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♪ Lately I've been thinking about ♪

♪ A lot of things ♪

To truly understand the soul of Canaan, Texas,

you'd first have to start with the story

of two young boys.

Rodney? Best be going.

That boy and his books.

DJ. - I'm comin'.

Boys who were once sworn enemies,

one white, the other black.

And Bandit, the puppy they'd found,

whose life they'd saved,

and by that act, became friends.

And there was Daniel Burton, who despite struggling

to raise his family on his own...

It's beautiful, Papa.

Rodney.

...took the black boy in

when there was no one else to do it.

An act of courage in a town divided.

And then, the accident

that left his youngest boy, Bobber, crippled.

- Oh, almost got me. And finally,

it's the story of a promise.

-One boy... - Cheers.

...now a writer, made to the other.

A promise to return to Canaan.

And with him, he brought a gift,

offered by a stranger.

A gift with the power to change so much,

in ways few could have ever imagined.

You sure you packed enough clothes?

I've packed most everything I got.

What about socks?

Here you go.

This enough for you?

Besides, it's a big city, if I need anything,

I can just buy it new, right, Rodney?

- Anything you want. - And just what are you

proposing to use for money,

your good looks?

I'll pack some of these for you.

Don't know for sure how long we're going to be gone.

You might have to handle the harvest yourself this year.

Well, Rodney will pitch in.

Between the two of us, we'll manage.

Anything else needs doing, you're in charge.

And don't forget, there's a little bit of cash

hid in the corner of the shed,

just for emergencies.

We'll get along fine.

You just take care of Bobber.

Daddy, DJ.

You need to hurry.

You'll miss your flight.

We wouldn't be the Burtons unless we was fixin'

to miss something.

All right, buddy, kiss your sister goodbye.

Bye.

And be sure to thank Rodney.

If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be goin'.

Thanks, Rodney.

Just make sure you do what those doctors say, okay?

I will.

Hey, just so as y'all know,

I'm not driving you all the way to San Jose.

All right, let's go.

- You ready, Bobber? Yeah.

California, ready or not, here they come.

Boys, I just remembered something.

Y'all got any gum?

What do we need gum for?

Keep your ears from poppin' on the plane.

We can stop at Shoup's.

Let's do it.

We got time.

I'll be right back, boys.

All right, well, hurry it up.

- Hello!

Ah, Mr. Burton.

Can I help you find something?

I need some chewing gum.

Juicy Fruit, if you got it.

Juicy Fruit, Spearmint, Chiclets.

Complete assortment.

How's that brave, young, Mr. Bobber?

I hope he's well.

Oh, fair-to-middling.

We're actually on our way to California

to see about gettin' him fixed up right now.

California?

Oh, if I had any sense, I'd close up

and move to California myself the way things are goin'.

Really?

Business been slow?

Oh, slower than slow.

Dead.

You're my first customer all day.

Well, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

You know, money's always tight around here

come the end of the month.

No, it's more than that.

The whole town's changing.

Old folks are moving away.

New folks are shopping elsewhere.

Yeah. You know what, if the town's changing,

maybe you ought to change right along with it.

And just what would you suggest changing exactly?

Oh, I don't know.

Maybe try something new.

I heard about some boys putting in a big company farm

south of town.

Bound to be needing some farm supplies,

save 'em the trip to Clarksboro.

Hmm.

Farm supplies.

And just exactly what am I supposed to know

about farm supplies?

Hi. Can I help you?

Yes, ma'am.

I'm Daniel Burton, this is my son.

We have an appointment to see Dr. Hanson.

Just one moment.

- Yes?

Dr. Hanson, the Burtons are here.

Thank you.

- Thank you, ma'am. - You're welcome.

Please, come in. Have a seat.

I'm Daniel Burton.

This is my son, Bobber.

- Bob. - Bob.

I'm Marcus Hanson.

Well, I'm glad to finally meet you.

As you know, I learned of your case

after reading Rodney Freeman's book,

and approached him with my offer to help.

As I told Mr. Freeman, the medical school here

has a very advanced neuro-orthopedics group,

and some good advances have been made

in the whole field of spinal injury rehabilitation,

so when I heard about your story,

I thought you'd make a good candidate.

As for the procedure itself,

we'll use special pins and screws

to realign and stabilize the damaged vertebrae.

And then, there'll be an intensive period

of physical therapy, where we'll strengthen

some muscles and, uh, well, retrain some others.

Now, you'll be doing most of your work right in here.

Oh, good, there is Dr. Adair.

She's head of our post-op rehab.

Dr. Briony Adair, I want you to meet Daniel Burton.

Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Burton.

Thanks. It's nice to meet you, too.

This is my son, Bobber.

It's Bob.

I've been looking forward to meeting you.

You've got a lot of admirers around here.

I've been giving them a tour of the facilities.

Do you... Do you have time to show Bob the therapy rooms?

Sure.

Come on.

The doctor, what's her name?

Dr. Adair.

Briony Adair.

- Briny? - That's right.

Right. Hmm.

Level with me, Doc, I mean,

you really think this is gonna work?

Well, we've had some success

in the past with similar cases,

so there's a good chance he'll see some improvement.

So, what's the best-case scenario?

Well, the best-case scenario is that once we've relieved

the pressure on the nerves,

he'll regain full use of his legs.

Well, what's the worst?

At Churchill Downs,

it was Seattle Slew

winning the Run for the Roses as the two-year-old

-odds-on favorite...

- Hello? Sissy?

Daddy? Everything okay?

Yeah.

Um, I just got done talking to the doctor

and, uh, things may not be as rosy as we'd hoped for.

The doctor says the surgery may not help all that much.

As a matter of fact, it could even make things worse.

How's Bobber takin' it?

Well, I haven't told him yet.

To be honest, I was kind of wondering

whether I should or not.

- He ought to know. Well, if he knows,

then he might not go through with it.

Then that's his choice.

Yeah, but this might be the only chance he has,

and if Bobber gets wind of this

then he loses that chance.

And it's likely to be the only one he has left.

Oh, here he is now.

You wanna say hi to Sissy?

No.

Hey, listen, he says he'll speak at you later.

Okay.

Well, take care.

All right.

Love you.

Just catching them up on the latest.

So I heard.

Be real nice if you told me, though, first.

I don't want the operation,

not if it could make things worse.

But, Bob, I also told your father

that there's a good chance that we would see improvement.

But you don't know for sure.

No, no, we don't. Not for sure.

Well, I wish you'd have told me that

before everyone got their minds made up.

And then I'd have told you I wasn't interested.

I'm sorry, son.

It's just, I was afraid that...

Afraid you couldn't find a way to fix what happened?

How many times I gotta tell you,

the accident wasn't your fault,

so it's not your job to keep on trying to fix it.

I have an idea.

What if Bob and I were to take a little walk?

No point. I'm not changing my mind.

Just think of it as a Sadie Hawkins dance.

Ladies' choice.

Can't say no.

Against the rules.

Here.

So, cards on the table.

Why the change of heart?

Like I said, nobody told me it could make it worse.

It's a good reason.

No wonder you're upset.

Look, I get around good enough.

I worked hard to get around this good.

Why would I wanna risk what I got?

- I can understand that. - No, you can't.

No one can.

Not you, not my dad, nobody.

It's here, too.

What happened?

I was about your age.

There was an accident, a fire.

The doctors weren't even sure they could save my arm.

So many skin grafts and surgeries.

Sometimes, I wished they'd just stop trying.

I about had,

but they never doubted they could save my arm.

Turns out, they were right.

So, here's the deal.

If you decide to have the surgery,

I will work with you, myself.

Just you and me.

But there's one thing I won't do.

I won't let you quit.

Not until we have tried everything we can.

Bob, you've been given a gift, just like I was.

If I were you, I'd think real hard

before I decided I wasn't interested.

How you feeling, bud?

A little drowsy?

Yeah.

- Pop? - Yeah, bud?

If something goes wrong...

That's not gonna happen.

We've come too far for that.

But if something does, I want you to know something.

What's that?

You're the best dad a fella could ever hope to have.

You never gave up on me,

on any of us, but especially me.

You best get some sleep now, bud.

We got a mighty big day tomorrow.

Yup, big day.

Mighty big day.

Any word?

This is not gonna happen overnight.

We've got to be realistic,

but we can try, we can start.

And next January, we're gonna start.

It's time for new leadership.

It's time for our country to move.

It's time for a...

- Hello? Dad? - Well, all I can say is,

the boy's got more screws in him than a John Deere tractor.

Not to mention all these rods and brackets,

and titanium stuff I never even heard of.

- He's okay? Oh, he's fine.

Came through it like a trouper.

When will we know if it worked?

Well, nobody's really saying for sure,

not till he starts rehab anyway.

They should have a pretty good idea by then.

Dr. Adair.

Briony, please.

Briny.

I'd wanted to check on him earlier,

but I got behind.

How's he doing?

He's out like a light,

but I guess that's good, right?

And you?

How are you holding up?

About how you'd expect.

Listen, I haven't eaten all day,

and I was gonna grab a quick bite.

You're welcome to join me.

Sure.

A fella's got to eat, I reckon.

You always been a city girl?

What makes you think I'm a city girl?

I just figured.

You ever heard of Crystal Springs, Mississippi?

Population 4,837.

Well, at least that's what it was when I left.

Well, how in the heck did you end up all the way out here?

Let's just say a straight line isn't always

the shortest distance between two points.

Huh, there's some truth to that,

especially if you've seen me plow.

There's one.

Mind if I ask you a question?

Be my guest.

How'd you get that nickname?

What nickname?

"Briny."

I mean, I-I know it's got to be short for something,

but darned if I can figure out what.

The only Briny I know has to do with making pickles,

and for the life of me, I can't figure out

how somebody as pretty as you

could get herself nicknamed

after something like that.

It's Briony.

Briony is a flower that grows in Scotland.

It's where my father's from.

Hmm, it's nice.

I like it.

Briony.

I'm sorry.

I have to go.

I'll take care of that for you.

Thank you.

It's my pleasure.

It's the least I can do.

Night.

I found them.

And the new Popular Science just came in, too.

Uh, well, there's still plenty of room in here.

Anything else?

Oh, yeah, there's a whole bunch

of get-well cards on the sideboard.

- Can you grab those for me? - Yeah.

Hey, Sissy, where's that hospital address?

It's over there on the hutch.

Hey, Sissy, what's this?

It's nothing.

No, it's an application

for the University of Texas.

Does Pop know about this?

No. It just came.

Well, when did you plan on telling him?

It's just an application.

I'm not sure I'll even send it in.

I just wanna wait till things settle down a little bit

before I mention it.

Well, I wouldn't wait too long,

because if you are thinking about leaving,

he deserves to know.

- Good morning. - Morning.

How you feeling?

Like I've been in a fight with a freight train.

Probably one of those big Norfolk Southerns

used to roll by my house,

engines all painted up with stripes,

like a big old catfish.

Okay. I'm gonna start you out easy,

and you let me know if I'm working you too hard.

And then, I'll work you harder.

- You ready? - Yup.

Let's get cracking.

Show them what you're made of, son.

Push back.

Good.

Good work.

All the way to the end.

All right.

Good.

Let me show you how to do this.

- Okay. - Hold, just hold under here.

And two more of those.

- I can't. - Yes, you can.

Just focus, concentrate.

Come on, bud, you can do it.

One more.

Come on.

Good.

I think that's enough for today.

Why don't you go have a long soak in the whirlpool?

You deserve it.

Ready?

Up.

Good job, buddy.

I'm proud of you.

You know, I can't thank you enough

for all you've been doing.

It's my pleasure.

I've been trying to think of some way

to thank you for all your help.

No, that's not necessary, really.

I was kind of thinking that maybe I could at least

just take you out to a nice dinner?

There's this little place that the guy

at the hotel recommends, called the Fireglow.

That is nice.

You been there?

No.

Well, maybe we could go together.

Are you asking me on a date?

I-I guess you could call it that, I mean,

if it ain't against the rules, I mean,

y'all got that doctor-patient

privilege rigmarole thing going on,

so I don't wanna get you in no trouble or nothing.

I'm sure we could find a way to bend the rules.

After all, you are the boy's father.

I am his daddy, yeah.

- Hello? - Hey, Sissy.

DJ there?

He's right here.

DJ! Dad wants to talk to you.

No, actually, I need both of you.

Both of us?

Hey, Daddy, what's up?

Well, it seems I got myself a date.

Daddy, that's wonderful! Who is she?

She's Bobber's rehab doctor.

See, her and Bobber hit it off so good,

I just wanted to show my appreciation.

Okay. So where are you taking her?

Oh, I'm taking her out to dinner.

The folks at the hotel recommended this place.

Sounds romantic.

Now, see, that's why I need your help.

I ain't been out on a date in 25 years, kids.

I don't know what to say.

What do I do? I...

You got to help me.

Well, let's start with conversation.

Always talk about her, never yourself.

And even when she asks about you,

make it seem like you're still talking about her.

Got it. Always talk about her.

And for heaven's sake, whatever you do,

don't use "reckon" every other word.

It makes you sound like a hick.

Well, dang flabbit, son! Maybe I am just a hick.

Well, let her catch on to that gradually.

You don't have to spring it on her the first thing.

Anything else?

Isn't that enough?

Daddy, just relax.

Relax and have a good time.

You'll do fine.

Okay.

Goodnight.

Relax, have a good time.

So, you think he's serious?

I don't know.

But I'll tell you one thing for sure,

giving my dad advice about women?

Something kind of unsettling about that.

Hmm.

Hey, you want a soda?

Oh, sure, if you're buying.

Well, why should today be any different?

- Morning, Mr. Shoup. - How you doing, DJ?

Good.

What's with the seed catalogs?

You ain't thinking about farming, are you?

Nope.

But I am thinking about farmers.

Fact is, it was your dad that got me started on it.

I might be carrying a whole new line here.

Yeah, that might work.

You think so?

Well, farmers got to buy their stuff somewhere,

no reason it shouldn't be from you.

I like the way you think, son.

Mmm-hmm.

Welcome to the Fireglow. May I help you?

Yes, sir, uh, Burton, party of two?

I called in earlier.

Excuse me, sir, but, uh,

may I have a word with you?

Sure.

I'm sorry, sir, but we require our patrons to wear a tie.

Oh, I got on a tie.

I mean a tie-tie, the normal kind.

I'm afraid I don't own the normal kind.

I see. Well, I'm sure we can find

something that will work.

That should suffice.

You think it's bright enough?

Well, let's just call it colorful.

That'll be $5, please.

5 bucks? You're gonna need to tie it for me.

Let's see.

There.

Voila.

Voila.

What's that for?

Well, I guess I needed a tie.

You had a tie.

Ah, we're finally dressed for dinner.

I thought I was dressed when I got here but, uh...

Are we coming?

No, we're not coming. We're going.

I know a place where people still have manners.

There's a great little restaurant on the wharf.

- Uh, excuse me. - It's not fancy, but it's got...

I'll need the tie.

Sure.

That should get your fire glowing.

Whee-doggies!

Thank you.

Wow! Now, that is what I call service.

I waited my share of tables back home.

Hmm. Cheers.

Oh, cheers.

So when'd you decide to become a doctor?

It's what I've always wanted to be,

for as far back as I can remember.

But even knowing early on,

I mean, it still must have been long.

You have to make a lot of sacrifices,

but I'm sure you know all about that,

considering you raised a family all by yourself.

Not fair.

You know way more about me than I know about you.

What do you wanna know?

- You a single lady? - Now.

Oh. Are you seeing anyone?

My job keeps me pretty busy.

- That would be a no? - That would be a no.

Ah. Hmm.

- Ever married? - Mmm-hmm.

- Children? - My folks sure enough thought we were.

You know that's not what I'm talking about.

You got kids?

No.

Did you want some malt vinegar with that?

I don't know, you tell me.

I'm pretty sure that you do.

It's not my prettiest feature.

It doesn't matter.

You're still beautiful.

You wanna tell me about it?

You mind me asking?

My mama and I were canning preserves.

The boiler that she used to sterilize the jars exploded.

It knocked a whole box of paraffin

into the fire and all over me.

By the time we put it out, I had third-degree burns,

all the way up to my shoulder.

Eight surgeries later,

half a dozen skin grafts,

a lot of tears and hard work,

and here I am.

So, that's what did it.

Did what?

Changed Bobber's mind.

You told him about you, didn't you?

I may have mentioned it.

I want people to know that it's okay to be afraid.

Everybody's afraid of something,

probably even you.

I'm not gonna be able to thank you enough for all that you've done.

You'll never know how grateful I am.

I just remember reading your story, thinking,

"Who is this guy?

This Daniel Burton?

So strong.

Never backs down from what he thinks is right,

yet so kind."

Now you're embarrassing me.

I thought this guy can't be real.

He's gotta be just some character in a book.

But here you are.

I hope I'm not a disappointment.

No, you're not a disappointment.

Would it be all right if I kissed you?

I'd never forgive you if you didn't.

Hope it wasn't against the rules.

It wasn't.

I wouldn't much care if it was.

We've stabilized the injury. That's the important part

and judging from the test results,

there seems to be some modest improvement

in motor function.

So what you're saying is it didn't work?

I'm saying there's improvement,

- and that's what we want. - But the boy still can't walk.

Pa, it's okay.

It is some better, it really is.

It just seems to me like he's been through an awful lot for only "some better,"

that's all I'm saying.

You can't let yourself get discouraged.

With ongoing physical therapy, there's a chance

we could still see continued improvement.

Just how am I supposed to manage that?

We'll find someone near Canaan.

I can even work with them to set up a program specifically for Bob.

I'm happy to make some phone calls.

Or you could just follow us back

and find someone in person.

Whoa, now, hold up here, son.

We can't just ask Dr. Adair to drop everything

she's got going on here and fly off to Canaan.

I mean, especially with the holidays

just around the corner.

Maybe she ought to spend Christmas with us.

I'm sure she's got plans.

- Do you? - Bobber.

Actually, I don't.

Well, then it's settled.

She's spending Christmas with us

and she can meet Sarah and DJ.

Oh, and Rodney will be there, too.

- I don't want to impose. Impose?

My dad doesn't even know

the meaning of the word "impose."

- Do you, Pop? - Of course,

we'd love for you to come join us,

but you just need to know

what you're getting yourself into.

It ain't nothing ritzy.

Just a good old family Christmas.

It sounds wonderful.

Okay. Well, come on, Pop,

we got to get to a phone and tell the others.

You go ahead, son, I'll catch up with you.

Looks to me like you just got railroaded.

- Are you sure about this? - Are you kidding me?

I've been wondering how on earth

I was ever gonna manage saying goodbye to you.

It's gonna be a whole lot easier now

knowing there's a hello just a few weeks away.

I can't imagine anything better

than spending Christmas in Canaan,

with you.

Bandit, either push, pull, or get out of the way,

preferably the latter.

Here, I'll put him out.

Come on, Bandit.

Come on, boy.

Is that the nicest tree you could find?

What's wrong with it? It's green.

It's got branches in all directions

and there ain't no squirrel nests.

Seems a little thin on that side.

Rodney, what if we turn it the other way?

Maybe it's got a better side.

Did you clean all the junk out of the guestroom?

What, all those seed catalogs?

I thought she was a country girl.

Make her feel right at home.

This country girl

might just be your father's new beau,

and I'll be switched if I'm gonna let her think

a bunch of hayseeds live here.

Now, go on.

Huh?

I'd say this looks pretty good.

It looks really good.

Good enough for country folk.

Now we just need the angel.

I'll get it.

You think she'd mind?

Me inviting a friend here for Christmas?

I imagine she'd be happy.

She'd never have wanted you to stay alone forever.

What better time than Christmas?

She always did love Christmas.

And she always loved this angel.

Then let's put her up on her angel's perch,

so she can watch over us, just like always.

Come on. The boys are waiting.

Okay. Who wants the honors? DJ?

No, my hands got pitch on 'em.

- You'll have to. - Bobber?

Can't reach that far.

Why don't you do it this year?

I suppose I could, I guess.

All righty.

There. Perfect.

Her plane lands in a couple hours.

Best get movin'.

Hey, you sure you don't wanna borrow

some of my cologne? It's musk.

I'll do just fine without it, thank you very much.

Somebody's a little prickly.

I wonder what that's about.

I wouldn't have the faintest idea.

You kids are gonna end up embarrassin' me yet.

Well, we'll certainly give it our best shot.

Drive safe.

Will do.

Poor girl.

I hope she knows what she's in for.

They're here.

They just drove up.

Would you quit fussing?

You look sufficiently glamorous.

Why is it that I feel like a mother meeting

my son's prom date for the first time?

Well, I'm not quite sure,

but if you're thinking about having the birds

and the bees talk with him,

I think that duck's pretty well flown.

What's taking them so long?

Well, he's getting her things.

Women come with a lot of accessories.

They do.

Would you look at the three of you?

You're all lined up like it's a firing squad.

Here we are, guys and gal.

Please welcome Dr. Adair.

Hello.

I'm glad you made it.

Me too.

This is my oldest son, DJ.

Ma'am, uh, doctor?

It's Briony.

Briony, ma'am.

And this is Rodney Freeman,

Canaan's most famous author.

Well, Canaan's only author, best I can tell.

I loved your book.

It makes coming here almost like coming home.

Oh, thank you.

And this is Sarah. Sissy, I call her,

which I'm sure she hates.

Sarah, I'm so glad to finally meet you.

I hope you brought an appetite.

Dinner's about ready.

I bet you'd love some help. Just point me

towards the kitchen and turn me loose.

No.

I mean, you're a guest.

I can manage.

Well, let me help you get settled in.

Come on, I'll grab your things here.

Just follow me through here.

You have a lovely home.

And what's your new book about?

Short stories mostly, about growin' up,

things my grandmother taught me.

Oh, you would've loved her.

- That woman was fearless. - Oh, she had to be.

You know, it wasn't easy back then.

Back then? When did it get so easy all of a sudden?

I must have missed that part.

Okay. Now it's Sarah's turn.

I wanna hear all about you.

- What about me? - Anything.

Hopes, dreams, any special fellas lurking out there

that we should know about?

Not much time for that when you're busy riding herd

on this bunch.

Then, how about your plans?

Not much to tell.

Ever thought about college?

As bright as your dad says you are?

Yeah, Sissy.

What about college?

Sarah, go to college? What for?

For your information, I recently applied

at the University of Texas at Austin.

Daniel, why didn't you tell me?

That's wonderful.

That's the first I've heard of it myself.

I was wondering when one of us was

finally gonna make a run for it,

especially now that there's somebody here

to keep track of you.

Hey. You got 'em all tucked in?

Mmm-hmm.

Three in beds and Rodney on the couch.

Listen, Daddy.

What I said about going to college,

I just filled out the application, that's all.

I probably won't even get accepted,

and even if I do,

I don't have to go.

I've been meaning to tell you.

It's just when she asked, I blurted it out.

Well, she has a gift for that,

making folks say what they're feelin'.

It's obvious the boys like her.

- Yeah. - And you?

I just met her.

I don't know her hardly at all.

She certainly feels at home.

But you like her, right?

I like that you like her.

Oh, I haven't had one of these since last year.

Hey, look, I got one, too.

Just the color I wanted.

DJ, hand me that package,

the only one left under the tree, there.

Thank you.

Now, see, we've got a little family tradition around here.

Kids know all about this.

It started one particular Christmas,

my daddy started it,

been a pretty rough year.

We weren't expecting much,

but come Christmas morning,

here were all these gifts,

wrapped and under the tree, just like always.

Well, my mama, when she seen it,

boy, she lit into my dad, said,

"Where'd you get the money for all that?"

And daddy just smiled and looked at her,

and said, "Don't you know nothing, woman?

Even if you're flat broke,

you can still have some Christmas."

See, to him, "some Christmas" meant giving all the gifts

you really wanted to give,

when only your heart could afford it.

We did it that first year Rodney came to live with us,

- you remember that? - I sure do.

You gave me my first typewriter.

That's right.

So, this year,

with you being practically family and all,

I thought you deserved some Christmas, too.

It's a little house.

It's a country house.

You're always talking about how you're a country girl,

so I just thought, maybe someday,

you might like a little country place of your own.

Thank you.

I love it. I really do.

It's so sweet.

Of course, until then, you're plenty welcome

to stay right here with us.

I brought along a little Christmas of my own.

First, the guys.

A sweater.

Not just any sweater.

It's cashmere.

Nothing wrong with sheep's wool.

Oh, yeah.

- Thanks, Briony. Thanks.

And Sarah, this is for you.

They're Laurel Burch.

I think she makes the most beautiful things, don't you?

Well, go ahead, Sissy. Put them on.

I'll do it later.

No, do it now.

I wanna see what you look like in 'em.

Look how pretty you look.

You could be on the runway.

Yeah, along with all the other crop dusters.

Now, come on, be nice, DJ.

Sorry.

Thank you, Dr. Adair. You shouldn't have.

All of us girls need some pretty things.

Now, Daniel, your turn.

Oh, Briony, you didn't need to do all this.

You better see if you like it before you start thanking me.

It's a "real" tie.

Woo.

Italian silk no less.

I bet you didn't think I'd notice.

I love it.

Thank you.

I guess no more getting thrown out of ritzy places.

That'll come in handy around here, that's for sure.

And...

I brought something for the house.

A kind of a thank-you

to all of you for inviting me to Christmas.

Here.

You didn't have to do that.

One of you guys wanna open it?

- Go on. - Uh-uh.

What is it?

A friend brought it back from Italy.

I wanted you all to have it.

Isn't it beautiful?

Uh, yes, ma'am. Sure is.

I thought it would look so pretty on your tree.

We already have an angel.

Oh, but not like this.

This is a Botticelli.

Well, a copy, anyway.

All the way from Florence.

You know, it would look real nice on the mantel.

- Uh, I vote we put it there. - Mmm-hmm.

It's a tree-topper.

You can't put a tree-topper on the mantel.

Here, let me do it.

There.

A little touch of renaissance.

Didn't you hear him?

He said we already have an angel.

And where do you get the nerve to just waltz in here

and move things around without asking?

You had no right.

Sarah, I'm so sorry.

Why don't you just leave?

It's been hard on all of them.

I'm not blind to that, but...

I think it's been toughest on her.

I never meant to do anything that would upset her.

I know.

This just all happened pretty quick, you know.

Christmas was when we lost her mama.

I think this just brought it all back.

For you, too.

Thing is, maybe she knows you're just not ready.

It's just her way of showing it,

of getting your attention.

It's odd,

14 years I've lived with this,

the sorrow of losing Betsy,

and I thought that...

I know what you thought.

Sometimes, we think we've worked through a thing,

just by having lived with it so long,

but oftentimes, it's something we set aside,

and never really faced at all,

just got on with life.

Daniel, you've done a remarkable thing

for your kids.

You've given them a stable home,

and I know that wasn't easy.

You took on Rodney when he needed a family,

and maybe you let that focus distract you

from your own grief.

I don't know.

Maybe.

And now they're grown.

I think it's your turn.

Your turn to face that grief,

to work on you,

in your own time, in your own way,

just you.

I'm sorry.

You sure you don't want me to drive you?

My daddy always taught me a fella should

leave the dance with the same girl he brought.

DJ offered. It's fine.

You know, all I'm asking for

is just a little more time.

We all have things we can't change.

I only wish you could have looked a little deeper into your heart

before you thought to invite me in, that's all.

Goodbye, Daniel.

-...box over there.

Yeah, that's right.

What's old man Shoup up to now?

Come on, let's go find out.

It's too much trouble.

You go.

You sure?

Yeah.

Fertilizer out back and pesticides

around the corner, right next to the ones

- against the wall. - Hey, Mr. Shoup.

Rodney.

Rodney Freeman. You're just in time.

- Just in time for what? - For a tour.

You're looking at the newest authorized distributor

of the Agro Harvest line of professional farm products.

It seems like an awful lot of inventory.

Well, it is, but you know what they say,

if you can't give it to them when they need it,

they'll find it someplace else.

Now, for the first time, the farmers can buy

all their supplies right here in Canaan.

- Come on, let me show you. - All right.

We got stacks and stacks of stuff out back,

you will be surprised.

Hey, hey, Bobber, back in the house now,

come on. This don't concern you.

Bobber, no. You get back here, right now.

I should've listened to Pop and stayed home that night.

You know, back in California,

I told him "some better" was good enough.

But I only told him that because he felt so bad,

and everyone worked so hard.

But it's not, Rodney.

"Some better" is not good enough by half.

Let's get out of here.

Not too far over.

All right, when you... when you sit here,

put your foot in the straps.

See?

And when you push down,

it raises the sandbag.

And you want more weight, you can just put some sand in.

Well, you wanna try it out?

Those doctors already tried everything in the book.

I don't know if a bunch of pulleys and a bag of sand

is gonna make a difference.

Now, last year, this was all alfalfa,

but I've been speaking to Ralph Clark down at the co-op,

and he says we might ought to consider putting in soybeans,

maybe up to half. Now, I told him I'd ask you.

We could do that.

But mind you, down at Davis and Dunn,

putting in a hundred acres or more of sorghum.

Davis and Dunn? You know,

that new company farm south of town?

Maybe they know something we don't.

Well, we ain't never planted no sorghum before.

Just cause we haven't, doesn't mean we shouldn't.

- Whatever you think. Oh, no, Daddy,

I ain't putting my head in that noose

without some company.

Well, whatever we plant,

it's either gonna freeze, bake, get eaten by bugs,

or be worth nothing by the time we bring it in,

so I say plant whatever you wanna plant.

It ain't gonna matter much anyway.

Now, ain't you just Mr. Sunshine these days?

Hey, where are you goin'? Town's that way.

Well, why drive all the way to Clarksboro

when we can order from old man Shoup?

Well, Rodney was right.

Looks like opening day at the county fair.

All he's missing is the cotton candy.

And the people.

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of.

What?

Well, farmers not buying their stuff here.

We may have come a ways in this town,

but we ain't come that far.

Wait here.

I'm not useless, you know!

Whatever you say, Bobbles.

Here, Bandit, come on, boy!

There you go.

- Okay. Yeah. - Hey, look at that.

Keep it up, Bobber.

How long has he been out there?

Almost an hour.

I think it's about time we all had a little talk.

I've never seen him like this before.

Ever since Christmas, when Briony left,

it's like the joy just flew right out of his life.

Why doesn't he just call her and tell her he's sorry?

Because he's too proud to let her see him like this.

So, why'd he let her leave if he loved her so much?

Maybe he decided he just wasn't ready

for someone else in his life.

It's been 14 years.

How ready does he got to be?

If only she hadn't busted that angel.

- It wasn't the angel. - It wasn't?

It wasn't the angel, or Mama, or any of that other stuff.

He did it because of me.

Hey, Bobber! Change the channel

to Happy Days, will ya?

You know that's only for emergencies, right?

What do you think this is?

You need to go where?

California, to talk to Dr. Adair.

She's the only one who can help.

Does Mr. Burton know about this?

He'd never let me.

Then how can you just up and disappear?

I'll tell him I'm staying over at a girlfriend's.

Jeri-Lynn Drake's baby's sick and I'm helpin' out.

I got enough for my ticket.

I've just never flown anywhere before.

Don't even know where to start.

Can you help me?

Are you sure about this?

Well, I guess I do know a little something

about getting out of Dodge.

Or whatever this place is.

That's a really good improvement.

I'd like to see another 20 degrees of rotation.

I think that's enough for today.

You worked really hard.

I'm really proud of you.

Sarah.

This is a surprise.

Sorry to barge in on you like this,

but I need to ask you a favor.

You want me to do what?

We want you to come back to Canaan.

He only let you go because he thought having you

in his life would hurt me.

He didn't know what else to do.

Does he know you're here?

And this was your idea, not his?

The family is worried about him.

It's like all the joy has just gone out of him.

He never smiles, never laughs.

If anyone can help him, it's you.

He still cares about you.

I know he does.

That doesn't give me the right to show up

at his door uninvited.

I'm inviting you.

We all are.

But Daniel isn't, and he's the only one who can.

He's the only one who can open his heart the way he wants to.

The way he needs to.

If I show up in Canaan before he's ready,

it won't solve anything.

Chances are it'll likely make things worse.

I'm sorry.

So you'll let me know how he's doing?

I will.

Sarah, I know this hasn't been easy,

especially for you.

You've held this family together so long,

and then suddenly, your dad shows up

with another woman in his life,

but I want you to know one thing.

I know how much you mean to this family,

and no matter what happened,

I would never have done anything to change that.

Thank you, Dr. Adair.

Briony.

- Thank you.

Thanks, Rodney.

All right, take care.

Where the heck you been, Sissy?

You know where. I told you.

I talked to Jeri-Lynn.

I went to California, to talk to Briony.

And what exactly did you expect

to get out of doing that?

Give you two a second chance.

It was the happiest you've been since Mama died.

I'd never seen you like that,

and then it was like this cloud came over all of us.

I know why you did it.

You did it to protect me.

We'll get by somehow, we always do.

Sometimes, we get by because we have to,

but sometimes, "getting by" is just settling.

For once in your life,

you deserve more than just settling.

She probably don't even care anymore.

She probably moved on.

You don't know that.

She say anything about seeing anybody?

Didn't say, didn't ask.

Figured it was best to leave that up to you.

Good night.

- Dr. Adair. - Briony?

It's Daniel.

Hi.

I've been thinking about you.

I understand you had a visitor.

I did.

It was quite a surprise.

She's worried about you.

Says you've been a little down?

That doesn't sound like you.

Ah, it's just a rough patch I'm goin' through.

I'll be fine.

Daniel, there's one thing

I learned early on.

Sometimes, the best way to lighten your own burden

is to take on someone else's.

Find someone who's worse off than you,

someone who needs you.

Plant some other fields.

Water someone else's crops for a while.

Sounds like good advice.

I'm gonna keep that in mind.

You're a good man, Daniel.

A lot of people care about you,

probably more than you realize.

Thank you.

That means a lot coming from you.

It's true.

I know it firsthand.

Well, uh...

I just wanted to check in on you.

I'm glad you did.

It's nice to hear your voice.

Hey, if you're ever in the neighborhood,

you be sure and stop in and say hello, all right?

You too.

Okay.

Well, goodnight.

Night.

Water time.

What you got for us there, Bobber?

- Water? - Well, that's what I like to see.

Well, now, looks like you boys had yourself quite a year.

You can thank DJ for that.

He's the one who wanted to plant the sorghum.

Well then, you're lucky someone at your place

knows something about farming.

Whoa-ho-ho. Whoo-hoo!

Okay, come on, Pop, let's celebrate.

Chili cheese fries, and I'm buying.

Who's that?

That's Delmer P. Davis,

owner of Davis and Dunn Farms.

The way he's goin', before long,

he'll own half the county.

Hey, Dad, you coming?

I don't know how much longer Shoup can hold on.

Agro Harvest wants their money.

He told me that he can barely afford

to keep his lights on.

And if he does start selling, his markup is next to nothing.

I can't believe people would rather drive

a half hour away and pay a third again more.

It just doesn't make sense.

Well, it doesn't have to.

That's the economics of prejudice.

You tellin' me after all this town's been through,

there are still folks here that'd rather see

a hardworking fellow like Shoup fail

and fall flat than see him succeed?

What rock you been hiding under, Pa?

You think just 'cause it don't matter to us,

it shouldn't matter to them?

Well, I got news for you, not everyone's like you.

It'd be nice if they were,

but the simple fact is that they're not,

not by a long shot.

To see a man fail just 'cause he's black,

it's just not right.

Can I help you, Mr. Burton?

Yes, sir.

I was wondering if you was hiring.

Hiring for what?

Store clerk.

- What's so funny?

Tell me, you see anyone here needin' a clerk?

Well, you will.

Sometimes, all you need to do to bring folks in

is to show 'em a familiar face.

You mean a familiar white face?

I just mean a familiar farmer's face.

Christmas time coming up real soon.

You're bound to be needing some more help.

Well, I can't pay you nothin', not at first.

That's okay.

I'll just take it out in trade.

But why? Why you wanna work here?

I got my reasons.

Let's just leave it at that.

Okay, you can start tomorrow.

I could start tomorrow, but I'm ready to start today.

Today?

Yeah, today.

All right.

What do we do first?

What we do first is we sweep the porch.

Yes, sir, boss.

Lord have mercy.

♪ Lately I've been thinking... ♪

Looks good.

Yeah. Grab those, will you?

♪ Like father time The future and the past ♪

Come on now, get out.

♪ Nothing's changed Except everything ♪

♪ It all happened Way too fast ♪

♪ I tried to find The reason ♪

♪ To what It might have meant ♪

♪ I recounted Every footstep ♪

♪ And how time was spent ♪

♪ As I sit here lost And all alone ♪

♪ I realize that all roads Lead you home ♪

♪ Home ♪

♪ Home is where Your heart is ♪

♪ The place inside You never really leave ♪

♪ Boy, you keep On searching ♪

♪ In hopes Of what you'll find ♪

♪ Every road That you'll ever roam ♪

♪ Leads you home ♪

♪ Leads you home ♪

♪ I'm goin' home ♪

♪ I'm goin' home ♪

Can I help you, son?

One customer all day, and that was a Ding Dong.

Can't make a livin' just sellin' Ding Dongs.

You just got to be patient.

You know, I saw that fella from Davis and Dunn

drive by yesterday.

He slowed down and took a good look.

He's been doing that for weeks.

He ain't stopped once.

Yeah? Just got to give him time, that's all.

Time's the one thing in short supply.

Everything else I got.

Tomorrow will be a better day.

Listen, Daniel,

you've wasted enough of your time here already.

Let's quit foolin' ourselves.

Just take our losses and move on.

Whatever I owe you, I'll find a way to pay it.

It might take me a while, but I'm good for it.

I'm not worried about it.

You know something,

it just feels good to do something for somebody else.

Tomorrow's gonna be a better day.

Mr. Davis?

That's right.

My name's Daniel Burton.

I reckon we need to talk about our town.

Now, don't get me wrong.

I've got nothing against buying

from this particular gentleman.

It's just that we require a certain quality

in what we buy.

Well, you consider Agro Harvest product

good quality, don't you?

I suppose.

- Good as any. Well then,

you'd be getting what you're used to.

But, you see, we buy in bulk.

That's good, 'cause we sell in bulk.

As a matter of fact, any price you can get,

we can match, probably beat.

And by the time you figure in the cost of haulin' it

all the way out to here,

it's bound to be cheaper for you.

That's another thing.

You see, the fella we buy from down in Clarksboro

has been at it 20 years or more.

He's got a track record.

This Shoup fella?

Well, Shoup's family has owned the store

since the early '30s.

He's second generation.

All right, I'll level with you.

It just doesn't seem right buying from him.

It's nothing personal.

It's just not my kind of place.

I guess I misjudged you.

Sorry for wastin' your time.

Now, hold on a second here.

I got a right to buy where I feel comfortable.

That's my choice.

There's no law against that, is there?

There's no law against it,

not an official one anyway.

I'm gonna level with you, Mr. Davis.

I'm just a strugglin' farmer.

I got an old truck, an old tractor.

Some years, we do okay,

others, not so good.

But I can tell you one thing,

I'd be a whole lot worse off if it wasn't for my neighbors,

if it wasn't for this town.

You see, if we get a chance to help a neighbor,

but we just choose to stand by and watch him fail

when we could have done something about it,

then this town dies a little.

I'm just asking you to help a neighbor,

that's all,

just one neighbor.

Can I help you?

Who do I need to talk to about placing a seed order?

I could help you with that.

Right on over here.

We'll get you all fixed up.

Emmanuel Shoup.

Delmer Davis.

So there you are.

What ya doing?

Just out here thinking.

About?

Shoup.

He asked me if I wanted to go in with him,

be his partner.

Do you wanna?

I might.

Let DJ run things around here.

He's been doing it mostly by himself anyway.

I think that's a fine idea,

for you and for DJ.

I've been thinking, too.

About?

I've been accepted by UT starting next year,

even offered me a scholarship.

What with working and Rodney's offer

to loan me a little money for tuition,

I think I can pay my way,

if it's okay with you.

That's great.

I think you should go.

You know, your mama always said

you were gonna go to college.

She'd be so happy.

Though it's gonna be a little different

around here without you.

Maybe you could invite Briony out for a visit.

Nah,

I'm sure she's gotten on with her life by now.

I'd expect that.

You don't know that,

not for sure.

Hi, this Briony.

- Hey, Briony, it's... I'm sorry.

I can't come to the phone right now.

But if you leave me a message,

I'll be happy to return your call.

Briony. Hi, it's just...

Hey, Briony.

It's Daniel.

Daniel Burton.

I just wanted to give you a call and let you know

that you were right about what you told me.

The sooner you start trying to help somebody else,

the more you realize that your own problems

don't really add up to all that much.

I don't know how I ever lost sight of that.

Anyway, I also wanted to say

if you're ever anywhere around Canaan,

I'd love it if you'd stop by,

or if you just wanna call sometime and say hello,

I'd like that, too.

I think about you.

I think about you a lot lately.

I hope you're doing good.

Well, anyhow,

hope to hear from you.

And by the way...

Merry Christmas.

You know, whoever invented them daggum answering machines

ought to be shot.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you. Merry Christmas, son.

Thank you, folks. Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas now.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you.

Hurry up and lock the door before somebody else

comes in and buys something.

Listen, Daniel,

I owe you a lot.

No more than I owe you.

Well, whoever deserves it more,

- thank you. - You headed home?

Yeah, I got a whole house full of in-laws. You?

I'm headed out to the Freeman place.

Rodney says it's his turn to have Christmas out there

this year, and I got a feelin' him and Sarah

has probably got something special cooking.

Sounds real nice.

Yeah, I gotta enjoy having everybody together,

you know, with Sarah leaving for college next year.

Once they leave the roost, it's hard to get them back.

Then you'd best make the most of it.

You got that right.

Merry Christmas, partner.

Merry Christmas, my friend.

Merry Christmas.

- He's here.

Hey, everybody. Sorry I'm late.

- Hey. Hi. - Evening.

I thought you'd never get here.

Me too. Old Shoup was so full of good tidings,

I didn't think he was gonna lock up

and let me come home. How can I help you?

How about you finish setting the table?

I'm on it.

Sissy, I think you miscounted.

There's an extra plate here.

No, it's right.

There's someone else joining us.

Oh, really? Somebody I know?

I'd say there's a good chance.

Briony?

What are you doing here?

You invited me, don't you remember?

You said if I was ever in the neighborhood,

I should stop and say hello.

So, here I am.

Hello.

Merry Christmas.

So, how long you plan on staying?

I'm not sure.

There's a job opening in Clarksboro.

They're looking for a good orthopedist.

I've been thinking I might apply for it.

Are you sure about this?

About what?

Moving to Canaan.

It's a long way from the big city.

I've always been a country girl,

you know that.

Besides, it'll give me a chance to work

a little bit more with Bobber.

Well, he'll sure appreciate that.

It's not a permanent position.

Only a year.

Then what?

I don't know.

We'll just have to wait and see.

I reckon a person can learn a lot in a year,

Daniel Burton, don't you?

Yeah. I reckon he can.

Hey, you two, dinner's ready.

Well, let's go.

Oh, my, it's lovely.

DJ, Bobber, we're ready.

Here, buddy, let me get these for you.

No, it's okay.

I'm fine.

You sure?

What's the matter, you never seen anyone walk before?

Attaboy, Bobber.

I'm proud of you, buddy.

Let us bow our heads and thank the Lord,

like my grandmother, Miss Eunice, would've.

We thank You, Lord Jesus,

for us to share this meal one to another,

and we ask You to bless those folk who struggle,

even now, as we enjoy this plenty.

And as we partake of this food,

help us grow, not only in strength,

but in love,

one to the other,

in a desire to be more like Thee.

Amen.

Amen. - Amen.

- Amen. Amen. - Well said, Rodney.

Your grandma would be awful proud.

- Hey, who wants cornbread? - Hey, uh, anyone

want some of these taters here?

Sure. As we gathered

around the table,

who could have imagined how a gift for Bobber

would become for Daniel

another gift entirely.

But in the words of Briony,

what could be better than spending a Christmas,

any Christmas

in a place called Canaan?

♪ We'll get by somehow ♪

♪ We always do ♪

♪ And that's what Makes a home ♪

♪ Telling the truth ♪

♪ And when the chips Are down ♪

♪ We'll see it through ♪

♪ And we'll get by somehow ♪

♪ We always do ♪

♪ Back when we were young ♪

♪ Nothing but time to lose ♪

♪ We kept our faith In the Lord ♪

♪ We're forgetting now What we knew then ♪

♪ What good was it before? ♪

♪ We'll get by somehow We always do ♪

♪ And that's what makes a home Telling the truth ♪

♪ And when the chips Are down ♪

♪ We'll see it through ♪

♪ And we'll get by somehow ♪

♪ We always do ♪

♪ No, no, no, no ♪

♪ No, no, no, no ♪

♪ Now I come in prayer ♪

♪ With my head bowed ♪

♪ I give thanks For all your love, yeah ♪

♪ As we move ahead ♪

♪ Just looking back ♪

♪ You know the saints From up above ♪

♪ Oh, we'll get by somehow ♪

♪ We always do ♪

♪ And that's what makes A home Telling the truth ♪

♪ And when the chips Are down ♪

♪ We'll see it through ♪

♪ And we'll get by somehow ♪

♪ We always do ♪

♪ No, no, no ♪