Original subtitles

WOMAN: Hey, Andrew, you're doing great.

There. Hold this for a second, buddy.

Oh, and don't get it near your eyes. Okay.

There you go. Now, let's launch this thing, shall we?

Alley-oop.

(LAUGHS) Whoa.

MAN: Alley-oop. Whoa. (ANDREW LAUGHING)

Oh, careful, Jack.

JACK: Hang on up there, Andrew.

I'm gonna make a turn. Hold on, Andrew.

(ANDREW LAUGHS)

Okay. Okay.

(LAUGHTER)

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

ANDREW: Here, Mommy, look... An airplane and dancing fire.

You know, we're not supposed to have fireworks till after dark.

Yeah, that's what she always tells me, too.

(LAUGHTER)

Yeah, you don't listen any better than he does.

(LAUGHING)

(LAUGHS)

Darlin', do you know what you're laughin' at?

ANDREW: See, Grandma? Ah!

Tiny little flames. It's magic.

You got a cigarette to go on with that, honey?

Ah, no, Mom, you promised, no cigarettes.

JOANNE: Okay. Hey, Joanne, have the first dog.

It'll take the edge off.

JOANNE: Oh, here, you take it, son.

Hey, so, when's Andy gonna come up to the ranch and see me?

Can I go? Can I?

GAIL: Sure, you can, sweetheart, any day but today.

You better get you a dog before your Uncle Jack eats them all.

(LAUGHING)

I want it with mustard and ketchup.

Mustard and ketchup. You think I don't know how you like them?

I know how you like them, honey.

EDDIE: There you go. Thanks.

You okay?

I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?

It's just, I know how you get whenever you have to surrender Andrew to Ted.

Surrender Andrew to Ted? Where did you learn to talk like that?

You've been watchin' too much daytime TV.

I just know how hard it is on you, is all.

Deena, I try not to think about it till I absolutely have to.

All right. I finished my hot dog.

Now can we go upstairs and pack my suitcase?

In a little bit we'll pack. Now, you go play.

DEENA: You're so sweet.

(HORN HONKING)

ANDREW: Daddy! Daddy!

Stop me if I get on his case too much.

ANDREW: Daddy! TED: Hey! Hey!

Hey, little kiddo. How you doin', kiddo?

Hey, how are you? (GROWLS)

Hey, listen. You go get me a soda, okay?

Go on.

Hiya, Ted.

Hey, Gail. How you doin'?

Tiptop. Couldn't be better.

That's, uh, Pattie.

She's very attractive.

Well, she's crazy about me.

But you know all about that. I just, uh,

have a way with women.

Yeah, it is a dim but unpleasant memory. (CHUCKLES)

(WHISPERS) You're getting on his case.

Uh, you remember Eddie?

He livin' here now?

Yeah, as a matter of fact, I am.

Is that a problem?

Not for me. Maybe for you.

(CLEARS THROAT) This is Pattie Cass,

my own little playmate of the year.

Hi.

Andrew, let's go upstairs and get your suitcase.

I want to stay with Daddy.

Well, we're gonna have to get your suitcase.

You'll be with Daddy all weekend.

Now, remember, honey. You've got to brush your back teeth, too,

not just your front ones, okay?

Honey, why don't you go get me a hot dog?

Hey, Ted. Is that your girlfriend or your girlfriend's daughter?

You never change, do you?

You've got a sarcastic comment for every occasion.

That shouldn't bother you.

Seeing as you have blue jean Barbie to keep you happy.

Oh, eat your heart out.

Hey, uh, Joanne,

tell me the truth.

Now, do you like Ed better than you like me?

There will never be another you, Ted.

Okay, let's see. We've got jammies and we've got blue jeans

and we've got T-shirts and we've got socks.

Now what else have we forgotten?

Underpants!

Andrew, you know we already packed your underpants.

You just like to say that word.

You're a very funny boy.

Who taught you to be so funny?

You did.

(LAUGHS)

Hey, you feel kind of warm.

Do you feel okay?

I feel excellent. Oh, I'm so glad to hear this.

Now do you promise me you'll be a very good boy

and that you'll say your prayers

and change your underpants every night?

I'll say my prayers.

(CHUCKLES)

Oh, no, we forgot bears.

Better get 'em.

You get Fleenus, and I get Weenus.

No, but this is Reenus.

Uh-uh. Fleenus. (GASPS)

I am such a dummy sometimes.

Let's sing our song now 'cause I won't be here tonight.

Okay.

BOTH: * I see the moon, and the moon sees me

* The moon sees somebody I want to see

* God bless the moon And God bless me

* And God bless the somebody I want to see *

Don't be sad, Mommy. You know why?

Why? Because of the moon.

Because when you look at the moon,

I look at it, too.

So we'll both be looking at the same moon.

Aw.

(LAUGHTER)

I think he's flushed. I think he's flushed.

No, he's just excited.

No, I think he has a temperature. Feel his forehead.

Gail, he's fine.

No... Uh, I don't know. I think this is six degrees past fine.

Well, then maybe you should keep him home.

I want to go with Daddy!

Ted. I... I think he has a fever.

I think he should stay at home.

Hey. But I already made plans.

Well, maybe if he's not well tomorrow, you could bring him back,

and then, I could drive him up to you next weekend when he's feeling better.

Just see that he takes a couple of these every few hours.

I'm glad to see Gail found Andrew a nice new mom.

Ted... Does it ever get confusing,

you know what, with Ed and Ted?

Do you ever call out my name by mistake?

Never. Not once.

(LAUGHS)

Well, I hate to break up this groovy party, but we gotta go.

Ted, have him back on time, okay? I always do, don't I?

Hey, come here, scamper.

Come here! Ah-ha!

Bye, Daddy number two. I miss you already.

EDDIE: I miss you, too.

GAIL: Listen. Promise me something, big guy.

You be a good boy.

And you promise me you'll look at the moon every night?

Uh-huh, I promise.

All right. Come on, kiddo. Let's go.

Let's get the hell out of here.

Be sweet, okay?

Bye. Bye, Mommy.

TED: Come on. Auntie Pattie. Auntie Pattie.

ANDREW: Bye-bye.

(ENGINE STARTS)

Bye, hon.

(PHONE RINGING) Mmm. Hey, so, what did you rent?

Love Stinks, Love Field, and Bye Bye Love.

So, were they any good?

Well, let's just say we've learned to be cautious

about any video with the word love in it.

(CHUCKLES) Sounds like a fun holiday weekend,

sittin' inside watching movies.

Well, they are on. But I can't really watch them.

I can't concentrate till Ted brings Andrew home.

Why? Why would you worry?

Ted's such a good dad.

I mean, he's held down a job for as long as, oh, four months.

He's paid his child support on time at least twice in the last three years.

And he hasn't slapped you around since the divorce.

You'd be crazy to worry.

Look, Ted has a temper, but he has never harmed his child. Not once.

I just don't know how the courts

can allow a person like that

to spend time alone with his kid every couple of weeks.

Hey, Andy loves his dad.

This is a situation we have to deal with.

He's such a nut case.

Honey, it's the only way to handle Ted.

(PHONE RINGING)

(DOG BARKING)

(AUDIENCE LAUGHING ON TV)

What, am I chewing with my mouth open?

Oh, no, it's nothing.

Well, then how come you're not eating? On a good night,

you could eat this whole pizza by yourself.

I don't know. I'm not hungry.

I have this sort of sick feeling.

What time is it?

It's, uh, five minutes later than when you last asked me.

That's no good. Gail,

they weren't due back until 9:00.

No, there's something wrong. I can feel it.

Who are you calling?

Ted's mom. Maybe she's... Wanda?

Hi, it's Gail.

Listen, I was wonderin' if Ted had brought Andrew

up there this weekend?

Well, have you seen him at all?

Did you hear from him?

No, thank you. Hope I didn't interrupt your TV.

She wouldn't tell me if he was sittin' right there

in the middle of the living room floor.

Just relax. They probably stopped for dinner.

And they'll be here. Just take it easy.

(DOG BARKING)

Are you okay? Would I be smoking a cigarette

for the first time in 12 years if I was okay?

Gail, I'm sure there's an explanation.

There is. A good one. He took Andrew. That's crazy.

He's crazy.

And he'd do this just to hurt me.

What are you doin'?

I'm gonna call the police.

OFFICER: Now, let me see If I got this right.

Andrew's with the boy's father, Ted Carlson?

Ted is my ex-husband, yes.

And he was supposed to bring the boy back

a couple of hours ago?

Four hours, twenty-two minutes,

and some odd seconds ago, yes.

So your ex-husband's late in bringing the boy home, is that it?

Is that it? The man has kidnapped my child!

Calm down, calm down. I have a court order

giving me custody of Andrew!

I did everything I was supposed to do!

FEMALE OFFICER: But, Mrs. Carlson...

Ted has never been late.

Not once in three years.

But we don't know yet that a crime has been committed.

We have no proof that any laws have been broken.

Please do not tell me you have to wait 24 hours to file a report.

You do not know this man.

Don't worry, Mrs. Carlson.

We'll file a report, and we'll stay on top of it.

It's all my fault. He had a fever.

I knew it. I never should've let him go.

I knew it. Gail, Gail, Andy is fine.

And Ted's gonna bring him back.

They probably decided to spend the night in a hotel.

The why didn't they call?

Well, maybe that van broke down in the middle of nowhere or something.

I mean, it's enough of a wreck, isn't it?

(EXHALES) Gail, they'll be back any second now.

I know it.

No, no. I already have.

I've called every hospital everywhere.

No, no, no, no. The police said they'd investigate,

but they also said you'd put it in the computer.

So, Mrs. Granger, I'm begging you.

Please, could you just put it in the computer?

(TIRES SCREECH)

Thank you. Thank you.

Well, she said she would. (DOOR OPENS)

Hey. I just heard. GAIL: Deena.

Okay. Come with me now.

(COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYS)

Are we going home now?

I want my mommy.

(SIGHS)

When I was a radio dispatcher here,

this place was a second home to me.

No, actually, I was here so much,

home was a second home to me.

I'm sorry, I wish I could help you,

but I can't release that information.

Look, she just wants to see the reports that were filed last night.

Hey, Deena, what are you doin' here?

Oh, nothing much. Just my friend Gail here.

Well, her little boy Andrew was kidnapped by her ex-husband,

we can't seem to get anyone to pay any attention.

Give me the report.

I can't. It hasn't been filed yet.

No, they came to the house last night. They said...

Uh, who took the information?

Officer Warner.

Where is she?

It's her day off. She won't be in until late tomorrow.

(SIGHS) No.

(MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO)

TED: Cut it out!

Andrew, I said cut it out!

(TIRES SCREECHING)

We've got company, Ted.

(SIREN WAILS)

Andrew, get back in your seat.

What's the hurry? What's the hurry? (CHUCKLES)

May I see your license and registration, please?

Look, I, uh,

I know I was goin' a little fast, but my kid back there,

he's got a fever. I'm tryin' to get him to a doctor.

I feel okay.

I'll be right back.

(PHONE RINGING)

MAN: Uh-huh, right.

And you... You're gonna have to file it in a timely manner.

Hi. Mrs. Granger?

Yes? I'm Deena Drake. This is Gail Carlson.

You spoke to her about her son earlier today and I...

Yes, Mrs. Carlson, any word on your little boy?

It's really hard getting anyone to listen, Mrs. Granger.

You're the only one that did and said you would do something.

Any results? As a matter of fact,

I'm just about to enter that information in the computer right now.

We spoke this morning.

You said you'd do it right away.

Honey, be grateful. Around here, any time the same day is right away.

WOMAN ON POLICE RADIO: Info only, white male, 2ZPU374,

no wants, no warrants.

Hey, how about some ice cream later on, huh?

How'd you like that? I want to go home.

Slow it down, now.

Buckle up for safety, and have a good day.

Thanks, Officer.

(ENGINE STARTS)

(HORN BLARES)

(MUSIC PLAYING ON TV)

Am I on time? Is it on yet?

No, they said it wouldn't be on till the end of the show.

(SIGHS)

Oh, Merry Christmas, hon.

Oh, I brought you a little somethin'.

These were your very favorites when you were a little girl.

You would've eaten a whole batch of 'em if I had let you.

Oh, Mom, I remember these. Thank you.

The little chocolate ones will bring a smile to your face.

A smile...

I wish I remembered what that felt like.

Where's Eddie?

Well, he had an emergency call. He's fixin' somebody's boiler.

So I'm gonna tape it for him.

Oh, my, here it is. It's on. Oh.

Oh, look how nervous I look. I was so scared.

GAIL ON TV: ...taken from their homes by a parent without legal custody.

This is child abuse.

My son, Andrew, was taken by his father, Ted Carlson,

five months ago. He is still missing.

Andrew.

If you're out there, I'm looking for you.

Merry Christmas, my baby.

I think of you every night and every day.

You know, some people say that the worst thing

that can happen to a parent

is to lose your child to death.

And as sad and as awful as that is, I'm not so sure.

The worst thing is not knowing what happened to your child,

whether he's healthy or sick, alive or dead.

You can't grieve.

You can't get on with your life.

You're just left there. With a big hole in your heart.

Oh, Mom.

Eddie?

Are you watching the baby?

Eddie?

Eddie?

Eddie?

Eddie, where are you?

Eddie?

Eddie?

No, E.J., no.

We want to leave everything in here exactly as it is.

(COOING) Where were you?

What's he doing in here? I don't know.

He was playing outside the door when I went to get this.

Someone must have left it open.

You know how I feel about this room.

You know... Hey, Gail,

it's been five years.

(CHUCKLES) Okay.

So, you like this bear?

(COOING) His name is Fleenus.

But it's still Andrew's room.

Who is the sweetest boy in the whole world?

Who is that? That's right.

You know, sometimes, I'm... I'm afraid to...

To get too close to him.

I'm afraid something's gonna happen to him.

Don't do that to yourself, honey.

Don't do it to him.

Hey, what do you say to some coffee ice cream, hmm?

Oh, please. Take another look at me in those photographs.

I'd rather look at you in the flesh.

Hmm? One scoop or two?

Three. (CHUCKLES)

(TELEPHONE RINGS)

Honey, could you get that?

GAIL ON ANSWERING MACHINE: Hi, we're not home right now.

Please leave us a message after the beep.

(BEEP) TED: Hey, Gail?

Gail? Where the hell are you?

Well, it's too bad you're not home, because...

Ted? Ted, is that you?

Okay, Ted.

Okay, Ted.

Ted, don't do this to me, please,

because I can't find my pencil right now.

Oh, Ted...

Don't hang up, Ted.

Okay, Ted, tell me one thing, is Andrew alive?

No, Ted. The phone isn't tapped or anything like that, okay?

I'm not gonna jeopardize seeing Andrew.

Okay, I've got that, Ted.

Ted, are you there? Ted?

He said to... To meet him

at the phone booth at Cedar Bluff

tomorrow at... At 10:00 a.m.

Gail, what did you tell your mother?

Oh, I told her that you had to have

emergency dental work

and that the babysitter had the flu.

Oh, you're good at this.

I am so nervous. Aren't you nervous?

Well, I'm... Actually, I'm all right.

I... I just...

My heart's gonna pound through my chest any second.

Could you close that up for me?

I... I'll be right back, okay?

Okay.

(ENGINE STARTS)

What time is it? 11:30.

He said 10:00.

What if he just set me up?

What if he's out there watching me,

just lining me up in the sights of his rifle?

Gail, don't do this to yourself.

No, I'm sorry, this is a matter of life and death. I'm really sorry.

(PHONE RINGS)

Hello? Yes, it's me. Yes.

You what? No, Ted, please don't do this.

Please wait. Wait a minute.

Ted, listen to me, I'm telling you,

I didn't tell anybody.

No one is following me, not the police,

not the FBI, okay? Nobody.

Ted, I am begging you.

Neville. Route 49.

We'll be there by 2:30.

Okay, let's go.

Why is he doing this?

I don't know.

Maybe 'cause Andrew's picture is on every shopping bag

and milk carton across the state.

Or maybe he saw himself on TV, and the heat and the pressure was too much.

Maybe he just doesn't want to take care of his kid anymore.

(PHONE RINGS)

Ted?

No. No, I will not!

I will not go to another phone booth in another God forsaken town!

And listen, if you're out there watching me,

why don't you just kill me, Ted, and get it over with?

'Cause I can't take it anymore.

Five years is long enough.

Just tell me, is Andrew coming home or not?

Reading bus depot, between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m.

Are you lyin', Ted? 'Cause if you are, so help me...

He hung up on me.

Oh. Okay.

WOMAN: There he is. Honey, we're over here.

Hey! How are you, sweetie?

How many is that? It's the fifth bus.

I pissed Ted off. Andrew's not coming.

I really think we should wait. There's only two more scheduled.

Oh, Ted would love that. He's somewhere out there laughin' his ass off.

No, he's not gonna shoot me.

He's gonna make me so crazy I shoot myself.

Oh, my God.

That's him. That's Andrew.

There he is. That's Andrew.

No.

Andrew? Andrew?

Andrew!

Oh. Oh.

Sweetie, is it really you?

We're so glad you came home.

We never stopped thinking about you,

not for one minute.

Not for one minute.

Not for one minute of the day.

(INDISTINCT TALKING)

Let's go see your grandma, huh?

We're gonna go home and see Grandma.

She's there waiting at the house for you.

Here, honey. Here. I'm so happy you're home.

Come on in here. Come on, baby.

Oh, honey. We've got so much to catch up on.

(ENGINE STARTING)

Honey, what are you doing? Are you hiding?

You don't have to do that.

Come up here with me.

(WHIMPERING)

It's okay.

It's okay.

(LAUGHING)

Where's my other favorite boy?

Sure is excited. Aren't you, darlin'?

Mmm-hmm! Mmm-hmm! Mmm-hmm!

Mmm! Mmm! Mmm! Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!

What's the matter? Can't he speak?

I don't know. It doesn't seem like he can.

Mmm! Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!

Set the baby down. You know, I don't think...

GAIL: Just for a second.

(COOING)

Mmm! Mmm! Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!

Mmm! Mmm! Mmm! (COOING)

(HIGH-PITCHED) Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Okay, okay, that's enough. Let's get out of here.

Come on. Come on, baby.

Come on.

(DOG BARKING)

No, we don't have to put those on.

We have brand-new clothes, fresh ones.

Didn't your daddy ever have you change your clothes?

Andrew, can you talk to me?

Is there anything you want to say?

Can you tell me what happened to you?

Dear Lord, we thank you for the miraculous gift,

the return of our son, Andrew.

He's just really hungry. He hasn't eaten since this morning.

I know it's gonna be a hard time for you, hon.

But if you need anything, you just call me, okay?

Thank you. Did you tell the FBI Andrew's home?

I'm just about to. I want to make sure they catch Ted

before he comes back here and causes any trouble.

Oh, don't even think it.

Eddie, could you come here? I want to show you something.

What do you think it means?

EDDIE: So it means he wants to make damn sure

he's got enough water to drink.

(SIGHS)

I don't know what we've got here, Gail.

Honey, your PJs look like dolls' clothes now, don't they?

So I brought in one of Eddie's T-shirts for you to sleep in.

I'm gonna put the baby to bed, okay, honey?

Good night, kiddo.

Oh, uh, what do you say we put on some sleep gear, big guy, huh?

(GRUNTS)

It must be nice to be back cozy in your own bed, huh?

I'm so glad you're back with me, baby.

Um...

Why don't... Why don't we take your shoes off, too?

Andrew, can you talk to me?

Is there anything you want to tell me?

Tell me about your daddy.

(SCREAMS)

It's okay, baby. It's okay. It's okay.

It's okay.

(SOBBING)

It's okay. It's okay.

It's okay.

It's okay.

It's okay. It's... It's been a long day,

and, and, for you and for me.

And, uh, we'll just... We'll go to sleep, okay?

* I see the moon, and the moon sees me

* The moon sees somebody I want to see

* God bless the moon, and God bless me

* And God bless the somebody I want to see *

(SCREAMING)

Hon, what is it? It's all right.

It's all right.

Here. Here. Here's what we'll do.

How 'bout this, huh?

There. How's that? Is that better?

Okay.

Okay?

I love you.

(SNIFFLES)

How did this happen?

What did Ted do? What did he do to my child?

(SOBBING)

DOCTOR: Do you remember me, Andrew?

Lollipop.

(LAUGHING) That's right!

And you'll get one today, too,

just as soon as we're finished.

That's the first time he's spoken,

and the first word he's said since he's been home.

For a kid who probably hasn't

seen a doctor for a few years,

he's in pretty good shape.

Excuse me.

Andrew.

What do you see?

Dots.

Can you read the letters on the chart?

Well, not even the big ones?

GAIL: Well, physically, he checked out okay,

although he hadn't brushed his teeth

or cut his toenails in God knows when.

Did he say anything to you, Dr. Matthews?

A little bit. Only as much as he had to.

See, I don't get it. He'll talk to the dentist or the doctor,

complete strangers. He'll talk to you, but he won't say a word to me.

Well, he just got home, and it's a tough transition.

The personality tests show that he sees himself

as an inadequate person in a world that's very threatening to him.

I wanna know what happened to him,

I want to know where he's been, what he saw, what he ate.

Did his father hit him, beat him up?

No, Mrs. Carlson. We're not going to know that until he tells us.

That's if he can tell us.

Ah, Janet. Mrs. Carlson, this is Janet Hilgarde.

Department of Social Services. Why don't we sit down?

Andrew's gonna be all right.

Mrs. Carlson, I guess we should start right in.

Standard tests show your son to be

in the average to high-average range of intelligence.

Well, that's good, isn't it? Very good.

His strengths are nonverbal,

perceptual organization, and planning skills.

Good. What else?

I'm sorry to say academic testing

shows severe deficiencies in language areas and math skills.

His visual, motor, and directionality skills

are well below average for his age.

His fine motor coordination and visual motor integration

are also well below the mean for his age group.

I don't understand.

Andrew can't read or write.

He seems to have decent verbal skills,

but he doesn't seem motivated to use them.

Well, can he go to school?

He has the intellectual capacity and the academic potential,

but he's gonna have a hard time

with other children his own age.

And there are the psychological issues,

the questions of maturity, socialization, interaction with his peers.

Well, what do we do?

My suggestion... My recommendation

is that Andrew be put in a special school

where he can get some extra help.

A special school?

It's a place for children with particular needs,

for children who have emotional or learning disabilities,

or physical impairments.

Well, he'll still be living at home, right?

Actually, it's a residential facility.

I can't do that.

I lost my son once. I won't lose him again.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Carlson. No, I can't. I won't lose him again.

No... Wait a minute. Let's just think about this.

This boy needs to be socialized.

Maybe we should take some time to try to do that first.

JANET: I'm not sure that's the best approach.

MATTHEWS: We don't have any case studies or models or precedents like this to go by.

Maybe it would make more sense

to try to develop his social skills first.

I'm not... Then we could go on to the reading,

and the writing, and the arithmetic.

Look, Andrew's an experiment.

We need to feel our way around this.

Maybe just being around other kids

will awaken something in Andrew.

Well, anything that keeps him home with me.

Well, I guess we can give it a try.

Listen, I want to ask you something, and shoot straight with me.

Is my boy ever gonna be a normal kid?

I wish I had a simple answer for you. I don't.

How long before he catches up with other children his own age?

The truth? A year, maybe longer.

I don't know.

Honey, don't suck your thumb.

Oh, go ahead. Go crazy.

The dentist said he's gonna

need a lot of work anyway.

Might as well get our money's worth.

(LOCK CLICKING)

Stop it, Andrew.

(LOCK CLICKING)

Andrew, no! Come on, now.

I said cut it out! Now, stop it!

(SCREAMING)

Andrew! GAIL: Andrew!

Andrew, calm down!

Andrew, what's the matter? What is it?

(SCREAMING) (E.J. CRIES)

Come on, let's go. Let's go.

Just pull over here. Pull over!

(ANDREW SCREAMING)

Oh, my God.

Honey! Honey! Honey, calm down.

Calm down, baby. Calm down.

It's not your daddy. It's not.

He cannot hurt you anymore. Okay?

Okay. That's right.

It's okay. (SOBBING)

GAIL: "George was delighted.

"That's what he'd always wanted.

"He knew how to ride a bicycle, but he never had one of his own.

"'I must go now,' said the man,

"'but I'll be back in time for the show.

"'Be careful with your new bike,

"'and keep close to the house while I'm gone.'

"George could ride very well.

"He could even do all sorts of tricks.

"Monkeys are good at that.

"For instance, he could ride this way

"with both hands off the handlebar.

"And he could ride this way,

"like a cowboy on a wild bronco!

"And he could also ride backwards!

"But after a while,

"George got tired of doing tricks

"and went out into the street.

"The newsboy was just passing by

"with his bag full of papers.

"'That's a fine bike you got there,' he said to George.

"'How would you like to help me deliver the papers?'

"He handed George the bag and told him to do one side of the street first

"and then turn back and do the other side.

"George was very proud as he rode off with his bag."

GAIL: Okay, you... Gotcha.

Hair brushed, teeth polished.

Brand new clothes, you're a good-looking dude, you know that?

It's okay, Andrew.

It's okay.

(SCHOOL BELL RINGS)

Now, you can take as much time as you need,

to finish all of the problems on the board.

Don't forget to double-check your answers,

and when you're done, pick up your books,

and meet over at the reading table.

Okay?

(INDISTINCT TALKING)

BOY: Hey, kid! Kick it back!

Hey! Hey, send it over here!

Come on, creepo, we're waiting!

What's the matter?

I'm talking to you, retardo!

Leave him alone.

Cut it out, Carl. That's not nice.

Hey. Who wants to play with the Frankenstein boy?

EDDIE: Hey, how was your first day at school?

Yeah, did you make any new friends?

EDDIE: Huh? GAIL: How'd you like your teacher?

(GLASS CLINKING)

Andrew? You stop that.

(E.J. COOING)

Andrew!

(E.J. CRYING) EDDIE: Hey, hey, hey.

Are you okay? Are you okay?

Oh, you're gonna be fine. Oh, you're gonna be fine.

You know what? He better learn real quick,

I don't want him harming my baby.

GAIL: Our baby.

You just have to keep an eye on him, okay?

EDDIE: Gail, you let him get away with too much.

(ALARM BEEPING)

(BEEPING STOPS)

Andrew, rise and shine.

Andrew?

Eddie, Andrew isn't in his room!

(E.J. COOING)

(ANDREW LAUGHING)

(JACK IMITATING AIRPLANE)

Well, Andrew's looking pretty natty.

Any word on Ted?

The FBI had any luck? He's still out there.

How's he doing in school? GAIL: He's coming along, I guess.

It's really hard to tell.

(LAUGHING)

He still hasn't spoken to me.

He hasn't spoken to any of us.

All right, everybody, it's showtime.

Hey, hey!

Happy birthday! There's the birthday boy!

Happy birthday, big boy!

Happy birthday! (LAUGHING)

There he is, the big fella.

(GRUNTS)

Listen, what was that out there?

You saw what he did.

Why do you think he'd do something like that?

I have no idea what goes on in that boy's head.

I don't think anyone else does, either.

Not the shrink, the teachers.

Gail seems to think he's adjusting.

Adjusting? Gail doesn't know any more than they do.

He's sullen, shows no emotion,

then all of a sudden he'll do something crazy

like smashing his face into a birthday cake.

I don't think that's adjusting.

I think Gail just doesn't want to see it.

Maybe he does need more time.

Time isn't gonna do it. The boy is... He's damaged.

I'm afraid of what he might do next.

I don't know how far he's gonna go.

Honey, you gotta talk to me.

I'm not mad at you about the cake,

but I need to know why you did that.

(SIGHS)

I don't know.

Oh, baby, you talked to me.

I know why you're being nice to me.

You want to trick me.

(WHISPERING) Trick you?

Baby, I'm trying to help you.

I'm gonna go to sleep now.

(DOOR CLOSES)

(IMITATING AIRPLANE)

(SMOKE DETECTOR BEEPING)

Eddie, get the baby!

Andrew...

EDDIE: Okay, E.J., I'm coming. I'm coming.

Andrew!

Eddie, Andrew is not in his room.

Andrew! (E.J. CRYING)

Andrew!

Eddie, where is he?

Andrew!

GAIL: Andrew!

Andrew! Andrew!

Andrew!

Andrew!

Where is he? I don't know!

EDDIE: Andrew, where are you?

Andrew!

Andrew! Andrew! Andrew!

Andrew!

Andrew!

Eddie, where is he?

Andrew, where are you?

Andrew!

(SIRENS BLARING DISTANTLY)

EDDIE: Andrew!

I didn't mean to.

I didn't mean to.

Where's Andrew?

He's been in his room all day.

He feels really bad about this.

Well, he should. We're lucky he didn't kill us all.

Gail, we have to talk.

(COOING)

(COOING)

I don't know how to say this...

It's just... (SIGHS)

Gail, you know I want to stand by you and be there for you.

You are.

But I'm afraid for the baby.

I can't leave E.J. alone for a second

with Andrew in the house.

It's getting so I can't even sleep through the night anymore.

Believe me, I know.

I can't do this anymore.

I don't have the heart for it.

I don't even know how to... How to get through to Andrew.

I'm burnt out.

Interesting choice of words. Gail, this is serious.

I want to take E.J. to my mom's house.

I think... I think him and me should live there for a while.

For how long?

Till Andrew goes off to college?

Andrew goes off to college, that's a laugh, huh?

Hey, believe me, this is as hard for me as it is for you.

No, it isn't. That's not fair!

You're making this your problem.

It's our problem, both of us.

I love Andrew. You know that.

But we've got to protect E.J.,

and getting him out of here for a while

is the only way I can think of to do it.

There's a boy.

(CRIES)

I know.

(SIGHS)

Mama's gonna miss you.

Miss the baby.

Mama loves you. That's right.

Oh, boy.

Don't be a baby. Be a big boy. That's right.

Time to go for a ride now.

That's right.

That's my boy.

(ENGINE STARTING)

I want some answers, and I want them now! Just calm down, Mrs. Carlson.

Oh, you want me to calm down!

My family is split in half! My house nearly burned down!

Mrs. Carlson.

Listen, I want to know what Ted and his girlfriend did to my son.

I want to know where he lived, where he slept,

was he warm enough.

Please, call me Gail.

Gail.

Andrew isn't gonna talk about any of that

until he learns to trust you.

Did he say that to you? No, no.

He won't talk to me about what happened to him either.

I'm certain he hasn't talked to anybody about it.

He could be repressing his memories.

Maybe it's just too hard for him to revisit that time.

And of course, on top of all of that,

he's trying to protect his father.

Oh, great! He's protecting the enemy.

I'm gonna tell you something.

I'm not gonna let that man steal my son's life.

Now, tell me, Doctor,

what can I do to help my son?

How can I get through to him?

Have you ever heard of the Stockholm syndrome? No.

It's what happens to prisoners and hostages in captivity.

They begin to identify with their persecutors,

and maybe that's what happened to Andrew.

Yeah, but he's afraid of his father.

When we saw the van... He's conflicted.

He loves his father, but at the same time, he fears him.

What do you mean? Like that Vietnam thing?

Post-traumatic stress disorder.

Where you go numb inside?

But then why is he so mad at me?

I can't give you an answer for that,

but I can promise you that we're working on it.

Now, come on.

Let's try and look at the plus side.

He's made some improvements in the last several weeks, wouldn't you say?

Well, he sure smells better, that's for sure.

That's not enough, is it?

No, it isn't.

(VOICE BREAKING) I want my sweet little boy back.

Can you help me? Can you?

TEACHER: Okay, boys and girls,

everybody, please put down their pens and pencils,

and who would like to read first, any volunteers?

BOY: Oh, me! I will! I will!

Two on, two out! Let's do it!

(LAUGHING)

Strike one. We got 'em.

She can't hit a brick wall.

Get the ball!

What's the matter with you, bozo?

Are you blind?

Are you totally mental?

BOY: Cut it out, Carl. Leave him alone.

Hey, retard, do you speak English?

Are you listening to me, girlie?

(RINGS)

Lane's Travel.

This is she.

He did what?

(SCHOOL BELL RINGS)

This still scares me.

You going to the principal's office.

Mrs. Rudnick, Mrs. Carlson.

Present.

You can come in now.

KEMPER: Andrew, can you tell us what happened?

He made fun of me. Well, what exactly did he do?

He called me a retard.

Well, he is a troubled child.

Then he said I was a girl, so I peed on him.

(SNICKERS)

Say you're sorry, Andrew.

Please apologize to Carl.

Do it for me.

(SIGHS)

Sorry.

Say it like you mean it.

Lady, how much do you expect in one day?

Now, Mrs. Rudnick, you and Carl can go.

I'd like to have a word with Andrew and his mother.

You ought to learn to control that kid.

He's disturbed, you know.

He has no business being in a public school.

All right, that's enough. Thank you, Mrs. Rudnick.

I'm very sorry about Carl's clothing.

GAIL: Please send me the cleaning bill.

(DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES)

Andrew, would you wait outside, please?

I'd like to have a word with your mom.

Now, Mrs. Carlson, your son's having a very hard time in school.

He's making very little progress

with his reading and writing skills.

And his math scores haven't improved at all.

But that wasn't the point. The point was...

To socialize him, yes.

But he hasn't made any friends.

He hardly talks to the other children.

What do you suggest I do, Mr. Kemper?

'Cause I'm pretty much at the end of my rope here.

We feel that Andrew should be held back.

Hold him back another year?

Pretty soon this kid's gonna be back in kindergarten.

I understand your frustration. No, you don't.

What if I was to take him out of school and teach him myself?

You're not qualified to do that,

and you need certification for home teaching.

Well, tell me this. Could I do any worse than you're doing here?

Just remember that if you take his education into your own hands,

you might seriously impede his progress.

That's a risk I'm gonna have to take.

You think this is the best way to handle things,

taking Andrew out of school?

I don't know if it's the best way,

but it's the only way I can think of right now.

What if you work part time?

Andrew lost five years of his life.

Bringing him back is gonna be a full-time proposition.

Mr. Lane says, he might not have a job for you

when you're ready to come back.

Hey, Eddie said that we could manage for a while.

Do me a favor.

Name it.

No matter who takes my place at work,

promise you won't like her better than me.

(CHUCKLES)

Thanks.

Two plus six equal...

Pay attention, honey. Two plus six...

"B." What begins with the letter "B"?

Basket.

Bag.

Ball.

Boat.

Okay, how about the letter "P"?

Pen.

Pencil.

Penny.

How many?

Two.

Yes! Great!

Now I add one orange. Now how many?

One orange.

"What begins with the letter C?

"Camel on the ceiling."

C. C. C.

GAIL: You know what?

I already know how to read.

Why don't you give it a try?

(SIGHS)

What is this?

Camel.

Yes. Excellent.

And where is the camel?

Andrew, put that down, and look here.

Where is the camel?

High up on the ceiling.

Yes. Groovy. Excellent.

Extremely cool.

Now, in review, the letter "C"...

Camel.

And...

High up.

Okay. Not exactly the miracle worker here.

Let's go on to "D."

"David Donald Doo dreamed a dozen doughnuts."

Andrew, are you listening?

Andrew, pay attention.

Can you hear me? Andrew, please!

Come on, honey. You can do this.

Please pay attention.

Could you draw the letter "D"?

Delightful.

Hey!

Oh, hey!

Oh, how is this sweet little boy?

How is he?

How's my sweet big boy?

I'm good. Hey, how's Andrew?

(BELL DINGING)

Hey, big guy, how you doing?

(DINGING CONTINUES)

Okay.

I miss you, Gail. So does the baby.

I know it's only been three weeks.

It feels like three years.

You miss me?

You were never that handy around the house,

but I miss the sex. Really? Is that all?

You were pretty good at heavy lifting.

I miss sleeping next to you.

(DINGING CONTINUES)

Kids, we had no idea, did we?

(CHUCKLES)

Okay, are you sure about this?

Wait a second!

Hey! Don't do that!

I paid good money for this item!

Andrew, nobody gets on a bike and rides the first time out.

You gotta practice. How many times?

Well, it depends on the person.

How many times did it take you?

10 or 12, at least.

(SIGHS)

But I think you're gonna catch on a lot faster.

Let's get back on this horse and try again.

Oh.

That a boy, Andrew.

Careful!

God, please give this kid a break.

"This morning George was curious

"the moment he woke up

"because he knew it was a special day."

Now, why don't you read?

"At breakfast, George's friend said,

"'I have a surprise for you.'

"He took George out to the yard,

"where a big box was standing.

"George was curious.

"The director let him keep the coat,

"and the cap and the bugle.

"And then George and his friend

"got in the car and went...

"Home."

Good. Good. That's very good, Andrew.

All right, let's try Winnie the Pooh.

This is a new one.

You know, I don't get it. I don't get you.

You go to all the trouble to memorize a whole book!

Why can't you learn to read it?

Good night, baby.

Mom...

Why is it all so hard for me?

I don't know, baby.

Maybe it's all hard for everybody,

and they just don't show it.

I love you.

What? What is it? Are you all right?

"She p-pulled,

"she t-tugged.

"'I t-think I can.

"'I t-think I can,'

"she say, she said."

What a guy!

Here we go.

E.J. boy.

(COOING)

Huh? What you doing?

Oh, my goodness. Look who's here.

Look at that. Look who's here.

Hey!

My big guy!

Oh! (LAUGHS)

Want to take a walk with us guys?

Oh, I'd love to.

Hey, listen, we got to talk.

That's good because I had some things I wanted to say, too.

Do you want to go first?

Nah, you go ahead.

Okay, the thing is, I miss you guys.

I miss you both like crazy.

Let me tell you, two months can seem like an eternity.

We feel the same way. Take a look at E.J.

I miss him so much.

I need you, Eddie.

So does Andrew. He needs a father.

Someone he can look up to. A kind man.

Someone who's the total opposite of Ted.

Do you think E.J. will be safe with Andrew around?

I don't know, how safe is he with your mother around?

Gail, this isn't funny.

Eddie, everything is funny, and everything is sad.

(E.J. BABBLES) Yeah.

Come back, Eddie. I'll do anything I can to make you happy.

What about breakfast in bed?

Not on weekdays.

In that case, I don't know.

I'll change the cat box. Without complaining?

Okay.

In that case, you got yourself a deal.

What about you?

There was something you wanted to say.

Oh, yeah, that.

All I wanted to say was, uh, me and E.J.,

we miss you like crazy. Can we come home now?

MAN ON TV: They continue to run,

as Davis comes across the mid-court line...

(DOORBELL RINGING)

Could you get that?

Didn't we make a policy on who would get up to answer the door?

(DOORBELL RINGING)

...at full steam. Cody over to Kurchee on the right side.

He looks underneath, and now for the first time...

Hi, Andrew.

Eddie, this is Janet Hilgarde.

JANET: Hi. I hope I'm not interrupting.

No, not at all.

It's just a game that'll determine

the winner of the western division, that's all.

Baseball? BOTH: Basketball.

If I had any choice, I'd come back, but,

shall we get started, Andrew?

Good, Andrew. Thank you very much.

Now, I'm gonna talk to your mom and dad for a few minutes, okay?

Andrew's reading levels and math skills

still test well below average.

But he's reading much better than he did when he was in school.

Unfortunately, the tests show that Andrew is still very far behind.

And unless his academic skills

and his behavior show marked improvement,

he's gonna have to be sent to the state residential facility

for children with special needs in the fall.

No, but he's doing better. We're making progress.

The boy is ten and a half years old.

He still reads at a first-grade level.

Miss Hilgarde, I think you're a genuinely nice woman,

and I know you're just trying to do your job,

but I can promise you

that I will rip open the chest and tear out the heart

of anyone who threatens to take my boy from me.

It happened once. It will not happen again.

I'm on your side, Mrs. Carlson.

But I must tell you that unless Andrew shows marked improvement

over the next three months, we'll have to take action.

I need more time.

I can give you the rest of the summer, but that's it.

What is it?

What's the matter?

I can't, I don't know what to do anymore.

I don't know how to help him.

Aw, but he's been doing better.

No, he hasn't, Eddie. Let's face it.

He's pretty much in the same place,

and they're gonna take him away from us again.

I can feel it.

What if we tried something really different?

Maybe if we shook things up a little.

Haven't we had enough shaking?

No, no. Hear me out.

What if you took Andy up to your brother's place?

To Jack's? No. I don't see...

No, no, no, listen.

What if you and Andy went out to the farm,

and you could really focus on him, really work with him?

But that's not fair. You and E.J. just got back.

You haven't even unpacked yet.

No, it's okay. We're not talking about forever here.

You'll try it for a couple of weeks. See how he reacts.

I think maybe out there, maybe in a place with no history,

you could really turn things around for him.

Eddie, I can't leave you and the baby, not again.

Gail, I don't think we have a choice.

You heard the lady from Social Services.

It could be our last shot.

Maybe me and E.J. are too much of a distraction.

Maybe out there, he could really focus in the country.

Eddie, I don't know. I do.

We'll think of it as, uh...

Think of it as an experiment in education.

(CHUCKLES)

(CLUCKING)

Do you want to drive? ANDREW: Really?

Go ahead. Try it.

Just a little more this way.

A little more. That's it. Good going.

You got it! ANDREW: Whoo!

Okay, Andrew. Take a look.

How many eggs? Four and three are what?

(SIGHS)

Seven.

Excellent. Again...

How many?

You had seven. You took away two.

I don't know.

Try. How many?

How many eggs?

Scrambled.

Cute, but no.

Now, you've done this before. You can do it again.

(DOOR OPENS)

You had seven. You took away two.

Hey! Who's gonna help me shoe some horses?

All right.

(COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYS)

(MOOS) Whoa!

(MOOS)

(SQUAWKING)

(HORSE WHINNYING)

(SIGHS)

Come on, buddy. Work with me here.

Please, come on. Work with me.

(CLUCKING)

(WHINNIES)

(BLEATING)

(LAUGHING)

Oh, my God. How many steps did baby E.J. take by himself?

Three. Eddie, our baby's a genius.

Yeah. Okay.

Okay. Bye. I love you, too.

(HORSE WHINNIES)

"M-many m-mumbling mice are make-making...

"M-m..."

"Midnight."

"Midnight m-music in the m-moonlight."

(SIGHS) You didn't memorize that one, did ya?

Let's try another book, okay? Huh?

Hey! Hey, come here.

Come here. We're not done. We're not finished.

Gail, there's no sense in driving the kid too hard,

drilling him and pushing him all the time.

He's a smart kid. Anybody can see that.

No! Almost nobody can see that,

least of all the people who give him the tests.

But Andrew's smart in other ways.

He's learned all kinds of stuff since he's been out here.

Great. I'll tell his teacher he can milk a cow.

Maybe he can major in hoof picking

or pig grooming in college.

I'm just saying if you laid off him for a while,

he might come to some of this on his own.

Thank you very much for your expert opinion,

but you know what would really help us both right now,

is if you gave Andrew a little encouragement.

You know he loves everything he does outside with you.

Maybe you could give us some support in here

with the boring real-life stuff?

Okay, Andrew,

I really want for you to read to me now. Okay?

I want to hear about "The little engine that could."

(CLUCKING)

Hi.

Are you okay?

No, I'm not okay.

Do you remember who I used to be before the kidnapping?

I used to be a very up person.

I'd get up every day and say, "Hey, it's a new day."

Now I get up, and in three minutes,

I remember that I've got him.

I mean, don't get me wrong.

I love him.

And I thank God every day that he came back to us.

But...

Tell me.

Why can't I reach him, Jack?

He reacts to other people. He loves you. It's obvious.

He loves everything you do together.

Yet I haven't gotten him to smile more than once or twice

in the whole time he's been home.

Gail, I know he loves you.

How do you know this?

What has he said or done to make you think he loves me?

But he does.

He's just got a lot to come back from that's all.

Oh, I do the pushing and the scolding and the teaching.

I mean, I can see why he wouldn't be crazy about me,

but you know what's weird?

When I see you two together,

I feel like another man is stealing my kid away again.

Isn't that crazy?

I can't stand that I feel this way.

I'm not taking Andrew away from you

if that's what you're thinking.

It's not you, Jack. It's me.

I never should have let him leave the house

that day with Ted. I knew it.

I felt something was wrong. I saw it.

I should have taken Andrew away and hidden him.

Anyone else would have, anyone, and I didn't.

What kind of mother am I?

Gail, you're a wonderful mother...

And you know, he was sick that day.

And I should have made him stay at home.

And I didn't.

And I could see that Ted was angry.

He was furious because Eddie was in my life.

And Ted could see that Andy loved him,

and I let him go anyway.

Why did I do that? Why?

No. Come here.

And Andy didn't deserve this.

It shouldn't have happened,

and now they're gonna take him away from me again.

I can't take it, Jack.

Gail...

He's not the same little boy he was five years ago.

I cannot connect with him.

He's not my son.

JACK: You don't mean that.

Yes, I do. If I could pick a kid, I wouldn't pick him.

I'm his mother. Do you know how that makes me feel?

Andrew.

(CLUCKING)

Andrew!

(PANTING)

Andrew, wait!

Andrew!

(SOBS)

Andrew. Andrew.

I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean it.

I hate you! I hate you!

I didn't mean it.

You did! You do!

You don't want me! You never did!

You let Daddy take me!

You never came to look for me!

Why didn't you look for me? Why?

Andrew!

Andrew!

Andrew!

Andrew!

(SOBBING)

Oh, my God. Oh, honey.

Who told you that?

How can you think that?

Did your daddy tell you that?

He said you were tired of me!

He said you didn't want me in the house!

He said you were glad I was gone!

It's not true, honey. I wanted you.

All I did was look for you. I looked for you all the time.

For five years, every day, every night, every minute,

I wanted you back.

I stopped living.

I didn't laugh. I didn't smile.

All I did was miss you and think about you.

I kept your room exactly the same.

I slept with your bear at night.

Every time I went to the store or to the mall

and drove by the playground, I looked for you.

And every time you weren't there,

it broke my heart because I missed you so much.

I love you, Andrew. Don't you know that?

You're my son.

You'll always be my son.

It's okay. You don't have to be afraid.

We never stayed at the same place for long.

We always moved around,

mostly motels.

The last place we lived,

the one we stayed the longest,

was a trailer.

He wouldn't let me go outside during the day.

I just stayed in the room watching TV.

I didn't go to school.

I didn't know any kids my age.

There was just Daddy, her, and me.

Pattie... She hit me.

(SOBBING)

He locked me in the closet.

At night, they put me outside on a long leash.

I climbed up into a tree and slept.

There were animals out there.

It was dark all the time.

There was nobody to talk to...

Nobody to play with.

Nobody came.

It was just nobody but them.

I was by myself.

Sometimes,

all the time in the beginning,

I'd think about home.

Then it got so when I thought about you,

it made me mad.

Daddy said you didn't want me,

that you didn't care about me.

But you did. I know you did.

I'm home, Mommy.

I'm home.

* I see the moon

* And the moon sees me

* The moon sees somebody I want to see

* God bless the moon And God bless me

* And God bless the somebody I want to see *