Original subtitles

Living on Walton's Mountain

we were always in touch with the motion of life.

Growth and change, loss and gain were natural and expected.

We saw the green leaves turn to gold

and then fall to the ground, crumpled and gray.

But all of us knew that when spring came again

life would renew itself.

But one summer, we were faced with an unexpected kind

of change that made us all wonder if the future

was really a thing to look forward to.

You imitating me, sitting there reading that book?

We promised we'd bring back enough fish for dinner

and you haven't been much help.

Alright, but take a look at that. Isn't that some?

-Sure is. What is it? -It's a recorder.

I'm gonna make one.

-Let me see. -See there?

-You know how to play it? -Pa taught me when I was a kid.

You already play guitar. If you wanna a singer,

what do you have to play another instrument for?

Because it sounds so beautiful.

I'd like to learn how to play every instrument.

You just gonna end up playing for your daddy's band?

That's what I'm planning.

-Is it hard to learn to play? -No, you want to learn?

-Sure. -I'll teach you. You'll love it.

Okay. But first we gotta try to catch some fish here.

I got two down here. Yeah, they're still there.

With you and your mama, there's gonna be 13 of us at dinnertime

so we've got work cut out for us before we go home.

Alright.

Get her out there.

I declare.

See there? All you had to do is ask.

Come on, bite.

-That was good fish, Jason. -Grandpa, is it time yet?

I was appointed timekeeper, and I'll tell you when it's time.

Eat your dessert.

-We should turn the radio on. -Don't fret. We've got time.

The radio's gotta warm up. I'll tune the station in.

That's a good idea.

Is everybody in the whole world gonna hear Seth's papa sing?

Everybody that listens to Grand Ole Opry,

and that's a fair amount.

Come on, everybody. The program is starting.

I was just about to make that announcement.

You go along with them, or you'll miss it.

There's no hurry, Mrs. Walton. Red won't be the first one.

Let me give you a hand.

Can't thank you enough for inviting us to dinner.

Makes for more of a celebration.

It's fun for us, too.

They aren't as good as my pa and his boys.

Nobody is.

Thank you, Willie Small, for that fine rendition.

And now, ladies and gentlemen

on their first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry

Red Turner and his Country Boys.

Mama, come on. Hurry up! Papa's gonna be next!

Go ahead, Wilma. We can finish up.

Might've been a lot better if Red hadn't worked away from home

and seen more of his wife and that boy.

I'm sure Red feels the same. He's a good man.

Let's go. We can do this later.

* I like my mountain music, good old mountain music *

* Played by a real hillbilly band *

* Give me rural rhythm, let me sway right with 'em *

* I think the melodies are grand *

Is his papa inside the radio?

No, honey. He's in Nashville, singing into a microphone.

-Like Bing Crosby? -Yeah, like Bing Crosby.

* Give me rural rhythm, let me sway right with 'em *

* I think the melodies are grand *

* I like mountain music, good old mountain music *

* Played by a real hillbilly band **

-Isn't my pa just plain great? -He does sound wonderful.

Mighty good picking and singing there, Red.

Nice to have you with us.

Where are you boys headed for when you leave Nashville?

We got two weeks of state fairs, and then I got a big surprise.

Out there, Wilma, and you, Seth. That's my wife and son.

Hey to you both, and I'll be seeing you real soon.

You look for me to be back home just two short weeks from today.

Great!

Hot diggety! My pa's coming home!

Jason, get your fingers limbered up.

You're gonna be my assistant when I audition for my pa.

You're auditioning for your pa?

Sure. He said I could try out when I was grown some.

Seth! You're getting overheated.

I'm fine. I might finally get a chance to join up

and be a regular member of Pa's band.

You still got a touch of that chill you had. Sit down, relax.

You wanna all better when your pa gets here.

Alright, Ma.

Papa's coming home.

Still gonna make that recorder we were talking about?

What do you think you're gonna be playing while I'm singing?

-We have to get us some wood. -Do we need a special kind?

To make a recorder, you need apple, good seasoned apple wood.

That's right. How'd you know that?

My own granddaddy, he played a recorder.

Sounded real pretty.

Only, in those days, we called it a fipple flute.

Sipple flute? Flipple? Flopple?

-Fopple flute. -Flipple flute.

-Flopple flute. -Flapple, flipple flute.

Fipple flute. I know a tree to suit your purpose.

It's an old Macintosh apple way up in the high meadow

and its old limbs are already soaked through with music

driven in through the winter snows and rains

and the song of the birds.

-Can we go tomorrow? -I can.

-Can you, John-Boy? -If it's early enough, yeah.

Let's meet at Ike's store at 5:00.

In the morning?

Yeah, lazybones. It's an hour you do your best never to see.

-5:00's okay with me. -Don't think that's a good idea.

It's a long climb up to that meadow,

and you've been awfully tired lately.

-Mama, please? -Alright.

If you're all going out early we'd better get home

so everyone can get some rest.

Alright. Sounds like a good idea.

Thank you so much for supper, Mrs. Walton.

So nice seeing you again.

-Thank you, Olivia. -You come again real soon.

-I'll run you home. -Thank you, John.

-See you in the morning. -See you in the morning.

-Goodnight. So long. -See you later.

How long will it take to make this recorder?

About 10 days if I work on it real hard.

When can I start learning to play?

-As soon as you want. -Really?

-Sure. -Good.

-C'mon. We haven't got all day. -I'm coming.

Seth, I'll race you to the tree. Come on.

Son, you're too short of breath.

You've been smoking behind the barn.

No, it's nothing. It's just that cold I had last week.

-There she is. -Yeah.

And like your grandpa said, it even smells like it can sing.

There's a lot of branches. Any one you favor in particular?

-This one looks just perfect. -Here we go.

Seth?

Seth, are you alright?

-What's the matter? -I don't know.

I think he's fainted. Go get Daddy.

-Will he be alright? -I don't know. Go get Daddy.

Seth?

Seth?

Seth?

-Seth? -John-Boy.

Gonna be alright. You just fainted. Just take it easy.

I don't understand it, Olivia.

Dr. Vance never insisted on seeing a specialist

any of the other times that Seth was feeling poorly.

He's a very cautious man. That should be some comfort to you.

Mrs. Turner? Would you come in, please?

What time you reckon it's getting to be?

Always seems longer when you're just waiting.

Mrs. Walton, would you come in, please?

Mrs. Turner needs you.

Wilma?

Is he really sick?

Do you know what leukemia is?

No.

It's a disease of the blood.

-What can you do about it? -Nothing.

-Nothing? -Not today.

One day, maybe research will come up with an answer

-but we have to wait. -But, I mean....

Seth doesn't have much time left.

He'll live another year more.

There's not a blessed thing any of us can do for him.

Let me come in and help you fix some supper.

No, thank you, Olivia. I'd just like to get Seth settled down.

You sure?

Come on.

Go in the house, Mama.

Seth?

John-Boy, stop him!

Don't worry, he'll be back.

It's so dark now and cold. He doesn't even have a jacket.

Go after him, please? See if you can find him.

I don't want to do that, ma'am.

Wilma?

Seth?

-I'm sorry I worried you, Mama. -Come inside.

You go on in. I'll be in there in just a minute.

But it's cold.

In a minute, Mama. I gotta talk to John-Boy.

I need you to do me a favor.

Sure.

In all the excitement the other day,

we never did get that apple wood.

Would you get it for me? I need it now.

Yeah. I'll get it first thing in the morning.

Tell Jason I want to start him on those lessons right away?

Okay.

Seth? Your mama's worried about you.

I'm coming in now.

-Goodnight. -Goodnight.

"And then Grandma said..."

Jim-Bob, what's this word?

"Rebecca," and it's a name, not a word, stupid.

Don't you talk to your sister like that.

She's just trying to learn.

It's about time.

You've been gone for hours.

He must've given that child every test under the sun.

-I was beginning to worry. -They must be starving.

Why don't you stop your muttering and feed them?

I kept your supper warm for you.

No, thank you, Grandma. Nothing for me.

Me, either, Grandma. Thank you.

If you've lost your appetite, something really must be wrong.

-What is it? You're shaking. -What does the doctor say?

-He said that-- -Would you go to bed, please?

-Mama. -Please?

-What's wrong? -Seth's....

He's what?

He's gonna die.

Lord.

-Why, he's just a youngster. -He's the same age as me.

Seth's not sick.

He's just tired out. He had that cold.

You remember what his mama said. He's just got a chill.

Doctor says he has leukemia.

The doctor's wrong. He's just got a chill.

Jason, it's a blood disease. They can't cure it.

Get out of here.

-Go on, get out. -What's the matter with you?

Come on, all of you, out of here. Go on.

-What's wrong with Jason? -Seems like he's in a bad mood.

He just kicked us out of his room.

Don't worry about Jason right now.

-Noise. -I'll go talk to him.

Sit down, children. I want to tell you something.

Jason?

Jason?

What's he doing, making the scarf?

I don't know. Here he comes.

-Alright, who's gonna be it? -Elizabeth's gonna be it.

-Why me all the time? -Because you're the youngest.

-I bet you can see. -I cannot.

-You can't see, can you? -Okay, turn her around.

One, two, three.

-Alright, Erin's it. -I'm it.

Erin.

It's really beautiful.

That wood feels like silk.

That's some.

My pa's gonna be getting home any day now.

Jason and me are gonna have to get started on those lessons.

-Did he know I was coming over? -Yeah, I told him.

-You're really close to your pa? -Yeah.

You know, sometimes I don't see him for months at a time, but

I can always sort of picture where he is, what he's doing.

Mama needs him now real bad.

It's gonna be hard for her, with Pa working away so much.

I don't see how you can be so calm.

I'm not calm.

If it was me, I'd be wanting to yell and scream and carry on.

I did. Remember when I ran off alone?

But when I was all yelled out in the quiet there

I started to hear things.

Like the whip-poor-wills calling

leaves rustling in the wind

berries dropping off the trees

train crossing the trestle up at Rockfish

You know what I hate to give up most?

Those sounds.

What would you miss most if it was you?

With me, it's hearing things.

I just can't imagine not hearing.

That's why I want to finish this.

I wanna fill it with all the sounds I won't be hearing.

And then somebody will be able to take it and play it

and put those sounds into the air.

And they won't ever die.

Jason, come here. Take a look at this. It's almost done.

I can't. I got to get in the house. I got work to do.

Jason.

Why won't he talk to me?

Because he's scared.

-Because he feels guilty. -About what?

Because it's you instead of him.

Why should he? He doesn't want to die any more than I do.

Don't you think there are times when I wish

it could be anybody else but me?

And I feel guilty about that.

I wish he could understand that.

I'd like to teach him how to play the recorder.

Come on! Play blind man's buff! You, too, John-Boy!

Okay, I'm coming. Come on.

John-Boy's it.

-Come on, now, don't peek. -I'm not gonna peek.

Wait a minute.

Okay, here we go. One

two, three!

-The children sound so happy. -Don't they?

I wish Seth had had brothers and sisters.

It's been hard for him, being an only child with his pa away.

Livie.

How do you give up a child?

How do you let go of the life that came from your life?

I don't know, Wilma.

I pray.

And I've talked with Rev. Fordwick.

And I'm afraid. Afraid I won't be able to hang on.

-When does Red get back? -Tomorrow.

Or the next day.

Olivia, he doesn't know anything about this.

I don't know how I'm going to tell him.

-What are they doing? -Turn him around!

They got Seth playing with them.

Stop it!

Wait.

I should never have let you come here.

-Mama, please. -Asked you to save your energy.

-Mama, stop it. -Seth, please.

John-Boy, you must be crazy to let this happen.

-Sorry, ma'am. I forgot myself. -It was all my idea.

You know what condition he's in.

Have you taken leave of your senses?

-No, ma'am, I'm sorry. -Mama, stop it.

What do you want me to do? Sit and watch everybody else?

I'm not gonna stay inside the house

and watch life passing by the window.

I want to be part of it. You know what you're doing, Mama?

You're making me feel like I'm laid out in the parlor already.

I'm 17 years old, Mama. I'm not going to get to be 18.

I want what's left to me. I want all of it, Mama.

Mama

I'm sorry I yelled.

We'll go home now.

He could go up on the porch and rest for a while.

You don't understand. He has to lie down.

John-Boy, it's alright.

-Why don't you come by later? -Alright.

Not today, John-Boy, please.

He's had enough excitement for today.

Wilma, won't you let John-Boy drive you home?

I'm fine. Thank you, anyway. I'll be fine.

-You ever think about dying? -Sometimes.

Does it scare you?

Guess it used to, but time has a way of taking care of things.

As you get older, you realize that everything has a beginning

-a time to be, and an end. -I know all that.

It's just not something I need to be reminded of every day.

Come to kind of a private understanding.

Dying is a natural part of living.

It just seems very unfair to me

that somebody like Seth, who has so much to look forward to

can all of a sudden have everything taken away from him.

He has to live the rest of his life knowing no matter

what he does, none of his dreams can ever come true.

I don't understand that.

I mean, I look forward to going to college

and I look forward to becoming a writer and having a family.

Everything I'm doing now in my life

is like a preparation for what's to come.

If I didn't have anything to look forward to

I don't think I could take any pleasure in living.

Seth doesn't have any of those things to look forward to.

He's trying to take pleasure in life.

It just seems pointless to me.

John-Boy, there's a lot of people walking around

feeling very disappointed and unhappy about life.

They were counting so much on the future

they forgot to live their lives.

Seth understands something that you should remember.

If I didn't have any future to look forward to

I would just want to curl up in a corner and forget everything.

John-Boy, somehow I don't believe you.

Ma'am, I'd like to see Seth. Is he in?

I'm sorry, John-Boy. He's resting.

Ma'am, these are his. I brought them for him.

He left them at the house.

I'll see he gets it.

Thank you.

I would like to see him just for a moment.

Some other time, John-Boy. I'll tell him you were here.

Hi!

Hey, everybody! Seth, Wilma, I'm home!

-You go on. I'll see you later. -So long, Red.

You been a bunch of good old boys to travel with. Goodbye.

-John-Boy, is that you? -Hey, Red.

Don't run off. I want you to see what I brought Seth.

Pa!

How are you? You son of a gun. You must have grown a foot.

What your ma been feeding you? Here.

Just right. Wait till you see what I got in the box.

Got the rest of the outfit. Just like mine, only brand-new.

-Will you look at that? -Where's your ma?

I got a brand-new, latest fashion new dress for her.

Wilma, it's good to see you.

Wilma, honey, it's so good to be home.

Red.

So fine to see you all. Come on.

Red.

-Hi, John. -Where you headed?

No place special. Just trying to think things out.

Come on, get in.

I've been wanting to thank you, John.

You, Livie, and the kids

have been real good friends to Wilma

and the boy.

My son.

Red, I wish there was something I could say to help.

Yeah, I know.

You know what the worst part is?

It's seeing the boy so quiet.

He's always so full of beans, always laughing, singing.

Wasn't so quiet the other night when he heard you on the radio.

Should have seen him, Red. He was proud as could be.

You know, it just seems

he ought to be having the best time he could now.

You should have seen him the other day.

I brought him home a costume, like I wear when I'm working.

His eyes just lit up like sunshine when he seen it.

He's been wanting to join your show

ever since he's been old enough to walk.

What am I going to do, John?

I don't know, Red.

The closest thing to this that ever happened to my family

was last Thanksgiving.

John-Boy got hurt real bad.

Good chance he could have died.

His exams were coming up that allow him to go to college.

Doctor said if he took those exams,

strain might be too much for him.

-Did he take them? -Yeah, he did.

We talked about it.

We realized those exams were as important to him as life.

In a way, it was his life, Red.

I know what Seth wants.

I guess what I'm looking for is the courage to give it to him.

Take care, Red.

-Is there's anything I can do? -Thanks.

Red. Where'd you go?

Hi, honey. How are you?

Where'd you go?

Wilma, I went into town and saw Dr. Vance.

Why?

What for?

Wilma, I been thinking about a lot of things.

There's no use us trying to keep that boy up there in his bed.

I want to get out of here

out of this house and out of this waiting game we're playing.

I just want to keep him as long as I can.

So do I.

But I want to do what he wants to do

give him the things he never had.

He's sick. He's going to die.

You trying to drive him to his grave sooner than he has to go?

I just want to give him the things he hasn't had.

A real family life with his mom and his daddy

and I want him doing what he loves to do.

Playing his music, playing with me in a group.

-No. -Yes.

And when he's gone

we'll have real good memories.

Not be locked up with some picture of him

laying there in his bed waiting.

We can be a real family.

You, me, and our boy

loving each other

making whatever time we got left really mean something.

Red.

I love you and the boy, Wilma.

We'll make real good memories.

And he won't miss having anything he ever really wanted.

-Morning, John-Boy. -Seth.

Things are a lot better now.

Pa and me and Mama are leaving.

I heard that.

That's why I wanted to see you.

Would you make sure Jason gets this?

Why don't you give it to him?

Just make sure he gets it. Maybe after we've gone.

Okay.

I'll send you all lots of postcards.

You might even hear me on the radio.

Pa's going to have me singing with the band.

I'm sure glad things worked out that way, Seth.

I never thought they would

but things are going to be real good now.

I hope so.

I'll be seeing you.

Grandpa, I'm worried about my brother.

How so? Hasn't he seen Seth lately?

-Won't even talk to him. -And they're leaving real soon.

Yes, sir. I'd appreciate it if you'd speak with him.

I'd be glad to, John-Boy.

Thank you. Seth finished this recorder.

It's a gift for Jason.

I think you'd best give it to him yourself.

But I'll be right along.

Thank you.

Jason, this is for you from Seth.

He wanted you to have it specially.

Jason, I need your help to dig up the garden.

Find enough worms, maybe we can all go fishing.

What you got here?

It's from Seth. Reckon it's the recorder.

Oh, a fipple flute from the old apple tree.

Why, it is nice of Seth to give you that.

-I don't want it. -Why not?

Seth wanted to give you something important

so that you could always remember him.

If I was going to die, that wouldn't be so important.

You've known me ever since you was born.

Got a big store of memories.

Anytime you wanted to think back a memory

you'd come up with something.

-But you're not going to die. -Sure I am.

And in time, so are you.

And everyone that you love and cherish.

Everytime anyone goes away it is going to hurt.

This time with Seth, it is different.

-Why is it different? -Somehow it seems unjust.

You're a little young yet to know the full weight

of injustice but it'd have been much fairer for it

to have been me than Seth.

Grandpa.

That's true. I'm 72 years old. I've lived a full, rich life.

I got to do about everything I wanted to in my life

except for one or two things your grandma disapproves of.

It's not fair for anybody to have to die.

Truth is, Jason, it's got nothing to do with fairness.

Why couldn't it be somebody who's mean or bad?

That's one of the great mysteries.

Who gets chosen and why?

But it happens all the same. And you won't like yourself,

unless you face up to it square

and grieve for him in your heart and to his face.

That way it's fair to you and to him.

You're getting so big it's hard to comfort you like I used to.

You just think about it.

Go all the way down. Take it up, put it down.

-Okay. -Start again.

As time went on, there were other occasions that

necessitated our grieving and I often think that

this early brush with total loss made us better

able to face those which were to come after.

You're getting to sound real good, Jason.

Thank you, Daddy.

Goodnight, Daddy. Goodnight, Mama.

Goodnight, Jason.

Sounds like Walton's Mountain would sound if it could sing.

-Goodnight, Jason. -Goodnight, Erin.

-Goodnight, Grandpa. -Goodnight, Jason.

You're a good boy.