?
[Kim]: Oh, Peggy,
for once, stop
being so suspicious.
[Rita]: Well, there
is actually a catch.
For the farm to stay as it is,
it has to remain a
sustainable and workable farm
and has to expand
into an education center
that teaches
responsible agriculture.
Okay.
Um, we have no idea
how to teach any of that.
[Norman]: So we've found
a very interesting
and lovely couple
who've agreed to build
and run the education center.
They're actually my parents!
[Laughing]
But they know
all sorts of things
about experimental farming.
So, you're buying the farm,
but you're not buying the farm?
Exactly.
The O'Toole foundation
has assumed all
financial responsibility,
and you are free to live here...
Well, until...
Until the cows come home.
[Shane]: The vase
is on its way home.
Mr. Rubel sent you an email.
[Car horn honking]
Mary Lou! [Laughs]
You came back!
I knew you'd come!
[Mary Lou]: I was
worried about you guys,
and I missed my baby sister.
[Bunny]: I missed you, too.
Mama!
What's going on?
Everything, but we're okay.
What's this for?
Taking walks around the farm,
which I plan to do
for a nice, long time...
And I plan to take
some of those walks
with you.
I'm so sorry it took me
so long to get home.
[Kim]: Oh, but you did...
And it's still here for you.
Hey.
The vase is back?
Yeah...
And it's gone again.
What?
We didn't need it.
We never needed it.
When are you two going to
get that through your heads?
We just needed each other.
Nothing beats hard work,
happy cows, and hope, right?
[Laughing]
So, what happened?
Oh, well...
"My dear madame kellser...
I cannot begin to express my joy
when I was informed today
of your kind understanding,
but I am deeply grateful
for your willingness
to say goodbye to
our family treasure,
and I'm so touched to hear
that while it was in your care,
it was a source of
hope and inspiration
to you and your children.
The return of the vase was
a noble and righteous act
that shall be blessed.
Please, be assured
that it shall be placed
in a proper museum
with a letter tracing its
extraordinary provenance,
from a great
castle in Austria..."
[Mr rubel]: To a
little farm in america,
to remind future generations
of a time and a people
that must never be forgotten.
I shall not forget you,
and I send my best
wishes to your family.
May you Cherish every
moment you have together
for as long as you live.
Respectfully, Johann rubel.
[Shane]: I wish we'd been there
when he put that
ring on her finger.
Oh, I don't know.
I think...
I think he just
needed to go solo.
[Shane]: Maybe so,
but going solo isn't
always easy, though.
Are you saying you missed me?
You were only gone
for one day,
but...
It did give me
some time to think.
About?
Well, like, uh...
What one does to
go from being "a thing"
to "going steady," you know.
Uh, I don't know.
Are there really
"going steady" rules?
Oh... several. I looked it up.
Hmm.
Yeah. Pretty serious stuff.
Stuff like...
No hanging picture
frames with anybody but me.
I can pretty much
guarantee that.
No hanging any bead
dividers without prior approval.
Hmm. I think I can
probably live with that.
And...
When Rita and
Norman get married,
you have to dance
the first dance with...
Me.
I only dance with you.
presentation is rated pg.
This presentation deals
with mature subject matter.
Viewer discretion is advised.
- I don't get it.
- No.
You're breaking the rule.
I'm doing the right thing.
I'm the oldest
and I'm in charge.
Well, you're not doing
a very good job of it.
Just trust me.
Hi, Mr. Everett!
Well, hey, it's Peggy,
Mary Lou and bunny.
My favorite family.
What can I do ya for?
How much to mail this to Denver?
It has to get there fast.
Well... let me see.
So how are you all
getting along these days?
[Mary Lou]: Two of the cows
wouldn't get up this morning.
I think it's milk fever...
But the other cows are fine.
We've got plenty of milk
and some real good
cheese this week.
Well, I will just
have to stop by
and pick me up some.
Did you want to
send that first class?
Yes.
Okay, that'll be $5.78.
Is there a... Sixth class?
Let me see.
How much you got?
$2.05.
By golly, that's gonna do it.
And with two cents to spare.
All done! Oughta
be there by Friday!
Thank you.
Bunny, give
Mr. Everett a nickel.
[Mr. Everett]: Thank you.
And this...
Is for you.
[Mary Lou]: Thank you.
And can you please
Mark it "fragile"?
Will do.
What do you got in here anyway?
Hope.
[]
It's no secret I don't care
gonna shout it
out everywhere
I love my baby
hot, cold, fast or slow
I love my baby
gonna tell everybody I know
[]
In the evening, in my bed
I hear voices in my head
they say, "never...
Never ever let her go"
[]
I love my baby
gonna tell everybody I know
well, I love my baby
gotta tell everybody I know
[]
Other women don't
mean a thing to me
[]
You can pick 'em all up
drop 'em all in the sea
[]
If I got no money
she don't care
she'll open up
her pocket book
and pay my fare
I know she loves me
up, down, high or low
[]
I love my baby
gotta tell everybody I know
I'll say it again
I love my baby
gonna tell all
y'all that I know
- Oh, are you finished?
- Yes.
Oh, I love this!
I know just where
this should go.
Oh, I believe it
is already there.
I thought you liked antiques.
I do.
True antiques have character...
And provenance...
Provenance?
A history.
Yes, a story, a pedigree.
But junk is, well, just...
Trash waiting to be made
into treasure.
Trust me, this'll look great
on one of those blank
walls that you keep staring at.
I don't see the point in
decorating a temporary space.
Oliver, you're going
to have to face it
sooner or later...
The old dlo space is now
the new online shipping room.
We're not going back there.
[]
Hmm...
Now, how did I have this before?
Um...
Hmm...
Uh... let's see.
Oh! How about...
Here?
You want to hang it
without anything in it?
[Shane]: Right!
It's very avant-garde.
Whoever's looking at it
will see whatever
they want to see.
I would like to
see a picture in it.
[Shane]: You said you wanted
to break out and try new things.
I did.
Yes, you did.
At least let me get it centered.
Oh!
Did you know
that four out of five
post office brides
marry outside of
their own zip code?
It's a new world, Rita.
Believe it or not,
there's nothing pending
in the pending box
and all the bulk mail
has been debulked,
so it looks...
Like a light day.
Well, I suggest we
take an early lunch!
Oh! Well, Ramon
bought a new restaurant.
It's very cool and very chic.
It's called "bistro Ramon."
We could go there.
What's the matter
with the mailbox grille?
New horizons, Oliver.
Just let me hang
this, and then we can...
Perhaps we should measure first
and then we can find...
Ooh!
Find the stud.
Oh...
[Norman]: Huh!
There's a new horizon.
Wow. What is this?
Some sort of secret room?
I have no idea.
Looks like that water leak's
gotten into everything.
I wonder.
[Shane]: Oliver...
There's undelivered
mail here from 1999.
All the zip codes
are all addressed to...
How did you know?
This...
Is the lost mailbag
of Harry snapp.
[Rita]: He's real?
I always thought
he was just a legend.
[Oliver]: Oh, yes.
Who's Harry snapp?
Harry was a mail carrier,
something of a
disagreeable loner,
who suddenly disappeared
about 18 years ago.
Yeah. Postal lore has it
that he would
spend his lunch hours
hiding somewhere
in this building,
scratching off lottery tickets
and entering magazine contests.
And then one day,
he just didn't show up.
"You may already be a winner..."
Sounds like he
finally hit the jackpot.
They never found
his last delivery.
'Til now.
It's mostly just
waterlogged right now,
and, well, magazines
and junk mail
and the occasional...
Wow!
Antique porcelain vase.
No, just the wall.
Structural damage?
Define damage...
Any sign of an address?
No. The postmark
and address are gone.
Then, we are now obligated
to return it to the sender.
Senders.
There's a partial return:
"Peggy, Mary Lou, and bunny..."
Something "county road..."
Something, something.
Well, facilities and maintenance
can have a crew
here by the 13th.
Excellent.
Next year.
Well, then we shall
take matters into our own hands.
Oh, my.
[Oliver chuckles]
Uh, Norman!
Extraction kit, please.
Careful. It's waterlogged,
it may disintegrate.
Norman, handwriting?
It's dated 18 years ago
and written with a fountain pen,
but the handwriting
is adolescent female,
10, maybe 11 years old.
A child who values
the written word.
Well, why don't I start?
"Dear sir,
I am sending you this vase
because we really
need to sell it.
When I called you last year,
you said you thought maybe
it was worth some money,
but you'd have to see it first,
so here it is.
You also said you would
have to know how old it is
and where we got it
and the whole story of it.
So here it goes.
We live on a farm.
It is very hard work
and hardly anybody
has a real farm anymore.
But my mom says that's
the way we've always done it
and that's why
our milk is the best,
and that nothing beats
happy cows and
hard work and hope.
But that's where
the vase comes in,
because times are bad again
and we are almost
out of hope now.
We are a family of farmers.
Our family has been raising cows
and selling milk
and making cheese
for more than a hundred years.
The women in our
family always have girls,
and they all grow
up to be farmers,
except every once in a while,
a girl gets born who
just wants adventure.
That was
great-grandmother Betty.
When world war ii started,
great-grandma
Betty left the farm
and joined the
women's army corps.
Everybody understood
why Betty ran
off to join the war,
but all the women in
our family are farm folk,
and maybe they wander sometimes,
but sooner or later,
they all come home.
When Betty went to war,
she got married
to an army captain.
And the man who married them
gave them this vase
as a wedding present.
She didn't bring
her husband home.
Just the vase.
And a baby.
That baby was
our grandma Isabel.
Five generations
have lived on this farm,
with this vase,
and we all believed what
great-grandma Betty had said,
that the vase was probably
worth a lot of money.
She called it our
"just-in-case-vase."
We could only sell it
if we really, really
didn't have a choice...
But if we were
the strong American
women we were raised to be,
we would always
think of something else
before it came to that.
And we always did.
One year, we practically
lost a whole herd of jerseys
to a cow epidemic.
Sometimes, a bad year
meant we just ate
eggs and peanut butter
and cans of soup,
so the cows could have hay,
but they never sold the vase.
[Singing]
Sometimes, there were
tornados, and droughts,
and blizzards, and floods.
Sometimes, we had
to trade stuff away...
But we never sold the vase.
But six months ago,
daddy died in a tractor
accident in the west pasture,
and that's why we
are in trouble now.
Our mom and
dad really, really...
Loved each other,
and...
Our mom and dad really,
really loved each other,
and she's still so sad,
she can't get out of bed,
and Peggy and I are
trying to take care of bunny
and the cows
and go to school
and...
Trade milk to pay the bills.
Then last week,
a lady came from
the social services
and asked where our mother was.
We told her she was sleeping
and she said she'd
be back next week.
So if we can just sell the vase,
we can pay the bills,
and mama will feel better
before somebody
comes to take us away."
Well, that's all there is.
I hope that they're...
They're still...
How old would she be now?
Oh, about 28?
Ms. Mcinerney,
would you do some research
on 100-year-old family
farms in the area?
Norman, let's clean up that mess
and figure out what
to do with the room.
And Rita, will you take
photographs of the vase,
and make a few copies,
and then lock the
vase away in the safe?
Wherever the safe is now.
Got it.
If the vase truly
is from Europe,
then I doubt we'll
be able to trace it
back to some dairy farm in...
I'm assuming Colorado...
If it was misaddressed
and returned to sender,
then Mary Lou would
never have heard back
from "dear sir."
So whoever "dear sir" is,
I'm sure she called
him or wrote him again
to try to track it down?
An art dealer, perhaps?
There can't be that
many in Denver.
Oh, well,
there's 87 in Denver proper.
In Metro-Denver...
Point taken, Rita.
Then let's narrow that down
to European
porcelain specialists.
You guys remember
my cousin serge?
[Shane]: Serge?
The one who entered a
monastery in Minnesota?
The little brothers of
perpetual frost. Yeah.
He's relevant to this
conversation because...
Because he has a twin, Igor!
And he's the associate director
of decorative arts
at the Colorado
museum of fine arts!
He always liked bowls and pots.
And they've got
lots of pots there.
Oh, look.
They used it for packing.
"Persephone, 3/4 bucket.
Didn't drink.
Seems dehydrated.
Venus, wouldn't pasture.
Penelope, Minerva, electra..."
Seems like some sort
of cow diary, I think.
Oh.
It says "see attached
vet prescription."
Well, maybe the name of the
vet can help us locate the farm.
The second page is missing.
It must have fallen apart.
Though it looks like
it was stuck
together long enough
for some impressions
to get transferred.
I might be able to pull
something off of that
if I had a bigger lab
and a laser and a
spectral-imaging system.
But the budget only approved
a paper shredder this year.
Well, there must be
some government agency
to whom we can turn.
What about Dale
at the state division
of investigations?
Ah.
Well, there's...
There's a thought.
She's still a special
agent there, right?
A very special agent.
[Oliver]: I'm going to
give her a call right now.
Do you really think
it's a good idea
for Oliver to be...
Reaching out to Dale?
[Shane]: Oh, absolutely.
And you go with him.
Ah.
[Norman]: And
she's really smart.
She has a photographic memory,
and she was miss
special delivery,
and we like the same things,
and the same music,
and the same
books and everything.
So when's the wedding?
Well, it's still pretty new.
I haven't even met her family.
Just wait till they meet ours.
Well, the style
certainly seems to be
18th-century rococo.
So it's either quite valuable...
Or an excellent reproduction.
We're not actually interested
in the value.
I am, kinda.
We're looking for
an art dealer in the Denver area
that might have specialized
in 18th-century porcelain
and been interested
in buying or selling
something like this
18 years ago.
Well, there aren't a lot
of those around here,
but I can try
to put a list together for you.
That would be great.
Thank you very much.
Just a quick question.
If we were interested
in the value of the vase,
what would be a ballpark figure?
Well, if it's genuine,
and it has a
verifiable provenance,
it could be worth a great deal.
500 or 600 maybe?
Oh, no. Not that much.
250...
$300,000.
[Gasps for air]
[Oliver]: If Dale
can help us out,
perhaps I'll see another farm.
I've only been to one...
Once, when I was a boy scout.
Rita?
Oh, I'm sorry.
Sorry. I was just
thinking about Dale.
Dale?
I imagine she'll be
back any minute.
You know, I...
I always wondered if...
You two had been a...
"Thing."
A "thing"?
Well...
You know, we've
always been good friends,
but there...
Might have been
a time where I...
But she didn't...
But then she...
But then I was...
Do you mind if we
change the subject?
No. Sure. Okay.
Oh! My parents
are driving their rv
up from Albuquerque
to meet Norman today!
- Really?
- Mm-hmm.
- Does Norman know?
- No.
It's short notice,
and my parents are
very spontaneous.
And if I told Norman,
he would get that
tummy thing he gets,
you know,
when he's terrified.
Yes.
Unremitting convulsive
stomach syndrome.
You know him so well.
Anyways, I just thought
if I didn't give him
time to think about it,
then he wouldn't have time to...
Convulse.
That's very thoughtful, Rita.
Thank you.
So, spectral imaging is
going to take six weeks.
But I do have a friend
in digital resonance
who was able to
pull a few words...
"antibiotics,"
"appetite,"
nothing that helpful except...
A partial phone number!
Oh, wonderful.
Mm-hmm.
And the prefix and area
code matches byers county...
Oh, well, that narrows
it down, at least.
Thank you very much.
So happy to help.
- How's Norman?
- We're engaged!
Oh, that's... wonderful.
Congrats!
Thanks.
And... and...
How is Shane?
Well, things are good.
She's good.
I'm good.
I'll just meet you outside.
- Sure.
- Bye.
Oliver, it's okay to say it.
You and Shane are...
A "thing."
An early thing.
I figured.
And, you know what, it's...
I'm really happy for you.
I think you need
somebody like Shane
to shake you up a little.
Do you think I need shaking up?
Absolutely. Yes.
You and I, we...
We solve our problems
by knowing where the lines
are and following the rules.
And Shane...
Well...
She colors outside the lines,
if you know what I mean.
But if you put
the two together...
You've got...
A mess?
Or maybe something beautiful.
[]
Where's Rita?
Oh, she's on her way,
she stopped by the dlo to
drop off a piece of evidence.
Evidence?
So you really are
like detectives.
Yes.
But postal.
And you're Rita's boss?
Well, we're all
more like colleagues.
Ms. Mcinerney and
I, and Norman and...
What's the deal with norm?
He's a good man
and a dear friend.
I would trust him with
my life, Mr. Haywith.
You can call me bill.
Oh!
I had an uncle bill.
William O'Toole...
No, "bill" is short for "bilbo."
You know, like in the hobbit.
You have to add
the goat's milk first,
then the whey,
and the cactus root.
Hmm.
I'm a little short
on goat's milk.
Almond milk!
Goats, almonds...
They're all god's
children, right?
So this is a popular cocktail
in Albuquerque you say?
Oh, yes.
It's called an "area 51."
You don't know what's in there,
but one drink,
and you know something
weird is going on.
Oh...
And then I met
Evelyn... sunny...
And we decided to
change our names
the summer of '69.
Everything changed in '69.
How is it
you came to choose
the name "sunny,"
Mrs. Haywith?
Well...
We met during the
summer of love in '67,
when I was Evelyn,
and for awhile,
I was "mystic Harmony..."
And in '69, we
went to Woodstock,
and it rained and rained...
And we didn't see
blue skies for days.
And finally, Billy
said one morning,
"the only sunrise
we're going to see today
is the sun in your eyes.
And I became "sunrise."
Sunrise.
Sunny!
That's wonderful.
You see, now there
really is a sunrise in there.
Take them off.
See that little...
See that little gold
fleck right there?
See?
- [Norman]: Oliver!
- Norman!
Oliver, you're never
going to guess...
[Rita]: Norman!
- [Whirs and crunches]
- [Rita]: I want you to...
[Whirring and crunching]
meet my parents.
Oh, you're just so adorable...
What I can see of you.
I'm really sorry
that I blended your
glasses, Mrs. Haywith.
[Bill]: Hey, sunny,
they've got the byrds on here.
The Beatles, the monkees,
the turtles...
[Laughs] The animals.
All the musical
species of the '60s!
Is that a joke?
Maybe.
So, you're from new Mexico!
[Norman]: Land of enchantment.
Some enchanting land developer
wants to turn our rv park
into Wally's wacky waffle world.
You know, we're so
thrilled for Norman and Rita.
Norman actually reminds me
of a small woodland creature.
Thank you.
[Rita]: All right,
so I found a glasses
place down the street
that's open 'til 5:00.
Perfect.
[Sunny]: Now, honey,
lemme see that ring.
The ring that Norman got me?
Well, who else
would give you one?
[Rita laughing] Right.
Well...
He hasn't given me it yet.
I have it.
I bought it.
I just, uh...
I put it in my pants.
I mean, I put it
in my pant pocket,
and then I changed my pants
when I went to see
Rita to give it to her,
and then when I got
home, I was so happy,
I forgot,
and I sent all my pants to
the laundry the next day...
Well, not all my
pants, of course!
[Everyone laughing]
We've contacted
the laundry service
and there's been a
rather extensive search
over the last few weeks...
So, it's lost?
[Shane]: No. No.
No, no, no, no, no.
We're fairly certain
that it's somewhere at
Tony's tip top cleaners.
[Norman]: Yeah. I go
there a lot to look around.
[Rita]: Norman
described it to me, daddy,
and it sounds very beautiful.
It's in the shape of an owl.
An owl! Oh, how precious?
Honey, you've always loved owls.
Billy, hasn't she
always loved owls?
Yes.
Will you excuse me a moment?
I have to walk around a little.
[Sunny]: Of course, darling.
Is he okay?
Yeah. Yeah. It's just
usually he's a little more...
[Oliver]: Engaging. He just...
Sometimes when
he's surprised, he...
He gets the erks.
Erks?
Unremitting convulsive
stomach syndrome.
You're marrying a
guy who convulses?
Hey, what's... what's that?
[Bill]: Oh, nothing.
Come on, sunny.
Let's... order your glasses.
[Sunny]: We'll see you later.
[Rita]: Okay.
This way, this way.
Maybe I should have given
Norman a little more notice.
Oh, I don't think
you could have prepared
anyone for this, Rita.
[Shane's cell phone rings]
Shane mcinerney.
Yes, hi!
Okay.
Can you send those to me?
Great. Thanks.
Thanks so much, Igor.
Well, Norman's cousin
has some leads for us.
Oh. Great.
[Shane]: We have one
more left on this street.
So this is the vase?
Wow.
No wonder she wanted it back.
Way back in '99 or so,
my dad started
getting calls and letters
from this little girl,
who said that she'd
sent us a vase to sell.
Dad didn't know
anything about it,
but she swore she'd sent it.
Looks like it got lost
in the mail after all.
We are trying to correct that.
He said she'd call every week,
and then every month,
and then every couple of years,
until the calls just
kind of stopped.
Did she ever leave a number?
Actually, yeah,
and dad kept it pinned up
behind the counter forever,
but when I took this place over,
I sort of cleaned house.
[Shane]: We have a
partial phone number
from the same area.
Is there any chance
that you might remember
the area code or the prefix?
Probably not.
It was up there for so long,
it was just kind of
part of the wallpaper,
you know?
Wait, isn't this the area
code for byers county?
Yes. Yes, it is.
Edgewood's in
byers county, isn't it?
[Oliver]: Edgewood. Yes.
Okay, because I do
remember my dad saying,
"that kid from
edgewood called again."
Does that help?
Very much.
I'd really like to know
how a kid from edgewood
managed to get ahold
of something like that.
Well, all we can tell you
is that it had a
very loving home.
Well...
Take good care of that vase.
It probably belongs in a museum.
And if you do find the owner,
and she is still interested,
we'll buy that in a
New York minute.
[Oliver]: My dad's
coming in today
to see what we can
do about that room
you smashed your way into.
[Shane]: Don't you mean
"the room into which
I smashed my way"?
Or have I finally
broken you down
and ruined your love affair
with the English language?
I can't imagine you
ruining anything.
Anyway, Rita's parents
are dropping by today,
so that's perfect.
What is perfect?
Did you notice yesterday
Mr. Haywith had
a present that
he wanted to give,
and then after he met Norman,
he decided not to give it?
Mr. Haywith doesn't like Norman.
Well, everyone likes Norman.
Norman isn't engaged
to everyone's daughter.
Just bill's.
And every father
wants what's best
for their daughter.
Norman is the best.
Norman is what's best for Rita
because he gets her.
And Rita gets him.
But Mr. Haywith doesn't get that
because he doesn't get Norman,
and he's not going to get that
without help.
So I have an idea.
Perfect.
Yes, may I speak with
the postmaster, please?
Yes, I'm calling from
the usps dlo in Denver.
May I ask how long you've
worked at the edgewood branch?
And this is the
unattached objects area,
where the contents
have become separated
from their address
and they require
special handling.
[Rita]: Oh, yeah.
Norman is very good
at special handling.
- Is that a guitar?
- [Rita]: Oh, yeah.
You wouldn't believe
what people put in the
mail with just a stamp.
Coconuts, bricks...
Norman even delivered
a giant bear once.
Oh, stuffed.
I really miss that bear...
[Oliver]: Good news.
We may have a lead
on our dairy farm.
The edgewood postmaster
is expecting us at 2:00.
Wonderful.
Oh, did you know
that edgewood, Colorado
is the site of
the smallest
museum in the state?
The international
museum of barbed wire.
16 square feet.
Well worth the drive.
Rita, how far
would that drive be?
Oh, um...
87.5 miles, without
the toll roads.
[Norman]: There isn't much
we could do around here
without Rita.
Where did she get her
photographic memory?
[Sunny]: Well, her grandmother
memorized the entire
1972 federal tax code,
so I guess it
runs in the family.
[Laughing]
Do you like kids, Norman?
Oh, yes.
I was one once.
I liked it.
Is there any insanity
in your family, Norman?
Um...
[Mr. O'Toole]: Anybody here?
The clean-up
committee has arrived!
Mr. O'Toole!
Welcome, welcome!
Rita's weird hippie
parents are visiting
and Norman broke
her mother's glasses
and her father
doesn't like him. Help!
Got it.
[Oliver]: Dad!
These are Rita's parents,
sunny and bill haywith.
This is Joseph O'Toole.
Bill! Just call me Joe.
And sunny!
Lovely to meet you!
Same here. Congratulations!
When I heard the
news about these two,
I gotta tell you...
Hey! Hendrix!
Were you at that concert?
Front row.
No kidding! Me, too!
[Laughs]
[Sunny]: For heaven's sakes!
You're practically family!
Can you handle a drill, bill?
I build furniture in
Albuquerque. Yes.
[Sunny]: I weave.
I'm a Weaver.
Well, perfect!
Whaddya say we old peaceniks
show these kids how it's done,
if you've got a little time?
Norman, why
don't you just tell us
where you want us to start?
Oh, well...
I thought we could
clean up the new room
and turn it into a
nice office for Rita.
Aw!
[Oliver]: An excellent
idea, Norman.
Brilliant.
And maybe a meditation space?
Hmm!
Yeah, I'm thinking
a waterfall of hanging
beads to divide the space up.
Oliver would love that.
[Joe]: Well, I think
we have a plan.
Rita, do you mind
if I steal your
folks for awhile?
[Rita]: Please!
I mean, of course. Of course.
Great!
You guys, go deliver something!
We'll... we've got this.
Follow me. Come on.
This way?
They're so great, aren't they?
[Mr. Everett]:
Here it is right here.
Sign there, and yeah.
Thank you.
Mr. Everett?
Ah, I'm guessing you
must be Mr. O'Toole?
Yes, and these
are my associates.
What can I do you for?
Well, we are attempting
to deliver an object
that may have shipped
from this post
office 18 years ago.
Oh, I can hardly remember
what we shipped yesterday!
Do you know who shipped it?
It's a small community. I
don't forget my neighbors.
[Shane]: We only
have first names.
Peggy, Mary Lou...
And bunny.
Yeah. The kellser family.
Oh, you know them?
Been around forever.
Are they still a family?
Yeah, the family's
down on county road 119.
Can't miss it.
And they still live on the farm?
Well...
At least until Saturday.
[]
Wow.
[Norman]: Hello?
[Shane]: Hello?
Wow.
"Colorado camembert."
I want to try that.
Cool.
Oh, Norman, look.
Yes. It's like being here
a hundred years ago.
This seems like
your kind of place.
Are you going steady?
Oh!
Uh...
We are!
We're engaged!
Can I see your ring?
Uh...
That's a long story.
I put the ring in my pocket
and then I lost it.
Was there a hole?
A what?
I had chicken feed
in my pocket one time,
but there was a
hole in my pocket,
and the seeds went
all over the floor.
Oh... huh.
- Wanna see the cows?
- Oh...
Oh...
Well, you know,
we would love to,
but we really need
to talk to your mom.
My mom drove to the
drugstore, but she'll be right back.
You can meet aunt bunny.
She's right on the
way to the cows.
Oh. Good.
Well, we'll just stay here
and wait for your mom.
What did you say
her name was again?
Peggy.
I'm Abby.
Okay...
And this is Sookie.
She's very stubborn.
She likes to be milked last.
And arabelle is
always wandering off.
Polly's really sweet,
but she has to be the
first one out of the parlor
or she'll stay in
there all night.
Uh... you allow Polly to
sleep in your living room?
No, silly!
The parlor is where
the cows get milked.
Silly.
You can pet her if you want.
[Oliver]: Careful
of your foot there.
[Abby]: It's all right.
[Cow bells jingling]
There's aunt bunny!
Race you to the farmhouse!
[Shane]: I am very proud of you.
I know that wasn't easy
and all you want to do
is wash your hands
right now, right?
Was I that obvious?
No.
I just...
Know you that well.
Ms. Mcinerney?
Would you like to
go steady with me?
Why, Mr. O'Toole!
This is all so very sudden!
Oh, you're serious?
No, no.
I mean...
Well... I...
I told Dale we were "a thing."
"A thing."
Is that...
Is that different
than going steady?
I'm not sure.
Maybe you have
to be a thing first,
then steadily continue
being a thing...
To subsequently
qualify it as steady.
What does "steady"
actually mean?
Well, you know...
It's...
No, I don't,
because I live here,
in the 21st century.
It's, uh...
It's like...
The wall you knocked down.
Mm-hmm...
Yes? We were over
here, being... friends,
and now we are over here.
Being... more than friends.
And... I don't know
what to call that.
Hmm.
Progress.
Shall we go meet aunt bunny?
I think we shall.
Oh...
Watch out.
- Thank you.
- Mm-hmm.
[]
Aunt bunny says you
can sit on the porch
and she'll make some lemonade.
I'll go get your friends.
Oh! I forgot to mention
that Polly likes to hear music
when she has her babies,
so don't forget to sing to her.
Oh, no.
She... she thinks we're
here to buy the place.
[Birds twittering]
[Shane]: Listen to that.
This must be
what heaven is like.
I hope not.
It's too much work.
Oh, my goodness.
Hello!
[Shane]: You must be
Abby's grandmother?
That's right.
Kim kellser.
Abby says your name is O'Toole?
Yes, Oliver O'Toole.
This is Ms. Mcinerney.
I'm afraid your granddaughter
thinks we're here
about the sale of your farm,
but we're not.
Oh.
Actually, that's a
breath of fresh air.
What brings you here, then?
We are from the
dead letter office
of the U.S. postal service.
We found something
your children may have mailed
to a Denver art
dealer 18 years ago.
The vase?
Yes.
It is safe and in
good condition.
We just have a few details
that we need to clear up first.
Do you believe in
god, Mr. O'Toole?
I do.
Good, because you just might
be the answer to our prayers.
[Kim]: Apparently, they'd
sent the vase to an art dealer
Mary Lou had found
in the phone book.
It took a lot of courage
for them to admit
what they'd done.
But Mary Lou took the blame,
and all she said in
her defense was...
Was that she was
trying to save the family.
That's the day I got out of bed,
I got my act together,
and I never looked back,
I never cared if I ever
saw that vase again.
Until now.
'Cause we have to move.
[Kim]: I never thought
I'd hear myself say this,
but if there was ever a time I
was tempted to sell that vase,
it would've been now.
But I didn't have it to sell.
And then you folks
come up the road.
So if it really is
worth some money,
there wouldn't be a
better time to find that out.
Well, it will need to be
appraised, of course,
and we do have some indication
that it may be worth
quite a great deal...
if it is genuine.
And, of course, we'll
have to come up with
some sort of way to
authenticate ownership.
There aren't any receipts.
It was a wedding gift
to my grandmother.
We have a picture.
That's right!
Abby, would you go find
that old scrapbook, please?
Mm-hmm.
A photo would be great,
and then we would just
have some forms to be signed
by all three senders.
What do you mean, all three?
Well, the box was
marked "return to sender,"
and in the case
of something so
potentially valuable,
we would need the signatures
of all three names
on the return address.
Peggy, Mary Lou, and bunny.
We haven't seen Mary
Lou for over two years.
[Oliver]: Mary Lou has
quite a way with words.
She wrote a beautiful letter.
Yeah, she did.
If it's not sweet enough,
you can put in more sugar.
- It's just right there.
- Thank you.
If you put in too much at first,
you can't fix it,
but you can always put in more.
That's just the
way I make it, too.
Peggy!
Peggy!
Guess what!
The mail people found our vase!
[Peggy]: So you're saying
there's actually
someone in Denver
with an offer to buy it?
[Oliver]: I believe
the exact quote was
"in a New York minute."
Well, then it must
be worth something.
[Oliver]: If it's authentic
and not a reproduction.
An authentic what?
[Shane]: We're
not actually sure,
but our friend at the museum
said it could date
from the 1700s.
Wow.
And then there's the
matter of ownership.
Well, it's ours.
That picture will prove it.
[Oliver]: Nevertheless,
the return address indicates
that the vase was mailed
by three individuals,
so we require a
signature from all three
in order to release it.
[Bunny]: Well, I'll
sign something.
Bunny, they need you
and me and Mary Lou.
Leave it to her to
complicate things for us,
even when she's not here.
Peggy...
Is there a way that we
could contact Mary Lou?
Well, she's really busy.
[Peggy]: We send emails
that never go through.
We send letters to a p.O. Box
that she's never in
the country to check.
She sends us
postcards, fruit baskets.
No, she hasn't quite thought
to send us an actual address.
And even if she did get
a letter that we sent her,
and even if she stopped
"following her heart"
long enough to read it,
and even if she did
sign your papers,
and even if she
managed to send it back,
I doubt any of that would happen
in time for us to sell the vase
and get the money
so that we can pay
our taxes and our bills
and save our farmhouse
and let our mother die in peace!
[Abby]: I found it!
[Norman]: Could
you show it to us?
Maybe inside, while the
grown-ups are talking.
Wow. That looks old.
[Bunny]: Okay. Bye.
[Kim]: Okay. Thanks, bunny.
[Kim]: Peggy, our problems
are not their problems.
They're just trying to help.
And for the record, you
all followed your heart.
You followed your heart,
and when your heart got broken,
you brought all the
pieces back here,
and this place put you
back together again.
Bunny has followed
her sweet, little heart,
even if it only goes as
far as the back fence.
But she loves the
animals and the peace
and it makes her happy.
And you'd do well, missy,
to find a way
to make that kind of
peace with your sister.
I apologize.
It's been a tough...
We understand.
Okay.
Peggy acts angry,
but, really, she just
misses her little sister.
They were so close until
that vase went missing,
and things changed.
Maybe now...
Do you drive a
stickshift, Mr. O'Toole?
Oh...
Well, i'm...
I'm a bit rusty.
I can.
- Yeah?
- Mm-hmm.
[Kim]: It doesn't
kill you right away.
But it kills you.
And there's no cure.
Even if we could
find the right doctor,
and the right treatment
to slow it down,
sooner or later,
the bone marrow just
stops making red blood cells.
And some fancy, expensive
vase isn't going to change that.
But, if it's true,
if we could sell it,
and postpone the auction,
it sure would be nice
to be looking at all this
when my time comes.
It is a truly beautiful place.
Abby says
that Sookie is stubborn,
Polly likes to
stay in the parlor,
and, well, arabelle
likes to wander.
That's just who they are.
They're all different.
Mary Lou always...
Always had crazy
ideas growing up.
And always managed
to make them work.
That's why it was so hard on her
when her biggest dream
disappeared in the U.S. mail.
We are so sorry about that.
It made us stronger.
And it made Mary Lou
determined to prove herself.
She went to college,
she worked for a newspaper
and a radio station,
and now she runs
around the world,
following war after war,
and tells stories
about folks who're
fighting to survive
in a lot worse
circumstances than ours.
When was the last
time you saw her?
Three christmases ago.
She and Peggy
got into an argument
about something silly,
as usual,
and it ended up where
things always ends up.
I came back.
What do you want from
me? I'm not a farmer, okay?
Oh, yes. Well,
that is the truth!
- If you had been...
- You're jealous.
Oh, great, we're
back to the vase!
[Peggy]: Yes!
[Mary Lou]: I'm
sorry, I'm sorry,
and I'm sorry!
I was a 10-year-old kid.
I can't keep coming back here
just to be put on trial
over and over again.
I'm out of here.
[Kim]: And now
there's always a reason
why she can't make it back here.
She's always...
"Embedded" with some troops
in some combat zone somewhere.
Does she even know
you've been sick?
I... I don't know.
I don't even know where she is.
It's so...
It's so peaceful here.
Yeah.
This is my favorite time of day.
When the cows come
home for the night.
The sun starts to set,
the evening comes,
and somehow, they just
know it's time to come home.
Someday, so will I.
I just hope we're all
together when I do.
[Kim]: I love that one.
Oh, look at that.
There's my grandmother
before she enlisted.
[Peggy]: I'm still not clear
exactly how you guys
are all involved in this.
[Kim]: This is her
when she was a baby.
[Rita]: Oh, wow.
She's very pretty.
She looks a lot like Mary Lou.
Oh.
So, can you make an exception?
I mean, we can prove
that the vase is ours,
and you have me and bunny,
and that's two out
of three signatures.
Yes. However,
the accompanying letter
was written by Mary Lou.
I understand the urgency.
This is obviously...
An unusual set of
circumstances, but...
Okay.
I get it.
But...
Can you help us
track down Mary Lou?
Well, from what I hear,
Mary Lou could be anywhere
in the world right now.
But you found us.
You must be good.
I've got a card.
She's an associate news producer
at a news agency in New York.
She's never actually
there, but it's a start.
Could you just try?
Please?
Even if it ends up being
too late for the auction,
the truth is...
It might just be enough
to bring Mary Lou home...
In time for mom.
[Kim]: Oh, here it is.
[Rita]: Oliver, look!
This is Betty on
her wedding day.
There she is,
there's her husband,
holding the vase,
and their commanding
officer who married them.
The one who gave them the vase.
Where was that taken?
France.
She was stationed in London
and allied
headquarters in Paris.
[Rita]: Wow.
Imagine being in
the middle of all that.
Yeah.
She was quite a character.
To tell you the truth,
I always suspected
she'd exaggerated
the value of the vase
just to give us some hope.
Wouldn't it be something
if it turns out she's right?
Yes. Yes, it would.
So, is that what you needed?
You know, we...
We'll have to compare this vase
with the one we
have at the office.
Could we take this with us?
Or perhaps get a copy of it?
I have a copier in the back.
Perfect.
Here, sweetheart.
Thanks.
We need to leave.
Hey!
I milked my first cow!
Oh! Wow!
We might have a problem.
[Oliver]: I think my dad
may be able to
help us out with this.
[Shane]: I'll start
researching right after dinner.
[Rita]: If it's true,
this could be
really, really serious.
[Oliver]: Well, let's not
jump to conclusions.
Two and two don't
always equal four.
[Norman]: They
always have to you.
I'm just trying to
think outside the box...
Or in the picture frame.
When did you learn
to drive stickshift?
Hey, listen.
Do you guys hear that?
[Bill, sunny and Joe singing]
...and how many seas
must a white dove sail
before she can
sleep in the sand?
Yes, and how many times
must the Cannon balls fly
before they are
forever banned?
The answer, my friend
is blowing in the wind
the answer is
blowing in the wind
Oh, hey!
Bravo!
Welcome to the flower
power sing-along hour!
[Sunny]: I'm not a lot of
help 'til I get new glasses,
so I'm the muse.
[Oliver]: It's clearly working.
Wow!
Look at this place!
It's coming along, right?
We need your
expertise with something.
Do you mind?
[Joe]: Sure.
Great song.
Rita says that
she used to sing that
to her imaginary
childhood friend,
Hudson.
Hudson the invisible owl.
She told you about Hudson?
Oh, yeah. We tell
each other everything.
Oh!
I brought you
some fresh raw milk.
Milked it myself.
I know you like
healthy things, so.
Came from a cow
named petula. Yum!
Thanks.
I'll put it in the fridge.
That was so thoughtful
of him, wasn't it, bill?
He milked it himself!
Bill?
[Joe]: Well, it's possible.
[Shane]: All we know
is that she brought it back
from France after the war.
[Joe]: It looks like
the same vase.
But even if it was a gift,
if it comes through this office,
you're obligated to confirm
what you're delivering.
[Norman]: Regulation
87k, paragraph b.
"The mail recovery agent
must pursue all
avenues of identification,
restitution, and repatriation."
Norman is very good
at rules and regulations.
This is so exciting
to be right in the
middle of the action.
Normally, I wouldn't
share postal business,
but, frankly,
I need some feedback
on how best to proceed.
Well, the vase is worth
a lot of money, right?
Most likely.
And the people it belongs
to really need the money?
Really, really need it.
The question is, does
it really belong to them?
Well, when I saw the
French flag in the picture,
I remembered a
course I took in college
about the art that went
missing during world war ii.
Some of it was stolen
during the German occupation
from museums or private homes,
and then it was sold, or traded,
or hidden away.
Now, some of it has been
recovered and returned,
but there's a lot of it
that's still out there,
and people are looking for it.
Family heirlooms,
old masterpieces...
And you think this could be
one of those
stolen pieces of art?
Well, if it's from
Europe after the war
and it's as valuable
as we think it could be,
then there's a very,
very good chance
that it belonged
to another family...
That it was taken from.
And who knows what
happened to them.
[Bill]: Let's go gas
up the starcruiser.
We're back at it again tomorrow?
You got it.
- Goodnight.
- Goodnight.
- Goodnight.
- Goodnight, Norman, dear.
- Goodnight, daddy.
- Goodnight, sweetie.
Mr. Haywith,
don't forget your...
Oh...
Milk.
[Sighs]
[]
Sir, I direct a
government task force
that is quite
familiar with the...
[]
Great. Thank you so much.
It's valued at
over half a million.
[Rita]: Wow.
[Oliver]: Of course,
it is quite familiar
with the management
of sensitive material,
and I can assure you that...
Alright, then please transfer
me to the international desk.
[]
Thank you.
So?
Mary Lou's news crew
is embedded with an
undisclosed combat unit
in an undisclosed country,
shooting footage for a
television news special.
Does she have an
undisclosed phone number?
She communicates occasionally
through satellite conferencing,
but sometimes, that
doesn't even work.
Oliver, that's
not going to help.
The auction is in three days.
However...
The news director was
willing to try another call,
if I can make it to New York.
Ms. Mcinerney, would you
book me a flight tonight?
Sure.
If it doesn't fall under
the task force budget,
I'll cover it with the
O'Toole foundation.
You are not going
to believe this!
Mr. Benshan says it's
at least 200 years old.
And it was probably
made for a Duke,
or a prince, or
a king in Austria.
[Norman]: And it was
probably given to a loyal subject
and handed down
through the generations to...
- To...?
- [Norman]: Somebody.
But it's definitely
worth at least a farm
and a few years' worth of
state and local property taxes.
So he called a collector who...
- Wants to buy it!
- Wants to buy it!
[Rita laughing]
- Oh, let's go tell my parents!
- Oh, okay!
I can book you on a
redeye that leaves tonight
and returns...
As soon as I'm able.
Oh! You guys
have got to see this.
Where did Oliver go?
Hold on.
Um...
Do you mind if I take
off and work from home?
It's gonna be a long night.
No, no, of course not.
We'll be fine.
- Goodnight.
- 'Night.
Say "special delivery!"
Special delivery!
[Camera shutter clicks]
Hey!
I thought we could all meet
up for dinner at Ramon's later.
I just need to run
an errand first.
Oh, let me guess.
You're gonna stop
by the tip top cleaners?
Uh, no.
But I should run.
They close at 5:00.
Joe, will you
join us for dinner?
I'd love to,
but I have an appointment
with my accountant.
Raincheck?
Sure. Here, let me help you.
Thanks.
You coming, daddy?
You go ahead. I'll catch up.
Daddy.
[Sighs]
Look...
I know you don't like Norman.
I never said I didn't like him.
I don't get him.
Well, you would if you tried.
You just don't want to.
Ever since you guys got here,
all he's done is
tried to be nice.
The errand he's
going on right now
is to pick up mom's glasses.
He invited you for dinner.
I mean...
He milked a cow.
He lost your engagement ring.
What does that say about a guy?
I'm sorry,
it's just... it's not what
I imagined for you.
You want to know what I
imagined for me, daddy?
Somebody sweet and kind
and generous and unselfish.
Somebody who's right there
to pitch in and help
when you need it,
somebody who thinks
that I make sense,
no matter what I say.
Somebody who doesn't
care that I wear glasses
because he sees the
world the same way I do
and he always tries to find
something beautiful in it.
He's exactly what
I imagined, daddy.
Because I imagined
somebody like you.
Forgot my keys.
Did you hear any of that?
Sure did.
And I'm thinking
maybe you're the one
who needs the glasses.
[Ramon]: Mrs.
Haywith! Your glasses!
I see you are once again
a woman of great vision!
Oh, Ramon!
You're... so...
so Ramon.
I have a very special table
for my little postal family.
It will be ready
in a few minutes.
So, anyway, I looked
across the Washington mall,
and there he was,
handing a Daisy to a
national guardsman,
and I just knew.
Same with me!
It was love at first sight.
Of course, we had a
lot of things to work out.
The war, Watergate,
the Beatles breaking up...
Very hard.
Oh, yeah.
And, of course, there
was the moon landing.
I was for, Billy was against...
Oh, interesting.
Look, he's a good man, Norman.
He's just a sad dad right now.
What do you mean?
He used to be her hero.
Now she has two.
I wish Oliver was here.
He knows how to
handle these things.
So do you.
Well, I don't think he's coming.
He may surprise you.
Or we'll surprise him.
[Bill chuckles]
Say, that was a short dinner.
I, uh... Canceled it.
Well, see, I...
Wanted us all
together for a reason,
but Oliver had to leave,
and Joe had an appointment,
and Shane had...
Anyways,
things don't always
end up the way we plan.
You put all your
hope into a vase,
and it gets lost in the mail.
You put a nail in a wall, and
the whole thing falls down.
You fall in love
with the most amazing
woman in the world.
You buy her a ring,
you put it in your pocket,
and it disappears.
You think you know
what happened.
Then one day, a light goes on,
and you realize
that it fell through
a hole in your pants,
and got kicked under the bed,
and you find it weeks
later in your snowboot.
[Gasps] Oh!
[Norman]: You know,
a miracle like that,
you want to share it
with everybody you love
over a nice dinner...
Together...
But like I said,
sometimes plans change,
and I don't think
that I can let
another minute go by
without doing this, so...
Rita?
Mm-hmm?
This ring looks like an owl,
not just 'cause I know
that you like owls,
but...
Because owls are beautiful...
And wise, like you.
They're smart like you,
and they are so brave.
It doesn't matter
how dark it gets,
they just keep flying
through the night,
because they can see
what nobody else can...
And so do you,
probably because
someone else who's wise
and smart and brave...
Taught you how...
And now I get to fly right
alongside you forever...
And I am so grateful for that.
With this owl ring,
I thee...
Engage you.
[Laughing]
Mm...
I love you.
[Laughing]
Okay.
Nice job.
Thanks.
Thank you.
Thank you!
I love you!
[Woman]: I guess if
you flew all this way,
it must be important.
It is.
Okay, Mr. O'Toole.
If she's on schedule,
she should be up
in about 30 seconds.
Thank you.
It's a choppy feed,
and you only have a few minutes
before the satellite passes,
so if you could keep it
short, that would be great.
Here we go.
Give me some contrast.
Hey, you guys. You there?
Got you loud and
clear, m.L. You okay?
[Mary Lou]: Yeah.
I got the b-roll you wanted.
We're just wrapping up here,
and then we're
heading stateside.
Check. It's uploading.
Coming through now.
You got a visitor
from the post office.
The what?
Uh, the United States
postal service, Ms. Kellser.
It is a long story,
but we've located the vase
you mailed 18 years ago
to a Mr. Sam benshan in Denver.
You're kidding me.
I'm not.
Um, it's in good condition,
and it's possibly worth
a great deal of money.
Wow!
This is like...
This is like the
ultimate do-over.
When I was a kid, I
messed up big time,
and I lost that thing,
and I never really
forgave myself.
I don't think my
family did, either.
Well, I can't speak for them,
but they certainly
seemed pleased.
You saw them?
How are they?
Uh, Ms. Kellser,
we need a signed consent
to release the vase
and return it to
you and your family.
Yeah.
Just send me something
in care of the newsroom,
and I'll sign it and
send it right back.
Unfortunately, we're under
an urgent time constraint.
Under the circumstances,
I can accept a verbal consent,
if you are amenable.
Amenable?
Yeah, I'm amenable.
Go for it,
and, um,
can you give my mom
and my sisters my love?
And tell Abby
auntie moo says hi.
I will.
Thanks.
Uh, Ms. Kellser!
Yeah, yeah?
Uh, I was told
that sooner or later,
all the kellser women
follow their hearts back home.
If it's at all possible...
Perhaps you should...
Make that sooner.
Why? What's going on?
Uh, well, um...
Your family is...
Your mother's not..
Hello?
Hello, can you...?
[Static]
We're out of range.
[Dale]: Great. Appreciate it.
[Dale]: Well...
Interpol, German
restitution files...
It's all there.
I was hoping I was wrong.
Well,
most people wouldn't even
have made the connection.
I guess... I don't know...
I just...
Think outside the box...
Which is a good thing!
Only thing is, now
you're stuck with the truth.
Yeah, and now we have find a way
to break it to the kellsers.
You'll find it.
You and Oliver.
You'll do just fine.
[Kim]: I'd forgotten
what it looked like.
Looks just like that.
So what's next?
I would like Oliver to be here
before we explain that.
He should be driving up any...
Any minute now.
My future in-laws
are picking him
up from the airport.
I'm sorry.
What does he need
to be here to explain?
Well...
Ahem.
We have hit a bit of a bump.
The auction is tomorrow.
We can't afford a bump.
[Car horn honking]
That'll be Oliver. Excuse me.
Billy, look at this place.
Hi! Norman!
[Rita]: Oh! My parents
want to see the farm!
[Sunny]: Oh, god, honey.
Whoa.
Welcome back.
Thank you.
It's great to see you
again, Mr. O'Toole.
It's great to see
you all as well.
Where might Abby be?
She's on her way
home from school.
Ah.
Mrs. Kellser,
in the course
of processing this return,
we discovered
a little bit about
the provenance
of this vase.
Well, if that means that
it's worth a lot of money,
that could really solve
everything for us, right?
Well, we had all hoped
the vase was worth
a great deal of money,
and, for your sake, it is.
Um, however...
We also found out
that it's quite rare,
and Mr. Benshan
has an ardent collector
of 18th-century porcelain
who made an offer
to acquire it from you
once you were to
take possession.
Once we "were"
to take possession?
Does that mean you
didn't find Mary Lou?
Uh, actually, I did.
She's overseas
and was unable to sign
the "intent to deliver" form,
but she did give me
verbal confirmation
that she had, indeed,
delivered the vase.
How did she sound?
I saw her, actually,
briefly, on a video
conference call.
She has limited
communications ability.
How does she look?
Uh...
Well, the video quality
was a bit inconsistent.
Did she ask about us,
or the farm, or anything?
Oh, yes.
We didn't have much
time to elaborate,
but yes.
Okay, so, what is the bump?
Well...
The vase was created
for a member of the
Austrian royal family
in 1748,
and it stayed with that family
until it was given, ironically,
as a wedding gift,
to a very prominent
political family
in Frankfurt, Germany
named rubel.
It remained in the
rubel family's possession
for the next 72 years,
passed down from father to son
until 1939, when, um...
[Oliver clears his throat]
When the, uh, family home
and its entire contents
were confiscated,
and all but one member
of the rubel family...
Uh, disappeared.
My lord.
[Shane]: Yes, that, um...
That person was Johann rubel,
a teenager at the time,
who managed to escape to France
with nothing but the
clothes on his back
and a family photograph.
After the war,
he made his way
to the United States.
He worked his way
through college,
he started a family,
and he spent his free time
searching for
his lost relatives.
The only record that he found
was an inventory of everything
taken by the Germans
from his childhood home.
Um...
The vase was part of a shipment
intended for the
private collection
of a German officer in France,
but the shipment went missing,
and the best guess
is that the contents
were stolen.
The vase found
its way to France,
most likely in the black market,
or an antique shop,
and eventually to
the American officer,
and into Betty's hands.
I seriously doubt that...
She had any idea
what she really had.
How did you find this out?
When I saw Betty's
wedding day picture,
a bell went off in my head.
It turns out that
Johann's grandson
had posted a description
and the photograph
on several Internet
search registries.
When I posted a
description of the vase,
I was able to find a match,
and I contacted him.
Mr. Rubel is now in his 80s,
and, um...
Well, he was very happy.
We thought you might
want to see the vase...
One more time
before we have to...
I don't believe this.
I understand this must be...
A difficult blow...
But...
We are not just required
to deliver the mail.
We are also responsible
for what we deliver.
Is there some sort of a
way we can fight this?
I mean...
There has to be a point
when you have it for so long,
it just...
It's yours!
I mean, it was a
gift to our family.
We did not steal this.
No, we didn't,
but that doesn't
mean it belongs to us.
I'd rather lose this farm
than lose my soul, Peggy.
I'd imagined you might say that.
We are so very sorry.
Please tell Mr. Rubel
it was an honor to
have a piece of his family
living with us for a while.
I'll tell him.
So what do we do now?
We'll get up in the morning
and auction off our farm,
and pay off our bills,
and you'll close things up,
and I'll take my medicine...
And we'll teach Abby
how a kellser woman lives...
And how she leaves.
Hi, mama!
Hi, honey.
I love it! Such an
elegant paradox.
A world of possibility
inside a simple frame.
So very Shane and ovilear.
Such a thoughtful gift.
It was "ovilear's" idea.
[Bill]: Hey, Ramon,
another round of
area 51, please.
Of course!
[Bill]: Thanks, man.
Excuse me.
"Ovilear"?
Ovilear.
Area 51? I'll take one of those.
[Oliver]: Dad...
We can't thank you enough
for helping with Rita's parents.
Are you kidding?
A week in a tiny, dusty room,
singing folk songs
with aging hippies,
I felt like a kid again.
[Laughing]
And you're gonna love
what they did with the room.
They made it into
a lab for Norman.
Really?
It was bill's idea.
Sadly, though,
they weren't able to work in
the waterfall of hanging beads.
[Oliver, disappointed]: Oh...
Well, that is a shame, hmm?
[Chuckles]
Sure is, isn't it?
- Oh, my goodness.
- We'll survive.
What is this?
It's from your dad.
Oh...
Oh...
Hudson!
Oh...
Thank you, dad.
Look!
Hudson the invisible owl?
Well, one day when she was six,
she didn't want Hudson
to be invisible anymore,
so I went to the toy store,
and I made him visible.
Mm.
Found him in the attic
a couple of weeks ago.
I just thought she
should have it,
so that...
Well, you know.
You try to teach
your kids to love,
and then you turn into a jerk
when they finally
go out in the world
and do it.
[Chuckles]
I'm sorry I was so tough on you.
I'm sorry I blended
your wife's bifocals.
It wouldn't have
been the first time.
[Laughing]
Hey, you guys.
Hi, honey.
So?
Oh, I got a
present for you, too.
[Keys jingling]
[Rita gasps, laughs]
You're giving us an rv?
Sort of like a
honeymoon present.
We're thinking of
getting off the road
and settling down around here.
Oh!
Maybe find ourselves
a nice rocky mountain
geoponic collective,
get back to our roots.
You were farmers?
Oh, yeah. We lived off the land.
We grew everything ourselves.
It was compost heaven.
Compost heaven.
[Laughs]
[Laughing]
[Gavel bangs]
[Auctioneer]: Ladies
and gentlemen,
we will begin the
bidding at $265,000.
[Fast auction patter]
$265,000. Do I have 270?
I've got 265, I've got
270, do I have 275?
275, I've got 275.
Do I have 280?
280, I've got 280. 280.
Do I have 300? Do I got 280?
Got 300. Got 300.
Do I have 310? 310.
Thank you, sir. I've got 310.
310, do I have 320?
I've got 310. I've
got 320 over there.
320. Do I have 330? 3...
330 from the
gentleman in the back.
Got 330. How about 340?
I've got 330, 330.
Do I have 340? 340.
From the gentleman in
the front. Thank you, sir.
We've got 340. Into a 345.
Got 340. Do I have 345?
We got 340 going
once, going twice...
[Man's voice]: 400.
[Auctioneer]: $400,000 from
the gentleman in the back!
Now $400,000. Do
I have four and five?
$400,000 going once,
$400,000 going twice...
Sold...
[Bangs gavel] To the
gentleman in the back.
[Kim]: I'm not sure I
understand what just happened.
Mrs. Kellser, you're
not just looking
at the dead letter
office task force
of the United
States postal office.
We also comprise the
executive committee
of the board of trustees
of the O'Toole foundation.
It's a philanthropic
organization
begun with funds given to me
by a father I never knew,
whose unusual success resulted
in a rather remarkable fortune,
of which I am the custodian.
So, you're rich?
Well...
Oh, yeah.
[Laughing]
Mrs. Kellser?
With your permission, of course,
the O'Toole foundation
would like to help you
put the kellser family farm
into a living lands conservancy,
and this would
guarantee, of course,
that it could never
be sold or developed.
Wow.
[Peggy]: Thank you...
Um... But what's the catch?
[Kim]: Oh, Peggy,
for once, stop
being so suspicious.
[Rita]: Well, there
is actually a catch.
For the farm to stay as it is,
it has to remain a
sustainable and workable farm
and has to expand
into an education center
that teaches
responsible agriculture.
Okay.
Um, we have no idea
how to teach any of that.
[Norman]: So we've found
a very interesting
and lovely couple
who've agreed to build
and run the education center.
They're actually my parents!
[Laughing]
But they know
all sorts of things
about experimental farming.
So, you're buying the farm,
but you're not buying the farm?
Exactly.
The O'Toole foundation
has assumed all
financial responsibility,
and you are free to live here...
Well, until...
Until the cows come home.
[Shane]: The vase
is on its way home.
Mr. Rubel sent you an email.
[Car horn honking]
Mary Lou! [Laughs]
You came back!
I knew you'd come!
[Mary Lou]: I was
worried about you guys,
and I missed my baby sister.
[Bunny]: I missed you, too.
Mama!
What's going on?
Everything, but we're okay.
What's this for?
Taking walks around the farm,
which I plan to do
for a nice, long time...
And I plan to take
some of those walks
with you.
I'm so sorry it took me
so long to get home.
[Kim]: Oh, but you did...
And it's still here for you.
Hey.
The vase is back?
Yeah...
And it's gone again.
What?
We didn't need it.
We never needed it.
When are you two going to
get that through your heads?
We just needed each other.
Nothing beats hard work,
happy cows, and hope, right?
[Laughing]
So, what happened?
Oh, well...
"My dear madame kellser...
I cannot begin to express my joy
when I was informed today
of your kind understanding,
but I am deeply grateful
for your willingness
to say goodbye to
our family treasure,
and I'm so touched to hear
that while it was in your care,
it was a source of
hope and inspiration
to you and your children.
The return of the vase was
a noble and righteous act
that shall be blessed.
Please, be assured
that it shall be placed
in a proper museum
with a letter tracing its
extraordinary provenance,
from a great
castle in Austria..."
[Mr rubel]: To a
little farm in america,
to remind future generations
of a time and a people
that must never be forgotten.
I shall not forget you,
and I send my best
wishes to your family.
May you Cherish every
moment you have together
for as long as you live.
Respectfully, Johann rubel.
[Shane]: I wish we'd been there
when he put that
ring on her finger.
Oh, I don't know.
I think...
I think he just
needed to go solo.
[Shane]: Maybe so,
but going solo isn't
always easy, though.
Are you saying you missed me?
You were only gone
for one day,
but...
It did give me
some time to think.
About?
Well, like, uh...
What one does to
go from being "a thing"
to "going steady," you know.
Uh, I don't know.
Are there really
"going steady" rules?
Oh... several. I looked it up.
Hmm.
Yeah. Pretty serious stuff.
Stuff like...
No hanging picture
frames with anybody but me.
I can pretty much
guarantee that.
No hanging any bead
dividers without prior approval.
Hmm. I think I can
probably live with that.
And...
When Rita and
Norman get married,
you have to dance
the first dance with...
Me.
I only dance with you.