Original subtitles

Night, Matt.

I can't believe it's already time for the Winter Festival.

Still thawing out from last year.

What's the Winter Festival?

Oh, it's a big party that the town puts on every year to celebrate the joys of

winter. It's a diversion to keep people's minds off how cold they are.

Don't listen to him. It's fun.

There's food and games and... And sledding. And snowball fights.

And at the end of the festival, there's hot cider and an evening sleigh ride.

What's the father and son cross -country ski challenge?

It's a race.

Fathers team up with their sons and race around town.

Sounds like fun.

It is.

Especially when you've won three years in a row.

It's a new year, Cade.

Maybe your streak will come to an end.

Sure, Mel. You said that last year, and what happened?

End up face down in a snowbank.

Here you go, boys.

Who's that?

It's Kate Mulroney. It's the Peter Skill Academy.

A bunch of spoiled rich kids. They think they're better than us.

Yeah, just so rich and smart.

Beat us at everything.

Now, boys, this race is not about winning.

It's about having fun and being with your loved ones.

If you happen to beat the boys at Peter Skill in the meantime, that's just icing

on the cake.

Shocked you in the race.

It's only for father and sons, right?

Well, I could be your father, Dan.

Really?

Is that legal?

Oh, sure it is.

I mean, Laurie is your sponsor at Plumfield. I don't see why he can't be

father for the day.

That's great.

Thanks.

Nick?

Do you think you could be my father in the Father -Son race?

Father -Son race?

Yeah, it's a cross -country ski race at the Winter Festival.

Sure.

Thanks, Nick.

I mean, with you and me on a team, there's no way we could lose.

Except me and Lori.

Or me and my dad.

All right, boys, that's enough bragging. Head inside and start unpacking.

That's nice of you.

Yeah.

Don't want to let him down is all. Don't worry about that.

It's just for fun. You don't have to win the race.

I'm sure we won't.

I've never put on a pair of skis in my life.

I'd be lucky if I'm even standing at the end of it.

We'll have to do something about that then, won't we?

Not a word of this to the kids.

Don't worry. It'll be our little secret.

You ready?

Well, that better be.

All right.

Now you push off with your right foot.

And at the same time, you take your left hand and push off with the left pole.

So it's opposite.

Okay? And then you do the same thing with the opposite side. Ready?

Right foot, left pole.

There you go.

That's it.

There you go.

Good! Good! You got it! Oh!

Okay, um, everybody falls when they're just beginning.

There's some people who even fall when they're not beginning. Here, okay.

Ready? One, two, three, up.

Sorry.

Sorry.

You know, put me on a ship in 40 -foot waves, I can walk a straight line.

And skis.

That's something I ain't been around much.

If you can get your balance at sea, I'm sure you can master this.

All right.

Come on.

Up.

It just might take some time.

The race is in two weeks.

No problem.

Hey, I think I'm turning into hay.

The trick is not to go too fast on the

final turn in town.

It's really I

You keep it here. I gotta go in and pick up that material Mr. Joe ordered for

the quilting contest.

Okay.

Boys get to race and girls get to enter the mother -daughter quilting contest.

What are you so mad about? I mean, Miss Joe said she'd enter with you.

I don't want to make a quilt, Matt.

I want to race like you.

Just be glad you're not.

It'll save you the embarrassment of losing to me.

You're entering the race?

That's right.

Why bother? She'd have a better chance of winning than you.

Well, anyone would have a better chance of winning than you.

Well, how do you know I've won this race for the past three years?

That's just because I wasn't in it.

Well, you won't be in it this year either, seeing that girls aren't

If I were you, I'd steer clear of the race as well.

I'm not good at avoiding little kids when they fall.

I wouldn't want to see anyone get hurt.

Hey!

I'm not gonna fall.

I don't know.

You can get pretty rough out there.

Think you're tough enough?

Huh?

Come on.

Show me how tough you are.

Come on.

Leave him alone.

Enjoy making your quilt.

Both of you.

Well,

I'll make a really big quilt so I can bury you in it.

What is wrong with you?

What? You're just going to let him push you around like that?

Here you go, Nan.

Go make him a nice quilt.

Oh, yeah.

Lovely.

You all right, Nan?

Yeah, sure.

You ain't said a word since we got back from town.

Something on your mind?

Nick, did you always know how to fight or did you have to learn?

Some of it I learned.

Most of it I just picked up along the way.

Did you get in many fights when you were a kid?

Some.

No more than most boys.

You see? Now that's my problem.

I've never been in a fight.

Never? No, never.

Back in Boston, Dan and Jasper used to do the fighting for us. And when they

weren't around, I usually just stayed out of trouble.

Well, nothing wrong with staying out of trouble, then.

You're right.

But what about when someone tries to pick a fight with you? They push you,

call your name. What do you do?

You fight back.

That's what you do. You stand up for yourself, but I never do.

Guys like Cade start making fun of me, and I don't do anything.

You know, it's bad enough when Dan stands up for me.

But now I got Nan trying to stand up for me, too.

How about I teach you how to fight?

Really? You'd do that?

But Miss Jo doesn't allow fighting at Plumfield.

We won't be fighting.

I'll just be showing you how to defend yourself.

Yeah, sure.

Still, probably better she don't find out about it, all right?

Okay. It'll be our little secret.

All right.

Hello, Nan.

Hey, Franz.

Can I ask you a question?

Sure.

You know, when you first started to teach at the school and...

Everybody thought you were too young and inexperienced.

How did that make you feel?

Well, I was nervous at first. But you wanted to teach, right?

Yeah. Well, of course you did. You wanted to teach real bad, but people

let you.

Like there was some stupid rule saying that you couldn't do it.

It made you mad because people didn't want to give you the chance to show that

you could do it. What's this about, Nan?

Well...

I want you to be my father.

Excuse me? In the father -son skiing race in the winter festival.

My father can't make it, and I was kind of hoping that you'd take his place.

I don't think that's possible, Nan.

Of course it is.

Laurie's being Dan's father, and Nick and Nat are pairing up. That's fine, but

it leaves you with one small problem.

You're not a boy.

Well, you can leave that one up to me.

Whenever you're ready, give it a shot.

He moved it, Nick.

Of course I did.

When you're fighting somebody, he ain't gonna hold still for you either.

And you're winding up, tipping me when you're gonna throw.

Punch fast.

Jab and recover.

Remember, the other guy's gonna be punching right back at you. So keep your

guard up. Be ready for it.

Good.

Hey, and never...

Ever take your eyes off your opponent.

And if he takes his eyes off you, that's when you deliver.

All right.

All right.

Give him another shot.

Now, see, you lost your balance.

Watch your stance.

Get your feet square under you.

Bend at the knees. The key to winning is keeping your balance.

Exactly.

But remember, you don't actually have to win the race.

It's having fun that's important.

Right.

Fun. Yeah, we're having lots of fun.

Lots. Good.

Nick.

It's three o 'clock.

Remember that thing I was helping you with?

Oh, the thing.

Why don't you get going, finish up your chores, and we'll talk later.

Sure, Nick. See you, Miss Jo.

Fine, then.

You know, I'm still real sore from yesterday.

I know, but don't worry. Every day will get easier.

Me.

This ain't gonna work.

Yes, it is.

No, it ain't.

Listen, this isn't gonna work unless you approach it with the right attitude.

The reason you can't do it is because you don't think you can.

Or maybe you don't want to.

What? Matt is so thrilled that you're participating in this race with him.

Whether you finish first or last or fall on your face at the starting line, it

doesn't matter to him.

You know that.

What you're doing for him is wonderful.

He'll be so proud to have you as his father.

Father?

All right.

Try it again.

Again.

You're tipping me.

I know when you're going to punch.

Nick, I can't do it. Sure you can. No, I'm not getting it. It's just a waste of

time.

The only reason you can't do it is because you don't think you can.

The trick is believe in it.

Know when you can do it.

You get that confidence in you, the rest is easy.

Now, come on. Try it again.

Again.

Again.

Again. Come on. Faster.

I did it.

I hit your hand.

Sure did.

Now do it again. Same way.

Push off with the opposite side. That's it. That's perfect.

You can stop now.

Nat, take a break.

You're punching real good.

My hands are stinging.

Really? You mean I'm hitting you hard?

Real hard.

And your form's looking good, too. You're keeping your weight balanced.

You keep this up, nobody's gonna want to tangle with you.

That boy Cade's gonna be on the ground before he knows what hit him.

You know, Nick, um...

I really appreciate you doing this for me.

I didn't do much of anything.

You always had it inside of you. I just helped you find it, is all.

Um, can I go again?

Sure.

I think I'm gonna need to get me some pads for my hands. I'm starting to swell

up.

Nan, what are you doing?

You'll see.

I told you, it's a surprise.

I can hardly wait.

Is anybody coming? No, not yet anyway.

All right.

Almost ready.

You ready?

Yes.

All right, here I come.

Well, what do you think?

Where'd you get those pants?

Oh, well, they're not.

They're a little bit baggy, but I've got the salt to hold them up.

Do you think I could pass for a boy?

Well, I'd have to say yes.

Well, then you better start practicing your skiing, because we're going to win

this race.

Nan, I don't know.

I mean, I don't look old enough to be your father.

I've already thought about that.

Here, put this on.

What is it?

A fake mustache.

Nan, if we get caught... If we get caught, then we'll get disqualified.

We tried.

And besides, we're not going to get caught.

Because neither me or you are going to tell anybody.

Are we?

It'll be our little secret.

Course is clear.

I'm going to make a run for the flag.

All right. If they start firing, crawl back as fast as you can.

We'll cover you. Right.

On three.

One, two, three.

He's making a run for it.

I got

you, Dan. You're out.

Nice to meet you.

Hey, shut up, Tommy.

Get her!

Nice one, Nat.

Oops, sorry.

Come on!

Let's go!

Get her!

Well, look who he's out.

Come on, Nat, let's go!

Come on, get her! Get her, Nat!

Get her! We're getting low on snowballs.

I'll make some more.

It's really quiet over there.

Maybe too quiet.

They're probably out of snowballs.

Maybe.

Or it might be a trick.

Well, there's only one way to find out.

Matt, what are you doing?

He's taking a run for it.

Make it easier for when I fall.

I don't think you'll be falling anymore, Nick.

You've really improved.

I think you'll finish the race on your feet.

You want to hear something amazing?

Ever since you agreed to be Nat's father in the race, his confidence has soared.

I heard that he captured the flag in the snowball fight today.

And just now, Emil tried to take his scarf.

Nat demanded that he give it back, and he did. Emil backed down.

All these years, Nat's been yearning for a father's influence.

I'm just playing the part, Jo.

I mean, I like to think of myself as a friend of these boys, but I won't go

calling myself much of a father.

I would.

Over there is the icy part, where everyone always slides around.

Yeah, like you.

This year, I'm going to get a big lead at the beginning, so I won't have to

later on.

You can't get a big lead unless you pass me and me, and well, that ain't going

to happen.

Actually, a big lead is a big mistake.

Is that a fact?

Yeah.

It's better to stay back and see what you're up against.

Let them work hard.

By the end of the race, when they're still huffing and puffing.

You're fresh and ready to fly past them.

We'll keep that in mind then.

If you guys want to lose the race, it's fine by me.

Look.

Look who it is.

Come to watch me ski?

You just may learn something.

That guy talks too much.

Somebody has to shut him up.

Yeah.

What's he doing?

The only person that's going to learn something here, Cade, is you. Is that

Who's going to teach me, you?

That's right.

You always wonder how tough I am?

I'm ready to show you.

You are, huh?

What, do you want to fight?

That's right.

Dance dad at it.

Some other time.

It's enough.

Dan, leave me alone.

Come on. Come on.

Nat, what are you doing? Stop. Let him be, Nat.

Nat, are you all right?

Nat?

Nat?

Come on, Nat.

Oh, my God.

Nat.

What's going on here? He hit his head.

Come on, lad.

His pulse is weak and rapid.

His breathing is shallow.

I'm afraid he's lapsed into a coma.

We won't be able to accurately assess the amount of damage until he wakes up.

When will that be?

I don't know.

He sustained a severe blow, and we should prepare ourselves for the

that he may not wake up.

Is there anything we can do?

Mm -hmm. Keep his head raised at all times. A cap of ice, water, and vinegar

might further reduce the swelling.

I'll get it.

You can also apply a fever blister to the back of his head.

Other than that... I'm afraid all we can do is wait.

When you're with him, it might not be a bad idea to speak to him.

I have seen in the past how a familiar voice can have a great impact on

someone back from a coma.

I'll take myself out.

How's Nat doing?

Asia's with him now.

I think we should all take turns sitting with him.

Yeah.

That'd be good, Mrs. Joe.

I'd like to go into town tomorrow.

To the parents of the boy who hit him.

Maybe even the sheriff.

We can't let this all go unpunished.

Mrs. Joe.

That started the fight.

What? I know.

It's hard to believe, and we didn't believe it either.

But Cade, he didn't want to fight.

He tried to walk away.

Yeah, through the first punch.

That's when Cade fought back.

Why would he do such a thing?

I don't know.

Cade was picking on him a few days ago.

But it's not like Nat to pick a fight.

So?

Last few days, I've been teaching Nat how to fight.

What?

I know. I should have told you. You've been teaching Nat how to fight?

That other boy had been pushing him around, and Nat was upset that he didn't

know how to defend himself, so I thought I'd show him. You know how I feel about

fighting.

I know, but Nat came to me. He wanted to learn, and I don't think there's

anything wrong with somebody knowing how to fight to defend themselves.

No.

But did you bother teaching him when not to fight?

I didn't think he'd actually go pick a fight with the boy. I cannot believe you

would do such a thing. I was just trying to help him. Really?

Why don't you go upstairs and look at him, and then you can see how much

helped him.

Several days after leaving Nantucket, nothing above hatches was seen of

Captain Ahab.

Never thought I'd actually be reading to you, huh?

The mates regularly relieved each other at the watches.

There she blows.

There she blows.

A hump like a snow hill.

The white whale turned himself into furious speed, almost in an instant, as

were, rushing among the boats with open jaws, and a lashing tail offered

appalling battle on every side.

The heathless of the irons turned... Mind if I sit with him?

Sure.

So good at reading yet, so... I just sit here and talk with you for a while.

That's all right with you?

Not so good at talking either.

I shouldn't have been teaching you how to fight.

I should have been teaching you how to avoid fights.

But you already knew how to do that, didn't you?

You're doing just fine until I come along and...

I'm sorry, Nat.

Bring him along very gently. Make sure that he doesn't overexert himself.

He has been through quite a trauma.

Yeah. Thank you, Doctor.

Well.

How's he doing?

He's doing better.

Finished. Do you want some more?

No, thanks.

All right, then.

Why don't we let him rest? The doctor said he shouldn't overexert himself.

Sure.

Thanks. We'll see you back.

Sure. Don't worry.

Are you warm enough?

Yeah. Yeah?

Mrs. Joe?

I'm sorry for fighting.

How long will I have to stay in bed?

A week or so.

But I'll miss the father and son, Ray. Oh, I'm afraid you'll have to sit this

one out.

You're going to need plenty of time to heal.

Tonic, I'm sorry.

I know you didn't mean for this to happen.

And I do believe you when you say that you were trying to help him. But, Nick,

he is still a young boy.

You don't realize the impact you have on him, on all the children.

They look up to you.

They hang on your every word, watch your every move, trying to be like you.

I never asked him to look at me that way.

Well, they do, Nick, and... Well, they shouldn't.

Look, maybe I should just step back, do my job, and not get involved with them

so much.

It's too late for that.

You already are involved, whether you like it or not. You're a father figure

them.

There are so many wonderful things about being a father, Nick.

You were nervous about skiing.

But I could see the pride in your eyes when Nat asked you to be in the race

him.

But with being a father also comes a great deal of responsibility.

And I guess the question that you're left with... is do you want to accept

that responsibility?

I don't know if I can.

Then you'd only be hurting them more by staying.

Ned?

Beth, don't cover my eyes.

Oh, sorry.

So why do I have to wear this many scarves?

Dr. Pierce said that you can only go to the festival if we keep you warm.

I recommend we put a blanket on him. Good idea.

Well, the wagon's hitched. You all set?

Yeah.

Matt, is that you?

Yeah. Well,

you look warm.

Where's Nick?

Nick's not going to be coming to the festival.

But we are.

And we're going to have a wonderful time.

You want to try it?

Your next? No.

Oh, try it.

Oh, nice job. Joe, what do you think?

I think the colors. Isn't it gorgeous?

It's lovely.

The colors are lovely.

The stitching, that's what catches the judge's eye.

That's why Daisy and I spend so much of our time on the intricacy of our

designs.

Yours is nice, too, Meg.

Well, we'll just have to let the judge decide, won't we?

Where's your quilt, Joe? I thought you and Nan were going to make one.

Oh, Nan didn't want to participate.

Where is Nan, anyway?

I don't know. I haven't seen her since we came into town.

Folks, cover your attention.

It's time for the Father -Son Ski Challenge.

So all participants, make your way to the starting line.

Well, it's my cue.

Try not to hurt yourself.

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

Good luck, Mark. Bye.

Finally, they just called for the road.

Why don't you just pull this down a little tighter so it won't blow off

the race?

And you might want to fix your mustache.

Go on, both of you. Go ahead.

Have a good time.

Just about ready.

Here's to the starting line.

Asia, sit here.

Nat, come sit by me.

Ooh, hot cider.

Yeah, okay.

Uncle couldn't make it. He sent his butler in his place.

I'm sure he'll do fine.

Go on, now.

Good luck.

Hey, Emil, I saw your father.

He'll be lucky if he even finishes the race.

Mind if I join you?

Nick! Nick!

You're here.

I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Skiers, take your mark.

All right.

Let's go, Mr. Lawrence.

Thank you.

That's it. I'm not waiting anymore.

Disqualify me.

Give him the ribbon.

But you know I beat you.

You can remember that every time you look at that ribbon.

Give it to her.

All right.

Very good.

Up here, Nat.

Nat?

Can't take it.

Of course you can.

You would have beat me anyways.

I know you wouldn't, but I want you to have it.

Bye.

All right.

It's three o 'clock.

Three o 'clock, our skiing lesson.

Figure I got a whole year to practice up for next year's race. Me and Nat are

gonna win it, just you watch.

Are you sure you're ready for this?

Probably flip up again.

Hit the snow a few more times, but... I'm gonna keep at it.

Keep trying till I learn to find my balance.

Will you help me?