Finding Father Christmas Page #5

he's the pharmacist.

He got a call

a few months ago

from a pharmacy in Tucson.

Now, they were inquiring

about a prescription refill

for Eric Halverson.

He's the fellow that owns

the photo studio.

Turns out, he and his wife,

Jane, are still there.

And, uh, Ben gave me his

e-mail address...somewhere..

Ah! Here it is.

And I thought if you wanted

to get in touch with him

'they might be able to help.'

If you still want to, that is.

That is why I'm here.

Well, I'm off to learn my lines!

Only two more days

until the show

and my mind has been

such a sieve lately.

- Thank you, Andrew.

- You're welcome.

[drill whirring]

- Ian?

- Miranda.

Hi! What are you doing here?

Uh, I'm workin' on the set

before rehearsal starts.

After last night, I wanted

to give my dad a break.

You know, I saw him this

morning. He really seemed fine.

Yeah, well, the way he looks

forward to the show every year

he wouldn't let a little

thing like exhaustion

keep him from that stage.

He's been playin'

this role ever since

James Whitcomb passed away.

Wish I could have met him.

Yeah, well,

stick around for Christmas.

You can meet Margaret.

- Margaret?

- Yes, his wife.

She comes back

for the holidays.

They were married

almost 40 years.

Forty years, wow.

I'm sure she has

lots of stories to tell.

Come on, check out the set.

Um, actually, I have to go home.

But I thought that you..

Oh, okay, well,

I-I'm sorry to hear that.

Um, I-I guess you won't

get to see the show then.

No.

I gotta go, I'm sorry.

It's the theater.

For someone whose mother

was an actress..

...you sure get very nervous

inside a theater.

I have stayed away from theaters

since I was nine years old.

Why?

I was in her dressing room

just like every other night.

And I couldn't understand

why she just...stopped.

She was gone before

I made it to the stage.

I'm sorry.

I didn't have any other family

and nowhere to go.

If it wasn't for

a friend of my mother's

I don't know

what I would have done.

Then what about your father?

She never told me

who my father was.

And I have spent

my whole life wondering.

I used to walk down the street

and wonder, "Is that him?"

"Is that my father?"

"Is that him?"

Um, then, a few days ago..

...I found this.

This is the picture

mom told me about?

Mm.

'Yeah, my mother kept it hidden'

and I came here

to find out why.

And you think he lived in

Carlton Heath because of this.

Uh-huh, and..

'...this.'

It belonged to my mother.

- That's our Christmas Angel.

- What?

It's kind of an old tradition

around here.

You give it to someone

you care about

to let them know that

they're always in your thoughts.

Um, I also found this.

- 'My mother played Miranda.'

- 'Hmm.'

That's how she picked my name.

And when I found it

I just assumed

that was why she kept it.

- What, there's another reason?

- Mm-hmm.

After I got here,

I realized that

the dates of the performances..

...they're nine months

before I was born.

That's why I asked

to use your computer.

I wanted to look up the names.

You think your father had

somethin' to do with the show.

I do.

Only now I'm afraid

of the answer.

Why is that?

Last night at the Whitcombs,

I saw that photo.

And I have to ask..

"Is that him?"

"Is James Whitcomb my father?"

- James..

- I know, it..

His name isn't anywhere

in the program

and he doesn't seem

to have had anything to do

with the production, but..

"Special thanks for the support

of the Gray Hall Theater."

Yeah, I saw that, I've never

heard of the Gray Hall Theater.

You're sitting in it.

The name was changed

to the James Whitcomb Theater.

He was there.

They met..

[door opens]

Um, I..

I have to go.

- Miranda..

- This isn't your problem.

- Let me help you.

- You can't.

- I can try.

- Please..

Just stop feeling sorry for me.

I know I never

have to feel sorry for you.

You came all this way

to find the truth.

Takes a very strong person

to do that.

Then why don't I know

what to do?

You will.

Wait for me...at the end.

Miranda!

Oh, Julia, hi!

- Well, hello, Miranda.

- Hello.

We've come for rehearsal.

And the show's tomorrow.

Christmas Eve.

I didn't know

you were in the show.

Mark's in it too.

He even has lines.

Yeah, I play young Scrooge

in scenes

with the ghost

of Christmas past.

And then,

the next day is Christmas.

How exciting.

You two should get a move on.

You're going to be late!

- Bye.

- Bye!

- Bye, Miranda! Bye!

- Have fun.

I hope you enjoyed

the party last night.

Very much.

Yeah, I couldn't help noticing,

but you seemed interested

in one of

the family photographs.

Oh, yes, um, it was the one

with the little boy

on Father Christmas' lap.

He had such a sweet smile.

You couldn't tell by looking,

but that little boy was me.

And behind that beard

was my father, James.

Your father?

With all of his traveling,

Christmas, it was the one time

that I knew I would be with him.

Well, you must've looked forward

to that time very much.

Well, as I'm sure,

you know, life as an actor

puts a lot of strain

on a family.

Yeah, I treasured those times

when everyone was happiest.

It made Christmas very special.

Well, it's a lovely photograph.

I have to go.

(Ian)

'Whoa! Whoa!'

'Whoa! Whoa!'

Hey! What do you think?

Um, what?

Well, say hello to Prancer.

Hi, Prancer.

'And, yes, in case

you were wondering'

this is what

they wrote the song about.

A one horse open sleigh?

Mm-hmm.

With one minor adjustment.

Wheels. Much more practical.

- Of course.

- Come on up.

I had to borrow him from Santa

so we have to have him back

in a couple of hours.

- Where are we going?

- Where ever you like.

- Thanks.

- Here we go. Mm-hmm.

- I also have hand warmers.

- Okay.

And a thermos

full of hot chocolate.

And best of all..

...a hat, with ear flaps

guaranteed to keep your head

nice and toasty warm

while you look

utterly ridiculous.

Yeah, no.

I guess so.

It can be optional.

Step up!

- Another Christmas first?

- Definitely.

- Ho-ho-ho!

- What?

Easy. Easy.

Easy.

I am beginning to understand

why you never wanted to leave.

Wait until you see

the next heavy snowfall.

I'd like that.

You can.

I don't belong here, Ian,

not the way you do.

It's a tricky thing, belonging.

Tricky? Huh?

What does that mean?

Well, take me for example.

After I finished law school

'I had job offers coming in

from all over.'

New York, Los Angeles,

you name it.

Some of them

were pretty good too.

I'm sure they were.

When I told them

that I was happy here

they assumed that it was because

this was were I grew up.

- 'Cause it was so comfortable.

- It's true though, isn't it?

Yeah, but there's

something else too.

It just feels right.

And when you find that,

that connection in your heart

why would you want to go

anywhere else?

How do you know

when you find it?

You just do.

Whoa! Whoa!

[sighs]

It's beautiful.

Yeah, I've been coming up here

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes