Okay, let me see if I understand this correctly.
I jump up onto this bar, I swing around once...
Twice would be better.
I swing around twice, then I reach up,
pull myself up onto that one,
swing back around and slide down onto this one.
Don't forget the flip. There's a flip right in the middle.
Okay,
flip, swing, grab it in the middle,
point me two legs in either directions,
round and round, and then I jump off
and I end up facin' this way.
Uh-uh, that way.
That way. Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm.
Oh, Tess.
You'd better start swingin', angel girl,
'cause you got a lot to learn before...
Look, there's Nadia Comaneci and Bart Conner.
Well, this is the practice gym,
but the competition's a couple miles down at the convention hall.
Now when will they start showin' up?
Oh, well, they'll start staggerin' in all day, I guess.
Mmm-hmm.
There is a good place to set up for the interviews.
You don't have time to practice now, baby, but don't worry.
When the time comes, you'll know what you need to know.
I still don't know why people do this in the first place.
Flipping and spinning and jumping
and trying to be better at it than anyone else.
Well, no, that's not what it's about, baby.
Real champions like Nadia and Bart,
they're not tryin' to beat someone else.
They're just tryin' to be the very best that they can be,
and that's what a winner is.
ANDREW: Somebody call me?
I will give you a gold medal right now
if you get down off that thing.
Our assignment just drove up. Already?
Yeah. They drove straight through from the last meet in L.A.
These people are serious.
And so are we.
Registration starts are noon, folks.
I've gotta get here at noon, Mom.
Right at noon exactly,
or else Nicole's gonna get here first
and hog the bars like she usually does.
TJ: It's smaller.
It's different from last time.
Everything's different since last time, honey.
(SIGHING)
Let's go.
MONICA: So that's what this family is about, huh?
Winning.
No, baby.
It's all about survival.
All this family's tryin' to do these days
is to hold on and not fall down.
♫ 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 ♫
SANDRA: TJ? TJ, where are you?
TJ, I need your help, please.
Hi, guys. You just get here? Yeah.
My parents went looking for a supermarket.
Anyone wanna find a mall?
Guess what? Shelly Kramer is out.
BOTH: What?
She was doing back flips on the beam...
Without a spotter.
And she fell and tore a tendon.
Oh, that's too bad.
I know, but last time she beat you out of second place.
Now it looks like you'll get there,
and I'll have a shot at third.
But Nicole's still in first.
Poor Shelly.
You know, it could happen to any of us.
Hey, what's up? Where's TJ?
In the bathroom.
(DOOR OPENING)
Hey! Hey, what's up?
There's a skate park here. You wanna go?
Mom, can I?
My mom's takin' all the nobodies, Miss Browner.
Dylan, I wish you kids wouldn't call each other that.
Why? That's what they are. Nobodies.
Dad didn't think so.
Subject closed.
Yes, honey, you can go.
Just be back by 6:00 to have dinner with your sister.
BOTH: Yes!
Oh, we're goin' to the park.
She tore a tendon?
I can't believe you guys. I'll be at the mall.
(CHILDREN CHATTERING)
Now I know that everybody's just getting used to another new town,
but we've got two days before the meet.
I want good, safe workouts.
Shelly Kramer is missin' a shot at the Nationals
for one simple reason.
She didn't ask for help.
Now, we've got plenty of extra help this week.
This is Monica.
She's gonna be temping as a trainer and spotter.
Do not, do not fail to ask for her help.
Push yourselves, but not too far.
Practice, but not too long.
If anyone gets hurt, I just might have to put a leotard on myself,
and that will not be pretty.
(ALL LAUGHING)
(CLAPS) Okay, let's go.
(CHILDREN CHATTERING)
Monica, there's three girls that are comin' to the meet
that are gonna have extreme pressure on them this week,
and they're all on this team.
Kristy Cordice, she came close to third in the last meet,
and could make a dangerous mistake
just because she gets so darn excited.
Nicole Rich over here,
she's been workin' so hard
for so long to stay on top.
It could hurt her if she relaxes too much.
Now the one to really keep your eye on is Rebecca Browner.
Is it true that she's never fallen?
Oh, she's fallen before in practice.
They all have, but never durin' competition.
That's quite a record to live up to.
I've got a feelin' that that little girl
is tryin' to live up to a lot.
She wants to win, even if it kills her,
and, Monica, if she's not careful,
it just might.
Hey, didn't I tell you about bendin' your knees, girl?
(CAMERAS CLICKING)
Do you need some help?
Oh, no, thanks.
That's Nadia, and Bart Conner.
Wow.
JOURNALIST: How's the workout goin'?
Good. Yeah?
Rebecca, we've got to meet them or I'll die.
Well, they're covering the finals all week.
I'm sure they'll want to interview all the girls.
My mum says they only wanna talk to winners.
Hey, guys, get a load of the midgets.
(LAUGHING) Hey, guys, no diapers allowed, dudes.
Hey, this is a public park.
Yeah, show 'em your stuff, TJ.
Hey, where's your helmet?
I don't need a helmet.
(BOTH LAUGHING)
Hey, hey, what's the problem?
Oh, this little boy fell down.
BOY: Yeah.
I'm fine.
You the new man around here?
Yeah, I am,
and if I see you deliberately putting anyone else in danger,
you're out of here.
Let's go.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Come here, come here, come here.
Why were you not wearin' a helmet? Huh?
Let's go.
Let's go in here.
Here we go.
I don't need anything. I'm gonna be fine.
Yep, you are gonna be fine because you're not gonna let this get infected.
And you're also gonna start wearing the proper equipment.
A helmet, elbow pads, knee pads,
and if you don't have 'em, that's fine.
It's not a problem, we've got rentals,
but until you wear them, you're not goin' back out there.
Okay?
Be right back.
Wait. Hey, what are you doin'?
Shh.
Okay, turn your head.
(SPRAYS)
So, uh, you guys aren't from around here, are you?
We're nobodies from nowhere.
Actually, we're from everywhere. Our sisters are gymnasts.
We have to travel around with them.
Whether we like it or not.
Sounds like you like it maybe a little more than you like it.
Let's get out of here.
(PEOPLE CHATTERING)
No, I'm not kidding, Oliver.
I'm standin' 20 feet away from two Olympic champions
who just finished interviewing Nicole
and totally ignored Rebecca.
I mean, she has a shot.
Why aren't they interviewing Rebecca?
Hold on, hold on.
Excuse me. Ma'am?
Excuse me, please?
Hi. I'm Rebecca Browner's mother.
Oh, Rebecca, yes.
She's a very talented young lady. Thank you.
Well, I have our publicist on the phone,
and I think you need to talk to him.
Oh, do I?
Good. I just love to talk to publicists.
Hello.
This is the KBHX Sports Segment Producer,
and if you're going to tell me how to do my job
I'd rather not waste your time.
Now, how may I help you?
That was great, but don't you think it's time you took a break?
I didn't get the landing exactly right.
I wanna do it again.
Everything was perfect.
The only thing that was missing was a smile.
This is just practice.
Smiles are for competition.
CABBIE: That's eight bucks, kid.
Hey, wait.
We should've made him wait.
Now how are we gonna get back?
I still don't even know why we came.
There's no one here, man.
(BIRDS TWITTERING)
What is this place?
YOUNG TJ: I don't wanna get back on.
Oh, you can't give up every time you have an accident.
If you fall, you have to get right back up and do it again.
Don't worry. I'll always be there for you, pal.
Promise.
What are you tryin' to do, get us busted?
You can't throw rocks at a house.
You can if it's your house. You can do whatever you want.
(TJ GRUNTS)
SANDRA: Come on. This endorsement means nothing to you.
It pays for her training.
We barely scrape by otherwise.
Well, she'd have to quit.
Not good enough?
(SIGHING)
That little girl works her heart out.
She'll catch Nicole. You just watch.
They're gonna be hangin' the gold medal around her neck
at the next Olympics.
And if you don't wanna be there for it,
then some other company will be.
Fine.
We'll find another training sponsor.
Look, um,
could we just keep the logo on the outfit,
please, until we find somebody else?
I don't want us to look like losers
with no backing, you know.
What an impact that can have.
Ah, stupid.
It's not always easy to stay concentrated, is it?
I'm concentrating.
Outside pressures can be terrible distractions,
and distractions can lead to mistakes,
which can lead to injuries.
(SIGHS)
I have to practice. I have to get this right.
Mr. Curto, hi. This is Sandra Browner.
I met you in Las Vegas at the invitational last December.
Hi.
You were looking for some girls to sponsor and...
Oh, one girl.
Nicole. I see.
Well, yes, Nicole's a very nice girl.
Well, we're getting offers for Rebecca right now
and I wanted to give you the opportunity to...
Well, thank you anyway.
Mom?
Oh, not now, TJ. Don't you see how busy I am?
I just wanna go skating.
You live on those rollerblades.
Can you come watch me?
Honey, I can't. I'm sorry.
You go ahead, but be back in one hour.
Two. One.
No negotiation.
Oh, yeah, we save that for Rebecca's sponsors.
(MUSIC PLAYING ON STEREO)
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
Those taxicab fares really add up, don't they?
How'd you...
And you know the rocks through the window? Not very cool.
Even though I'm sure that you're still angry
about what happened to your Dad,
and I also know
that even good memories can be pretty painful.
Who are you?
I'm someone who's concerned about you.
And I wanna help you,
and there's someone else who wants to help you, too.
Yeah, well, don't you think it's a little late for that?
Listen, I don't know who you are,
but this is totally weird.
Tell me somethin'.
What do you plan to do about this?
Seems to me you'd be about $15 short.
Well, you said you wanted to help, right? Mmm-hmm.
Well, how about helpin' out with that?
I intend to. And no more skating till you work it off.
It should take about four hours.
(GRUNTING)
(PEOPLE CHATTERING)
(EXHALING)
Your mother certainly spends a lot of time on the phone.
Maybe she wouldn't have to if I had a better dismount.
Do you believe that?
That's a lot of weight for a young girl to be carrying around.
Hey, Rebecca, you wanna warm up with me?
I'm warm.
Oh, shoot.
Uh, do you need a quarter?
Yeah. Thanks.
Um, Mrs. Browner,
I'm pretty new to gymnastics.
Just how does this sponsorship thing work?
I mean, these girls are still amateurs, right?
Yeah.
Well, companies sponsor a girl's training now,
and then they get first dibs on her when she goes pro.
Oh.
Makes the whole thing financially possible.
Olympic gold is expensive.
Well, you sound like you have big plans for the future.
I got it all worked out.
For tomorrow, maybe,
but, uh, what about today?
TJ,
I said an hour. You're late.
What are you doing sweeping the floor?
ANDREW: He's paying back a debt.
Yesterday I...
He borrowed some money, and I'm having him work it off.
Borrowed some money? What did you need money for?
Ah, never mind. We'll discuss it later.
What does he owe you?
I guess now he's got it down to around the $10 range.
Here you go. Thank you.
And you're coming with me right now.
TJ: What about the blades?
You won't be needing 'em for a while.
(POP MUSIC PLAYING ON STEREO)
You borrowed money for a movie.
Give me a break.
Why do you think I'm always lying to you?
Look, let's not have this argument here, okay?
Why not?
'Cause it'll upset Rebecca?
Or because it's her big week?
Or because it's your big week? Hey...
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
Hello.
Mr. MacKenzie, yes.
You didn't go to the movies, did you?
Of course not. I went to the house.
It's like she wants us to totally forget him,
but I wanna remember. Don't you?
Not now. I have to focus.
(EXCLAIMS) Oh, I'm just delighted to hear that.
Of course I can. 20 minutes.
I'll be there. Thanks.
Yes!
Gibson Athletic Socks.
They wanna talk about sponsoring your training.
Okay, um...
Here's some money for a cab fare,
and get something to eat in the coffee shop downstairs.
I'll meet you at the gym.
Don't be late. 2:00.
Where are you going? What do you care?
Maybe she was mistaken about the time.
No, I told her 2:00.
Well, she'll be here soon. She's very dedicated.
Unfortunately, we have a 3:00 appointment with Nicole Rich's parents.
Oh, well... Tomorrow, then?
Um, well, I suppose that depends
on how our meeting goes with the Richs,
but it was a pleasure meeting you, and you.
No, please. She'll be here any minute.
Maybe another day.
You know, Rebecca just loves Gibson Athletic Socks.
She wears them all the time. Doesn't she, Monica?
Goodbye, Mrs. Browner.
Almost, Rebecca.
But I wanna do it perfectly.
Oh, nobody's perfect, baby.
Nadia Comaneci's perfect.
Oh, don't you worry about being anybody but you.
That's who I love,
and you're the one I'm always gonna love.
Promise me you'll remember that.
I promise.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
Okay.
There you go!
(LAUGHS)
(SOBBING)
Where the hell have you been?
I went for a walk.
A walk?
You were supposed to be here. I told you to be here.
Mom, I'm sorry.
You're sorry?
I had these guys ready to hand you a contract
and, no, you had to go for a walk.
Sorry, Mom. Maybe you can call them or something.
No, it's too late.
It's too late.
I'll meet you back at the hotel.
I gotta go track down your brother.
Are you okay?
Actually, I think you should go for more walks.
Ask your friends Kristy and Nicole.
You know, you all should get out and breathe some fresh air.
I went home.
Home?
We used to live a few miles away from here,
before my Dad died.
He had cancer.
I'm sorry.
She made us move out the next day, practically.
(SNIFFLING)
One day we're a family in a house,
and next we're these nomads living in motels.
I kept telling myself we were just on a long road trip
to some out-of-state meet
and when we got back.
(SOBBING) Daddy would be there waiting for us,
(SNIFFS) but he wasn't.
(ALL CHATTERING)
GIRL: See you later.
You first.
You remember when all you cared about was having fun?
That was so long ago.
It's never too late to feel that way again.
TJ? TJ?
What's with your buddy?
He's sick and tired of bein' a nobody.
Poser. He's got nothin' goin' on.
You guys come here to skate, or did you come here to get kicked out?
Come on, guys, leave the kids alone.
TJ? TJ, come in and put your helmet on.
TJ!
He's gonna do it. He's goin' for it.
Oh!
(ECG BEEPING)
WOMAN ON P.A.: Dr. Armstrong to neurology.
Dr. Armstrong to neurology, please.
Sandra, I'm so sorry.
I tried to get TJ to wear the helmet.
I just obviously didn't get through to him.
I'm so sorry.
No, Andrew.
TJ doesn't listen.
He's been angry for a long time,
ever since his daddy died.
I really appreciate you being here.
You don't have to stay.
Yeah, I... I do.
It's part of my job.
Well, thanks anyway.
I'm not, um,
used to having a lot of support lately.
You know,
the last time I was in this hospital
was a year ago
when my husband died.
Peter was unconscious at the end.
(CHOKING UP) and the doctors, they told me to talk to him
because sometimes they can hear you, even when...
Keep talkin' to him, Sandra.
He can hear you.
TJ,
I'll go to the park with you next time. I promise.
REBECCA: Mom?
Oh, Rebecca.
I'm so glad you're here.
What happened to TJ?
Your brother has suffered a very severe concussion.
Are you a doctor?
SANDRA: No, no, honey.
Andrew's a friend of TJ's.
Rebecca's the strong one in the family.
She never falls apart.
She never falls down.
(WOMAN CHATTERING ON P.A. SYSTEM)
Mom, why don't you go get something to eat?
I'll watch TJ.
Yeah, okay.
I'll be back in a while.
I think I'm gonna go for a little walk.
TJ, I went to the house.
It looks so sad.
Didn't seem like anyone ever lived there.
But then I saw the garage door.
Remember how Dad used to make those marks every time we grew?
Remember what he always used to say?
(SOBBING) Hey, I don't like that joke about the nobodies.
You're somebody to me, TJ,
and I promise I'll be a better sister from now on.
Don't you try to be what you aren't, Son.
You're as tall as you're supposed to be.
(REBECCA AND TJ LAUGHING)
TESS: Mrs. Browner?
Oh, I'm sorry.
This isn't a very good time for an interview.
I've got some very good news for you.
I've found you a sponsor.
Oh, you have?
That's right.
God. And he wants you to have a little coaching,
so he sent me.
I am an angel.
Well, I don't need an angel.
My children do.
And they have 'em, and right now, so do you. Me.
I want to talk to you about winning,
the way you push your daughter.
No matter how many gold medals Rebecca wins,
she won't be able to make up for what you've lost.
For who you've lost.
Your husband.
(SOBBING) I just miss him so much.
Sandra, he left you a home to live in,
and a family to love,
but you ran away,
and you used Rebecca's career
as an excuse to keep from facing the truth.
Your husband is gone, baby,
but that doesn't mean that this house is empty,
or that you'll never see him again.
I keep looking for the faith,
the faith to believe that.
Don't look, leap.
It's like those flying leaps
that Rebecca takes from bar to bar.
For a second there,
you're not hanging onto anything and it's very scary,
but that's when God lifts you up,
like right now.
The shining moment between past and future
is what now is,
and that's where you are,
and that's what you've got to accept
and start living
for yourself,
and for your babies.
It's gonna be all right.
Mom, are you okay?
(WOMAN CHATTERING ON P.A. SYSTEM)
Rebecca, listen to me.
You know I've never missed one of your competitions,
but I can't be there tomorrow.
I have to be here with TJ.
I know, Mom,
and I promise I'll do my best.
I'll win, for TJ.
No, don't do it for TJ, and don't do it for me.
Don't do it at all unless it's what you want.
I mean it, Rebecca.
I want what's best for you.
For you.
It's your decision, honey.
(SIGHS)
MALE ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, the program will begin
in five minutes.
In five, four...
Live from Dallas, Texas,
welcome to the Dallas Gymnastics Invitational.
I'm Nadia Comaneci with Bart Conner.
Nadia, today's story has to be Rebecca Browner.
Her brother lies in a coma in a local hospital
and no one knows how this will affect her performance.
This little girl's got a lot on her shoulders today.
How's TJ doing?
Is he gonna be okay?
Don't worry about it. It's not your problem.
We care, okay. So it is our problem, too.
I don't need anybody's help.
Look, I know you're mad about the sock sponsorship thing.
And the fact that you're ranked first.
Yeah, I am, but I wouldn't be if it weren't for all my hard work,
my family, and my friends.
COACH PRUITT: T.J's in good hands, the best,
but when you put your hands over your heart
for the national anthem this afternoon,
remember to keep a prayer in there for TJ.
Don't forget your families, ladies.
Take care of 'em,
'cause when the glitz and the applause is over,
that's all you got left.
(THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER PLAYING)
(CHOPIN WALTZ PLAYING ON STEREO)
(CAMERAS CLICKING)
(CROWD CHEERING)
ANNOUNCER: In the judge's scoring...
Nine six.
Nine eight.
(CROWD CHEERING)
If Kristy nails the landing,
she could easily move into second place.
ANNOUNCER: Nine six.
(CROWD APPLAUDING) Nine seven five.
(CROWD CHEERING)
Nine eight.
Nine eight five.
(ANNOUNCER CHATTERING OVER MICROPHONE)
Rebecca's doing beautifully,
but both Nicole and Kristy have high scores.
This is going down to the wire.
The difference is gonna be who stays on the beam
and who sticks their landings.
(CROWD APPLAUDING)
(CROWD CHEERING)
A beautiful routine, but she's left room for Rebecca to win.
Nadia, this balance beam is gonna be Rebecca's moment of truth.
Don't fall.
NADIA: This balance beam is going to be Rebecca's moment of truth.
She starts with a beautiful mount,
rests to a handstand.
BART: Boy, you can just feel the tension in the gym.
Now her lift series.
BART: This is her most critical sequence right here.
(CROWD GASPING)
What's happening?
I can't believe it. I can't fall.
I can't.
Well, you did. You slipped and you fell.
Now stand up.
It's too late. I lost.
It's not the winning or the losing,
but the getting up that counts.
Isn't that what your father always said?
How did you know that?
He told me. What?
I'm an angel, Rebecca,
and God sent me to be here with you when you fell.
Why would an angel be here when I fall?
Well, can you think of a better time for an angel to turn up?
People tend to see things from a better perspective down there.
What's gonna happen to TJ? Is he gonna be all right?
I don't know if TJ's gonna live,
but I do know that he will be all right.
Everyone has to get up and go on every day,
not knowing if they're going to win
or if the people that they love will be beside them tomorrow,
but one thing is always for certain.
No one is ever alone,
and you won't be alone on that bar.
Where is everybody?
They're here, waiting.
Waiting for you to get up.
Even your competitors want you to, because they're your friends.
Take all the time you need to decide.
Personally, I think that you should.
God thinks that you should.
Your father thinks that you should.
But the choice is yours.
How do you know my father thinks I should?
Peter is very proud of you.
He's dead.
He's in the presence of God, and so are you.
God loves you, little one,
and he gave you a father, a good, kind father.
Not for a long time, but for enough time.
Time enough for him to teach you and your brother
what you need, not to win,
but to grow.
He taught you to be the best that you can be,
to live, to play,
and to love with all your heart and soul.
And then I didn't.
(SOBBING) When it mattered most, I didn't.
When Daddy was dying I was scared,
and the sicker he got the scared-er I got,
and the more I stayed away and practiced instead.
I just kept putting off going to see him
until it was too late.
I never got to say goodbye.
You don't need to, Rebecca.
What if you just said, "Till we meet again," instead, huh?
What if you chose to get up and to show everyone here what your father taught you?
Wouldn't that be the best farewell of all?
NADIA: It's very important now that she refocus and finish her routine well.
(CROWD APPLAUDING)
BART: It appears that she has her composure back.
All she has left now is the dismount.
(CROWD CHEERING) And she's done it!
Oh, the crowd loves it.
There is a courageous young lady.
(CROWD CHEERING)
A beautiful performance by Rebecca Browner.
TJ just woke up.
So did I.
Yes, great job, great job.
Will you hold still?
You've grown a lot.
Oh, my.
We're gonna be keepin' track of this for a long time.
I hope so.
SANDRA: Well done.
What's for dinner?
I don't know. Pizza.
Yes!
Uh...
All right, angel girl, show us what you learned.
Well, the first thing I learned is,
always chalk up.
(LAUGHING)
ANDREW: Oh, very nice.
Very nice. Very angelic.