The Homecoming: A Christmas Story Page #2

if he could fly,

then he wouldn't have

to wait for the bus.

If Daddy goes flying

around in the air,

somebody's liable

to think he's a

turkey buzzard

and shoot him down.

( laughter )

Don't you worry

about your daddy.

He'll be home.

OLIVIA:

Who's going to crack

some walnuts

for my applesauce cake?

Me!

I'll do it!

Well, while y'all

are doing that,

I'll run to the store

for some sugar.

Well, I'll be glad to fetch it

for you, daughter.

Oh, no thank you,

Grandpa.

I could use some fresh air,

and maybe I'll meet John

on the way.

Oh, what we need at this door

is a traffic light.

Now, daughter, you sure

you won't need help

to carry the sugar

and all the stuff

for Christmas dinner?

Grandpa,

if John doesn't get home soon

with some money,

all we're going to have

for Christmas dinner is

my applesauce cake,

and we won't even have that

if I don't get a move on.

( harmonica playing )

Now, don't get

any shells

in there.

You'll bite

into that

applesauce cake

and break a tooth.

I wrote a letter

to Santa Claus.

Told him everything

I want the team to bring.

It won't do you a speck of good.

How come?

How are you going

to get it to him?

He's clean up yonder

at the North Pole.

No letter's going to get

to the North Pole by tonight.

What'll I do,

John-Boy?

Well, you just give it

to me, honey.

I'll take it down

to the post office

and mail it special delivery.

I'm much obliged

to you, John-Boy.

What did you ask Santa Claus

to bring you,

honey?

One whole page

of the Sears

Roebuck Catalogue.

A whole page

of dolls.

Ben, I know

what you want.

A train set.

That's what

I thought.

What do you want, Jim-Bob?

A teddy bear.

Daddy said he'd speak

to Santa Claus about it.

I've been thinking

about writing to him myself.

JOHN-BOY:

Well, what are you

asking for, Jason?

( laughs )

Piano.

( groans )

Now, what is that for?

Everybody is so

ignorant around here.

What makes you

say that?

Believing in Santa Claus.

There's no such thing.

It's just something

Mama and Daddy made up.

I don't believe you.

That's because

you're ignorant.

Son, you're going to

be sorry you did that.

Well, now, you just want

to make something of it?

Yeah!

Stand up and fight like a man,

liver-bellied bully!

ERIN:

I'm going to tell

Mommy you said a bad

word, Mary Ellen.

I hope she washes your

mouth out with soap.

Little old mealymouthed thing.

I hope you get a bad cold

and sneeze your eyeballs loose.

Now, you want another swat,

Mary Ellen?

I'm not going to have anything

to do with any of you.

What's the

matter with

Mary Ellen?

Well, she's just crazy.

Everybody goes crazy

when they're 13.

The world is a big round ball.

8,000 miles

smack through the middle.

Walton's Mountain is just

a tiny speck on it!

Did you go crazy

when you were 13, John-Boy?

I didn't have time to.

I was too busy

looking after you children.

You ought to be

the youngest, like me.

Yeah, well, honey,

I got stuck

with being the oldest.

Nobody cares how I feel!

You know how

I feel right this minute?

Like if I breathed in

a whole lot of air,

I'd just bust

like a balloon, ker-pow!

ERIN:

John-Boy,

is the Depression

going to last forever?

Well, Mr. Hoover

says that prosperity

is just around the corner.

Did God make

the Depression?

Why, no.

It, uh, happened

in New York City.

Something they call

Wall Street... crashed,

and they had to close the banks,

and all of a sudden

there wasn't any more money.

I don't rightly

understand it myself.

MARY ELLEN:

When I grow up,

I'm going to marry a man

rich enough to buy me diamonds

and if a Depression comes along,

we'll just move away from it.

When I grow up,

I'm gonna marry a rich man

and have lots of babies.

I'm not gonna have any babies.

What are you

gonna have, Elizabeth?

Puppies!

( laughter )

Stop laughing at me!

Stop laughing at me!

JIM-BOB:

What's so funny?

Well, why don't you

just get on over here

and do some work

and you won't have to ask.

I've got no time to be

out here cracking walnuts.

I haven't learned my Bible page

for the day-- I'm

going to memorize

the whole thing,

cover to cover.

Feeling better?

I always feel better

after I hug a cow.

BEN:

You trying win

a prize or something?

They don't

know nothing.

Think they're so smart.

Shoot.

I can have puppies

if I want to.

It don't work like that.

You sure?

Look, when you grow up,

you're going to be a woman,

and a woman has babies.

Want to know a secret?

I don't care.

What?

I'm gonna stay little,

not grow up!

How?

Whenever I

start growing,

I'm going to squeeze myself

and push it back in.

Like Daddy and that

old yellow duck?

Sure.

When are you

going to start?

Start what?

Squeezing.

Whenever I feel

like I'm growing.

You're growing?

Think so.

Where?

Here.

Did you catch it?

Sure.

JOHN-BOY:

Jim-Bob! Elizabeth!

Y'all come on

to the house!

Let's see if Daddy's

come home.

Don't tell them a

thing about it.

Won't do them

any good if we did.

They're already grown.

Merry Christmas, Claudie.

How are all your

boys and girls, Mrs. Walton?

Why, they're just fine.

When y'all coming

over to see us?

Maybe we'll come

over tomorrow

and see what Santa Claus

brings to them.

You're welcome to come,

but Santa Claus

isn't bringing much.

Have your boys

and girls been bad?

No, but Santa Claus

is poor this year.

Just like everybody else.

Well, merry Christmas,

Mrs. Walton.

You, too, Hawthorne.

I never saw anything

the way that child has grown.

Oh, I don't know what

they're growing on.

Son!

Preaching's a hard

line of work,

even in the best

of times.

Daddy's got

an extra job now.

How in the world

do you find extra work

around here?

Well, to tell

you the truth,

Mrs. Walton,

I'm working for

the Baldwin ladies.

I'm surprised

at you, Hawthorne.

Oh, now, now, now, now,

now, Mrs. Walton.

You know, a man

has got to eat.

Everybody knows

those two old ladies

make bootleg whiskey.

Well, now, they

don't call it that.

They call it

"Papa's Recipe."

I don't care

what they call it,

it's still

bootleg whiskey.

Ah, no, I can't

see a man

starving himself

to death, Mrs. Walton.

Uh-huh.

Claudie, you come around,

we'll be waiting for you.

Okay, Mrs. Walton.

Yeah, put some of that

stuff in the back

for the ladies, now, son.

Yes, we'll take that,

and three yards of muslin

and six yards

of that Atlanta silk.

Yes, ma'am.

Be with you in a minute,

ma'am.

I do believe you're

John Walton's wife.

Yes, ma'am.

Isn't that a stroke,

of luck, sister?

John Walton's just

the man we need to see.

Well, John's not home yet.

We are expecting him

any minute.

We're in such a fix,

only John Walton

can save us.

Do you think this

is pretty, sister?

Yes, I do.

Well... I don't know.

I really don't know.

What-what's the trouble,

Miss Emily?

Oh.

Well, you know,

after the judge died--

you remember,

our papa--

we got so many calls

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