Original subtitles

HARM: All right, let's go over it one last time.

I don't chew gum or spit on the courtroom floor.

-Call the judge "Your Honor". -Good. What else?

I answer all questions directly.

I don't volunteer more information than is asked for.

-And? -And I speak from the heart,

and I tell them why I want you to be my guardian.

Excellent. Just keep it simple.

So, what do I tell the judge?

You fly a Stearman good,

and instead of Mrs. Del Mucci's bean casserole,

you let me eat pizza seven days a week?

Oh, yeah, well, that'll convince em'.

-You own a dress? -No.

Well, you're going to have to get one.

Whatever spare cash I have goes into the business.

It's my treat.

Why, so I can pretend to be someone I'm not?

It shows respect for the court and for yourself.

Now you sound like my mom.

Well, I would've liked your mother.

You're a lot like her... inside.

Matilda Grace?

That's me.

I'm Harry Clark.

You haven't returned my phone calls

or answered my registered letters.

-I've been busy. -Well, that's no excuse.

Maybe you'd like to change your tone.

And who are you?

I'm a former employee.

Are you looking for a job,

because I take possession of this hangar in two days.

I want all this crap moved out of here by that time.

Whatever's left will be sold or thrown away.

[ theme music playing ]

MATTIE: I had a few problems with the business.

HARM: Why didn't you tell me?

So you'd think I was a screw-up?

So I could help.

I do things my way, Harm,

for better or worse.

You're 14, Mattie.

Fifteen.

You had a birthday?

Yeah.

When?

You could've told me.

Why? Gee, I don't know.

Cake, presents, you know, the usual.

Hugs all around?

I'm not big into birthdays.

Besides, what if you told the whole world

it was your birthday, and you threw a big party,

and nobody came?

Wow, Mattie, you've got to start having

a little more faith in people.

Well, people suck.

They always let you down,

except for maybe you,

and I'm still not sure about that.

You're not going to be trouble, are you?

Nothing you can't handle.

Look, why don't you take me through this

from the beginning?

When I hired you, I was this close to closing up shop.

Then winter came.

No more crops to dust.

Just a little brush clearing.

I asked the bank for a break on the hangar payments.

I didn't get any.

My dad had taken out the loan.

The bank found out I was running the business,

so they sold it at auction.

What about the house?

Still mine.

You own it outright?

Bank's got a note.

I can't lose this house, Harm.

It's all I've got left of my mom,

and she gave it to me.

We'll find a way to make the payments.

How old is this pizza, anyway?

Which topping?

Uh, meatball was last Monday.

Anchovies were last week sometime.

My God.

Look, Mattie, get your jacket on.

-Where are we going? -We're going to get something decent to eat,

and then we'll talk about the house.

MATTIE: Yes, sir.

No, I understand, sir.

There was nothing you could do.

I understand. Thank you, sir.

You okay?

No.

Varese Chestnut is playing

the Silver Legacy Resort and Casino in Reno,

and she's snowed in. I need her in D.C. tomorrow,

because she has to fly out to Baghdad in two days.

Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center is in Pickle Meadow.

That's close to Reno. They can get her out.

Thank you, ma'am.

-Morning, Sturgis. -Good morning.

Oh, hey, Bud told me that your father's performing

the Christmas Eve ceremony again this year.

He is. The Admiral invited him.

There's bad news, Admiral.

I just got off the phone with Worldwide Parcel service.

One of their delivery trucks caught on fire while traversing

the autostrada between Rome and Bologna.

Meredith's present.

Burnt to a cinder, sir.

Worldwide will forward you a check

for the full replacement amount.

I don't want some damned check.

I want Meredith to open my gift on Christmas day.

Perhaps you can call her, sir, and-and tell her what it was.

It's too difficult to describe something that personal.

I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to...

Coates, it's a customized P-D-A

with language aids, currency converter,

highway maps of Italy,

street maps of Bologna with historical sites...

An excellent gift, sir.

But you...?

Disapprove, sir?

No, sir. I have no opinion.

Do you... do you think the gift is, uh...?

Impersonal, sir?

I think a lot of women would find it useful, sir.

Useful... like a toaster, or an iron,

or sewing machine?

In that ballpark, sir.

Dismissed.

Aye, aye, sir.

Sir, perhaps I can help?

There you are.

What took you so long?

Baby-sitter was late again.

That's twice this week.

Well, at least we won't have that USO thing to worry about anymore.

Harriet?

General Tillman wants me to wrangle talent

for the Christmas show.

Harriet, I know...

Bud, other than raising our kids,

this is most important thing I have ever, ever done,

and I would really like your full support on this.

COATES: Sir, Chaplan Turner's here to see you.

Oh, send him in.

Right this way, sir.

Thank you very much.

Good morning, Admiral.

A.J. to my friends.

Well, Matthew to mine.

[ chuckles] Have a seat.

Oh, thank you.

Looking forward to the sermon.

You asked me in to, uh, give you a preview?

No, no.

Is this about my son?

No, I'm getting married.

Sturgis told me. Said you made an excellent choice.

Congratulations.

Thank you. I'd like for you to perform the ceremony.

It'd be a pleasure, A.J. Just tell me when and where.

May 14th, Naval Academy Chapel.

You must have friends in high places.

Well, not as high as yours.

When last I was at JAG,

seemed to me my son was struggling.

He'd hit a bit of a rough patch.

Is he out of that patch?

No.

He needs to stop expecting perfection.

You know the old Zito saying, uh,

"Demand it of yourself, and you'll always be unsatisfied..."

Yeah, "Demand it of others, and you'll always be disappointed."

What's a guardian ad-litem, anyway?

Uh, they're appointed by the court

to look into my suitability.

Why doesn't she just ask me?

She will.

-Good afternoon, Mattie. -Ma'am.

Commander Rabb, I'm Donna LeMoyne.

Pleasure to meet you, Ms. LeMoyne. Please come in.

Uh, the Commander and I will need to talk in private.

Yes, ma'am.

Have a seat, please.

I will start with a few simple questions.

Where will Mattie be living?

Uh, with me.

Social Services will need to schedule

a home inspection.

They will contact you directly.

Understood.

Let's see...

What arrangements have you made for her schooling?

I'm still working on it.

I'll need to know before the custody hearing.

Now, your pay grade allows you

to assume the care of a minor child?

I can take care of Mattie.

Your work take you out of town?

Upon occasion.

-LEMOYNE: Out of the country? -Yes.

Well, what arrangements have you made

for Mattie's care when you're absent from the home?

I'm still working on that.

Is she mature enough to be home by herself?

Well, she's lived alone here for the last six months.

That's not really an answer to my question, Commander.

Arrangements will be made, Ms. LeMoyne.

I'll not leave Mattie alone.

So, you're still working on that, also?

You can rest assured Mattie will be well taken care of.

It's not your assurances

I'm interested in, Commander.

Have you ever been married? No.

-Do you have other children? -No.

Do you have a significant other?

No.

Are you gay?

No.

So, you have no one in your life.

No.

I find that hard to believe.

Well, I'll tell you, Ms. LeMoyne,

it confounds me at times, too.

Why do you want custody of this child?

Somebody needs to take care of this little girl, ma'am.

She has a biological father.

We looked for him.

There are other relatives.

None that are in a position

to take care of Mattie, nor want to.

Uh, besides, this is what she wants.

How long have you known Ms. Grace?

-Awhile. -Awhile.

How did you meet?

I worked for her.

Doing what?

Crop dusting.

She was a good boss.

Is this a whim, Commander?

-No. -Are you doing this out of pity?

I'm doing this out of affection, ma'am.

It's acceptable if you say love.

Get back to me when you finish making arrangements.

Social Services will call to set up a home inspection.

Then I will need to speak

with someone close to you

who can vouch for your suitability as a parent.

Good to meet you.

Merry Christmas.

[ door closes ]

CHAPLAIN TURNER: Merry Christmas, Petty Officer.

Thank you, sir. You, too.

Commander Turner's waiting for you in his office.

Thank you.

Sir, do you have a moment?

These are the results of my shopping trip.

The Hermes scarf matches Dr. Cavanaugh's coloring.

I know she wears Chanel Number Five.

As for the Portolano gloves,

Dr. Cavanaugh and I are about the same size,

so I bought a pair that fit me.

And what woman wouldn't love a Louis Vuitton wallet?

You know, this just doesn't seem...

Like Dr. Cavanaugh, sir?

Too fancy?

-She's a... -University professor.

I know, sir. And a good one.

Which is why she's in Bologna

at the Shakespeare conference and not here...

-Coates? -Sir?

Let me finish my sentences.

Yes, sir.

How did you know about all this stuff?

These were items I used to boost, sir,

during my delinquent years.

Don't worry. This time I put them on my credit card.

Pretty much maxed it out.

After work, I want you to return all this.

Go to an electronic store. Order me a PDA.

Bill it directly to me. It's against regulations

for you to use your credit card on my behalf.

Sorry, sir.

What are you doing for Christmas?

Working here with you, sir.

You have any family?

None that I care to see.

-Friends? -Most of my...

old acquaintances are in jail, sir. Or dead.

And, um, making new friends isn't really a priority.

This is my life now.

CHAPLAIN TURNER: By the way, the Admiral asked me

to perform the ceremony at his wedding.

Yeah? Well, you know what they say, Dad.

Weddings are destiny, and hanging likewise.

[ laughing]

[ elevator bell dings]

-CHAPLAIN TURNER: Good morning. -Good morning.

I'm looking for Lieutenant Sims.

I can take you right to her, Ms. Chestnut.

It'll be just a minute, Dad?

I'll see you downstairs.

Great. Right this way.

So, how did you know my name?

You're kidding.

Live at the Blue Note.

I know it by heart.

And what's your favorite number?

Yeah, well, these days, it's "Blame It On My Youth."

Or maybe, uh, "Everything Happens to Me."

Lieutenant Harriet Sims.

-Sir? -Varese Chestnut.

-So nice to meet you, ma'am. -It's Varese.

And thank you for getting me out of the snowdrifts.

I'd never ridden in a Snowcat before.

No problem.

And by the way,

did you give this gentleman my bio and press kit?

No, ma'am.

So, he's an honest man?

Commander Turner?

Sometimes to a fault.

I'm playing at the One Step Down tomorrow night.

And I'm leaving your name at the door.

It would be such a real thrill if my dad could come along.

Sure.

Another handsome man in the audience never hurt.

It's what won my mother's heart.

Hmm.

See you tomorrow night.

Yeah.

Varese, I have your itinerary right here.

You'll be leaving out of Andrews Air Force Base on a C-17.

Which is?

A military transport aircraft.

It's like a football field with wings.

You'll have to be able to carry your own luggage,

and seating's pretty primitive.

Is there a bathroom?

They'll roll a comfort palate on board.

-It's a Porta-Potty. -[ laughs]

This is worse than summer camp.

Okay.

MAN: I just wondered if it was a good matchup.

MAN #2: You got it.

[ piano playing and singing]

[ playing jazz on piano]

♪ Comes the time for parting ♪

♪ But let's be glad ♪

♪ For what we've had ♪

♪ And what's to come ♪

♪ There's so much more embracing ♪

♪ Still to be done ♪

♪ But time is racing ♪

♪ Oh, well ♪

♪ We'll catch up ♪

♪ Some other time. ♪

[ applause and cheering]

You didn't have

to send your father home in a cab.

That was his idea.

Oh.

So are you two close?

Yeah. Yeah, we are.

Until the last few months.

My father was a preacher, too.

-Really? -Mm-hmm.

So you know what it's like.

Yes. To have to grow up to be perfect.

It wasn't just God's eye on the sparrow.

Uh, you ever screw up?

Well, I didn't do any jail time,

but, you know.

What did he say

about your falling short of perfection?

Who, God or my father?

Your father.

[ laughs] Well...

Oh.

Well, he waited for the right time

to tell me about his early troubles.

Sometime you should ask your father

about the times he fell from grace.

He never did, Varese.

"Soldier, scholar, horseman, he, and all he did done perfectly.

As though he had but that one trait alone."

William Butler Yeats was thinking of my father

when he wrote that.

"I had a man for 15 years, give him his room and board.

"Once he was like a Cadillac.

Now he's like an old worn-out Ford."

Bessie Smith had every man in mind

when she sang that.

No man is perfect, Sturgis.

And very few come close.

You know, maybe that's why I love jazz.

Because you start out with set notes,

but then you go wherever you want,

and it's always different, and it's never perfect.

Never meant to be.

It's always in the process

of becoming.

I'm a good listener if you want to talk.

I'm tired of talking, Varese.

I'm sick of myself.

You ever feel that way?

I really like who I am.

Good.

I'd like to talk about you.

You know everything

there is to know about me, Sturgis.

It's all in my songs.

And you know almost my whole...

Mm.

You always go around

kissing women you just met?

Been waiting for someone like you

a long time, Varese.

I need you to vouch for me.

In love or war?

As a family man.

Hmm. Well, when was the last time

you called your mother?

I-I don't remember.

So we've established that you're a lousy son.

What kind of a parent do you think I'd make?

Well, I did once agree to your fathering my child,

if you remember.

Yeah, if neither of us had someone in five years...

Mm. We're almost there.

Something's come up, Mac.

Another woman?

A child.

I'm petitioning the state of Virginia

for the custody of a minor.

I need you to vouch for me with the court.

How long have you known you were going to do this?

A few months.

And this is the first I'm hearing about it?

Hey, you moved on.

I-I I didn't think you'd be interested.

Well, of all the dumb things

that you have said to me in eight years,

that is by far the dumbest.

You don't deny it?

[ sighs]

Mac, I don't want to argue about us right now.

There is no us.

Well, yeah, you made sure of that.

Well, you didn't fight me.

Look, there is a little girl

who needs someone to watch over her.

So, you've decided

to take that responsibility?

What, you got a problem with that?

No, I have a problem with you

cutting me out of your life

until you need something.

Forget about it.

It's too important for you to screw up.

COATES: I purchased the PDA, sir.

If you tell me how you want it personalized,

I'll do my best to see that it gets done.

Why don't, uh, we go to, uh, Plan B.

I believe we've moved on to Plan C, sir.

Well, whatever plan it is, um...

Let me know what your results are.

Aye, aye, sir.

MAN: So far this is what we have established.

Smoke detector, sufficient heat,

adequate light, working telephone, working toilet.

Do you primarily survive on beer and tofu.

There's other things in there.

Mostly I order take out.

Do you have a problem with alcohol?

No.

You know, Mr. Watley,

I'm a pretty good cook when I set my hand to it.

You have a child in the house,

so you cook every day whether you feel like it or not.

Do you have a firearm in the house?

Yes, sir, but it's under lock and key.

You ever have cause to employ it?

Once or twice, in the line of duty.

Aren't you a lawyer, Commander Rabb?

Well, I'm also a war veteran,

a Naval officer and qualified F-14 pilot.

Then there's the matter of the separate bedroom.

How do you plan to deal with that?

I don't know yet.

If you can't find a solution, you'll be required to move.

Look, Mr. Watley,

this is all happening very quickly

and I haven't had time to work out the fine points.

A bedroom for a child is not a fine point.

How long have you lived alone?

Since I was 17.

No roommates.

Not since the Academy.

What kind of relationship

did you have with your father?

I never really had a chance at one, sir.

He went missing in action when I was five.

What do you know about raising children?

Honestly, not a lot.

I hope you have a better answer

when you appear at the custody hearing.

I intend to.

Look, I'm playing catch up

right now, Mr. Watley.

The Adolescent Girl: A Study In Pathology.

Between Sixteen and Sex: Raising a Teenage Girl."

You seem to be prepared for the worst.

I'm a fighter pilot, Mr. Watley. We prepare for the worst,

that way we cut down on our surprises.

Mm. Have you ever crashed?

Oh, yeah.

More than once?

Four times.

And you intend to keep flying, Commander?

Yes, I do.

I'll say this about you, Commander.

You are refreshingly candid.

CHEGWIDDEN: Coates, I want you to know

that I find you an asset as my legalman.

It was my expectation, my hope, sir.

Of course, as you know, the rules don't allow

superiors and subordinates to exchange presents.

Yes, sir. Also, no consumption

of alcohol in government spaces

or untoward displays of holiday affection.

Correct.

Then, sir, how do I tell you

how much all this means to me?

You just did.

Great, then that's taken care of.

May I speak personally, sir?

If you must.

When I first met Commander Rabb two years ago,

I was almost a convicted felon,

and now to have all of this,

I'm just, I'm very grateful.

You know, I don't like to discuss

personal matters with my staff.

Experience has taught me that, Admiral.

But, um, you need to quit being so damn grateful all the time.

-It gets a little tiresome. -Sir?

You're earning your keep, that's what matters.

Stop thanking everyone.

Are you going to be at the service tomorrow tonight?

No, sir, not unless you need me.

I don't.

That will be all.

Yes, sir.

Sir, I have a surprise for you.

"The first present I bought you burnt to a crisp."

[ chuckles]

"So I went back and twice checked my list.

I still wanted to tell you of my love..."

"So I bought you a pair of gloves.

"But that didn't seem right,

"so I stayed up all night.

"The ideas I had went from bad to worse,

so I decided to do this in verse."

"I think of you day and night

and I want you back in my sight."

"There will be many Christmases to come,

I just miss you this one."

Where'd you get this?

I wrote it myself, sir.

With a little help from the rhyming dictionary.

There's a performance of Romeo and Juliet in Bologna tonight.

Dr. Cavanaugh will be in the audience.

I've arranged for one of the actors

to read it after the show.

I'll be damned.

I hope not, sir.

With your permission, sir, a question?

Are you happy?

Jennifer...

for the first time in years.

Then there's hope.

I hope you don't have to wait as long as I did.

[ chuckling]

[ knocking]

[ knocking]

Mattie.

Hi.

What are you doing here?

I need to talk.

Well, how did you get here?

I drove myself.

Mattie, it's one thing to drive that truck on back roads,

but in D.C.?

My father came back.

When?

Earlier tonight.

I heard a knock on the door and there he was.

He needed a place to stay,

so I let him in.

I told him only one night.

I also told him about you,

about how you're going to be my guardian.

And?

And he said he'd fight you in court.

WOMAN: Commander Rabb,

you have petitioned

the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court

to become the guardian

of Matilda Grace Johnson,

a minor child.

I have, Your Honor.

I have read

the reports of Donna LeMoyne, the guardian-ad-litem,

and the home inspection report of Morgan Watley.

Both reports raise questions.

But both indicate a refreshing honesty

and realistic appraisal of the challenge you face.

I would be glad to answer

any questions the court has, Your Honor.

And you will have your chance.

However, this matter has become complicated

due to the return of Thomas Johnson,

Matilda Grace Johnson's biological father.

Mr. Johnson, I understand at this time

you wish to address the court.

I do, Your Honor.

You need to convince me

that you are willing and capable

of taking care of this child.

So before you speak your piece,

I have a few questions for you.

Firstly, where have you been the last six months?

Well, I've been trying to get my life back together, Your Honor.

And you left Matilda on her own?

No, I left her with relatives.

She chose not to stay with them.

Mattie can be, uh, strong willed.

And what's to say that you will not

abandon this child a second time?

Well, ma'am, I was the victim of a very unfortunate accident.

You killed my mother.

Miss Johnson.

My name is Grace. Mattie Grace.

Johnson is his name.

And he was drunk.

Mattie.

Sit down.

Your father has a right to be heard,

and you need to respect this court.

I'm sorry, Your Honor.

Apology accepted, Miss Grace.

Your Honor...

I wasn't always the way I am now.

Mattie might not remember,

in fact she might not want to remember,

but I used to be a good man.

And I was a good father.

See, her mama used to work nights

and I'd make the dinner.

I used to read to her.

She seems to have forgotten all that now.

The fact is, Your Honor,

I've made some mistakes.

Made some big ones.

Things I can never repent for,

no matter how much I wish I could.

But I am trying to be a better man,

for Mattie.

And all I'm asking you is to give her the chance

to get to know me

the way that I am now.

May I say something, Your Honor?

This is your day, Mattie.

There is no way that this man can make it up to me.

He got behind the wheel when he was drunk.

I will never forgive him for that.

Commander Rabb has offered to make a place for me in his life.

I promise to do what he says.

I won't make any trouble for him.

Trouble is a part of life.

I am only interested in how Commander Rabb

is going to handle that trouble.

Your Honor, I lost my father when I was young.

Not because he left,

but because he went missing in action in Vietnam.

I know what it's like to grow up without a father.

And I don't take the responsibility

of fatherhood lightly.

I give my word to this court, Your Honor,

that I will do my level best to be sure that Mattie

gets everything she deserves.

I've given her my word

that she will never be alone in this world again.

Yeah, well, there's only one problem with that, you're not her father.

Donna LeMoyne was most impressed with Commander Rabb.

She believes he would make a very suitable guardian.

But doesn't a man have a right

to be with his own child?

That is a primary consideration, Mr. Johnson.

However, this court must also consider

what kind of father you will make.

And also what kind of guardian Commander Rabb will make.

[ door opening]

Your Honor, there's a character witness

who would like to be heard.

A Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie.

Your Honor, I've been a colleague

of Commander Rabb's for eight years.

I have the highest level of respect

for his honor and integrity.

What is your opinion of his suitability

as a guardian for Mattie Grace?

Highly suitable, Your Honor.

On what do you base that opinion, Colonel?

Your Honor, I have seen the Commander put his own life at risk

to protect the son of a fellow aviator

who was killed in the line of duty. The Commander has always

taken a personal interest in cases involving children, Your Honor.

He's taken a child witness into his home and pulled strings

to get medical attention for a traumatized little girl

after he made it his personal quest

to solve that little girl's sister's murder.

That does speak well of the Commander.

What else can you give me?

I've given a lot of thought to the kind of man

that I would want to be the father of my children

if I ever...

Commander Rabb is that kind of man, Your Honor.

I can't prove it to you.

I can only state without reservation

that he is up to the job.

Thank you, Colonel.

You both make compelling cases for custody.

Mr. Johnson, while you do share biology

and a history with Mattie,

it will be very difficult for you

to continue your recovery

while caring for a minor child.

Commander Rabb, your lack of experience with children

combined with your professional responsibilities

makes you equally questionable in my mind as a suitable guardian.

I need to take this matter under submission

to determine what is in Mattie's best interest.

In the meantime, Mattie, I'm going to temporarily place you into foster care.

Your Honor, why can't I just go home?

I'm sorry.

That is no longer an option.

Social Services will find an appropriate

temporary foster family for you to stay with

until I can sort through these issues.

You do understand that you will be back in six months to hear my final decision.

♪ In fields where they lay keeping their sheep ♪

♪ On a cold winter's night that was so deep ♪

♪ Noel, noel, noel, noel ♪

♪ Born is the King of Israel ♪

♪ Noel, noel, noel, noel ♪

♪ Born is the King of Israel. ♪

There are many reasons we turn to God.

Sometimes it is for consolation.

As Jesus said in Nazareth, "He hath sent me

to heal the brokenhearted,

to preach deliverance to the captives

and the recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty them that are bruised."

And sometimes it is for guidance.

"Yet a little while is the light with you.

Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you;

for he that walketh in darkness

knoweth not where he goeth."

What we find is that God has the answers

if we are just willing to listen.

But often what is lacking

is our ability to hear what he's saying.

We are too busy in our own lives,

or too lost in our own misery.

We are deaf

to the sweetest music there is.

And that is our loss.

Because God should not just be a Sunday thing,

or somebody that we call on when we are afraid or in need.

He should inform every day of our lives.

He teaches us forgiveness for ourselves and for others.

That's his greatest gift to us--

to multiply our happiness here on Earth.

Never forget that.

♪ Joy to the world, the lord is come ♪

♪ Let Earth receive her king ♪

♪ Let every heart prepare Him room ♪

♪ And heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing ♪

♪ And heaven, and heaven and nature sing... ♪

You won't forget me?

Are you kidding?

I don't want you to see me cry.

Mattie... I'm sorry.

You did your best.

I'm going to have to get used to being without you.

I'll send you the address of my new foster family.

Come visit sometime.

[ knocking on window]: Mr. Johnson?

Colonel.

May I speak with you?

Do you want me to get lost?

Might be best.

Why didn't you come inside?

Because last time I was inside a church,

I was burying my wife.

Now I'm losing Mattie to a bunch of strangers.

I'm supposed to drop her off tonight.

I'd like to speak with you, sir, as one alcoholic to another.

Another fine sermon, Chaplain.

Thank you, Admiral.

Reverend, thank you so much

for remembering our fighting men

and women in your prayers.

Yes, thank you, Chaplain.

Dad spent five Christmases in the field.

It was hard being away from the family at Christmas.

You were always home in our hearts, Dad.

Thank you, son.

Thank you for your words inside tonight.

It's something you've always known, Sturgis.

You'd just forgotten it for a while.

Hey, I wonder

how the USO tour is doing.

Why don't we find out?

♪ January's cold ♪

♪ February's colder ♪

♪ March winds come along and wrap around my shoulder ♪

♪ No silver bells that jingle... ♪

How'd you arrange this?

I called Armed Forces Television, sir,

and asked for a live feed.

I'm afraid I used your name, sir.

And I may have committed you to several things,

among them a Saturday morning call-in show.

You did such a great job, sweetie.

♪ ...May, I smell the roses ♪

♪ June, the sun is hot ♪

♪ It burns our cheeks and noses ♪

♪ No joyous Christmas carols ♪

♪ To reach to heaven loud and strong ♪

♪ I'm wishing it were Christmas all year long ♪

♪ Some year we really ought to try ♪

♪ A Christmas in July ♪

♪ For that I'd be the first in line ♪

♪ And though August and September ♪

♪ Are hotter than an ember ♪

♪ From a Yuletide fire ♪

♪ I'm burning with desire ♪

♪ For October's turning leaves ♪

♪ That drift into November ♪

♪ I've waited all year through to finally reach December ♪

♪ 'Cause that's when we're reminded ♪

♪ That love is still alive and strong ♪

♪ I'm wishing it were Christmas all year long ♪

♪ There's just no time like Christmas ♪

♪ So, how could I be wrong? ♪

♪ Oh, wishing it were Christmas ♪

♪ Wishing it were Christmas ♪

♪ Wishing it were Christmas ♪

♪ All year long. ♪

[ cheering]

Thank you.

Don't miss your chance, son.

I don't intend to.

This is the nicest Christmas gift

anyone's ever given me.

Thank you, Jennifer.

You're welcome, ma'am.

I know a lot of us have loved ones at home--

parents, husbands and wives and kids.

People we miss, and who miss us.

I know I have.

I want you to know that they are thinking

about you tonight.

-[ whistling and cheering] -And so are people

you've never met.

People who know the sacrifices you are making to be here,

and who are so proud of you, and grateful.

You are not alone tonight.

[ cheering and applause]

Whoo! Merry Christmas!

MATTIE: Harm.

Hi.

What are you doing here?

You're my guardian.

Mac talked to my dad.

He agreed to step aside

so I won't have to go to the foster family.

How did you do that?

I convinced him that now that he's stopped drinking,

he'll have to start dealing with life,

and he's not fit to take care of Mattie

until he can take care of himself.

Mr. Johnson agreed to a full course of treatment.

And if he can pull his life together, and if Mattie wants,

then they'll give it a shot.

Until then I'm yours.

You can hug me, you know.

I-I won't break.

Good night.

Where are you going?

I have a... a date with Webb.

Merry Christmas.

♪ Wishing it were Christmas ♪

♪ Wishing it were Christmas ♪

♪ All year long ♪