The 3 (2019) - full transcript
After the untimely death of his daughter, Jimmy's life is at a crossroads. The choices he is about to make will determine the rest of his life. It is at his lowest point that he is visited ...
(soft somber music)
(heart thumping)
(clock ticking)
(foreboding orchestral music)
(Jimmy grunting)
(Jimmy weeping and yelling)
(fire crackling)
- [Susan] (chuckles) You're gimpy.
(playful organ music)
Oh but dad's goin' all crazy on us.
(cellphone ringing)
(soft somber music)
(soft serene music)
- How'd you sleep last night, baby?
- Fine.
- Your mom called,
so you won't have to worry
'bout catchin' the bus.
She's gonna pick you up.
- Okay.
- I'm glad you came over this weekend.
Hey, maybe next weekend we can go bowling.
- Sure, dad.
(car horn honking)
I gotta go.
- Hey.
- I gotta go or I'll be late.
See ya in two weeks.
- Love you, too.
(soft orchestral music)
(cellphone ringing)
- [Susan] What do you
want me to do, Jimmy?
- I want you to stop
fillin' her head with that--
- Oh no, you are not
gonna blame this on me.
I can't fix your relationship with her.
- There's nothin' wrong with
our relationship, Susan.
- Maybe if you spent more
time with her when she's there
and not hide in your office all day.
- I didn't have to work so
hard to pay the alimony,
the child support and the
car payment then maybe.
- No, I'm not gonna let
you turn this around on me;
not this time.
(cellphone dial tone)
(soft orchestral music)
(birds chirping)
- Hey I know, Mark.
Look they didn't get their shipment, okay?
I told them to go ahead and call Ricky.
Hang on a minute.
Mark, I'm gonna have to call
you back. It's my ex-wife.
Look I've got nothin' else
to say about this, Susan.
I'm tired of listenin' to this stuff.
- Did you see the news?
- What?
No, I just came home for lunch.
- Turn on the news, Jim!
- What?
(soft somber music)
- [Reporter] Police say
that the two young men
entered the school around nine o'clock.
They opened to fire on the inside,
shooting staffers of
the school and students.
- Brittany.
- Then eventually
committing suicide on the inside.
- Oh god.
- [Reporter] Authorities have been
surrounding the area
and trying to make sure.
(somber orchestral music)
- Hi, Jim.
- Pastor.
- We thought you might be hungry, honey.
I can just put in the
refrigerator; it'll keep.
(birds chirping)
- (sighs) How you holdin' up?
It was beautiful service.
Beautiful service.
Look, Jim.
- If you're gonna come over here
and give me the whole Brittany's
in a better place thing,
just save it.
- Jim, times like these,
it's perfectly normal to--
- To what, to question?
To ask why?
Look I know why you're here, Calvin.
I appreciate the food.
There's nothin' that you can say,
there's nothin' that you can do
and there's nothing anybody can do.
- Jim, I'm just tryin' to--
- You know every time
somethin' like this happens,
you all say it's all in God's plan.
What about my plans, Calvin?
What about Brittany's plans?!
Don't they matter?
Why is it just some plans
of some ghost that matter?
- Jim, I'm just--
- Look.
I know what your job is, Calvin.
You're to come over here and remind me
that God is in control
and we aren't in control.
You're supposed to say the right things.
You're supposed to do the right thing.
- Jim.
- Just save it, Pastor!
Save it for someone who can use it.
Save it for someone that
might find some peace in it.
(Jimmy sniffing)
It was a beautiful service.
Thank you.
And I appreciate everything
that you did for Susan and me.
But honestly Pastor, you can just stop.
Thank you for the food, Carol.
- I think it's time we should go, Carol.
- If there's anything, anything at all
that we can do, would you let us know?
(somber orchestral music)
(Jimmy coughing)
(soft piano music)
- [Jimmy] For you, dad.
(foreboding music)
- [Dad] Why do you always have to light
one of those stinkin' candles?
- [Jimmy] Dad?
- What is it inside of you
that makes you have this need
to light one of those scented candles
every time you think about me?
- [Jimmy] You're.
- Dead?
Yes I am, Jimmy.
What's it been, 17 years now?
Good to see you, boy.
15 years of service and
all you get's a flag.
12 different posts, movin' you,
your brother and your mom 12 times
and all you get's a flag.
It don't seem right, does it?
- You never came home.
- Oh yeah, sorry 'bout that.
Jimmy, I can tell you're
strugglin' with this.
C'mon, sit down.
- Dad,
what are you doin' here?
- Well Jimmy, I thought it was time
that you and I had a little talk.
- A little talk?
- [Dad] Yeah.
- You wanna talk?
- Yeah.
- Now you wanna talk.
You never had time to talk before you--
- What?
You can say it, Jimmy.
I know where I am.
Before I died?
- You didn't just die, Dad.
You.
You.
- Say it, Jimmy.
- Why?
- Because you need to say it.
You need to say it and accept it.
- I need to accept it?
- Yes, you do.
- You killed yourself, dad.
- There it is.
- You left us!
- I know.
- You never said goodbye.
You never said anything.
- You're right.
- Stop agreein' with me!
You were a coward.
You took a coward's way out.
- Is that what you really think?
- Yeah, that's what I think.
- So you actually believe it was easy
for me to pull that trigger.
- This, this.
I ain't havin' this conversation.
You're not real.
- Look at me, Jimmy.
Do I look real to you?
- You are a figment of my imagination.
You're a product of my grief,
plus this.
- Now that, that's
somethin' I really miss.
- I ain't havin' this conversation.
You're just in my head.
- You're right I am in your head.
You see Jim, you and I we're
really not so different.
Your escape there, that's the
same way I used to escape.
Drinkin'.
It's easy, isn't it?
- What?
- Your escape.
The world just gets too tough.
It gets too real.
It gets too scary.
But drinkin', that's an easy escape.
- Scared?
You?
You were never scared of anything.
- Oh, Jim.
Son, I was scared of everything.
Everything: the world,
your mom, you and your brother.
Well, I was terrified of my own self.
- No no, that's a bunch of bull.
You were a rock.
- That's just what I let you
guys believe, all of you.
- Who says somethin' like that?
How can you be scared of mom and us?
- Your mom was a saint.
She was perfect in every way.
She loved everybody.
She saw the best in everybody, even me.
I didn't understand that, but she did.
Now how am I supposed to live up to that?
- She loved you, dad.
- I know she did and I didn't know why.
- No no, she loved you.
I don't get it.
You find someone like mom,
someone that loves you.
Someone that wanted to give
you everything and you?
- You can say it, Jim.
I know.
- You broke her heart, dad!
- I know.
- Why?
Why'd you do it?
Why'd you slap her around?
Why'd you tear her down like that?
- Because she was better than me
and I hated her for it.
But you know what's crazier than that?
I hated myself for hatin' her.
Jim, I was taught to always be the best,
no matter what.
At all cost, always be the best.
The Army taught me that way.
My dad taught me that way.
I mean it didn't matter
about anything else.
Just whatever it was that I was doin',
I had to always be the best.
And when it came to your mother,
I just could never do it.
- Do what, live up to her expectations?
- No Jim, live up to mine.
Live up to my expectations.
I could never be what or
who she wanted me to be.
- All she wanted from you is
to love her and to love us.
Just to be a good husband
and a good father and you.
- I couldn't do it.
I couldn't do it, Jim.
You're absolutely right.
I couldn't do any of it.
I couldn't be what she wanted me to be.
I couldn't be what you
guys needed me to be.
I just didn't have it in me.
I couldn't do any of it.
You're absolutely right.
It made me--
- What,
sad?
It made you feel sad, angry?
- Weak.
It made me feel weak and
I hated feelin' weak.
- So to be the big man,
you had to knock us around?
- [Dad] (chuckles softly) Oh, Jim.
- Ya think this is funny?
- What I think is funny, Jim,
is that you think that we're so different.
- I never laid a hand on anyone.
- It doesn't matter, Jim.
You're so stupid.
You think just because you
didn't hit Susan and Brittany
that makes you a great dad and father.
You think just because you didn't hit them
that you weren't abusive.
- I never abused them!
- You ignored them.
They weren't important enough to you,
so you just didn't bother.
- I love my daughter!
- You love the idea of havin' a daughter.
You love the idea of bein'
a father and a husband.
You love that, but you didn't
want the responsibility
that came with it.
- You don't know what
you're talkin' about!
- I know exactly what
I'm talkin' about, Jim.
I know because I was the same way.
I felt the same way;
I did the same things.
- If you hated us so much,
then why'd you adopt us?
Why did you even bother?!
- Because of your mother.
She wanted you guys.
Your mother was best friends
with your real mother
and she was there by
her side in the hospital
after the accident and we
agreed to take you guys.
- So she knew our real mother?
- We both did.
Your real mother didn't have any family
and she was scared to death that you boys
would wind up in foster care;
so we took you.
- So you really didn't really want us?
- Honestly, no.
No, I didn't wanna be a dad.
I didn't want the responsibility.
I was just like you, Jim.
You didn't want Brittany.
You don't have to deny it now, Jim.
You're just lyin' to yourself.
- All I know is that I hated
you while you were alive
and I haven't given you a
second thought since you died.
- Then why am I here?
- You're not here.
You're here.
- I've always been there, Jim.
You can say all you want
that you haven't given me
a second thought since I died,
but you're just lyin' to yourself again.
I've been there the whole time.
- But why?
I knew you didn't care about us.
I knew who and what you were.
- Then why was I there, Jim?
Because you've always known
that we're not that different.
- If we're the same, it's
because you made me this way.
- Maybe, but maybe that's
just the way you're wired.
- I want you outta my head.
- I don't think you do, Jim.
I think you've always needed me.
See, as long as I'm up there in your head,
you've got an excuse.
Everything you are, everything you've done
you can blame it on me.
You can blame it on me
and not take any responsibility for it.
As long as I'm around, you
can justify what you are.
- That's not true.
- It is true, Jim.
For years you been usin'
me to justify who you were.
- Get outta here!
- It's not that easy, Jim.
- I want you outta my head.
- It doesn't work that way.
- Get away from me!
- Only you can make that happen.
- Shut up.
I'm not you and I'm not gonna do that.
- Why not?
C'mon, Jim.
Your wife left you, your daughter's gone.
You hate your job,
what've you got to lose?
- Just because you couldn't handle it
doesn't mean that I can't.
- Is that what life's all
about is just handling it?
Yeah gettin' through another
day; enduring the misery.
- It's my life, dad.
I'll handle mine my way,
you handle yours yours.
- Oh yeah, you done a real
good job of that so far.
Haven't you, son?
- What do you know?
- I know everything that you know, Jim.
- Right
'cause we're the same.
- You don't get it Jim, do ya?
I am you.
- You're not me.
- Who do you think you've
been talkin' to, Jim?
Do you think I've really
been standin' here
havin' this conversation with you?
You're thinkin' 'bout all this stuff
because it's in your head, Jim.
So son, please just go on and do it.
- I can't.
I can't.
- What, you don't think
you have it in you?
I didn't think I had it in me.
Jim, this can all end.
All the pain, all the suffering.
You'll be right back with Brittany.
You could start makin' up for lost time.
- I can't.
I can't.
Can I?
(eerie orchestral music)
Dad?
Dad?
(Jimmy coughing)
- Do you like the pain, Jim?
The hurtin', not sleepin'.
That's not really livin', Jim.
If you're not really gonna live,
then why deal with the pain?
- I don't wanna hurt anymore.
- I know, son.
You've listened to me
one time in your life,
just listen to me one more time.
- I don't wanna hurt.
- Then stop the hurt, Jim.
Stop the pain.
- Stop the pain.
It's time.
- It's okay, Jim.
It'll all be over soon and you
won't have to hurt anymore.
- I don't wanna hurt anymore.
- You'll be with Brittany.
- I miss her so much.
(weeps) I love you, Brittany.
- I love you too, dad.
(Jimmy gasping)
- Stay away from her!
(somber orchestral music)
- What are you doing, daddy?
- Oh, baby.
I love you so much.
I'm sorry.
- What's happening, daddy?
- It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter.
Just lemme look at you.
- Daddy, we need to talk.
- Okay absolutely, whatever
you wanna talk about.
- No, not here.
- What?
- In my dresser, second drawer.
There's a box.
I need you to get that
box and bring it to me.
Please don't look in the box, daddy.
Just get it.
- Okay.
- No, not here.
I need you to get the box
and bring it to my spot.
- Your spot?
- I have a spot that you
and mom didn't know about.
Go out the back door and up the hill.
Look for the ribbons.
- The ribbons?
- On the trees.
- Honey.
- Please daddy, we need to talk.
- Brittany,
I just got you here.
- [Brittany] Please don't
look in the box, daddy.
Just get it.
("I Don't Know What to
Pray" by Stephanie Rabus)
♪ I don't know what to pray ♪
♪ I don't know what to say ♪
♪ So take these tears from
my heart as my worship ♪
♪ All these fears in my
mind I lay them down ♪
♪ I don't know what to do ♪
(leaves crunching)
♪ But to rest in you ♪
♪ I don't know how long I
can be here in this place ♪
♪ The only thing I know to do is praise ♪
♪ 'Cause I don't know what to pray ♪
♪ I don't know what to pray ♪
- I built it about four years ago
when you and mom started fighting a lot.
It's just far enough away from the house
that I can't hear you guys.
I tried other places:
the attic, the basement.
But the only place that it
was really quiet is out here.
After mom moved out, there was fear.
You were at work or
something, so I came out here.
- Why?
- To cry.
I came out here to cry.
You told me I need to be strong, daddy.
You told me that I need to
handle this like an adult.
I'm not an adult, daddy.
I'm a little girl.
I'm a little girl that
needed her daddy to hold her,
to tell her that it was okay to be sad.
To let her cry on his shoulder.
To be angry.
To be angry that she didn't
have her mom and dad anymore.
- Brittany, I--
- You couldn't be that, could you?
I know, dad.
I know that's not who you are.
You wanted me to be a good little soldier
and just deal with it.
Just accept it, but I couldn't.
I didn't know how.
- Brittany, I know I've messed up.
I messed up big time,
but we have a second chance
right now and I can do better.
I can say the right things
and do the right things.
- It doesn't work like that, daddy.
- What?
- There's things we both need
to say, things I need to do.
It's why I'm here now.
- Well then just tell
me what I need to say,
tell me what I need to
do just so you can stay.
- I can't stay, daddy.
- But I need you.
There's so many things I didn't say.
There's so many things I didn't do.
- I knew.
You didn't have to say it.
I know you have a hard time.
- No, no Brit.
I did have a hard time, but not anymore.
I understand where I've messed up
and I can do better this time.
You know, my father.
No, I'm not gonna blame him for this.
This is all me.
Look, all I know is I
can make up for this.
I can do better.
Just gimme that chance now,
so you can stay.
- We don't have a lot of time, daddy.
- Maybe I can come to you,
that way you wouldn't have to stay.
I could come to you and we
could get this worked out.
- No, dad.
If you do what grandpa tells you to do,
we'll never see each other.
D'you remember the trip we took
to Florida, the beach trip?
- Yeah.
Your mother fell asleep and
she was burned to a crisp.
What were you, seven or eight?
- And I just learned how to swim.
- You thought you were so grown up.
You wouldn't have anything to do
with those floaties your mom brought.
You said, "Floaties--"
- "Are for babies."
- (chuckles softly) You were so stubborn,
thought you were so grown up.
- Now or from the past?
But do you remember what
happened on that trip?
(birds chirping)
- Yeah.
I told you not to go too
far out with the raft.
I took my eyes off from
you for just one minute,
and I turned around and you were gone.
You were out past the break of
water and you were so scared.
- Do you remember what we did?
- Yeah, I ran across the beach.
I jumped out in the water
and I swam out to get you
and bring you back in.
It took you an hour to quit cryin'.
- You saved me, daddy.
I was scared, I was lost.
You saved me.
- I should've never
taken my eyes off of you.
I can't even remember why I did.
- You and mom arguing
'bout something stupid,
'bout the sunscreen or something.
- I remember turning my head towards her
and then when I turned
back, you were gone.
Honey, I am so sorry.
- It's okay, daddy.
Sometimes we turn our eyes away
from what we should be
looking at, get distracted.
It only takes that second
for our attention to be somewhere else
for something bad to happen.
But you saved me, daddy.
I was scared, really scared.
I was lost.
You saved me.
- That's just what daddies do, honey.
- I know, but you need to know that
fathers is there to save, not to harm.
- Honey, I had no idea what was
gonna happen at that school.
I had no idea what was gonna be goin' on.
- Is that what you
think I'm talking about?
Do you think I'm here because
of what happened at school?
Daddy, you can't stop
the world from happening.
It doesn't matter what you did.
- But no Brit, but I should have.
- You loved me.
- I should've protected you.
- You couldn't have known.
- I should have, Brittany.
I should've felt something.
I should've been there.
I should've done something, anything.
- It's not your fault.
- But I should have.
I should've been a better father for you.
I should've been a better dad to you.
There's so many things I should've done.
No,
no no!
Brittany, please!
♪ Accept these tears from
my heart as my worship ♪
♪ All these fears in my
mind I lay them down ♪
♪ I don't know what to do ♪
♪ But to rest in you ♪
♪ Don't know how long I
can be here in this place ♪
- Faith?
♪ The only thing I know to do is praise ♪
♪ 'Cause I don't know what to pray ♪
- Hope.
♪ I don't know what to pray ♪
♪ I don't know what ♪
- Love.
♪ To pray ♪
- This place was a mess.
- [Jimmy] Yeah, I couldn't
bring myself to clean it;
so I just left it the way you did.
- Boy, I was a slob.
- Yeah, but you're my slob.
- Daddy, I have to go here in a minute.
- No no, not yet.
Just stay.
- But before I do, there's
something we need to talk about.
- Okay, anything you want.
Just stay, okay?
- It's about what you said
outside about being a better dad.
- Yeah, I'm sorry about that, honey.
I'm sorry I got so mad.
I just don't know how to
handle this, you know?
- There's not a manual for it, daddy.
You have to grieve.
You have to let me go.
- Brittany, I can't let you go.
- Do you know where I am, daddy?
- Honey.
- [Brittany] Daddy, it's amazing.
It's so beautiful.
It's safe.
- No, you should've stay with me.
I coulda kept you safe.
It was not your time.
- We're not the ones
that make that decision.
I see that now.
- Can I ask you somethin'?
Did you ever feel like I've used you?
- Like you hit me and stuff?
Of course not.
- No, that's not what I mean.
Did you ever felt like I didn't love you
or you weren't cared for?
- Daddy, I always knew
you that you loved me.
I mean there were times, a lot of times
when you were there, but
you weren't really there
if you know what I mean.
Do you remember Angela?
- Yeah, of course.
She practically spent her
fourth grade year here.
- [Brittany] D'you know why?
- I just assumed she was one
of your BFFs or something.
- It's because she didn't wanna go home.
She's afraid to.
- Why?
- Because her dad.
He used to--
- What are you sayin', Brittany?
- When her mom wasn't around, he--
- No no, David's not like that.
He wouldn't done anything like that.
- It's why she never said anything.
- He came over here all
the time for cookouts.
- She didn't think
anyone would believe her.
- He was practically
a best friend of mine.
- She tried to stay here
every chance she could.
She didn't wanna go home.
- How do you know this stufF?
You're just 11 year old girl.
- Because that's the
world we live in, dad.
That's my point.
It doesn't matter what you do
or what do you think you should've done.
You can't stop the world.
You can't stop the world from happening.
You can't protect me
every minute of my life.
You can't be there all the time,
just like you couldn't
have been at school today.
It was just a Tuesday, dad.
Just another Tuesday.
All you can do is love,
trust and--
- And what?
- Pray, dad.
Can pray that no matter what happens,
it's part of God's plan.
- You're not gonna go through
that plan thing too, are you?
What about your plans?
What about your plans to become a nurse?
What about those?
- Veterinarian.
- Veterinarian?
When'd you decide to
become a veterinarian?
- Since I was seven, dad. (sighs)
- Okay, what about those?
What about those plans?
- That was my plan.
Just like it was your
plan to do what you do.
It doesn't mean it's God's plan.
- Okay so why is his plans
more important than ours, huh?
Don't our plans matter?
- 'Course they do.
But they matter more
to us because we think
that they're the only thing that matters.
God's plan is what matters the most.
- When did you become so smart?
- When you weren't looking.
(soft somber music)
- I should've been lookin'
at you a lot harder
and I should've protected you.
- What good is protecting me my whole life
when I can't grow up to protect you?
- Protect me?
From what?
- From yourself, dad.
From where you're headed.
Daddy, I need you to listen to me.
I saw the look in your eyes upstairs
and what you're about to do.
You can't.
You can't use my death as an
excuse to not go on living.
It isn't your time yet.
- My time?
- He isn't done with you yet.
If you do what you're
thinking about doing,
there's no going back, no eternity.
'Least not the one that I've seen.
- What have you seen?
What's it like?
- It wasn't like anything that
I've ever heard about before.
There's not a brilliant white
light, no choir of angels.
There's a lot of people
waiting to go through the gate.
- So St. Peter isn't standin' there
with the "Book of Life" then?
- No, nothing like that.
There didn't need to be.
I'd already made that decision.
There was no doubt of where
I was going, but I saw him.
- Him?
- It's like my eyes were closed.
Then when I opened them, he was there
like 15 or 20 feet in front of me.
He was smiling with his arms wide open
like he was waiting
for a hug or something.
It's like I didn't know who he was,
but also like I'd known him my whole life.
Daddy, I ran to him.
I ran to him without an ounce
of fear and he hugged me.
It was the warmest, safest
hug that I've ever felt
like being wrapped in a blanket
in the middle of winter.
- That sounds beautiful.
- It is, daddy.
I want you to see it too.
(sighs) It's time, daddy.
- No, not yet.
- Daddy, there's someone
coming to visit you.
When they do you have to listen.
Not just hear, listen.
- Okay anything you want,
just as long as I get
to see you again, okay?
- It's up to you, daddy.
- Please don't go, not yet.
- I have to go.
You have to let me go.
- I'm never gonna let you go.
I love you.
(somber piano music)
(Jimmy sighing)
(door knocking)
Susan?
- Hey, Jim.
- Are you her?
- Her who?
- The Third.
She told me about The Third.
- Been hittin' the bottle
pretty hard today, have we?
- Yeah.
- Figures.
- So what're you doin' here?
- Honestly, I don't know.
I went home after the funeral
and I couldn't stay there.
I just couldn't.
Everywhere I looked I saw her.
- So you thought comin'
here would be better.
- I don't know what I thought, Jim.
I just got in the car and I was here.
- Can I get you somethin'
to drink of somethin'?
Look Susan, I don't know what's goin' on.
- Just shut up, Jim!
Please, just.
- If you wanna talk.
- She called me, Jim.
- What?
- From the school.
But when the guy started
shooting, she called me.
- She what?
- She was terrified, Jim.
She was crying and she was
whispering when she was hiding.
- What'd she say?
What did she say?
- She was hysterical.
I don't know what she said.
Everybody was dying and I
didn't know what to say.
I told her I loved her and
the phone went dead. (weeps)
She was so scared, Jim.
- I didn't know.
- That's all I hear is the
crying and saying I love you.
Static (sobs)
and I couldn't stop crying.
That's all I do now is cry.
- Susan.
(Susan sobbing)
(somber piano music)
- It's just like the place at my house.
Couldn't get her to keep up. (sniffles)
- Teenagers.
You know, she didn't get
the chance to be a teenager.
She didn't get the chance to do anything.
- You know this is gonna
sound strange, Susan;
but I think she's at peace.
- Peace?
What are you talking about?
She was shot in cold blood by a maniac.
She died terrified and afraid.
What's peaceful about that?
- With not what happened, Susan.
I'm talkin' now.
- Pastor Reichart stop by here, too?
I never took you for the kind
that listen to that stuff.
- It wasn't Pastor Reichart;
it was something else.
I don't know that I believe in
all of this afterlife/Heaven thing,
you know, but I was just--
- Searching?
- Yeah, searching.
- I understand.
Jim?
- [Jim] Yeah.
- What happened?
I mean between us.
- God Susan, I don't know.
I've been tryin' to figure
out a lotta things lately.
- Couldn't it have just been eazy?
- I never expected it to be easy.
- Doesn't have to be so hard.
- Right?
Exactly.
They never tell you how
hard marriage is gonna be
or bein' a parent or just life in general.
I just wish I could've been better.
- Better what?
- A better husband, a better father.
Just a better man, period.
- You can't blame yourself
for everything, Jimmy.
It's not your fault.
(Jimmy sniffling)
What's this?
- Susan, why are you here?
- What?
- Did you just come to reminisce
or talk about old times or somethin'?
- Maybe because a part
of her is still here.
I mean I'm just sittin' here in her room.
I think to myself that she's gonna walk
through that door any minute.
Tell me all about her day. (weeps)
I could smell her, Jimmy.
I can feel her in here.
I mean I know she's not here, but yes.
Yes, she is.
I think a part of her will
always be here. (sniffles)
You know after the funeral,
I went back to my house
and I went into her room at my place.
I sat in her bed and I cried.
I buried my head in her
pillow when I cried.
I could smell her, Jimmy.
I thought to myself, this
pillow's only a year old.
I sit in here, this.
This is her.
This is her whole life.
I guess needed to just be here.
- I don't know.
I don't know what it is.
Where'd you find it?
- It was in her dresser.
She told me to go get it before I--
- What?
- I don't know, I just
remembered from earlier.
- Were you expecting someone?
- What?
- You asked if I was her.
Were you expecting someone?
- No.
I mean, yeah.
It's just been a really weird day, Susan.
- I know.
I can't believe she's gone either.
Maybe I should go.
- No wait, wait.
Did Brittany ever talk to
you about her Christianity?
- Yeah, she went to Revival
a few months ago with her friend.
Said that's when it happened.
- Did you ever talk to her about it?
- No, but that didn't
stop her from tellin' me.
- What did she say?
- Oh you know, just the same old stuff
they always fill their heads with.
Ask and ye shall receive,
seek and ye shall find.
That kinda stuff.
- Did you ever believe any of it?
- Any of that religious stuff?
I don't know, not really.
I haven't really seen anything
that would make me believe in it.
And now with this,
I don't believe that.
You know, I should go.
(somber piano music)
Thank you. (stammers)
Do you mind?
- No.
No, I don't mind.
- Thank you.
I just wanted to say thank you, Jim.
I needed, you know.
- Yeah, I know.
Don't worry about it.
You gonna be okay?
- You know if you ever need
someone to talk to that you could...
Well, you know.
- Yeah, I know.
- Maybe she wanted you to open it.
Maybe that's why she put it in your head.
("I Cry Out" by Eric Ashby)
♪ When loss and tragedy comes ♪
♪ And my heart and soul
just wants to burn ♪
♪ And nothing is all on earth ♪
♪ Can get me through ♪
♪ Through the storm ♪
♪ I cry out to you Lord ♪
♪ I cry out and give my plea ♪
♪ Can you rescue me ♪
♪ And it's from your love ♪
♪ An infinite grace ♪
♪ That I find mercy in your embrace ♪
♪ Your embrace ♪
♪ I cry out to you Lord ♪
♪ Whoa ♪
♪ You rescue me ♪
♪ And it's from your
love and infinite grace ♪
♪ That I find mercy in your embrace ♪
♪ Your embrace ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
- No.
No,
that's impossible!
- [Messenger] The impossible
happens all the time;
you just have to believe that it can.
- Who are you?
- I'm The Third of the three.
- [Jim] The Third?
Now I know my father and I know Brittany.
But I don't know you.
Have I seen you before?
- That's exactly why I'm here, Jim.
'Cause there's a lotta
people you don't know.
Think you know of them,
think you know about them,
but you don't know them.
- But you look familiar to me.
- You see me as someone from your past,
but you don't know who I speak for.
- Well then please enlighten me
because I have no idea what's goin' on.
- He was smiling with his arms wide open
like was waiting for a hug or something.
- You're him?
You're Jesus?
- No Jim, I'm not.
I am but a messenger on his behalf.
- So you're real?
Jesus is real?
- Do I look real to you?
- I don't know.
I don't know anything anymore.
I don't know what's real and what's not.
- There are times when
our eyes deceive us.
Sometimes we need to look with our hearts.
- I don't know what any of that means.
I don't know what any of this means.
- You have been sayin' the
same thing for a long time,
wonderin' if he's real or not.
And people come up with
their own conclusions
based on all sorts of things.
- Maybe if you'd make it
so people could see you,
then maybe it would be easier for 'em.
- Jim, you can see him anytime you want.
You can see him in the birds in the sky,
in smile on a baby's
face, in nature, in love.
He's everywhere.
- That's not what I'm talkin' about.
I mean, I went to Sunday School.
You know, I read about
Moses and the burning bush
and Moses in Mount Sinai.
I mean he was there, he was visible.
He was right there in front of them.
- You ever been to China, Jim?
- No.
- But you know people that have.
- Yeah.
- You ever flown in outer space?
- No.
- But you got to meet Jim
Adams a few years ago, right?
He's been to space.
- Yeah, how did you?
Yeah.
- There's a lot of things you haven't seen
and a lotta places you've never been,
but do you ever doubt there's a China?
Do you ever doubt that the
world isn't really round?
You never seen any of these
things with your own eyes,
but there's so much evidence
from people have done these
things that they must be true.
Even though you haven't
personally experienced them,
you accept them as true.
You believe even though
you haven't seen them.
- That's different.
- Is it?
Believing without seeing
is what faith is all about.
When you got married, you
didn't have a crystal ball
to tell you the future
or when you had Brittany,
you didn't have a
crystal ball then either.
Did you believe you could
successfully be married
or successfully have a child?
You did or you wouldn't have
done either of these things.
Will you ultimately be successful?
Do you know that?
No, you don't.
But with faith in him
and faith in yourself,
that what you can't see are still things
you can put your faith and confidence in.
- The marriage thing
didn't turn out too well
for any of us, did it?
- [Messenger] Why do you think that is?
- I don't know.
I mean I guess she just
wasn't who I thought she was
or the one I wanted.
I musta not been what she wanted.
- D'you feel like you really tried?
- Tried?
Man, that's all we did.
We went to counseling.
We talked to our friends.
We spent time apart.
We even called on our pastor
just to see what he would say about it.
- But you didn't talk to
him; neither of you did.
- What?
- You didn't bring it to him.
So many times people think
they can solve the problems
of the world by lookin' to
the world for a solution.
But in a flawed world, your
solutions can be flawed.
- Well at least it's an answer.
I mean people talk to Jesus all the time
and never get an answer.
- Just because it isn't the
answer they want to hear,
it doesn't mean he doesn't answer.
You know how many times people pray
for what they want and how they want it?
Never take into consideration
what they're praying for
is what they truly need.
They don't trust that he knows
what they need when they need it.
- Trust?
When we can't even see if Jesus
is gonna come through for us,
you want us to trust in him?
- That right there is the
very definition of faith.
- So why can't he just answer?
Why can't he just be heard?
- If everyone got everything
they prayed for or asked for,
what would be the point of Heaven?
We've already established that
the world is a sinful place.
And if the world was
everything that Heaven is,
what would be the appeal of eternity?
Jim, salvation doesn't mean
that everything in life
is gonna be great and easy
and that you won't face
any trials and tribulations.
Salvation gives you a destination
once you face the trials and
tribulations of the world.
- So we're just meant to suffer?
We're supposed to just
suffer through this life
until we get to Heaven.
- The most worthwhile things
in life require faith.
If you knew all the variables
and never risked anything,
there would never be rewards.
If people never took a chance,
there would be no success.
Now there might be less pain and failure,
but for sure there'd be no success.
And no success means
failure and it's painful.
There are things in life that you simply
have to depend on faith.
There's a difference between
knowing and believing.
Knowing is based on exhaustive knowledge.
But believing, it's putting
your faith in something
with virtually no knowledge.
- Like the guy who didn't believe
that Jesus rose from the dead.
- Thomas?
Yes, he believed once he saw.
- So why can't you show me a miracle?
Show me a miracle, then I'll believe.
You bring Brittany back
and I'll believe you.
- These are things that
people have been dealing with
for a long time.
If believing isn't seeing,
then faith is not seeing.
- Riddles.
Why do you all always talk in riddles?
Why can't things just be
good or bad, right or wrong?
- If everything was always good,
would you really be able to appreciate
the majesty of eternity
or the greatness of what
awaits you after this life?
- So I'm supposed to thank him.
Thank him for all of this,
praising through the suffering?
You don't know this kind of pain.
- But he does.
He knows suffering, Jim.
- Yeah, the cross.
- No, not just the cross.
It's the pain associated
with seeing something
you truly love turn
away from him: humanity.
You lost Brittany to an evil man.
He's lost generations of
Brittanys to the evil of man.
(mystical music)
Good afternoon, sir.
Can I ask you a question?
D'you know where you're
going to spend eternity?
(door clanking)
- That was you?
- I told you.
I can be everywhere.
- Okay.
If you are who you say you are
and you say Jesus is who he is
and you all can be everywhere at any time,
then why didn't you stop it?
Why didn't you stop the shooting?
- Ah, the eternal question:
why do bad things happen?
- I think that's a fair question, yeah.
- Sin's a terrible thing, Jim.
And it's prevalent everywhere
in your society today.
Unfortunately, a lot of it gets passed off
as political correctness;
but I can assure you
much of it is still sin.
When something like this happens,
the first question people ask believers is
where was God when this happened?
It's an easy excuse.
- Well, I can't blame 'em.
I've asked the same thing.
- You wanna know why
he didn't get involved
when the bad things happened here?
At the same time, no one wants to admit
to that which is evident of him.
But here's the thing: He does get involved
with everything that goes
on here, good and bad.
It's not that he allows it to happen;
it's that he allows people
to make their own choices,
good and bad.
- No father should have
to bury his own child.
And today, I had to
lower my daughter's body
into a hole in the ground.
- You know what else you did today?
You finished the process
of giving her to him.
She gave herself to him a few months ago,
but today her time on earth was finished.
You asked me a lotta questions today
and I've given you all the answers,
even the ones you didn't want to hear.
But why don't you ask the question
that you really wanna know,
the real reason why I'm here?
- Alright fine, you want the question?
Why her?
Why an 11 year old girl?
She didn't even get a chance to live!
At least it could've been me.
I've already lived at least for some.
You want a question?
That's my question; why her?!
- Are you sure you want an explanation?
D'you really want to know
why innocents suffer?
'Cause I don't think you do.
I think you're far better
off with the than the answer.
- More riddles.
- What if you finally got an answer?
What if I gave you a
satisfactory explanation?
What if the mystery were solved?
What if you asked why and
actually got an answer?
- Well I don't know,
then maybe all of this would make sense.
- If this question were answered,
then you would be able to make peace
with the suffering of innocents.
Worse than innocent people suffering
is others watching the suffering unmoved
and that's exactly what would happen.
You'd no longer be
bothered by their cries.
You would no longer feel their pain
'cause you'd know why it was happening.
If ya had an explanation,
the pain wouldn't seem so bad
and you could tolerate the suffering
because you would know
why it was happening.
- Well then what am I supposed to do?
- Look to him.
Don't look to the world to
help to take your pain away
'cause the world can't
do that, only Jesus can.
- So then everything just gets better?
- No, salvation doesn't excuse you
from the pain and suffering.
Salvation gives you a destination
after you've endured
the pain and suffering.
Brittany knew this.
She knew this despite everything
that was going on around her,
and she knew where she was going.
- So she's in eternity?
That's what she mentioned.
That's where she's at.
- She is and she's waiting.
She's waiting for you.
- You mean I can see her?
- Yes.
Mankind is always saying
that seeing is believing
and I'm telling you, you got
to believe in order to see.
- I wanna believe,
but it's just been so
long since I had him.
I just don't know if
I can believe anymore.
I just,
I can't.
- You can.
In all that you been
searching for and longing for
can't be found here on earth.
It can only be found through
him, though salvation.
- I'm just so tired.
I am tired of fighting.
I'm tired of failing.
- Of falling?
- Yeah.
Can you take that away?
- I can't, but he can
and you can rest, Jim.
You can rest in him and you
don't have to be afraid.
You can stop being afraid.
You heard from your dad, now
listen to your real father.
- [Brittany] He saved me, daddy.
I was scared, really scared.
I was lost.
He saved me.
- I miss her so bad
and I didn't even get to say goodbye.
- I know.
I know all that and it's not too late.
- I need.
I need.
- He knows what you need.
He knows everything.
What you need is him in your heart.
- Then just take it then.
Take away the hurt; take away the pain.
I'm tired of carryin' this with me.
Please, just take it.
- Rest in him, Jim.
- I have no idea what I'm doing
and they say that you are the one
that can relieve me of this pain.
♪ When life is not all
that I hoped it would be ♪
♪ And my vision is so cloudy I can't see ♪
- If this is what it takes,
then this is what I wanna give.
♪ Ooh so broken I fall to my knees ♪
- I'm sorry for the sin in my life.
I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused.
♪ You rescue me ♪
♪ And it's from your love ♪
- If you'll just forgive me.
♪ That I find mercy in your embrace ♪
♪ Your embrace ♪
- (weeps) I can't do this on my own.
I can't do this on my own.
♪ And my heart and soul
just wants to mourn ♪
♪ And nothing in all on earth ♪
- I need you in my heart.
I need you to guide me.
♪ I cry out to you Lord ♪
♪ I cry out ♪
♪ You hear my plea ♪
♪ You rescue me ♪
♪ And it's from your
love and infinite grace ♪
♪ That I find mercy in your embrace ♪
- You've come back.
- What?
What are you staring at?
What?
Why are you staring at me?
What?!
- Okay I get it, Brit.
I understand.
- Okay?
- I'm just so glad you're back.
I didn't think I would ever see you again.
- Back?
Back from where?
Dad, what are you talking about?
- Back from there.
Back from him.
I mean I can understand why
you wouldn't wanna come back.
I mean it's gotta be unbelievable.
- Dad, you're kinda freaking me out.
- Look, it all makes sense now.
I understand.
- I gotta go.
- Wait a minute, go?
- I gotta go or I'll be late.
- Go where?
- I gotta go to school.
See ya in two weeks.
- Wait wait wait.
Just a minute, honey.
- Dad.
- Look, he's given me a second chance.
- I'm gonna miss my bus, what?
- He's given me a second
chance to make it right.
- I'm not gonna make it to school, dad.
- You're here with me right now, okay?
And he's given me another
chance to make this right.
- My bus.
- Don't worry about the bus, okay?
Don't worry about anything.
Hold on.
- [Dispatcher] 911, what's your emergency?
- Yeah I need to report
something, a shooting.
- [Dispatcher] Report what, sir?
What's the emergency?
- There's a shooting at
Liberty Middle School.
- [Dispatcher] There's
a shooter at the school?
Are you at the school, sir?
- No, I'm not there.
The shooting hasn't happened
yet, but it's going to.
- [Dispatcher] Sir, are you--
- Just get someone to the school now!
- Dad, what's going on?
- Hold on, hold on.
(inspirational piano music)
- [Brittany] What are you doing with that?
- Oh I'm sorry, honey.
I'm just so proud of you, you know?
- Whatever.
You gotta drive me to school.
- Yeah.
You know what?
We're gonna take the day off together.
- What?
- You're not gonna go to school
and I'm not gonna go to work.
- No school?
- No school.
- Fine with me.
- You know what else, Brit?
Every day I promise you, you're gonna know
how much I love you.
Every day from here on out.
I love you.
So you wanna go get some breakfast?
- I'd like that, daddy.
Then maybe we can go rock climbing?
- Yeah, yeah sure.
Let's call your mom and
see if she wants to go.
- As a family?
- Sure, as a family.
("Stay" by Jeff Kunzel)
♪ Stay ♪
♪ With me ♪
♪ Just stay with me ♪
♪ Don't leave ♪
♪ Don't leave ♪
♪ You don't have to go ♪
♪ I'll be waitin' on those stairs ♪
♪ We don't have to turn (mumbles) ♪
♪ What will (mumbles) ♪
♪ Just stay ♪
♪ With me ♪
♪ Stay with me ♪
♪ Don't leave ♪
♪ Don't leave ♪
♪ Just stay ♪
♪ With me ♪
♪ Just stay with me ♪
♪ Don't leave ♪
♪ Don't leave ♪
♪ I know that you'll stay ♪
♪ I know life can be that way ♪
♪ I know the demons that you facin' now ♪
♪ I face mine every day ♪
♪ So why don't you stay ♪
(heart thumping)
(clock ticking)
(foreboding orchestral music)
(Jimmy grunting)
(Jimmy weeping and yelling)
(fire crackling)
- [Susan] (chuckles) You're gimpy.
(playful organ music)
Oh but dad's goin' all crazy on us.
(cellphone ringing)
(soft somber music)
(soft serene music)
- How'd you sleep last night, baby?
- Fine.
- Your mom called,
so you won't have to worry
'bout catchin' the bus.
She's gonna pick you up.
- Okay.
- I'm glad you came over this weekend.
Hey, maybe next weekend we can go bowling.
- Sure, dad.
(car horn honking)
I gotta go.
- Hey.
- I gotta go or I'll be late.
See ya in two weeks.
- Love you, too.
(soft orchestral music)
(cellphone ringing)
- [Susan] What do you
want me to do, Jimmy?
- I want you to stop
fillin' her head with that--
- Oh no, you are not
gonna blame this on me.
I can't fix your relationship with her.
- There's nothin' wrong with
our relationship, Susan.
- Maybe if you spent more
time with her when she's there
and not hide in your office all day.
- I didn't have to work so
hard to pay the alimony,
the child support and the
car payment then maybe.
- No, I'm not gonna let
you turn this around on me;
not this time.
(cellphone dial tone)
(soft orchestral music)
(birds chirping)
- Hey I know, Mark.
Look they didn't get their shipment, okay?
I told them to go ahead and call Ricky.
Hang on a minute.
Mark, I'm gonna have to call
you back. It's my ex-wife.
Look I've got nothin' else
to say about this, Susan.
I'm tired of listenin' to this stuff.
- Did you see the news?
- What?
No, I just came home for lunch.
- Turn on the news, Jim!
- What?
(soft somber music)
- [Reporter] Police say
that the two young men
entered the school around nine o'clock.
They opened to fire on the inside,
shooting staffers of
the school and students.
- Brittany.
- Then eventually
committing suicide on the inside.
- Oh god.
- [Reporter] Authorities have been
surrounding the area
and trying to make sure.
(somber orchestral music)
- Hi, Jim.
- Pastor.
- We thought you might be hungry, honey.
I can just put in the
refrigerator; it'll keep.
(birds chirping)
- (sighs) How you holdin' up?
It was beautiful service.
Beautiful service.
Look, Jim.
- If you're gonna come over here
and give me the whole Brittany's
in a better place thing,
just save it.
- Jim, times like these,
it's perfectly normal to--
- To what, to question?
To ask why?
Look I know why you're here, Calvin.
I appreciate the food.
There's nothin' that you can say,
there's nothin' that you can do
and there's nothing anybody can do.
- Jim, I'm just tryin' to--
- You know every time
somethin' like this happens,
you all say it's all in God's plan.
What about my plans, Calvin?
What about Brittany's plans?!
Don't they matter?
Why is it just some plans
of some ghost that matter?
- Jim, I'm just--
- Look.
I know what your job is, Calvin.
You're to come over here and remind me
that God is in control
and we aren't in control.
You're supposed to say the right things.
You're supposed to do the right thing.
- Jim.
- Just save it, Pastor!
Save it for someone who can use it.
Save it for someone that
might find some peace in it.
(Jimmy sniffing)
It was a beautiful service.
Thank you.
And I appreciate everything
that you did for Susan and me.
But honestly Pastor, you can just stop.
Thank you for the food, Carol.
- I think it's time we should go, Carol.
- If there's anything, anything at all
that we can do, would you let us know?
(somber orchestral music)
(Jimmy coughing)
(soft piano music)
- [Jimmy] For you, dad.
(foreboding music)
- [Dad] Why do you always have to light
one of those stinkin' candles?
- [Jimmy] Dad?
- What is it inside of you
that makes you have this need
to light one of those scented candles
every time you think about me?
- [Jimmy] You're.
- Dead?
Yes I am, Jimmy.
What's it been, 17 years now?
Good to see you, boy.
15 years of service and
all you get's a flag.
12 different posts, movin' you,
your brother and your mom 12 times
and all you get's a flag.
It don't seem right, does it?
- You never came home.
- Oh yeah, sorry 'bout that.
Jimmy, I can tell you're
strugglin' with this.
C'mon, sit down.
- Dad,
what are you doin' here?
- Well Jimmy, I thought it was time
that you and I had a little talk.
- A little talk?
- [Dad] Yeah.
- You wanna talk?
- Yeah.
- Now you wanna talk.
You never had time to talk before you--
- What?
You can say it, Jimmy.
I know where I am.
Before I died?
- You didn't just die, Dad.
You.
You.
- Say it, Jimmy.
- Why?
- Because you need to say it.
You need to say it and accept it.
- I need to accept it?
- Yes, you do.
- You killed yourself, dad.
- There it is.
- You left us!
- I know.
- You never said goodbye.
You never said anything.
- You're right.
- Stop agreein' with me!
You were a coward.
You took a coward's way out.
- Is that what you really think?
- Yeah, that's what I think.
- So you actually believe it was easy
for me to pull that trigger.
- This, this.
I ain't havin' this conversation.
You're not real.
- Look at me, Jimmy.
Do I look real to you?
- You are a figment of my imagination.
You're a product of my grief,
plus this.
- Now that, that's
somethin' I really miss.
- I ain't havin' this conversation.
You're just in my head.
- You're right I am in your head.
You see Jim, you and I we're
really not so different.
Your escape there, that's the
same way I used to escape.
Drinkin'.
It's easy, isn't it?
- What?
- Your escape.
The world just gets too tough.
It gets too real.
It gets too scary.
But drinkin', that's an easy escape.
- Scared?
You?
You were never scared of anything.
- Oh, Jim.
Son, I was scared of everything.
Everything: the world,
your mom, you and your brother.
Well, I was terrified of my own self.
- No no, that's a bunch of bull.
You were a rock.
- That's just what I let you
guys believe, all of you.
- Who says somethin' like that?
How can you be scared of mom and us?
- Your mom was a saint.
She was perfect in every way.
She loved everybody.
She saw the best in everybody, even me.
I didn't understand that, but she did.
Now how am I supposed to live up to that?
- She loved you, dad.
- I know she did and I didn't know why.
- No no, she loved you.
I don't get it.
You find someone like mom,
someone that loves you.
Someone that wanted to give
you everything and you?
- You can say it, Jim.
I know.
- You broke her heart, dad!
- I know.
- Why?
Why'd you do it?
Why'd you slap her around?
Why'd you tear her down like that?
- Because she was better than me
and I hated her for it.
But you know what's crazier than that?
I hated myself for hatin' her.
Jim, I was taught to always be the best,
no matter what.
At all cost, always be the best.
The Army taught me that way.
My dad taught me that way.
I mean it didn't matter
about anything else.
Just whatever it was that I was doin',
I had to always be the best.
And when it came to your mother,
I just could never do it.
- Do what, live up to her expectations?
- No Jim, live up to mine.
Live up to my expectations.
I could never be what or
who she wanted me to be.
- All she wanted from you is
to love her and to love us.
Just to be a good husband
and a good father and you.
- I couldn't do it.
I couldn't do it, Jim.
You're absolutely right.
I couldn't do any of it.
I couldn't be what she wanted me to be.
I couldn't be what you
guys needed me to be.
I just didn't have it in me.
I couldn't do any of it.
You're absolutely right.
It made me--
- What,
sad?
It made you feel sad, angry?
- Weak.
It made me feel weak and
I hated feelin' weak.
- So to be the big man,
you had to knock us around?
- [Dad] (chuckles softly) Oh, Jim.
- Ya think this is funny?
- What I think is funny, Jim,
is that you think that we're so different.
- I never laid a hand on anyone.
- It doesn't matter, Jim.
You're so stupid.
You think just because you
didn't hit Susan and Brittany
that makes you a great dad and father.
You think just because you didn't hit them
that you weren't abusive.
- I never abused them!
- You ignored them.
They weren't important enough to you,
so you just didn't bother.
- I love my daughter!
- You love the idea of havin' a daughter.
You love the idea of bein'
a father and a husband.
You love that, but you didn't
want the responsibility
that came with it.
- You don't know what
you're talkin' about!
- I know exactly what
I'm talkin' about, Jim.
I know because I was the same way.
I felt the same way;
I did the same things.
- If you hated us so much,
then why'd you adopt us?
Why did you even bother?!
- Because of your mother.
She wanted you guys.
Your mother was best friends
with your real mother
and she was there by
her side in the hospital
after the accident and we
agreed to take you guys.
- So she knew our real mother?
- We both did.
Your real mother didn't have any family
and she was scared to death that you boys
would wind up in foster care;
so we took you.
- So you really didn't really want us?
- Honestly, no.
No, I didn't wanna be a dad.
I didn't want the responsibility.
I was just like you, Jim.
You didn't want Brittany.
You don't have to deny it now, Jim.
You're just lyin' to yourself.
- All I know is that I hated
you while you were alive
and I haven't given you a
second thought since you died.
- Then why am I here?
- You're not here.
You're here.
- I've always been there, Jim.
You can say all you want
that you haven't given me
a second thought since I died,
but you're just lyin' to yourself again.
I've been there the whole time.
- But why?
I knew you didn't care about us.
I knew who and what you were.
- Then why was I there, Jim?
Because you've always known
that we're not that different.
- If we're the same, it's
because you made me this way.
- Maybe, but maybe that's
just the way you're wired.
- I want you outta my head.
- I don't think you do, Jim.
I think you've always needed me.
See, as long as I'm up there in your head,
you've got an excuse.
Everything you are, everything you've done
you can blame it on me.
You can blame it on me
and not take any responsibility for it.
As long as I'm around, you
can justify what you are.
- That's not true.
- It is true, Jim.
For years you been usin'
me to justify who you were.
- Get outta here!
- It's not that easy, Jim.
- I want you outta my head.
- It doesn't work that way.
- Get away from me!
- Only you can make that happen.
- Shut up.
I'm not you and I'm not gonna do that.
- Why not?
C'mon, Jim.
Your wife left you, your daughter's gone.
You hate your job,
what've you got to lose?
- Just because you couldn't handle it
doesn't mean that I can't.
- Is that what life's all
about is just handling it?
Yeah gettin' through another
day; enduring the misery.
- It's my life, dad.
I'll handle mine my way,
you handle yours yours.
- Oh yeah, you done a real
good job of that so far.
Haven't you, son?
- What do you know?
- I know everything that you know, Jim.
- Right
'cause we're the same.
- You don't get it Jim, do ya?
I am you.
- You're not me.
- Who do you think you've
been talkin' to, Jim?
Do you think I've really
been standin' here
havin' this conversation with you?
You're thinkin' 'bout all this stuff
because it's in your head, Jim.
So son, please just go on and do it.
- I can't.
I can't.
- What, you don't think
you have it in you?
I didn't think I had it in me.
Jim, this can all end.
All the pain, all the suffering.
You'll be right back with Brittany.
You could start makin' up for lost time.
- I can't.
I can't.
Can I?
(eerie orchestral music)
Dad?
Dad?
(Jimmy coughing)
- Do you like the pain, Jim?
The hurtin', not sleepin'.
That's not really livin', Jim.
If you're not really gonna live,
then why deal with the pain?
- I don't wanna hurt anymore.
- I know, son.
You've listened to me
one time in your life,
just listen to me one more time.
- I don't wanna hurt.
- Then stop the hurt, Jim.
Stop the pain.
- Stop the pain.
It's time.
- It's okay, Jim.
It'll all be over soon and you
won't have to hurt anymore.
- I don't wanna hurt anymore.
- You'll be with Brittany.
- I miss her so much.
(weeps) I love you, Brittany.
- I love you too, dad.
(Jimmy gasping)
- Stay away from her!
(somber orchestral music)
- What are you doing, daddy?
- Oh, baby.
I love you so much.
I'm sorry.
- What's happening, daddy?
- It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter.
Just lemme look at you.
- Daddy, we need to talk.
- Okay absolutely, whatever
you wanna talk about.
- No, not here.
- What?
- In my dresser, second drawer.
There's a box.
I need you to get that
box and bring it to me.
Please don't look in the box, daddy.
Just get it.
- Okay.
- No, not here.
I need you to get the box
and bring it to my spot.
- Your spot?
- I have a spot that you
and mom didn't know about.
Go out the back door and up the hill.
Look for the ribbons.
- The ribbons?
- On the trees.
- Honey.
- Please daddy, we need to talk.
- Brittany,
I just got you here.
- [Brittany] Please don't
look in the box, daddy.
Just get it.
("I Don't Know What to
Pray" by Stephanie Rabus)
♪ I don't know what to pray ♪
♪ I don't know what to say ♪
♪ So take these tears from
my heart as my worship ♪
♪ All these fears in my
mind I lay them down ♪
♪ I don't know what to do ♪
(leaves crunching)
♪ But to rest in you ♪
♪ I don't know how long I
can be here in this place ♪
♪ The only thing I know to do is praise ♪
♪ 'Cause I don't know what to pray ♪
♪ I don't know what to pray ♪
- I built it about four years ago
when you and mom started fighting a lot.
It's just far enough away from the house
that I can't hear you guys.
I tried other places:
the attic, the basement.
But the only place that it
was really quiet is out here.
After mom moved out, there was fear.
You were at work or
something, so I came out here.
- Why?
- To cry.
I came out here to cry.
You told me I need to be strong, daddy.
You told me that I need to
handle this like an adult.
I'm not an adult, daddy.
I'm a little girl.
I'm a little girl that
needed her daddy to hold her,
to tell her that it was okay to be sad.
To let her cry on his shoulder.
To be angry.
To be angry that she didn't
have her mom and dad anymore.
- Brittany, I--
- You couldn't be that, could you?
I know, dad.
I know that's not who you are.
You wanted me to be a good little soldier
and just deal with it.
Just accept it, but I couldn't.
I didn't know how.
- Brittany, I know I've messed up.
I messed up big time,
but we have a second chance
right now and I can do better.
I can say the right things
and do the right things.
- It doesn't work like that, daddy.
- What?
- There's things we both need
to say, things I need to do.
It's why I'm here now.
- Well then just tell
me what I need to say,
tell me what I need to
do just so you can stay.
- I can't stay, daddy.
- But I need you.
There's so many things I didn't say.
There's so many things I didn't do.
- I knew.
You didn't have to say it.
I know you have a hard time.
- No, no Brit.
I did have a hard time, but not anymore.
I understand where I've messed up
and I can do better this time.
You know, my father.
No, I'm not gonna blame him for this.
This is all me.
Look, all I know is I
can make up for this.
I can do better.
Just gimme that chance now,
so you can stay.
- We don't have a lot of time, daddy.
- Maybe I can come to you,
that way you wouldn't have to stay.
I could come to you and we
could get this worked out.
- No, dad.
If you do what grandpa tells you to do,
we'll never see each other.
D'you remember the trip we took
to Florida, the beach trip?
- Yeah.
Your mother fell asleep and
she was burned to a crisp.
What were you, seven or eight?
- And I just learned how to swim.
- You thought you were so grown up.
You wouldn't have anything to do
with those floaties your mom brought.
You said, "Floaties--"
- "Are for babies."
- (chuckles softly) You were so stubborn,
thought you were so grown up.
- Now or from the past?
But do you remember what
happened on that trip?
(birds chirping)
- Yeah.
I told you not to go too
far out with the raft.
I took my eyes off from
you for just one minute,
and I turned around and you were gone.
You were out past the break of
water and you were so scared.
- Do you remember what we did?
- Yeah, I ran across the beach.
I jumped out in the water
and I swam out to get you
and bring you back in.
It took you an hour to quit cryin'.
- You saved me, daddy.
I was scared, I was lost.
You saved me.
- I should've never
taken my eyes off of you.
I can't even remember why I did.
- You and mom arguing
'bout something stupid,
'bout the sunscreen or something.
- I remember turning my head towards her
and then when I turned
back, you were gone.
Honey, I am so sorry.
- It's okay, daddy.
Sometimes we turn our eyes away
from what we should be
looking at, get distracted.
It only takes that second
for our attention to be somewhere else
for something bad to happen.
But you saved me, daddy.
I was scared, really scared.
I was lost.
You saved me.
- That's just what daddies do, honey.
- I know, but you need to know that
fathers is there to save, not to harm.
- Honey, I had no idea what was
gonna happen at that school.
I had no idea what was gonna be goin' on.
- Is that what you
think I'm talking about?
Do you think I'm here because
of what happened at school?
Daddy, you can't stop
the world from happening.
It doesn't matter what you did.
- But no Brit, but I should have.
- You loved me.
- I should've protected you.
- You couldn't have known.
- I should have, Brittany.
I should've felt something.
I should've been there.
I should've done something, anything.
- It's not your fault.
- But I should have.
I should've been a better father for you.
I should've been a better dad to you.
There's so many things I should've done.
No,
no no!
Brittany, please!
♪ Accept these tears from
my heart as my worship ♪
♪ All these fears in my
mind I lay them down ♪
♪ I don't know what to do ♪
♪ But to rest in you ♪
♪ Don't know how long I
can be here in this place ♪
- Faith?
♪ The only thing I know to do is praise ♪
♪ 'Cause I don't know what to pray ♪
- Hope.
♪ I don't know what to pray ♪
♪ I don't know what ♪
- Love.
♪ To pray ♪
- This place was a mess.
- [Jimmy] Yeah, I couldn't
bring myself to clean it;
so I just left it the way you did.
- Boy, I was a slob.
- Yeah, but you're my slob.
- Daddy, I have to go here in a minute.
- No no, not yet.
Just stay.
- But before I do, there's
something we need to talk about.
- Okay, anything you want.
Just stay, okay?
- It's about what you said
outside about being a better dad.
- Yeah, I'm sorry about that, honey.
I'm sorry I got so mad.
I just don't know how to
handle this, you know?
- There's not a manual for it, daddy.
You have to grieve.
You have to let me go.
- Brittany, I can't let you go.
- Do you know where I am, daddy?
- Honey.
- [Brittany] Daddy, it's amazing.
It's so beautiful.
It's safe.
- No, you should've stay with me.
I coulda kept you safe.
It was not your time.
- We're not the ones
that make that decision.
I see that now.
- Can I ask you somethin'?
Did you ever feel like I've used you?
- Like you hit me and stuff?
Of course not.
- No, that's not what I mean.
Did you ever felt like I didn't love you
or you weren't cared for?
- Daddy, I always knew
you that you loved me.
I mean there were times, a lot of times
when you were there, but
you weren't really there
if you know what I mean.
Do you remember Angela?
- Yeah, of course.
She practically spent her
fourth grade year here.
- [Brittany] D'you know why?
- I just assumed she was one
of your BFFs or something.
- It's because she didn't wanna go home.
She's afraid to.
- Why?
- Because her dad.
He used to--
- What are you sayin', Brittany?
- When her mom wasn't around, he--
- No no, David's not like that.
He wouldn't done anything like that.
- It's why she never said anything.
- He came over here all
the time for cookouts.
- She didn't think
anyone would believe her.
- He was practically
a best friend of mine.
- She tried to stay here
every chance she could.
She didn't wanna go home.
- How do you know this stufF?
You're just 11 year old girl.
- Because that's the
world we live in, dad.
That's my point.
It doesn't matter what you do
or what do you think you should've done.
You can't stop the world.
You can't stop the world from happening.
You can't protect me
every minute of my life.
You can't be there all the time,
just like you couldn't
have been at school today.
It was just a Tuesday, dad.
Just another Tuesday.
All you can do is love,
trust and--
- And what?
- Pray, dad.
Can pray that no matter what happens,
it's part of God's plan.
- You're not gonna go through
that plan thing too, are you?
What about your plans?
What about your plans to become a nurse?
What about those?
- Veterinarian.
- Veterinarian?
When'd you decide to
become a veterinarian?
- Since I was seven, dad. (sighs)
- Okay, what about those?
What about those plans?
- That was my plan.
Just like it was your
plan to do what you do.
It doesn't mean it's God's plan.
- Okay so why is his plans
more important than ours, huh?
Don't our plans matter?
- 'Course they do.
But they matter more
to us because we think
that they're the only thing that matters.
God's plan is what matters the most.
- When did you become so smart?
- When you weren't looking.
(soft somber music)
- I should've been lookin'
at you a lot harder
and I should've protected you.
- What good is protecting me my whole life
when I can't grow up to protect you?
- Protect me?
From what?
- From yourself, dad.
From where you're headed.
Daddy, I need you to listen to me.
I saw the look in your eyes upstairs
and what you're about to do.
You can't.
You can't use my death as an
excuse to not go on living.
It isn't your time yet.
- My time?
- He isn't done with you yet.
If you do what you're
thinking about doing,
there's no going back, no eternity.
'Least not the one that I've seen.
- What have you seen?
What's it like?
- It wasn't like anything that
I've ever heard about before.
There's not a brilliant white
light, no choir of angels.
There's a lot of people
waiting to go through the gate.
- So St. Peter isn't standin' there
with the "Book of Life" then?
- No, nothing like that.
There didn't need to be.
I'd already made that decision.
There was no doubt of where
I was going, but I saw him.
- Him?
- It's like my eyes were closed.
Then when I opened them, he was there
like 15 or 20 feet in front of me.
He was smiling with his arms wide open
like he was waiting
for a hug or something.
It's like I didn't know who he was,
but also like I'd known him my whole life.
Daddy, I ran to him.
I ran to him without an ounce
of fear and he hugged me.
It was the warmest, safest
hug that I've ever felt
like being wrapped in a blanket
in the middle of winter.
- That sounds beautiful.
- It is, daddy.
I want you to see it too.
(sighs) It's time, daddy.
- No, not yet.
- Daddy, there's someone
coming to visit you.
When they do you have to listen.
Not just hear, listen.
- Okay anything you want,
just as long as I get
to see you again, okay?
- It's up to you, daddy.
- Please don't go, not yet.
- I have to go.
You have to let me go.
- I'm never gonna let you go.
I love you.
(somber piano music)
(Jimmy sighing)
(door knocking)
Susan?
- Hey, Jim.
- Are you her?
- Her who?
- The Third.
She told me about The Third.
- Been hittin' the bottle
pretty hard today, have we?
- Yeah.
- Figures.
- So what're you doin' here?
- Honestly, I don't know.
I went home after the funeral
and I couldn't stay there.
I just couldn't.
Everywhere I looked I saw her.
- So you thought comin'
here would be better.
- I don't know what I thought, Jim.
I just got in the car and I was here.
- Can I get you somethin'
to drink of somethin'?
Look Susan, I don't know what's goin' on.
- Just shut up, Jim!
Please, just.
- If you wanna talk.
- She called me, Jim.
- What?
- From the school.
But when the guy started
shooting, she called me.
- She what?
- She was terrified, Jim.
She was crying and she was
whispering when she was hiding.
- What'd she say?
What did she say?
- She was hysterical.
I don't know what she said.
Everybody was dying and I
didn't know what to say.
I told her I loved her and
the phone went dead. (weeps)
She was so scared, Jim.
- I didn't know.
- That's all I hear is the
crying and saying I love you.
Static (sobs)
and I couldn't stop crying.
That's all I do now is cry.
- Susan.
(Susan sobbing)
(somber piano music)
- It's just like the place at my house.
Couldn't get her to keep up. (sniffles)
- Teenagers.
You know, she didn't get
the chance to be a teenager.
She didn't get the chance to do anything.
- You know this is gonna
sound strange, Susan;
but I think she's at peace.
- Peace?
What are you talking about?
She was shot in cold blood by a maniac.
She died terrified and afraid.
What's peaceful about that?
- With not what happened, Susan.
I'm talkin' now.
- Pastor Reichart stop by here, too?
I never took you for the kind
that listen to that stuff.
- It wasn't Pastor Reichart;
it was something else.
I don't know that I believe in
all of this afterlife/Heaven thing,
you know, but I was just--
- Searching?
- Yeah, searching.
- I understand.
Jim?
- [Jim] Yeah.
- What happened?
I mean between us.
- God Susan, I don't know.
I've been tryin' to figure
out a lotta things lately.
- Couldn't it have just been eazy?
- I never expected it to be easy.
- Doesn't have to be so hard.
- Right?
Exactly.
They never tell you how
hard marriage is gonna be
or bein' a parent or just life in general.
I just wish I could've been better.
- Better what?
- A better husband, a better father.
Just a better man, period.
- You can't blame yourself
for everything, Jimmy.
It's not your fault.
(Jimmy sniffling)
What's this?
- Susan, why are you here?
- What?
- Did you just come to reminisce
or talk about old times or somethin'?
- Maybe because a part
of her is still here.
I mean I'm just sittin' here in her room.
I think to myself that she's gonna walk
through that door any minute.
Tell me all about her day. (weeps)
I could smell her, Jimmy.
I can feel her in here.
I mean I know she's not here, but yes.
Yes, she is.
I think a part of her will
always be here. (sniffles)
You know after the funeral,
I went back to my house
and I went into her room at my place.
I sat in her bed and I cried.
I buried my head in her
pillow when I cried.
I could smell her, Jimmy.
I thought to myself, this
pillow's only a year old.
I sit in here, this.
This is her.
This is her whole life.
I guess needed to just be here.
- I don't know.
I don't know what it is.
Where'd you find it?
- It was in her dresser.
She told me to go get it before I--
- What?
- I don't know, I just
remembered from earlier.
- Were you expecting someone?
- What?
- You asked if I was her.
Were you expecting someone?
- No.
I mean, yeah.
It's just been a really weird day, Susan.
- I know.
I can't believe she's gone either.
Maybe I should go.
- No wait, wait.
Did Brittany ever talk to
you about her Christianity?
- Yeah, she went to Revival
a few months ago with her friend.
Said that's when it happened.
- Did you ever talk to her about it?
- No, but that didn't
stop her from tellin' me.
- What did she say?
- Oh you know, just the same old stuff
they always fill their heads with.
Ask and ye shall receive,
seek and ye shall find.
That kinda stuff.
- Did you ever believe any of it?
- Any of that religious stuff?
I don't know, not really.
I haven't really seen anything
that would make me believe in it.
And now with this,
I don't believe that.
You know, I should go.
(somber piano music)
Thank you. (stammers)
Do you mind?
- No.
No, I don't mind.
- Thank you.
I just wanted to say thank you, Jim.
I needed, you know.
- Yeah, I know.
Don't worry about it.
You gonna be okay?
- You know if you ever need
someone to talk to that you could...
Well, you know.
- Yeah, I know.
- Maybe she wanted you to open it.
Maybe that's why she put it in your head.
("I Cry Out" by Eric Ashby)
♪ When loss and tragedy comes ♪
♪ And my heart and soul
just wants to burn ♪
♪ And nothing is all on earth ♪
♪ Can get me through ♪
♪ Through the storm ♪
♪ I cry out to you Lord ♪
♪ I cry out and give my plea ♪
♪ Can you rescue me ♪
♪ And it's from your love ♪
♪ An infinite grace ♪
♪ That I find mercy in your embrace ♪
♪ Your embrace ♪
♪ I cry out to you Lord ♪
♪ Whoa ♪
♪ You rescue me ♪
♪ And it's from your
love and infinite grace ♪
♪ That I find mercy in your embrace ♪
♪ Your embrace ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
- No.
No,
that's impossible!
- [Messenger] The impossible
happens all the time;
you just have to believe that it can.
- Who are you?
- I'm The Third of the three.
- [Jim] The Third?
Now I know my father and I know Brittany.
But I don't know you.
Have I seen you before?
- That's exactly why I'm here, Jim.
'Cause there's a lotta
people you don't know.
Think you know of them,
think you know about them,
but you don't know them.
- But you look familiar to me.
- You see me as someone from your past,
but you don't know who I speak for.
- Well then please enlighten me
because I have no idea what's goin' on.
- He was smiling with his arms wide open
like was waiting for a hug or something.
- You're him?
You're Jesus?
- No Jim, I'm not.
I am but a messenger on his behalf.
- So you're real?
Jesus is real?
- Do I look real to you?
- I don't know.
I don't know anything anymore.
I don't know what's real and what's not.
- There are times when
our eyes deceive us.
Sometimes we need to look with our hearts.
- I don't know what any of that means.
I don't know what any of this means.
- You have been sayin' the
same thing for a long time,
wonderin' if he's real or not.
And people come up with
their own conclusions
based on all sorts of things.
- Maybe if you'd make it
so people could see you,
then maybe it would be easier for 'em.
- Jim, you can see him anytime you want.
You can see him in the birds in the sky,
in smile on a baby's
face, in nature, in love.
He's everywhere.
- That's not what I'm talkin' about.
I mean, I went to Sunday School.
You know, I read about
Moses and the burning bush
and Moses in Mount Sinai.
I mean he was there, he was visible.
He was right there in front of them.
- You ever been to China, Jim?
- No.
- But you know people that have.
- Yeah.
- You ever flown in outer space?
- No.
- But you got to meet Jim
Adams a few years ago, right?
He's been to space.
- Yeah, how did you?
Yeah.
- There's a lot of things you haven't seen
and a lotta places you've never been,
but do you ever doubt there's a China?
Do you ever doubt that the
world isn't really round?
You never seen any of these
things with your own eyes,
but there's so much evidence
from people have done these
things that they must be true.
Even though you haven't
personally experienced them,
you accept them as true.
You believe even though
you haven't seen them.
- That's different.
- Is it?
Believing without seeing
is what faith is all about.
When you got married, you
didn't have a crystal ball
to tell you the future
or when you had Brittany,
you didn't have a
crystal ball then either.
Did you believe you could
successfully be married
or successfully have a child?
You did or you wouldn't have
done either of these things.
Will you ultimately be successful?
Do you know that?
No, you don't.
But with faith in him
and faith in yourself,
that what you can't see are still things
you can put your faith and confidence in.
- The marriage thing
didn't turn out too well
for any of us, did it?
- [Messenger] Why do you think that is?
- I don't know.
I mean I guess she just
wasn't who I thought she was
or the one I wanted.
I musta not been what she wanted.
- D'you feel like you really tried?
- Tried?
Man, that's all we did.
We went to counseling.
We talked to our friends.
We spent time apart.
We even called on our pastor
just to see what he would say about it.
- But you didn't talk to
him; neither of you did.
- What?
- You didn't bring it to him.
So many times people think
they can solve the problems
of the world by lookin' to
the world for a solution.
But in a flawed world, your
solutions can be flawed.
- Well at least it's an answer.
I mean people talk to Jesus all the time
and never get an answer.
- Just because it isn't the
answer they want to hear,
it doesn't mean he doesn't answer.
You know how many times people pray
for what they want and how they want it?
Never take into consideration
what they're praying for
is what they truly need.
They don't trust that he knows
what they need when they need it.
- Trust?
When we can't even see if Jesus
is gonna come through for us,
you want us to trust in him?
- That right there is the
very definition of faith.
- So why can't he just answer?
Why can't he just be heard?
- If everyone got everything
they prayed for or asked for,
what would be the point of Heaven?
We've already established that
the world is a sinful place.
And if the world was
everything that Heaven is,
what would be the appeal of eternity?
Jim, salvation doesn't mean
that everything in life
is gonna be great and easy
and that you won't face
any trials and tribulations.
Salvation gives you a destination
once you face the trials and
tribulations of the world.
- So we're just meant to suffer?
We're supposed to just
suffer through this life
until we get to Heaven.
- The most worthwhile things
in life require faith.
If you knew all the variables
and never risked anything,
there would never be rewards.
If people never took a chance,
there would be no success.
Now there might be less pain and failure,
but for sure there'd be no success.
And no success means
failure and it's painful.
There are things in life that you simply
have to depend on faith.
There's a difference between
knowing and believing.
Knowing is based on exhaustive knowledge.
But believing, it's putting
your faith in something
with virtually no knowledge.
- Like the guy who didn't believe
that Jesus rose from the dead.
- Thomas?
Yes, he believed once he saw.
- So why can't you show me a miracle?
Show me a miracle, then I'll believe.
You bring Brittany back
and I'll believe you.
- These are things that
people have been dealing with
for a long time.
If believing isn't seeing,
then faith is not seeing.
- Riddles.
Why do you all always talk in riddles?
Why can't things just be
good or bad, right or wrong?
- If everything was always good,
would you really be able to appreciate
the majesty of eternity
or the greatness of what
awaits you after this life?
- So I'm supposed to thank him.
Thank him for all of this,
praising through the suffering?
You don't know this kind of pain.
- But he does.
He knows suffering, Jim.
- Yeah, the cross.
- No, not just the cross.
It's the pain associated
with seeing something
you truly love turn
away from him: humanity.
You lost Brittany to an evil man.
He's lost generations of
Brittanys to the evil of man.
(mystical music)
Good afternoon, sir.
Can I ask you a question?
D'you know where you're
going to spend eternity?
(door clanking)
- That was you?
- I told you.
I can be everywhere.
- Okay.
If you are who you say you are
and you say Jesus is who he is
and you all can be everywhere at any time,
then why didn't you stop it?
Why didn't you stop the shooting?
- Ah, the eternal question:
why do bad things happen?
- I think that's a fair question, yeah.
- Sin's a terrible thing, Jim.
And it's prevalent everywhere
in your society today.
Unfortunately, a lot of it gets passed off
as political correctness;
but I can assure you
much of it is still sin.
When something like this happens,
the first question people ask believers is
where was God when this happened?
It's an easy excuse.
- Well, I can't blame 'em.
I've asked the same thing.
- You wanna know why
he didn't get involved
when the bad things happened here?
At the same time, no one wants to admit
to that which is evident of him.
But here's the thing: He does get involved
with everything that goes
on here, good and bad.
It's not that he allows it to happen;
it's that he allows people
to make their own choices,
good and bad.
- No father should have
to bury his own child.
And today, I had to
lower my daughter's body
into a hole in the ground.
- You know what else you did today?
You finished the process
of giving her to him.
She gave herself to him a few months ago,
but today her time on earth was finished.
You asked me a lotta questions today
and I've given you all the answers,
even the ones you didn't want to hear.
But why don't you ask the question
that you really wanna know,
the real reason why I'm here?
- Alright fine, you want the question?
Why her?
Why an 11 year old girl?
She didn't even get a chance to live!
At least it could've been me.
I've already lived at least for some.
You want a question?
That's my question; why her?!
- Are you sure you want an explanation?
D'you really want to know
why innocents suffer?
'Cause I don't think you do.
I think you're far better
off with the than the answer.
- More riddles.
- What if you finally got an answer?
What if I gave you a
satisfactory explanation?
What if the mystery were solved?
What if you asked why and
actually got an answer?
- Well I don't know,
then maybe all of this would make sense.
- If this question were answered,
then you would be able to make peace
with the suffering of innocents.
Worse than innocent people suffering
is others watching the suffering unmoved
and that's exactly what would happen.
You'd no longer be
bothered by their cries.
You would no longer feel their pain
'cause you'd know why it was happening.
If ya had an explanation,
the pain wouldn't seem so bad
and you could tolerate the suffering
because you would know
why it was happening.
- Well then what am I supposed to do?
- Look to him.
Don't look to the world to
help to take your pain away
'cause the world can't
do that, only Jesus can.
- So then everything just gets better?
- No, salvation doesn't excuse you
from the pain and suffering.
Salvation gives you a destination
after you've endured
the pain and suffering.
Brittany knew this.
She knew this despite everything
that was going on around her,
and she knew where she was going.
- So she's in eternity?
That's what she mentioned.
That's where she's at.
- She is and she's waiting.
She's waiting for you.
- You mean I can see her?
- Yes.
Mankind is always saying
that seeing is believing
and I'm telling you, you got
to believe in order to see.
- I wanna believe,
but it's just been so
long since I had him.
I just don't know if
I can believe anymore.
I just,
I can't.
- You can.
In all that you been
searching for and longing for
can't be found here on earth.
It can only be found through
him, though salvation.
- I'm just so tired.
I am tired of fighting.
I'm tired of failing.
- Of falling?
- Yeah.
Can you take that away?
- I can't, but he can
and you can rest, Jim.
You can rest in him and you
don't have to be afraid.
You can stop being afraid.
You heard from your dad, now
listen to your real father.
- [Brittany] He saved me, daddy.
I was scared, really scared.
I was lost.
He saved me.
- I miss her so bad
and I didn't even get to say goodbye.
- I know.
I know all that and it's not too late.
- I need.
I need.
- He knows what you need.
He knows everything.
What you need is him in your heart.
- Then just take it then.
Take away the hurt; take away the pain.
I'm tired of carryin' this with me.
Please, just take it.
- Rest in him, Jim.
- I have no idea what I'm doing
and they say that you are the one
that can relieve me of this pain.
♪ When life is not all
that I hoped it would be ♪
♪ And my vision is so cloudy I can't see ♪
- If this is what it takes,
then this is what I wanna give.
♪ Ooh so broken I fall to my knees ♪
- I'm sorry for the sin in my life.
I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused.
♪ You rescue me ♪
♪ And it's from your love ♪
- If you'll just forgive me.
♪ That I find mercy in your embrace ♪
♪ Your embrace ♪
- (weeps) I can't do this on my own.
I can't do this on my own.
♪ And my heart and soul
just wants to mourn ♪
♪ And nothing in all on earth ♪
- I need you in my heart.
I need you to guide me.
♪ I cry out to you Lord ♪
♪ I cry out ♪
♪ You hear my plea ♪
♪ You rescue me ♪
♪ And it's from your
love and infinite grace ♪
♪ That I find mercy in your embrace ♪
- You've come back.
- What?
What are you staring at?
What?
Why are you staring at me?
What?!
- Okay I get it, Brit.
I understand.
- Okay?
- I'm just so glad you're back.
I didn't think I would ever see you again.
- Back?
Back from where?
Dad, what are you talking about?
- Back from there.
Back from him.
I mean I can understand why
you wouldn't wanna come back.
I mean it's gotta be unbelievable.
- Dad, you're kinda freaking me out.
- Look, it all makes sense now.
I understand.
- I gotta go.
- Wait a minute, go?
- I gotta go or I'll be late.
- Go where?
- I gotta go to school.
See ya in two weeks.
- Wait wait wait.
Just a minute, honey.
- Dad.
- Look, he's given me a second chance.
- I'm gonna miss my bus, what?
- He's given me a second
chance to make it right.
- I'm not gonna make it to school, dad.
- You're here with me right now, okay?
And he's given me another
chance to make this right.
- My bus.
- Don't worry about the bus, okay?
Don't worry about anything.
Hold on.
- [Dispatcher] 911, what's your emergency?
- Yeah I need to report
something, a shooting.
- [Dispatcher] Report what, sir?
What's the emergency?
- There's a shooting at
Liberty Middle School.
- [Dispatcher] There's
a shooter at the school?
Are you at the school, sir?
- No, I'm not there.
The shooting hasn't happened
yet, but it's going to.
- [Dispatcher] Sir, are you--
- Just get someone to the school now!
- Dad, what's going on?
- Hold on, hold on.
(inspirational piano music)
- [Brittany] What are you doing with that?
- Oh I'm sorry, honey.
I'm just so proud of you, you know?
- Whatever.
You gotta drive me to school.
- Yeah.
You know what?
We're gonna take the day off together.
- What?
- You're not gonna go to school
and I'm not gonna go to work.
- No school?
- No school.
- Fine with me.
- You know what else, Brit?
Every day I promise you, you're gonna know
how much I love you.
Every day from here on out.
I love you.
So you wanna go get some breakfast?
- I'd like that, daddy.
Then maybe we can go rock climbing?
- Yeah, yeah sure.
Let's call your mom and
see if she wants to go.
- As a family?
- Sure, as a family.
("Stay" by Jeff Kunzel)
♪ Stay ♪
♪ With me ♪
♪ Just stay with me ♪
♪ Don't leave ♪
♪ Don't leave ♪
♪ You don't have to go ♪
♪ I'll be waitin' on those stairs ♪
♪ We don't have to turn (mumbles) ♪
♪ What will (mumbles) ♪
♪ Just stay ♪
♪ With me ♪
♪ Stay with me ♪
♪ Don't leave ♪
♪ Don't leave ♪
♪ Just stay ♪
♪ With me ♪
♪ Just stay with me ♪
♪ Don't leave ♪
♪ Don't leave ♪
♪ I know that you'll stay ♪
♪ I know life can be that way ♪
♪ I know the demons that you facin' now ♪
♪ I face mine every day ♪
♪ So why don't you stay ♪