Mary Christmas (2002) - full transcript
When a nine year old girl writes a letter to Santa Claus asking for a mommy, a television station news director gets wind of it and assigns a hard-bitten reporter to get the story. With the help of a male nanny, the reporter learns learns that at Christmas, wishes can still be granted.
- Would ya look at that folks?
You couldn't ask for more perfect
Christmas weather than this!
Unfortunately, those shots
were taken in Vermont
and you live in California!
Hello, wake up and smell the latte!
Our forecast for the next
five days calls for the usual:
warm, toasty, hot, scorching!
So, I hate to be the
one to break it to you,
but there is not a chance of
there being a white Christmas
this year within a hundred
miles of where I'm sittin'.
- No skiing?
- Nope, no snow!
Not a drop, not a flake.
Except for maybe that!
Merry Christmas to you!
- I cannot believe even
you would do this to me!
- Yeah, and I can't believe that this jerk
would ask me for a raise and
he can't even deliver snow!
- Don't change the subject!
Look, I only get two weeks a year,
how can you give them away?
- Mary, I need you.
All right, fine, the station needs you.
You know the Channel 3
motto, three for the people?
Well, Duckworth wants more people stories
and nobody does people stories
better than Mary Maloney!
- Yeah, well, I'm a people too,
and I need snow at
Christmas, I need Vermont,
I look forward to it all year!
Christmas around here is
all hype and no heart.
- I have all the heart you need.
- Get a transplant.
- Mary, the station needs
one of those great, big
Mary Maloney Christmas stories, you know,
the kind that touch you right here!
- I hate making people feel like Christmas
has to be perfect, they
end up feeling hollow
and disappointed, like I do now.
- Mary, you are looking
at this the wrong way,
that's your talent!
See, you can make people
think Christmas is wonderful
even though it is hollow
and disappointing!
Come with me, come with me.
There's a station in St.
Louis that's following
a real family as they
prepare for the holidays,
the audience is eating it up!
That is your ticket, I promise you!
We're gonna find you a family
and you're gonna follow them
as they prepare for Christmas.
We're gonna bring the audience
right into the living room!
- Mac, how long have you been promising
that you'd move me into news?
- And I will, but you
have to be a good sport,
you gotta play by Duckworth's rules.
Which reminds me, he
wants you to wear this.
- You know, my contract is up in February
and there is nothing holding
me here except a job in news.
- And, well...
- What does that mean?
- Well, I mean, Mary, you know,
your contract's up every
year and every year
you threaten to quit but you never leave.
I mean, something's
obviously keeping you here
and I have a pretty good
idea I know what it is.
- You are absolutely right, I
have stayed here far too long.
It is time to put my foot down
and I'm putting it down on this story!
- I, I wish you would pick
it up and then put it down
then pick it up again
and put it down again
because you're on in 53 seconds.
- Letters to Santa,
it's like fingernails on a chalkboard!
Dear Santa, can you get me a new life?
- Best idea I ever had!
- No doubt.
- Hey Steve.
- Hello, Mary, 30 seconds!
- Thank you.
Nice legs!
- Hey, Mar.
- Do you have this?
- How are my teeth?
- Good.
You look good.
- [Steve] 15 seconds.
- Hola!
- Got your bags packed?
- There's been a change of plans.
- Oh!
- And five, four
- You must be really
disappointed, I'm so sorry!
- Three, two...
- Well, it's that time of
year again when thousands
of letters to Santa on
the way to the North Pole,
and that means it's time
for lifestyle's reporter
Mary Maloney to help us write
our very own letters to Santa.
Mary?
- That's right, time is running
out but there's still time
for you kids of all
ages to write to Santa.
Thousands of letters filled
with Christmas wishes
are already on their way to the North Pole
and we have just a few of them here
on loan to us by the postal service.
So, to write to Santa, all
you need is some paper,
a pen or a pencil, an envelope,
and a lot of hope in your heart.
So, Dan, Rita.
Here it goes.
Dear Santa, what I would
like for Christmas...
- How do you spell Ferrari?
- You haven't been that good, Dan.
- But there's hope in my heart, Rita.
- All right, now you just fold
it, put it in the envelope,
and send to Santa Claus
care of the North Pole.
But I have it on good
authority that if you send it
to St. Nicholas, Kris Kringle,
Father Christmas, or just plain Santa,
your letter will reach
the jolly old fellow.
- And Mary, what did you wish for?
- I asked for our entire audience
to have a happy and
healthy holiday season.
And, of course, for all of
these wishes to come true.
- [All] Ho ho ho!
- Hey, hey, great job,
great job, everybody!
Well done, well done,
well done, well done!
Hey, Rita was too shiny.
Okay, good job, good job, good job.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,
you people were beautiful!
Excellent as always, thank you, thank you!
You were all great,
especially my Mary Christmas.
Mary Christmas, isn't that smart, huh?
- What do you need, Mac?
- Well, I had this genius idea.
Why don't we get you story
from there letters right here?
I'm sure it's...
- You can't open that,
that's official mail!
- I'm sure Santa's
not gonna mind, I'm sure
he's not gonna mind,
these are filled with ideas!
Here, we'll grab some, let's see.
"Dear Santa, please bring me a new truck,
"the one I got last year
broke, love, Jared," No.
A-ha!
"Dear Santa, I've been a good person
"except when I bit my sister," No.
Here, here, here, here, here.
I'm sorry, I know we're
gonna find gold here, okay!
"Dear Santa, I might be too old
"to be writing you but
you are my only hope.
"My mommy died when I was two,
"Daddy and I have been alone ever since.
"He's a very good daddy!
"But all I really want
for Christmas is a mommy,
"I think Daddy would like that, too.
"I don't want us to be
alone again this year.
"I know I'm asking a lot but
I hope you can bring someone
"to love us both, love, Felice Wallace!"
Smell that!
Do you know what that is?
Ratings!
Mary, this is it, this is your family!
I want you to follow the
single father and his daughter
as they struggle to get through Christmas.
- No, Mac, this family
has enough problems,
I don't wanna impose on their privacy!
- Privacy?
Mary, privacy?
You're a reporter!
Listen, if you wanna
get into the news you...
- There's no way this
little girl can get her wish
in the next four days,
it would be a downer!
- But, Mary Maloney, no,
no, no, no, Mary Christmas!
Yeah, she'll be able to figure
out the good, happy angle!
This is it, Mary, I'm
assigning you this story!
- No!
- No, I can see it!
The dad, he's struggling
to make ends meet,
and the little kid, him and her,
they live in some shabby cottage
without a woman's touch...
- Mac!
No.
I am not doing this.
- Mary.
Mary, if you do this for me I,
I promise you on my own next promotion
that I will have Duckworth
move you to the news.
I'll put my own job on the line.
Mary, it's that important to me.
- Give me this.
I'll call them.
- No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!
Call, no, Mary Maloney doesn't
call, Mary Maloney shows up!
See, they see the pretty
smile and they can't say no.
- Whatever you say, boss.
- That's a good sport, Mary!
- Don't make it worse, Mac!
- Ho ho ho!
- Tony, it's all so beautiful.
- Heh, you ain't seen nothin' yet!
Oh!
- Wow!
Yeah!
It looks just like Christmas.
Except there's no snow.
- Ah, who needs snow?
I like sunshine all year long!
- Not me, I like it when
it snows at Christmas.
Hi, Daddy!
- Hi, sweetheart!
How's my big girl?
- Good!
- Tony?
The house looks beautiful!
- I picked out the colours,
they're my favourite.
- Well, they're
my favourite too, sweetie.
- Cool, huh?
- Yeah.
Tony, great job.
Come on, Felice, I am starved!
- Okay.
- [Joel] Mm, something smells good!
- Rosa made salad too before
she left, it's in the fridge.
- Terrific!
Sweetheart, have you decided what
you wanna do for Christmas yet?
- Can't we just spend
Christmas at home together?
- Well, yeah, I suppose we could do that
but it's not very exciting around here
with just the two of us.
- Doesn't always have to be
just the two of us, you know.
- I suppose not, I can always call
some friends and invite 'em on over.
Don't you think it's time you told me
what you want for Christmas?
- I wish you could make it snow.
- Sweetheart, why is making
it snow so important to you?
- Dad, it's what makes Christmas special!
- Some shabby cottage.
- So, what do you want for Christmas?
- How 'bout one kiss
from my big girl, huh?
Let's pray, I'm hungry.
- Okay.
- Did you order pizza again?
- No!
- I'll get it.
- Santa'll make it snow.
- Mr. Wallace?
- Yes?
- Hi, Mary Maloney, KBTS News.
Merry Christmas!
- Hey Dad, she's the lady from TV!
- That's right!
And you must be Felice.
- Yeah!
- You've been selected
for a special segment
we're doing on families at Christmas.
- I don't think so.
- We're looking for single parent families
and you were recommended.
May I come in?
- Yes!
- Look, um, Felice...
- Thank you.
- Felice!
- Please, sit here.
- Thank you.
- May I get you something to drink?
- Oh, no, thank you.
- Felice...
- Look, I'll cut to the chase.
I'd like to come back with my crew
and be a fly on the wall
for the next few days.
Taping your holiday preparations
and just hanging out with you and Felice.
- No, I don't think so.
- Daddy, we could be on TV!
- That's right!
You could be an inspiration to
other single parent families.
- Yes, Daddy, please!
- Felice, sweetheart, I don't
think this is a good idea,
it's way too intrusive.
- It won't be, we'll, we'll
blend into the wallpaper.
- Can I speak to you?
Please?
- Sure.
- Alone.
Look, uh, sit down.
I've never really been
a big fan of the media
and this story sounds like
just another one of those
tearjerker manipulative
things that they do on...
- No, no, I'll put it in a positive light,
it'll be an upbeat Christmas story!
- Miss Maloney, I've seen your work
and I like it, I really do, but I'm,
I'm just not, not comfortable with this.
Do you have any kids, Miss Maloney?
- No.
- Well, Felice's mother died when Felice
was only two-years-old
and I promised myself that
that little girl would not have
a sad Christmas ever again.
You see, she means the world
to me and I, I don't want
her turned into some little
pathetic media darling,
you know, the poor little rich
girl and I watch the news,
I know what the stories are,
they're all just a bunch of hype and no...
- Heart.
- Right!
- Right.
I couldn't agree with you more.
If I were you, I would say no.
- Wait a minute, now when,
when exactly did we change sides?
- Who said
anything about sides?
Look, it's been a pleasure
not doing business with you.
And you have a beautiful daughter.
- Thank you.
And I appreciate your understanding.
I'm surprised but I'm appreciative.
- You're actually doing
me a favour, so thank you.
- You're welcome.
- Okay.
- I'll walk you out.
- Great.
- Mary.
- Thank you.
Merry Christmas.
- And to you.
Hm.
- Mary Maloney, hm.
Joel!
- Samantha!
- Hi, I hope I'm not too early.
- No, no, you're right on time.
You remember Felice?
- Well, hello Felice!
- Why don't you say hello, Felice?
- Hello.
- Come on in.
You sit right here, Samantha.
- Say, wasn't that the
television reporter leaving?
Mary Maloney?
- Yeah, yes it was.
- Wow, what was she doing here?
- Well, she wanted us to be
on TV but it was a bad idea.
- I didn't think so.
- So, what're you two doing for Christmas?
- Samantha, I am so glad that you asked!
How would you like to join
Felice and I for Christmas?
- I would love to!
But I always have Christmas
with my family in Oakdale.
Mommy and Daddy would
love to meet you both!
- Great!
- Okay, wait, we're having dinner here!
- We always open our
presents on Christmas Eve,
you can spend the night!
- But Santa brings our presents
on Christmas morning, right Daddy?
- Well, yes he does,
sweetheart, but I'm sure that
Santa brings presents to
some houses on Christmas Eve.
- But Santa wouldn't know
to bring my presents there!
- Felice, we could leave a note.
- I'm opening my presents
on Christmas morning.
- Samantha, it was a very, very
nice invitation, thank you.
- So, what do you want
for Christmas, Felice?
- Felice is having a little
trouble determining exactly what
it is that she wants for
Christmas, isn't that right, honey?
Felice, what's the matter, sweetheart?
I don't wanna go to Oakdale,
I wanna be on TV with Mary Maloney
and all I want for Christmas
is to be on TV, Dad!
- That didn't go well.
I'm sorry.
- No, you have to do this story.
- Mac, it's outta my hands.
The guy doesn't wanna do it
and, frankly, I don't blame him!
- For you information, I already told
Duckworth about the story.
I told him about the little girl
and the letter to Santa
and she wants a mommy
and I also told him how wonderful you are
and how we're gonna lose you
unless he moves you to the news.
- And?
- And he said if you can deliver
the ratings on this story,
he will move you into
the news at the beginning
of next year, which is like in a week.
- So I'll get another story.
- Duckworth does not want another story,
Duckworth wants this story and so do I.
Do you remember Nancy Dunne?
Exactly!
She used to work here,
then she crossed Duckworth.
Get my point?
- Yeah, I got it.
- Again, I'm sorry about
Felice, I'll talk to her
about Christmas as soon as she calms down.
- Does she know we've
been seeing each other?
- Oh yeah, just the TV thing's
got her upset, that's all.
- Well, good night, Joel.
- Good night.
Thanks for understanding.
- [Samantha] Bye.
- Me again!
- You forget something?
- Not exactly.
- Look...
- Before you say anything,
just hear me out.
- Mary...
- On the way to the
station I was thinking,
we can work this out...
- Okay.
- Forget about the backstory,
uh, it's just a family getting ready
for Christmas, totally...
Did you, you said okay?
- Yes.
- You mean you'll do it?
- Okay, I'll, we'll do it.
- Great!
We switched sides again!
What made you change your mind?
- I'll tell you what changed my mind
if you tell em what changed yours.
- Um, I'll get fired if I
don't do the story, you?
- Felice really wants to do it
and I just can't seem to tell her no.
- Huh, well, so much for the
strength of our convictions.
- Yes, score
one more point for hype.
- No hype, I promise!
Okay, uh, 10 a.m. my
crew and I will be here.
- Okay!
Oh, uh, no, I'm not gonna be here,
I have a meeting in the morning,
but Felice has a terrific nanny.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- We're in business.
- This is a '56 DeSoto, right?
- You got it, how'd you guess?
- Always been a fan of cars.
- Yeah, me too.
Okay.
- Okay.
- Nice lights, my favourite colours.
- Mine too!
- How did you get him to do it?
- I didn't, he changed his mind.
Oh, and that shabby little cottage?
It's a mansion.
- Really?
- Mm-hmm.
- Are they attractive?
- Very!
- Sympathetic?
- Extremely!
Mac, they're absolutely perfect.
- I'll tell Duckworth.
- Great.
Be sure to take all the credit.
- Ah, come on, can't you,
can't you do this one thing?
Look, I need to drop her
off on my way to work.
One day that, yeah, okay, all right, fine.
Merry Christmas to you.
Great sister you turned out to be.
- Is everything okay, Daddy?
- Oh, yeah, sweetheart, it's...
No, I forgot that Tony
and Rosa have the week off
for Christmas and I
don't have anybody here
to sit at the house with you today.
- I could go to work with you.
- No, Felice, you can't
go to work with me.
I got a big deal if I don't get
it by the end of the year...
Hey!
You know what?
I have a big surprise for you.
- What?
- Oh no, that's what I told her!
- Told who?
- You remember that
really nice lady reporter
that was here the other day?
- Mary Maloney?
- Yeah.
I changed my mind, she's coming here
at 10 o'clock to shoot a story.
- Yes, thank you, Daddy,
thank you, thank you!
- Yeah, you're very
welcome, but the problem is
I told her that you had a terrific nanny
and you don't have any nanny at all.
- The phone book?
You're looking for my
nanny in the phone book?
- Yeah, well, I need to be at
work and you need to be here,
what choice do I, hello?
Yes, my name is Joel
Wallace, I need a nanny.
Today, half an hour.
Listen, I have a nine-year-old daughter
and she is extremely well-behaved
and I need some help.
With references?
In a half an hour?
Well, yeah, okay, fine.
It's Wallace, 32 Weatherly Road.
Well, Merry Christmas to you!
I think it's gonna work out.
- Okay, Dad.
- [Joel] Cheers.
- If I had three wishes
they'd all be the same,
I wish Christmas were over,
I wish Christmas were over,
I wish Christmas were over.
- My three would be a Heritage Valley
collectable gnome number
54, the tennis player,
a couple CDs, a trip to Bermuda for me
to recover from Christmas shopping.
- Oh, free yourself, Hal, this
year I'm not shopping at all.
- Scrooge!
- I didn't say I wasn't celebrating,
I'm just not buying anything.
I'm making my own cards
and gifts and paper,
baking cookies, the whole nine yards!
- That sounds like a lotta work.
- Not really.
The secret is, lists!
The Eleanor Ellis Christmas Organizer,
she does everything herself, so can I!
- [Hal] Yeah, with a staff of 30!
- Thank you.
- Uh, say, how'd you get that book?
- Bought it.
- Bought it?
In a store?
- I bet it's snowing in Vermont today.
- Felice?
Is your room neat?
- [Felice] Kinda!
- Kinda.
- [Felice] Daddy?
How long does it take for a
letter to get to the North Pole?
- I don't think it takes
that long, sweetheart.
It's time.
Punctual, I like her already!
Yes?
- Good morning!
- Good morning.
- I'm here from the agency.
- Wait, you're the, you're the nanny?
- I prefer to be called governor,
it's the masculine form of governess.
- Um, sir, I don't...
- How do you do?
- Hi.
Do you wanna be on TV?
- Oh, madam, I live to be on TV.
- [Felice] Mary Maloney'll
be here in half an hour.
- You don't say!
Well, we better put this
place in shape, huh?
- I like him!
- Oh, this is wonderful!
Hal, you've gotta get a
shot of that and the swings,
oh, this is just terrific,
this is gonna be perfect!
- Oh, I get it, we're doing the
poor little rich girl story.
- Don't ever say that.
You either, nobody say that.
- Come on, Hal, let's
get set up over there.
We're gonna take some shots and
we're gonna do some of this.
Stop!
- Oh, hello, Mary, welcome!
- Hi!
- I'm Les Turner.
- Hello, Les, are you Felice's...
- Mary, Mary!
- Hi!
- This is Les, he's my governor,
it's kinda like a nanny.
- Oh!
Oh, very nice to meet you.
- It's not kinda like a nanny,
it's kinda like a governor.
- Thank you.
So, Les, I just need a little
background information.
How did you become a nanny, or governor?
- Have a cookie, Cookie?
- Thanks.
- Mm.
- Mary, I started out
as a song and dance man
in the dying days of vaudeville.
- Oh!
- When I got on the stage,
people clapped their hands,
right over their eyes, ka-boom-ching!
Well, anywho, did a few musicals,
worked in a film now and then,
and worked on TV off and on.
- I never saw you on TV.
- Well, that's because most
people like me off more than on.
- Heh, well, you'll be back on TV now.
But why a governor?
- Well, I had to earn a
living and I always liked kids
and I knew my way around
a boarding house kitchen.
It's really a very good job.
- And how long have you
been Felice's governor?
- Oh, we got way, way back.
Right, Felice?
- Right!
Way, way back.
- Anything else?
- Well, Les, I'll have to get some more
information from you later,
but why don't I go get my crew
and maybe you could give
me a tour of the house?
- Okay!
There's the kitchen.
There's the dining room.
And that one there is the guest room.
Here's Dad's room.
And here's Tony and Rosa,
uh, I mean Les' room.
- Huh, let's take a look.
Nice!
Going somewhere, Les?
- Well, I'm always ready
in case I get my big break.
- Come on, I wanna show you my room!
- Whoops, looks like we got
our work cut out for us.
- What a great dollhouse.
- Yeah.
- Who's that up there?
- Oh, that's Santa.
But it doesn't make sense to
have a Santa without snow.
- Snow?
You want snow?
Snow is no problem, snow is easy!
♪ There's no business like ♪
♪ Snow business like ♪
♪ No business I know ♪
Better?
- Yes!
- Yeah.
- We'll be ready in five minutes, Mary.
- Great, I'll just be a sec.
Shall I comb your hair, too?
- Sure.
- You have nice hair, it's so thick.
- Thank you.
- What do you think?
- We look good.
What do you think?
- I think you're right,
we look good together.
Camera ready, let's go.
Getting ready for
Christmas is overwhelming
for some families, but Felice Wallace,
her businessman father Joel,
and their unique governor,
that's a male nanny, Les Turner,
make holiday preparation
something special.
Even a messy room means fun
in this unusual household,
because when you're getting
ready for the holidays,
first you better clean up your act!
From baking gingerbread men.
♪ Deck the halls with boughs of holly ♪
- [Mary] To decking the halls
with strings of popcorn.
♪ We three kings of orient are ♪
♪ Bearing gifts of treasures afar ♪
- To setting up the family nativity scene
this pair adds a touch of magic
to the most mundane tasks.
Now as we follow the Wallace
family up until Christmas,
maybe we'll all learn how to make
our own holiday a little merrier.
For KBTS News, this is Mary
Maloney, Home for the Holidays.
♪ Still proceeding ♪
- Cut, okay, how was it?
- That was great.
How was that for you?
- Looked good through the lens.
- Great.
- Great, thanks guys!
Does your father always
get home this late?
- He can't help it, he works really hard.
- Places everybody, he's here!
- Hello, I'm home!
Felice?
Felice, Daddy's home, sweetheart!
Where are you?
- Ladies and gentlemen,
presenting those talented
titans of Terpsichore, Turner and Wallace!
Doing their favourite number...
- [Felice] The Santa Soft-Shoe!
- Say, that was pretty good!
You know, dancers run in my family.
- Well, they should!
- Ka-boom!
- Ching!
- I heard a new joke the other
day, I wonder if I told you.
- Was it funny?
- Yes!
- Then you didn't.
- Ka-boom!
- Ching!
- What a remark, I'm speechless!
- If only you could stay that way.
Ka-boom!
- Ching!
- Ta-da!
- That was fantastic,
sweetheart, just fantastic!
I think that the team
of Wallace and Turner
should be on the road
for a very long time.
- Uh, no, it's Turner and Wallace,
I still get top billing, you know.
- I stand correct, Les, I'm sorry.
- Nice reactions.
Okay, that's a wrap.
We can put voiceover in in the morning.
- Great, I'll meet you in the van,
I just need a moment with Joel.
- Oh, uh, Les, would you mind?
- Oh, sure, come on, sweetie.
- Very cute!
- So, how'd it go today, was it good?
- Great!
- Yeah?
- Yeah, that Les is a gem.
- Yes, he is.
- But you should know,
Felice was disappointed you weren't here.
- Yeah, I, want some?
- No, thank you.
- I'm in the middle of
a big business deal,
I couldn't get away.
But she understands, she's used to it.
- Joel, I wasn't going to tell you this,
but maybe I should mention how you were
really chosen for this segment.
- Sure.
- We got a bunch of letters
to Santa down at the station
and one was from Felice.
Do you wanna know what she asked for?
- Of course.
- She said all she wants
for Christmas is a mommy,
that you two were lonely.
- She said that?
Well, why wouldn't she tell me about it?
I, I, I thought when she
didn't want us to be lonely
that she just wanted company.
Mary.
When Felice's mother, Jeanie,
when Jeanie died, I promised
that I would take the best
possible care of our daughter.
So I became a bond broker,
I worked hard to make money,
not because I love money
but because I love Felice.
Felice means happy, did you know that?
That's how we always wanted her to stay.
Oh, I don't know why I'm saying all this,
I don't normally talk this way, I'm sorry.
- I don't mind listening.
- It's not that I never
considered remarrying,
it's just that I never thought anybody
could come close to Jeanie.
I thought, I guess I thought
that Felice wouldn't miss
what she never had in the first place.
- That's not true.
- Wait a minute, you're not gonna use
any of this in your story, are you?
- Of course not.
- I shouldn't have said any of this,
you're a reporter, I forgot!
- I'm not being a reporter right now.
- You should not have opened up
my daughter's letter to Santa,
this is exactly the kind
of invasion of privacy
that I was worried about!
- My boss opened the letter
and I'm not gonna read it on the air!
- I should hope not!
And I hope that you realize, Miss Maloney,
that life isn't just a series
of happy little sound bites.
- Since when
did we switch sides again?
- You're right, Mary, I'm sorry.
I just guess the letter
thing kinda threw me.
- I'm sorry for mentioning it.
- I probably needed to
hear it, it just brought up
a lot of feelings, that's...
- So, should we come back tomorrow?
- Yes, yes you should come back tomorrow,
I don't wanna disappointed Felice.
- Are you okay?
- Oh yeah, yeah, I'm fine.
In fact, I have a late dinner engagement,
let me walk you to your car.
- I know the way.
♪ God rest ye merry gentlemen ♪
♪ Let nothing you dismay ♪
♪ For Jesus Christ our Saviour ♪
♪ Was born on Christmas Day ♪
♪ To save us all from Satan's pow'r ♪
♪ When we were gone astray ♪
♪ O tidings of comfort and joy ♪
♪ Comfort and joy ♪
- Who is it?
- Mac!
Hey, didn't we have a dinner date?
- No.
- Ah, come on, I thought we
could celebrate your coup.
- Coup?
- Yeah, your coup, your
coup, the motherless kid,
it's brilliant, it's great reporting.
What's all this stuff?
What, did you rob a toy store?
- No, I thought it would be nice
to bring some gifts down
to the family shelter.
- Oh.
- I did a story on them
last year, you remember?
- Yeah, yeah, I remember,
I remember everything.
I just, you know, I thought
you hated Christmas.
- I'm not Scrooge!
I think every kid deserves
something from Santa.
- You know what I think,
Mary
I-Hate-Christmas-Whenever-It's-Convenient
Maloney?
I think you're a complete fraud,
you have this Christmas tree!
- Well, since you canceled my vacation...
- Ah, I knew you
were gonna take that shot.
I mean, anyway, look at this
tree, look at this tree,
it's missing something,
it should have a star
or something on top, shouldn't it?
- I like it like this.
- Hey, where's your corkscrew?
- You never give up, do you?
- Why would I give up on
something I really want?
- Because you can't have
everything you want, Mac.
Even at Christmas.
Like the little girl who wants a mom..
It's sad.
- This story really is getting to you.
I, I didn't even know you liked kids.
♪ And laid within a manger ♪
- Well now you know.
And now you go.
♪ To which His Mother Mary ♪
♪ Did nothing take in scorn ♪
♪ O tidings of comfort and joy ♪
♪ Comfort and joy ♪
♪ O tidings of comfort and joy ♪
♪ From God our Heavenly Father ♪
♪ A blessed angel came ♪
♪ And unto certain shepherds ♪
♪ Brought tidings of the same ♪
♪ That now was born in Bethlehem ♪
♪ The Son of God by name ♪
♪ O tidings of comfort and joy ♪
♪ Comfort and joy ♪
- A tie or a sweater.
A tie or a sweater.
- How 'bout a sweater?
How 'bout a tie?
Or how 'bout a baseball glove?
- Why would I get Daddy a baseball glove?
- Well, he probably always wanted one.
- Never said so.
Oh my gosh, Les, look!
- Well, isn't that interesting.
So, where are we going here, Cookie?
- Gallagher's, down at the end.
- Let's go.
Morning, pal, how's it goin'?
- Oh, worst day ever!
Would you believe it?
I haven't had a donation all day!
People just don't care anymore.
- Well, that's a shame!
- Wow, thanks so much!
Merry Christmas.
- [Both] Merry Christmas!
- Wow!
Les, look!
- That's more like it.
- Hey, look, there's Mary!
Hey, Mary!
- Make sure to get some of that
on camera, would you please?
- Yeah, got it.
- Good morning!
- Hi!
- Boy, you look pretty.
People sure have the Christmas spirit
around here, don't they?
- They didn't a minute
ago, Les started it.
- Nah.
- So, what do you say?
Let's go shopping!
Have you decided what
you're gettin' your dad yet?
- Yes!
- Okay, tape is rolling,
sweetie, so do your stuff.
- Daddies like this one a lot.
- I like it, but does
it come in aquamarine?
That's his favourite colour.
- Oh, no, honey, I'm sorry,
just the ones you see here.
How about hunter green?
Daddy would like that I bet!
- Look through the pile, Felice, hm?
- They must have aquamarine!
- I said there wasn't that
colour, how about a nice yellow?
- She doesn't want yellow, Milicent Faye,
she wants aquamarine!
And I have a feeling that in that pile
there's at least one large
size aquamarine sweater.
Trust me on that.
- Here it is!
Size large!
I can't believe it!
- Neither can I.
- Next time look more closely maybe, hm?
- Okay, well, we got what we wanted,
so let's move over to
Santa's Village, okay?
- Mary, did you see that?
It was almost like magic!
- Yeah, I think the
next time I go shopping
I'm bringing Les with me.
- Sorry, kid, time for Santa's break.
Here's some candy, see ya.
- Aw, that's not fair!
- What's he doing?
- Hey, listen up, Santa'll
be back in an hour.
Ho ho ho.
- Where do they get these guys?
- That's not the real Santa!
- Of course not!
- Ho ho ho.
- Hey, where you goin'?
Hey, bub!
Hey!
Hey, Santa!
You stay here.
- Ho ho ho!
- Look, it's Santa!
It's the real Santa!
- Merry Christmas!
- Oh my!
Is that who I think it is?
Felice, go on up and join Les.
- Okay.
- Thank you.
That's fantastic.
- It's so great, I'm so excited!
- Hal, are you getting all of that?
- Merry Christmas, Mary Maloney!
- If you're dreading that
last-minute trip to the mall,
take heart, shoppers
today at Ridgecrest Mall
were in for quite a treat from two of our
Home for the Holidays subjects,
Felice Wallace and Les Turner.
- Wait'll you see, Dad, wait'll you see!
- [Mary] People were in a giving mood
at Ridgecrest Mall today,
but no one was happier than
Felice Wallace as she picked
out a present for her father.
- Oh, Dad, don't look, don't look!
- Okay, I'm not...
- Don't look, Dad!
- I can't see a thing,
sweetheart, I promise!
- It's just what Daddy wanted!
- [Mary] And when Felice
had finished her shopping,
she and her governor, Les Turner,
stepped in to make the
Christmas season even merrier.
As you can see, Felice and Les
have a gift for spreading happiness.
Keep watching tomorrow
night for another chapter
in this very special story we
call Home for the Holidays.
For KBTS, this is Mary Maloney.
That's it!
What do you think?
- I love it, I'm on TV!
- I have to admit, I loved
it too, it was fantastic!
- Great, another satisfied customer!
- Which means, Santa's little helper,
it is time for you to go to bed.
- Can Mary tuck me in tonight?
- Uh...
- Just so she's snug as a bug in a rug.
- I can do that.
- Okay, fine.
- Oh, thank you.
- Good night, sweetheart.
- Night.
- Pretty nice having a
woman around, isn't it?
- Yeah, it sure is.
- You know, I'm surprised that
a smart woman hasn't caught
a good looking guy like
you in all these years.
I remember a fella I knew just like you,
he said he was looking
for an old fashioned girl.
I said, "Why don't you come to my house?
"I'll introduce you to my
grandmother," ka-boom-ching.
- What?
- You remind me of my last
audience, and I do mean last.
No, I was merely saying I'm surprised
that you never married again.
- Oh.
- Of course it's none of my business
but you must know some nice ladies.
- Les, has, has Felice said
anything to you about that?
- Well, she has said that
there's one special lady
that's been around here
lately that she likes.
- She said that?
- Mm, just this morning,
as a matter of fact.
Good night.
- Good night.
- There!
Snug as a bug in a rug.
- You believe in Santa Claus, don't you?
- Sure I do.
But I don't believe that Santa can make
every wish come true all of the time.
He's got a big job, there're
a lotta kids out there.
- I know.
But...
- I love these.
Oh, look at the family.
Looks like Vermont.
- What's in Vermont?
- A lot of happy memories.
When I was a kid, we always used to
go to Vermont to see my grandparents
and it always snowed at
Christmas, like magic.
- Were you happy?
- Yeah.
See, when I was growing up,
my family had a lot of problems so
Christmas in Vermont was my
favourite time of the year.
And now, even though Grandma
and Grandpa are gone,
I still go back there,
to remember the happy times.
- I love snow, too.
- Yeah.
But I guess it won't be snowing this year.
But I think you are gonna have
a very merry Christmas just the same.
Good night.
- Right there.
- Good night, sweetheart.
- Is everything all right?
- Yeah, fine, um...
She had a really busy day,
she oughta sleep well tonight.
- Sorry I missed it.
Here, you left this downstairs.
- Thank you.
- Some of the things I said...
- Look, um, there're
only two more days left
and then we'll be done with this story
that neither one of us wanted to do.
Excuse me, um, I have
an appointment with Les.
- Come in!
Howdy-doo!
Have a seat in my chair.
- Thank you.
- I, uh, I didn't have
any clips that you wanted,
but I did have some photos.
- Great!
Oh, these are terrific.
Look at you!
- Who would ever think
I'd end up as a governor?
- Pays the rent, right?
- Which is more than my hoofing was doing.
I had to quit the stage
because of my throat.
- Your throat?
- Yeah, the audience threatened to cut it.
Anyway, I like kids.
Do you like kids?
- Sure.
- You ever think of having kids?
- Well, I'm not really...
- Seems that you have a knack
with kids, kids like you!
Felice sure does.
- It's probably because I'm on TV.
- Oh, I think she'd like
you no matter what you did.
It's a shame, though, that
she hasn't got a mother.
It's a bad break, don't you think?
- It's a very bad break.
- A pretty, talented lady like you
probably never had any
bad breaks like that.
- Oh, I had my share.
- [Les] So, is your story almost finished?
Is it going well, you think?
- So far, so good.
I don't have my ending yet, though.
- Oh, you have to end
it with a big finish,
you gotta give it everything you got!
Yeah, don't hold anything back,
that's what they used to tell me.
- Everything I got?
Les, I couldn't do that.
- Yes, you can, Mary.
- So, folks, looks like our prediction
for a scorcher of a Christmas still holds.
So make sure you wear your sunscreen
if you plan to go out
caroling, because there is
not a chance of there
bein' a white Christmas
within a hundred miles
of where I'm sittin'!
- [Dan] No snowboarding?
- [Weather Forecaster]
Nope, no snow, not a drop!
- Oh, what does he know?
That guy's so dumb,
he tried to find the zip code
for the Gettysburg Address!
- Ka-boom-ching!
- Yeah.
- I had a weird dream last night.
- What was it?
- I dreamed that you were Santa Claus.
- No!
Me?
What a crazy dream!
- Well, yesterday it was kinda
like you were Santa Claus.
I mean, you started all
those people givin' money,
you found Daddy's sweater,
and you seemed to know
what every one of those
kids wanted for Christmas!
- Well, I didn't make those
things happen, it just happened!
- Yeah, but you made
it feel like Christmas
wherever you went, just like Santa Claus!
- Whoa now, I may've put on a few pounds,
but I don't have a beard,
I don't wear a red suit.
Now, I like Christmas a
lot, but I am not Santa!
- Yeah, but in my dream you
had a beard and a red suit
and you looked exactly like Santa Claus.
- If I was Santa for Christmas,
I'd give myself a
one-man show on Broadway!
- Yeah, but there was somethin' else.
The way you got here so fast?
It was like you were waitin'
outside for Daddy's call.
- I needed the job.
Hello?
Oh, he's not here, can I take a message?
Yeah, just a second.
Uh, you're gonna have to call back.
- Oh my gosh, my letter!
- Felice, where are ya?
Where are you, Felice?
- You are Santa Claus, you
have the letter I wrote you!
- Oh, whoa, whoa!
Now, Cookie, you're
jumpin' to conclusions.
- You must be, there's no other way
you could've got this letter!
- Oh, no, no, no, you know what happened?
The day I got here, I found this letter
on top of the mailbox,
I guess the postmaster
must've returned it, yeah.
So, I was gonna give it to
you and I put it in my pocket.
Well, listen, it's still not
too late to mail it, huh?
Oh, here's the problem!
You forgot to put down the
zip code for the North Pole!
So, we'll just look that
up and then we'll mail it.
- Our mailman doesn't come that
early, you are Santa Claus!
- Felice, it doesn't make sense.
If I was Santa Claus, I'd
be too busy making toys
and checking lists to be here now, right?
- Are you gonna bring me a mommy
like I asked in the letter?
- Come here.
Now listen.
A mommy isn't something
you order like a hamburger.
Now, you had a mom who loved you very much
and you still have a dad who
wants the very best for you.
You live in a nice house,
you go to a nice school,
and you got me, now that's
better than a lot of kids get.
- I know, but it isn't just
for me, it's for Daddy, too.
So if you're not Santa,
I'm just gonna have to
get a mommy on my own.
- As you can see...
No, no, no, just keep watching.
Have a gift for spreading happiness.
Keep watching tomorrow
night for another chapter
in this very special story we
call Home for the Holidays.
It's sweet, isn't it?
Katrina did a great edit!
- It's too soft!
- Too soft?
Mac, I thought you wanted
something that touches the heart?
This touches the heart!
- But what's the ending?
Mary, Duckworth is getting nervous,
and I have to tell you, you
don't have a lot of time
to redeem yourself before
your contract is up.
- Thanks for reminding me.
I'll just go someplace else.
- Well, it is easier to find
a job when you have a job.
Besides, time marches
on, maybe five years ago
you could pull a stunt like this.
- Gee, thanks!
- Mary, we are in the
business of selling dreams,
where is this dream going to end?
- Well, they have a very
merry Christmas, I hope.
- No, no, no, no, no!
They're going to have
the merriest Christmas
that anyone has ever had in
the history of Christmases!
They're gonna have every single one
of their dreams and wishes fulfilled!
- Who are you, Santa Claus?
- No, you are!
You're gonna get in there and
you're gonna do something.
Okay, what does that little
girl want for Christmas?
- A mother.
- Good!
Get her one.
- Mac, are you crazy?
- We have been promoting this
show like there's no tomorrow,
now Duckworth wants a happy ending!
- I can't...
- Eh!
He's going to accept nothing less!
Get that kid a mommy.
- Right.
At least in news I won't
have to make up the ending.
- You wanna bet?
- [Charlene] Hey
stranger, this is Charlene
and I sure would love to talk
to y'all but leave a message!
- Hi, Charlene, this is Felice
Wallace, Joel's daughter.
Daddy's really down in the
dumps and I think he misses you,
can you come by around
five on Christmas Eve?
I think he'd really like to see you again.
Hello, Maria?
This is Felice Wallace, Joel's daughter.
Daddy's really down in the
dumps and I think he misses you,
could you drop by around
five on Christmas Eve?
I think he'd really like to
see you again, thank you.
This is Felice Wallace, Joel's daughter.
- [Woman] Yes?
- Daddy's really down in the dumps
and I think he misses you,
can you come by around
five on Christmas Eve?
I think he'd really like to see you again.
- [Woman] Okay.
- Thank you.
- Mary?
Yeah, hi, it's Joel Wallace.
- [Mary] Hi, Joel, what's up?
- Um, got kind of a surprise for you,
think you could get your crew together
and stop by my house around
eight o'clock tonight?
- What is it?
- I can't tell you but I promise that
it will be great for your
story and you will love it.
- Okay, we'll be there.
- All right, I'll see you then.
- Mary Maloney, I would like
you to meet Samantha Bruce.
- Nice to meet you.
- I'd like to do a shot
that Samantha, Felice, and I
are all in together, can we do that?
- Sure!
- Thanks!
- Got that, guys?
- Sure.
Everybody's a director.
- Okay, rolling tape.
Camera's on you, Joel.
And three, two, one.
- Um...
Felice, I know that
you have wanted a mommy
for a very, very long time, in fact,
it's one of your biggest wishes.
Well, you don't have
to wish for it anymore
because Samantha and I are getting married
just as soon as possible!
- I'll be your new mommy!
- Go on, hug your, hug
your new mommy, sweetheart.
- Uh, kill the camera, pack it up.
- Wait just a second!
- This is a personal family moment,
we don't belong here, it's intrusive.
- I thought you said that you
wanted an uplifting story?
- Who cares what I want?
Don't you care what your daughter wants?
Look at her!
Look, I'm sorry, that was out of line.
I should go.
Felice, honey, I gotta go.
- Please, Mary, tuck me in tonight!
- Sweetheart, I think that Samantha
should be the one to tuck you in tonight.
Wouldn't you like to do that, Sam?
Go on, go on, sweetie.
- I'll be back tomorrow
night for the tree trimming.
Have a good evening.
- Good news, huh?
You got your happy ending.
- You think so?
- Well, Felice got her
mom, what could be better?
- I'm just a reporter,
how do you feel about it?
- Me?
I'm just a governor.
Good night, Mary.
- Good night.
- There you go.
Ooh!
Isn't this cute!
Looks like an antique.
It's probably worth a lot of money.
- I was hoping it would
snow for Christmas.
- Mm, snow.
You know what?
It just messes up the road
and makes it difficult to get around.
So tomorrow night you'll get to meet
your new grandma and grandpa.
Well, good night.
- Right there.
- Monica, let's just get set
up for the tree trimming,
the tea and cookies
and then get outta here
as soon as possible, okay?
- Absolutely.
- Okay by me!
- Stop!
Get a close up on those cookies,
I really need that cookie shot.
- Samantha, you don't have
to worry, you look fine.
You look beautiful!
- Have a cookie, Cookie?
- No, thank you.
- You'll like it, it's chocolate.
- No, thank you.
- Samantha?
- No, I can't, I'm too nervous
about being on television.
- Oh, sweetheart, you
don't have to be nervous,
there's really nothing,
there's nothing to,
I would like a cookie, thank you, Les.
There's nothing to it, right?
Right, Felice?
Look, once we've finished
trimming the tree,
we're all gonna get in the car,
we're gonna go over to Samantha's parents
and we're gonna have dinner.
What're we having?
- Prime rib.
- Prime rib!
- We always have prime rib!
- Ooh, that sounds yummy, doesn't it?
- I don't eat red meat.
- Exactly what do you call a hamburger?
- I'll get that.
- Thank you, Les.
- Hi, I'm Maria Archer,
I think Joel and Felice are expecting me.
- Yes, come on in, Merry Christmas.
The gifts go in the formal
dining room on the right.
Well, is the Wallace family expecting you?
- You bet, honey!
I'm Charlene.
- Oh, Charlene, yes.
Well, Merry Christmas,
you all, come on in!
Formal dining room on the right.
Charlene.
- Hi, I'm Leslie.
- Come inside, ladies!
That's it, Merry Christmas!
This way.
Formal dining room on the right.
- Sweetheart, Felice,
we all have to adjust.
There are, there are things
that we all have to do
because our lives are...
Uh...
Would you excuse me for a moment?
- Um, would you excuse me a moment?
- [Woman] I haven't seen him in so long.
- Well, Merry Christmas, Joel, honey!
How's that adorable
little daughter of yours?
She's just fine, Charlene, thank you.
- Could you excuse me for a moment?
- Mary Maloney,
ladies and gentlemen.
Uh, I wanna wish you all
a very Merry Christmas,
I'm delighted that you're here.
I want to introduce you to
Samantha Bruce, my fiancé.
- What kind of a joke is this?
- It's not a joke, Maria.
What...
- Well, bah and humbug, darling.
- Charlene.
- Nice goin'.
- See ya, Leslie.
- No, Joel, I would very
much like to know what the,
what was that all about?
- Excuse me, I'm sure that you two
have things you'd like to discuss,
but I've got a crew that has
other plans for the night.
Can we get to the tree trimming soon?
- Yeah, we're gonna get
to it in just a minute,
but first there's someone
I really need to talk to.
Tell me exactly what you did.
- I called all the women you dated.
It was before you were engaged, Dad,
I was trying to help you.
- First of all, sweetheart,
I did not date all of those women,
and secondly, how could
this possible help me?
- Well, I'd get a mom
and you'd get a wife!
- Sweetheart, don't you think that
I should be able to pick out my own wife?
- You never have in
all these years, I was,
I was just trying to help you!
That's why I wanted us on TV,
so maybe some nice lady would see us.
Then, then I thought of
calling all your girlfriends.
- Felice, you called every
woman's name in my work book.
Felice, Leslie is my
dentist, come on, sweetie!
- I didn't think that
they'd all come, Dad.
- Don't you think that
maybe you should've asked me
how I felt about it, first?
- Don't you think that
maybe you should've asked me
how I felt about Samantha first?
- Well, maybe, maybe I should have but...
Felice, I heard that you
wanted a mommy for Christmas,
I thought I was doing the right thing.
- Les told you?
- No, Les didn't tell me,
I just, I just found out.
Look.
I have held onto your mommy
for a very, very long time
and it was really selfish of me
because you need a real, live
mommy, not just a memory.
So I asked Samantha to
marry me because I think
she'll make a terrific mommy
and I thought you'd be happy.
- Do you love her?
'Cause if you don't then she
wouldn't make a good mommy.
- We have a TV crew
waiting for us downstairs.
- Merry Christmas from the Wallace house
where dreams have come true
in a surprising conclusion
to this holiday story.
Over the last few days
we've gotten to know
Joel Wallace, his daughter Felice,
and their very special
governor, Les Turner.
Today, we're going to
meet a soon-to-be member
of the family, Samantha Bruce,
whose engagement to Joel
has just been announced.
All right, cut.
That's it for the stand
up, now all we have left
are the beauty shots of the tree trimming
and then we get to go home, let's go.
- You too, Les.
- Uh, maybe this should
just be for the family, huh?
- Okay, we'll start with the family.
- I think they need your
help to trim the tree.
- Okay.
You know, I'm kinda glad you're
not Santa Claus after all.
- You are?
- Well...
I'd hate to think Santa would
mess things up so badly.
- And now, for the piece de resistance,
this star was given to
Felice by her mother
just before she left us.
This year I think that it's only right
if Samantha should put the star
on top of the Wallace
family Christmas tree.
- Mary!
Somebody help!
- Mary?
Mary?
- Mary?
- Can you hear us?
- Somebody get help!
- Mary?
- Are you sure you're okay?
- I'm fine, I think I forgot
to eat lunch, that's all.
Um, why don't you guys take off
and I'll meet you in the van?
I just, uh, I need to speak
with Joel alone, please.
- Joel?
- It's all right, sweetheart,
I'll just be a few minutes.
- Hey, I think you really
oughta take it easy.
I can call someone...
- No, I'm, I'm fine, really.
But I need to ask you a
really blunt question.
Why didn't you tell me Felice was adopted?
- Why would you ask something like that?
- Because your wife
didn't give her that star.
- Of course she did.
- Her birth mother gave it to her
and when you adopted her,
the star came with her.
- Boy, you reporters really
do your homework, don't you?
Who told you that?
- No one had to tell me.
- What are you saying?
- Nine years ago,
I had to make the most
difficult decision of my life.
I made a string of really bad choices
but I was trying to do the right thing.
That star, my grandfather made that star,
and he gave it to my
mother, who gave it to me,
and I gave it to my baby girl
the day that I said
good-bye to her.
I couldn't take care of her!
- How did you find my daughter?
- I wasn't looking, I swear!
It was purely by chance that my boss
picked her letter out of the pile!
- Oh, come on!
- He opened her letter and
he assigned me the story!
- You expect me to believe
that out of the thousands
of letters to Santa, that
you found Felice's letter?
Come on!
- I, I...
It's crazy, I know, but there's no way
I could've known that it was her, I mean,
if she had told me she was
adopted maybe I could've...
She doesn't know?
- She doesn't know.
And I know that that's
wrong but I could never seem
to be able to find the
right moment to tell her
and she was way too young
anyway when he mother died
to really understand anything.
And I wanted to tell her all about you,
but I thought that would be like
losing two mommies instead of just one,
that would be way too much
for a little girl to handle.
Or maybe it was just too
much for me to handle
but now that she's older,
I can't seem to tell her much of anything
about that time at all.
But you gotta understand,
keeping this secret so long
has been so very difficult
and I don't want anyone...
- All I wanted to know
was that I hadn't made a mistake,
and that my baby girl
was loved and wanted.
- Let me tell you something.
I love my daughter more
than anything in the world.
- Joel, we need to get, to get going.
Joel we need to leave now, Mommy
and Daddy are expecting us.
Now, you got rid of those
other women, get rid of her.
- I'll go.
- I'm very sorry, Samantha,
but something important has come up.
- More important than me?
I see.
Well, Merry Christmas to you both.
- Well, there goes that story.
- Ah, you know Mary,
she'll use her magic touch
and get a happy ending.
- Oh no!
- What's wrong?
- I just remembered, I don't
have my car, Joel picked me up.
- Oh, can I give you a ride somewhere?
- Yeah, that would be great.
In fact, if you don't have dinner plans,
you're welcome to join me and my family.
It's 45 miles but they're
serving prime rib.
- Dinner with Mom and Dad is so my style!
I'm Hal.
- I know.
Samantha.
- I know.
- Les, where are you?
Les?
Where are you going?
- Sorry, Cookie, I have to
leave, I have a deadline to meet.
- But you can't go,
who'll take care of me?
- Don't you worry, you
won't need me anymore,
you can trust me on that.
- But you can't leave
me here with Samantha!
- And you don't have to worry
about Samantha anymore either,
you can trust me on that, too!
- Trust you?
I can't trust you at all.
You're runnin' out on me!
You're no Santa, you're just
an old song and dance man.
You're a big flop!
- Like I said all along.
I want you to give this to your dad,
it's something he's always wanted.
- Don't you have a present for me?
- It's on its way.
I'm sorry, Felice, but it's time for me
to shuffle off to Buffalo.
Merry Christmas.
I love you, Cookie.
- Les.
Les, come back!
Les, don't...
- [Joel] Felice?
- He's gone!
- Sweetheart...
- Felice, what happened honey?
- He's gone.
- Who?
- Les is gone!
- He didn't just disappear,
listen...
- He took his suitcase
and said good-bye, make him
come back, Daddy, please!
- Sweetheart, I can't make him come back
if he doesn't wanna be here.
Here.
There's something...
- I should go.
- No, I...
I want you to stay.
Felice, you know that I love you
more than any daddy's
loved his daughter, right?
- Mm-hmm.
- Sweetheart, there's
something I should've told you
a very long time ago.
Your mommy and I adopted you
when you were a very little baby girl.
And your mother loved you so much,
but you had another mommy
who loved you very much, too.
In fact, she loved you so
much that when she realized
she couldn't take care of you,
she found another mommy
and daddy who could.
I want you to meet her.
- He did it!
He is Santa Claus!
I wrote a letter to Santa asking for a mom
and now it's come true!
- You know what, Felice?
I wrote a letter to Santa about you!
- You did?
- Mm-hmm.
- Oh!
Come on!
Wait here.
He had 'em all the time.
My letter and yours!
- This is the letter I wrote on the air.
You read it, Felice.
- Okay.
"Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas
"is to know that my little girl is happy."
I'm happy now, Mommy.
- Me too, sweetie.
- Oh!
He left this for you, Daddy.
- This is a Mickey Mantle baseball glove.
I had one when I was
10-years-old, but I lost it,
it was my most prized possession.
How did he know?
- Wow, look at the star!
- Felice!
- It's back together again!
- Les couldn't be...
- I told you!
- Merry Christmas.
- Oh my gosh, look!
- [Joel] Look at what, sweetheart?
- [Felice] Hurry!
- [Joel] Okay, I'm comin'!
Oh, don't tell me it's snowing!
- Come on!
- Wow!
- Oh!
- Oh my gosh!
- Come on!
- Wow, he did everything!
- Yes, he did.
- Oh, spin, sweetheart!
Oh!
Merry Christmas!
- Woo!
- Merry Christmas!
You couldn't ask for more perfect
Christmas weather than this!
Unfortunately, those shots
were taken in Vermont
and you live in California!
Hello, wake up and smell the latte!
Our forecast for the next
five days calls for the usual:
warm, toasty, hot, scorching!
So, I hate to be the
one to break it to you,
but there is not a chance of
there being a white Christmas
this year within a hundred
miles of where I'm sittin'.
- No skiing?
- Nope, no snow!
Not a drop, not a flake.
Except for maybe that!
Merry Christmas to you!
- I cannot believe even
you would do this to me!
- Yeah, and I can't believe that this jerk
would ask me for a raise and
he can't even deliver snow!
- Don't change the subject!
Look, I only get two weeks a year,
how can you give them away?
- Mary, I need you.
All right, fine, the station needs you.
You know the Channel 3
motto, three for the people?
Well, Duckworth wants more people stories
and nobody does people stories
better than Mary Maloney!
- Yeah, well, I'm a people too,
and I need snow at
Christmas, I need Vermont,
I look forward to it all year!
Christmas around here is
all hype and no heart.
- I have all the heart you need.
- Get a transplant.
- Mary, the station needs
one of those great, big
Mary Maloney Christmas stories, you know,
the kind that touch you right here!
- I hate making people feel like Christmas
has to be perfect, they
end up feeling hollow
and disappointed, like I do now.
- Mary, you are looking
at this the wrong way,
that's your talent!
See, you can make people
think Christmas is wonderful
even though it is hollow
and disappointing!
Come with me, come with me.
There's a station in St.
Louis that's following
a real family as they
prepare for the holidays,
the audience is eating it up!
That is your ticket, I promise you!
We're gonna find you a family
and you're gonna follow them
as they prepare for Christmas.
We're gonna bring the audience
right into the living room!
- Mac, how long have you been promising
that you'd move me into news?
- And I will, but you
have to be a good sport,
you gotta play by Duckworth's rules.
Which reminds me, he
wants you to wear this.
- You know, my contract is up in February
and there is nothing holding
me here except a job in news.
- And, well...
- What does that mean?
- Well, I mean, Mary, you know,
your contract's up every
year and every year
you threaten to quit but you never leave.
I mean, something's
obviously keeping you here
and I have a pretty good
idea I know what it is.
- You are absolutely right, I
have stayed here far too long.
It is time to put my foot down
and I'm putting it down on this story!
- I, I wish you would pick
it up and then put it down
then pick it up again
and put it down again
because you're on in 53 seconds.
- Letters to Santa,
it's like fingernails on a chalkboard!
Dear Santa, can you get me a new life?
- Best idea I ever had!
- No doubt.
- Hey Steve.
- Hello, Mary, 30 seconds!
- Thank you.
Nice legs!
- Hey, Mar.
- Do you have this?
- How are my teeth?
- Good.
You look good.
- [Steve] 15 seconds.
- Hola!
- Got your bags packed?
- There's been a change of plans.
- Oh!
- And five, four
- You must be really
disappointed, I'm so sorry!
- Three, two...
- Well, it's that time of
year again when thousands
of letters to Santa on
the way to the North Pole,
and that means it's time
for lifestyle's reporter
Mary Maloney to help us write
our very own letters to Santa.
Mary?
- That's right, time is running
out but there's still time
for you kids of all
ages to write to Santa.
Thousands of letters filled
with Christmas wishes
are already on their way to the North Pole
and we have just a few of them here
on loan to us by the postal service.
So, to write to Santa, all
you need is some paper,
a pen or a pencil, an envelope,
and a lot of hope in your heart.
So, Dan, Rita.
Here it goes.
Dear Santa, what I would
like for Christmas...
- How do you spell Ferrari?
- You haven't been that good, Dan.
- But there's hope in my heart, Rita.
- All right, now you just fold
it, put it in the envelope,
and send to Santa Claus
care of the North Pole.
But I have it on good
authority that if you send it
to St. Nicholas, Kris Kringle,
Father Christmas, or just plain Santa,
your letter will reach
the jolly old fellow.
- And Mary, what did you wish for?
- I asked for our entire audience
to have a happy and
healthy holiday season.
And, of course, for all of
these wishes to come true.
- [All] Ho ho ho!
- Hey, hey, great job,
great job, everybody!
Well done, well done,
well done, well done!
Hey, Rita was too shiny.
Okay, good job, good job, good job.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,
you people were beautiful!
Excellent as always, thank you, thank you!
You were all great,
especially my Mary Christmas.
Mary Christmas, isn't that smart, huh?
- What do you need, Mac?
- Well, I had this genius idea.
Why don't we get you story
from there letters right here?
I'm sure it's...
- You can't open that,
that's official mail!
- I'm sure Santa's
not gonna mind, I'm sure
he's not gonna mind,
these are filled with ideas!
Here, we'll grab some, let's see.
"Dear Santa, please bring me a new truck,
"the one I got last year
broke, love, Jared," No.
A-ha!
"Dear Santa, I've been a good person
"except when I bit my sister," No.
Here, here, here, here, here.
I'm sorry, I know we're
gonna find gold here, okay!
"Dear Santa, I might be too old
"to be writing you but
you are my only hope.
"My mommy died when I was two,
"Daddy and I have been alone ever since.
"He's a very good daddy!
"But all I really want
for Christmas is a mommy,
"I think Daddy would like that, too.
"I don't want us to be
alone again this year.
"I know I'm asking a lot but
I hope you can bring someone
"to love us both, love, Felice Wallace!"
Smell that!
Do you know what that is?
Ratings!
Mary, this is it, this is your family!
I want you to follow the
single father and his daughter
as they struggle to get through Christmas.
- No, Mac, this family
has enough problems,
I don't wanna impose on their privacy!
- Privacy?
Mary, privacy?
You're a reporter!
Listen, if you wanna
get into the news you...
- There's no way this
little girl can get her wish
in the next four days,
it would be a downer!
- But, Mary Maloney, no,
no, no, no, Mary Christmas!
Yeah, she'll be able to figure
out the good, happy angle!
This is it, Mary, I'm
assigning you this story!
- No!
- No, I can see it!
The dad, he's struggling
to make ends meet,
and the little kid, him and her,
they live in some shabby cottage
without a woman's touch...
- Mac!
No.
I am not doing this.
- Mary.
Mary, if you do this for me I,
I promise you on my own next promotion
that I will have Duckworth
move you to the news.
I'll put my own job on the line.
Mary, it's that important to me.
- Give me this.
I'll call them.
- No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!
Call, no, Mary Maloney doesn't
call, Mary Maloney shows up!
See, they see the pretty
smile and they can't say no.
- Whatever you say, boss.
- That's a good sport, Mary!
- Don't make it worse, Mac!
- Ho ho ho!
- Tony, it's all so beautiful.
- Heh, you ain't seen nothin' yet!
Oh!
- Wow!
Yeah!
It looks just like Christmas.
Except there's no snow.
- Ah, who needs snow?
I like sunshine all year long!
- Not me, I like it when
it snows at Christmas.
Hi, Daddy!
- Hi, sweetheart!
How's my big girl?
- Good!
- Tony?
The house looks beautiful!
- I picked out the colours,
they're my favourite.
- Well, they're
my favourite too, sweetie.
- Cool, huh?
- Yeah.
Tony, great job.
Come on, Felice, I am starved!
- Okay.
- [Joel] Mm, something smells good!
- Rosa made salad too before
she left, it's in the fridge.
- Terrific!
Sweetheart, have you decided what
you wanna do for Christmas yet?
- Can't we just spend
Christmas at home together?
- Well, yeah, I suppose we could do that
but it's not very exciting around here
with just the two of us.
- Doesn't always have to be
just the two of us, you know.
- I suppose not, I can always call
some friends and invite 'em on over.
Don't you think it's time you told me
what you want for Christmas?
- I wish you could make it snow.
- Sweetheart, why is making
it snow so important to you?
- Dad, it's what makes Christmas special!
- Some shabby cottage.
- So, what do you want for Christmas?
- How 'bout one kiss
from my big girl, huh?
Let's pray, I'm hungry.
- Okay.
- Did you order pizza again?
- No!
- I'll get it.
- Santa'll make it snow.
- Mr. Wallace?
- Yes?
- Hi, Mary Maloney, KBTS News.
Merry Christmas!
- Hey Dad, she's the lady from TV!
- That's right!
And you must be Felice.
- Yeah!
- You've been selected
for a special segment
we're doing on families at Christmas.
- I don't think so.
- We're looking for single parent families
and you were recommended.
May I come in?
- Yes!
- Look, um, Felice...
- Thank you.
- Felice!
- Please, sit here.
- Thank you.
- May I get you something to drink?
- Oh, no, thank you.
- Felice...
- Look, I'll cut to the chase.
I'd like to come back with my crew
and be a fly on the wall
for the next few days.
Taping your holiday preparations
and just hanging out with you and Felice.
- No, I don't think so.
- Daddy, we could be on TV!
- That's right!
You could be an inspiration to
other single parent families.
- Yes, Daddy, please!
- Felice, sweetheart, I don't
think this is a good idea,
it's way too intrusive.
- It won't be, we'll, we'll
blend into the wallpaper.
- Can I speak to you?
Please?
- Sure.
- Alone.
Look, uh, sit down.
I've never really been
a big fan of the media
and this story sounds like
just another one of those
tearjerker manipulative
things that they do on...
- No, no, I'll put it in a positive light,
it'll be an upbeat Christmas story!
- Miss Maloney, I've seen your work
and I like it, I really do, but I'm,
I'm just not, not comfortable with this.
Do you have any kids, Miss Maloney?
- No.
- Well, Felice's mother died when Felice
was only two-years-old
and I promised myself that
that little girl would not have
a sad Christmas ever again.
You see, she means the world
to me and I, I don't want
her turned into some little
pathetic media darling,
you know, the poor little rich
girl and I watch the news,
I know what the stories are,
they're all just a bunch of hype and no...
- Heart.
- Right!
- Right.
I couldn't agree with you more.
If I were you, I would say no.
- Wait a minute, now when,
when exactly did we change sides?
- Who said
anything about sides?
Look, it's been a pleasure
not doing business with you.
And you have a beautiful daughter.
- Thank you.
And I appreciate your understanding.
I'm surprised but I'm appreciative.
- You're actually doing
me a favour, so thank you.
- You're welcome.
- Okay.
- I'll walk you out.
- Great.
- Mary.
- Thank you.
Merry Christmas.
- And to you.
Hm.
- Mary Maloney, hm.
Joel!
- Samantha!
- Hi, I hope I'm not too early.
- No, no, you're right on time.
You remember Felice?
- Well, hello Felice!
- Why don't you say hello, Felice?
- Hello.
- Come on in.
You sit right here, Samantha.
- Say, wasn't that the
television reporter leaving?
Mary Maloney?
- Yeah, yes it was.
- Wow, what was she doing here?
- Well, she wanted us to be
on TV but it was a bad idea.
- I didn't think so.
- So, what're you two doing for Christmas?
- Samantha, I am so glad that you asked!
How would you like to join
Felice and I for Christmas?
- I would love to!
But I always have Christmas
with my family in Oakdale.
Mommy and Daddy would
love to meet you both!
- Great!
- Okay, wait, we're having dinner here!
- We always open our
presents on Christmas Eve,
you can spend the night!
- But Santa brings our presents
on Christmas morning, right Daddy?
- Well, yes he does,
sweetheart, but I'm sure that
Santa brings presents to
some houses on Christmas Eve.
- But Santa wouldn't know
to bring my presents there!
- Felice, we could leave a note.
- I'm opening my presents
on Christmas morning.
- Samantha, it was a very, very
nice invitation, thank you.
- So, what do you want
for Christmas, Felice?
- Felice is having a little
trouble determining exactly what
it is that she wants for
Christmas, isn't that right, honey?
Felice, what's the matter, sweetheart?
I don't wanna go to Oakdale,
I wanna be on TV with Mary Maloney
and all I want for Christmas
is to be on TV, Dad!
- That didn't go well.
I'm sorry.
- No, you have to do this story.
- Mac, it's outta my hands.
The guy doesn't wanna do it
and, frankly, I don't blame him!
- For you information, I already told
Duckworth about the story.
I told him about the little girl
and the letter to Santa
and she wants a mommy
and I also told him how wonderful you are
and how we're gonna lose you
unless he moves you to the news.
- And?
- And he said if you can deliver
the ratings on this story,
he will move you into
the news at the beginning
of next year, which is like in a week.
- So I'll get another story.
- Duckworth does not want another story,
Duckworth wants this story and so do I.
Do you remember Nancy Dunne?
Exactly!
She used to work here,
then she crossed Duckworth.
Get my point?
- Yeah, I got it.
- Again, I'm sorry about
Felice, I'll talk to her
about Christmas as soon as she calms down.
- Does she know we've
been seeing each other?
- Oh yeah, just the TV thing's
got her upset, that's all.
- Well, good night, Joel.
- Good night.
Thanks for understanding.
- [Samantha] Bye.
- Me again!
- You forget something?
- Not exactly.
- Look...
- Before you say anything,
just hear me out.
- Mary...
- On the way to the
station I was thinking,
we can work this out...
- Okay.
- Forget about the backstory,
uh, it's just a family getting ready
for Christmas, totally...
Did you, you said okay?
- Yes.
- You mean you'll do it?
- Okay, I'll, we'll do it.
- Great!
We switched sides again!
What made you change your mind?
- I'll tell you what changed my mind
if you tell em what changed yours.
- Um, I'll get fired if I
don't do the story, you?
- Felice really wants to do it
and I just can't seem to tell her no.
- Huh, well, so much for the
strength of our convictions.
- Yes, score
one more point for hype.
- No hype, I promise!
Okay, uh, 10 a.m. my
crew and I will be here.
- Okay!
Oh, uh, no, I'm not gonna be here,
I have a meeting in the morning,
but Felice has a terrific nanny.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- We're in business.
- This is a '56 DeSoto, right?
- You got it, how'd you guess?
- Always been a fan of cars.
- Yeah, me too.
Okay.
- Okay.
- Nice lights, my favourite colours.
- Mine too!
- How did you get him to do it?
- I didn't, he changed his mind.
Oh, and that shabby little cottage?
It's a mansion.
- Really?
- Mm-hmm.
- Are they attractive?
- Very!
- Sympathetic?
- Extremely!
Mac, they're absolutely perfect.
- I'll tell Duckworth.
- Great.
Be sure to take all the credit.
- Ah, come on, can't you,
can't you do this one thing?
Look, I need to drop her
off on my way to work.
One day that, yeah, okay, all right, fine.
Merry Christmas to you.
Great sister you turned out to be.
- Is everything okay, Daddy?
- Oh, yeah, sweetheart, it's...
No, I forgot that Tony
and Rosa have the week off
for Christmas and I
don't have anybody here
to sit at the house with you today.
- I could go to work with you.
- No, Felice, you can't
go to work with me.
I got a big deal if I don't get
it by the end of the year...
Hey!
You know what?
I have a big surprise for you.
- What?
- Oh no, that's what I told her!
- Told who?
- You remember that
really nice lady reporter
that was here the other day?
- Mary Maloney?
- Yeah.
I changed my mind, she's coming here
at 10 o'clock to shoot a story.
- Yes, thank you, Daddy,
thank you, thank you!
- Yeah, you're very
welcome, but the problem is
I told her that you had a terrific nanny
and you don't have any nanny at all.
- The phone book?
You're looking for my
nanny in the phone book?
- Yeah, well, I need to be at
work and you need to be here,
what choice do I, hello?
Yes, my name is Joel
Wallace, I need a nanny.
Today, half an hour.
Listen, I have a nine-year-old daughter
and she is extremely well-behaved
and I need some help.
With references?
In a half an hour?
Well, yeah, okay, fine.
It's Wallace, 32 Weatherly Road.
Well, Merry Christmas to you!
I think it's gonna work out.
- Okay, Dad.
- [Joel] Cheers.
- If I had three wishes
they'd all be the same,
I wish Christmas were over,
I wish Christmas were over,
I wish Christmas were over.
- My three would be a Heritage Valley
collectable gnome number
54, the tennis player,
a couple CDs, a trip to Bermuda for me
to recover from Christmas shopping.
- Oh, free yourself, Hal, this
year I'm not shopping at all.
- Scrooge!
- I didn't say I wasn't celebrating,
I'm just not buying anything.
I'm making my own cards
and gifts and paper,
baking cookies, the whole nine yards!
- That sounds like a lotta work.
- Not really.
The secret is, lists!
The Eleanor Ellis Christmas Organizer,
she does everything herself, so can I!
- [Hal] Yeah, with a staff of 30!
- Thank you.
- Uh, say, how'd you get that book?
- Bought it.
- Bought it?
In a store?
- I bet it's snowing in Vermont today.
- Felice?
Is your room neat?
- [Felice] Kinda!
- Kinda.
- [Felice] Daddy?
How long does it take for a
letter to get to the North Pole?
- I don't think it takes
that long, sweetheart.
It's time.
Punctual, I like her already!
Yes?
- Good morning!
- Good morning.
- I'm here from the agency.
- Wait, you're the, you're the nanny?
- I prefer to be called governor,
it's the masculine form of governess.
- Um, sir, I don't...
- How do you do?
- Hi.
Do you wanna be on TV?
- Oh, madam, I live to be on TV.
- [Felice] Mary Maloney'll
be here in half an hour.
- You don't say!
Well, we better put this
place in shape, huh?
- I like him!
- Oh, this is wonderful!
Hal, you've gotta get a
shot of that and the swings,
oh, this is just terrific,
this is gonna be perfect!
- Oh, I get it, we're doing the
poor little rich girl story.
- Don't ever say that.
You either, nobody say that.
- Come on, Hal, let's
get set up over there.
We're gonna take some shots and
we're gonna do some of this.
Stop!
- Oh, hello, Mary, welcome!
- Hi!
- I'm Les Turner.
- Hello, Les, are you Felice's...
- Mary, Mary!
- Hi!
- This is Les, he's my governor,
it's kinda like a nanny.
- Oh!
Oh, very nice to meet you.
- It's not kinda like a nanny,
it's kinda like a governor.
- Thank you.
So, Les, I just need a little
background information.
How did you become a nanny, or governor?
- Have a cookie, Cookie?
- Thanks.
- Mm.
- Mary, I started out
as a song and dance man
in the dying days of vaudeville.
- Oh!
- When I got on the stage,
people clapped their hands,
right over their eyes, ka-boom-ching!
Well, anywho, did a few musicals,
worked in a film now and then,
and worked on TV off and on.
- I never saw you on TV.
- Well, that's because most
people like me off more than on.
- Heh, well, you'll be back on TV now.
But why a governor?
- Well, I had to earn a
living and I always liked kids
and I knew my way around
a boarding house kitchen.
It's really a very good job.
- And how long have you
been Felice's governor?
- Oh, we got way, way back.
Right, Felice?
- Right!
Way, way back.
- Anything else?
- Well, Les, I'll have to get some more
information from you later,
but why don't I go get my crew
and maybe you could give
me a tour of the house?
- Okay!
There's the kitchen.
There's the dining room.
And that one there is the guest room.
Here's Dad's room.
And here's Tony and Rosa,
uh, I mean Les' room.
- Huh, let's take a look.
Nice!
Going somewhere, Les?
- Well, I'm always ready
in case I get my big break.
- Come on, I wanna show you my room!
- Whoops, looks like we got
our work cut out for us.
- What a great dollhouse.
- Yeah.
- Who's that up there?
- Oh, that's Santa.
But it doesn't make sense to
have a Santa without snow.
- Snow?
You want snow?
Snow is no problem, snow is easy!
♪ There's no business like ♪
♪ Snow business like ♪
♪ No business I know ♪
Better?
- Yes!
- Yeah.
- We'll be ready in five minutes, Mary.
- Great, I'll just be a sec.
Shall I comb your hair, too?
- Sure.
- You have nice hair, it's so thick.
- Thank you.
- What do you think?
- We look good.
What do you think?
- I think you're right,
we look good together.
Camera ready, let's go.
Getting ready for
Christmas is overwhelming
for some families, but Felice Wallace,
her businessman father Joel,
and their unique governor,
that's a male nanny, Les Turner,
make holiday preparation
something special.
Even a messy room means fun
in this unusual household,
because when you're getting
ready for the holidays,
first you better clean up your act!
From baking gingerbread men.
♪ Deck the halls with boughs of holly ♪
- [Mary] To decking the halls
with strings of popcorn.
♪ We three kings of orient are ♪
♪ Bearing gifts of treasures afar ♪
- To setting up the family nativity scene
this pair adds a touch of magic
to the most mundane tasks.
Now as we follow the Wallace
family up until Christmas,
maybe we'll all learn how to make
our own holiday a little merrier.
For KBTS News, this is Mary
Maloney, Home for the Holidays.
♪ Still proceeding ♪
- Cut, okay, how was it?
- That was great.
How was that for you?
- Looked good through the lens.
- Great.
- Great, thanks guys!
Does your father always
get home this late?
- He can't help it, he works really hard.
- Places everybody, he's here!
- Hello, I'm home!
Felice?
Felice, Daddy's home, sweetheart!
Where are you?
- Ladies and gentlemen,
presenting those talented
titans of Terpsichore, Turner and Wallace!
Doing their favourite number...
- [Felice] The Santa Soft-Shoe!
- Say, that was pretty good!
You know, dancers run in my family.
- Well, they should!
- Ka-boom!
- Ching!
- I heard a new joke the other
day, I wonder if I told you.
- Was it funny?
- Yes!
- Then you didn't.
- Ka-boom!
- Ching!
- What a remark, I'm speechless!
- If only you could stay that way.
Ka-boom!
- Ching!
- Ta-da!
- That was fantastic,
sweetheart, just fantastic!
I think that the team
of Wallace and Turner
should be on the road
for a very long time.
- Uh, no, it's Turner and Wallace,
I still get top billing, you know.
- I stand correct, Les, I'm sorry.
- Nice reactions.
Okay, that's a wrap.
We can put voiceover in in the morning.
- Great, I'll meet you in the van,
I just need a moment with Joel.
- Oh, uh, Les, would you mind?
- Oh, sure, come on, sweetie.
- Very cute!
- So, how'd it go today, was it good?
- Great!
- Yeah?
- Yeah, that Les is a gem.
- Yes, he is.
- But you should know,
Felice was disappointed you weren't here.
- Yeah, I, want some?
- No, thank you.
- I'm in the middle of
a big business deal,
I couldn't get away.
But she understands, she's used to it.
- Joel, I wasn't going to tell you this,
but maybe I should mention how you were
really chosen for this segment.
- Sure.
- We got a bunch of letters
to Santa down at the station
and one was from Felice.
Do you wanna know what she asked for?
- Of course.
- She said all she wants
for Christmas is a mommy,
that you two were lonely.
- She said that?
Well, why wouldn't she tell me about it?
I, I, I thought when she
didn't want us to be lonely
that she just wanted company.
Mary.
When Felice's mother, Jeanie,
when Jeanie died, I promised
that I would take the best
possible care of our daughter.
So I became a bond broker,
I worked hard to make money,
not because I love money
but because I love Felice.
Felice means happy, did you know that?
That's how we always wanted her to stay.
Oh, I don't know why I'm saying all this,
I don't normally talk this way, I'm sorry.
- I don't mind listening.
- It's not that I never
considered remarrying,
it's just that I never thought anybody
could come close to Jeanie.
I thought, I guess I thought
that Felice wouldn't miss
what she never had in the first place.
- That's not true.
- Wait a minute, you're not gonna use
any of this in your story, are you?
- Of course not.
- I shouldn't have said any of this,
you're a reporter, I forgot!
- I'm not being a reporter right now.
- You should not have opened up
my daughter's letter to Santa,
this is exactly the kind
of invasion of privacy
that I was worried about!
- My boss opened the letter
and I'm not gonna read it on the air!
- I should hope not!
And I hope that you realize, Miss Maloney,
that life isn't just a series
of happy little sound bites.
- Since when
did we switch sides again?
- You're right, Mary, I'm sorry.
I just guess the letter
thing kinda threw me.
- I'm sorry for mentioning it.
- I probably needed to
hear it, it just brought up
a lot of feelings, that's...
- So, should we come back tomorrow?
- Yes, yes you should come back tomorrow,
I don't wanna disappointed Felice.
- Are you okay?
- Oh yeah, yeah, I'm fine.
In fact, I have a late dinner engagement,
let me walk you to your car.
- I know the way.
♪ God rest ye merry gentlemen ♪
♪ Let nothing you dismay ♪
♪ For Jesus Christ our Saviour ♪
♪ Was born on Christmas Day ♪
♪ To save us all from Satan's pow'r ♪
♪ When we were gone astray ♪
♪ O tidings of comfort and joy ♪
♪ Comfort and joy ♪
- Who is it?
- Mac!
Hey, didn't we have a dinner date?
- No.
- Ah, come on, I thought we
could celebrate your coup.
- Coup?
- Yeah, your coup, your
coup, the motherless kid,
it's brilliant, it's great reporting.
What's all this stuff?
What, did you rob a toy store?
- No, I thought it would be nice
to bring some gifts down
to the family shelter.
- Oh.
- I did a story on them
last year, you remember?
- Yeah, yeah, I remember,
I remember everything.
I just, you know, I thought
you hated Christmas.
- I'm not Scrooge!
I think every kid deserves
something from Santa.
- You know what I think,
Mary
I-Hate-Christmas-Whenever-It's-Convenient
Maloney?
I think you're a complete fraud,
you have this Christmas tree!
- Well, since you canceled my vacation...
- Ah, I knew you
were gonna take that shot.
I mean, anyway, look at this
tree, look at this tree,
it's missing something,
it should have a star
or something on top, shouldn't it?
- I like it like this.
- Hey, where's your corkscrew?
- You never give up, do you?
- Why would I give up on
something I really want?
- Because you can't have
everything you want, Mac.
Even at Christmas.
Like the little girl who wants a mom..
It's sad.
- This story really is getting to you.
I, I didn't even know you liked kids.
♪ And laid within a manger ♪
- Well now you know.
And now you go.
♪ To which His Mother Mary ♪
♪ Did nothing take in scorn ♪
♪ O tidings of comfort and joy ♪
♪ Comfort and joy ♪
♪ O tidings of comfort and joy ♪
♪ From God our Heavenly Father ♪
♪ A blessed angel came ♪
♪ And unto certain shepherds ♪
♪ Brought tidings of the same ♪
♪ That now was born in Bethlehem ♪
♪ The Son of God by name ♪
♪ O tidings of comfort and joy ♪
♪ Comfort and joy ♪
- A tie or a sweater.
A tie or a sweater.
- How 'bout a sweater?
How 'bout a tie?
Or how 'bout a baseball glove?
- Why would I get Daddy a baseball glove?
- Well, he probably always wanted one.
- Never said so.
Oh my gosh, Les, look!
- Well, isn't that interesting.
So, where are we going here, Cookie?
- Gallagher's, down at the end.
- Let's go.
Morning, pal, how's it goin'?
- Oh, worst day ever!
Would you believe it?
I haven't had a donation all day!
People just don't care anymore.
- Well, that's a shame!
- Wow, thanks so much!
Merry Christmas.
- [Both] Merry Christmas!
- Wow!
Les, look!
- That's more like it.
- Hey, look, there's Mary!
Hey, Mary!
- Make sure to get some of that
on camera, would you please?
- Yeah, got it.
- Good morning!
- Hi!
- Boy, you look pretty.
People sure have the Christmas spirit
around here, don't they?
- They didn't a minute
ago, Les started it.
- Nah.
- So, what do you say?
Let's go shopping!
Have you decided what
you're gettin' your dad yet?
- Yes!
- Okay, tape is rolling,
sweetie, so do your stuff.
- Daddies like this one a lot.
- I like it, but does
it come in aquamarine?
That's his favourite colour.
- Oh, no, honey, I'm sorry,
just the ones you see here.
How about hunter green?
Daddy would like that I bet!
- Look through the pile, Felice, hm?
- They must have aquamarine!
- I said there wasn't that
colour, how about a nice yellow?
- She doesn't want yellow, Milicent Faye,
she wants aquamarine!
And I have a feeling that in that pile
there's at least one large
size aquamarine sweater.
Trust me on that.
- Here it is!
Size large!
I can't believe it!
- Neither can I.
- Next time look more closely maybe, hm?
- Okay, well, we got what we wanted,
so let's move over to
Santa's Village, okay?
- Mary, did you see that?
It was almost like magic!
- Yeah, I think the
next time I go shopping
I'm bringing Les with me.
- Sorry, kid, time for Santa's break.
Here's some candy, see ya.
- Aw, that's not fair!
- What's he doing?
- Hey, listen up, Santa'll
be back in an hour.
Ho ho ho.
- Where do they get these guys?
- That's not the real Santa!
- Of course not!
- Ho ho ho.
- Hey, where you goin'?
Hey, bub!
Hey!
Hey, Santa!
You stay here.
- Ho ho ho!
- Look, it's Santa!
It's the real Santa!
- Merry Christmas!
- Oh my!
Is that who I think it is?
Felice, go on up and join Les.
- Okay.
- Thank you.
That's fantastic.
- It's so great, I'm so excited!
- Hal, are you getting all of that?
- Merry Christmas, Mary Maloney!
- If you're dreading that
last-minute trip to the mall,
take heart, shoppers
today at Ridgecrest Mall
were in for quite a treat from two of our
Home for the Holidays subjects,
Felice Wallace and Les Turner.
- Wait'll you see, Dad, wait'll you see!
- [Mary] People were in a giving mood
at Ridgecrest Mall today,
but no one was happier than
Felice Wallace as she picked
out a present for her father.
- Oh, Dad, don't look, don't look!
- Okay, I'm not...
- Don't look, Dad!
- I can't see a thing,
sweetheart, I promise!
- It's just what Daddy wanted!
- [Mary] And when Felice
had finished her shopping,
she and her governor, Les Turner,
stepped in to make the
Christmas season even merrier.
As you can see, Felice and Les
have a gift for spreading happiness.
Keep watching tomorrow
night for another chapter
in this very special story we
call Home for the Holidays.
For KBTS, this is Mary Maloney.
That's it!
What do you think?
- I love it, I'm on TV!
- I have to admit, I loved
it too, it was fantastic!
- Great, another satisfied customer!
- Which means, Santa's little helper,
it is time for you to go to bed.
- Can Mary tuck me in tonight?
- Uh...
- Just so she's snug as a bug in a rug.
- I can do that.
- Okay, fine.
- Oh, thank you.
- Good night, sweetheart.
- Night.
- Pretty nice having a
woman around, isn't it?
- Yeah, it sure is.
- You know, I'm surprised that
a smart woman hasn't caught
a good looking guy like
you in all these years.
I remember a fella I knew just like you,
he said he was looking
for an old fashioned girl.
I said, "Why don't you come to my house?
"I'll introduce you to my
grandmother," ka-boom-ching.
- What?
- You remind me of my last
audience, and I do mean last.
No, I was merely saying I'm surprised
that you never married again.
- Oh.
- Of course it's none of my business
but you must know some nice ladies.
- Les, has, has Felice said
anything to you about that?
- Well, she has said that
there's one special lady
that's been around here
lately that she likes.
- She said that?
- Mm, just this morning,
as a matter of fact.
Good night.
- Good night.
- There!
Snug as a bug in a rug.
- You believe in Santa Claus, don't you?
- Sure I do.
But I don't believe that Santa can make
every wish come true all of the time.
He's got a big job, there're
a lotta kids out there.
- I know.
But...
- I love these.
Oh, look at the family.
Looks like Vermont.
- What's in Vermont?
- A lot of happy memories.
When I was a kid, we always used to
go to Vermont to see my grandparents
and it always snowed at
Christmas, like magic.
- Were you happy?
- Yeah.
See, when I was growing up,
my family had a lot of problems so
Christmas in Vermont was my
favourite time of the year.
And now, even though Grandma
and Grandpa are gone,
I still go back there,
to remember the happy times.
- I love snow, too.
- Yeah.
But I guess it won't be snowing this year.
But I think you are gonna have
a very merry Christmas just the same.
Good night.
- Right there.
- Good night, sweetheart.
- Is everything all right?
- Yeah, fine, um...
She had a really busy day,
she oughta sleep well tonight.
- Sorry I missed it.
Here, you left this downstairs.
- Thank you.
- Some of the things I said...
- Look, um, there're
only two more days left
and then we'll be done with this story
that neither one of us wanted to do.
Excuse me, um, I have
an appointment with Les.
- Come in!
Howdy-doo!
Have a seat in my chair.
- Thank you.
- I, uh, I didn't have
any clips that you wanted,
but I did have some photos.
- Great!
Oh, these are terrific.
Look at you!
- Who would ever think
I'd end up as a governor?
- Pays the rent, right?
- Which is more than my hoofing was doing.
I had to quit the stage
because of my throat.
- Your throat?
- Yeah, the audience threatened to cut it.
Anyway, I like kids.
Do you like kids?
- Sure.
- You ever think of having kids?
- Well, I'm not really...
- Seems that you have a knack
with kids, kids like you!
Felice sure does.
- It's probably because I'm on TV.
- Oh, I think she'd like
you no matter what you did.
It's a shame, though, that
she hasn't got a mother.
It's a bad break, don't you think?
- It's a very bad break.
- A pretty, talented lady like you
probably never had any
bad breaks like that.
- Oh, I had my share.
- [Les] So, is your story almost finished?
Is it going well, you think?
- So far, so good.
I don't have my ending yet, though.
- Oh, you have to end
it with a big finish,
you gotta give it everything you got!
Yeah, don't hold anything back,
that's what they used to tell me.
- Everything I got?
Les, I couldn't do that.
- Yes, you can, Mary.
- So, folks, looks like our prediction
for a scorcher of a Christmas still holds.
So make sure you wear your sunscreen
if you plan to go out
caroling, because there is
not a chance of there
bein' a white Christmas
within a hundred miles
of where I'm sittin'!
- [Dan] No snowboarding?
- [Weather Forecaster]
Nope, no snow, not a drop!
- Oh, what does he know?
That guy's so dumb,
he tried to find the zip code
for the Gettysburg Address!
- Ka-boom-ching!
- Yeah.
- I had a weird dream last night.
- What was it?
- I dreamed that you were Santa Claus.
- No!
Me?
What a crazy dream!
- Well, yesterday it was kinda
like you were Santa Claus.
I mean, you started all
those people givin' money,
you found Daddy's sweater,
and you seemed to know
what every one of those
kids wanted for Christmas!
- Well, I didn't make those
things happen, it just happened!
- Yeah, but you made
it feel like Christmas
wherever you went, just like Santa Claus!
- Whoa now, I may've put on a few pounds,
but I don't have a beard,
I don't wear a red suit.
Now, I like Christmas a
lot, but I am not Santa!
- Yeah, but in my dream you
had a beard and a red suit
and you looked exactly like Santa Claus.
- If I was Santa for Christmas,
I'd give myself a
one-man show on Broadway!
- Yeah, but there was somethin' else.
The way you got here so fast?
It was like you were waitin'
outside for Daddy's call.
- I needed the job.
Hello?
Oh, he's not here, can I take a message?
Yeah, just a second.
Uh, you're gonna have to call back.
- Oh my gosh, my letter!
- Felice, where are ya?
Where are you, Felice?
- You are Santa Claus, you
have the letter I wrote you!
- Oh, whoa, whoa!
Now, Cookie, you're
jumpin' to conclusions.
- You must be, there's no other way
you could've got this letter!
- Oh, no, no, no, you know what happened?
The day I got here, I found this letter
on top of the mailbox,
I guess the postmaster
must've returned it, yeah.
So, I was gonna give it to
you and I put it in my pocket.
Well, listen, it's still not
too late to mail it, huh?
Oh, here's the problem!
You forgot to put down the
zip code for the North Pole!
So, we'll just look that
up and then we'll mail it.
- Our mailman doesn't come that
early, you are Santa Claus!
- Felice, it doesn't make sense.
If I was Santa Claus, I'd
be too busy making toys
and checking lists to be here now, right?
- Are you gonna bring me a mommy
like I asked in the letter?
- Come here.
Now listen.
A mommy isn't something
you order like a hamburger.
Now, you had a mom who loved you very much
and you still have a dad who
wants the very best for you.
You live in a nice house,
you go to a nice school,
and you got me, now that's
better than a lot of kids get.
- I know, but it isn't just
for me, it's for Daddy, too.
So if you're not Santa,
I'm just gonna have to
get a mommy on my own.
- As you can see...
No, no, no, just keep watching.
Have a gift for spreading happiness.
Keep watching tomorrow
night for another chapter
in this very special story we
call Home for the Holidays.
It's sweet, isn't it?
Katrina did a great edit!
- It's too soft!
- Too soft?
Mac, I thought you wanted
something that touches the heart?
This touches the heart!
- But what's the ending?
Mary, Duckworth is getting nervous,
and I have to tell you, you
don't have a lot of time
to redeem yourself before
your contract is up.
- Thanks for reminding me.
I'll just go someplace else.
- Well, it is easier to find
a job when you have a job.
Besides, time marches
on, maybe five years ago
you could pull a stunt like this.
- Gee, thanks!
- Mary, we are in the
business of selling dreams,
where is this dream going to end?
- Well, they have a very
merry Christmas, I hope.
- No, no, no, no, no!
They're going to have
the merriest Christmas
that anyone has ever had in
the history of Christmases!
They're gonna have every single one
of their dreams and wishes fulfilled!
- Who are you, Santa Claus?
- No, you are!
You're gonna get in there and
you're gonna do something.
Okay, what does that little
girl want for Christmas?
- A mother.
- Good!
Get her one.
- Mac, are you crazy?
- We have been promoting this
show like there's no tomorrow,
now Duckworth wants a happy ending!
- I can't...
- Eh!
He's going to accept nothing less!
Get that kid a mommy.
- Right.
At least in news I won't
have to make up the ending.
- You wanna bet?
- [Charlene] Hey
stranger, this is Charlene
and I sure would love to talk
to y'all but leave a message!
- Hi, Charlene, this is Felice
Wallace, Joel's daughter.
Daddy's really down in the
dumps and I think he misses you,
can you come by around
five on Christmas Eve?
I think he'd really like to see you again.
Hello, Maria?
This is Felice Wallace, Joel's daughter.
Daddy's really down in the
dumps and I think he misses you,
could you drop by around
five on Christmas Eve?
I think he'd really like to
see you again, thank you.
This is Felice Wallace, Joel's daughter.
- [Woman] Yes?
- Daddy's really down in the dumps
and I think he misses you,
can you come by around
five on Christmas Eve?
I think he'd really like to see you again.
- [Woman] Okay.
- Thank you.
- Mary?
Yeah, hi, it's Joel Wallace.
- [Mary] Hi, Joel, what's up?
- Um, got kind of a surprise for you,
think you could get your crew together
and stop by my house around
eight o'clock tonight?
- What is it?
- I can't tell you but I promise that
it will be great for your
story and you will love it.
- Okay, we'll be there.
- All right, I'll see you then.
- Mary Maloney, I would like
you to meet Samantha Bruce.
- Nice to meet you.
- I'd like to do a shot
that Samantha, Felice, and I
are all in together, can we do that?
- Sure!
- Thanks!
- Got that, guys?
- Sure.
Everybody's a director.
- Okay, rolling tape.
Camera's on you, Joel.
And three, two, one.
- Um...
Felice, I know that
you have wanted a mommy
for a very, very long time, in fact,
it's one of your biggest wishes.
Well, you don't have
to wish for it anymore
because Samantha and I are getting married
just as soon as possible!
- I'll be your new mommy!
- Go on, hug your, hug
your new mommy, sweetheart.
- Uh, kill the camera, pack it up.
- Wait just a second!
- This is a personal family moment,
we don't belong here, it's intrusive.
- I thought you said that you
wanted an uplifting story?
- Who cares what I want?
Don't you care what your daughter wants?
Look at her!
Look, I'm sorry, that was out of line.
I should go.
Felice, honey, I gotta go.
- Please, Mary, tuck me in tonight!
- Sweetheart, I think that Samantha
should be the one to tuck you in tonight.
Wouldn't you like to do that, Sam?
Go on, go on, sweetie.
- I'll be back tomorrow
night for the tree trimming.
Have a good evening.
- Good news, huh?
You got your happy ending.
- You think so?
- Well, Felice got her
mom, what could be better?
- I'm just a reporter,
how do you feel about it?
- Me?
I'm just a governor.
Good night, Mary.
- Good night.
- There you go.
Ooh!
Isn't this cute!
Looks like an antique.
It's probably worth a lot of money.
- I was hoping it would
snow for Christmas.
- Mm, snow.
You know what?
It just messes up the road
and makes it difficult to get around.
So tomorrow night you'll get to meet
your new grandma and grandpa.
Well, good night.
- Right there.
- Monica, let's just get set
up for the tree trimming,
the tea and cookies
and then get outta here
as soon as possible, okay?
- Absolutely.
- Okay by me!
- Stop!
Get a close up on those cookies,
I really need that cookie shot.
- Samantha, you don't have
to worry, you look fine.
You look beautiful!
- Have a cookie, Cookie?
- No, thank you.
- You'll like it, it's chocolate.
- No, thank you.
- Samantha?
- No, I can't, I'm too nervous
about being on television.
- Oh, sweetheart, you
don't have to be nervous,
there's really nothing,
there's nothing to,
I would like a cookie, thank you, Les.
There's nothing to it, right?
Right, Felice?
Look, once we've finished
trimming the tree,
we're all gonna get in the car,
we're gonna go over to Samantha's parents
and we're gonna have dinner.
What're we having?
- Prime rib.
- Prime rib!
- We always have prime rib!
- Ooh, that sounds yummy, doesn't it?
- I don't eat red meat.
- Exactly what do you call a hamburger?
- I'll get that.
- Thank you, Les.
- Hi, I'm Maria Archer,
I think Joel and Felice are expecting me.
- Yes, come on in, Merry Christmas.
The gifts go in the formal
dining room on the right.
Well, is the Wallace family expecting you?
- You bet, honey!
I'm Charlene.
- Oh, Charlene, yes.
Well, Merry Christmas,
you all, come on in!
Formal dining room on the right.
Charlene.
- Hi, I'm Leslie.
- Come inside, ladies!
That's it, Merry Christmas!
This way.
Formal dining room on the right.
- Sweetheart, Felice,
we all have to adjust.
There are, there are things
that we all have to do
because our lives are...
Uh...
Would you excuse me for a moment?
- Um, would you excuse me a moment?
- [Woman] I haven't seen him in so long.
- Well, Merry Christmas, Joel, honey!
How's that adorable
little daughter of yours?
She's just fine, Charlene, thank you.
- Could you excuse me for a moment?
- Mary Maloney,
ladies and gentlemen.
Uh, I wanna wish you all
a very Merry Christmas,
I'm delighted that you're here.
I want to introduce you to
Samantha Bruce, my fiancé.
- What kind of a joke is this?
- It's not a joke, Maria.
What...
- Well, bah and humbug, darling.
- Charlene.
- Nice goin'.
- See ya, Leslie.
- No, Joel, I would very
much like to know what the,
what was that all about?
- Excuse me, I'm sure that you two
have things you'd like to discuss,
but I've got a crew that has
other plans for the night.
Can we get to the tree trimming soon?
- Yeah, we're gonna get
to it in just a minute,
but first there's someone
I really need to talk to.
Tell me exactly what you did.
- I called all the women you dated.
It was before you were engaged, Dad,
I was trying to help you.
- First of all, sweetheart,
I did not date all of those women,
and secondly, how could
this possible help me?
- Well, I'd get a mom
and you'd get a wife!
- Sweetheart, don't you think that
I should be able to pick out my own wife?
- You never have in
all these years, I was,
I was just trying to help you!
That's why I wanted us on TV,
so maybe some nice lady would see us.
Then, then I thought of
calling all your girlfriends.
- Felice, you called every
woman's name in my work book.
Felice, Leslie is my
dentist, come on, sweetie!
- I didn't think that
they'd all come, Dad.
- Don't you think that
maybe you should've asked me
how I felt about it, first?
- Don't you think that
maybe you should've asked me
how I felt about Samantha first?
- Well, maybe, maybe I should have but...
Felice, I heard that you
wanted a mommy for Christmas,
I thought I was doing the right thing.
- Les told you?
- No, Les didn't tell me,
I just, I just found out.
Look.
I have held onto your mommy
for a very, very long time
and it was really selfish of me
because you need a real, live
mommy, not just a memory.
So I asked Samantha to
marry me because I think
she'll make a terrific mommy
and I thought you'd be happy.
- Do you love her?
'Cause if you don't then she
wouldn't make a good mommy.
- We have a TV crew
waiting for us downstairs.
- Merry Christmas from the Wallace house
where dreams have come true
in a surprising conclusion
to this holiday story.
Over the last few days
we've gotten to know
Joel Wallace, his daughter Felice,
and their very special
governor, Les Turner.
Today, we're going to
meet a soon-to-be member
of the family, Samantha Bruce,
whose engagement to Joel
has just been announced.
All right, cut.
That's it for the stand
up, now all we have left
are the beauty shots of the tree trimming
and then we get to go home, let's go.
- You too, Les.
- Uh, maybe this should
just be for the family, huh?
- Okay, we'll start with the family.
- I think they need your
help to trim the tree.
- Okay.
You know, I'm kinda glad you're
not Santa Claus after all.
- You are?
- Well...
I'd hate to think Santa would
mess things up so badly.
- And now, for the piece de resistance,
this star was given to
Felice by her mother
just before she left us.
This year I think that it's only right
if Samantha should put the star
on top of the Wallace
family Christmas tree.
- Mary!
Somebody help!
- Mary?
Mary?
- Mary?
- Can you hear us?
- Somebody get help!
- Mary?
- Are you sure you're okay?
- I'm fine, I think I forgot
to eat lunch, that's all.
Um, why don't you guys take off
and I'll meet you in the van?
I just, uh, I need to speak
with Joel alone, please.
- Joel?
- It's all right, sweetheart,
I'll just be a few minutes.
- Hey, I think you really
oughta take it easy.
I can call someone...
- No, I'm, I'm fine, really.
But I need to ask you a
really blunt question.
Why didn't you tell me Felice was adopted?
- Why would you ask something like that?
- Because your wife
didn't give her that star.
- Of course she did.
- Her birth mother gave it to her
and when you adopted her,
the star came with her.
- Boy, you reporters really
do your homework, don't you?
Who told you that?
- No one had to tell me.
- What are you saying?
- Nine years ago,
I had to make the most
difficult decision of my life.
I made a string of really bad choices
but I was trying to do the right thing.
That star, my grandfather made that star,
and he gave it to my
mother, who gave it to me,
and I gave it to my baby girl
the day that I said
good-bye to her.
I couldn't take care of her!
- How did you find my daughter?
- I wasn't looking, I swear!
It was purely by chance that my boss
picked her letter out of the pile!
- Oh, come on!
- He opened her letter and
he assigned me the story!
- You expect me to believe
that out of the thousands
of letters to Santa, that
you found Felice's letter?
Come on!
- I, I...
It's crazy, I know, but there's no way
I could've known that it was her, I mean,
if she had told me she was
adopted maybe I could've...
She doesn't know?
- She doesn't know.
And I know that that's
wrong but I could never seem
to be able to find the
right moment to tell her
and she was way too young
anyway when he mother died
to really understand anything.
And I wanted to tell her all about you,
but I thought that would be like
losing two mommies instead of just one,
that would be way too much
for a little girl to handle.
Or maybe it was just too
much for me to handle
but now that she's older,
I can't seem to tell her much of anything
about that time at all.
But you gotta understand,
keeping this secret so long
has been so very difficult
and I don't want anyone...
- All I wanted to know
was that I hadn't made a mistake,
and that my baby girl
was loved and wanted.
- Let me tell you something.
I love my daughter more
than anything in the world.
- Joel, we need to get, to get going.
Joel we need to leave now, Mommy
and Daddy are expecting us.
Now, you got rid of those
other women, get rid of her.
- I'll go.
- I'm very sorry, Samantha,
but something important has come up.
- More important than me?
I see.
Well, Merry Christmas to you both.
- Well, there goes that story.
- Ah, you know Mary,
she'll use her magic touch
and get a happy ending.
- Oh no!
- What's wrong?
- I just remembered, I don't
have my car, Joel picked me up.
- Oh, can I give you a ride somewhere?
- Yeah, that would be great.
In fact, if you don't have dinner plans,
you're welcome to join me and my family.
It's 45 miles but they're
serving prime rib.
- Dinner with Mom and Dad is so my style!
I'm Hal.
- I know.
Samantha.
- I know.
- Les, where are you?
Les?
Where are you going?
- Sorry, Cookie, I have to
leave, I have a deadline to meet.
- But you can't go,
who'll take care of me?
- Don't you worry, you
won't need me anymore,
you can trust me on that.
- But you can't leave
me here with Samantha!
- And you don't have to worry
about Samantha anymore either,
you can trust me on that, too!
- Trust you?
I can't trust you at all.
You're runnin' out on me!
You're no Santa, you're just
an old song and dance man.
You're a big flop!
- Like I said all along.
I want you to give this to your dad,
it's something he's always wanted.
- Don't you have a present for me?
- It's on its way.
I'm sorry, Felice, but it's time for me
to shuffle off to Buffalo.
Merry Christmas.
I love you, Cookie.
- Les.
Les, come back!
Les, don't...
- [Joel] Felice?
- He's gone!
- Sweetheart...
- Felice, what happened honey?
- He's gone.
- Who?
- Les is gone!
- He didn't just disappear,
listen...
- He took his suitcase
and said good-bye, make him
come back, Daddy, please!
- Sweetheart, I can't make him come back
if he doesn't wanna be here.
Here.
There's something...
- I should go.
- No, I...
I want you to stay.
Felice, you know that I love you
more than any daddy's
loved his daughter, right?
- Mm-hmm.
- Sweetheart, there's
something I should've told you
a very long time ago.
Your mommy and I adopted you
when you were a very little baby girl.
And your mother loved you so much,
but you had another mommy
who loved you very much, too.
In fact, she loved you so
much that when she realized
she couldn't take care of you,
she found another mommy
and daddy who could.
I want you to meet her.
- He did it!
He is Santa Claus!
I wrote a letter to Santa asking for a mom
and now it's come true!
- You know what, Felice?
I wrote a letter to Santa about you!
- You did?
- Mm-hmm.
- Oh!
Come on!
Wait here.
He had 'em all the time.
My letter and yours!
- This is the letter I wrote on the air.
You read it, Felice.
- Okay.
"Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas
"is to know that my little girl is happy."
I'm happy now, Mommy.
- Me too, sweetie.
- Oh!
He left this for you, Daddy.
- This is a Mickey Mantle baseball glove.
I had one when I was
10-years-old, but I lost it,
it was my most prized possession.
How did he know?
- Wow, look at the star!
- Felice!
- It's back together again!
- Les couldn't be...
- I told you!
- Merry Christmas.
- Oh my gosh, look!
- [Joel] Look at what, sweetheart?
- [Felice] Hurry!
- [Joel] Okay, I'm comin'!
Oh, don't tell me it's snowing!
- Come on!
- Wow!
- Oh!
- Oh my gosh!
- Come on!
- Wow, he did everything!
- Yes, he did.
- Oh, spin, sweetheart!
Oh!
Merry Christmas!
- Woo!
- Merry Christmas!