Touched by an Angel (1994–2003): Season 6, Episode 19 - True Confessions - full transcript
Monica and Tess enter a woman's prison to help a woman who was wrongly convicted of killing a man. Monica helps stage a play in prison to get the women to open up. Andrew helps the father of that man come to forgive the woman falsely accused.
Orby, let's go, mijo.
People can't eat their
lunch off of paper plates.
- Come on.
- It's too heavy for you, Papa.
- No, no, I got it. I got it.
- It's too heavy.
You get back to your came asada.
Okay.
Is something on your
mind, Miss Wings?
Do you think there's a
hint of spring in the air?
Do I look like a
groundhog to you?
Well, it's just that winter
seems to take so long, and...
everything is cold and bare.
Some people like the winter.
That's true.
I know that snow
can be beautiful.
And the sounds of
the wee ones laughing
as they go swishing
down a hill on a sleigh
can be very uplifting.
And there's a
certain elegant grace
in the moves of an ice skater.
You know, I suppose
you're right, Tess.
Winter has its
own lovely qualities.
You happier now?
Yes.
You've gone from cold and bare
to lovely in span of ten steps.
Now which one is true?
I'm not quite sure
what you mean.
Well, you kept lovely,
and you forgot
about cold and bare.
Yes, I was trying to
feel better about winter.
Mm-hmm.
You see how easy that
is for an angel to do?
It's even easier for the humans.
They're always
making little revisions
in their lives, and adjusting
their memories.
It's the only way they can live
with themselves sometimes.
You remember that.
Because it's a
part of the problem
for our new assignment.
Where are we going?
Where winter doesn't end.
Get off of me.
Get up. Back up. Out of the way.
Come on.
That's Carla
Robinson, Miss Wings.
She's your new assignment.
She seems so cold and hard.
Winter does that to people.
♪ When you walk ♪
♪ Down the road ♪
♪ Heavy burden ♪
♪ Heavy load ♪
♪ I will rise ♪
♪ And I will walk with you ♪
♪ I'll walk with you ♪
♪ Till the sun
don't even shine ♪
♪ Walk with you ♪
♪ Every time, I tell you ♪
♪ I'll walk with you ♪
♪ Walk with you ♪
♪ Believe me, I'll
walk with you. ♪
We've had all kinds of
do-gooders come through here.
They've organized choirs
and book clubs
and prayer groups,
and it's all been
a waste of time.
You think putting on a show
is gonna change things?
I think you'll be
presently surprised.
A prison drama program
can give the women some hope,
a chance to picture themselves
outside of these walls,
and perhaps then they can
live more peacefully inside.
Well, the powers that be
say we have to
do it, so we do it.
But understand this, Monica...
I am a corrections
officer, not a preacher.
I don't believe in miracles.
This is A block...
toughest bunch in the place.
Guard.
Good morning,
Warden Davis. Isn't this
a lovely day?
This is Tess.
Last officer we had
running this block
suddenly decided he had
to take a leave of absence.
Tess here dropped out of
the sky just when I needed her.
Like a miracle.
She'll show you in.
Thank you.
Visitor on the block.
I love saying that.
You want to interview me?
Wait a minute.
We're gonna do what?
Everyone in the cell block
is going to work together
to put on a play.
Oh, you mean, like...
"Romeo, 0, Romeo,
what's up with that Romeo?"
Yes, something like that.
Why should we?
Well, because sometimes
you can learn something
about yourself when
you see the world
through the eyes
of someone else.
Even if you're just playing
Juliet for a little while.
You can't make
us do it, you know?
I mean, we've got rights.
Even in here.
Carla likes to play lawyer.
Oh, really? Did you
go to law school, Carla?
I said play.
She just clogs up the system
with a bunch of "I
didn't do it" paper.
Like somebody's
gonna believe it.
Shut up, Enshake.
Ain't enough paper in the world
to get you out
of here, girlfriend.
Whoa.
What kind of play
are we gonna do?
I'm not dressing up
like some cat or nothing.
Well, before
we decide which
would be the best play,
I thought that each
of you could tell me
something about
yourselves first.
Anything at all.
Who'd like to go first?
Did I mention that
anyone who participates
will get out an hour early
from metal shop each day?
My name's Enshake.
I got a baby boy back
home named Advon.
He looks just like his
daddy, but I love him anyway.
And that ain't no pretend thing.
Enshake. That's
a beautiful name.
I'm next. I'm Susanne.
And I caught my old man
going out on me, and I...
sent him to intensive care.
I'm Deedee.
People did things
to me for a long time.
And I guess I just started
making stuff happen back.
Jan.
I kind of got an anger
management issue.
You better shut up.
I'll pass.
Are you sure?
She ain't got no special story.
Murder one.
Girl was high as a kite.
Killed some poor,
stupid bystander.
Now she ain't going
nowhere for 25 to life.
Oh, wait, one more thing.
She didn't do it.
I am innocent.
I didn't kill that kid.
Someday I'll prove it.
Mr. Gonzalez?
Come on in.
The door's open.
Mr. Gonzalez?
Who are you?
My name is Andrew.
I've been assigned to
you by the hospice agency.
Oh, no, no, no.
Where's Lucy? They
always send me Lucy.
Well, Lucy decided
to take a little time off.
Ah, she didn't wanna...
be here for the end, huh?
She just needed
a break, that's all.
It's not personal.
Death is never personal, is it?
My beautiful wife Madrigal
died from a bad heart
ten years ago, it
wasn't personal.
It was just bad genes.
My son Orby was killed.
It wasn't personal.
That evil woman
didn't even know him.
People come and go,
and that's all there is to it.
Well... How long are
you gonna be around?
Andrew, is it?
I'm gonna be here
the rest of the way...
Mr. Gonzalez.
Agnes of God?
Why not Enshake
of the Southside?
Hey, hey, stop it.
Stop it. Solitary.
Okay, it's a beautiful
and haunting play
about a sad and
confused young woman,
Sister Agnes, who
lives inside a convent.
Yo, see, I told you
there were worse prisons.
There's a big difference between
commitment to God,
and being committed
by the state of Illinois.
Uh, Sister Agnes
has to face a terrible tragedy
that she has convinced
herself is a miracle from God.
She must be nuts.
Let's turn to page one.
Shall we?
Where do you think
babies come from?
From their mothers
and father, of course.
Well, I think they come
from when an angel lights
on their mother's chest
and whispers into her ear.
What's up with this nun?
I been locked up 16 years,
I still remember
how babies get made.
She was raped, stupid.
She wants to forget
what happened,
so she makes up a story
about angels bringing babies.
It's the only way she can...
live with what really happened.
Think you can do better?
Better than that.
Bring it on.
Well, I think they come from
when an angel lights
on their mother's chest
and whispers into her ear.
That makes good
babies start to grow.
That's very good, Carla.
I did a little bit of
drama in high school.
Yeah, I went to high
school. I'm not trash.
No, I mean it. Really,
that was very good.
Thank you, you two.
Look, why don't we go back to
- the part where...
- Yo, Enshake, you were all that.
Agnes first starts
talking about the baby?
Remember, Agnes is
trying to separate herself
from the truth.
I don't know what
you're talking about.
You want to talk about the baby.
Everybody wants to
talk about the baby,
but I never saw the baby,
so I don't believe in the baby.
I've been talking for weeks
and nobody believes
me when I tell 'em...
And one night I heard the
most beautiful voice imaginable.
For six nights he sang to me
songs I had never heard.
♪ Charlie's neat ♪
♪ Charlie's sweet ♪
♪ Charlie, he's a dandy ♪
♪ Every time he goes ♪
♪ To town ♪
♪ He gets his girl
some candy... ♪
There's something
about her, Tess,
something so vulnerable
and deeply wounded.
Perhaps the reason that
she's so angry is that she's
really innocent.
12 people found
her guilty, baby.
I know, but just because
they found her guilty
doesn't mean that she is.
Monica, I was there.
Carla killed Orby Gonzalez
and then she stood
there and she laughed.
♪ Every time he goes to town ♪
♪ He gets his girl some candy. ♪
Everybody's unhappy.
You're unhappy, aren't you?
- Agnes.
- Aren't you?
Sometimes...
I can't believe that
woman's a murderer.
Well, what does a
murderer look like, angel girl?
It's just that I want
so badly to believe
that somehow there's
been a terrible mistake.
No, there's no mistake.
Come on. Snap out of it.
We got to get out of here.
Come on. Come on!
It's all right, Orby.
I'm an angel, and God has
sent me to take you home.
Will you... could, could you
tell my papa that I love him?
Everybody's unhappy.
You're unhappy, aren't you?
Agnes...
Only, you think you're
lucky because you didn't...
But she said she didn't do it.
And did things that
maybe weren't...
Is Carla lying?
Do you remember me telling you
about people adjusting
their memories?
Carla doesn't want to remember
that she pulled that trigger,
so she's got it buried deep
inside so she can ignore it.
And Mr. Gonzalez was
one of the witnesses
against her, but he
never saw the gun;
he never saw her shoot his son;
and as long as she denies it,
he'll never have peace of mind.
There's no closure,
and he doesn't have
a lot of time, Monica.
Okay.
- Ay, ay.
- Okay, let's take a deep breath.
All right.
Are you in a lot of pain?
Because I can up the
dosage a little bit if you want.
No, no.
Pain is all I have left.
Come on.
What about your friends, huh,
your chess club, and all those
afternoon walks in the park?
Oh, they're
distractions... That's all.
Nothing has really mattered
since that woman killed my boy.
He was a hard worker.
Sounds like it
runs in the family.
We worked together in the
little restaurant downtown, and...
Orby had a lot of friends.
He was always running
around with somebody,
but he always made
sure to be home in time
to watch the Bulls game with me.
Sounds like you guys
had a great relationship.
Oh, yes.
After Madrigal passed on,
we only had each other...
and then there was only me.
You want to know what was
the last thing I said to my son?
I said...
"People can't eat their
lunch off of paper plates."
Paper plates.
What kind of last words
are those to hold onto?
I could have said,
"I'm proud of you.
I love you."
No.
Paper plates.
Oh, God.
You know,
people say "I love you" in
all kinds of different ways.
I'm sure he knew.
That woman, that
terrible woman...
She took my son from me.
And In every day I prayed
for her to die, Andrew.
I prayed every day.
”Vengeance is mine,
' sayeth the Lord."
Not yours, Santos.
If you want to
pray for something,
pray for peace.
And you pray to find
the strength to forgive.
Forgive?
Never.
Never.
You've got a visitor.
Visitors aren't
allowed in the cells.
It's a violation of
penal code number...
Don't quote the rule
book to me, missy.
Especially when
I'm trying to help you.
Girl, you can have my
magazines when I'm done.
You have a gift for
understanding the truth, Carla.
I heard it when
you were speaking
the lines of Sister Agnes.
I saw it in your eyes.
The pain was real to you,
and I'd like to know why.
You want to know what hurts me?
I got a daughter out there.
Last time I saw her, she
was just out of diapers.
She's in the fourth grade now.
My Aunt Rachel
takes care of her.
Do they come and visit you?
No, I don't want my
kid to see me in here.
I'd rather she forget
about me completely
than have to remember
me in this place.
This is the argument
for my fourth appeal.
It's the only thing
that helps me believe
that I'm gonna see
my little Meredith again,
only thing that keeps
me from cutting up.
Cutting up?
I'm doing 25 to life.
I decided early on
that a life sentence
didn't have to mean a long one.
How did you end up
in this place, Carla?
All kinds of mistakes.
I got married right
out of high school,
which lasted about ten minutes,
but that's how I got Meredith,
so that's a mistake
I can live with...
and, uh, then Jimmy came along.
Jimmy?
Yeah, I met him at the
Cozy Corner Lounge
in 1992.
He, um, had one of
those Brad Pitt smiles
that you could see a mile away.
Hmm.
Jimmy was big into guns.
Made him feel
powerful or something.
The day it all happened,
he and I were on our way back
from target practice
in the woods.
Jimmy decided that he
wanted to score some drugs.
The guy was, like,
20 minutes late
and Jimmy was getting edgy
and he pulls out the gun.
I told him
to put the gun away, but
he said it was just in case.
He always said this
stupid thing" “No problemo.“
Then everything
happened so fast.
It felt like slow
motion, though.
The dealer started dealing,
Jimmy started yelling.
I didn't know what to do, I...
I screamed for him to put
the gun down, but my hands
were shaking so
bad, I wasn't even sure
I'd be able to pull
the trigger if I had to.
All I wanted was for the guy
to just take off so we
could just get out of there.
I thought it was all over
and then this door
opens right behind us
and this poor kid was
just standing there.
Then, pop, I just
never saw his face.
He was frozen.
♪♪
Then Jimmy panicked.
He just left me there and
I didn't know what to do.
Couldn't move.
I wanted to scream,
but it was all so absurd.
I just laughed.
♪♪
I couldn't move.
And that's how you remember it?
That's how it happened.
But if Jimmy was the one
who actually pulled the trigger,
why did the police arrest you?
They found gunpowder on my hand.
I tried to tell 'em it was from
target practice that morning,
but they didn't listen
'cause they had two eyewitnesses
that saw me standing there.
What happened to the gun?
There were storm
drains all over the place.
The D.A. told the jury
that I must have dropped it
into one of them and it
disappeared into the river.
But...
But the gun disappeared
with Jimmy into thin air.
Don't ask me how.
You don't believe me.
Well, that doesn't
even matter, Monica,
'cause I know I didn't do it,
and my daughter knows,
and that's all that counts.
His name was Orby Gonzalez.
I know.
I didn't do it.
His father's name is Santos.
Why are you telling
me this, Monica?
Santos is dying.
Santos Gonzalez testified
against me in court.
He is the reason I am here.
Why do you think
I care if he's dying?
Mr. Gonzalez is not the
reason that you're here.
Why are you here, Monica?
Why do you even care
about any of this stuff?
I care because I think
you're in a lot of pain.
Why is this door open?
Monica, what are
you doing in here?
No visitors are allowed.
I'm sorry.
Well, I guess it
doesn't matter anyway.
Apparently, your old
boyfriend just got arrested
for committing a crime
with the same gun
that killed Orby Gonzalez.
Appeals court
overturned your conviction.
Here's your ticket out of here.
19 hours, you'll
be a free woman.
Oh, my God. Oh.
What's the first thing
you're gonna do, sunshine?
You know, Pam's, that diner
right off the interstate
with all ice cream?
You thinking about the
hot fudge or the strawberry?
Neither.
Thinking about an open door.
My daughter skipping through it
and coming and giving me a hug.
Holding on like
there's no tomorrow.
And then we're
gonna get a milkshake.
A big one, you
know, in a giant glass.
Get a couple of straws,
and then Meredith and
I are gonna sit there,
and we're gonna
drink a milkshake.
Can see it now.
The whole world's going
on outside, you know?
The open door, and
nobody even looks twice.
Just a regular mom.
Hmm.
I might even go in and out of
that door a couple extra times
just to remind
myself that I still can.
Even if she wanted
to admit the truth,
she has no reason to now, Tess.
Yes, she does, angel girl,
because when she walks
through those gates tonight,
she'll be walking into
a prison much worse
than the one she's been in.
Say, Carla,
what are you gonna
do about the play?
You're still gonna do
it today, aren't you?
I don't know.
I just want to get out of here.
Carla... you've worked so hard.
Wouldn't you like to play Sister
Agnes even if it's just once?
Yeah. Come on, girlfriend.
Otherwise, we got to use
Deedee, and she's terrible.
Shut up, Enshake.
It would mean a lot to everyone.
Hello, Warden.
I hope you enjoy the show.
Well, I have to
hand it to Monica.
I can't believe you
pulled it off in two weeks.
Not with this bunch.
Sort of like a miracle, huh?
Maybe. A little one.
Sometimes that's the best kind.
May I have your
attention, please?
- Excuse me? Hey!
Don't make me mad!
Pay attention now.
Thank you.
Um, what you're about to
see represents the hard work
of a group of very
special women.
Women who weren't
afraid to look inside
for the truth and to
find a way to express it.
I hope that you'll
consider their example
when you watch this performance.
Thank you.
♪ Kyrie Eleison ♪
The baby was discovered
in a waste basket.
♪ Kyrie Eleison ♪
The mother was
found unconscious,
suffering loss of blood.
She was indicted
on manslaughter.
Case was assigned to
me, Dr. Martha Livingstone,
court psychiatrist,
to determine whether
she was legally sane.
- I wanted to help.
- ♪ Kyrie Eleison... ♪
Dr. Livingstone, I presume.
I'm Mother Miriam Ruth,
in charge of the convent
where Sister Agnes is living.
They're allowing her to stay
at the convent until the trial.
You're unhappy.
Everybody's unhappy.
You're unhappy, aren't you?
Sometimes, yes.
Only you think you're lucky
'cause you didn't have a
mother who said things,
or maybe did things
that weren't always nice.
That's what you think
'cause you think my
mother was bad, don't you?
Yes, I do think your
mother was wrong.
But that was because of me.
Because I was bad, not her.
Agnes, what
happened to the baby?
She doesn't remember.
Don't do this to her!
What happened to the baby?
I don't remember.
I don't remember.
What happened to the baby?
I don't remember.
It was alive, wasn't it?
Wasn't it?
It was alive, wasn't it?
Wasn't it?!
Yes!
She's remembering, Tess.
What happened?
Mother Miriam was with
you, and then what did she do?
She, um... left me alone
With that little thing.
I looked at it, and.
I looked at it, and I
thought, "This is a mistake."
But it's my mistake.
I thought I could save her.
I could give her back to God.
Yeah, I heard she's going home.
I'm gonna see my daughter
in less than half an hour.
I'm sure it'll be a wonderful
moment for both of you.
We're gonna have every
kind of ice cream shake
that her little heart desires.
And after that?
I don't know.
I guess we'll go home.
What will you tell her
about Orby Gonzalez?
Nothing.
I'm innocent, and
I'm going home.
Sorry, Monica.
You've lost your
captive audience.
Find somebody else to fix.
Tess?
I'm ready to go.
My daughter's waiting.
Hey, your baby coming in?
All right, Carla,
let's go. Guard?
Drink one for me, Carla.
Hug that baby girl of yours.
- You go, girl.
- One way, Carla.
Don't come back.
God go with you, baby.
Carla! Carla!
Carla! Carla!
Let her go.
Whoa. How does
it feel to be free?
No comment.
Leave me alone.
Hello, baby.
What are you doing here?
Moonlighting.
Have a seat.
Oh.
How does it feel?
Well, um...
my daughter ought
to be here any minute.
I... I don't really
know what to do.
Oh, don't worry about it.
It'll come back to you.
Sooner than you think.
Carla?
Aunt Rachel.
Meredith.
This is your mommy.
Hi.
Go on, sweetheart. Go on.
Look at you.
You're all grown up.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Oh.
Princess.
You're so beautiful.
I missed you so much.
I have a picture
of you in my room.
Mm-hmm.
Aunt Rachel said, if I
prayed for you every night
that you'd be okay,
and some day I'd
get to see you again.
Yeah.
Oh, sweetheart.
I love you so much.
I'm never gonna
let you go again.
Do you hear me, baby? Never.
Mm.
I don't believe it.
That she didn't do it.
Well, um,
when they arrested
her old boyfriend,
they found the
gun that killed Orby.
All these years... I
have hated that woman.
You asked me to forgive
her, and I cursed her more.
I'm a terrible person.
No, Santos... you
are a good man.
I... I have to talk to her.
I have to tell her...
that I'm very sorry...
and ask her to forgive me.
D-Did you think you
could find her for me?
Yes, I can.
Okay, you know what
we're gonna do now?
We're gonna walk out that door
and we're gonna walk back in
- and we're gonna back out.
- How come?
Because we can.
Ms. Robinson, I am
Santos Gonzalez,
Orby's father.
Do you remember me?
Um... Rachel?
Can you take
Meredith to the car?
Just, I'll just be a minute.
Hi.
Hi.
Listen, I don't know
what you want from me,
but I'd really like
to be left alone.
Look... I don't blame
you for hating me
or turning me away.
For years I thought
you were a liar...
and I prayed that God
would strike you dead
for killing my boy.
But you didn't do it.
So I've come to say I'm sorry.
Can you forgive me for
thinking such terrible thoughts?
For praying... for
such terrible things?
Hello, Carla.
What is this?
What's going on here?
It's closure time.
Oh, God.
You okay?
Did I say the wrong
thing, Andrew?
No, Santos.
You said exactly
the right thing.
How does freedom feel?
What do you people want from me?
I mean, why can't you
just leave me alone?
I'm-I'm out of prison now!
You're out of prison now,
but the truth didn't set you free.
The facts set you free.
And the facts can lie.
You don't know what
you're talking about.
Yes, I do.
♪♪
What's going on?
What is going on?
Don't be afraid.
I'm an angel. God
sent me to you.
God?
God?
Just go... just go away,
just leave me alone, just...
- I can't talk to God.
- He knows that you killed,
and He knows why.
You can tell a lie,
you can live a lie,
but you can't pray a lie.
And He knows that's why
you can't bring yourself
to talk to Him.
So He has brought
Himself to you.
I don't need God.
I'm out now, and I
have my daughter,
and I'm just...
everything's fine, all right?
No, it's not.
Because somewhere
deep inside of you...
there's a part of your heart...
where you won't
allow yourself to go
because you're afraid to see
what you've been hiding there.
And you have closed
a door on that part,
and you've put a
great big lock on it.
And that's why your
heart feels so heavy,
and that's why you aren't
able to give all of it away,
not even to your little girl.
Can't you feel it, Carla?
I don't want to think
about it. I can't...
- I can't think about it.
- But you must
think about it.
Agnes of God finally had
to face the lies she created
to live with
herself, didn't she?
Yeah.
Only you can decide
to remove the locks and
go into that dark room.
But if you decide
to do it, Carla,
if you can put
your faith in God,
He will go in there with you.
I don't want to go in again.
I won't go in there again.
I know that you don't,
but it will be different
this time, I promise.
God... God, please... help me.
I can't remember.
Please.
♪♪
He came out of nowhere.
It was a reflex.
I did see his face.
I just wanted to forget
because he kept talking to me.
I did see his face.
I saw it.
♪♪
My God, look what I've done...
Oh, look What I did.
I killed him. I...
I didn't mean to
do it. Please, God...
forgive me, God, please.
Oh... oh... oh...
Do you truly know what
you have done, Carla?
Yes. God, yes.
And do you truly, with
all your heart and soul,
repent of what you have done?
Oh, yes... Oh,
God, I want to die.
Let me die, please.
I want to die.
I know that you do.
But God wants you to live,
and He wants you to
live knowing the truth.
And the truth is that you
did take another human's life,
and nothing you can
do will ever change that.
But with God's help, you
can change your own life.
That's all that you can do now.
That's the best
that you can do now.
But I'll never forget.
You will always remember
what you did that day,
and then you will remember
what God did this day.
Almighty God,
Who has the power and
the right to punish you,
has shown you mercy.
He has forgiven
you for taking the life
of His beloved
child, Orby Gonzalez.
But why?
Because you are His child, too,
and He loves you.
Even me?
Oh...
Mr. Gonzalez?
I want you to know that my...
my release from prison and
them overturning my conviction
is a mistake.
Excuse me?
I'm not innocent.
I need you to know the truth.
I was on drugs.
I never meant...
to kill your son.
It was an accident.
But I was holding the
gun when it went off.
I understand if you
can never forgive me...
but I need to ask
your forgiveness
because it's the only way
that I can forgive myself.
I don't know what to say.
- Right before...
- your son...
right before Orby
died, he said...
"Tell my papa I love him."
Oh...
I think he wanted
me to tell you that.
Oh...
I'm so sorry.
If I could change
places with him, I would.
I know you would.
I know.
But you can't.
But... there is...
something that you can do.
- You have a child?
- Yeah.
Promise me something.
Every time she
walks away from you,
your last words
to her will be...
"I love you."
I promise.
I'm ready now.
Take me home, Andrew.
♪♪
Now what am I gonna do?
That's up to you.
The law says that
you're innocent.
But whatever you
decide, remember that God
will be with you.
♪♪
Can we go now, Mommy?
Not yet, sweetheart.
Mommy, what's the matter?
Well, Mommy did
something wrong... and...
I've got to go talk to
the people at the court.
And I've got to be
honest with them
because telling the truth is
one of the most important things
that you can ever do.
I... I just... I got
to do what's right,
and I hope someday it's
gonna make you proud of me.
Oh, God.
And one more thing, princess.
I love you.
I love you.
♪♪
People can't eat their
lunch off of paper plates.
- Come on.
- It's too heavy for you, Papa.
- No, no, I got it. I got it.
- It's too heavy.
You get back to your came asada.
Okay.
Is something on your
mind, Miss Wings?
Do you think there's a
hint of spring in the air?
Do I look like a
groundhog to you?
Well, it's just that winter
seems to take so long, and...
everything is cold and bare.
Some people like the winter.
That's true.
I know that snow
can be beautiful.
And the sounds of
the wee ones laughing
as they go swishing
down a hill on a sleigh
can be very uplifting.
And there's a
certain elegant grace
in the moves of an ice skater.
You know, I suppose
you're right, Tess.
Winter has its
own lovely qualities.
You happier now?
Yes.
You've gone from cold and bare
to lovely in span of ten steps.
Now which one is true?
I'm not quite sure
what you mean.
Well, you kept lovely,
and you forgot
about cold and bare.
Yes, I was trying to
feel better about winter.
Mm-hmm.
You see how easy that
is for an angel to do?
It's even easier for the humans.
They're always
making little revisions
in their lives, and adjusting
their memories.
It's the only way they can live
with themselves sometimes.
You remember that.
Because it's a
part of the problem
for our new assignment.
Where are we going?
Where winter doesn't end.
Get off of me.
Get up. Back up. Out of the way.
Come on.
That's Carla
Robinson, Miss Wings.
She's your new assignment.
She seems so cold and hard.
Winter does that to people.
♪ When you walk ♪
♪ Down the road ♪
♪ Heavy burden ♪
♪ Heavy load ♪
♪ I will rise ♪
♪ And I will walk with you ♪
♪ I'll walk with you ♪
♪ Till the sun
don't even shine ♪
♪ Walk with you ♪
♪ Every time, I tell you ♪
♪ I'll walk with you ♪
♪ Walk with you ♪
♪ Believe me, I'll
walk with you. ♪
We've had all kinds of
do-gooders come through here.
They've organized choirs
and book clubs
and prayer groups,
and it's all been
a waste of time.
You think putting on a show
is gonna change things?
I think you'll be
presently surprised.
A prison drama program
can give the women some hope,
a chance to picture themselves
outside of these walls,
and perhaps then they can
live more peacefully inside.
Well, the powers that be
say we have to
do it, so we do it.
But understand this, Monica...
I am a corrections
officer, not a preacher.
I don't believe in miracles.
This is A block...
toughest bunch in the place.
Guard.
Good morning,
Warden Davis. Isn't this
a lovely day?
This is Tess.
Last officer we had
running this block
suddenly decided he had
to take a leave of absence.
Tess here dropped out of
the sky just when I needed her.
Like a miracle.
She'll show you in.
Thank you.
Visitor on the block.
I love saying that.
You want to interview me?
Wait a minute.
We're gonna do what?
Everyone in the cell block
is going to work together
to put on a play.
Oh, you mean, like...
"Romeo, 0, Romeo,
what's up with that Romeo?"
Yes, something like that.
Why should we?
Well, because sometimes
you can learn something
about yourself when
you see the world
through the eyes
of someone else.
Even if you're just playing
Juliet for a little while.
You can't make
us do it, you know?
I mean, we've got rights.
Even in here.
Carla likes to play lawyer.
Oh, really? Did you
go to law school, Carla?
I said play.
She just clogs up the system
with a bunch of "I
didn't do it" paper.
Like somebody's
gonna believe it.
Shut up, Enshake.
Ain't enough paper in the world
to get you out
of here, girlfriend.
Whoa.
What kind of play
are we gonna do?
I'm not dressing up
like some cat or nothing.
Well, before
we decide which
would be the best play,
I thought that each
of you could tell me
something about
yourselves first.
Anything at all.
Who'd like to go first?
Did I mention that
anyone who participates
will get out an hour early
from metal shop each day?
My name's Enshake.
I got a baby boy back
home named Advon.
He looks just like his
daddy, but I love him anyway.
And that ain't no pretend thing.
Enshake. That's
a beautiful name.
I'm next. I'm Susanne.
And I caught my old man
going out on me, and I...
sent him to intensive care.
I'm Deedee.
People did things
to me for a long time.
And I guess I just started
making stuff happen back.
Jan.
I kind of got an anger
management issue.
You better shut up.
I'll pass.
Are you sure?
She ain't got no special story.
Murder one.
Girl was high as a kite.
Killed some poor,
stupid bystander.
Now she ain't going
nowhere for 25 to life.
Oh, wait, one more thing.
She didn't do it.
I am innocent.
I didn't kill that kid.
Someday I'll prove it.
Mr. Gonzalez?
Come on in.
The door's open.
Mr. Gonzalez?
Who are you?
My name is Andrew.
I've been assigned to
you by the hospice agency.
Oh, no, no, no.
Where's Lucy? They
always send me Lucy.
Well, Lucy decided
to take a little time off.
Ah, she didn't wanna...
be here for the end, huh?
She just needed
a break, that's all.
It's not personal.
Death is never personal, is it?
My beautiful wife Madrigal
died from a bad heart
ten years ago, it
wasn't personal.
It was just bad genes.
My son Orby was killed.
It wasn't personal.
That evil woman
didn't even know him.
People come and go,
and that's all there is to it.
Well... How long are
you gonna be around?
Andrew, is it?
I'm gonna be here
the rest of the way...
Mr. Gonzalez.
Agnes of God?
Why not Enshake
of the Southside?
Hey, hey, stop it.
Stop it. Solitary.
Okay, it's a beautiful
and haunting play
about a sad and
confused young woman,
Sister Agnes, who
lives inside a convent.
Yo, see, I told you
there were worse prisons.
There's a big difference between
commitment to God,
and being committed
by the state of Illinois.
Uh, Sister Agnes
has to face a terrible tragedy
that she has convinced
herself is a miracle from God.
She must be nuts.
Let's turn to page one.
Shall we?
Where do you think
babies come from?
From their mothers
and father, of course.
Well, I think they come
from when an angel lights
on their mother's chest
and whispers into her ear.
What's up with this nun?
I been locked up 16 years,
I still remember
how babies get made.
She was raped, stupid.
She wants to forget
what happened,
so she makes up a story
about angels bringing babies.
It's the only way she can...
live with what really happened.
Think you can do better?
Better than that.
Bring it on.
Well, I think they come from
when an angel lights
on their mother's chest
and whispers into her ear.
That makes good
babies start to grow.
That's very good, Carla.
I did a little bit of
drama in high school.
Yeah, I went to high
school. I'm not trash.
No, I mean it. Really,
that was very good.
Thank you, you two.
Look, why don't we go back to
- the part where...
- Yo, Enshake, you were all that.
Agnes first starts
talking about the baby?
Remember, Agnes is
trying to separate herself
from the truth.
I don't know what
you're talking about.
You want to talk about the baby.
Everybody wants to
talk about the baby,
but I never saw the baby,
so I don't believe in the baby.
I've been talking for weeks
and nobody believes
me when I tell 'em...
And one night I heard the
most beautiful voice imaginable.
For six nights he sang to me
songs I had never heard.
♪ Charlie's neat ♪
♪ Charlie's sweet ♪
♪ Charlie, he's a dandy ♪
♪ Every time he goes ♪
♪ To town ♪
♪ He gets his girl
some candy... ♪
There's something
about her, Tess,
something so vulnerable
and deeply wounded.
Perhaps the reason that
she's so angry is that she's
really innocent.
12 people found
her guilty, baby.
I know, but just because
they found her guilty
doesn't mean that she is.
Monica, I was there.
Carla killed Orby Gonzalez
and then she stood
there and she laughed.
♪ Every time he goes to town ♪
♪ He gets his girl some candy. ♪
Everybody's unhappy.
You're unhappy, aren't you?
- Agnes.
- Aren't you?
Sometimes...
I can't believe that
woman's a murderer.
Well, what does a
murderer look like, angel girl?
It's just that I want
so badly to believe
that somehow there's
been a terrible mistake.
No, there's no mistake.
Come on. Snap out of it.
We got to get out of here.
Come on. Come on!
It's all right, Orby.
I'm an angel, and God has
sent me to take you home.
Will you... could, could you
tell my papa that I love him?
Everybody's unhappy.
You're unhappy, aren't you?
Agnes...
Only, you think you're
lucky because you didn't...
But she said she didn't do it.
And did things that
maybe weren't...
Is Carla lying?
Do you remember me telling you
about people adjusting
their memories?
Carla doesn't want to remember
that she pulled that trigger,
so she's got it buried deep
inside so she can ignore it.
And Mr. Gonzalez was
one of the witnesses
against her, but he
never saw the gun;
he never saw her shoot his son;
and as long as she denies it,
he'll never have peace of mind.
There's no closure,
and he doesn't have
a lot of time, Monica.
Okay.
- Ay, ay.
- Okay, let's take a deep breath.
All right.
Are you in a lot of pain?
Because I can up the
dosage a little bit if you want.
No, no.
Pain is all I have left.
Come on.
What about your friends, huh,
your chess club, and all those
afternoon walks in the park?
Oh, they're
distractions... That's all.
Nothing has really mattered
since that woman killed my boy.
He was a hard worker.
Sounds like it
runs in the family.
We worked together in the
little restaurant downtown, and...
Orby had a lot of friends.
He was always running
around with somebody,
but he always made
sure to be home in time
to watch the Bulls game with me.
Sounds like you guys
had a great relationship.
Oh, yes.
After Madrigal passed on,
we only had each other...
and then there was only me.
You want to know what was
the last thing I said to my son?
I said...
"People can't eat their
lunch off of paper plates."
Paper plates.
What kind of last words
are those to hold onto?
I could have said,
"I'm proud of you.
I love you."
No.
Paper plates.
Oh, God.
You know,
people say "I love you" in
all kinds of different ways.
I'm sure he knew.
That woman, that
terrible woman...
She took my son from me.
And In every day I prayed
for her to die, Andrew.
I prayed every day.
”Vengeance is mine,
' sayeth the Lord."
Not yours, Santos.
If you want to
pray for something,
pray for peace.
And you pray to find
the strength to forgive.
Forgive?
Never.
Never.
You've got a visitor.
Visitors aren't
allowed in the cells.
It's a violation of
penal code number...
Don't quote the rule
book to me, missy.
Especially when
I'm trying to help you.
Girl, you can have my
magazines when I'm done.
You have a gift for
understanding the truth, Carla.
I heard it when
you were speaking
the lines of Sister Agnes.
I saw it in your eyes.
The pain was real to you,
and I'd like to know why.
You want to know what hurts me?
I got a daughter out there.
Last time I saw her, she
was just out of diapers.
She's in the fourth grade now.
My Aunt Rachel
takes care of her.
Do they come and visit you?
No, I don't want my
kid to see me in here.
I'd rather she forget
about me completely
than have to remember
me in this place.
This is the argument
for my fourth appeal.
It's the only thing
that helps me believe
that I'm gonna see
my little Meredith again,
only thing that keeps
me from cutting up.
Cutting up?
I'm doing 25 to life.
I decided early on
that a life sentence
didn't have to mean a long one.
How did you end up
in this place, Carla?
All kinds of mistakes.
I got married right
out of high school,
which lasted about ten minutes,
but that's how I got Meredith,
so that's a mistake
I can live with...
and, uh, then Jimmy came along.
Jimmy?
Yeah, I met him at the
Cozy Corner Lounge
in 1992.
He, um, had one of
those Brad Pitt smiles
that you could see a mile away.
Hmm.
Jimmy was big into guns.
Made him feel
powerful or something.
The day it all happened,
he and I were on our way back
from target practice
in the woods.
Jimmy decided that he
wanted to score some drugs.
The guy was, like,
20 minutes late
and Jimmy was getting edgy
and he pulls out the gun.
I told him
to put the gun away, but
he said it was just in case.
He always said this
stupid thing" “No problemo.“
Then everything
happened so fast.
It felt like slow
motion, though.
The dealer started dealing,
Jimmy started yelling.
I didn't know what to do, I...
I screamed for him to put
the gun down, but my hands
were shaking so
bad, I wasn't even sure
I'd be able to pull
the trigger if I had to.
All I wanted was for the guy
to just take off so we
could just get out of there.
I thought it was all over
and then this door
opens right behind us
and this poor kid was
just standing there.
Then, pop, I just
never saw his face.
He was frozen.
♪♪
Then Jimmy panicked.
He just left me there and
I didn't know what to do.
Couldn't move.
I wanted to scream,
but it was all so absurd.
I just laughed.
♪♪
I couldn't move.
And that's how you remember it?
That's how it happened.
But if Jimmy was the one
who actually pulled the trigger,
why did the police arrest you?
They found gunpowder on my hand.
I tried to tell 'em it was from
target practice that morning,
but they didn't listen
'cause they had two eyewitnesses
that saw me standing there.
What happened to the gun?
There were storm
drains all over the place.
The D.A. told the jury
that I must have dropped it
into one of them and it
disappeared into the river.
But...
But the gun disappeared
with Jimmy into thin air.
Don't ask me how.
You don't believe me.
Well, that doesn't
even matter, Monica,
'cause I know I didn't do it,
and my daughter knows,
and that's all that counts.
His name was Orby Gonzalez.
I know.
I didn't do it.
His father's name is Santos.
Why are you telling
me this, Monica?
Santos is dying.
Santos Gonzalez testified
against me in court.
He is the reason I am here.
Why do you think
I care if he's dying?
Mr. Gonzalez is not the
reason that you're here.
Why are you here, Monica?
Why do you even care
about any of this stuff?
I care because I think
you're in a lot of pain.
Why is this door open?
Monica, what are
you doing in here?
No visitors are allowed.
I'm sorry.
Well, I guess it
doesn't matter anyway.
Apparently, your old
boyfriend just got arrested
for committing a crime
with the same gun
that killed Orby Gonzalez.
Appeals court
overturned your conviction.
Here's your ticket out of here.
19 hours, you'll
be a free woman.
Oh, my God. Oh.
What's the first thing
you're gonna do, sunshine?
You know, Pam's, that diner
right off the interstate
with all ice cream?
You thinking about the
hot fudge or the strawberry?
Neither.
Thinking about an open door.
My daughter skipping through it
and coming and giving me a hug.
Holding on like
there's no tomorrow.
And then we're
gonna get a milkshake.
A big one, you
know, in a giant glass.
Get a couple of straws,
and then Meredith and
I are gonna sit there,
and we're gonna
drink a milkshake.
Can see it now.
The whole world's going
on outside, you know?
The open door, and
nobody even looks twice.
Just a regular mom.
Hmm.
I might even go in and out of
that door a couple extra times
just to remind
myself that I still can.
Even if she wanted
to admit the truth,
she has no reason to now, Tess.
Yes, she does, angel girl,
because when she walks
through those gates tonight,
she'll be walking into
a prison much worse
than the one she's been in.
Say, Carla,
what are you gonna
do about the play?
You're still gonna do
it today, aren't you?
I don't know.
I just want to get out of here.
Carla... you've worked so hard.
Wouldn't you like to play Sister
Agnes even if it's just once?
Yeah. Come on, girlfriend.
Otherwise, we got to use
Deedee, and she's terrible.
Shut up, Enshake.
It would mean a lot to everyone.
Hello, Warden.
I hope you enjoy the show.
Well, I have to
hand it to Monica.
I can't believe you
pulled it off in two weeks.
Not with this bunch.
Sort of like a miracle, huh?
Maybe. A little one.
Sometimes that's the best kind.
May I have your
attention, please?
- Excuse me? Hey!
Don't make me mad!
Pay attention now.
Thank you.
Um, what you're about to
see represents the hard work
of a group of very
special women.
Women who weren't
afraid to look inside
for the truth and to
find a way to express it.
I hope that you'll
consider their example
when you watch this performance.
Thank you.
♪ Kyrie Eleison ♪
The baby was discovered
in a waste basket.
♪ Kyrie Eleison ♪
The mother was
found unconscious,
suffering loss of blood.
She was indicted
on manslaughter.
Case was assigned to
me, Dr. Martha Livingstone,
court psychiatrist,
to determine whether
she was legally sane.
- I wanted to help.
- ♪ Kyrie Eleison... ♪
Dr. Livingstone, I presume.
I'm Mother Miriam Ruth,
in charge of the convent
where Sister Agnes is living.
They're allowing her to stay
at the convent until the trial.
You're unhappy.
Everybody's unhappy.
You're unhappy, aren't you?
Sometimes, yes.
Only you think you're lucky
'cause you didn't have a
mother who said things,
or maybe did things
that weren't always nice.
That's what you think
'cause you think my
mother was bad, don't you?
Yes, I do think your
mother was wrong.
But that was because of me.
Because I was bad, not her.
Agnes, what
happened to the baby?
She doesn't remember.
Don't do this to her!
What happened to the baby?
I don't remember.
I don't remember.
What happened to the baby?
I don't remember.
It was alive, wasn't it?
Wasn't it?
It was alive, wasn't it?
Wasn't it?!
Yes!
She's remembering, Tess.
What happened?
Mother Miriam was with
you, and then what did she do?
She, um... left me alone
With that little thing.
I looked at it, and.
I looked at it, and I
thought, "This is a mistake."
But it's my mistake.
I thought I could save her.
I could give her back to God.
Yeah, I heard she's going home.
I'm gonna see my daughter
in less than half an hour.
I'm sure it'll be a wonderful
moment for both of you.
We're gonna have every
kind of ice cream shake
that her little heart desires.
And after that?
I don't know.
I guess we'll go home.
What will you tell her
about Orby Gonzalez?
Nothing.
I'm innocent, and
I'm going home.
Sorry, Monica.
You've lost your
captive audience.
Find somebody else to fix.
Tess?
I'm ready to go.
My daughter's waiting.
Hey, your baby coming in?
All right, Carla,
let's go. Guard?
Drink one for me, Carla.
Hug that baby girl of yours.
- You go, girl.
- One way, Carla.
Don't come back.
God go with you, baby.
Carla! Carla!
Carla! Carla!
Let her go.
Whoa. How does
it feel to be free?
No comment.
Leave me alone.
Hello, baby.
What are you doing here?
Moonlighting.
Have a seat.
Oh.
How does it feel?
Well, um...
my daughter ought
to be here any minute.
I... I don't really
know what to do.
Oh, don't worry about it.
It'll come back to you.
Sooner than you think.
Carla?
Aunt Rachel.
Meredith.
This is your mommy.
Hi.
Go on, sweetheart. Go on.
Look at you.
You're all grown up.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Oh.
Princess.
You're so beautiful.
I missed you so much.
I have a picture
of you in my room.
Mm-hmm.
Aunt Rachel said, if I
prayed for you every night
that you'd be okay,
and some day I'd
get to see you again.
Yeah.
Oh, sweetheart.
I love you so much.
I'm never gonna
let you go again.
Do you hear me, baby? Never.
Mm.
I don't believe it.
That she didn't do it.
Well, um,
when they arrested
her old boyfriend,
they found the
gun that killed Orby.
All these years... I
have hated that woman.
You asked me to forgive
her, and I cursed her more.
I'm a terrible person.
No, Santos... you
are a good man.
I... I have to talk to her.
I have to tell her...
that I'm very sorry...
and ask her to forgive me.
D-Did you think you
could find her for me?
Yes, I can.
Okay, you know what
we're gonna do now?
We're gonna walk out that door
and we're gonna walk back in
- and we're gonna back out.
- How come?
Because we can.
Ms. Robinson, I am
Santos Gonzalez,
Orby's father.
Do you remember me?
Um... Rachel?
Can you take
Meredith to the car?
Just, I'll just be a minute.
Hi.
Hi.
Listen, I don't know
what you want from me,
but I'd really like
to be left alone.
Look... I don't blame
you for hating me
or turning me away.
For years I thought
you were a liar...
and I prayed that God
would strike you dead
for killing my boy.
But you didn't do it.
So I've come to say I'm sorry.
Can you forgive me for
thinking such terrible thoughts?
For praying... for
such terrible things?
Hello, Carla.
What is this?
What's going on here?
It's closure time.
Oh, God.
You okay?
Did I say the wrong
thing, Andrew?
No, Santos.
You said exactly
the right thing.
How does freedom feel?
What do you people want from me?
I mean, why can't you
just leave me alone?
I'm-I'm out of prison now!
You're out of prison now,
but the truth didn't set you free.
The facts set you free.
And the facts can lie.
You don't know what
you're talking about.
Yes, I do.
♪♪
What's going on?
What is going on?
Don't be afraid.
I'm an angel. God
sent me to you.
God?
God?
Just go... just go away,
just leave me alone, just...
- I can't talk to God.
- He knows that you killed,
and He knows why.
You can tell a lie,
you can live a lie,
but you can't pray a lie.
And He knows that's why
you can't bring yourself
to talk to Him.
So He has brought
Himself to you.
I don't need God.
I'm out now, and I
have my daughter,
and I'm just...
everything's fine, all right?
No, it's not.
Because somewhere
deep inside of you...
there's a part of your heart...
where you won't
allow yourself to go
because you're afraid to see
what you've been hiding there.
And you have closed
a door on that part,
and you've put a
great big lock on it.
And that's why your
heart feels so heavy,
and that's why you aren't
able to give all of it away,
not even to your little girl.
Can't you feel it, Carla?
I don't want to think
about it. I can't...
- I can't think about it.
- But you must
think about it.
Agnes of God finally had
to face the lies she created
to live with
herself, didn't she?
Yeah.
Only you can decide
to remove the locks and
go into that dark room.
But if you decide
to do it, Carla,
if you can put
your faith in God,
He will go in there with you.
I don't want to go in again.
I won't go in there again.
I know that you don't,
but it will be different
this time, I promise.
God... God, please... help me.
I can't remember.
Please.
♪♪
He came out of nowhere.
It was a reflex.
I did see his face.
I just wanted to forget
because he kept talking to me.
I did see his face.
I saw it.
♪♪
My God, look what I've done...
Oh, look What I did.
I killed him. I...
I didn't mean to
do it. Please, God...
forgive me, God, please.
Oh... oh... oh...
Do you truly know what
you have done, Carla?
Yes. God, yes.
And do you truly, with
all your heart and soul,
repent of what you have done?
Oh, yes... Oh,
God, I want to die.
Let me die, please.
I want to die.
I know that you do.
But God wants you to live,
and He wants you to
live knowing the truth.
And the truth is that you
did take another human's life,
and nothing you can
do will ever change that.
But with God's help, you
can change your own life.
That's all that you can do now.
That's the best
that you can do now.
But I'll never forget.
You will always remember
what you did that day,
and then you will remember
what God did this day.
Almighty God,
Who has the power and
the right to punish you,
has shown you mercy.
He has forgiven
you for taking the life
of His beloved
child, Orby Gonzalez.
But why?
Because you are His child, too,
and He loves you.
Even me?
Oh...
Mr. Gonzalez?
I want you to know that my...
my release from prison and
them overturning my conviction
is a mistake.
Excuse me?
I'm not innocent.
I need you to know the truth.
I was on drugs.
I never meant...
to kill your son.
It was an accident.
But I was holding the
gun when it went off.
I understand if you
can never forgive me...
but I need to ask
your forgiveness
because it's the only way
that I can forgive myself.
I don't know what to say.
- Right before...
- your son...
right before Orby
died, he said...
"Tell my papa I love him."
Oh...
I think he wanted
me to tell you that.
Oh...
I'm so sorry.
If I could change
places with him, I would.
I know you would.
I know.
But you can't.
But... there is...
something that you can do.
- You have a child?
- Yeah.
Promise me something.
Every time she
walks away from you,
your last words
to her will be...
"I love you."
I promise.
I'm ready now.
Take me home, Andrew.
♪♪
Now what am I gonna do?
That's up to you.
The law says that
you're innocent.
But whatever you
decide, remember that God
will be with you.
♪♪
Can we go now, Mommy?
Not yet, sweetheart.
Mommy, what's the matter?
Well, Mommy did
something wrong... and...
I've got to go talk to
the people at the court.
And I've got to be
honest with them
because telling the truth is
one of the most important things
that you can ever do.
I... I just... I got
to do what's right,
and I hope someday it's
gonna make you proud of me.
Oh, God.
And one more thing, princess.
I love you.
I love you.
♪♪