Original subtitles

Tessa, we lost.

Angels don't get lost.

Ever. Hardly ever.

A hot mocha latte would be lovely right now.

This is not latte country, Miss Wings. We in Mississippi, near a little town

called Savage, where we'll be blessed to get a cup of coffee.

Or a tank of gas.

Are you sure we're not lost?

If you ever do get lost, baby, remember this.

Seek and ye shall find.

Repeat that.

Seek and ye shall find.

Look, Tess.

Ah, now we're cooking with gas.

Excuse me, sir, but my connecting bus was due here an hour ago. Where is it?

It's late.

I know that, but I have an important appointment.

There must be something you can do.

Look, sport.

Ah, wait a minute. I'm not sport, okay?

No race.

Had to be a doctor.

Or I used to be.

Okay. Look, doc.

We ain't had a snowstorm here in 50 years.

I'm in charge of the depot, not the weather.

Yeah, right.

Thanks again.

Mm -hmm.

People who litter are terribly upsetting.

Well, that litterbug is your assignment, Miss Wings.

Dr. Chester Creighton.

A man full of pain.

He's forgotten who he is.

And he's forgotten who God is.

And believe me, there's nothing lonelier.

But doesn't he see God in everything around him?

In every snowflake?

Well, believing is hard for humans.

Harder than some angels realize.

You see snowflakes falling from heaven.

All Chester sees is an icy road.

Many men will have to slip and fall before they find their way home.

Time for you and Chester to take a trip.

A bus trip?

No, baby.

Buses don't go where you're going.

This is going to be a hard one.

But remember, every journey is about a destination.

Seek.

and ye shall find.

But you must seek with all of your heart.

I love you, baby.

Jake, please!

Hayden!

You okay?

Ooh, that was quite a tumble. Ooh, looks like you took a little lick to the

head. Yeah.

There, you just take it easy. What's your name, sugar?

I don't know.

When you walk down the road,

heavy burden and heavy load,

I will rise and I will 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.

Who are you? Call me Colonel. Come on, let's get you inside. You are a shiver.

There you go. Up you go. Up. See Daisy.

Here now. What's this here?

Wow, looks like you're out of cigarettes.

There we go.

Roy, you all got a doctor on board. Get him down here, now.

There we go.

The governor's convicted murderer, Paul Radcliffe, is still scheduled for

execution tonight at 12 .01 a .m. After seven years on death row for the brutal

slaying... Effie!

Effie! Get over here now, come on. There you go.

Lord almighty.

Well, it took a little fall.

Hit a head.

What's your name, honey?

I don't know.

Who are you?

Well, I'm Effie.

Where am I?

What am I doing here?

Fear not, honey.

I've got a nice quilt to keep you warm.

Thank you, Effie.

Let me get you out of that wet coat there, sugar.

There you go.

Thank you.

Took a spill, huh?

What is this place?

Where am I?

Sister, you're in a bus station in Mississippi.

God's country.

God?

Which one is he?

You have bumped your head.

I don't know anyone here.

Why am I here? Do you know?

Ma 'am, I'm sure you're going to be just fine.

Look, I've got to be somewhere.

A colonel wants to see you. They need a doctor in there. I don't have time for

this. If you didn't want him to know you're a doctor, you shouldn't have

mentioned it.

Didn't want to cooperate, Colonel. I don't practice medicine anymore, and I

you I have an appointment.

Well, there's another bus on its way. Doc, this girl slipped on the ice. She

needs help. I can't be late.

Can't you remember the golden rule?

There you go, honey.

Made it myself.

Won first place at the State Fair.

$500.

Saving up for my trip to the Holy Land.

Holy Land?

You just rest.

Sir, don't miss your boss on account of me.

Well, next bus heading south, I'm on it. Well, let's get this over with, all

right? How many fingers am I holding up?

Three.

Can you read the sign on the jukebox?

Do not touch.

You got a flashlight?

I got some of those Elvis pen lights.

Elvis?

I've never seen those before.

I've seen Elvis ashtrays and Elvis nightlights, but never a little bit of

penlight.

Pupils are clear.

No glossing over.

Your eyes seem really sad.

You be the patient. I'll be the doctor. Okay?

You want to buy one?

Oh, no.

I can't afford it.

Well, Doc, I just called the hospital. They all snowed in.

We should be all right till morning.

Well, there's no bruise. There's no bumps.

Well, you still better get her there first thing tomorrow.

Now, what is the last thing that you remember before the fall?

I think I was happy.

It was snowing.

And every flake was different.

And when I woke, I was holding something in my hand.

A pack of cigarettes.

Oh, so you smoke, huh?

To put them out.

But... What's the first thing you remember clearly after the fall?

Someone led me in here.

This man.

And then another man told me I was in God's country.

Oh, really?

I remember something.

Remember what?

See?

So she smokes and reads the Bible.

Well, that's two strikes against her, because believe me, they're both bad for

the system.

The Bible is the window into this prison of a world through which we can glimpse

eternity. What are you talking about?

The Bible, the living word of God.

Oh, it's a book.

Who is this God that you keep mentioning? God, my dear, is the creator

universe.

He created this whole entire... world in just six days.

Flowers, trees.

Never heard of God.

Amazing.

Even those who don't believe have heard of it.

I'm sorry, but he must be very talented to have done all that.

Not everyone believes in him.

Well, why do you have to believe?

Because you can't see him.

But if you can't see him, how do you know he's there?

Well, he never bothered to show his face to me.

I believe in God.

You got a baby coming into this world. You gotta believe in God.

Ain't no one else you can trust.

She's right.

And if you'd like to learn more about God, perhaps you'd like to buy one of

these genuine imitation leather Bibles.

Gold edge with concordance.

And a page.

For your family trees.

Brother Jim at your service.

I don't know if I have a family.

30 years running a depot, I've seen all kinds, but you sure take the cake.

Honey, if you have nothing else in this world, you should at least have God.

I'll buy you one.

You're a good woman, ma 'am.

That poor lady's hurting.

And the Bible always brings us comfort and strength.

I study it every day.

And one day, I'll see all the glorious places it talks about in the Holy Land.

Won't be long now.

Well, ordinarily I charge $29, but your generosity has moved me to give you this

Bible. It costs $20 even, no tax.

Ten.

Twenty.

Thank you, ma 'am.

Excuse me, sir, but I've done all I can for that lady. But you've got to keep

her talking. She's got to stay conscious.

Because if she falls asleep, she could end up in a coma, and I'm not going to

responsible.

Nobody's hanging a malpractice suit on me.

Well, nobody's suing me either.

Sounds to me like the two of you don't know God any better than she does.

Lady, don't let them talk you into God, okay?

That's what happens in this world. People get talked and believe in God.

Children are born knowing the truth about God.

Then later, they're talked out of it.

That's what my wife used to say, but she's gone.

I don't wonder.

She used to believe in God.

If you don't mind me asking, sir, what happened to your wife?

See that killer on TV?

He took her away.

He killed my wife.

That boy killed your wife?

Yes, sir.

Oh, yeah.

Now I recognize you from the paper.

You're that doctor from Tunica.

Lord have mercy.

Oh, it's too late for mercy, ma 'am. It's not too late for justice.

I've waited for this day a long time.

And I'm going to get on the next bus to Parchman.

And all I want is to watch him die.

To see his eyes shut.

And his heart stop.

The way mine has.

I envy you, lady.

I give anything to a forgotten everything that's happened to me in this

Oh, man.

Well, maybe he's right.

Maybe you're the luckiest one here. You get to start all over.

Clean slate. Make yourself up from scratch.

That'd be nice.

Don't you like who you are?

I don't know.

I guess not.

But you're so young and pretty.

I know you're crazier than a Betsy Bung.

And you're going to have a baby.

My baby's going to be born poor.

That's why I'm going to Tupelo.

That's where Elvis was born.

Born poor.

And if my baby is born in Tupelo, he'll be blessed like Elvis.

Well, honey, all children are blessed by God and surrounded by angels.

Angels? You never heard of angels?

Honey, angels are sent by God to help you.

They're all around us.

I always wanted to see one.

That's what I pray for, to see an angel just once before I die.

Is there an angel for everyone?

Of course there is. One for you, one for me.

Even that boy that's going to die tonight.

Well, the whole world drifts through here and I ain't seen an angel yet.

Well, my wife was an angel.

She was the most beautiful woman that I ever saw.

And she's the reason that I came to this state.

Tunica, Mississippi.

Well, we had it pretty cushy up north, but oh, she didn't want cushy. No, not

Laurel.

Laurel? That's a beautiful name.

No, I said, why Tunica?

It's the poorest county in the whole country.

And she says, exactly.

They need doctors.

Somebody's got to do God's work.

And so we, uh...

We came here.

And she was so sweet. She gave that boy a job out of the goodness of her heart

because he needed the work.

Here comes that bus.

And he runs off. He gets high on something.

He comes back.

And he murders my wife.

In cold blood.

That's the day I stopped practicing medicine.

What do you think, lady?

You got a heart, right?

Does that boy deserve one ounce of compassion?

I don't know.

I feel for Lot.

I wish I had an angel.

How do you get one?

Hello. Can I help you?

Yeah, I'm on the bus department.

You going to the execution?

Yeah.

Are you for it or getting it? I'm just there to cover it. You're a reporter,

huh?

Hold on, Doc. I've still got to gas her up.

Hello?

Hello.

I'm... I'm sorry.

I don't mean to stare.

That's okay.

Do you recognize me?

I was hoping that someone would know me. You say I've lost my memory.

Well, temporarily, I hope.

I hope so, too.

It's a terrible feeling, not knowing who you are, where you come from, where

you're going, and I don't know how to begin.

May I?

You know, you, uh... You're on a...

A journey that really no one else can take for you.

But there is someone who can help.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things

will be added unto you.

You're looking for clues about who you are.

Find out who God is first.

He made you.

He knows who you are.

My favorite Elvis song!

Oh, don't do that.

Can't you read? Don't touch!

I'm sorry. I just wanted to hear Elvis.

Oh, that our baby, she didn't know what she was doing. She nearly blew your

fuse, didn't she?

Do not touch means do not touch!

Colonel, she's gonna have a baby.

For Pete's sake, tell her to quit blubbering all over my jukebox.

Don't mind the colonel.

He's just a little touchy about his jukebox.

He cares more about that old thing than he does about people.

All right, tickets, please. I need to see everybody's tickets.

Whereabouts?

Please.

Have a good journey.

And I hope...

You listen to me.

You and Skeeter are going to be just fine.

I know times are hard, but maybe I can make a little contribution.

It's gone.

It's gone. Somebody took my money.

Effie, are you sure?

Of course I'm sure.

This is outrageous.

Some of us have a bus to catch.

Well, nobody is leaving until I have searched everybody. Go ahead, then.

away, because if we don't head out soon, I'm going to miss that execution.

You want to open that up?

Yes, sir.

Nothing there but a few Bibles.

All right. Sorry to trouble you, brother.

No trouble at all.

Excuse me, sir. I think that's

my Bible.

You sure?

One Bible looked so much like another.

Yeah, I had it here on the bench.

And I have a specially marked passage in it that I was hoping to remember.

Well, well, well.

I thought you didn't even have enough money to buy a Bible.

It's not my money.

That may be the first truthful thing you said, little lady.

Did you all see how anxious she was to get that Bible back?

No, but wait.

I am sure that this is all a big misunderstanding.

Effie, I didn't steal your money. You have to believe me.

I've seen all kinds, sugar.

But you're good.

Real good.

Colonel, you think she really... Didn't I hear you tell her about that first

prize money with my own ears?

Effie, you've got to stop trusting people so much.

She's a con artist.

The South is full of them, dear lady.

Shady people who take advantage of the faithful.

If Brother Jim hadn't picked up that Bible by mistake, you'd never made it to

the Holy Land.

God bless you, Brother Jim.

He has, dear lady, he has.

Just seeing you reunited with your hard -earned remuneration is reward enough

for me.

Reward? I should give you a reward.

No, ma 'am. It's like Brother Jim said.

Honesty is its own reward.

I'll say a prayer for you when I get to Jerusalem, Brother Jim.

I thought you were a good person.

It seems so. I didn't take your money. I did.

I don't remember stealing anything.

You know, sometimes the blow to the head can cause abnormal behavior, blackouts.

Could be she didn't even know what she was doing.

Or could be she was playing us all the time.

I know I didn't steal the money. Doesn't anyone believe me?

Come on, y 'all better get on your bus.

Except you, missy. You wait right there. Keep an eye on her, Effie.

All aboard!

So far, though, it has been a battle of words and philosophies rather than fits.

Right now, the governor is meeting with advisers as the atmosphere at the prison

grows more tense.

We're told the governor will announce his decision...

I believe you.

Thank you.

Do you have to go?

Yeah, I... I have work to do in Parchman.

It's just that I'm so lost here.

You're the only one that believes me and you're leaving.

I feel so alone.

I don't know anything.

The thing you do know is the truth.

And you hold on to that.

You have faith in the source of truth.

And he'll show you the way home.

But what is the truth?

Ask him.

I don't understand who he is. But he understands you.

You take a step toward him, he'll step to you.

Because God loves you, Mom.

God loves you.

And even though...

It doesn't make sense at the time. God can turn anything into something good.

Excuse me.

I need to go talk to Brother Jim.

He's the last person on earth who needs to be selling Bibles.

We're just getting word. We're getting word. The governor has apparently made

his decision. Last call for one more.

In a second. From the governor's mansion.

Has denied the request for clemency. Yeah.

Yeah.

Justice.

At last.

You're finally gonna die.

That's all I want. I just want to be there.

Watching.

To see his eyes closed and his heart done.

Yeah, and when his eyes closed.

Yes.

Why didn't you hold it? We call it a schedule here.

Last bus to Parchman's at 10 o 'clock.

Get you there before he buys the farm.

Yeah, well, that's better.

Yeah, howdy, Sheriff. This is the colonel over at the Savage Bus Depot. We

young lady tried to rob Effie.

All right. Thank you, Connie.

Well, the sheriff is on his way.

And what is the sheriff going to do?

If any luck, put you in jail.

And it ain't pretty down here.

I don't want no more trouble out of you till he gets here. So you just sit quiet

or I'll tie you to a chair.

Elvis was arrested once.

Well, Adam Hovey, I mean.

I don't know who he is.

How can a person go through life without God or Elvis?

Well, that's the sheriff now. Please don't let him take me.

So, Ellen, I don't know whether to kiss you or cuss you out.

Guess I'll sell for taking you home.

I'm going to Tupelo, Skeeter.

You're going home? This is crazy.

No, it's not.

This baby's going to be born in Tupelo.

Same town Elvis was.

And if you really loved me, you'd come with me.

Might as well be in jail.

Jail?

Have you been to jail?

Once. A while ago.

High school party got out of hand.

Can you... Was it bad?

You don't want to know.

Are you okay, ma 'am?

I can't make sense of anything.

You and me both.

I'm going to do something about it. I'm going to pray.

Pray?

That's what you do when you're at the end of your rope.

Pray to God.

How do you pray?

You don't know?

I can't remember.

Just tell him your heart.

My heart?

Swelling's the best thing that ever happened to me.

I know that.

And God knows that.

He knows we're supposed to be together when the baby's born.

At home.

That's what I'm going to pray about.

May I ask you a question?

Why did your baby have to be born in Tupelo?

Because that's where Elvis was born.

And he's a friend of yours?

No.

He died before I was born.

So you would rather go to a place where no one even knows you because a man you

never met was born there?

I'm a wee bit confused, Joellen.

Your husband says you're the best thing that ever happened to him.

Did Skeeter really say that?

Mm -hmm.

He seems to love you very much.

Take me home, Skeeter.

An answer to prayer.

Amen to that.

Hello, God.

Not sure what to say.

To be honest, I'm not even sure who you are, or if you're there at all.

Some people don't even believe you exist.

Some people believe you're a wonderful...

Loving, giving being.

That reporter fellow, he said if I took a step towards you, that you would take

a step towards me.

So, this is me taking a big giant step towards you.

I believe.

I believe that you answered that man's prayers just now about his wife, and I

was wondering, well, I was wondering if you could answer my prayers,

sir.

Please, would you tell me who I am and what I'm doing here

and what you created me for?

Please.

Smoke?

You said you like smoke, right?

That'll give you more peace than God ever will.

Easy.

Take it easy.

It doesn't feel so peaceful.

That'll be the sheriff.

Here.

You're gonna need these.

That's her, Sheriff.

You have the right to remain silent.

You have the right to have an attorney present before questioning.

You see, this is how God answers prayer.

What do you think of him now?

Huh?

If I did something wrong, I'm so sorry. Tell it to the judge.

I thought you were going to help me.

I said a prayer.

What should I do now?

Why can't you answer me?

I warned her about God, but she didn't want to listen.

Claimed she fell and hit her head.

Asked me, she faked the whole thing. Don't worry about it, Colonel. It's not

your problem anymore.

Let's go, little lady.

Wait a minute, Sheriff.

Effie, you can make your statement later.

That's right.

You best go home before the storm gets worse.

I don't want to press charges.

But she stole your money.

If I give her the money, then it's not stealing, is it?

What's wrong with you, Effie?

It's yours.

I don't know who you are or if you're telling the truth, but I can tell you're

in trouble.

And I figure you must need it a whole lot more than I do.

No, Effie, no.

What about your trip to the Holy Land?

The Lord said forgive, and you shall be forgiven.

As long as I got God here.

I guess that's all that really matters.

Because I know God loves me.

And honey, he loves you, too.

God loves you.

You sure about that?

Well, sorry to bring you out here for nothing, Sheriff.

Wasn't for nothing, Colonel.

Last bus to Parchman, Doc.

Lord.

Thank you.

Thank you for all that you've done for me.

Honey, are you okay?

Doc, she's shaking like a leaf.

She's not my problem.

I think it's a fever.

No, it's not a fever. It's a revelation.

I remember. I remember who I am.

Effie, forgiveness is such a powerful thing.

And your act of forgiveness was God's answer to my prayer. I remember now. I

remember everything.

Well, that's not possible.

It's the truth.

You see, I'm an angel sent by God. My name is Monica.

An angel, huh?

Named Monica?

You're sicker than I thought.

You better get to a hospital now.

Oh, no, Chester, listen to me.

Look, miss.

I don't care how many angels God sends me.

I'm not going to miss that bus.

Maybe you need an aspirin, a little bicarbonate.

Effie, what was the one thing you asked God to show you before you die?

It wasn't the Holy Land, was it?

No. I figured I could get there on my own.

I asked God to see an angel.

I am an angel.

Sent by God to tell you that he loves you.

Praise God.

Praise God.

God lives in the praises of his people, Effie.

He's so pleased with you.

With me?

What do you know?

But, pardon me for asking, how does an angel forget God?

Well, sometimes even angels have lessons to learn.

And it was your belief in God and your forgiveness, so much like his own,

that has shown me the way back home.

And I thank you every day.

Now that's everybody but you.

What am I supposed to do now? Set up with you all night long?

No, Colonel.

That won't be necessary.

For I'm ready now to continue my journey.

And here at the prison,

the crowds have fallen silent as the vigil continues.

We are told that Paul Ratcliffe...

a customary last meal and will spend his final hours in prayer.

Shortly before midnight, the warden will lead him on the short walk from his

holding cell to the death chamber.

On one side of the chamber, three members of the press and a minister will

witness the execution.

In the booth opposite, the victim's husband, Dr. Chester Creighton, has just

arrived.

Paul Redcliffe. Yes, sir.

By order of the state of Mississippi, you are to die for the murder of Laurel

Marie Creighton, a human being.

If you'd like to make a final statement, make it now.

Where is he?

Where is he?

Richard Creighton?

What I want... say to you is this.

I'm sorry for what I've done.

I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart.

I'm so sorry. Shut up!

I'd die, you.

Shut up and die!

Mr. Creighton, a lot of people know I found God a few years back.

What they don't know is how.

I ain't never told no one, not until now.

It was five years ago.

I was on death row, and I was mad.

I was real mad because I still couldn't remember a single thing about what

happened that night.

So I asked God.

I said, mister, if you're up there, you tell me why.

Why did I kill that lady?

All of a sudden, the room, it got all bright.

And there's an angel standing there.

It's a beautiful thing.

She had long, dark hair.

Talked like music.

Told me her name was Monica and that God loved me.

And then...

That angel, she gave me a gift from God.

She showed me that knife.

She gave it back to my memory, and I saw it all.

I remember doing drugs that day. I remember getting all scared for no

And Miss Creighton trying to talk me down, trying to get me to listen. But

voice just sounded like the devil to me, and I just won't make it stop.

I remember it all.

Oh, God, it was terrible.

And I fell down to my knees and I asked that angel to kill me right then and

there. Because what I'd done is unforgivable.

That angel, she showed me something else.

She made me remember the worst part of all.

No, the best part of all.

Your wife, Mr. Creighton.

She's lying there.

Her life's draining out of her.

And she still talks.

Whispering kind of.

And she said, Forgive him, Father.

He knows not what he does.

Oh, God.

That lady.

She used her last breath to ask God to forgive me.

And with my last breath, Mr. Craig, I'm

asking you.

I am an angel.

I was lost, but now I'm found.

You saw what happened when Effie forgave me.

I found my way back.

You're wasting your breath.

What do you want, Chester?

Revenge? Right.

Revenge.

Agonizing.

Crushing.

damning to hell revenge.

Why? Because he deserves it. He said so himself.

No mercy.

No mercy.

That is why God created mercy for those who don't deserve it.

And that is why God has created peace for those who will never find it.

You will not find peace from the death of that man in there.

Satisfaction? Yes. Evening the score?

Yes. But peace?

Never.

Don't excuse him.

Don't accept him. Don't embrace him. Just release him.

Release him to God and release yourself.

Bless the memory of your wife.

Forgive him.

He knows now what he has done.

I forgive you.

I forgive you.