Original subtitles

There's only one hour left until the new millennium. So come on, let's not waste

it.

When I consider the heaven, the work of your fingers, the moon, the

stars that you have established in the sky.

Oh Lord, what are we that you should even notice us?

What's the 20th century?

Or the 21st?

When for you a thousand years is like a single day.

That's the miracle and the mystery, baby.

God holds time in his hand like a ball of string.

Yesterday, today, tomorrow, now, forever.

So he can look at it all at once. But for the rest of us, he stretches time

and he lays it on a golden thread so that humans can imagine it as a straight

line.

And then they divide it into hours and days and even millennia.

They like that. It gives them a sense of order.

Still, it must be very exciting for a human to live to see a new millennium.

Only if you're willing to give up the last one, and Angela doesn't like that

idea at all.

Well, she doesn't have much choice. There isn't much time left.

Are you listening to me, baby?

It's God's time.

It's not her time.

It's not our time.

It's God's time.

And he has some important things he wants us to do with it.

Such as?

Well, a long time ago, Angela made a very important promise. Sort of like an

appointment with destiny.

And God wants her to keep that appointment.

But the trouble is, Angela doesn't remember anything about it.

And until she remembers, she won't be entering the 21st century at all.

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

Believe me, I'll walk with you.

Where'd you go?

I went for a long walk.

Beautiful. And there's a lake out there with swans swimming around.

Very peaceful.

Swans are very dangerous, you know.

They'll attack you if you threaten them.

Well, I'm not in the habit of threatening swans.

Oh, where's your mask?

You're the most beautiful woman in the world.

How much have you had to drink? Come on.

Trying to be romantic here.

Nick. Hey!

I'm sorry.

I'm so... That's okay. It's all right. It's not your fault.

Well, I can go to the main room. No problem.

All right. All right.

There you are.

Thank you.

That's great.

What happened for you? Oh, yes.

This is the annual New Year's Eve dress disaster.

Happens every year.

I think I'm going to wear a bathing suit next year.

Please take a seat.

So, were you having fun out there before this unscheduled baptism?

Oh, yes.

Yes. Wonderful times.

I don't think you were.

I beg your pardon?

I could tell by the way you walked in here.

Some people just aren't ready for the millennium.

Isn't there someplace else you'd rather be?

Wow, look at this. That's amazing.

It's gone.

Well, thank you so much.

You are a miracle worker.

I don't think she remembers.

Back so soon?

Yes.

It's getting towards midnight and I thought I'd check my makeup.

Look, you were right.

I'm not having a very good time tonight.

The millennium is a lot more traumatic than people realize.

It's not just about numbers rolling over a computer.

It's a state of mind.

I get this feeling, I don't know, that there's something expected

of me.

That I just cannot live up to.

Ladies and gentlemen, 15 minutes. Just 15 minutes to the new millennium. What

your name?

Monica. Monica.

I'm Angela.

There's a wonderful man waiting out there for me.

And I know that he's going to ask me to marry him tonight.

And I know I ought to say yes.

But I've just never been able to go through with it.

You flying to New York on Monday? Yeah, just page me or email me or call me on

my cell phone.

To be alive in such an age.

I know that poem.

Oh, to be alive in such an age!

When miracles are everywhere.

And every inch of common air throbs a tremendous

prophecy of greater marvels

yet to be.

Greater marvels yet to be. But you have to actually leave

the ladies' room to see them.

Thank you.

I haven't heard that poem in years.

Hey, it looks great. Get his nude.

We ought to tell that waiter, you know. I don't want him to lose his job over

this. Nick, we have to talk.

Hey, Andrew.

Hey.

How's the dress?

I had a little help from the lady in the potter room. Oh, yes, yes.

The amazing Monica.

You know her? I do. Very, very well.

Well, I hope she gets a break so she can celebrate a little.

Hey, you know, you ought to take a break. You've been going all night.

I'm fine.

Listen, do me a favor and dance for the most gorgeous woman in the room, will

you? She loves to dance, right?

Step them all over her feet, please.

Nick, he doesn't want to.

Oh, no, no, no, no. I would be honored.

See? Give me that tray. Okay.

Just have her back before midnight, would you? Yes, sir.

Now, wouldn't you rather be spending these last ten minutes of the century

dancing with someone your own age?

I don't know.

Every hundred years or so, I like to break out and do something very crazy.

That often?

Yeah. Ah.

Hey, tell me something.

What? If you were going to do something very spontaneous, I mean absolutely

crazy, and you knew that you weren't going to have to explain it or apologize

for it, what would that be?

Sound just like my dad.

I think he invented spontaneity.

He was always... Miss Britton? Hi!

It's me!

Candy Cobbleman. I was in your 7th grade English class at Stedman.

Well, yes, of course. How are you? I'm okay.

And what are you doing now?

Well, I'm taking night school here in Eugene, and I'm also working at this

telemarketing computer place thing with my soon -to -be ex -boyfriend, Tommy,

the jerk.

Did you ever get married?

I beg your pardon? You were engaged to Mr.

Lomato, the music teacher, right?

Yes, but no, I'm not married.

Oh. Oh.

This is my friend Andrew, and we're just dancing.

Hi, Andrew.

Hi.

It's very nice to see you again. You too. And it is so weird, Miss Britton,

because I was just thinking about you the other day.

I was thinking about how we used to not have the Internet, and I would actually

go to the library and stuff, and you made us learn that poem.

Something to live in such an age.

Something...

Something like that. I don't really remember.

Oh. You know what? I'm going to let you get back to dancing.

I'm going to go.

It's good to see you.

Happy New Year.

I haven't heard that poem in ten years.

And then twice in five minutes.

Oh.

Stranger things have happened.

I have fond memories of my father climbing a tree or leaning out of the

shouting poems to the universe at the top of his lungs to be alive

in such an age.

Wow.

He sounds like a great guy.

He was.

He's long gone.

But I wish you were here to see in the new century with me.

We always promised.

Oh, my goodness.

What?

I just remembered something.

I made a promise.

About 40, 45 years ago, I made a promise to somebody.

And now it's the time.

Now's the time to keep that promise.

My

father

loved poetry.

He used to read poems to me the way other parents read nursery rhymes. I

him.

Sounds like you made him a promise.

Yes.

Excuse me?

Oh, yes. Thank you. I can't believe I'm losing everything tonight. Thank you so

much. You're welcome.

You know that poem that you were quoting earlier?

To be alive in such an age?

Yes.

Well, my father and I put that on top of a box and buried it in our yard next to

a tree when I was about ten.

And we stuffed it with...

A bunch of toys and newspaper clippings and souvenirs from 1955.

And, you know, I've never even thought of that until now.

Tonight. And you never went back to dig it up?

No. You see, Daddy and I, I always call him Daddy, we made a pact that we would

meet at that tree on January 1st in the year 2000.

And we would dig up our time capsule.

So you're going home tomorrow, then? No.

No, I have some wonderful memories of my father, and I don't need to go back to

Idaho to remember him.

Why not? That sounds like fun.

Well, what am I supposed to do? Just knock on the door and say, Hi, I used to

live here, and I want to dig up your lawn.

That sounds terribly sentimental and romantic to me.

But Daddy won't be there, and it'll be like losing him all over again.

I don't know you very well, but I think that you need to go.

I can't.

You know, we could drive you. It takes like six, seven hours. We could be there

in the morning.

I can't just walk out on Nick.

Oh, well, you could always get engaged first and then go.

It's crazy.

Yep, it's crazy.

And it's spontaneous.

And it sounds just like your dad.

I guess I could call Nick from the road and explain it.

Okay.

Ladies and gentlemen, would you join me now as we count down the final seconds?

Ten. Nine.

Eight.

Seven.

Six.

Five. Four.

Three.

Angela. What do they dream about?

Humans, what do they dream about?

Being awake.

I heard they try to fix in dreams what went wrong in their awakeness.

Awakeness?

You know what I mean.

Yeah, I think that when they're dreaming, that's the only time that

really completely honest with themselves.

That's why they hardly ever remember them.

You hear it, Angela?

The train.

It's whistling for us.

Angela!

Let's go, Angela!

Let's go to Paris. Let's go to China. Let's go see the pyramids.

It's time for a great adventure.

Oh, to be alive and stuck in AIDS!

Good morning.

Good morning.

Where are we?

Your home.

Yes? My name is Angela Britton, and... Yes, we do.

You do what? We have room.

Oh, no, no. We don't want to have a room. We just wanted to... You're

here at 8 o 'clock in the morning in high heels and an evening dress.

I think you need a room and a bath and some breakfast, and I'm not going to

stand here in the doorway discussing it with you. Come on in.

Well, all right.

Thank you.

Did you put gas in the car like I told you? Yeah. Give me my keys.

You can find the bathroom.

Kyle's on the think.

Thank you.

Hello?

Nick isn't answering.

I don't blame him.

I must have been crazy.

I hope these clothes fit you. I found them in the attic.

In the attic?

You're welcome to scrounge around up there if you want to. There's a lot of

stuff up there you might recognize.

Thank you. I'd like that.

Looks like you're recognizing something on the floor.

You know, when you're a two -year -old and you're crawling all over the place,

the floor makes a big impression on you.

Would you like some tea, Monica?

Do you have coffee?

No, I thought tea was more bed and breakfast -y.

I'd like some.

How long have you had this place?

Oh, not long.

I understand you've got some buried treasure out there.

I wouldn't say that. It's buried.

Well, if you came all the way from Oregon, they must be worth digging up.

Tea time.

Aren't you bothered by the noise of the train at night?

What train?

Well, there used to be a train that went by here.

I could swear that I heard... No.

No? No train.

When archaeologists discover this someday, they'll know what we were like.

Daddy, that's your favorite poem book.

Well, somebody might need these a few hundred years from now.

You ready?

I have a better idea.

Ideas are the engines of progress.

Maybe we should check on it every once in a while to make sure the worms don't

eat everything.

Good. Thinking.

Okay, then. New Year's Day, the year 2000.

I promise to meet you right here, and we will dig up this old box together and

make sure everything's A -okay.

Promise? Promise.

Maybe we should just stay here.

No.

The ship is safer in harbor, but that is not what ships are for.

You must go seek out the scent of the Carthaginian rose.

You must rise and go to where the golden apples grow.

My heart is warm by the friends I make.

And better friends I'll not be knowing.

If there isn't a train I wouldn't take, no matter where it's going.

Going somewhere, Mr. Britton? Yes.

Angela and I are going on the invisible train.

It has silver wings. It picks you up right at your door and takes you

you want to go.

You wait right there. You'll see.

I think he took the invisible train.

Your father?

I always tell people that my father's long gone.

And they, of course, assume that he's dead.

But the truth is, he's just long gone.

It's hard to be reminded that the father that you worshipped

abandoned me.

Do you know why?

I just woke up one day and he was gone.

He didn't even say goodbye.

I just couldn't understand how someone who loved me so much

could just throw that love away.

What did your mother tell you?

My mom said to me that she would explain the whole thing to me when I was old

enough to understand.

And then we lost the house and we moved.

We moved.

We moved away. I remember now.

I... I left him a note on the door.

I said, Daddy, we're going to Oregon.

He left us.

He left me.

It's a woman.

Is that what your mother told you? I never got the whole story.

She died in a car accident when I was 18.

What am I doing here?

This isn't romantic. This isn't spontaneous.

This is painful.

He loved him.

He taught me how to dream, and then he took it away.

I just... I could kill him.

But wouldn't it be great if he came back?

Could you forgive him?

After all that's happened?

Andrew, he's been gone for 45 years.

And look at me.

Nothing's happened.

And if the man that I loved and trusted most in the world could leave me, then

how could you ever trust another man?

I guess that's why I never got married.

And that's why I'm going to wait for Daddy just a little while.

He's not going to come back, you know. This is not about him coming back. This

is about her moving on.

What is that?

Coffee. What did I tell you about that?

There's no coffee now.

This is not a coffee assignment, Miss Wings.

Coffee would ruin everything.

Now put that down, and let's get this show on the road.

This is a tea thing.

How you doing, baby?

A little miserable.

This morning when you showed up, you were looking for a box under a tree.

But the whole day you've been recognizing everything else right down

kitchen floor.

It's time you stop messing around and dig up the only memory you actually came

for. Even if you have to do it by yourself.

It's just a bunch of junk now.

Yeah. But it's your junk, baby.

Well, here it is.

Put it down, baby. We're used to a little dirt around here.

What is it padlock has been broken somebody's been in here

What

is it

my father.

He did come back for me.

But I wasn't there.

It only takes one trip to find that out, but he made a lot more than that.

I know, isn't that strange?

Would you like us to leave you alone?

No, no, no, no.

Good, because I want to hear what he has to say.

All right, Angela, 1956.

I came to see you today on your birthday, but I found out that you and

have moved away.

I'm very sad, but I understand why.

I don't know where to send this, so I'll just leave it here under the tree.

And maybe someday you'll remember.

I promise, and you'll find this in all my love waiting for you.

I love you.

Happy birthday, Daddy.

Dear Angela, I'm delivering this card a little late this year.

Daddy has been very, very sad for a long time.

It's hard to live in this world sometimes, but knowing you are in it

keeps me from giving up altogether.

Don't forget that I love you, Daddy.

1961. Walt Whitman travels in my back pocket these days.

A foot and lighthearted I take to the open road.

Henceforth I ask not good fortune, I myself am good fortune. I am the master

my fate. I am the captain of my soul.

The truth is, life is meaningless.

There is no God and there are no happy birthdays for the ones...

We'll see life as it truly is.

Today you are 16, glorious, miraculous.

Oh, to be alive in such an age.

Every time I dig this hole, I leave myself here too.

And someday they will dig my grave and find nothing left to bury.

Today you are 21, and somewhere your mother is telling you the truth

about me.

Perhaps you can forgive me for trying to take you with me on the invisible

train.

What was the invisible train?

A game we played.

Time to make some more tea. Keep reading.

Let's try 1979.

Dear Mr. Britton, you have been my patient these six months at Idaho

Psychiatric.

And as you have certainly observed over the years, your severe manic depression

takes extreme forms, from episodes of mania, euphoria, and hallucination, to

profound, even suicidal depression.

The new drug treatment has brought you to a stable place.

However, I am not yet comfortable approving your release from this

Nevertheless, you have chosen to leave.

Therefore, I must stress the importance of you taking your medication regularly.

Manic depressives often resist maintaining the new peace that they have

between the highs and the lows.

So your vigilance is crucial.

Sincerely, Dr. Kenneth Nichols.

Dear Angela, see what kind of crackpots I have to deal with?

Don't they get it?

If you take the drugs, you can't take the train.

Hope you're having a wonderful life. Live, love, marry and have

peace.

Remember the poetry.

Embrace the future and don't worry.

1979.

That's when the letters stopped.

He's dead.

Somebody please get the tea!

Angela and I are going on the invisible train.

Oh, my God.

Oh.

Angela?

Brain, it's whistling for us.

Angela!

Let's go, Angela!

Let's go to Paris! Let's go to China! Let's go see the pyramids!

It's time for a great adventure!

Oh! She'll be alive in such an age!

Yes!

Your father was a very sick man, Angela.

I must have just blocked it all up.

We were up on the roof, and he let go of my hand

because he had to

catch the invisible train.

You must have realized how sick he was.

And he left because he wanted to

protect me from him.

He loved me.

You have to believe that.

I do.

I wanted to.

I wanted to.

And so look at me.

Happy New Year and happy all the years ahead now that you can live in truth.

What's happening?

I am an angel.

An angel from God.

We all are, Tess, Andrew and I.

Listen to me.

God himself, the one who holds all time in his hand, wants you to know that

your years of asking why are over.

There's no more time to waste asking why your father left you.

You have an answer.

It may not be complete, but it's enough to know that someone loved you deeply

and simply wanted to protect you.

Life is a mystery.

That we can only understand in part because we live on only one side of the

mirror.

It's not until life is over and the mirror is taken away that it all becomes

clear.

But right now, Angela, you must accept the blessings that you can understand

rejoice in them.

Thank God you had a father who loved you.

Thank God that you survived a dangerous fall.

Thank God that you grow up with beautiful memories.

And that the love of poetry and beauty that your father placed in your heart

become a part of who you are and who he was to you.

Oh yes, I'll always have that.

Always.

And you have something else too.

You have a second chance.

God loves you so much, Angela.

He wants you to take only what you need into the new century and leave what you

don't in the old one.

Take the good memories.

Take the joy of your earthly father and the faithfulness of your heavenly father

and share them with someone who loves you.

For now that you know the truth, you mustn't be afraid of love anymore.

But Meg...

It's too late for Nick.

Only God can decide what's too late.

And you, Angela, are right on time.

I love you. Will you marry me? Yes. Yes, I will.

When? Tomorrow.

Oh, you're on.

But there's something I have to do first, okay?

Right now. Let's go.

Oh,

turn right here.

Sister on the corner.

So you grew up in an office building?

This time capsule, buried in 1955, by an anonymous little girl whose

father was discovered on this spot when ground was broken for this

building.

1979.

That's why the letters stopped.

Is this you?

Yes.

A long time ago.

Daddy?

to be alive in such an age.

I know a poem I recited every millennium.

You want to hear it? Yeah, go for it.

When we've been there ten thousand years, bright, shining as the sun, we've

less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun.

Oh, that's a good one, Angel Girl. I like that a lot.