( elegant violin music playing )
TESS: They say that the sound of a violin
is like an angel singing.
But I say it's the most human instrument of them all.
Over the centuries, I've heard some mighty sweet playing.
Like that little Wolfgang.
He could charm the birds out of the trees
with his itty-bitty violin.
Little Wolfgang?
Wolfgang Mozart.
He used to call me Frãulein Tess.
He wrote a concerto for me when he was 6.
Course, I've heard a lot of bad fiddling too.
You remember Jack Benny?
( Both laughing )
Now, this man, is he a good violinist or a bad one?
Jordan is a violinmaker,
and he's very proud of his work, his family and his life.
Sounds like a good man.
He is.
Jordan only has one problem, and it will not go away,
no matter how hard he tries to hide it.
MONICA: A violin?
That's his problem?
Well, his problem started the same time the violin did.
He's been working on it for almost 30 years.
TESS: Now each day he just sits and stares at it.
MONICA: Well, why doesn't he finish it?
TESS: It's got a flaw. At least, that's what he thinks it is.
He likes everything perfect, and that violin is not perfect.
Sometimes what people think of as a flaw
is what makes something so special.
Something or someone.
( Knocking at door )
Just a minute.
I'll be right with you.
MAN: Take your time. I charge by the hour.
Tony.
Merry Christmas, Dad.
Well, it sure is now.
I don't believe this.
I was just waiting for my next apprentice to arrive, and I...
Do you want me to come back another year?
Oh, no. I've waited too long for this.
Welcome home, son.
TESS: Tony was born on December 25th,
the same day that Jordan started working on that violin.
And your job is to see to it that he's finished by Christmas.
But that's only three days from now.
Well, that's all the time that we've got left,
and that's all the time that they've got left.
God wants to give this father and son
something special this year.
What's that?
A violin lesson.
( Emotive violin melody playing )
( Della Reese & The Verity All-Stars' "Walk With You" playing )
REESE: ♫ When you walk ♫
♫ Down the road ♫
♫ Heavy burden ♫
♫ Hea-ea-eavy load ♫
♫ I will rise ♫
♫ And I will walk with you ♫
REESE: ♫ I'll walk with you ♫ CHORUS: ♫ I'll walk with you ♫
♫ Till the sun Don't even shine ♫
♫ Walk with you ♫ ♫ Walk with you ♫
♫ Every time ♫
♫ I tell ya I'll walk with you ♫
♫ Walk with you ♫
♫ Believe me I'll walk with you ♫
I smell my mom's famous Christmas angels.
Oh, Tony!
Oh! What a surprise!
Tell us you're gonna stay for Christmas.
Of course he's staying for Christmas, right?
That's what I'm here for.
I need a real Christmas this year,
right down to the stockings,
the candlelight service...
And my apple cobbler.
Oh, Mom. I missed you so much.
How come you don't come home
more often now, Mr. Big Shot Attorney?
Jordan, he's here now.
Why don't you show him your latest project?
The Du Bois family tree.
Oh, it's right over here.
Goes all the way back to the French Revolution.
Now, let's see. Look... Uh...
Look here. Colonel Louis Du Bois.
Did I ever tell you he made a violin for Thomas Jefferson?
Ten thousand times.
Oh, Tony, don't pay any attention to him.
The only thing he knows how to make
are violins and trouble.
( Knocking at door )
Hello?
I knocked on the workshop door,
but nobody answered.
I'm Monica.
Oh, my new apprentice, Monica. Welcome!
MONICA: Okay.
Oh, this is my wife, Willa.
Nice to meet you, Monica.
And my son, Tony.
Hey. Nice to meet you.
Just got promoted to partner in his law firm.
Handles all these big cases out there in L.A.
TONY: Dad.
It's not just the big ones.
( Woman gasps )
Matt! Look who's here!
Uncle Tony!
Oh, Matty!
Oh! Hey!
Monica, this is my sister, Nora.
My much, much older sister, Nora.
Oh, excuse me, but isn't someone about to hit 30 on Christmas?
I love to rub it in. Hi.
It's very nice to meet you.
MATT: What about me?
How could I forget about you?
This is my favourite nephew, Matthew.
I'm your only nephew.
Hello, Matthew.
It's a pleasure to meet you.
( Watch beeping )
Oh! Um... Um...
I'm in the middle of a big case.
I have to call in every couple of hours.
I'll be right down.
You look tired, Tony.
It was a long flight, Mom.
It's nice meeting you, Monica.
JORDAN: Choosing the wood is the key
to making a fine instrument.
Take this one, for example.
Look at the pattern of the grain,
the density of the fiber.
Every detail must be perfect.
A flaw in the wood...
( knocks )
is a flaw in the music.
If I'm not mistaken, your name is French, Du Bois,
and it means "from the wood."
My last apprentice didn't know a viola from a violin.
( Both chuckling )
So, what's in here?
Uh, just an old storage cabinet.
Why is it locked?
Uh, I lost the key, years ago.
Oh, we'd better get started.
The Chicago Symphony is waiting for this.
It just needs a little polish.
( Plays lively melody )
Each one is unique, like a child.
Capable of expressing joy and grief, pain and love.
You must be very happy that your son is home.
I named him after
one of the greatest violinmakers in the world.
Antonio Stradivari.
Tony was the most gifted student I ever taught.
But then when he was a teenager, he just stopped.
Why?
I don't know.
Well.
I suppose instead of Carnegie Hall,
he now appears in the halls of justice.
Monica, you seem to be a very nice young lady.
Are... Are you involved with anybody?
Involved?
( Chuckles )
No. I'm very career-oriented.
Just like Tony.
I couldn't help noticing the sparks flying between you.
( Chuckles )
Sparks?
TONY: Hey!
It's time to pick out the tree.
Ah! Come on, Monica. You are going to love this!
Come on!
JORDAN: Keep up, everybody. Come on, here it is.
Here it is.
Monica, you see these trees?
These are the secrets to my success.
Dad's got some of the best blue spruce in the country.
Look, perfect for violins.
And Christmas trees!
Grandma? Yes?
Aren't I old enough to pick it out this year?
Well, I don't know why not, huh?
All right, but remember,
it's gotta be lush and full.
No scraggly limbs, no crooked trunks,
no bald spots.
The really great trees all shine.
Dad's not picky or anything, you know?
Okay, let's split into groups,
or else we'll be out here for hours.
Monica, why don't you go with Tony.
Go ahead, go ahead.
Me too! Go ahead.
What are you doing?
Oh!
Look, what about those?
Uh-uh. Those are Grandpa's special trees.
He plants one every time someone in the family gets born.
Or when they die. Uh-huh.
This is my tree. Ah.
And that one's Uncle Tony's.
( Watch beeping )
Um, you know, we'd better head home.
Not without a tree. Please, Uncle Tony?
Okay.
But what about that one?
We already looked over there.
( Magical theme playing )
We found it! We found the tree!
We found the tree! Come on!
It's right there!
Perfect.
( Nora gasps )
Congratulations, Matty. Oh, it's great!
Monica was the one who really found it. I just helped.
JORDAN: Hey, Matty, have you told Monica
about our other tradition?
The one that comes after we find the tree?
Go ahead.
( all shouting & squealing )
NORA: Oh, my gosh!
Tess! Is that you?
No, it's the abominable snowman.
And I'm feeling more abominable every minute.
It's cold out here.
How's that violin coming along, Miss Wings?
Well, Jordan seems more interested in making matches
than violins.
He, uh... He seems to hope that Tony and I...
Well, you tell him the truth. You are not available.
Sometimes it's so hard
not to be able to tell people who you really are.
( Tony gasping )
Tony, are you okay?
( Breathlessly ): I'm fine.
Just a little winded.
We don't have too many snowball fights in Los Angeles.
( Gasping )
Oh, everything was wonderful.
It was a delicious dinner, especially the cobbler.
Now you know the real reason
I came home for Christmas.
Mom, come help.
I can't get the zipper.
NORA: Matt's going to play the violin after supper.
He wants to wear the costume his grandma made him.
MATT: Mom! I'm coming, honey.
Mom, this is so good.
Thank you.
Yeah. If you were married, you could eat this good every night.
Do you cook?
Jordan.
Dad. Please, would you cool it?
( Watch beeping )
Excuse me. I have to call L.A.
I'll be back in a minute.
Where's Uncle Tony?
He's upstairs. Go get him.
I don't want him to see me till I play.
You go, Mom. Matthew...
I'll go.
( Softly ): Thank you.
( Knocks on door )
Please shut the door.
Sorry.
It's okay.
What's wrong?
I can't get this open.
Let me try.
Thanks.
Christmas used to be my favourite holiday.
The truth is, I didn't come home
to celebrate Christmas or my birthday.
I came home because I'm dying.
You're going to die?
Well...
I...
I have AIDS.
Oh, Tony.
I almost died, Thanksgiving.
I had, um, pneumonia.
So I finally started listening to my doctor.
That's why this beeper of mine goes off every two hours:
Remind me to take all these things.
Are you going to tell your family?
No, no. I just...
You know, I wanted to come home
to share one last perfect Christmas with them.
I'll wait till I get back to L.A.
to deal with the reality.
The reality is
that you have a family,
and you need them now.
And they need you.
Anyway, that's what families are for.
For love, support, understanding.
( Playing "Joy to the World" )
JORDAN: I would like to propose a toast.
A toast, a toast.
Here, help me with those. Thank you.
You are so amazing.
Thanks. JORDAN: To Matty.
Next stop, Carnegie Hall!
( Tony coughing )
Do you have a fever? No.
You... You... You're warm. Mom, I'm fine. Thanks.
Um...
I... I do... I want to, um...
Say something.
Um...
Listening to Matt play
reminded me, actually, of why I came home.
I, um...
You know, I want you all to know how much I love you.
Okay? I mean...
No matter what.
We love you, too, Tony. Is something wrong?
What could be wrong? He's home with us.
It's Christmas. Right, Tony?
Yeah, Dad. Everything's perfect.
Oh, Matt.
Did you know that
that used to be my violin when I was a kid?
Will you play something on it?
Oh, I'd like to, but, you know,
it's kind of too small for me now.
Hold on. Hold on. Don't anybody move!
( Sighs )
Here. Come on.
Look, I haven't played for years.
It's like riding a bicycle. You never forget. Come on!
Oh, come on.
Make it my Christmas present.
It's the only thing I want this year.
Not tonight, Dad, okay?
Look, I'm really tired.
How can that violin be so important
at a time like this?
What does it matter if it has a flaw?
JORDAN: Hi.
Hiya.
Feeling okay?
Yeah. Fine.
Good.
Never felt better, actually.
Good, because I... I just want you to be happy.
That's all I've ever wanted for you.
That's why... That's why I think Monica is so special.
Yeah.
Now, there is a girl who could really make you happy.
Smart. She's sensitive.
She's got the face of an angel.
Hey, hey.
Let me have a bite of this.
No! No!
What's wrong with you?
I'm sorry.
Tony, what's wrong? Tell me!
No, I... I don't know why I did that.
You can't get it from a spoon, glass or anything like that.
I can't get "it"? "It"? What is "it"?
Are you sick, son?
Yeah.
I'm sick.
Dad, I have AIDS.
What?
What are you saying here, son?
No, no, no. How could you get AIDS?
Have you been using drugs?
No, no.
Dad, I'm gay.
And I wasn't careful.
Look, Dad.
I know, you know, I should have told you before now.
And I know that this is a lot to take in all at one time.
Dad.
You better clean that up.
( Somber theme playing )
WILLA: Good morning, sleepyhead.
Morning, Dad.
( Coughs )
Tony, scrambled or fried?
No, just coffee.
( Coughs )
Are you coming down with something?
No, I'm fine.
Uncle Tony!
Matty, don't do that. Dad, what's wrong?
Well, he's too old to be kissing and hugging men.
You want some orange juice, Matty?
MATT: Sure.
Just let them enjoy their Christmas.
( Pensive theme playing )
WILLA: Don't mind Grandpa.
He didn't sleep very well last night.
What's going on?
Oh, I found the key.
Look what was inside. It's so beautiful.
You call that beautiful?
It appeared years ago when I was planing the wood.
I don't understand.
There was nothing I could do to get rid of it.
I tried everything.
Why don't you just replace this piece of wood.
Oh, well, this is going to sound pretty crazy,
but I got it from an angel.
( Plays "Silent Night" )
JORDAN: It was Christmas Eve.
My wife was expecting.
But she wasn't due for a week, I thought.
I was getting so nervous, I spent all my time in here.
( angelic theme playing )
Jordan Du Bois, I am an angel sent by God
to bring you two things.
The first is a message.
A child will be born to you on December 25th.
Christmas Day.
You have a problem with that?
No! Thank you. Thank God!
And the second thing.
A piece of wood.
Think of it as a violin yet to be played.
It's a gift from God,
as your son is a gift from the creator.
And each has a beautiful tune to play,
each in its own time.
And each begins its life tonight.
Next thing I knew, she was gone.
Tony was such a beautiful child.
He still is.
I don't wanna talk about it anymore.
Monica, would you excuse us, please?
JORDAN: We're busy here. It can't wait.
This is family business!
Monica already knows.
I do not want to talk about this.
It is Christmas, for God's sakes!
Well, when do you want to talk about it? Easter?
Mother's Day? Or Father's Day?
Or all the other holidays I don't come home for
because it hurts too much to pretend, to play a role!
That's the one thing I play even better
than these violins of yours!
Be quiet!
I've done that most of my life.
I don't even know who you are anymore.
I'm your son.
No, you are not!
( Dramatic theme playing )
Tony, he doesn't mean that.
Oh, he does. See these pieces of wood?
This chip? This crack? This wormhole?
This is a scrapheap!
It's where things go when they're not perfect.
Right, Dad?
Shut up!
Yesterday I was your son,
and I was a lawyer.
I was a brother and an uncle,
a man who played soccer on Saturday afternoons
and volunteered at legal aid on Fridays.
And loved books and music and cars and apple cobbler!
And I was gay too.
Oh, you didn't know that yesterday.
But today you do.
And now... what?
That's all I am?
That's all you see?
And you wonder why
I couldn't tell you!
Tell him what?
NORA: Tony?
Don't touch him! He's sick!
What's wrong with him?
Ma...
Ma.
I have AIDS.
AIDS?
Yeah.
Oh, God.
I'm sorry.
I should never have come home.
No.
Hey, is this where you guys are hiding presents?
Tony. Tony.
( Tony coughing )
( door slams )
( gasping )
( coughing )
I don't understand.
One minute Tony was fine, and the next, he...
That's the way it can be with this disease.
There's so much that the doctors can do now,
but...
It's too late for Tony.
But at least he's in a good place.
This is a great hospice.
Did you see the snowman?
Yes.
It's nice to see a smile on a day like this.
One of the patients made it with his family.
Carlos.
He and his wife and his kids.
They had such a good time last Sunday.
I came for Carlos this morning.
How long does Tony have?
I don't know.
Where's his family?
It is so hard
to think about Tony in there all alone.
He's not alone, Andrew.
You know that.
I do. I do.
But he doesn't.
Are you coming in?
Not until I have to.
( Somber theme playing )
TESS: Looking good!
Don't let it get too clumpy here, now.
You're talking to the icicle queen.
Monica.
Happy Christmas Eve, as in the day before Christmas.
How's that violin coming?
Tony is dying.
Who cares if Jordan finishes the violin?
God cares.
I can't get Jordan
to even look at that violin.
He just sits there and stares out into space.
It's the same thing with Tony.
Praise the Lord!
Looks like we're finally gonna make
some progress around here.
Daddy, I can't believe you're acting like this.
I'm ashamed of you!
Are you coming or not?
How can you love your son one minute
and then turn your back on him the next?
He lied to us.
He lied to us all these years about who he was.
Did he lie, Jordan?
Or did we lie to ourselves?
Maybe we just saw what we wanted to see.
When I realize how lonely he must have been
and how much of his life that we've missed.
I've only had one dream, Willa.
To be a good man.
Good husband, good father.
To love my family.
To leave the world a better place for my children
so that they can do the same with theirs.
That's how I was raised.
I'm a Du Bois, and I'm proud to be one.
Are you blaming Tony
for who he is?
No.
I blame myself.
Jordan Du Bois!
This isn't about you
or your family name.
It's Tony's life we're talking about.
I am his father.
I loved him! I taught him! I fed him!
For God's sake, Willa,
I tried to mold his character into a complete...
Damn it, Jordan!
Your son is not a violin!
He's not an instrument that you can just carve
to your specifications.
He is the good, loving son that we wanted him to be.
And he will leave this world a better place.
Now, we're his parents.
We just can't sit here talking about his life
when he's...
dying.
Nora and I are going in to see Tony.
Now, for the last time, are you coming or not?
( Exhaling )
( slams car door )
Tony.
Tony, honey.
( Gasps )
Ma.
How you feeling?
Okay. Hey, Nora.
Tony.
I... I left your Christmas presents in the hall.
( Emotionally ): I'll be right back.
( Coughing )
Tony.
Why didn't you tell us?
I'm sorry, Mom.
No, no.
I think I always knew somewhere deep inside.
Mothers know things about their children.
You're such a part of me.
The best part.
Tony...
I... I... I...
I couldn't love you any more than I do already,
but I could love you better.
I'm sorry.
My... My baby. My baby.
I love you, Mom.
My precious baby.
NORA: Ta-da!
Hmm, CD player.
And... classical music.
And...
( all laughing )
A Chipmunk Christmas. I love that.
You know,
I bet Dad's home right now
sneaking too much tinsel onto the tree.
You better go.
No, I don't want to leave you.
Mom.
It's Christmas Eve.
Go. Be with your grandson.
Matt's going to read The Christmas Story this year.
That used to be my job.
Tony, honey, come home.
We'll take care of you.
Ma, I can't. Not like this.
( Gasping ): I'm fine.
I love you.
Hey.
Love you.
We'll see you.
I... I... I hope you don't mind if we keep calling to check in.
You call as often as you like.
And you'll call if...?
Of course. Of course. Thank you.
God bless you. God bless you.
MATT: "And she brought forth"
"her first-born son
and wrapped him in swad..."
Swaddling?
Swaddling clothes.
( Jordan opens door )
It's so good.
"Swaddling clothes
and laid him in a manger."
( gasping )
CAROLERS: ♫ Angels we have heard on high ♫
♫ Sweetly singing O'er the plains ♫
( door opens )
How are you doing, Tony?
Not great.
You need a little more morphine?
Yeah.
Remember what I said about hallucinations.
CAROLERS: ♫ ...In excelsis deo ♫
( gasping )
( singing softly )
♫ Gloria ♫
( wheezily ): You know...
You know, I'd like to see one of those angels.
If you saw an angel, what would you say?
I'd say...
"Tell God I'm sorry
"for turning out the way I did.
I know I'm a disappointment."
No, you're not.
In God's eyes, you're his beautiful child.
Now you're hallucinating.
I am an angel.
I was sent by God to bring you a message.
No!
You have not disappointed God.
Because you can't surprise God.
He never expected you to be anyone but who you are.
You just didn't expect him to love you.
But he does.
That's not what I heard.
What you've heard were words of someone else.
Words of hate and confusion.
But God is not the source of hate and confusion.
God is the source and the completer of your faith.
And that's what you need right now.
Faith that God really knows who you are.
No. No. You're not perfect.
No one is perfect, Anthony.
No one.
But God's love is perfect.
And no one can love us better than he does.
I thought this was a punishment.
This is a disease.
And it is going to take your body,
but don't let it take your soul.
And when it gets real bad...
hold on to your faith, baby.
( Sobbing )
God, help me.
( Gasping )
Get... Get...
Get this IV out of me!
I'm being poisoned!
God!
Help me!
It's like the truth, Jordan.
It won't go away.
I-I can't talk right now. I'm working.
Tony is very sick. He needs you.
There's nothing I can do for him.
You can love him.
Love is no cure for what he has.
There is no cure, not yet. But there's peace.
And you can help him find that.
( Sighs )
I don't know what else to say.
Who are you?
My name's Andrew.
I'm here to talk about your son.
If you're a friend of Tony's,
you're not welcome here.
I am Tony's friend.
I'm one of the few he has tonight.
I have nothing to say to you or him.
Now get out.
Your son is going to die, soon.
Maybe even tonight.
Well, it's not my fault.
There's nothing I can do about it.
You're wrong. You're wrong.
He needs you, and you need him.
Don't you understand?
This violin is not your masterpiece. Your son is.
And by the time you realize it,
it's gonna be too late. He'll be gone!
No!
( Deep, brooding theme playing )
TESS: You know what gets my goat on Christmas?
An angel with a bad attitude.
Monica needed help.
Yes, she did.
But not the kind that gets violins all smashed up.
MONICA: It's a total loss.
Nothing is a total loss.
Now, you get back off to that workshop, Miss Wings.
That man needs an angel now more than ever.
Yes, but my assignment is the violin, and it's broken in two.
Well, you'll have to just put it back together.
How?
The only thing that's going to repair the damage
is the truth,
and nothing but.
Now, what's wrong with you, angel boy?
It's not fair, Tess.
You and I both know
that death can be a beautiful thing
and that dying... Dying can be hideous.
And to watch someone die like that, the way...
The way Tony is dying tonight,
and the way that Jordan is letting him. It's...
It's wrong for Jordan to use death as a punishment.
Now, you listen to me, Andrew.
In this world,
judgment can be the worst kind of punishment.
And God doesn't want you judging Jordan
any more than he wants Jordan judging his son.
And remember.
Christmas is a time for miracles.
All those years of work... gone.
Ruined.
Maybe it's for the best.
It was never going to be perfect.
What are you doing?
I'm putting it where you think it belongs.
On the scrapheap.
No, no, no, wait. Wait!
You don't understand.
Yes, I do.
It's like a child to you.
Capable of expressing joy, pain, love, grief.
Everything that the human heart can hold.
But what happened to your heart, Jordan?
It's broken.
My heart...
is broken.
Why?
Don't you understand?
An angel appeared to me when he was born.
He had to be perfect.
No. The only thing that he had to be was Tony.
( Angelic theme playing )
I am an angel.
A messenger from God.
And I have been sent here to help you see the truth.
The truth is that your son
is not the person you want him to be.
It's too late for Tony. He can't change.
I'm not asking him to change. I'm asking you.
Are you telling me God wants me to be happy about this?
God wants you to accept your son for who he is.
He's gay. He is your son.
What is an angel from God doing on the side of a queer?
Nothing that is made by God is queer.
God loves all his creations.
Neither of you is perfect, for many reasons,
but you don't have to be perfect to receive God's love.
In fact, no one ever is.
You see, every person on this earth is like a violin.
And whatever wood we are made of,
the music is always the purest and the most beautiful
when we put ourselves in the hands of the master.
What's going on?
Don't let your son die in silence, Jordan,
when there's so much beautiful music to be heard.
He is going to die.
God will be there.
Will you?
JORDAN: Tony?
( Grunts )
It's me, Dad.
I'm here.
Why?
I wanted to give you something.
I don't play anymore.
Why, Tony?
Why did you stop?
It's for you, Dad.
For me?
Yeah.
When I was a teenager,
I began to realize who I was,
that I was different.
And I... I felt so flawed.
I wanted to kill myself.
Kill yourself?
Dad, when you taught me to play,
you taught me to open my heart,
let my feelings out.
But I couldn't keep doing that.
Not after I realized the truth about who I was.
Not if I wanted you to be proud of me.
To love me.
So you gave it up for me?
I thought I could hide the truth from you,
from the family.
From... From G...
( coughing )
I just wanted you to be happy,
to know the joy of having a child, a beautiful son.
Tony, I love you.
What?
I said, I love you.
And God loves you too. I know that.
( Softly ): Dad, you hear that?
Hear what?
Oh, the music.
Music?
Yeah.
Let the music in, Tony. I want you to let it in.
Oh, Dad, I hear it. It's all around me.
What does it sound like?
Violins.
Tony? Dad.
Dad, what time is it? Is it Christmas yet?
It's past midnight.
Merry Christmas, Dad.
Happy birthday, son.
Mmm...
Tony. Mm?
Is there anything I can get for you?
No, I just need... Need a little sleep.
Oh. Mm...
I'll play you a lullaby.
Such a beautiful violin, Dad.
WILLA: Tony!
Oh, no. Oh!
Tony?
( All weeping )
Tony.
I'm Andrew.
Don't be afraid.
( Family weeping )
They love you very much,
and your memory will live in their hearts forever.
Like a beautiful melody.
( Flowing violin melody playing )
( heartfelt theme playing )