The Waltons (1971–1981): Season 4, Episode 12 - The Estrangement - full transcript

JOHN-BOY:
Sometimes people's lives

would become entwined
with ours for a brief time,

and then, because
of change or growth

or the passage of time,

their lives would
take different paths

and we would never
see or hear of them again.

But there were occasions

when people we had known
in the past would reappear.

I remember one such occasion,

and it took us
completely by surprise.

JOHN: Now, take
it right inside, Son.



Over here. Be careful here.

Why, it's Vera.

(ALL SPEAKING EXCITEDLY)

Hi. It's Vera.

Come on.

There she is.

JOHN: Hello there! What
are you doing here, child?

OLIVIA: Vera,
what a nice surprise.

JOHN: You took a cab. We
could've come gotten you.

Didn't know I was
coming till this morning.

GRANDPA: Why on earth
didn't Wade fetch you?

He don't know I'm gone.

OLIVIA: Where is he?

I'd rather not talk about it right
now, if it's all the same to you.



Come on in the house.

There you go, Floyd.

(ALL CHATTERING)

We'll find a place for you.

Now you children stay outside.

Come on, Jason, bring
that suitcase in the house.

Vera, can we play with Floyd?

He'll be all right.

You all be careful
with him, you hear?

Can I hold him?

Maybe after supper
we can persuade Vera

to let him sit on
your lap, okay?

GRANDPA: Got any booties?

JOHN: Don't be
roughhousing, now.

MARY ELLEN: We won't, Daddy.

Why don't you sit here
on the couch? Thank you.

You hungry, child? Is
there anything you want?

A glass of water
would be right welcome.

Thank you, Jason.

I wasn't meant for cities.

I've done what I had to
do, moved down to town,

tried to learn
how to get used to

electric lights and
plumbing in the house.

I can't get the
hang of city living.

VERA: Nothing's worked
right since we left the mountain.

You don't have much
choice, do you, Vera?

Back yonder on Martha Corinne's
place we had us a good life.

Then the government
people chased us off our land.

I still say we should've
stayed and fought it out.

Mmm-hmm. If you'd
stayed and fought, Vera,

chance the whole lot of you
would've been blown to kingdom come.

(SIGHING)

I wish now we'd
taken that chance.

At least then maybe me and
Wade would still be together.

Don't you think you ought to
let Wade know where you are?

Might be worried about you.

I don't suit Wade no more.

Y'all wouldn't know
Wade Walton anymore.

Remember up on the mountain,

how he always planned that house

he was going to build
for Floyd and me?

Well, now we got us a house,

and he don't come near
it unless it's to sleep.

When he do come home, he's too
tired to say more than "Hey, Vera."

He don't even play
with Floyd no more.

Sounds to me like more
pressuring you than city life, Vera.

Does Wade have a job?

Got a good job,

but he don't go
to it half the time.

He's got money, too.

And I wouldn't want
this to go no further,

but I'm convinced
he's got lady friends.

What do you want to do, Vera?

I'd be forever in your debt

if I could stay here
until me and Wade

get this thing straightened out.

Lord knows it's all I want.

Livie, let's get
Vera settled in.

Come on, Vera.

Here.

Here, boy. ELIZABETH: Yeah.

(GIRLS MURMURING)

Erin, can I have Floyd now?

Oh, I don't think so, Elizabeth.

I think you're too little.

Here, let me have him.

Okay, there he goes.

OLIVIA: Jason, will
you get Vera's things,

and bring them to
the shed, please?

All right, Mama.

I think you'll be
comfortable here.

There's more room
for you and the baby.

Be careful, he might
throw up on you, Mary Ellen.

Oh, no, he just drools a
little bit. Come here, baby.

John-Boy fixed this
up to use as an office.

He hardly uses it
anymore, he keeps so busy.

It's real livable.

Uh, If you need
more drawer space,

I think there's a
spare chest in the attic.

This one'll suit just fine.

Naturally, we don't want you
to spend all your time out here.

This is just for sleeping and
when you want to be by yourself.

(KNOCK ON DOOR)

Come on in.

Where do you
want me to put this?

Just put it on the bed, Jason.

(SIGHING)

Supper will be in about an hour.

Is there anything you
need in the meantime?

Would you please ask the
girls to bring me my baby?

Sure.

(SIGHING)

(BELLS JINGLING)

IKE: You come back now.

Hey, Ike.

Hey, Ben.

How you been keeping?

Oh, tolerable, Ike.

That smells great.

Yeah.

There's nothing like the smell

of good freshly-ground coffee.

The smell is almost
better than sipping it.

Any mail for me today, Ike?

As a matter of fact, there is.

Oh, good. Where's Corabeth?

Well, she's out back.

She's got one of her
sick headaches again.

Sorry.

Yeah, I know I got a
bill here for your daddy.

Let's see, I got
some other mail.

One, two, three, four.

Five letters for you.

Where are you getting them?

From Winston-Salem, North
Carolina and Roanoke, Virginia

and Lovingston, West
Virginia. All over the place.

I didn't say where. I said who.

No you didn't, Ike.

You said where am I
getting all these letters from?

But I meant who.

But you said where.

You aren't going
to tell me, are you?

Do I have to?

Nobody's business but your own.

As a matter of fact, there's a
federal statute which says that,

well, you don't have to tell
anybody if you don't want to.

Good.

(BELLS JINGLING)

Still and all,

Corabeth's curious.
You know how she is.

Oh, I know how
she is. So long, Ike.

(ALL LAUGHING)

MAN 1 ON RADIO: Let
me see that sandwich.

(LAUGHTER)

Rye bread, liver
sausage, Bermuda onion,

peanut butter,
sardines and grape jelly.

(GURGLING)

MAN 2 ON RADIO:
What, no whipped cream?

Livie, don't worry. She'll
come around if she wants to.

There's only one
person in the world

who would concoct
a sandwich like that.

(ALL LAUGHING)

Hey, Grandpa.
ALL: Hey, John-Boy!

You had your supper? Yes, ma'am.

I had some at the
five-and-dime. I...

Vera!

How are you?

John-Boy. It's good to see you.

When did you get
here? Hello, Floyd.

You sure are growing up, son.

I bet your daddy's
mighty proud of you.

Where is his daddy?

Hey, Wade, where are you?

Wade's not here, Son.

We'll talk about it later.

There's no reason to
wait till I'm out of earshot.

I've been sitting yonder
studying the matter,

and it's my opinion that you're
as much to blame as anyone.

What happened?

Wade's not here, Son.

We'll talk about it later.

Well, I'm sorry to hear that.

Maybe it wouldn't be this way if
you hadn't put all those fool ideas

into Wade's head.

Vera, I don't know what you're
talking about. What ideas?

You told him about
your highfalutin dreams.

How you was going
to become a writer

and put all your words down
on paper for all the world to see.

Then you built him up, said how
much you liked his wood carving,

how you thought
he was a real artist.

That's one reason he came
down from the mountain.

Figured he could
share his wood carving

the same way you want
to share your words.

Vera, what I told him was that
I thought he had a lot of talent

and I thought he
ought to use it.

Well, he ain't.

He's turned his
back on his talent,

he's turned his back
on Floyd and me,

and he's turned his back on
the rest of the Christian world.

I saw Wade a couple of weeks
ago. He looked fine to me.

He said things couldn't
have been better.

You know, there's more
to this than they're saying.

Son, why don't you ride
over with me to their house?

We'll see if we can
get to the bottom of this.

Couldn't it wait until morning?

Sooner we get this thing
cleared up, the better, Liv.

Hey, Wade. Yeah?

Wanna stop off for a beer?

No, I got business
down the road.

Need a lift?

Uh, m-my truck's up the
street. Thanks all the same.

See you tomorrow.
Yeah, see you tomorrow.

Evening, Corky.
You looking for me?

Your granddaddy Boone needs
us to pick up the stuff tonight.

And where're we gonna store it?

Back of your truck, I reckon.

Well, that's right
smart of a risk.

Got to take it.

But what am I to do if Vera
comes snooping around?

Throw a tarp over it.

Park it back in the
trees just until tomorrow.

We'll mix it in with
some sacks of flour,

just in case the sheriff comes
snooping around your place.

Yeah.

Come on, Son. We've
waited long enough.

Hey, John! John-Boy! JOHN: Wade.

What're you doing standing in the
dark? Don't Vera know you're here?

As a matter of fact, Wade...
Sun goes down, she goes to bed.

That woman didn't even
leave a light on for me.

Hey, you all, come
on in the house.

Want a snort before
I wake her up?

It's prime stuff.
Grandpa Boone made it.

No, thanks, Wade.

Well, if that's how
you feel. Vera!

Guess who's here?

She's not here, Wade.

Oh, she's here all right.
Never sets foot out of the place

and if somebody comes,
she hides like a scared rabbit.

Thinks she still lives
on the mountain.

Vera?

She ain't here.

We tried to tell you, son.

She's over at our place.

How'd she get clear over there?

Took a taxi.

Vera hired a taxi?

JOHN-BOY: Yeah.

(SIGHING)

Whole time we've lived here,

she's been saying, "So
and so costs too much."

"How'd you like to
take in a picture show?"

"Costs too much."

"How'd you like a
Victrola?" "Costs too much."

And here she's gone
visiting you all in a taxi.

Why didn't she come
back with you all,

or is she coming
back in a taxi, too?

She's not exactly
visiting us, son.

She asked us to take her in.

Take her in? She's
got a home right here.

Nice home.

What's the matter with
that woman, anyways?

What's she been telling you all?

Well, we only heard
the one side of it, but...

I guess she figures you
haven't been treating her right.

What kind of
foolishness is that?

Hey, look, if you're
wondering about tonight,

it's no crime for a man
to have a couple of beers

with the men he works with.

We're not here
to take sides, son.

We've just come over
to tell you where she is

and see if we can
patch things up a little.

I been working myself to death

to make that woman happy,

and she up and does this to me.

Well, maybe if you come
back with us and talk to her,

she'll feel a little
clearer about things.

She's the one that lit out.

She's the one with
the explaining to do.

We'll be getting back.

And you tell her I
expect to see her here

when I come home
from work tomorrow.

If that's your message,
that's what we'll tell her.

(SIGHING)

WADE: Hey, John, John-Boy.

It's been a long day.

I'm sorry for
barking at you all.

Coming home to this was
just one heck of a surprise.

Maybe things'll look
better in the morning, Wade.

She's all right, ain't she?

She's all right.

Well, she's all fired up.

Then she's all right.

It's that silent treatment that
drives a man out of the house.

How's Floyd?

He's fine.

Well, then you just tell
her to come on home.

I'll give her your
message, Wade.

John, I love my wife.

Floyd, too.

We'll see you.

JOHN: Good morning, Pa.
How did you sleep? Hi, John.

Esther's talking in her sleep.

Uh, I guess John-Boy is
gonna be in bed a while.

Good morning, Son. Ma.

Good morning,
Daddy. Hello, honey.

Mama, did you and Daddy fight
a lot when you were first married?

Every other day.

John, that's not true.

Now, Liv, even that first
Sunday we were married,

we got up and you said...
Good morning, honey.

And you said to me, "John, let's
get ready for church," and I said...

Mary Ellen, some people have problems,
but if you love someone and respect him,

even if he is a heathen,
you work your problems out.

Making up is the best part.

GRANDMA: How do you
know about such things, child?

Oh, it's those
confession stories

she and Mary Ellen
are always reading.

Confession stories? Good Lord!

Ben Walton, I have never read
a confession story in my life!

Well, I've seen
you and Mary Ellen

in your room with
that flashlight on.

What were you doing?
Looking at the pictures?

Ben, I'm going to clobber
you! JOHN: Now, come on.

That's enough, now! Come on,
it's too early for this kind of thing.

Daddy didn't get
much sleep last night.

Daddy, can I have
a tattoo like Wade?

You know that hula
dancer he has on...

Absolutely not! I like
an airplane propeller.

JOHN: You can do
whatever you want, Son,

when you're 21 and
you're your own man.

GRANDPA: Hi, Vera. Oh.

Good morning. Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning, Vera.

Hi, Floyd. Hello, Floyd.

Hiya, fella.

I'm sorry for being late.

Floyd's getting to be
such a handful on my lap,

it's a wonder I'm
able to feed him at all.

Needs a highchair.

Wade promised me one, but he...
he just never got around to finishing it.

It's sitting out back with
all the rest of the things.

Jason. Come on,
Floyd, hang on there.

Here you go.

Lord, we thank you for the
food we're about to receive

and for bringing us safely
through another night.

We ask your guidance
throughout the day ahead. Amen.

Amen. Amen.

Let me help you with
these pancakes here.

It's nice to have a new baby.

There was a time when Wade and I

sat at a Christian
table like this.

(CHOKING) Excuse me, please.

Well, it just doesn't
stop, does it?

Who knows?

All right, come on,
dig in, everyone.

GRANDPA: Hey. Right over here.

My nursery of
transplanted pines.

There's a loblolly and a
longleaf pine back there.

Right in here is a
real Virginia pine.

Pinus virginiana.
Scrub pine they call it.

Why did you plant the trees
so closely together, Grandpa?

Well, so as they can reach out

and grow up tall and straight.

But how come?

They're all of them
fighting for the sunlight.

Grandpa, are you as old
as that tree over there?

That old one? Well,
not as old as that, no.

(CHUCKLES)

You know, about 10 feet up,

you can tell the
girth of a tree.

One year for each inch.

Right here you can tell

the tree by this old
dead stump here.

See, it's recorded right here.

You see those dark and
light rings all the way around?

Inside that's all dead tree.

But each year
around the outer edge

records the year of its growth.

Just like we check it
off on our calendars.

It must be over 100 years old.

Well, no, scarcely that.

From the time it
was a young sapling,

those precious years
of the springtime,

then the hot summer sun, then
the closing-down time of the autumn,

then the long, long sleep
of the winter. Mmm-hmm.

Well, I think we better
be getting on home.

Your dad's got a lot of chores
to do, especially got some for me.

Grandpa, you sure have taught
me a lot about growing pines.

And, you know, one of these
days I may just surprise you.

Well, you plan to start an
experimental nursery in our backyard?

If you do, you be sure
you transplant them

and keep the roots
nice and moist.

Well, not exactly that, Grandpa.

But I've been
working on something.

I think I'm gonna stay
up here for a while.

You want to stay here? Can I?

Yeah, me, too.

I did count the
rings of that tree.

I'd say just about
as old as I am.

And, Elizabeth,

watch out for the
lions, the tigers

and the bears and
the monkeys up here.

JASON: Okay, Grandpa.

Hey, come on. I have
something to show you. Come on.

Come on. Here it is!

Here is what?

This is Walton's Phenomenal
Pines Enterprises.

Sounds like one of
your crazy schemes.

Well, these seedlings right here
are gonna make me rich and famous.

Well, how? There are
seedlings all over the mountain.

Uh-huh.

But I've been shipping
mine to folks in the flatlands

so they can have
shade in the summer.

You sneak! When
did you plant them?

Last spring.

I just did what Grandpa did.

Sounds like another
one of your stupid ideas.

Well, you may think so,

but look at all
these orders I got

from this ad I took
out in Grit magazine.

Some even sent money in advance!

Maybe it's not such
a dumb idea after all.

Yeah. You need some
help? I work cheap.

We're all gonna
be rich and famous?

Well, not as rich as me, but
you got to promise me something.

What?

You gotta promise
not to tell anybody.

Why?

So everybody
doesn't horn in on it.

Come on. Let's weed this out.

You take that
and I'll take this.

All those little weeds...

At the rate we're going,

we ought to finish this
order by next Christmas.

I'm dragging. How about you?

Started the day dragging.

Wade, I'd like to
see you for a minute.

Shoot. In the office.

(SIGHING)

Wade, you know,
you're a good worker

when you set your mind to it.

But, lately, well, lately, your
job has really been sloppy.

My work's as good
as anybody else's.

I've had three complaints on your
work in the last couple of weeks.

From who?

And you've been late
nearly every day this week.

(SIGHING) Look, Wade,
I've been level with you

and I'm gonna expect
you to be the same by me.

Now, I know all about
your little moonlighting job,

so there's no need
to try and hide it.

What I do in my own
time is my business.

Un-uh.

Not when it starts
affecting your work here.

You saying my work
isn't good enough for you?

Well, who needs
this lousy job anyway?

Do this, do that,

giving a man orders like he
was in the navy or something.

Wade, don't mess
up a good thing.

And that's what you've got
going here, boy. A good thing.

I'll tell you something.

You take your good
thing and this whole factory

and you shove it in the creek!

Vera!

Hey, Vera!

Vera?

(CAR APPROACHING)

I told you never to
come by the house!

Boone pushed the run
up a couple of hours.

He wants everything
delivered right away.

Got nothing better to do.

Looks like there's
gonna be a roadblock.

I can get us around it. Come on.

You handle the directions.

(MUMBLING)

VERA: Lord, I don't
ask your help too often.

But you gotta help Wade.

He's in some kind
of trouble. I know it.

He ain't never been
an easy man to live with,

but now something's
really wrong.

Please, sir,

I'm begging you to steer
him back to the right ways.

Lord Jesus, you and I both know

that Floyd will need him bad.

And I need him right bad myself.

Grandma, have you
seen Vera anywhere?

No, not since this morning.

I think I'm gonna
take a little walk.

You want me to come along
with you? Help you find her?

No, thank you.

Vera.

Vera.

Aren't you a
little big for that?

Just wanted to be by myself.

I remember Grandpa telling
when you were a little girl

and timid as a baby squirrel,

how you used to hide behind a
tree when company would come.

Your mom would
have to haul you out

to say hello and show you off.

I was never much to show off.

I was gonna take a little walk.
You wanna come with me?

All right. I'll see you
back at the house.

I'm mostly worried about Floyd.

What's that, Vera?

He's going to need
his daddy around.

Floyd loves his daddy.

You ought to see the
way his eyes light up

whenever Wade
takes him on his lap.

Babies know when they're loved.

One day Wade will just glory in
holding his own baby on his lap.

Next day, he's a
different person,

saying nasty things
and hurting my feelings.

Got a temper.

It runs in the family.

Maybe I've been bad for Wade.

He'd say, "Come on, Vera,
let's go to Dew Drop Inn."

And I'd say, "Wade, it's no fit
place for a woman with a baby."

Then he'd say, "Oh, Vera,
you're no fun," and take off.

Then he'd come back
and we'd start fussing,

and I reckon I did about
as much hollering as he did.

The other night we
really had a bad one.

Him hollering, me crying.

Then he hollered out for
all the neighbors to hear,

"Go on, leave if
you don't like it!"

That was what hurt.

Maybe he doesn't miss me at all.

Look at me, Livie. I'm plain.

No, you're not. I'm plain.

I'm ordinary. I'm dumb.

We both know better than that.

I been fretting ever since we
first moved down to Brightwood.

I seen them city girls with
their lip paint and face powder.

Weren't no bother when we
was both living in the cabin

with Martha Corinne
and Grandpa Boone.

Weren't nobody around to try
and take my man away from me.

Don't you sell
yourself short, Vera.

You're a good woman.

You have deep strengths
you don't even know about.

Draw on them now.

You're asking me
to change what I am.

No, I'm not.

All I'm asking is for you to try

to meet your new life halfway.

There are lots of good things in life,
Vera, even away from the mountain.

You need a friend.

Friendship's a
very special thing.

Sometimes it takes a little
working at, like a marriage.

Why don't you give
it a second chance?

Too late now, Livie.

I'll be leaving
you all by and by.

I got kin over near
Afton that'll take us in.

Wade'll know where to
find us, if he wants us.

If that's what you've decided.

I thank you all kindly for
keeping Floyd and me.

Be careful with that, Elizabeth.

How many trees do
we have now, Jim-Bob?

Nine.

Nine at 75 cents each
comes out to $6.75.

We're rich.

That's only chicken feed

compared to what
we're gonna be making.

Now be careful the way
you wrap that, Jim-Bob.

Make sure you
keep all the dirt intact

and don't break
any of the branches.

I am careful.

At least I don't
drop it like Elizabeth.

Elizabeth!

Well, they're slippery.

Do I have to do
everything myself?

So far, all you've done
is yell and give orders.

Well, that's my prerogative.

What's prerogative?

It means he does the least
work and gets the most money.

Get back to work.

(SIGHING)

Hi, Wade.

What you want here?

Can I come in?

(COUGHS)

You sure seem to have
a chip on your shoulder.

No chip on my
shoulder. I feel just fine.

Oh.

You feel fine, huh?

Couple of weeks
ago you told me that

and now your wife is
up staying at our house.

My wife walked out of my life,

and I'm just gonna
enjoy my freedom.

Now, what concern
is that of yours?

Well, if you'd
really like to know

what concern it is
of mine, I'll tell you.

The other night when she
got there, she lit into me.

It seemed like she blamed this whole
thing on me, put it on my shoulders,

I was encouraging you for
doing your wood carvings.

Now, is that what you think?

I mean, you think I'm
to blame for all of this?

It's between me and her.

I'll tell you the way it was.

I did my best to stay
sweethearts with her.

I tried to get her to go out
with me, but she wouldn't go.

I tried to get her to be
friendly with the neighbors,

but she wouldn't
even come to the door,

just hid somewheres.

I even bought her a low-cut,
shiny black, solid silk shimmy.

You think she'd get into it?

No, siree. Claimed
it looked sinful.

Maybe she just
needs a little more time

to get used to living
in town, you know.

Why don't you just butt out
of my business, John-Boy?

No, maybe I won't just
butt out of your business.

What's the matter
with you, Wade?

A year ago, you and me
were up on that mountain

standing side by side.

We were ready to
fight for your land.

Now you won't even
talk to me like blood kin.

What's wrong with you?

A year ago, I came
down from the mountain,

and you told me I could
sell my wood carvings.

People liked them well
enough, said they were pretty,

but nobody bought them!

Lucky I learned how to
work a lathe in the navy.

So I found myself a lathe job

and I tied myself down to that,

and that's just what I was.
Tied down to a machine,

tied down to just enough
money to squeak by.

Along comes Grandpa
Boone with a proposition,

hauling his shine down to
Richmond, Norfolk and Newport News.

And that's good money, John-Boy.

Enough so I would never have to
hear Vera say, "Costs too much!"

Wade, are you running moonshine?

(SIGHS EXASPERATED)

Do you realize that's just as
illegal as selling it and making it?

Well, maybe that's
just part of it, John-Boy.

Before a liquor run I get
the same feeling I used to get

before I went into
battle maneuvers.

My throat dry, my heart
pounding, my skin tingling

and a roaring in my ears like a
freight train going 90 miles an hour.

I feel like I'm alive
again, John-Boy.

Well, I... I don't
know what to tell you.

(SIGHING)

I guess what I came
here to say was

that Vera's going up to Afton
to stay with kin tomorrow.

If that's the way
you feel about things,

I guess maybe
she'll be better off.

(KNOCK ON DOOR)

SHERIFF: Wade! Open this door.

(KNOCK ON DOOR)

Wade!

John-Boy.

I didn't expect to see you here.

Sheriff.

Wade, we've been
tailing you two.

And your friend here has been a
little loose with his talk and his money,

so you better
bring a toothbrush.

Those down at the jailhouse
are getting a little worn and frayed.

Come on. Let's go.

(MACHINE WHIRRING)

Hey, there, John-Boy!

Whatever you burning
up the road for?

What's up, Son?

You're not gonna believe this.

Wade's in jail.

How'd he manage that?

He got caught with a
truckload of moonshine.

Selling it? No. Running it.

It seems Boone
has been paying him

and some character named Corky

a whole lot of money
just to run it for him.

Wait till I get my
hands on that Boone.

He ought to be
ashamed of himself,

dragging a fine, upstanding boy
like Wade downhill along with him.

Pa, let's hear the rest
of the story, all right?

I was up to Wade's place

and Sheriff Bridges
came by and arrested him.

Took him up in front of Judge
Horsely, and he got himself sentenced.

$50 or 50 days,
take your choice.

They've got his truck back
there. They've confiscated it.

They're holding it until they
get rid of the moonshine,

so he's just
sitting there in jail.

I hope he's doing some thinking.

Well, the way I figure
it, he got off pretty easy.

Judge said it was his first
offense, and he's got family...

Of course, we could get him out.

$50.

$50! Now where am I
gonna get fifty dollars?

Well, Wade's got 30, and
Boone owes him some money.

If we had $20 we
could get him out.

$20! I got a mortgage
payment, Son.

I don't have that kind of money!

Well, now, John, you're wrong.

After all he's our blood kin.

I've got a nest egg
of $20 sitting upstairs

there just waiting
to be hatched.

No, siree, Pa. No.

Now, listen, Son,
you get in your car.

You go up the
mountains, you find Boone,

and you tell him to get
his nephew out of jail.

You want me to
go up there? Yeah.

You're right. You do that.

You go give Boone
a good talking to.

He's blood kin after
all. He can't bite you.

Okay.

Come on, Pa. We got work to do.

That Boone ain't
got sense enough...

Well, good luck to you,
Ben. Whatever you're up to.

Thank you, Ike.

When I branch out, I may
just ask you if you want a job.

Branch out into what? Branches!

Branches?

Hey, look, everybody. JOHN: Son?

My third batch of money orders!

For Walton's Phenomenal
Pines Enterprises.

So that's what
you've been up to.

Don't you think you should've
checked with us before, Son?

I wanted to do it on my own to
show that I was grown-up, too.

How'd all this get started?

I've been watching Grandpa

for the past year now
with all his seedlings,

and I saw how easy it was,
so I decided I could do it myself.

What kind of trees
you been selling?

The same kind that you've been
planting last spring, Grandpa.

I've been shipping them to
Tidewater, and down to North Carolina

and all over the place.

Okay. Those are mountain pines.

I don't know if
they'd grow so good

down around the Tidewater sand.

We were real careful,
Grandpa, did just like you told us.

You wrapped them up.
You didn't let the roots dry out

and wet paper, standing them up.

(CAR APPROACHING)

Hi, Zeb. GRANDPA: Ep.

John.

Sheriff.

I've been doing a lot of
business out here with you people.

Now, Ep, I'd like to
get right to the point,

because I haven't had
the best kind of day.

Well, I'd like to
talk to old Ben here.

Seems the forestry department
has been getting complaints

from people who're
buying your seedlings.

They feel they're being gypped.

Well, how do they figure that?

Well, the report I get is

the seedlings are either
dead by the time they arrive,

or soon after
they're transplanted.

They're supposed to grow.

I want through all the
instructions in this forestry manual.

Also, there's no Ben Walton

registered as a
commercial grower.

You see, son, you gotta have a
license to sell trees and ship them.

I didn't know that.

What kind of trees
you been selling?

Mostly scrub pines
or yellow pines, mostly.

When did you plant them?

Last spring.

Well, there's your answer.

Zeb, you ought to
know that a young pine

has gotta be at
least two years old

before you transplant them.

Yes. Yes, I had
ought to know that.

Well, Ben,

I know you had no
intention of deceiving people,

so I'm gonna see if I can get
the charges dropped against you.

Providing you're
willing to give back

the money you've been taking in.

I can't do that.

What do you mean?

I've already spent most
of the profits on shipping

and another
little ad I took out.

What should I do, Daddy?

Let's see. You killed yourself
a bunch of young trees,

you spent most of your profits

and you're on the
wrong side of the law.

I don't know. You got any ideas?

You can lend me
the money that I owe.

I haven't got that
kind of money, Son.

John, I gotta little
nest egg I've been...

Now, just a minute, Pa.

You got some money
left from your business

and if you do extra chores around
here, you can pick up some more money.

I don't know. See if you can
work it out with the sheriff here.

Sheriff, do you think it'd be
okay if I paid a little at a time?

Well, Ben, since
you're underage,

I think they'll work
something out with you. Yeah.

Sorry to trouble
you this late, John.

GRANDPA: Come by anytime, Ep.

Next time bring
good news. Sheriff!

Do you happen to know how
I can get a grower's license

to ship and sell trees?

JOHN: Ben!

Better to get to work
on those extra chores.

Hitch up the mule
and drag in some logs.

Now?

Right now.

WADE: Now I know what
a bear feels like in a cage.

I never wanna set
foot in that place again.

I'll drop you any
place you wanna go.

I wanna see my wife and baby.

All right.

Where's Vera?

Well, she's been
staying in the shed.

Vera!

Vera, I've come
to take you home.

I know what you've been
doing at them roadhouses.

I know you've been arrested.

Vera, you get Floyd
ready to go back, you hear?

Back to what?

Grandpa Boone might
stake us till I get another job.

If you run more
moonshine for him?

Vera... You want Floyd and me?

Well, Wade, you prove it.

Vera, you're my wife.

Vera! Vera, you
come out of there!

Vera!

(BANGING ON DOOR)

Come out of there!

(BANGING ON DOOR)

Vera!

What kind of ideas you
putting into her head now?

Wait a minute. I'm
tired of hearing that!

If anybody put any
ideas in her head, it's you.

She's been trying to
work things out here...

You won't even... Butt
out of my business!

You won't even... Easy, Son.

Yeah, and you just better...

What do you mean, I just better?

Now, Wade, calm down.

Come off your high horse,
Son. I'm tired of that woman.

I'm getting her right now even if
I have to knock down that door!

Now wait a minute.

This is my property here.

You're not gonna
knock down any door.

And you can't go
treating your wife like that!

John. Wade.

Vera loves it up here in the
mountains, and I know you do, too.

We got a new mill over there,
a lot of fine cabins working.

We sure could
use your help on it.

It's a handout. I
don't take charity.

Wait just a minute.

Pa here is right.

We got work here. We got a
roll-top desk could use your talent.

Now, I'll put you to
work and I'll pay you well.

And what if I don't?

Well, it seems to me
you got two choices.

Either you can get yourself honest
work and take care of your family,

or I'm gonna have to thrash
you from here to Rockfish.

Thank you for watching over us

and keeping us well and strong

so that we can be here
together at this table.

And, dear Lord, grant us the
favor of bringing back to the fold

the sheep that is lost, so that
he too can be with his family,

like they pledged to
do on their wedding day.

Amen. Amen.

GRANDPA: Amen. Amen.

Anybody remember to
put the honey on the table?

Don't need honey.

Here you go, little fellow.

(DOOR SLAMS)

(SIGHING) I took a long walk.

And I done some thinking.

And I

remembered how it used to
be with us up on that mountain.

Maybe...

Maybe the fault
ain't all on your side.

Maybe the fault
ain't on either side.

Maybe neither one of
us was meant for cities.

I'm gonna find us

a little piece of land on
the side of some mountain,

and I'm gonna build you
that house I promised you.

(BABY GURGLING)

Wade, you know
it's all I ever want.

John-Boy, I...

Maybe I just didn't try hard
enough on that wood carving.

Wade, won't you sit down
and have some supper?

Yeah.

I'll get started on that
desk first thing after supper.

It can wait till morning.

How you been keeping?

You wanna hold Floyd?

(SOFTLY) Come here, Floyd.

How's my little boy?

(BABY GURGLING)

(LAUGHING) Okay, here we
go. How about some meat there?

This man looks hungry.

JOHN-BOY: In time, Wade earned
enough through his wages at the mill

to open his own
wood-carving shop

in the house he had
long planned to build.

Now that he was able to
follow the work he loved most,

he became the husband and the
father he had always planned to be

on the day he and
Vera were married.

JIM-BOB: Mama?
OLIVIA: Yes, Jim-Bob?

I can't sleep. Why not?

You know that hula dancer
Wade's got tattooed on his arm?

Yeah?

I got one on my arm now.

You'd better be joking.

I drew it on in indelible ink.

I've been scrubbing and
scrubbing, and it won't come off.

Then you just keep on scrubbing.

I will, in the morning.

Right now.

Good night, Mama. Good night.