"Makes you think, doesn't it?" "Yeah." "Makes me think this man's in the wrong line of work." "(laughs softly)" "This looks like an interesting one." "It's as if there's another painting underneath." "Pentimento." "The wee red thing in an olive?" "No, that's a pimento." "I love olives." "Please, stay with me here." "Pentimento is when one painting is painted over another." "It's like the artist started painting a sunny day and something changed, and she painted right over the top of it." "Well, why wouldn't she just start a new canvas?" "'Cause she thought she could hide it." "People do that all the time, baby, whether they're artists or not." "They find something in their lives they don't like, they paint right over it so no one else can see it." "But it doesn't go away." "No, it doesn't." "Your job is to help them expose their true colors to the light." "Hmm." "MONICA:" "Look, Tess, over here." "MONICA:" "Ah, now that's the kind of art I'm good at." "I know." "You're going to have to work on that." "(footsteps approaching)" "WOMAN:" "Neil, it's getting late." "Honey, hurry up." "Your mom wants to say good-bye." "Oh, I'm not saying good-bye here." "I'm going with you." "To the base?" "Yes, of course." "Well, Marian, it's... it's usually the wives who take the husbands, uh, not... not the mothers." "I'm not like most mothers." "You're not going to take pictures, are you?" "Neil doesn't like his picture taken." "We're taking my car." "So which one of them is my assignment?" "Both of them-- mother and daughter-in-law." "Two?" "But how can I keep track of two assignments at once?" "Don't worry." "You can always find them at each other's throats." "So this is about two women that don't get along?" "Things are never that simple, and you know it, Miss Wings." "Then, are there lives at stake here?" "More lives and souls than you know." "# 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. #" "(camera lens clicking)" "I guess this is it." "Yeah, I guess so." "I'm going to miss you." "I'm packing you a sweater." "Thanks, Mom." "I already put one in there." "Oh, one more won't hurt." "There is a weight limit, Marian." "Well, then he'll want to take his favorite, hmm?" "I'm going to need a minute in private." "All right." "We'll be in the kitchen." "No, Mom, I mean" "I want to be alone with April." "Oh." "Of course." "Are you okay, Mom?" "Fine." "It's nothing." "I..." "I have a plan." "I'm going to have a baby on a nuclear submarine, and you're going to live with your mom for the next six months." "Well, at least you're sounding positive." "I am?" "You're not saying "if we have a baby" this time." "I've got to be positive." "I just wish I didn't have to go through it all with your mother." "Baby, we've been through this." "You can't take any chances this time." "You can't be alone, and I can't be there for you." "Look, just hang in there, all right?" "And when I get back, we'll get a nice transfer to someplace in paradise." "Palm trees and an officer's bungalow." "Mmm." "And a hut for the mother-in-law." "(chuckles)" "You just watch out for the peanut, okay?" "Jennifer." "Honey, you've got to call her by her name, even before she's born." "Jennifer." "Hey, Jenny?" "You remember to tell your mommy how much I love her." "(footsteps approaching)" "MARIAN:" "Duty calls." "You're going to be late." "Marian, could you just..." "What?" "Okay." "Wait a second, all right?" "You two are going to be spending six months together." "I love you." "And I love you, too." "And I would like very much for the women in this family to be in once piece when I get back." "All right, let's go." "I'm driving." "(door opens)" "MARIAN:" "What about the sweater?" "We'll pack it in the car." "Okay, I have a theory." "Oh, this should be good." "The two women are obviously jealous because they both love the same man, in different ways, of course." "And as soon as they see that they have love in common, "Poof."" ""Poof"?" "Mm." "Case closed." "Oh, I see." "So their problem is love, huh?" "Yes." "Well, no, not exactly." "That's a dandy theory." "It's too bad it's all wrong." "There's more to this than meets the eye, angel girl." "Pentimento?" "Pentimento." "(knocking on door)" "I don't know if I can do this, Tess." "Oh, that's not true." "I've seen you paint." "You're good." "Well, that was a room." "This is a face." "Well, think of a face as a nice, flat wall." "I wish I knew more about this case." "Well, you'll know what you need when you need it." "I'll be back to check on you." "Three things to remember:" "I love you." "Number two, you're not here for the art-- you're here for the people." "Number three, take off this hat." "(door opening)" "Mrs. Campbell?" "Yes?" "My name is Monica, and, uh..." "I'm sorry, but whatever it is you're selling I'm not interested." "Oh, no, I'm not selling anything." "I have a gift for you." "A gift?" "Yes, I'm here to paint your portrait as a gift." "From whom?" "I don't know anything about this." "It's from Neil, I know it is." "My husband." "My son." "I guess he wanted us to do something together to take our minds off being together." "Well, let's see." "It says here, the subject is Mrs. Campbell." "Just me." "What do you mean, just you?" "April would Neil want a portrait taken of you the way you look now?" "Excuse me?" "I-I have an idea." "Why don't we paint both of you at the same time, side by side?" "Well, not at the same time, then?" "Maybe Mrs. Campbell on the left first, and then later," "Mrs. Campbell on the right?" "It's very nice." "APRIL:" "Mail's here." "Junk, bills, bills," "Hampshire Hall, junk..." "Please don't go through my mail." "Fine." "Can you just tell me if there's anything here for me?" "Of course." "Uh, just put it over there." "Do you think maybe you could lift your chin up a wee bit?" "And smile." "I'm, uh, tired." "You, uh, have been looking a little worn out lately." "Well, company does that to you." "You're not doing anything abstract, are you?" "Oh, no." "It's, um, it's more impressionist." "Do you think you could hold your hands in your lap?" "You know, more natural." "Oh." "I need an eraser." "You know, I-I can help you find one." "April!" "I'm happy to share my house with you, but this desk is off limits." "Do you understand?" "Yeah, I was just looking for an eraser." "Do you understand?" "Yes." "I understand." "Monica, it's, uh, 2:30, and I need to go out." "Oh, but I haven't nearly finished sketching." "I'm sorry, but I have a standing appointment every Wednesday at 3:00." "What kind of appointment?" "A standing appointment." "Um... perhaps tomorrow then?" "Yes." "I'll see you tomorrow." "Good-bye, Monica." "Bye." "She's a very powerful woman." "(mirthless chuckle):" "Yeah." "I don't think that that canvas is big enough for the both of us." "(chuckles softly)" "Monica, do you..." "have to leave right away?" "No." "You see, we've had three miscarriages, but this time we're further along than ever before." "I don't know, I just feel different about this one." "There." "Oh, it's going to take days before I finish this." "Do you think this is too cute?" "It is too cute, isn't it?" "No." "Not for a baby." "Oh, I can't believe I'm already tired." "Why don't you sit down and have a wee rest, and I'll press on?" "Oh, no, that's all right." "Go on, really." "Please?" "Thanks." "It's great having a real artist around the house." "(chuckling):" "Oh, here." "MARIAN:" "April?" "I thought I heard..." "What have you done?" "Uh." "Mmm." "Marian, we thought we'd get started." "Oh, Monica." "(gasping)" "It's perfect!" "How did you do that?" "How dare you?" "!" "This is my house." "How it's decorated is no one else's decision but mine." "Excuse me." "I'm terribly sorry." "Please confine your artistic efforts to the portrait, from now on, Monica." "Yes, of course." "MAN:" "We told you this day would come." "What else did you expect, Marian Jane?" "(phone ringing)" "I'll get it." "Hello?" "NEIL:" "Hey, babe." "Honey!" "Neil." "Where are you?" "I can't tell you, sorry." "But I'm definitely at a pay phone with the whole Navy waiting to use the phone." "I just wanted to call you and tell you I love you one more time before I hit the water." "Well, go for it." "Hey, are you and Mom getting along?" "Uh, not at all." "So, she's standing right there, huh?" "Uh-huh, absolutely." "You know, why don't you talk to your mom for a minute, before she takes the phone from me, and then I'll say good-bye." "Okay." "Neil!" "Is everything okay?" "(chuckling):" "Yes, of course." "Everything's just fine." "You keeping an eye on April?" "Of course I'm keeping an eye on her." "It's not as if she's due tomorrow, you know." "(chuckling)" "And remember to write us as much as you can, okay?" "Take care, honey." "You hung up." "Oh, I'm sorry." "I'm sure he'll call back again." "No, he won't call back again." "He's in a nuclear submarine." "You don't just pick up the phone and call." "Now it could be months." "It was an accident." "It was no accident;" "you did it on purpose, like you do everything on purpose, Marian." "That is not true." "Just admit it." "You don't like me, you don't want me in your house, and now finally that I'm going to have a baby, you don't even care." "April!" "April." "Oh, please, don't even go and give me one of those dizzy spells." "You're not fooling any..." "Marian?" "Marian?" "Oh, my God, Marian." "Andrew, was I too late?" "Oh, no; you're just getting started." "APRIL:" "Yes, this is an emergency." "We need an ambulance right away." "WOMAN ON P.A.:" "Doctor Toma, please see the nutritionist." "Doctor Toma, please see the nutritionist." "Here you go." "Thanks." "Thanks for coming with me." "I, I don't know a soul here." "I guess that's the life of a military wife." "Every day I promise myself we are not going to fight." "And then she says something to me, and the words just come flying out of my mouth." "I don't know why." "Mrs. Campbell?" "Yes?" "I have the test results." "What we're looking at is aplastic anemia." "What's that?" "Well, she's unable to produce healthy new blood cells." "This has probably been developing for many months, but it reached a crisis point the other night." "She's going to need a bone marrow transplant right away." "(whispering):" "Oh, God." "Now, our best chance of finding a match is to use a relative, preferably a sibling." "My husband is the only relative she has." "He's in the Navy." "He just shipped out." "Okay, well, we need to contact him right away." "Even though the chances of a successful match are very slim, this may be our best option." "Uh, I'll try." "The sooner we perform the transplant, the better the chance she has." "Are you saying that she could die?" "Yes." "She's awake now." "You can go see her." "Oh, good." "Shall we go in, April?" "No, uh, y-you go without me." "I think I should try to reach Neil first." "Hi." "I'm sorry to keep you waiting." "I'm Andrew." "Hi, I'm Mrs. Campbell, and this is Monica." "Hello." "Hello." "So, you're the transplant coordinator?" "That's right." "It's a temporary assignment, but I assure you that you will have everything you need." "Now, have you been able to reach your husband?" "No, they're still cutting through some red tape." "Nobody knows how long it's going to take." "Okay, well, I've been in touch with the National Marrow Donor Program, so we'll see if we can find a match through them." "How good are the chances?" "They're not good." "Your mother-in-law has certain antibodies which will make locating a match like finding a needle in a haystack." "Well, is there anything that I can do?" "Yes, you start calling friends and get them down here to be tested-- anybody, everybody that she knows." "Because, really, at this point, it's a numbers game." "Just get her friends down here." "I don't think that she has many friends." "Hello, is this, um, Thomas Ambercrombie?" "Yes." "Hi, uh, you don't know me." "My name is, is April Campbell." "I'm Marian Campbell's daughter-in-law." "I-I found your name in her phone book." "Um... s-she isn't well." "She needs a bone marrow transplant, and we were hoping that her closest friends would..." "Well, I'm just her plumber." "You're her plumber?" "Well, th-that's okay." "Well, if you just leave Marian's name, they'll take care of you." "Yes, thank you, Mr. Weeblestock, and if I ever need my furniture refinished," "I'll give you a call." "Good luck; take care." "Right, thanks." "(dial tone)" "(groaning softly)" "I don't know." "I called everybody from Ambercrombie to Weeblestock, and, well, none of them were personal friends." "You were right." "She must be so lonely." "(phone ringing)" "Hello?" "WOMAN:" "Mrs. Campbell?" "Yes?" "This is Georgette." "I'm sorry to disturb you." "Is everything all right?" "Oh, you must mean my mother-in-law." "I'm the other Mrs. Campbell." "(dial tone) Hello?" "Hmm, that was strange." "April, I know this may be a bad time, but it may be the only time we have." "I have a favor to ask." "I'm so glad Monica's been around to help you out." "Monica, I'll be happy to compensate you for your time." "Oh, that's not necessary." "Don't worry about the money." "I've always paid my own way." "Even to your wedding." "We offered to pay for your ticket." "You refused." "I didn't want to be a burden." "Besides, by the time you offered to pay for it, I'd already bought my own ticket." "We asked you when we got engaged." "You did not." "Yes, I did." "(knock at door)" "Hey." "Hey, how's it going?" "Bearing up." "ANDREW:" "Good, great." "It's... it's coming along, isn't it?" "Marian, who's Georgette?" "You went through my letters after I specifically asked you not to do it?" "No, I didn't." "Someone named Georgette called looking for you." "I am not interested in excuses." "I'm tired, and I want to be left alone." "That's fine with me." "Uh, maybe we should call it a day." "It'll just take me a minute to pack up." "April?" "Hmm?" "Hi." "Hey." "How you feeling?" "I'm fine." "How's the, uh, testing going?" "There's no match yet." "Can a pregnant woman be tested?" "Absolutely." "It's as simple as a blood test, really." "It's a long shot, but I think it's worth it." "I wonder if she'd mind." "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." "Why on earth would she mind?" "I'm afraid she might not want anything from me." "Come on." "TESS:" "So, it's going to be a girl." "Mm-hmm." "Tess is a beautiful name for a girl." "Yes!" "Thank you, Andrew." "April, you're a match." "That was fast." "I'm the donor?" "Yup." "There's one more thing." "Lunch." "No thank you." "I'm not hungry." "Well, I'll just leave it in case you change your mind." "You must be relieved." "What do you mean?" "Now that they found a match." "Who is it?" "Your daughter-in-law." "April?" "And not many women would take that risk, either." "What do you mean?" "Donating bone marrow is uncomfortable for anyone, but for a pregnant woman..." "Could anything happen to the baby?" "Well, any medical procedure is risky when you're that far along." "But it seems to be a chance she's willing to take." "She must love you very much." "Uh, excuse me." "I saw your mother-in-law." "You didn't tell her you're donating your bone marrow?" "It wouldn't matter." "I can't win no matter what I do." "Still, she should be in on the decisions." "It's her grandchild." "Jennifer will not be her grandchild." "She'll be another female competing for her son's affections." "Well, honey, if you don't like her, why are you doing this?" "Because I love her son." "And if he came home and realized that there was a chance I could have saved her, and I didn't take it, he would never forgive me." "Well, what if he comes home and finds he's lost his mother andhis baby?" "Then I would never forgive her." "Let me get this straight." "You're doing this, not to save your mother-in-law." "Not out of love." "Tess, I don't understand." "I mean, what difference does it make why April is donating her marrow?" "Doing the right thing for the wrong reason won't bring those two one step closer." "Yeah, but it'll save Marian's life." "We're not here just to save a life." "There are souls involved here." "Five to be exact." "Five?" "Well, there's Marian and April and Jennifer and Neil and... who?" "Hi." "I, uh..." "I brought you a robe." "I was sure I put one in the bag for you." "I wanted to talk to you." "I, uh... used the robe as an excuse." "I'm sorry." "Wait a minute." "Please." "Hear me out." "I can't let you jeopardize the baby." "But I will never forget that you were willing to do it." "Marian, you could die." "I can accept that." "Maybe I deserve to." "I-I..." "I don't understand you." "(sighs, door closes)" "MAN:" "We told you this day would come." "What else did you expect, Marian Jane?" "You broke God's law." "And now you will have to pay for that for the rest of your life." "(sighs)" "All right, 7:00 on the dot." "And remember, don't have anything to eat after 7:00 the night before." "You are gonna be there?" "Absolutely." "Are you sure you want to do this?" "No, not really." "I'm a..." "I'm a little afraid." "But I don't have any other choice." "(sighs)" "You know, it's a funny thing about being afraid." "It kind of has this way of getting in your face so that it's all that you can see." "And there's always another choice out there." "But as long as you're afraid, you'll never be able to see it." "TESS:" "You don'thave to die, you know." "(mumbling):" "I don't want to die." "Keep your mouth shut till we get your temperature." "You think by letting yourself die you can protect somebody else." "You die, you can't protect anybody." "If you die, you're abandoning your son, your daughter-in-law, your grandchild, and the one who needs you the most." "You know who I'm talking about." "You cannot keep that secret forever." "If you keep quiet, not only will you die... but your family will find out about it anyway." "Then there will be more questions that will lead to more heartaches 'cause you won't be around to answer 'em." "Mrs. Campbell, this is Georgette." "I'm just calling to say that we've missed you again today." "Please give me a call when you get in." "Georgette." "The mysterious Georgette." "I wish I could understand her." "Jennifer, your... (sighs)" "Your grandma wants to die." "So that just leaves you and me all alone." "So you got to be strong, okay?" "You got to hang in there." "(crying):" "'Cause I'm afraid I'm losing you, too." "(sighs)" "April?" "You scared me." "You're not supposed to open that desk, are you?" "Uh, no, I'm not." "What are you, um...?" "What are you doing here?" "I'm waiting for you." "Don't be afraid." "I'm an angel." "Sent by God to tell you that fear has no place in your life." "But I am afraid." "(crying):" "I don't know what to do." "I'm afraid that my... my baby's gonna die, that Marian's gonna die." "That she wants to die." "And if she does..." "Oh, God, if she does." "God has many names." "Jehovah," "Almighty," "Everlasting Father, Alpha and Omega, but do you know what He calls Himself?" "I am." "If you ask God who He is, that's what He'll tell you." "I am." "Not I was, or I'm going to be, but I am." "And He'll tell you," "I am here because you need me to be." "And April, if God is here, right here, right now, then what is there to fear?" "There is so much that God wants to show you, but your fear gets in the way." "Give it to Him, right here, right now." "And then you will see that the answer is right there in your hand." "Take it... please." "Take it." "(crying)" "Georgette." "WOMAN:" "I'm very sorry to hear this." "Mrs. Campbell is quite a remarkable woman." "She means a lot to the people here." "She sends you money every month?" "Money, clothing, books, whatever she can get her hands on." "She's never missed her weekly visit, which is why I called." "I'm sorry." "I-I just don't understand." "If she volunteers here, why does she keep it a secret?" "That's why I asked you to come." "Under any other circumstances, I'd keep this confidential." "She's always insisted on it." "But if it's a matter of life or death, then there's someone in here you should meet." "Hi, Tommy." "Hi, Georgette." "Do you know who this is?" "April." "(laughs)" "Where did you...?" "This is Tommy, Marian's son." "MONICA:" "One more minute, and I'll be all finished." "I can't wait to see it when it's done." "Ah, there's no hurry." ""Patience is a virtue."" ""He who hesitates is lost."" "(laughs)" ""Haste makes waste."" "Marian..." "I'm sorry." "It's okay." "I'll get out of your way." "I'm all finished." "What is that?" "It's the portrait of the two of you." "No, really, what is it?" "No, really." "APRIL:" "Are you sure you're an angel?" "(laughs softly)" "We all have different gifts." "I'm going to go and clean my brushes." "Marian, I, uh, I need to talk to you." "There's nothing to talk about." "I'm not taking your marrow." "I saw Tommy." "Does Neil know about him?" "Why haven't you ever told him?" "It's none of your business." "But what about Neil?" "I mean, isn't it his business?" "My God." "Marian, he has a brother." "Shouldn't you have at least told him?" "Is there nothing sacred to you?" "I take you into my home, and this is how you repay me?" "By invading my privacy?" "Going through my things?" "I didn't do that." "Get out of here." "Do you understand?" "Now get out of here." "Get out!" "(door closes)" "What do you want?" "I think the question is:" "What do you want?" "What do I want?" "(tearfully):" "What do I want?" "Oh, God." "Just some peace." "That's all I want is just a little peace." "Well, that's definitely something you can have." "What are you?" "I'm an angel, Marian." "And I've got a message for you from God." "I know, I know." "I know it already." "God isn't through with me." "He's going to punish me again, isn't He?" "Let my grandchild die, so that I can live?" "Then He's going to torture me again, isn't He?" "God, when is this going to stop?" "God loves you, Marian." "And, yes, you made a mistake a long time ago." "That's true." "But you weren't ready to be a mother at 16, and you certainly weren't ready to raise a special child like Tommy." "That's true also." "But somebody took the truth and twisted it into shame and told you that Tommy was a punishment instead of a gift." "God did not judge you when you had that baby." "Others did." "And you believed their lies and accepted their shame instead of God's love." "God... loves me?" "More than you know." "April is trying very hard to love you." "It's not easy for her, because she's afraid." "Afraid of what?" "Of your rejection." "Of being all alone." "Of not being a good mother to that baby she's carrying." "But she'll be a wonderful mother." "Did you ever tell her?" "Have you ever once thought of what it must be like growing up without a mother?" "I know what it's like." "My mother didn't die, but she was never there for me, especially when..." "Especially when you needed her." "April needs you." "She's afraid to admit it, but she does." "And you, sweetheart, you need her." "And if you would open that door in your heart, you might just find that you love her, too." "It's time for forgiveness, Marian." "Forgive, and be forgiven, and God will fill your heart with a peace beyond understanding." "Marian, I'm..." "I'm..." "I'm sorry." "What?" "I am so sorry." "Come here." "Please." "I was 16." "I thought I was in love." "Tommy was born physically and mentally handicapped." "My father said that Tommy was God's punishment for my sin." "They made me give him up." "When I was 18, I left home." "It took me quite a while, but I finally found my baby." "He was in a terrible place." "A state institution." "He was three years old." "And he was the sweetest little thing." "But nobody wanted him." "So I went to work, and I found a place that would take good care of him." "And I visited him every chance I got." "And you never told anybody?" "I was ashamed." "I loved him, but I-I was ashamed." "So, no, I never told anyone." "I never told my husband." "I never told Neil." "No one except you." "ANDREW:" "Hello?" "Tommy." "Mommy." "Oh." "They told me you were sick." "Uh, I'm just a little tired." "You don't think I know, but I do." "You could die." "You could go away forever and never come back." "But I can help." "Tommy." "No." "You are not going to use him to save me." "He doesn't understand." "Mommy?" "Marian, he is a perfect match." "A perfect match." "And I explained everything to him." "He does understand." "Mommy, please." "I want to help you." "I want to do something that matters." "Everything you've ever done has mattered, Tommy." "Did you tell her, April?" "Tell her what, Tommy?" "April's going to have a baby." "(laughs softly)" "I know." "And she is going to be a wonderful mother." "(quietly):" "Thank you." "And so are you." "(knocking on door)" "Come in." "Hi." "Hey, babe." "(groans)" "You made it." "Red Cross picked me up as soon as we surfaced." "Is everything okay?" "Mm." "Everything is fine with me, your mother, and baby Marian's fine." "Marian?" "What happened to Jennifer?" "Well, we'll just have to work on her for the next time." "MARIAN:" "Neil." "Mom." "Oh, Neil." "Tommy, this is your brother." "Yeah, I know." "Hi, bro." "Hey, buddy." "And here's your daughter." "(baby groans softly)" "(quietly):" "Hi, baby." "Yes." "You want to hold her?" "Yeah." "Be careful with her head." "Oh." "Yes." "Okay." "Monica." "I just came to say good-bye." "Thank you." "You have a beautiful family." "What about the portrait?" "Ah, well, now, it's funny you should mention that, because I can't find it." "I found it." "Ah." "Ladies and gentlemen, and uh, baby, the most recent work of a remarkable artist," "Monica." "(gasps)" "Oh, it's beautiful." "It is." "Hey, I'm in it." "Me, too." "Monica, how did you do...?" "I prayed." "Imagine that."