Original subtitles

The peace and beauty of the land

and sky around Walton's Mountain

was a source of constant comfort to all of us

during those difficult depression years.

Some of the changes that were going on in the world

did eventually reflect themselves on our mountain

like the increase in the number of airplanes

that spotted the sky.

In particular, I remember an airmail plane

that used our mountain as a landmark.

My mother especially liked to wait for the plane to go over

and sometimes watching

she'd get the look people have when they watch wild geese

winging their way south to warm sunny days.

Wish you two would hurry up, you've got starving men here.

-And starving ladies! -You're not a lady.

-What am I? -You're just a little girl.

Stay that way 'cause when you get to my age

it's nothing but work and worry.

I would prefer less philosophy and more food this p.m.

-Here. -Thanks.

You could help you know.

-It's not my turn. -So what?

-I'll help you anyway, then. -Gee, thanks.

You're welcome.

You kids got your money saved up for Mama's birthday present?

It's not much. 8 cents.

How about you, Jim-Bob?

It's upstairs. I'll count it later.

Alright.

-Your supper, sir. -Thank you, ma'am.

You're welcome.

It must be awful to be somebody's wife

and have to do this every day.

If you don't learn to be more pleasant

you won't have that problem to worry about.

Once you find your true love,

you'll be plenty willing to do for him

just like when your grandma found me.

I'm going to have a whole other life. Full of glamour.

-Bet you can't even spell it. -I heard that.

I hope we don't all starve to death

before we get to see that glamour of yours.

I understand men a lot better than Mary Ellen does.

You're a born slave, Erin.

Will you two stop picking on each other and let's eat?

I sure wish your mama would come in.

She's out looking at the airplane.

Good Lord, you'd think she never saw an airplane in her life.

Whenever there's anything in the sky, it's always interesting.

Last week and a half, you'd think that plane

was the only thing that mattered to her.

-John-Boy, do we have enough? -Enough what, honey?

Enough money for Mama's birthday present.

With Jim-Bob's savings included, if it turns out to be as much

as I suspect it is

we'll probably be able to buy some chocolate,

make her a good cake.

-And some candles. -You got that much, do you?

How many do we need?

I'm not sure how much your mama's

looking forward to this birthday.

Why don't we put on about 12?

This food will taste like it's 12 years old

if she don't come in here.

John-Boy, will you tell your mama the food's getting cold?

Yeah.

I slave away all day and there's nobody here to appreciate it.

Did you get Mama a present?

-I sure did. -What is it?

A surprise. It's something I made for her myself.

-It's late tonight. -Never been late before.

Always like clockwork.

Gotten to be a regular part of your day here.

Doesn't it seem marvelous to you,

to be waved at from an airplane?

Brings the sky down close to you, doesn't it?

There he is.

There he goes.

You think I'm being silly, John-Boy?

-No, I don't.

Think she'll like it, Jason?

If she can figure out what it is.

Shut up, Ben. What about the color?

Don't worry. She'll love it.

Hey, quiet.

Sorry I'm late.

Maybe someday when I grow up I'll be another Amelia Earhart.

Maybe that's who I'll be when I grow up.

I've been too busy to think about such things.

Guess I have, too, Grandma.

Didn't he just go by?

John, listen. Something's wrong.

Where is he?

I don't know, but he's in trouble.

Sounds like he's circling back.

There he is. Right there.

See?

He's too low! He's going to land in the pasture road.

He's trying to land in the pasture.

Get the truck! Turn it around,

put the lights on the end of the pasture.

Come on!

Hold it! Right here.

Alright. Here, quick!

-Here. -Do it.

-Okay, go. -He's taking it apart.

Here you go. Got that one?

-Okay, come on. -You two go down to the end.

He's way down there now.

-Wait a minute. -Easy, easy.

You won't believe it.

That's the trickiest landing I've ever made.

You're lucky to be alive at all, young man. Here, easy.

Easy now. Easy, lad.

Broken oil line. Spattered oil all over the magneto.

And I got a gasoline leak.

Maybe things will look better in the morning.

Why don't you come up to the house?

That makes sense.

I sure appreciate your help. My name's Cooper, Todd Cooper.

John Walton.

I'll need to use your phone to call Atlanta

and tell them the mail's safe and I'm alive.

We don't have a phone, but we can get you to one.

Okay.

Someone here and I are already friends.

It's Mama. She waits for you every night.

I never expected you to fall out of the sky.

I never expected anyone quite so beautiful.

Would you kids like to give me a hand?

-Can't leave the mail unguarded. -Sure.

Here you go. That's one.

Ben, give me one!

-They're too heavy for you. -They are not!

Alright, you two.

This here is a Stearman, just like my model, isn't it?

Hey, champ. Take it easy.

That's US mail.

And when that engine started missing I had to come down

-and I remembered your pasture. -Just like Lindbergh.

That was a very impressive display of flying ability.

If I can't take off in the morning

I'll have to truck the pouches down to the train.

Where is the nearest train stop?

Rockfish. About 6 miles from here.

That was my last flight.

Would have liked to have gotten it through on time.

Changing jobs?

Going on to a more exciting kind of flying.

More exciting than flying the mail?

Barnstorming, air shows, racing, real kind of flying.

Hauling the mail, it's like driving a truck after a while.

You're giving up a steady job

for a flying circus in these times?

Probably pays more than chopping wood, Ma.

Course, there's days we can't fly.

They don't pay us for waiting for the weather to clear.

Flying in the sky like a bird.

I just can't imagine what that must be like.

Gets to be pretty exciting at first,

then after a while, back and forth

between Washington and Atlanta, gets kind of dull.

-Dull? -Sure.

Mr. Cooper, where do you call home?

It used to be Washington, D.C.

From now, it's gonna be the back seat of a plane.

I'm joining an air show in Florida next week.

Must be hard on your family

with you streaking through the sky all the time.

I'm a loner, Mrs. Walton. No family to speak of.

If I could trouble you

for a ride down to that telephone, Mr. Walton.

I have work to finish up.

John-Boy, take Mr. Cooper to Ike's.

Yeah, sure.

Could I go? We could talk about flying.

I've had enough flying for today, kid.

-Tomorrow. -Promise?

I promise. After I fix the plane, if there's time.

Doesn't sound like much of a promise to me.

Yes, indeed. It does seem that young man

has something else on his mind.

Well, that's no excuse for hurting a child's feelings.

Here's the money for Mama's birthday present.

Don't tell anyone.

-Not a word. -Don't lose it.

I promise.

Let's go!

You must get to see a lot of the country.

I do.

But flying's changing.

Five years ago, we had hardly any instruments.

Now there's even talk of putting radios in the mail planes.

Must be getting a lot safer though.

Safer, yeah.

But the fun's going out of flying fast. Rules.

You mean it's getting just like any other job.

Same thing everyday.

That and other things.

Aviation's settling down. Growing up.

Getting established, you might say.

I guess that's why you want to go barnstorming?

-How far to that telephone now? -Almost there.

Here you go.

No, it's on me. It's a gift to your mom.

No, this'll be the children's gift to their mother. Thank you.

I guess I can understand that.

There ought to be something here that I can give to Olivia.

And, Operator, if anyone tries to reach me,

tell them I'll be flying out early.

No, I don't have a number where I can be reached.

Thank you.

Oh, thanks.

-I bet Olivia would like this. -That's beautiful.

Real tortoise shell.

I gave one of those to my. To a girlfriend once.

That's really too much. Thank you, anyway.

Like I say, the only thing that exceeds my income

from this store is my generosity.

Now you take it and wish Olivia a happy birthday for me.

Thank you very much. She'll really appreciate it.

Thank you, Ike. Good night.

Thanks for the use of your telephone.

Good night.

Time to call it a day, Grandpa.

My bones have just been telling me the same thing.

Your bones should have told you that an hour ago. Come on.

You're right, Ma, I'm dead tired.

Me, too.

-So, did you reach Atlanta? -Yeah.

Thank you.

You want to get him some quilts and bed him down in the barn?

Yeah, sure.

If you people wouldn't mind setting your alarm early

I'd like to get the plane in the air early.

We're up real early around here. We'll get you started.

Thank you. Good night.

Good night.

Something wrong, Ma?

I'm uneasy.

Any reason?

Got a feeling about that young man.

I think he's hiding something.

Happy birthday, Liv.

Come on. Perk up. It's a day for celebrating.

I don't feel right, John.

I don't feel like I'm supposed to.

You sound a little bit like Jim-Bob.

Just feel so unsettled.

Frightened.

I feel like I've lost myself.

Liv, you're too young to let a birthday like this upset you.

It's not my birthday, John, it's my life.

What would I be if I didn't have you,

the kids and this house to tell me who I am?

Without all of you, I wouldn't be anything.

Don't pay any attention to me,

I don't even know what I'm talking about.

You are upset, aren't you, honey?

I just feel so dull, shabby, and tired.

I feel like

age has taken away my spirit.

I think I understand what you mean.

We got a lot of kids who did a lot of planning for this day.

-They're waiting outside. -Lord.

Give me a minute to pull myself together.

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday!

Here you go, Ma. See you can be a lady of leisure.

You're supposed to stay in bed. You're not doing any chores.

And don't worry about no work.

We're going to take care of it all day, okay?

-Sit back and enjoy yourselves. -Happy birthday, Mama.

Come on, we gotta get to work. Come on.

Happy birthday.

The real surprises are for later.

And more.

I think I'll get me some breakfast.

Stay and have some of this.

Lord knows there's enough here to feed an army.

Wouldn't be fair. They made it for you.

Besides I have to get your present ready.

-Good morning. -Morning.

Think we'll get her to fly?

Doesn't look much like it.

-Morning. -How's it going?

I think I'm grounded.

I'd be obliged if you can give me a hand

trucking the mailbags down to the train.

There's no train till tonight.

You fly out this afternoon, you beat that train to Atlanta.

Maybe.

But I still need an ignition wire and copper tubing

for that broken line.

All that takes time.

We could order your stuff from Charlottesville

and have it delivered to Ike's. You can pick it up there.

-How long would that take? -About three or four hours.

If you'd like, we'll help you fix your plane.

It'd be fun.

A lot of free labor here. Willing to work.

Alright, let's give it a try.

Let's hurry. I want that cake in the oven

before your mama gets down.

Grandma, how much baking powder?

-Just follow the recipe. -Already put the baking powder.

I get to put in the chocolate.

The chocolate is for the frosting.

Be careful. You get the ingredients all mixed up

you'll just waste them, and there'll be no cake at all.

Did I put in the baking powder or a pinch of salt?

Stop it. Let me taste.

Salt.

Where's the baking soda?

Alright, put it directly under the axle.

Right in the center.

Watch your fingers.

-Give me that lug wrench. -Here you are, Daddy.

You people sure know how to work together.

Up here you have to.

Here. Put this back in, will you?

Can't take a chance on losing one of them.

How's it going down there?

We're getting there, Son.

Erin, we can't both put them on.

Now you girls keep from slamming doors and stomping your feet.

We'll have a cake that'll make your mama want that birthday.

Who wouldn't want one?

You gotta live a good many before you'll understand that.

Let's clean up this mess. Mary Ellen, you wash.

-I wash every day! -You wash.

Erin, you dry and Elizabeth, you take the things to the sink.

Happy birthday, Liv.

Thank you.

That was just delicious. Thank you.

Well, I guess I'll just go for a little walk.

Have a nice walk, Mama.

I'm sorry to be keeping you away from your work, Mr. Walton.

So am I, but with this crew helping, we'll catch up quick.

What exactly is it you do here?

I supply lumber to a few customers.

Cut railroad ties, pulp to paper factory, and cut firewood.

Make any kind of a living?

We get by.

Anybody been around asking about the plane?

Nobody I know of. Expecting someone?

Not exactly.

While that wheel's off, might as well smear grease on the axle.

There it is, right there. Hold your finger.

Get the patch kit.

-Morning. -Morning.

Just think, few hours you'll be up there flying along

as free as a bird.

I hope so, Mrs. Walton.

What's it like?

It's a feeling of belonging up there.

Of belonging to the sky.

There's wind currents up there.

Best when you can take advantage of them.

Sometimes you can feel the air rising so strong,

it pushes you skyward.

You can shut the engine down, and it just carries you up.

It's like when you see a hawk soaring on a hot summer day.

How did you get to be a flier?

Pop was an aviator in the war.

Stories he told me got me all fired up.

Later on he took me up for the first time in my life.

I loved it then and I haven't stopped.

I guess flying seems glamorous.

But everybody's flying these days.

I once taught a girl how to fly.

She was doing real well.

One wheel coming up.

I left a roll of safety wire in my flight bag in the barn.

I'd appreciate it if you get it for me.

-Sure thing. Here. -Thanks.

-Daddy, look at this. -Where'd you find that?

Fell out of his bag, while I was getting him some safety wire.

Looks like Mrs. Cooper.

He said he wasn't married, though.

Maybe he's a widower.

A man wouldn't hesitate to admit that.

What a man wants to admit is his business.

The Flying Coopers. Isn't that something?

Put it away, Son. Doesn't look like it's any of our business.

And look what I made your mother.

That's beautiful. She's gonna love that.

-You made that? -I hope so.

You got something for her, Son?

I'll tell you, Daddy, I thought I did, but.

This is a difficult year

I don't know what to get her this year.

I know what you mean.

-Help me with this, will you? -Want to get it inside?

Thunderheads are building up over the mountain

but it should be clear over Atlanta.

What's it like flying through clouds?

Sometimes when you're on top of a cloud

you look down, they look so solid

like you could step right out and take a walk on them.

Sometimes you see shapes that look like animals.

-I'd like to see that just once. -You'd love it.

I'm gonna miss waiting for you to fly over every night.

I'll come by again.

I'll buzz the house and do a loop-the-loop

so you'll know it's me.

That'll give me something to look forward to.

How's the weather up there?

Glorious. I could stay up here forever.

What are we motherless children going to do in the meanwhile?

-Help me down from here. -I'm sorry.

I recall there was a man in Charlottesville.

He had one of these things.

He was charging $5 for a five-minute ride.

It would be worth it.

Maybe that's what we should've got you this year.

Wish I'd thought of that sooner.

-Keep it in mind for next year. -Alright.

What do you think, Mr. Cooper?

It's a good job.

-You do this all by yourself? -My brothers helped me.

-You get along well, don't you? -Most of the time.

Do you have any brothers and sisters?

No.

Is that why you don't like children?

-Who says I don't like children? -You sure don't act like it.

I guess I've forgotten what it's like to be a kid.

You must have been one sometime.

-I've forgotten. -It's a mess.

Everything you touch turns over. Everybody hollers at you.

You don't even get a chance to holler back.

Get blamed for everything, even when you didn't do it.

It's beginning to come back to me now.

-It's awful, isn't it? -Just terrible.

Come on.

What are you sharpening it on? A stone?

Not yet. Rust isn't taken off.

How's it going?

Think those parts have had time to get here yet?

-I'll go find out right now. -And I need some gas.

Okay, anyone want to come with me?

I'll come with you. Here, you do it.

John, you think you could do without me for a while?

-No. -Try.

-They're right here, Mr. Walton. -Good.

How did Olivia like her comb?

She hasn't opened her presents yet.

Somebody called asking about that airmail pilot.

They wanted to know if he was still around here

and didn't leave a message.

City folk.

They're always in a hurry.

Alright.

Grandpa

-that's her. -Who?

That's Todd Cooper's wife. That's Mrs. Cooper.

What are we going to tell her?

No. That's still up at the Walton place.

How do I get there?

Mr. Walton's in the store right now.

If you ask him, he'd show you the way.

Company's coming!

Welcome.

This is Mrs. Cooper.

This is my daughter-in-law, Olivia Walton.

Hello. Sue Cooper.

This is my favorite wife, Esther Walton.

How do you do?

Fine, thank you.

I better go tell Mr. Cooper you're here.

-Is he alright? -Fine.

The dispatcher said he'd had an emergency landing.

-He's fine. Won't you come in? -Thank you.

Should be out of here in 10 minutes.

Swell.

-Hey, Todd. -Yeah?

Your wife is up at the house. She wants to see you.

I don't want to see her, John-Boy.

She said she tracked you down

all the way from Washington, D.C.

You got any idea what it feels like to be tracked down?

No. I reckon it must feel pretty awful.

I thought we'd argued this whole thing out.

-I thought of more arguments. -Why did you follow me?

You were so angry when you left.

I thought if we could just talk

and not be angry with each other--

I said everything I had to say.

We won't tie you down, Todd.

The baby and I.

We'll make some kind of home base.

And when we can be together, we will.

That wouldn't be fair to you.

We've always been independent people.

The baby doesn't have to change that.

A clean break is the only way.

I don't know what kind of a person I'd become

if I was grounded

but I don't think you'd like that person. I know I wouldn't.

Who said anything about grounding you?

Look, all I'm asking is to keep our marriage

and to give this child a mother and a father.

He needs both of us, Todd.

Can't you get it through your head? I want to be free.

Don't you care whether it's a boy or a girl?

Don't you want to know what color hair it has?

Whether it's got your nose or my eyes

or the right number of toes?

I'm carrying life in me

Todd Cooper.

But that life belongs to you, too.

All set to go?

Yeah.

Thanks to you folks.

Let me ask you a question, Mr. Walton.

Sure.

How long have you been married?

Pretty soon it'll be 20 years.

You ever get the feeling you were

trapped?

I know a lot of fellows feel that way about marriage.

I never have.

Maybe there's something wrong with me.

How's that?

I don't feel the way I'm supposed to about that baby.

What do you think you're supposed to feel?

Whatever it is you share with those kids of yours.

I've never been around families much.

Being here has proved to me I don't feel what a father feels.

With Sue it's different.

She loves that baby.

I don't feel anything but trapped.

Now there's nothing wrong with feeling trapped.

I must have felt that way a few times, way back.

You hold your babies in your arms and diaper it for a while

you begin to feel different.

I sure don't picture myself doing that.

You get used to it.

What am I going to do, Mr. Walton?

In my experience,

most people end up doing what they want to do.

What do you mean?

That airplane out there

is all ready to go, just waiting for you.

Here you are, talking about her.

Yeah.

I really do love her.

Do you?

Yeah.

-She still at your house? -Was when I left.

Yeah.

Mama?

Thank goodness someone's come to keep me company.

I have something for your birthday for you.

I've been trying to figure out what to give you.

It's been difficult this year.

I thought I knew what to give you

but that didn't seem right.

I was reading this morning, and I found a poem in here

by a man named Gerard Manley Hopkins.

I'd like to read it to you for your birthday.

Here it is. It's called The Windhover. That's a bird.

"I caught this morning morning's minion

"kingdom of daylight's dauphin

"dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding

"Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding

"High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing

"In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing

"As a skate's heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend:

"the hurl and gliding

"Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding

"Stirred for a bird the achieve of; the mastery of the thing!

"Brute beauty and valor and act

"oh, air, pride, plume, here

"Buckle! And the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion

"Times told lovelier, more dangerous O my chevalier!

"No wonder of it

"sheer plod makes plough down sillion

"Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear

"Fall, gall themselves and gash gold-vermillion"

John-Boy, those words were just like listening to music.

I don't really understand what the poem meant

but those are about the most beautiful words I ever heard.

I think the poem has a meaning.

To me, it means that

some things

which may seem too simple or unimportant

or even just downright plain

those things are really every bit as important

and every bit as beautiful as the most magnificent things

in the whole world.

Thank you, John-Boy.

Happy birthday.

There was a line in there. Something about, "My heart".

"My heart in hiding Stirred"

Mama, your birthday's ready if you want it.

-Come on! -Oh, that's Jim-Bob.

-Livie. -Oh, Elizabeth.

-That's just gorgeous. -Okay. Here it is, Mama.

* Dear Mama it's you birthday it's a special day for you *

* We hope your day is happy and your wishes all come true *

* We think that your the greatest in every little way *

* That's why I sing this birthday song *

* On this your special day **

Happy birthday!

-Did you write that yourself? -Sure did, Mama.

It's lovely. Thank you.

Thank you.

-Welcome back. -It's good to be back, Grandma.

-Make a wish. -Make a wish!

Alright.

What was the wish?

I'm not gonna tell, 'cause then it might not come true.

See?

Oh, John!

That's just beautiful.

It is just beautiful.

-From all of us, Liv. -Thank you.

In this mirror, I don't look too bad for an old lady.

You look just fine. Happy birthday, honey.

We don't have a present for you

but I think I've got something that you would like.

It's down in the pasture.

How would you like to ride in that plane before we go?

-Todd, how wonderful. -Alright!

That's real nice.

Children, your mama's going flying.

-Come on, let's go. -Bye, Mama.

-Don't forget to wave. -Bon voyage.

"My heart in hiding

"Stirred for a bird the achieve of; the mastery of the thing!

"Brute beauty and valor and act

"oh, air, pride, plume, here

"Buckle!"

Hello, up there.

Today great passenger planes

plow through those skies above the Virginia mountains.

Last year one of them brought my mother to see us in California

where I now live.

We are expecting her again soon

and no doubt our thoughts and our memories

will return to those early times

when that era we called depressed

was so very, very good.

Mama, did you get your wish?

-I sure did. -What did it feel like up there?

The air was cold and the wind whipped me in the face.

Down below everything looked like tiny little specks.

Did you see me, Mama?

Did I look like a speck, too?

You made a very special speck, Jim-Bob.

Alright, you high-flyers, time to settle down.

Not me. I'm still up there flying.

-Happy birthday, honey. -Good night, John.