This is your first time in human form,
so I want you to listen to me and listen to me good.
Stay away from a thing called junk food,
and stay away from coffee.
I've got enough trouble with another angel already.
She's on vacation picking coffee beans.
Miss Wings cannot get enough of that double mocha latte.
Mocha latte.
Oh, looky, looky. Hello, darling. Say hello to Miss Celeste.
She's a brand new angel. Let's show her how smart you are.
Can you sit?
Sit, baby. I said, sit!
Oh, Tess, I wish I had a tail.
Something to wag when I'm happy, like now.
I'm so happy I've got legs to dance.
(EXCLAIMS)
(DOG BARKING)
Oh, blessed Lord, give me patience and give this child some rhythm.
Tess, look at this. I got 10 fingers
and 10 little fingernails.
Is it true if one breaks off,
another one'll just grow right back?
The fingernails, yes. The fingers, no.
You've got to calm down, Cherub Child.
There's nothing worse than an angel that goes off half-cocked,
especially around people.
People?
Oh, no.
No, I don't think that I'm quite ready for people yet.
I think maybe I'm gonna go back to heaven.
Uh-uh.
You can run, but you can't hide.
That's the problem with our new assignment.
He spent his whole life trying to escape.
MALE ANNOUNCER ON PA: Ladies and gentlemen,
Eric, the Angel of Death!
(CLAPPING AND CHEERING)
(TECHNO MUSIC PLAYING)
Did I disappoint you? Did you come to see me die?
Don't forget what the great Houdini once said.
"Not even death can hold me."
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
Why do people care about magic, when God creates miracles?
Eric loves illusions.
Keeps him from having to face the truth.
That's why he needs an angel.
Mmm-hmm.
ERIC: Ladies and gentlemen.
You don't mean me, do you?
I need a volunteer from the audience.
I'm looking for one very brave soul.
Over here. Right over here. Please, no.
Go on, go. Right here, yes.
(CLAPPING)
(CHEERING)
What's your name?
Celeste.
Well, Celeste, do you mind if we decompose your subatomic particles
and re-arrange them in the time and space continuum?
You mean make me disappear?
I think I might like that.
Stay, stay. Stay!
(DOG BARKING)
Two for the price of one.
(ELECTRICITY SURGING)
I lost my first angel, and she took my dog.
♫ 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'll tell you I'll walk with you
♫ Walk with you
♫ Believe me I'll walk with you ♫
network executives out there.
My big chance for a television special.
Carla, what happened to the girl from the audience?
I don't know.
Well, you got her down the trap. Why didn't she come back up?
She just wasn't there.
Trap is working just fine.
She was a plant.
The girl, the little dog, and you.
Who are you working for, Carla?
Copperfield, huh? Lance Burton? How much did they pay you?
I don't know what you're talking about.
Yeah, well, after tonight's show, you are outta here!
Oh, no. I quit now!
Your act is too dangerous, and, you know, I think you really wanna die.
You are crazy. I am not!
I am the best! No one can beat me! Not even Houdini!
Oh, you are nuts.
You. You lost my friend and my dog.
Yeah, well, your little friend messed up my illusion, lady. Where is she?
That's what I'm asking you. Celeste? Celeste? Come here, dog.
Where's my agent? Where is my agent?
Would somebody please find my agent? Andy!
Eric, Eric, I'm here, I'm here. Calm down, calm down.
Listen, the network loved the disappearing girl.
They thought it was a great comic touch.
They did?
Yes, yes, they did. So take it easy, all right?
They said they can't wait to see the rest of the show.
Everything's cool.
No, no, everything is not cool. I just fired my assistant,
and unless you find me a new one before that curtain goes up,
you, my friend, are next.
An agent, huh?
Yeah, yeah, that's me. I'm Andy.
Andy, the Agent of Death.
Listen, one week with that guy, I wish he'd fire me.
And now I've got five minutes to find someone...
To find someone who looks good in tights.
Well, don't look at me, but I think I know somebody.
(LAUGHING)
I created this next escape in the honor of Houdini,
a man whose name is synonymous with magic.
He spent his entire life laughing in the face of death.
And tonight, it's my turn,
as I present the Spikes of Mortality.
(CLAPPING)
(CHEERING)
My assistant will now bind my wrists.
Hello.
My name is Monica,
and lucky for you,
I've had lots of experience in search and rescue.
(SHUSHING)
I will now be tied in this sack,
and hoisted by a burning rope over the bed of spikes.
(AUDIENCE GASPING)
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
Monica, why don't you show them what's in the sack?
Potatoes.
Let me show you something really magical.
(CHEERING AND CLAPPING)
I hate to interrupt your vacation, baby, but I need you.
Oh, it's okay, Tess. I really missed you.
Anyway, I have a wee souvenir for you.
Coffee beans?
Jamaica Blue Mountain.
I picked them myself, and...
A dog leash? Uh-huh,
completely hand-made by local tribesmen.
Hundred percent natural jungle fiber.
What's the matter, Tess?
I lost my dog.
Oh, shh, you know nothing's ever really lost.
God knows where he is, but he isn't telling me.
I didn't even think you liked that wee mutt.
He's not a mutt!
He's a special blend, like this coffee you drink.
He's the cutest dog God ever made.
My dog and a sweet little angel named Celeste,
they just vanished in the middle of Eric's act, both of them.
Hey, you. Never change the act without my permission.
You got it?
Is Eric my assignment?
Calls himself the Angel of Death,
but he's really a man with a death wish.
Doesn't care too much about dying,
'cause he doesn't care too much about living.
Here you go.
Hey, what's your name?
Brian.
Well, Brian, do you like magic?
Mmm-hmm.
Hey, you see this pencil?
I'm gonna put it in my right hand,
then with my left hand I'm gonna squeeze my wrist real tight
and see if we can make that pencil float.
Cool. How do you do it?
Can I try?
Grab the wrist.
Thank you.
Thank you so much. He hasn't smiled like that since...
We lost his little brother in a car accident last spring.
I'm sorry.
It's very hard to lose someone.
Especially someone so young.
(SOBBING)
Oh.
Now, if you'll excuse me.
BOY: One Mississippi, two Mississippi,
three Mississippi, four Mississippi.
Eric, you all right?
ANDREW: Eric, good news.
The network just said yes.
You have your own television special.
Yes. Yes. Oh, yes.
Congratulations. Now there's only one thing.
They wanna shoot the whole show in Houdini's hometown.
It's somewhere in Wisconsin.
Appleton. Yeah.
Appleton, Wisconsin. No, I can't.
Eric, I...
(LAUGHS)
I thought you'd be happy about this.
Now, look, this is supposed to be
this great little all-American town,
and the obvious comparison between you and Houdini, I mean...
Andy, I don't pay you for your opinions.
I pay you to do what I'm telling you to do,
and I'm telling you, I'm not doing this in Appleton.
If you don't want to go to Wisconsin, that's fine.
I'll call them up, I'll tell them that you're out,
but they're very married to this Houdini-Appleton hook,
and if you say no, they're just gonna hire another escape artist.
There are no other escape artists, Andy!
You're right, Eric. No, there are not.
Fine.
Make the deal.
TESS: Houdini was quite a man.
A man of faith.
Not at all like Eric Weiss.
At least that's what he calls himself.
That was actually Houdini's real name.
He calls himself the Angel of Death.
I didn't think he was afraid of anything.
Except going home.
As a leader of this community,
it is my honor to present our distinguished visitor
with the key to the city.
Had it a moment ago.
Solid brass, about this long. Had it made up special in my own shop.
Hinkley's Hardware Emporium.
That's all right. I don't need any key.
No chain, no lock,
can hold the Angel of Death.
Eric, your press kit doesn't say a darn thing about where you were born,
your family background.
Madame, never attempt to strip a magician of his mystery.
I will give you a hint.
My family tree goes all the way back to Merlin.
(SCOFFING) You expect us to swallow that?
Magicians aren't the only people who hide things.
I suggest you look in the left hand pocket of your jacket.
What? There's nothing in here but my ballpoint pen,
and a key to the city.
Ladies and gentlemen, I look forward to visiting
your new Houdini Museum this afternoon.
And tonight, I will perform
the first segment of my upcoming television special for you.
But first,
a toast to your health.
The Hydrochloric Cocktail.
First, I fill these five glasses
with this very deadly liquid.
The sixth glass
filled with ordinary drinking water.
Councilman, would you please come forward?
Would you mix up the six glasses
and then put them back in a straight line?
Meanwhile, I'm gonna speak with my agent.
There we go. Thank you.
Now,
to life.
Or death.
(AUDIENCE GASPING)
(DOG WHINING)
Hello. So you must be the missing angel.
You know, Tess misses that wee scamp.
Well, I didn't mean to take her, honest.
I just got scared.
Scared of what?
People.
Monica, how long does it take to understand them?
Maybe an eternity, so you have plenty of time.
Yeah, well, I've been watching you and Eric,
and being a caseworker is even harder than I thought it would be.
Oh, Monica, I just wanna go home.
You know, heaven can be very heavenly,
but helping people can be just as wonderful, in a different way.
Really?
You know, I always wanted to be a wonderful caseworker, you know, like you.
Maybe you could give me a few pointers, you know?
Some do's and don'ts.
Okay, well, for starters,
do listen to Tess and don't get on her bad side.
Oh, please don't tell her where I am,
until I'm ready.
Sometimes Tess scares me even more than the people do.
The thing about Tess is, once you get to know her,
you'll see that she's really very gentle and kind
and tender and loving.
TESS: What's going on here, Miss Wings?
You've been acting funny ever since we left Vegas.
Funny?
You heard me.
You've seen her, haven't you?
Has she got my dog?
Are you going to tell me where she is?
Oh, it's a secret, huh?
Looks like you and Eric both have a secret.
Well, I've got a secret, too.
It's what I'm going to do to the two of them when I find them.
WOMAN: Get... Danny, get me out.
(CRYING) Please, Danny. Out. Out.
Danny!
TAXI DRIVER: Buddy, that'll be four bucks.
Now, close the screen door. You'll let the flies in.
(DOOR LOCKING)
You just can't keep them out of the kitchen.
Ma,
don't you recognize me? It's me. It's Danny.
Danny?
Have you seen your father?
No, Ma, he's gone. He's been gone a long, long time.
I guess I have, too, huh?
(ERIC SIGHS)
The doctors, they said that you're doing real good.
I don't want you to worry now, 'cause I'm gonna keep sending that check every month,
just like always and...
You'd better wash your hands before supper.
I got a pie cooling over there on the stove.
Yeah, look, I gotta go. I gotta go. I'm gonna be back.
Make sure you and your brother get home in time for supper.
(SIGHS) Yeah.
And don't go playing in that junkyard!
BOY: Danny?
Ready or not, here I come...
Come on, Petey. Gotta go.
Olly, olly, oxen free, free, free.
Petey, come on. We're gonna get in trouble.
Ladies and gentlemen,
how long can you hold your breath?
Five seconds? Ten? Give it a try.
Twenty seconds? Perhaps thirty?
That is the question I will now attempt to answer.
I call this The Suffocating Safe.
I would like to introduce our very brave volunteer,
your very own Councilman Hinkley.
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
Councilman Hinkley, any final words?
I would like to say goodbye to my lovely wife, Adele.
So long, Adele.
Now, please, if you'd turn your attention to my assistant, Monica.
The safe she is standing next to is airtight.
It contains enough air
to provide two minutes of life to the person trapped inside.
That's you, Councilman.
He knows what he's doing, right?
I certainly hope so.
Councilman, would you please step into the safe? Say goodbye.
Monica, please close the door.
Turn the handle, spin the combination,
and if you would, count down at 30-second intervals
two minutes, counting now.
Two minutes and counting.
One minute, 30 seconds.
ERIC: (CRYING) Petey?
One minute.
(AUDIENCE MURMURING)
Thirty seconds.
I don't understand. Why can't I open this?
Fifteen seconds.
Eric! Ten,
eight...
Somebody do something! Seven, six, five...
ALL COUNTING: Four, three, two, one.
I must've passed out.
Lucky for me, I was on the swim team.
You panicked.
Did you see him? He was standing right there.
Who was there?
My brother. My brother.
I didn't know you had a brother.
He's dead. It was my fault.
I never believed in ghosts. I do now.
He was there.
My own angel of death.
ANDREW: Okay, a little more.
Keep going, keep going. Keep going.
Okay, whoa, hold it, hold it. That's it, that's it.
Right over the deep end.
Andrew, how can they film that TV special after what happened?
Eric's announced he's gonna do the most dangerous escape of his career.
The one that Houdini was afraid to perform?
And he's gonna do it underwater.
What if something goes wrong?
Well, that's what I asked the producers, and they seem to think
that no matter what happens, it's gonna be good for ratings.
Eric is not fit to perform tonight.
The poor man thinks he's seen a ghost.
That's what happens when people have secrets.
They end up being haunted by the truth,
and it won't go away until they face it.
It's like the tail wagging the dog, if you get my drift.
Tess.. Don't mind me.
I'm just a straight-talking angel
doing an honest day's work here.
Here, dog. Dog?
What's with her?
Sometimes I think the worst thing in the world is to keep a secret.
What kind of secret?
I know where Tess' wee dog is.
(DOG WHINING) Get out.
That doesn't sound like camera equipment.
Celeste, I'd like you to meet the real Angel of Death.
Wow.
I've heard so much about you, Andy.
Uh, it's Andrew.
Oh!
Oh, you're Celeste?
You're Tess' Celeste, the dog-napper?
(LAUGHING HUMORLESSLY)
Uh-uh, no.
Do not get me involved in this at all.
No, I don't know you, I never met you, I never even saw you.
You're scared of Tess, too, aren't you?
Okay, then. No problem.
Celeste, no, wait.
You and Eric, man, you both like to live dangerously.
Close the door. Screen door.
Yeah, I know, Ma. The flies, huh?
Oh, they just keep buzzing and buzzing and buzzing.
I'm sorry, Ma.
You deserved a better life.
Do you want to know the real truth?
Yeah.
What's the truth?
I don't really mind them.
What, the flies?
Mmm-hmm.
It keeps me busy, occupied.
I got it. I got it. Careful. Careful.
I got it!
You need a new paper. This is all...
Petey?
(CRYING) Poor Petey.
Where did he go, Danny?
Wherever did he go?
ERIC: Did you come to see me die?
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
Tonight, for the first and last time,
I will defy death, logic, and the laws of nature.
Underwater.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Drowning Pool.
(CHEERING AND CLAPPING)
I have challenged the good citizens of Appleton to shackle me in cuffs
that I have never examined before.
I have also challenged these good people to seal me in a container
that I have never seen before.
Even now,
I have no idea what it is that I will try to escape from.
(AUDIENCE MURMURING)
Councilman Hinkley?
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
I just wanna say that.
Mrs. Hinkley and I are proud to take part,
but happy to stay on the sidelines this time.
Councilman, are you ready to unveil the object?
Yes, sir.
The missus and I would like to donate this
on behalf of Hinkley's Hardware Emporium.
As you know, we offer a complete line of kitchen supplies,
including blenders, microwaves, stoves, and of course..
(AUDIENCE GASPING)
Monica, he's here.
Where?
Even if you can't see him, he's still here.
Don't go through with this, Eric. It's too dangerous.
I've been waiting my whole life for this moment,
or maybe this moment's been waiting for me.
The moment of truth.
Truth or illusion, Eric?
Do you know the difference?
(AUDIENCE CHEERING AND APPLAUDING)
SPECTATOR: (SHOUTING) Way to go!
MAN: Forward!
I wanna help Eric.
What should I do?
Pray.
(THUDDING)
MONICA: Andrew, what's happening?
It's been almost two minutes.
He's running out of oxygen.
Is he going to...
I don't know yet.
Why can't we do something?
Eric doesn't need our help.
God wants Eric to choose life,
and no one else can do that for him, not even God himself.
You two boys weren't playing in that junkyard, were you?
That place is dangerous.
No. No, Ma.
YOUNG DANNY: Olly, olly, oxen free.
Petey, come on.
Petey, where are you?
Petey, come out. Mom is looking for us.
Petey, come on.
Petey!
ESTELLA: Danny? Peter?
(SOBBING) Oh, please, God,
I don't wanna die like this.
I wanna be with Petey again.
Please, God, please.
It's been almost three minutes.
He can't last much longer.
Any word?
Look, it's Eric!
No, no, no, no, wait, wait, wait.
No, wait. I'm not Eric. I'm not Eric. Wait, wait.
He's still down there.
Would somebody please help my brother?
He's not supposed to die yet.
His twin brother?
Get him up, now.
(BOOING)
Open it.
Danny, is that you?
No, no. Leave me alone. Leave me alone!
He's a fake. He's got a twin.
(GRUNTING)
(DOG BARKING)
(POLICE SIRENS APPROACHING)
(CRYING)
(ERIC EXCLAIMING)
Oh, God.
No, wait!
Come on, give me a break. It's my first time.
What?
Who are you?
I'm an angel.
You're that girl who messed up my act in Vegas.
Forget about your act. I'm here about your life.
Something you messed up all by yourself.
I've learned a lot in the last couple of days about you and me both.
About secrets and hiding and...
Well, I can tell you, from my own personal experience,
that it doesn't do you any good to keep running,
because you can't run from God.
(LAUGHING) Hey, would you look at that?
I must've said something good.
MONICA: Not only good, but truthful.
Oh, Monica, I'm so glad you're here.
You're an angel, too, huh?
You spent your life playing hide and seek, Eric.
You cover your eyes and you think that no one will see you,
no one will find you,
but God has never lost you.
So he... He knows what happened.
Of course he does.
By the time I realized my brother was in the refrigerator,
it was too late.
When I went back,
the refrigerator was gone, with Petey inside.
He died.
It was my fault. I should've found him.
I should've looked harder.
And I never told anyone.
You were afraid.
Afraid to tell my Ma 'cause I thought it would kill her,
so I didn't tell her.
But not knowing drove her crazy, so...
Oh! Oh, God, what have I done?
Eric, listen to me.
You did everything that you could for your mother,
and you were not responsible for what happened to her or to your brother,
but you don't believe that. You see, that's the thing
with secrets and lies.
They're illusions that grow bigger and bigger
until you can't see the truth anymore,
and the truth is that your brother didn't die in that refrigerator.
What happened to him?
That day that you were playing hide and seek in this junkyard with Petey,
there was someone watching and waiting.
An unhappy man, whose only goal was to cause your family a lot of pain.
And he took your brother.
Petey didn't die here?
He was kidnapped that day by your father.
Oh, God. What?
Your father is dead now, but the damage has been done to your mother,
to Petey, and to you.
No, no. No, not me.
They're the ones. I'm...
I'm fine.
Eric, your soul has been locked in that refrigerator
ever since the day that your brother disappeared.
You are not fine.
You're in an awful lot of pain, aren't you?
You know, you grew up believing
that your brother had died trapped
and unable to get away from something terrible,
and you've spent your whole life trying to escape
from terrible things for him.
Is he still alive?
Yes. You've seen him.
I thought that was...
A ghost?
You have spent your life trying to cheat death,
and instead you have cheated life,
because you were never able to really live it.
But God has a plan for you, Danny.
It's not too late?
You started hiding a long time ago.
Isn't it time now you started to seek?
Amen.
Petey.
Danny, I saw the posters,
your face. I was afraid to hope.
I had to see for myself.
Dad told me you were dead.
For a long time, I was.
I missed you.
Okay, Cherub Child,
you and I are gonna have us a nice little talk and go over the rules.
Right now, I wanna ask you one teeny-weeny question.
Where is my dog?