Buttons, A New Musical Film (2018) - full transcript

Follow the heartwarming journey of 2 orphan girls whose only wish is to find a home for Christmas. With a little help from their guardian angels (Dick Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury), they discover miracles can happen when you believe.

I never imagined
that in my family's darkest moment

would come a miracle.

Perhaps in the heavens,

there are greater things at work

than what we think we may know.

And when it comes,

sometimes it can be
as soft as a whisper.

And so I've learned
to never stop listening.

It was unlike
any other Christmas

in Belford Hills.

Amid the tinsel strewn over
the trees,



the carols that fill the air

and the excitement of children

counting the days
till Christmas,

there was something else
at work.

Something magical indeed.

What is it?

What is it, Annabelle?

Oh, my goodness.

"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Hill,"

"there's a child
at Belford Hills Hospital"

"who's in desperate need
of adoption."

"Please come as soon
as possible."

"Her name is Emily.
She'll be expecting you."

"Sincerely, Rose."



They found a child for us.

In the midst of the
festivities at Christmas...

Mother Genevieve?

The sisters at St. Mary
were busy in their own way.

Mother Genevieve?

But they spent this time
looking after the poor,

the downtrodden...

Sister Mary. Come in, come in.

And the uncared for.

Mother Genevieve,
I know I shouldn't have brought her here,

but I didn't know
what else to do.

I found her living in a boxcar,

probably left behind
by the orphan train.

She said her name is Emily.

You did the right thing
coming here.

Come on. Follow me.

Put her in this bed.

Poor child.

Emily?

Emily, can you hear me, dear?

She's burning up.

Where am I?

You're going to be
all right now, dear.

You're safe.

Mother Genevieve,

may I speak with you
for a moment?

Why did you bring her here?

You know this is not
a shelter for children.

Please accept this rosary.
It has silver in it,

and it will pay for
at least one night.

Let me take a look at her.

She has a high fever.

Let's just hope
it's not influenza.

I want her hydrated
and isolated.

And this is not to happen again.

No more. This is
a private hospital.

These beds are
for people who can pay.

Thank you, Doctor.

"And it was always said of him"

"that he knew how
to keep Christmas well."

"If any man alive
possessed the knowledge,"

"may that be truly said of us,"

"and all of us."

"And so as Tiny Tim observed,."

"God bless us everyone."

Can you read it again?

It's getting late.

But it's Christmas Eve.

Yes, darling.

And happily now,
there'll be many more to come.

And not only will I read you
more wonderful stories,

I'll also sing you
Christmas carols,

and teach you to dance.

Promise?

Well, you know, every young girl

should know how to dance.

Thanks, Papa.

Holy Mary,

mother of God,

be a mother to
all my children tonight.

Protect them, take care of them,

and, Lord, please,
help Emily this night.

Send your angels
to watch over her,

to guard and protect her.

In your name we pray,
Lord. Amen.

No need to be alarmed, dear.

Would you like hot chocolate
or peppermint tea?

Now, there are
a great many things

that I don't know about,

but what I do know
is that a cup of hot chocolate

does wonders for the mind.

Go on. Try some.

You see?

But let's keep this between us.

The doctors might
not agree with me.

Now, for a proper introduction.

My name is Rose.

I'm Emily.

I've never seen you here before.

Yes, I... I have
been a bit delayed.

Now, let's see.

What are we going
to do with you?

Open wide.

Go on.

If your temperature
is 98.5 and below,

it means you have a chill,

and more hot chocolate
should suffice.

But if it's between
99 and 100 degrees,

then you're running a fever,

and ice cream might
be more appropriate.

Now, anything over 100...

Oh, dear.

Oh, well.
There's no doubt about it.

I need to read you a story.

A story?

I don't see any reason
to think otherwise.

Now, let me see...

I... I have long stories,
short stories,

adventures, westerns.

Oh, what about a fairy tale?

Now we must begin

where every story begins.

"Once upon a time,
a long time ago,

"in a place called Millbury,

"during a time when
the rich were very rich,

"and the poor very poor.

"In fact, so poor

"that even the children
were sent to work at the mills

"for the great robber barons."

"In that time,
a young child was born"

"named Annabelle"

"to a family that lived
by the sea."

"Annabelle's father, William,"

"captained his own
trading vessel,"

"and Annabelle's mother, Sarah,"

"made their home
a loving and joyful place."

"Their happiness
was nearly complete"

"until suddenly Annabelle
contracted scarlet fever."

"So her father
rushed home from the sea,"

"for Annabelle was not
expected to live."

Her fever still hasn't broken.

I'm sorry, I've done
everything I know to do.

There has to be something.

You have to help her.

Sarah.

Continue applying
a cool compress,

and keep her as comfortable
as you can.

Thank you for coming
so late, Doctor.

Doctor, your carriage is ready.

I'm sorry, William.

Take care of her.

William, we can save her.

I'll bring her fresh water.

If we can just keep her cool.

Oh, Sarah.

We can break the fever in time.

I know we can.

God help us.

♪ Angels above

♪ Hear my prayer

♪ Heal my child

♪ Let her live

♪ Bring her through this night

♪ Through this night

♪ Give her a chance
for happiness

♪ Save her from the darkness

♪ Please let her live

♪ Let her live

♪ God, bring a miracle about

♪ Don't let her light go out

♪ I know you're strong enough
to heal

♪ Her brokenness All her tears

♪ Can disappear
when you are near

♪ Angels hear

♪ Hear my prayer

♪ Give this child
no reason to fear

♪ Hold her through this night

♪ Through this night ♪

Shh.

"The night sky stirred,"

"and in the distance a star fell"

"as if a messenger was sent
from the heavens"

"to answer a prayer."

Do you know what
the star means, Emily?

It's an angel.

I don't believe in angels.

Mmm.

No, I... I don't suppose you do.

But let's continue anyway.

Where were we? Oh, yes.

Oh, Annabelle,
aren't you pretty.

I'll always be
with you, Annabelle.

William.

William, come quickly!

Her fever has broken.

Well, hello.

"Annabelle's father and mother"

"believed that just like
in the great stories of old,"

"a wondrous miracle occurred
that saved Annabelle's life."

Care for a little more
hot chocolate?

There you are.

Oh, we're coming to one
of my favorite parts.

"Annabelle grew to be
a beautiful young girl."

"The only cloud in her
otherwise perfect childhood"

"was her father's
long absences away at sea."

"During one of these times,"

"something unusual
happened to Annabelle."

"When we think of angels,"

"we often imagine
majestic winged beings"

"soaring through the heavens."

"But not Annabelle's."

"He wore a gray suit
with a straw hat."

"Now, all angels
have special gifts,"

"and Annabelle's was certainly"

"the gift of laughter."

That bad.

How about a smile?

A smile always
makes things better.

Oh...

You know, I've found
it's the way you look at life.

It's not the predicament
you're in,

it's the way you look at it.

I mean, there's always
a silver lining.

The sun's always
shining somewhere.

♪ Keep a smile on your face

♪ No need to be grumpy

♪ Give 'em your winnin' smile

♪ Be bright and bubbly

♪ Lemons make lemonade

♪ See what you got to do

♪ Stay on the sunny side

♪ Betcha it will turn out right

♪ Smile and the world
smiles back at you

♪ When I grow up
I'm not gonna be

♪ G-R-U-M-P-Y

♪ I'll tell you no one
wants to have you around

♪ Wearing a great big frown

Now you give it a try.

♪ Keep a skip in your step

♪ No need to be gloomy

♪ Have the proper attitude

♪ Be bright and bubbly

♪ Troubles like clouds
pop up and float away

♪ When life gives you a kick

♪ I got something
that'll do the trick

♪ Just smile

♪ And the world
smiles back at you

♪ Betcha money a sad face will

♪ Put you in the dumps

♪ Take it from me
The best way to be

♪ Is okeydokey

♪ Yippee!

Now you try.

Me? Yeah, you.

♪ Keep a smile on your face

♪ No need to be grumpy

♪ Give 'em your winnin' smile

♪ Be bright and sunny

♪ Lemons make lemonade

♪ Turn sour into sweet

♪ Stay on the sunny side

♪ Betcha it'll turn out right

♪ Smile and the world
smiles back at

Who?

♪ You ♪

Yeah.

"It's been said that
children see angels

"when others cannot.

"Whether that be the case,"

"Annabelle knew that day"

"that she had seen hers."

"She spoke about him to no one,"

"not even her mother or father,"

"for she had discovered
a hidden secret friend."

"She never knew when
she would see him again,"

"but he always had
a way of showing up"

"right when she needed him most."

"Time passed,"

"and Annabelle's world was
filled with magic and wonder."

♪ Least while I woo thee

♪ With soft melody ♪

Everything looks lovely.

I wanted to make sure
you'll miss us.

Father, take me on
your ship tomorrow.

I'd make a great first mate.

Your impenetrable eyes
and shrewd countenance

appear to make you worthy.

But can you helm a ship
in a strong gale?

Aye-aye, Captain.

With Arctic winds
blowing cold on your nose?

Easy. Hmm.

What about ship's weevils

crawling in the biscuits? Eww!

I'm in need of a special agent

to take care of everything
that I hold dear here on shore.

Your mother, King Henry
and Lily Castle.

Are you up to the task?

I must warn you,
it's not to be taken lightly.

Well, King Henry is
hard to catch sometimes.

But I have your word?

Yes.

Excellent.

And for my part,
I promise to return

as soon as the winds
will carry my ship.

Besides, I fear my crew

will fight over a fair maiden
such as you.

Annabelle, your father
has something for you.

Oh, what is it?

Close your eyes.

There.

It's a machine.

Oh, it's a music box!

It's not just a music box.

It's magical.

When I'm at sea,

whenever you turn this handle,

the melody will be carried
on the winds

over wave upon wave
until it reaches my ship,

and I will hear it,

and know that
you're thinking of me.

It's not very loud.

Love carries over oceans
and time.

Do you believe me, Annabelle?

Yes.

Then we are inseparable.

Father, wouldn't it be better
if you just stayed with us?

At least one more day?

Unless we set sail
before the wind changes,

I fear my journey will take
twice as long.

Annabelle, why don't you
go wash up before we eat?

Okay.

Doesn't get any easier.

Not for any of us.

"Silently, one by one,"

"in the infinite meadows
of heaven,"

"blossomed the lovely stars,"

"the forget-me-nots of
the angels."

It must be beautiful looking
at the stars from your ship.

Mmm.

Father, look, a shooting star!

Heaven once falls a star,

a guardian angel is not far.

Do you think it was an angel?

Yes. Your guardian angel

wondering why on earth
are you up so late.

Come on. It's time for bed.

♪ Lullaby, lullaby

♪ Oh, lullaby, lullaby

♪ Dream for a while

♪ Of angel songs

♪ Till morning comes

♪ Lullaby, lullaby ♪

Come home.

I will.

Father!

Father, wait!

Don't go.

Take care of your mother for me.

Was it dangerous
where he was going?

Oh, yes. Quite dangerous.

"Her father's journey would
take him away for over a year,"

"and although his letters
came frequently,."

"Annabelle still missed
him dearly."

"Months passed."

"Summer with all of its
festivities quickly approached,"

"and with it came the annual
4th of July parade."

4th of July souvenirs.

Get your souvenirs.

Toffees, streamers,
toys and more.

"Annabelle didn't see
much reason to celebrate."

"I mean, the happy festivities
surrounding Millbury"

"only made her miss
her father more."

"In fact, she became determined"

"not to be happy."

"Her attitude was glum and
in sore need of improvement."

"But little did Annabelle know"

"her angel was about to return"

"to help her with just that."

There you are.

My, don't you look pretty.

Thank you.

I smell popcorn.

You want some?

Oh...

No, sir.

Oh?

You see, I had a penny,
but then I spent it.

Oh, I see.

Here you go.

For me? Yeah.

Go ahead, try some.

Mmm, delicious.

You know, I knew a snail once

who was a lot like you.

A snail? Mmm-hmm.

But he thought he was a whale.

A whale? Yes.

♪ What makes a snail

♪ Think that he can

♪ Swim like a great big whale?

♪ Or think that it can

♪ Can, can, can

♪ Swim with no fins or tail?

♪ I think we make a big mistake

♪ When we never even try

♪ A snail passes you by

♪ And here's the reason why

♪ He's got a

♪ A proper attitude

♪ A good follow-through

♪ That keeps him off the ropes

♪ And when he's feeling low

♪ Moving kind of slow He's got

♪ High hopes

♪ Life's little lessons

♪ Are full of blessin's

♪ So keep your chin up high

♪ Just put one foot

♪ In front of the other

♪ Till trouble passes by

♪ And soon you will be findin'

♪ That the sun is shinin'

♪ On your happiness again

♪ Like a bird on the wing

♪ You're starting to sing

♪ There's... ♪ Blue skies again

♪ Life's little lessons
are full of blessin's

♪ So keep your chin up high

♪ Just put one foot
in front of the other

♪ Till trouble passes by

♪ And soon you'll be
findin' that the sun is shinin'

♪ On your happiness again

♪ Like a bird on the wing

♪ You're starting to sing

♪ Blue skies again

♪ He's got a...
A proper attitude

♪ A good follow-through

♪ That keeps him off the ropes

♪ When he's feelin' low
Movin' kind of slow

♪ He's got

♪ High hopes

♪ Life's little lessons

♪ Are full of blessin's

♪ So keep your chin up high

♪ Just put one foot
in front of the other

♪ Till trouble passes by ♪

"It seemed that once again"

"her world was full
of magic and wonder,"

"just as it should be."

"But as time went by,"

"instead of her father's return,"

"an urgent telegram arrived."

"When news of great importance
comes to a family"

"whose loved one is at sea,"

"with it arrives
an element of dread."

"Annabelle's father
was caught in a severe storm,"

"and only remnants of his ship"

"were found washed ashore."

"No one survived."

"That day, the magic of youth"

"began to slip away
from Annabelle."

"With each rose
cast into the sea"

"went memories of her father"

"drifting away one by one."

"Those first few months were
unbearable for Annabelle."

"Her heart was heavy
with sorrow."

Annabelle,

you really must eat something.

I'm not hungry.

I know how hard it is,

and how much we both
miss your father,

but we must try to keep going.

I'll tell you what.

Why don't we go into town today?

Come. Help me clear the table.

Then we'll go.

There you are.

Dr. Lewis. So good to see you.

Good morning, Mrs. Kingsley.
Please come in.

I was on my way into town
and I thought I would

stop by and check in
on you and Annabelle.

Annabelle, it's so nice
to see you.

Annabelle, would it be all right

if you went out without me?

I'll be there
as soon as I can. Hmm?

I'm so glad you came by today.

I've been anxious to speak
with you about Annabelle.

She is still barely
touching her food.

And hardly speaking
a word, I'm...

I'm at a loss for what to do.

Annabelle just needs
time to adjust.

Without William,

we can no longer afford
to keep the house.

I'm so sorry.

Does Annabelle know?

How can I tell her?

Do you have any other family
who can help you?

I have a stepsister,

but she hasn't returned
any of my letters.

This is my last attempt...

- Look at me.
- What a mess.

I'm afraid I can't
go out like this.

Would you be so kind
and mail this

on your way into town?

Of course.
I'll send it right away.

You must forgive me

for burdening you
with our troubles.

Let me show you out.

I'm sure your sister
will come through.

Yes. Yes, of course.

I assume you saw this letter
in the post today.

Indeed.

What are we to do?

If we show your stepsister
leniency on her rent now,

where does it end?

On the other hand,
if we don't help her

and she can't take care
of herself and the child,

for all we know, she could
end up on the street.

What would people say?

I'm afraid public opinion
would turn against us.

If you think she needs
a bit of assistance,

under the circumstances,

I imagine that could be
tolerated for now.

Charity is a breeding ground
for beggars.

Why the wealthy must be held responsible
for the misfortunes of the poor,

I'll never understand.

The mill is doing well.

Surely, this gesture
would relieve us

of any other obligation to her,

and we would be seen favorably
in the public eye.

Obligations?

Why my father had to marry
into such a common family

I'll never understand.

And now I'll forever
be responsible

for his impudent decision.

And as for public opinion,
the only opinion that matters

is the Brownings.

How they managed to achieve
such status and wealth

above us is beyond me.

But, clearly,
this is a family matter.

There are certain expectations.

She shares no blood of mine.

She shall not be responsible
for my undoing.

Still, it is a delicate matter,

and must be handled
with a bit of finesse.

I have the mill to run,

my time can't be whittled away
in these petty affairs.

I'm getting a headache.

Wait.

We shall give my sister

something better than a handout.

We will give her
the gift of self-reliance.

A job.

At the mill?

Work will help distract her
from her sorrows,

and allow her to feel
part of something

larger than herself

for once.

Father always did spoil her.

She won't hold up.

The conditions are poor at best.

She's always seemed
rather delicate.

I run a textile mill,
not a Turkish bath house.

Now, if she can't handle
the long hours,

surely, that's not our concern.

And she'll just go away?

Precisely.

Hmm.

Mother, what's the matter?

Annabelle.

Come sit next to me.

There's something
I need to tell you.

We're going to have
to leave Millbury.

No.

I was waiting to hear back
from your Aunt Katherine

to see if she could
help us, but...

I just received
her letter today,

and I'm afraid she's unable to.

Mother, we can't leave.
Please, this is our home.

I'm so sorry, Annabelle.

There's nothing else we can do.

Love carries
over oceans and time.

Do you believe me, Annabelle?

Yes.

Then we are inseparable.

Annabelle, it's time to go.

We need to catch our train.

I'll be right down.

"From that moment on,".

"Annabelle vowed never
to be deceived into believing"

"there was real hope
in this world"

"for herself or for anyone else."

"So she hid the music box,"

"and left behind
all the tenderness"

"and innocence of youth."

"Angels, fairy tales
and make-believe,"

"she decided, should not be
taken seriously any longer."

"For after all,"

"if Annabelle had an angel,"

"he spared her not from
the perils of life,"

"so why should she believe?"

"As the door to her home
closed for the last time,".

"Annabelle's heart
closed with it."

Your rent is due
first of the month,

no exceptions.

Bath, kitchen, stove.

You share the bed.

She's usually
on the night shift,

but she's sick, so,

you'll have to work it out.

What happened to her?

Shut in a room
full of machinery.

Dust and cotton,
that's what's happened to her.

When you get mill fever,
your lungs give out.

A widow these days

has half a chance
of earning some respect

by keeping their job.

But these two
will be orphans soon.

Well, now,

lights out at 10:00.

Best get settled.

Yes. Thank you. Thank you.

"And so Annabelle's mother"

"went to work at the mill
each day."

You're new here, aren't you?

It's been a little over a month.

Oh, well, then...

I'm Ethel.

Sarah.

Pardon me for asking,

but, um, you don't look like
the type that works at a mill.

I'm recently a widow.

Sorry to hear that.

I lost my husband, too,

just over a year ago now.

He was a good man.
An honest man.

He took care of us.

My husband was a sea captain.

His ship was lost.

The sea has a way
of taking husbands.

More than half the women here
suffered the same fate as you.

Hard to believe we were
all once happy brides.

Mmm, I remember the day
I was married.

I wore a white lace gown
with silk sleeves.

We were so in love.

Perfect.

What about you?

We were married on
a beautiful autumn day.

Yep. St. Mary's
in the center of town.

The red leaves were falling,

there was frost in the air.

After the ceremony,
the church bells rang and rang

as we went off in
the carriage to the country.

I can still hear those bells
ringing sometimes in my head.

Good.

You hang onto those memories.

It'll get you through this.

♪ The bells of St. Mary's

♪ Ah, hear they are calling

♪ The young loves The true loves

♪ Who come from the sea

♪ And so my beloved

♪ When red leaves are falling

♪ The love bells shall
ring out, ring out

♪ For you and me

♪ The bells of St. Mary's

♪ At sweet even chime

♪ Shall call me, beloved

♪ To come to your side

♪ And out in the valley

♪ In sound of the sea

♪ I know you'll be waiting

♪ Yes, waiting

♪ For me ♪

"As the end of
their first year approached,"

"it was clear
that Sarah's meager wages"

"could never lift them out of
their dreadful circumstances."

"But of even more concern
was Sarah's health."

"She was failing quickly."

Hi.

How are you feeling?

I thought somehow
I'd be better by now.

I got you this.

Oh, Mother.

I was going to wait,

but I thought now
would be a good time.

Why? Why, Mother?

What's the matter?

Annabelle,

will you believe in a secret
I am going to tell you?

It will help you through life
so you never feel alone.

We each have a guardian angel

that is with us from
the moment we're born

until the day we die.

Believe, Annabelle,

and take heart.

You're never alone.

Mother,

you won't leave me.

Annabelle,

promise me you'll remember
what I have said.

Yes.

I'm sorry, Annabelle.

The question is,
what is to be done with her?

I certainly can't
be burdened with her,

her mother was only
my half-sister, after all.

Come. That's enough.

That's Miss Elizabeth Browning.

No.

You wait here.

As your mother, Alice,
it is my responsibility

to introduce you
into good society.

The Brownings are
the wealthiest family in town.

You would do well to become
close to young Elizabeth.

Miss Elizabeth.

Please, allow me
to express my condolences

on the loss
of your younger sister.

I can't imagine how difficult

the last few months
must have been.

Well, we are bearing this as
best we can, Mrs. Wentworth.

Let me introduce you to my...
To my young daughter.

This is Alice.

Pleased to meet you,
Miss Browning.

And you.

Please forgive me,
I'm expected home.

Oh, of course, my dear.

And send my regards to
your mother and father.

Aunt Katherine...
Ugh, don't call me that.

We're not really family.

Your mother wasn't
even my real sister.

What did she say
about me, anyway?

She believed everyone had a kind heart.

Your mother was a silly girl
with ridiculous notions.

I'm sorry if she filled your head
with fairy tales and nonsense,

but that's not how
the real world works.

Come.

We've wasted enough time here.

Mr. Wentworth sends
his regrets, ma'am.

He's been detained at work.

Shall we wait to serve dinner?

No. We'll eat without him.

And the young girl, ma'am?

Will she be dining
with you as well?

Don't be ridiculous.

Very well.

Mother.

How long must that child
stay with us?

I've taken it upon myself

to make arrangements
for Annabelle.

Tomorrow, she'll go to the mill

where she'll live and work
with all the other orphans.

She'll be a mill girl?

How long is she to stay?

Well, if everything goes well,

forever.

"And so Annabelle
was sent to a boarding house"

"built for the mill girls"

"who were kept
under strict rules,"

"and were meant for work
at the mill"

"and little else."

Work starts at 6:00. Get to bed.

♪ Work

♪ All we ever do is work

♪ Work

♪ All we ever do is work

♪ Pray, tell me
what it's gonna take

♪ Till we ever see
the light of day

♪ Every second, every moment

♪ For a bunk and a bed

♪ All we ever do is work Are we
ever gonna see the light of day?

♪ Every second
we'll be working to the bone

♪ Every stitch Stitch in time

♪ Another spindle
full of thread to sell

♪ So the rich
they can get richer

♪ And the poor
from some other orphan home

♪ All we ever do is work

♪ Every moment of your life
you're gonna work

♪ Pray, tell me
what it's gonna take

♪ Till we ever see
the light of day

♪ Every second, every moment

♪ For a bunk and a bed

♪ We go home 'cause we'll
never see the light of day

♪ Every second
we'll be working to the bone

♪ Every stitch Stitch in time

♪ Another spindle
full of thread to sell

♪ So the rich
they can get richer

♪ And the poor
from some other orphan home

♪ Every moment of your life
you're gonna work

♪ All we ever do is work

♪ Work

♪ All we ever do is work ♪

"Sewing buttons onto garments"

"was one of the most
meaningless jobs"

"meant only for the children
not yet big enough"

"to reach the machines."

"But Annabelle lacked the skills"

"that the other girls
had from the farms,"

"who were used to
hard labor and machinery."

"So she was set to this task
with no pay"

"until the overseer felt"

"she could actually
be of some use."

Who are you?

Are you all alone? Just like me?

Here.

Meet my friend.

Be part of us.

I know he's not a real dog,

but he will be one day.

Hey! You're not done working!

Sew on all these buttons.

Look, she's scared.

What's your name?
Can't you speak?

Your mother's not here now,

and we don't like crybabies.

All right, we'll just
call you Buttons.

Look at the mess you made.

Pick those up.

Look at this little glass dog.

Give that back.
My mother gave it to me.

You don't have parents anymore.

You're one of us.

No one plays with toys here.

My dog! Grab the bear!

There goes Buttons.

Buttons, come back.

You don't leave work
until I tell you to.

Bet you'll never run away
from work again, Buttons.

Yeah, Buttons.

Did you get the belt, Buttons?

I bet she got the paddle.

How do you like
being a mill girl?

Mill girl.

Quiet!

There's been a development
at the mill.

You know how your work bores me.

At the risk of putting
you to sleep,

please allow me to continue.

Well, if you'd just begin,
you'd be done by now.

Right. Why didn't
I think of that?

Annabelle is gone.

Gone? What do you mean, gone?

Where did she go?
How should I know?

It appears she ran away
from the boarding house

late last night.

Doesn't the overseer watch them?

Apparently not. Stupid man.

Need I remind you what an embarrassment
it would be to this family

if our association
with that girl is known?

We must find her at once.

I'm one step ahead of you.

I sent the overseer out
last night to look for her.

Mmm.

Pardon me, but I don't have

your confidence in the simpleton.

Once she's found,

she must be taken
to the coal mines

and kept as far away
from here as possible.

Consider it done. Mmm.

"Time passed,".

"Christmas soon came,"

"and with it, the bitter cold."

♪ Glory to the newborn king ♪

"Annabelle struggled to find"

"food and shelter."

There you are. Let go!

Listen, mill girl.

If you try and run away again,

I'll make your life so miserable

you'll wish you were never born.

I'm never going back there!

Hey, come back here!

"By now, Annabelle
had adopted the opinion"

"of what others said about her."

"They called her an orphan,"

"a street urchin,"

"and scores of other names
not proper to mention."

"As she looked at
her last bit of food,"

"suddenly she saw someone."

"He looked cold and tired."

"She didn't recognize him,"

"yet there was something
familiar about him."

I don't understand.

Why didn't she recognize him?

Did she forget who he was?

Oh, worse. She stopped
believing in him.

But you said he was an angel.
He must help her.

Oh...

Without belief,

there's not much anyone can do.

Even an angel.

But let's continue.

I think you'd better have this.

Oh, no. That's for you.

Don't worry about me.
I've got plenty.

I'm gonna go to the church
and get warm.

Are you gonna be all right now?

She's eluded our
valiant overseer again.

Fool.

How many more months
will this go on?

What should we do?

It's cold outside.

She'll need shelter.

The only place she can go
is the church,

which will bring her
right past the mill.

Have your man wait between
the river and the mill.

She might try to cross the ice.

No. The current's too strong,

and the ice is only ever
an inch thick.

Then we've got her trapped.

If we don't,

the Brownings are in
for a pleasant surprise.

What do you mean?

It's Christmas Eve.
They'll be at the church

when Annabelle stumbles in
from the cold.

Wretched girl.

I won't have her
ruin my reputation.

Don't you mean our reputation?

What are you waiting for?

Go.

"It was
dangerously cold that night,"

"so Annabelle decided
to take a chance"

"on a shortcut through the woods"

"to get to the church
and find shelter."

"But this led her past the mill"

"where she had promised
never to go again."

"Now, across the woods
from where Annabelle ran"

"lived the Browning family,"

"whose home, once filled
with so much joy and laughter,"

"was now buried beneath
a deep blanket of sorrow."

"This was their first Christmas"

"without their youngest
daughter, Anna,"

"who had succumbed
to scarlet fever"

"a few months earlier."

"The loss had drained the family"

"of even a whisper of hope."

"No matter what one thinks,"

"sadness and grief
can come to all,"

"no matter
their position in life."

"Both the rich and the poor
share equally,"

"at least in this."

It's freezing cold
outside, Elizabeth.

Have you seen your gloves?

Hurry along, darling,
or we'll be late.

My dear.

Are you all right?

We don't want to be late.

Elizabeth, the carriage
is waiting.

I got you this.

I know how long you've wanted
a real dog, Annabelle.

No one plays with toys here.

My dog!

Annabelle,

will you believe in a secret
I am going to tell you?

It will help you through life,

so you never feel alone.

We each have a guardian angel

that is with us from
the moment we're born

until the day we die.

Believe, Annabelle, and take heart.

You're never alone.

Promise me you'll remember
what I have said.

Yes, Mother.

Mother, did you hear that?

Shh.

"But only Elizabeth
heard the knock at the door."

Mother, there's someone
at the door.

Elizabeth.

Oh, you're frozen.

Please wake up. Please.

Oh...

Is it too late?

Oh, Mother, she's so cold.

We must get her warm.

Look. Mother, look.

We should take her home.

You ready to go home, Annabelle?

Yes.

Come on, everybody!

Yay!

Did the Brownings adopt all
the other children as well?

Oh, yes, they did.

And what about the angel?

Did Annabelle ever
see him again?

Oh, yes, many times.

A guardian angel
always watches over you,

never leaves you,
and most importantly,

knows your every wish.

Rose, do you want
to hear my wish?

I want a home.

By Christmas.

That is a wonderful wish, Emily.

Rose,

do you think I have
a guardian angel?

You most certainly do.

That sounds like a promise.

It is a promise.

It was a dream.

There's no such thing as angels.

Excuse me.
We're looking for someone

who works here
by the name of Rose.

Well, there's nobody here
by that name.

Oh, no, she sent us a letter.

From here.

That might be our stationery,
but I can assure you,

there's nobody here
by the name of Rose.

Oh, uh...

Well, it must have
been a mistake.

Thank you for your help.

Thank you.

What?

What is it, Annabelle?

Wait.

Excuse me. I'm sorry
to bother you again,

but is there by chance
a child here named Emily?

Yes, she's still here.

Well, can we see her? Please?

We're inquiring for adoption.

Oh, well, you should have
said that in the first place.

Follow me.

Are you Emily?

Go away.

I was wondering
if there was something

that you could
possibly help me with.

You see, I received this letter,

and it's a bit strange,
actually.

And no one here seems to know
anything about it.

But do you know
someone named Rose?

Rose?

You know Rose?

Look, uh, she wrote about you.

"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Hill,"

"there is a child
at Belford Hills Hospital"

"who is in desperate need
of adoption."

"Please come
as soon as possible."

"Her name is Emily,
she'll be expecting you."

"Sincerely, Rose."

Have you been
expecting us, Emily?

Emily, do you want
to spend Christmas with us?

Really?

Yes. Really.

They have a
wonderful life ahead of them.

They certainly do.

I must say, you have a knack
for this kind of thing.

I have a good partner.

Thank you, Rose.

And so it was

that Christmas in Belford Hills,

the heart found more
than the eye could see.

Hope prevailed
and help came from

the most unexpected places.