(SIREN WAILING)
MAN 1: Taxi! Taxi!
(POLICE WHISTLE BLOWING)
MAN 2: Let's go, please. Keep it moving. Keep it moving. Come on.
TESS: ♫ There's a somebody I'm longing to see
♫ I hope that he turns out to be
♫ Someone who'll watch over me
♫ I need somebody
♫ Someone who will watch
♫ Over little me ♫
That was lovely, Tess.
Where have you...
Where have you been?
Uh, just walking. I've been a bit depressed.
You still have to show up for work.
Angels don't call in sick.
Anyway, you have no business being depressed.
It's a wonderful world out there,
and you got a chance to be an angel in it.
I know that,
but, Tess, haven't you ever felt disappointed by mankind?
All the time, but we don't get depressed. We get to work.
I suppose so, but some days it's not that easy.
I mean, have you seen the newspapers?
The headlines make me want to weep.
Do you believe everything you read?
There's so much hatred and sadness and confusion.
And hope. I don't know, Tess.
Sometimes it seems so hopeless,
as if it would take a miracle to change the direction the world is moving in.
That's exactly how the world is changed, one miracle at a time,
and one of those miracles is gonna happen here tonight.
A miracle here? It's not gonna change everything,
but it's gonna change everything for everybody in this room,
including an angel.
No, Tess, I don't feel up to it today.
That's exactly why you're going to be the one to hand this miracle out.
(WOMAN LAUGHING)
♫ 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 ♫
I have one miracle to give away?
That's right.
To anyone, any miracle, no limits?
No limits, no restrictions. Just go ahead and blow somebody away, baby.
(SIGHS) Tess, I don't think I want the responsibility.
That's your assignment, angel girl.
Make a choice, decide who gets the miracle,
and the Father will make it clear to you later.
(SIGHING)
Noah, I'm going on my break now.
Ten minutes, two breaks every night,
(DOG BARKING) and if you want this job,
don't bring that dog in here anymore.
He was just visiting.
Come on, baby.
(BARKING)
Let's find you a friendlier corner.
One miracle, your choice. Get going.
Gimme me breakfast, kid. One Irish whiskey, coming up.
I paid the gas bill. It went up again.
All the more reason to hang out here. Save on heat at home.
Perfect Manhattan up?
One perfect Man for my perfect man.
Gotta keep paddling harder and harder just to keep your head above water.
Why am I always behind the eight ball?
Why did God invent whiskey?
I don't know, Claude. Why?
So the Irish couldn't rule the world.
CLAUDE: (LAUGHING) That's a good one, isn't it?
Yes, it's a good one, Claude.
You're an angel, Marie.
What would I do without this woman?
Think that fella's coming in again tonight?
Yeah, I hope so. This place could use a pick-me-up.
Oh, just you wait. I'll take him tonight.
Nobody beats Claude Bell four nights in a row.
Here's hoping that guy shows up, Ernie.
He's gonna bring good luck for you for lotto. I know it.
Big jackpot tonight. You play the usual?
I've worked at the Taft Hotel for 17 years.
I've drunk perfect Manhattans for 20,
and I've played the same lottery numbers for the last 15 years.
6-12-8-2.
Our wedding anniversary.
Here's to the steadiest guy I know.
Here's to Chicago, my lousy fate.
I don't believe in fate.
So what? You don't believe in anything.
What can I do you for, miss?
Oh, I'd love a cup of coffee.
Do you have any decaf mocha lattes?
This is Chicago, miss, not Seattle.
Coffee I've got, candy drinks I don't.
Then a cup of coffee it is, please.
You have a lot of big talkers in here, huh?
And the biggest one hasn't even showed up yet.
They tell me everything, and it's all lies,
but behind every lie I can see the truth.
Really?
You're new around here, aren't you?
You have a lovely place here.
(CHUCKLES)
I'd like to fix it up, hire somebody to help, but...
Pipe dreams.
I'd hang the dry wall myself, but only the lower half would be nailed.
(LAUGHING)
You've made this room work for you, though.
Well, yeah.
We had a little excitement here a few years ago.
Joint got shot up and so did I.
I figured I had to close down or build these ramps.
Closing down was tough. The ramps were easy.
Noah, what's a five-letter word for Islamic warrior?
You got me, Loafer.
How about "Ernie"?
(SCOFFS) That's a five-letter word for barfly.
NOAH: New lady here, Loafer.
Loafer gives every newcomer a shoe reading.
A shoe reading? She's uncanny.
She can tell you everything about a person by studying their footwear.
(DOOR OPENING)
Greetings, greetings and salutations.
Buddy! Hey, here's the man.
A little gift for my friends.
(LOAFER EXCLAIMING)
Courtesy of Airmaster Fans, the ceiling fan of your dreams.
Oh, thank you so much.
Take and enjoy.
Senor, amigo, my compadre.
Where's my old friend Mr. Martini?
BUDDY: (ON RECORDER) Where's my old friend Mr. Martini?
(ALL LAUGHING)
What the heck is that?
Oh, just another microchip miracle, Claude.
Something they gave out at the sales meeting this morning.
Ah, Marty! There he is.
My old chum.
(CHUCKLING)
Oh, God, let me get drunk tonight.
ERNIE: Oh, here's to that. LOAFER: Hear, hear.
(MARIE LAUGHING)
Mmm.
BUDDY: Hey, a newcomer.
Let me call Mr. Wizard.
(LAUGHING)
Hello, there.
Uh, name a card. Any card.
Uh, jack of hearts.
Very good.
Now just a quick visit to the red phone.
Excuse us.
Hello, Mr. Wizard?
Well, hang on. Let me find out.
And your name, dear, is? Monica.
Ah.
Mr. Wizard, here's Monica.
Hello, Mr. Wizard?
Yes. Well, yes, you are.
Uh, goodbye.
He was right.
(ALL LAUGHING)
(TESS CLAPPING)
Tess, how did he know that?
That telephone call is just an old bar trick.
These people are amusing themselves to death, and I mean to death,
and don't you get caught up in it,
because you've got an assignment.
Tess, everyone here needs a miracle.
You can see it in their faces.
How can I pick just one? I can't.
I want to give the miracle back.
No dice, baby. You've got to make a choice.
(LIVELY PIANO MUSIC PLAYING)
♫ Things are confusing You don't know what to do
♫ It seems the world is closing in on you
♫ It's time to move but you don't know where to go
♫ You're in a panic but you can't let it show
♫ I know just where to find the answer you seek
♫ A conversation where you need not even speak
♫ Steel yourself and turn to one who really cares
♫ Take your burdens to the Lord in prayer
♫ He sure can work it out Yeah
♫ My God can work it out Oh, yeah
♫ Don't worry He'll work it out
♫ Work it out
♫ Yes, he will He'll work it out
♫ God can meet you there in prayer ♫
MONICA: Need a mirror?
Thanks.
Oh, man, what a wreck.
I'm Monica. I'm new here.
What about you?
Ah, Bemidji.
That's in Minnesota, right?
(CORRECTING PRONUNCIATION) Bemidji.
Yeah, up north.
Friendly place?
People are people wherever you go.
Well, people can surprise you if you give them a chance.
What's your name?
Amethyst.
Like the February gemstone.
That's when you were born?
October.
My mother screwed that up, too.
Yeah, so, nice talking.
Amethyst, would you like a miracle?
I need a one-night miracle, a place to sleep.
No, I'm talking about an all-your-lifetime miracle.
Look, lady, you don't have to worry about me.
I've got a plan.
On behalf of the Lollipop Guild, welcome to Munchkin Land.
We really are quite friendly here.
The name's Amethyst, like the February...
Like the lovely violet February gemstone.
You know, I spent the coldest week of my life
selling ceiling fans in St. Paul.
Cold people.
Especially if you're different.
Nothing harder in the world than feeling like an outsider.
There's someone who'll always let you in.
God.
You handing out Watchtowers or what?
Oh, let's give her a break. She's trying to make a tough sale.
Go ahead, young lady. Let's hear your pitch.
A pitch?
No, I don't have a pitch.
I have a miracle.
Oh, miracles. That's always a great line.
What do you got, a miracle weight-loss product?
A miracle lint remover? I've pushed them all.
No.
I just have a life-changing miracle from God.
Huh. That's swell.
Why don't you share that with everyone?
Yeah, wait right here and I'll go prime the crowd.
When I give you the high sign, you speak up.
Okay.
Psst.
Bet you five bucks the new gal's nuttier than anyone here.
Which one? The jailbait or Mary Poppins?
Mary Poppins.
(CHUCKLING) Her?
She's a straight arrow. You're on.
Quiet, folks. The lady's got an announcement.
I come with glad tidings.
I am an angel sent by God,
and I have a miracle to hand out here tonight.
Is this like a genie? We get three wishes?
No.
Is she gonna do a bar trick?
Uh, no. No tricks.
This is not about granting wishes.
This is a gift.
A precious gift from God,
and he knows what you want, but more than that,
he knows what you need.
What'd she say? BUDDY: She said...
MONICA: (ON RECORDER) I am an angel sent by God.
(ALL LAUGHING)
Oh, well, God, I need a drink.
Hey, I gave at the office.
Where's your halo, honey?
Noah, put this on God's tab, okay?
(ALL ROARING WITH LAUGHTER)
LOAFER: Let me see your wings.
(ALL JEERING)
LOAFER: Fruitcake!
(DOOR CLOSING)
He's here.
Who? The guy?
He's back.
So, what's so funny?
Uh, some dame came in and said she was an angel.
Said she was giving away a miracle.
(SCOFFING) A miracle.
Hmm. Sounds interesting.
So you came back, stranger. Didn't expect to see you again.
Yeah, well, my boss wanted me to take care of some stuff in town before I left,
and plus, I couldn't say goodbye to Claude yet.
Well, I'm glad you stayed. Now Claude can die a happy man.
Well, it's a good thing to die happy.
I've got them racked and ready. Okay. All right.
Little coffee first, then it's you and me, mano a mano.
I'm in no hurry. (LAUGHING) Okay.
Hot dog! The guy showed up.
And so did an angel.
An angel with a miracle and a pool shark in the same night.
My planets are really lining up.
Lotto Millionaire's Club, here I come.
(LAUGHING) Yeah.
Marie, that young lady,
you think you could find her a place to stay?
Rooming house or something?
Oh, sure, Buddy. I can come up with something.
Reminds me of somebody.
NOAH: Black, no sugar, right?
ANDREW: It's perfect. You remembered.
ANDREW: Thank you.
You okay, baby?
I just want to be alone for a while.
Okay.
You play pool for a living?
Oh, no, no. It's just a hobby.
Let me get a shot of whiskey. Good whiskey.
Double.
I've got this plan.
Ah. Well, plans are good.
I'd like to hear yours.
Promise you won't laugh?
Promise.
I'm not smart.
I'm not talented.
I mean, I don't do anything, you know?
That's what my dad always says.
But I figure
a woman has always got something to sell.
Right?
You know, I mean, when worse comes to worse,
and believe me, it can't get much worse,
at least I've got my body to fall back on for a while.
You know,
it really only takes a night to lose yourself.
I know, but that's part of the plan.
I'm gonna die tonight.
Temporarily.
Just close my eyes
and be sort of dead for a while.
And I'll only be dead for a year
while I save up for dental hygiene school,
and then a year'll be over and I'll come back to life.
That's not the way that people get resurrected.
Something's broken, Noah.
I'm not getting that buzz. Give me another.
You can't take chances with your life like that,
or your soul.
Yeah, well, it's the best I can do.
I told you, I'm not smart.
Excuse me.
There's a friend of mine I'd like for you to meet.
BUDDY: Marie? MARIE: Mmm-hmm?
This is Amethyst. Isn't that a pretty name?
Oh, yes. Hi, honey.
Hi.
Come on, young fella.
The table's clean, my hands are warm.
You're not gonna take me again tonight.
Oh, you don't know who you're playing with. I might surprise you.
Well, you don't know who you're playing with.
I used to play trombone in a hotel band
until rock 'n' roll came along.
I was a typesetter until the computers took over.
Guys who work with their hands are a thing of the past.
This is all I'm good for now.
Well, once you give up, you start to die.
Well, so be it. Let's break.
Claude. Huh?
Tell me this.
If you could still work,
I mean, you could find something that mattered,
would you do it?
Oh, that'd take a miracle.
That's what that angel was selling.
What angel?
I've seen a thousand angels on the head of a pin.
I've never seen an angel under a pool table.
So what about this angel?
She was giving away a miracle,
but it had to be something that we needed.
Hmm.
I suppose that's better than getting what we deserved.
(BOTH CHUCKLING)
Okay, so what about this miracle?
What do you need?
Marie is concierge at the Taft Hotel.
Yeah, and she knows the city like the back of her hand. Well...
And I'll call on anyone you need.
I'm king of the cold call.
You're a nice guy, Buddy.
(SHUSHING) You'll blow my cover.
♫ When I was very young
♫ The world was younger than I ♫
Hey, let's dance.
Whoa!
So what about you, my friend?
What do you need?
You talking to me? Yeah, yeah.
We're just having a little discussion here.
You want me to join in? Yes.
Then call me Mr. Burns.
Okay, Mr. Burns, what would your miracle be?
I ain't been called mister in a long time.
That's good enough for me.
I don't need nothing else.
Psst.
Um, I believe in God,
but Ernie believes in the lottery.
Hmm.
Well, tell me, what would your miracle be?
What do you need?
Oh, I need to be needed.
And I am, by Ernie.
That's all.
I'm happy.
When I was a kid, I used to skip stones on Lake Michigan
and dream about having a boat someday to sail across it.
Thirty-seven years. It's still there. I'm still here.
The lottery jackpot's up to $1.6.
They're gonna announce it on TV in an hour.
You know, I spend 12 hours a day
listening to other people and their problems.
I need some time alone to listen to myself.
I need a five-letter word for Islamic warrior.
I need to play 32 bars of music
with a horn section that knows what it's doing.
But who wants to hear A String of Pearls anymore?
If you could get your hand on a miracle, what would it be?
I ought to tell you something.
I picked the name Amethyst when I drove over the bridge into Wisconsin.
I picked it, I don't know, 'cause it's beautiful.
I'd like to be beautiful.
I know that I'm not, but I'd like to.
Is that crazy?
No.
Reminds me of my daughter.
How old is she?
Let's see. She was 16. That was 11 years ago.
That makes her what, 27 now?
You haven't seen her in 11 years?
Well, I wasn't what you call a model father.
I was never at home anywhere but a hotel.
Anne is sweet, like you.
That's funny.
That's my real name, Anne.
Buddy? Mmm-hmm?
My miracle?
What? What do you want?
To be loved.
Don't we all, kid? Don't we all?
Hey, I'm gonna tell you everything I've learned in life,
free of charge.
You know, I've sold everything under the sun.
I can sell you anything.
No matter what you're hawking,
what you're really pitching is hope.
When I'm selling ceiling fans, I'm not selling blades and a motor.
I'm selling cool, fresh air,
something better out of life, something sweet.
You're always pitching hope.
And that's the one thing I could never give my own daughter.
Don't that beat all?
So,
can I interest you in any hope?
Anne...
(SIGHING)
Craziest thing.
Takes me longer and longer to get drunk.
Good break.
Your shot.
Okay.
Uh, I will take stripes.
Good luck.
Holy cow.
Angel in the corner pocket.
Look out, folks. You got a miracle coming your way.
(ALL LAUGHING)
You have had plenty of time to pout.
Are you ready to face these people now?
I feel worse now than when I walked in. I'm ready to leave.
You think you can do that? Tess,
they have laughed at me.
They cursed me. They humiliated me.
They think I'm a joke. Now you know how God feels.
They laugh at him.
They take his name in vain.
They say he's dead.
They ignore him completely, and it happens every day.
You don't see him give up.
And he wants you to learn how to hang in there, too, baby.
And I know this is hard for you,
but he's counting on you to give this miracle away.
Will you do that for him?
Yes.
All right, now, go back in there.
Do it once more with feeling.
Go on.
Okay, it's got a "Z" in it, this five-letter word for...
I am an angel from God. I am.
And he sent me here tonight to give someone a miracle.
I guess I finally got drunk.
No, she's real.
NOAH: Look at that light.
We're looking at an honest-to-God angel.
Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.
Why did I have to light up before you believed me?
Why weren't the words enough?
I believed you.
I didn't wanna get laughed at, but I believed you.
I saw the words leaving you and catching light as they left you,
and for the first time it was like seeing truth.
That's very scary.
Oh, don't be afraid to speak.
"Fear not" is the first message from God.
And I have been sent here to listen and to help.
For example,
that Islamic warrior, the word is ghazi.
G-H-A-Z-I.
It's not a miracle. I just happen to know that.
(LAUGHING) Thanks.
And you have something else that you want,
but you're too afraid to ask for it.
BUDDY: Excuse me.
Um, Monica...
Is that really your name?
That's the name that God gave me.
You know God?
Yes.
You're standing in my crummy little bar on North Halsted Street,
and you know God?
You've seen him?
Yes.
What's God like?
God is...
He is...
You don't need me to tell you about him.
You, too, can know God.
Oh, I don't think so.
Too much bad water under the bridge.
You're gonna have to send me snapshots of heaven.
Is there a heaven?
Oh, yes, Amethyst,
and God wants to share it with you,
all of you.
Not me.
I'm a lost cause, like Claude.
It's too late.
Twenty years of bad living doesn't go away.
No, it doesn't,
but God can take those years
and forgive them and forget them
and make them new again, if only you let him.
There's always a catch.
No, Mr. Burns, there's no catch.
Maybe you're just frightened.
Yeah, right.
What if I told you that if you were to pick up the phone,
that you would get God at the other end of the line?
He could be there for all of you,
right now.
Find out what he wants to say to you.
MONICA: Go on.
I told a teacher once that he was my favourite.
"Really?" he said, "Then why didn't you pay attention in class?"
I'm scared that that's what God would do.
He'd say, "Why did you screw up so much?"
I don't know what I'd say.
What would that miracle be exactly,
just hearing him talk?
Well, the miracle would be different for each one of you.
I'm ready now to give one miracle away.
One miracle?
One miracle.
We could draw straws.
We could break for it.
No, it's my choice
and I want it to be the right one.
You're all friends.
Who should I give the miracle to?
Give it to Noah.
You know what? I don't need a miracle.
Give it to some poor bugger who really needs a hand.
Give it to Claude.
Me? A miracle? Why? I've lived my life.
I've had my laughs. My time's done.
If you only got one miracle, don't waste it on me.
CLAUDE: You, miss, you're young.
You got your whole life in front of you.
You take the miracle.
Amethyst, are you ready?
I can't invite God into my life right now. It's too messy.
Maybe in a year
when my plan works, when I'm ready,
when I'm better.
No, thanks.
Right on, girl.
Don't let nobody take your power.
And what's real here?
This lady's an angel. That's real.
Y'all got a power structure, but you can't let it run your life.
Won't run mine.
That's your choice, Mr. Burns.
I can't make you do anything.
Neither can God.
Nobody's gonna tell me what I need anymore.
I played that game.
I have a gift here.
Doesn't anyone want it?
The miracle should go to someone who deserves it, like Buddy.
Buddy, this is your chance to get what you need.
What do I need?
Well, I mean, what more do I need?
I have my pals.
I got my friend here, my amigo, my compadre.
He never criticizes, never nags.
Always there for me.
I got what I need.
What about your daughter?
A girl I haven't seen in 11 years?
She probably hates me.
Why do I need another woman in my life who hates me?
But my friend here
gives me love, unconditional love.
(SIGHING HAPPILY) Bingo.
There's that feeling.
God, I love getting sloshed.
Sorry, no sale.
Take your miracle to another buyer.
They don't want a miracle, Tess. What's wrong with them?
They're scared, baby.
They're all watching the door, waiting for salvation to come in
and change somebody else's life.
It's too frightening to think of changing their own.
Don't they believe in God?
Of course they do, but they don't wanna phone him up,
because he might actually answer
and start getting involved in their lives.
Then they'd have to decide whether to sit there
or get up off their duffs
and let him start changing their lives.
It seems such an easy choice.
Well, baby, sometimes people prefer the devil they know
to the miracle that they don't.
But you just be patient
and remember, some miracles are not one-day affairs.
They're so big, you're not even aware they're unfolding.
MARIE: I'll take that miracle.
I'll take that miracle.
I'll take it and give it to Ernie,
because he is the best in the world and he deserves a miracle.
Look. Look at the TV.
6-12-8-2. Now, those are our numbers.
6-12-8-2. That's it! Our wedding anniversary!
Oh, my God!
That's it! That's it!
We won the lottery! Yes!
The miracle! We got the miracle!
Oh, no, Ernie, you've got it wrong.
God bless you, Marie.
You did it, Marie!
Congratulations, kid!
Here's to the miracle.
No, no, this is not the miracle.
I got the winning ticket right here.
(STAMMERING) Wait, wait. Where's my wallet?
I had it. Uh...
No, it was right here.
Someone stole it.
Someone swiped my wallet! Well, it's gotta be here.
I'll find it, honey. I'll take care of everything. Where is it?
Ernie, God does not... God!
What a joke.
An angel hands me a miracle and I still can't win.
You never let yourself win, Ernie.
First you're afraid of getting a miracle,
then you're thanking God for some winning numbers.
Don't you understand that winning a lottery is not a miracle?
And then you're blaming God for something he had nothing to do with.
Stop looking outside of yourself for answers, Ernie.
Stop him! He's a thief!
Don't let him get away!
He was sitting here. He took my wallet! Shut up.
Who you talking to like that?
You show me some respect.
Respect?
Oh, dear God in heaven, it's him.
That's what he said.
That's the man who shot me.
I'm right, aren't I?
It's you?
Yeah.
I shot you.
I done my time and now I'm out.
I haven't thought about you in years.
I didn't realize 12 of them had gone by.
I thought about you every day.
Right here.
I think they took the bullet out of the bar right here.
Yeah, that's right. Right there.
I walked into Joliet in 1985.
Yesterday I walked back out.
I walked out of those gates and I looked around and I thought
somebody...
My buddy Douglas, my sister, somebody would be there for me.
But it was just a driveway
and the road leading out of Joliet.
So I started walking,
following one foot in front of the other,
and here I am.
(CHUCKLING)
I guess I just wanted to see someone who knew me.
It's crazy, isn't it?
Maybe that's why there's an angel here tonight.
Can you explain this, angel?
I have a miracle to give away, Mr. Burns,
a miracle that no one seems to want.
Guess it makes as much sense as anything else in the world anymore.
It's all crazy, you know.
I spent the past 12 years thinking about life,
and in the end it still doesn't make any sense.
You know what?
I spent 12 years
trying to figure out how to get a wheelchair up a six-inch curb,
and how to mail a letter from a box that was too high,
and why my legs don't work,
and why I woke up for years wishing that I was dead.
Your sentence is over, Burns.
What about mine?
Get out of my bar.
ERNIE: Wait.
He's not leaving till he gives me back my wallet. He stole it!
(DOG GROWLING) MARIE: Ernie, look.
It's my wallet! You come here, you little mutt.
(BARKING) ERNIE: Here it is, our meal ticket.
Here. Guard this with your life, Marie. This is our miracle.
So your God didn't forget us after all.
You know, your God is quite a kidder.
He had us going there for a while.
Miracles still happen. Let's celebrate!
BUDDY: Drinks on you!
I always knew the angels were beautiful.
Heaven won't have me, but at least I got to see an angel.
Amethyst...
How could you do this?
Why are you torturing him? What?
I thought you were real. I thought you were an angel. Look.
It's not right. It's supposed to say 6-12-8-2,
but it says 6-12-8-3.
The numbers are wrong.
When he bought the ticket, he must've been too drunk to get the numbers right.
ERNIE: What is it, darling?
Well...
Um, I don't know, but, uh...
(STAMMERING) But what?
Um, I'll call the lottery office.
What?
(BURNS LAUGHING)
He's got the wrong numbers.
He was too blitzed to get it right.
You idiots.
You bunch of deadbeats.
Man plays the same number for 15 years
and screws it up the one week it counts.
And your wife's too blind to see she married a man
who can't even brush his own teeth.
Lady, you know how to help everybody but yourself.
The super-salesman,
king of the cold calls.
Too afraid to dial his own daughter on the telephone.
"They keep putting me out of work."
You're putting yourself on the bread line, you lush.
And who do you think you're fooling?
You wouldn't last two weeks out on those streets.
Nobody'd pay 20 bucks for what you got to offer.
Knock it off.
No problem. She's all yours.
And you, scared man in a chair.
A little man who never comes clean about what he's feeling.
The lowest sort of coward, who gets all his friends drunk and then pours them another.
I'm glad I shot you.
No, I'm not.
I only wish I'd shot myself instead,
because I'm the worst one here.
A coward.
For 12 years I walked down cell block D
and I knew there was a guy out there who couldn't walk at all,
and I hated myself for that.
I came here hoping,
hoping that I'd walk through that door
and everything would be okay,
that Noah wouldn't be in that wheelchair
and I wouldn't feel guilty anymore.
I don't know how it happened.
I was just a young kid.
I didn't mean to hurt anybody.
It was an accident. The gun just went off.
I swear,
if I could take it back, I would.
(CRYING) I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry.
I came here hoping for a miracle.
I'm sorry.
Is that miracle still for sale?
It's free.
Then I'll take it.
I want that miracle.
Does anybody here object to that?
I want God to heal that man.
MONICA: What do you mean?
You know what I mean.
Make him walk again.
Well, God can certainly make him walk again, but that won't heal him.
You're trying to change the past
by saying that it never happened,
but that is not the miracle that you need.
BUDDY: It's hopeless.
It's hopeless for us all.
Well, that's what I thought this afternoon.
I found myself believing the headlines in the newspaper,
believing, like you, that there was nothing ahead for the world
but pain and sadness and disappointment.
And then I walked in here.
And that cheered you up?
Well, believe it or not, it did.
Yes, there's pain and sadness here,
but there are also dreams.
Dreams that you're afraid to dream,
lives that you're afraid to hope for,
prayers that you're afraid to pray.
And it all seems too late, but it's not.
God loves you, Mr. Burns,
and he will give you a miracle,
but the miracle is not to heal Noah.
The miracle is that Noah will forgive you,
and then you both can be healed.
I don't know how.
I can't change my heart.
But God can,
and that's the real miracle.
It's available to all of us, even to me.
When we've lost hope,
when our hearts are hard and hopeless,
God can soften them
and fill them with hope once more.
He's able to do that,
but you have to ask him.
Right now,
this is your chance to start a miracle.
It's last call.
(SNIFFLING)
(SOBBING)
TESS: You see, angel girl,
you did have just one miracle to give away,
but it's the same miracle for everybody.
It's the gift of God's love.
It's a miracle you can give to everyone.
(BELL TOLLING)
It's 2:00. It's closing time.
NOAH: I gotta lock up.
It's the law.
(TELEPHONE DIALING)
No miracle's gonna change that.
Information?
In Gary, the number for Anne Baker, and give them all to me.
I'll dial them till my daughter says hello.
Marie, I've gotta start taking care of myself.
God, I'm lucky to have you.
Our game got derailed, young fella,
but one of these days it'll be you and me.
Yes.
I'm gonna take you up.
I don't know about that.
I might be the one that takes you.
But in the meantime, why don't you stop always trying to beat people?
You know, there is a kind, gentle soul here.
Why don't you give him a chance to win?
Okay, kiddo.
NOAH: Amethyst.
I know you're too young to serve drinks,
but I was thinking about serving some food in this place.
You know, nothing fancy, just some chili and chips.
It's only minimum wage, but...
You've got yourself a waitress.
I'll see you tomorrow.
My daughter wants to see me.
Can you believe that?
Oh, that's lovely.
Well, it's a nice night's work.
(SIGHING) Yeah, I believe so.
TESS: You played real good tonight, baby.
Let's go home.
Where is my dog?
(BARKING)
I think that he probably wants to hear a song.
You're always trying to butter me up,
(WHIMPERING) but it's not gonna work, Mr. Dog.
Aw, Tess, come on. One for the road.
Okay.
♫ There's a somebody I'm longing to see
♫ And I hope that he turns out to be
♫ Someone to watch over me ♫