32 cents to send a piece of paper from here to there.
Ben told me this would happen,
but I didn't believe it.
Ben?
My good old friend Ben Franklin.
I helped him start the post office
a couple centuries ago.
Your old friend?
You told me he was a nosy motormouth.
Well, most of my best friends are motormouths,
if you get my meaning.
Now, where was I?
Post office... the old days.
Back then, communication wasn't so easy.
People would wait weeks, months
to hear from their loved ones.
So they would take time to write from the heart.
But now it's mostly bills and sweepstakes
and that free detergent in those little bitty boxes.
Nobody's communicating anymore.
They're just wasting trees.
I wish I got some mail.
As of now you do.
Look, Tess.
I may be a winner already.
Yes, you are, baby,
and neither rain nor sleet nor snow will keep you
from your appointed assignment.
Oh, excuse me.
We're closed.
Don't blame me. I got here on time.
Max!
I'm so sorry.
Would you please come back tomorrow morning?
We'll be open at 8:30 sharp.
Max has been with the post office almost 30 years.
Is he always like that?
Oh, no, sometimes he has a bad day.
But that's what happens when you try to keep life out
instead of letting it in.
He must be very lonely.
He is.
It's the price you pay when you're trying
to keep yourself safe from pain.
It's too high of a price.
And Max has been paying it a long time.
He dropped a letter.
It's not really addressed to him, is it?
He reads God's mail?
TESS: And he answers it, too.
♫ ♫
♫ 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 ♫
♫ Oh, oh, oh... ♫
♫ Walk with you ♫
♫ Every time ♫
♫ I tell you, I'll walk with you ♫
♫ Ooh, ooh, walk with you ♫
♫ Believe me, I'll walk with you. ♫
Hello.
Don't waste your breath.
Every branch has its cross to bear, and Max is ours.
He seems like a very private person.
Private? Try paranoid.
I'm your supervisor... Ms. Raphael.
Not Miss, not Mrs., Ms.
And your name is?
Monica.
They sent you down from Central?
You could say that, yes.
Let's bring you up to speed on parcels and bundles.
Then we'll check you out on stacking and sorting.
My personal favourite.
That's where the action is.
This is the lunchroom.
30 minutes... Punch in, punch out.
There's a greasy spoon down the street,
but they're slow.
If you're late, you're docked.
And wash the mayo and ketchup or what have you off your hands.
We deliver a clean letter in this station.
( Distant siren wailing )
( knocking )
Pardon me, Max.
I'm Monica.
These letters are ready for sorting.
If you don't mind my asking...
I do.
You don't know what I'm going to ask yet.
Don't know, don't care.
I'm new here.
That's not a question.
I was wondering, what does a mail sorter do, specifically?
Or generally?
I sort the handwritten letters by zip code specifically,
decipher bad handwriting occasionally,
and handle the dead letter file generally.
Dead letters?
How does a letter die?
Can you read this chicken scratch?
Berum... gum...
Can't read where it's going.
No return address.
Nowhere to go.
That adds up to dead.
Into the "Dear Santa",
"Dear, Easter Bunny, Dear Elvis" box.
Oh, by the way...
Stamp machine's stuck again, Max.
Don't mess anything up.
I have a system here.
"Dear God,
"How do you make the stars twinkle like that?
"My brother says you use a million lightbulbs,
"but my sister says they're diamonds.
"Write back and tell me the truth.
Love, Ben."
"Dear Ben..."
What are you doing?
Oh, don't worry.
I won't tell anyone.
Do you answer all the children's letters?
It's kind of a hobby.
"Dear Ben,
"I'm glad you like looking at the stars.
"But it isn't God who makes them twinkle.
It's air pollution."
Right.
"If there really were a God,
we wouldn't have any pollution."
It's true.
But you can't write that
to a child.
Someone has to. Why?
Kids should hear what they need to survive in this world.
There's no God who's going to snap his finger
and make things better.
The only thing to believe in is themselves.
The sooner they learn that, the better.
But what you're saying isn't true.
Really? What makes...?
Where'd you get that?
Oh... you dropped it.
Well?
Don't you have work to do?
( Buzzing )
Tess.
It would help if he thought you were on his side.
The tattoo on his arm...
Was he in a concentration camp?
Auschwitz.
He was six.
I volunteered to go there, but I never got assigned.
I wish I had.
No, you don't.
Here we go.
Six flowers, a dozen lighthouses,
and 50 unforgettable scenes from the Civil War.
Although, President Grant,
he wasn't quite that tall.
Thank you.
Look who's just arrived by special delivery.
Hi.
TESS: Death never goes too far from a man like Max.
Looks like you could use some help.
I can't reach.
Do you want me to mail it for you?
Somebody usually helps.
Oh, okay.
Well, I guess that would be me today then, huh?
Okay.
Ready?
Here we go.
Thank you.
No problem.
"To God: Heaven. From Tanya."
Sweet little girl.
Mm-hmm.
I don't understand.
Max answers all the other letters to God,
but why doesn't he answer the ones from Tanya?
Look at them.
All from Tanya, all unopened.
He's not supposed to open these, but it looks like he did.
One or two, anyway.
Would it be wrong if we read them?
Oh, it's a federal offense
to tamper with other people's mail.
But they don't even belong to Max.
I mean, they're addressed to God,
and, well, we're like... God's secretaries.
Personal assistants.
Don't tell me what you are.
I know what you are.
You're just plain curious.
And... me, too.
Secretaries, huh?
Assistants.
Maybe we could ask permission.
We?
You.
It's okay by Him.
Okay, now, this was the first letter
that Max opened.
"Dear God,
"my name is Tanya. I'm seven years old... almost.
"My birthday's next week and Daddy says I get
"to blow out the candles.
"I know you're not supposed to tell your wish,
"but can I tell you, or do you already know?
Love, Tanya."
All right.
"Dear God, I don't understand your letter real well.
"'Course, if you aren't real, then how come you wrote to me?
"It sounds like you were in a bad mood.
"Sandy has lots of bad moods.
That's when she hits."
MONICA: "Dear God, today is my birthday.
"How long does it take for the wish to come true?
"Daddy says he's feeling better, but I know he's not,
and Sandy keeps hurting me."
TESS: "Dear God, Daddy says the angels are coming"
"to take him to heaven soon.
"Please let me go with him.
"I would rather be in heaven with Daddy than here with Sandy.
"My writing is bad because she hurted my hand.
Please write me soon."
"Dear God, I am crying.
"If you don't have time to write me, that's okay.
"I'll... I'll see you soon.
Love, Tanya."
Is that why you're here?
Is that why Tanya could see you,
because she's going to die?
I-I don't know that.
I do know it's going to be complicated.
Complicated?
What could be more simple?
There's someone out there hurting a child
and I can save her.
Hold on a minute.
You don't have the power to save anything on this Earth.
And the one who does wants you to stay with Max.
Max? But Max won't help her.
You don't know that.
Sure, I do.
Humans get a chance every day to help someone,
but they won't because they're afraid.
Well, I'm not afraid.
That's right.
If you help Tanya, you risk nothing.
But if Max tries to save her, he'll risk everything.
And that's what will save him.
If, if, if he helps!
Maybe he won't even try,
but maybe he will try and succeed.
Maybe he'll try and fail.
It's his choice.
And whatever choice he makes, you've got to be there for him.
But, Tess, who will be there for Tanya?
Who do you think?
( Siren wails in distance )
MAX: I'll have a bologna sandwich on white.
And do you have any dried prunes?
Just ran out.
I can imagine.
Yeah. You?
Do you make your lattes with 2%?
Our whats?
You know, I'll have a nonfat steamer with hazelnut.
Cappuccino?
Let's just narrow this down.
We're talking food or beverage?
Give the lady a cup of coffee and some boiled milk.
Foreigners.
Nobody's ever asked me to have lunch ever.
I wanted to talk to you
about something in private.
I'm telling you up front,
I'm not signing any petitions,
I don't go to office parties,
and I don't trade shifts.
But you do answer God's mail.
So?
So...
why didn't you answer these?
You shouldn't have opened them.
Somebody had to.
It was obvious you didn't want to read them
because you know what's inside.
A little girl is in trouble and she's counting on you.
To do what?
Dress up in a God suit and hop over to her house
to hide candy eggs in her backyard?
And hang a stocking full of salvation on her mantle?
She's waiting for a fairy tale to come true.
She's waiting for someone to save her life.
I don't want to get involved.
You already are involved.
You answered the first letter.
All I told her is what I tell everyone.
That there is no God.
If she can't handle that...
Well, she didn't believe you,
because she's got the true faith of an innocent child.
Innocence kills.
The sooner Tanya grows up, the less disappointed she'll be.
Max, she may not get a chance to grow up.
Her faith is the only thing that's still keeping her alive,
but it's dying, and she will, too, unless you do something.
I don't have to listen to this.
If you want to get yourself into a mess, you help.
But she needs you.
Look, I'm not going to let you leave here
until you hear me out.
Is there another way out of here?
MAN: Back there.
Whoa! That's $6.50 whether you eat the stuff or not.
Max, I brought you here for a reason.
And I'm leaving for a reason, too.
Little girls who lie end up
in big trouble, Tanya, so stop lying!
What did you do with the money, Tanya?
I didn't take it, Sandy. Honest.
I had a $20 bill in my pocket and now...
You trying to mess with my head, ain't you?
No, I just wanted to get some food for Daddy.
He's hungry.
I'm sick and tired of taking care of him...
and you.
I need a drink.
Hi.
I know you.
I've seen you at the post office.
That's right.
If I give you a letter, will you mail it for me?
Of course I will.
It's right back there.
Come on. It's okay.
( Siren wailing in distance )
( TV playing )
( man coughing )
That's Daddy.
I thought I had one more stamp.
I know I put it here somewhere.
Daddy says the angels are going to take him soon,
so I drew him a picture of heaven.
Where's my stamp?
I know it's here.
( Man coughing )
( man wheezing )
Hi. What are you doing here?
Max and I were having lunch next door.
Coincidentally?
I got him to the door,
but he walked in all by himself.
Well, let's see if he walks out.
( Coughing )
Poor man.
Will it be soon?
Very nice.
Lots of stars.
This is going to be my last letter to God.
Why?
He doesn't write me back.
And all my stamps are gone.
You must spend a lot on stamps.
If you don't get milk at lunch, you can save a dime.
So I drink water.
Wait, I'm sure I have a stamp.
Yep, here it is.
Thank you.
Tanya?
Come and meet my daddy.
( Coughing )
Baby.
I'm here, Daddy.
Who do you got with you?
This is Max.
He's going to help me mail my letter.
I work at the post office.
Could you get me a glass of water, baby?
Okay.
Hey, man, come closer.
Please...
please help my daughter.
I'm dying.
I don't want her to be here when I die.
I can't.
Sandy's got a temper.
Take her before she comes back.
There won't be nobody to protect her
when I'm gone.
Here's the water, Daddy.
I can't.
Please?
I can't.
Please?
I'm sorry.
( Coughing )
( door shuts )
Hey, my letter!
Daddy?
It's okay, baby.
( Coughing )
Max...
You blew it, Miss Wings.
Blew it?
Oh, Tess, I had to try.
Uh-uh, not that way.
That man had a free will of his own
and you took it away from him.
He was not ready to go into that apartment.
So why are you surprised
that things worked out the way they did?
I was just trying to help.
But you didn't.
You're worse off now than you were before.
And Max is going to be harder to get to than ever.
And that poor little girl is in more danger than ever.
I'm sorry.
Well, you should be.
You know better.
You've got to remember, there are no shortcuts.
You got to go straight for Max's heart.
What heart?
What's the matter with you?
Have you been licking too many stamps?
Judging a man is easy,
compassion is hard.
You remember that.
Yes, ma'am.
You've been hanging around with Max too much.
You're talking to yourself. Stop it.
Yes, ma'am.
Ms.
Yes, Ms.
Do you know where Max is?
Out sick.
First time I can remember him ever calling in sick.
Wish he'd mentioned it sooner,
so I could've looked forward to it.
Sick?
Look at this...
another kid disappeared.
Father died in some flophouse.
They think the addict girlfriend took off with her.
Kid was getting beat up all the time.
Nobody ever says a thing until it's too late.
Kid's probably dead by now.
Oh, no.
Maybe it's a blessing.
What kind of future did she have anyway?
( Knocking on door )
Max...
are you in here?
Yeah.
Do you mind if I turn on a light?
No.
Ms. Raphael said this was the first day
that you'd missed work in 30 years.
I couldn't do it.
I couldn't make it out the front door.
It wasn't your fault, Max.
It was my fault.
I should've helped her, but I didn't.
I wanted to, but...
But you were afraid.
Tanya was afraid, too, but she never lost hope.
They take it away from you sooner or later.
Better to give it up and make a clean break of it.
When did you lose your hope?
It died with my family.
In the war?
In the gas chambers.
And your belief in God went with it?
There's no God.
I used to think so.
I tried to write him a letter once.
I wanted him to keep my family safe,
to inscribe us in the book of life.
All I had to write on were the soles of the shoes
my father made for me just before...
before...
He was a shoemaker?
He put them on my feet and he said, "Never forget..."
Wherever these shoes take you, you are walking with God."
He was right, your father.
My father believed God would save us...
right up till the day he died.
( Yelling in German )
( yelling )
I never saw my father again.
I tried to finish my letter to God, but I couldn't.
He'd left me... like everybody else.
I lost the shoes.
I lost my family.
And ever since, I've walked alone.
There's no God.
Oh, Max, I know that there is a God.
And there's a reason that you and Tanya were brought together.
You couldn't save your family,
but you can save Tanya.
It's too late.
We don't know that.
But it will be too late if you do nothing,
too late for her, and too late for you, Max.
Yeah, what can I do you for?
I'm looking for a girl.
Coffee, I got.
Girls, you got to look for yourself.
No, no, no, this girl.
Yeah, I saw this. Shame.
You know her?
Who's asking?
I'm a friend.
Looks like she could've used one.
Cops were asking about her, too.
She's just gone.
And it's too bad about her old man, 'cause he was a nice guy.
But this wacko girlfriend of his,
she comes in here stoned,
dealing right here at my counter.
I don't need this.
Why didn't you call the police? Or social services?
Why didn't you help the poor kid?
What about you?
You did say you were "her friend."
Oh, God.
Have you noticed
how even people who don't believe in God
call out his name in their loneliest hour?
What are you doing here?
You can't ask for His help unless somewhere deep inside
you truly believe in Him
and in the message He's asked me to deliver.
Who are you?
I'm someone you want to believe, Max,
but you're afraid to.
Afraid of God, afraid of an angel.
No. No angels.
No God.
No hope.
I don't know what's going on...
if I'm losing my mind,
but if you really exist, please let me find her.
Max.
Tanya.
Are you okay?
Sandy took me to this guy's house.
But then they smoked something and fell asleep.
And I came back to see my daddy, but he was gone.
Oh, it's okay.
Everything's going to be okay.
Coffee.
And a hamburger?
And French fries.
Would you like something to drink? Mm-hmm.
Hot chocolate? Um, okay.
Tanya Brenner?
Yeah.
Put your hands on your head.
Now. Why?
You're under arrest.
But he's my friend.
You have the right to remain silent. No.
Anything you say can and will be used against you
in a court of law. But he was trying to help me.
You have the right to an attorney.
I don't understand.
He got involved.
He did the right thing.
I know, but God has a plan
and just because you don't understand it
and Max doesn't understand it
does not mean that God doesn't understand it.
But they're taking him to jail.
He's so afraid to be locked up.
He already is.
Without faith, a man's mind is a lonely cell, baby.
Oh, Tess, what can I do?
You just be ready to lend a helping hand
and let me take care of the rest of it.
Please! You have to help me get out of here.
( Man coughing )
( coughing continues )
( coughing )
You can't stay here anymore.
Please. I have nowhere else to go.
If they find you, they'll kill us all.
I'll give him just a little while longer.
No.
I'll give you my shoes.
MONICA: Max.
Max.
What do you want?
I thought maybe there was something I could do to help.
No, you've done enough.
I'm sorry about the way things turned out.
Well, it's all part of God's plan, right?
No, it's not.
Then why is He sending me an angel?
Because you need one.
Isn't it enough that you made me believe in God?
Lots of people believe, but trusting Him...
That's the next step.
Trust.
Are you kidding?
Do you know how much it hurts
to know that God exists and that He hates me?
God doesn't hate you.
Then why didn't He let me die with the rest of my family?
Why am I still here?
I don't know.
You're here because...
because they didn't find you
and you're still alive because you have a purpose.
What about my mother and father?
Are you saying that their lives had no purpose?
No, God gives everyone a purpose,
but humans still have the choice to hate and kill,
to destroy their lives... and yours.
Guard!
Get her out of here.
I want her to go.
I'm not interested in a message from God.
I got it already.
Six million
men, women and children are gone.
Where was He?
What was He doing?
He was weeping for His children.
Don't say that to me.
He abandoned us!
No.
That so many died is unimaginable,
but that anyone lived... Max!
Without God, no one would have survived.
You don't know.
You weren't there, were you? Were you?
No.
I was.
I've seen you before.
( Sobbing )
( footsteps approaching )
I'm Andrew.
Now, I remember.
You were Death.
I didn't bring it, Max.
I just...
I just helped them through it.
It was a privilege to witness such courage.
I saw you
in a room like this before.
It was the last time you saw your father.
Oh, God.
He was a remarkable man, Max.
Do you want to know how he died?
Let me tell you.
He died on his feet, Max.
Oh his feet.
He was praising God.
He was thanking God for his life and his family
and asking God for one more blessing...
That He would walk with his son, Max,
for the rest of his days,
no matter how many there were left.
And that journey has brought you back here,
to a room like this,
back to the last place you saw your father.
You know, that's where Tanya knew to go when she was lost,
back to the last place she saw her father.
Never, never forget, Max.
When God is no longer real to you,
or you feel as if you've lost your faith...
just go back.
Just go back and He will be there
waiting for you.
God loves you, Max, and He always has,
and he doesn't want you to forget.
You can't forget, you mustn't forget,
but for all the horror and terror
that you knew in this place,
you also knew faith and love here
and if you don't come back and get it...
they will have won.
Oh, come on.
When those officers come in for their snack
give them a little truth with their coffee.
I don't want to give them indigestion.
Just tell them what you told me...
That that girl was upstairs the whole time
and Max was just trying to rescue her.
I don't know.
Oh, you're going to love getting involved. Trust me.
Last guy told me that
was recruiting volunteers for Nixon.
( Door opens )
Hey, guys.
Listen, I kinda remember something
about that little girl.
Oh?
Yeah, well...
the guy you picked up...
Well, the truth is, he wasn't doing
what you think he was doing.
( Knocking )
Tanya!
They said you were back here
and I could come say hi.
I'm so glad you did.
I wanted to mail this on my way from school,
but I didn't have a stamp.
Well, stamps we've got.
What's that?
Another letter to God.
I have to ask Him for one more thing.
What?
My foster place is nice and all.
Mrs. Dunlop bakes me cupcakes and stuff,
but...
But?
It's not like a real family.
I'll tell you what.
I'll help you mail your letter
and you can help me mail mine.
Can we use an angel stamp?
One angel coming up.
Is yours a letter to God, too?
No, Tanya, it's an application
for me to try to be your foster father.
It's a long process, and I won't do it
if you don't want me to,
but if it all goes through, we can be a family, you and me.
If it's okay.
I guess it's okay.
Up you go.
Up we go.
That's right, up we go.
Oh.
No, come in.
Come in.
Well, how can I help you?
Oh, special delivery.
I'll be right back.
You wait here.
Thank you.