Original subtitles

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(SCHOOL BELL RINGING) (KIDS CHEERING)

Almost Christmas.

I love the way the city's transformed by all the decorations.

What do you most love about Christmas, Helga?

(CHUCKLES) Are you kidding?

The presents! I'm going to make a haul this year.

But Helga, Christmas is about giving and sharing,

family and friends, holiday spirit.

Oh, come off your high horse, sister.

Christmas is about presents.

It's about getting as much stuff as you can possibly get.

It's about money and flash.

It's about shopping like a barbarian.

It's about getting yours before the other guy gets his.

It's about dropping hints, making lists, Christmas is about...

(VOICE ECHOING)

Snowboots.

(VOICE ECHOING)

Nancy Spumoni signature snowboots.

Imported leather, bold emboss,

hand-riveted, zigzag spread, steel toes.

I've got to have 'em.

I've just got to have 'em.

You and every other girl in the city, Helga.

The stores are practically sold out.

There just aren't enough for everybody.

I'll get my boots, Rhonda Lloyd.

I've been dropping hints to my parents for weeks,

and they better not blow it

or I'll show them some holiday spirit.

So what did you get your Dad?

Nice plaid tie, not too loud.

That's nice. What did you get Jamie O.?

A tie. Red and blue.

That's good. What did you get Timberly?

A tie with little pink things on it.

Gerald, you can't get Timberly a tie for Christmas.

She's a little four-year-old girl

What's she gonna wear a tie for?

Formal occasions.

ARNOLD: You can't just give everybody a tie for Christmas.

GERALD: Why not? Because Christmas is special.

It's about showing the people you're close to that you really care about them.

When you give somebody a present, it should be unique.

Well, maybe you're right.

Maybe I'll give my grandpa the tie I got for Timberly.

And I get a toy or something.

Now you're getting the Christmas spirit. Well, see ya.

Where ya going?

I gotta go take your present back.

See you, Gerald.

Arnold, what a goof. What a sap.

What a holiday fool.

How I revile his very existence.

And yet, I love him.

His awkward gait,

his half-lidded gaze, his brave,

his misguided concern for those less fortunate.

I must find the perfect gift for my beloved.

Something big and flashy.

Something that will impress him and make him pine for me.

The way that I pine for him.

(WIND HOWLING)

(INDISTINCT WHISPERING)

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.

So that's all of us.

It's time to pick your Secret Santa.

Go ahead, everybody

Pick a random name from the bowl.

(WHISPERING) Don't tell anyone, but I got Oskar.

I got Oskar, too.

So did I.

(LAUGHS) What a coincidence!

Kokoshka, you bum.

You wrote your name on all the slips.

Okay, okay. It was a joke.

A Christmas joke, eh?

A yuletide prankster, eh?

Okay, we'll start over.

Pookie, how about a little Christmas music.

(PLAYING PIANO)

ARNOLD: (WHISPERS) Mr. Hyunh.

(ALL LAUGHING)

Arnold, it's simple. Just get him a tie.

Gerald, that's what everybody gets

when they don't know what to get somebody.

Exactly my point. I don't know.

He always seems so sad this time of year.

I gotta think of something special.

Something that would cheer him up.

Well, if you really wanna find out what the guy wants,

why don't you just go and talk to him.

Yeah, I'll just go talk to him.

Gather some clues. Figure out what he wants.

What a great plan, Gerald!

Is there something special

you want to talk with me about, Arnold?

No, no.

I just wanted to say hello and, um...

...just see how you're doing.

Oh, I'm fine. Thank you.

I wish I had some candy to offer you.

I never have any candy around here.

Oh, do you like candy, Mr. Hyunh?

No, no, no. Candy is bad for my stomach.

Sure has been cold lately.

Yes, very cold. Make me shiver.

I bet you could probably use a nice, warm sweater.

No, I got plenty of sweater.

See, red, blue, green,

wool, cotton.

Plenty of sweater. You want one?

No thanks.

So, it's almost Christmas time. Yes.

This time of year

always make me remember.

Remember what?

It was a long time ago, Arnold.

A very complicated story.

I'd like to hear it. Please, tell me.

HYUNH: Many years ago,

I lived in another country.

Far away.

I was a young man

with a family.

A beautiful baby girl.

I called her Mai.

I was the luckiest man in the world.

At night, I used to dream about our future together,

to watch Mai grow up and go to school.

To see her be happy.

But there was trouble in my country. (HELICOPTER HOVERING)

There was a war in the north.

And every day,

the fighting was coming closer and closer.

I know this would not be a good place for my child to grow up.

I could not keep her safe.

Maybe not even have enough food for her to eat.

So I decided, we must try to get out.

We must try to find a better life,

Everyone was trying to get out.

Everywhere there was confusion.

Somehow, I got through.

The only way out of the city was by helicopter.

There were too many people.

I begged the soldier,

"Please, please take us.

"Help us find a new life."

But he could not.

He said, "There was only room for one of us."

Then, I had to make the most

difficult decision of my life.

I knew I had to do the best thing for Mai.

I knew if I gave Mai to the soldier,

he would take care of her.

(INAUDIBLE) He would find a home for her.

And then, as soon as I could, I would get out of the country

and find her again.

As the helicopter left,

the soldier called out the name of a city.

This city.

He said he would bring her here.

You had to give her to the soldier.

You were saving her life.

Yes.

You've never seen her since?

No, it took me 20 years

until I could finally get out of the country.

That's why I came to this city.

I believe she's here, somewhere.

But I've not been able to find her.

Sometimes, it is so difficult.

I almost give up hope.

But I never stopped thinking about her.

I'll never stop trying.

I would give anything to see her again.

To know that she is happy.

You're crazy, Arnold, really crazy. (HORN HONKING)

You want to hang out with that monkey man guy.

That's how crazy you are.

What's so crazy about it?

Mr. Hyunh only wants one thing,

and that's to see his daughter.

I know it's a long shot,

but if I could find her and bring them together,

it could be the best Christmas gift I could give Mr. Hyunh.

Arnold, it's the day before Christmas.

There's millions of people in the city.

It would take a miracle to find her.

Maybe.

But, what better time for a miracle than Christmas.

Isn't that what Christmas is really about?

Presents, presents, presents!

I got to find the right present for Arnold.

Hmm, a new kite maybe? Nah, too cheap.

Or a unicycle?

Nah, not flashy enough.

Whatever I get him has got to be big.

Really big. I know!

(TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWING) A deluxe 240-piece train set,

complete with autumn foliage, collapsible bridge,

and one-legged Bob, the affable railroad tramp.

No, too juvenile.

Arnold's too mature for that.

Think, Helga, think.

What would Arnold want for Christmas.

Here it is. Here, what is?

I've been on the phone all morning,

calling every government agency in town,

and everything led me to this place.

Federal Office of Information?

Somewhere in this building is the information we need

to find Mr. Hyunh's daughter. All we got to do is get it.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

(LAUGHTER)

I think we're too late, Arnold.

It's already Christmas for these guys.

Come on. There must be somebody still working here.

Come on.

(PRINTER WHIRRING)

Excuse me, Mr. Bailey?

What are you two kids doing here?

Nobody's allowed in here. Can't you see I'm busy?

We're looking for a missing person named Mai Hyunh.

We think she lives somewhere in the city.

So what do you want me to do about it?

Uh, we thought you could find her for us.

Please?

She was separated from her father by a war.

He's a really good guy. He's a friend of mine.

I want to bring them together for Christmas.

And what a perfect Christmas present,

don't you think, Mr. Bailey?

Look, kid, your story has touched me, deeply.

But to find your Mai Hyunh would be a huge job.

It would take hours, maybe even days!

I can't do it at a time like this.

Now go on.

There's a Christmas party down the hall.

Go. Have some eggnog. (TELEPHONE RINGING)

Yeah.

Oh, hi, dear.

No, no. I didn't do the Christmas shopping yet.

What do you expect? I got a ton of work here!

Yes, yes, I got the list right here.

Yes, I know it's Christmas Eve.

(SIGH) Okay, okay. Look, I'll get it done somehow.

I love you too, dear, bye.

(GRUMBLES)

What? You still here?

I was just wondering,

what if Gerald and me did your Christmas shopping for you.

Huh?

What? I'm gonna trust you kids with my Christmas shopping?

Yeah. Yeah.

Right, I'm gonna give 300 bucks to a couple of nine-year-old kids.

How else are you gonna get it done on time?

Mister, I'd do anything

to get Mr. Hyunh and his daughter together.

I'll do your shopping. You can trust me.

I'll come back, no matter what.

Okay, you got yourself a deal.

I hate shopping anyway.

Plus, I'm desperate.

Be back here by closing time with the stuff on the list.

And I mean, all the stuff.

And then I'll try running a search on your Mai Hyunh.

Well, what are you waiting for?

It's the last shopping day before Christmas.

Shoo! (SIGHS AND GRUMBLES)

Great, now all we have to do is buy this stuff,

and Mr. Bailey will find Mai

and Mr. Hyunh will have the best Christmas ever.

This is it,

the prefect flashy present to impress Arnold, at last.

That sure is a keen skateboard, Helga.

I should know, on account Arnold got one just like it.

His is barefoot too.

(GROANS)

Bye, Helga.

Hope your Christmas doesn't bite.

Only one more item, Gerald.

Official Nancy Spumoni snowboots.

I have found it.

The Frozen Tundra Death Warrior 7000.

The jewel and crown of video games.

Flashy, expensive,

perfect for my beloved. (SIGHS)

Arnold will be overwhelmed.

On Christmas morn, he will unwrap my gift,

his little heart will fill with joy,

his little eyes will find the attached tag,

"To Arnold, from Helga."

And his uniquely football-shaped head

will fill with thoughts about me,

Helga Pataki.

And perhaps, then, those same thoughts

will lead him to feel the same admiration

and, dare I say it, love for me.

That I have so long and secretly harbored for him.

(SIGHS)

This truly must be the meaning of Christmas.

(SNIFFLES)

(GASPS)

Oh, uh. Hi, Helga.

So, football-head and tall-hair boy.

Little last minute Christmas shopping, I see.

Yeah, what are you getting?

Hmm, Frozen Tundra Death Warrior 7000.

That's right. I guess if somebody got a present like that,

they'd be pretty impressed by whoever gave it to 'em.

Don't you think?

Well, I don't know, Helga.

Basically, it's kind of an expensive flashy gift

that isn't really personal,

and doesn't necessarily express any real feeling

or understanding of the person who you might be giving it to.

No offense, Helga. Gerald, we better get going.

Merry Christmas, Helga. Argh!

"Nancy Spumoni snowboots"?

Excuse me, sir. Yes?

I need a pair of Nancy Spumoni snowboots.

Could you wait just a minute? Sure.

See, this is gonna be easy.

Go ahead, kid, tell us what you want.

A pair of Nancy Spumoni snowboots.

(ALL LAUGHING)

I don't get it. What's so funny?

We've been sold out of those boots for a month.

But, in all seriousness,

if you want to put your name on a waiting list,

I could get you a pair of by,

oh, say, the 4th of July?

(ALL LAUGHING)

4th of July.

There's got to be a pair of Nancy Spumoni snowboots out there somewhere.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(INAUDIBLE)

(BELL TOLLING)

GERALD: Oh, no. The government office is gonna close.

We're out of time.

Come on, Arnold. Let's just go back and tell the guy,

"We just can't find the boots."

(SIGHS)

I can't believe there isn't one pair

of Nancy Spumoni snowboots left in this whole city.

BAILEY: No snowboots?

Look, kid, we made a deal.

You get everything on the list

and then I find your missing person.

But we tried. We looked everywhere.

We must have looked in over a 100 shoe stores.

Listen, boys,

my wife, specifically, told me to get

Nancy Spumoni snowboots for our daughter.

I gotta have those snowboots! No snowboots, no deal!

(TELEPHONE RINGING)

(DOOR CLOSES) Yeah. Okay, look...

I just can't believe after all this,

we blew it, Gerald,

All I had to do was bring a pair

of Nancy Spumoni snowboots

to Mr. Bailey at that crazy Federal Office of Information,

and he'd find Mr. Hyunh's daughter.

But it's no snowboots, no deal.

(SIGHS) Well,

thanks for sticking with me like a true friend, Gerald.

I needed a miracle, I guess. Just couldn't get one.

Hey, Arnold, you did all right, man.

You try harder than anyone else I know.

All for Mr. Hyunh,

a guy who's alone in this country.

The stuff you did is more important than a bunch of presents.

It's more important than some dumb snowboots.

What you did, well,

that's what Christmas is all about, Arnold.

(BUS APPROACHING) Thanks, Gerald,

Just wish I could've put Mr. Hyunh and his daughter together for Christmas.

(ALL SINGING) ♪ Oh, what fun

♪ It is to ride

♪ In a one-horse open sleigh ♪

(BOTH LAUGHING)

BIG BOB: Oh, give me another eggnog.

MIRIAM: Helga,

where have you been all day?

Out, Miriam. MIRIAM: Honey, you look depressed.

Why don't you open one of your presents now?

MIRIAM: Merry X-mas!

Oh, my gosh! Nancy Spumoni signature snowboots.

Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh!

I stood in line for 18 hours

to get these, Helga,

I swear they must be the last pair

in the city. Wow!

Thanks, Mom. I wanted these more than anything,

anything in the whole wide world.

I gotta try 'em out.

(VOICE ECHOING)

(VOICE ECHOING)

Oh, criminy.

Another moral dilemma.

(SIGHS) Okay.

On the one hand, I got what I wanted for Christmas.

I'm happy and that's really all that matters, right?

But, on the other hand, I finally discovered

the one perfect thing Arnold wants for Christmas.

And through a truly bizarre quirk of fate,

it's the same snowboots.

And I could give them up and give Arnold what he wants.

But, then, I wouldn't have anything.

And these snowboots are really boss.

Oh, what's the right thing to do?

(HELICOPTER HOVERING)

Here they are, pal, one pair of Nancy Spumoni snowboots.

Now, turn those lights back on.

We've got a missing person to locate.

Are you kidding? I'm going home.

It's Christmas Eve for crying out loud.

Can't you see? It's not about snowboots.

It's not about flashy expensive presents

or getting yours before the other guy get's his.

It's about showing people you really care about 'em.

And most of all,

it's about a funny little, football-headed kid

with a good heart but no sense of reality,

whose entire world view is at stake.

Look, kid, I appreciate your little holiday speech and all that,

but it's late, and I'm going home now.

For pity's sake, are you that cold?

Look into your heart, and we've got a choice here.

Either you and I work all night

to find a certain lost daughter,

or you can leave now.

But if you leave now,

that little football-headed kid

will never believe in miracles again.

(CHILDREN CHATTERING AND LAUGHING)

(LAUGHTER)

Merry Christmas, man. Merry Christmas, Gerald.

GRANDPA: All right, this one's for Oskar.

OSKAR: (LAUGHS) I'm so excited.

I'm going to open my Christmas present now.

Everybody, look. What can it be?

Coal?

It looks like a bag of coal.

Who would give me a bag of coal on Christmas?

Wasn't me.

Well, I guess that's everybody.

Merry Christmas!

Hey, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. What about Mr. Hyunh.

He didn't get a present.

Well, that's right.

There should be a present for Mr. Hyunh here somewhere?

That's funny.

There's nothing here for Mr. Hyunh.

It's all right.

I don't need a present. It's nothing.

Wait.

I've something to tell you.

(DOOR BELL RINGING)

Oh, now who could that be?

I'm coming, I'm coming.

Lousy yuletide pranksters.

(CLOCK TICKING)

(DOOR CLOSES)

MAI: Ba.

Father.

Mai?

I can't believe it.

Mai,

is it really you?

Look at you.

Everyone,

this is Mai, my daughter.

Hello, everyone.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Hyunh.

Mai... (SPEAKS VIETNAMESE)

Well, I guess Mr. Hyunh got his present after all.

I thought she was a yuletide prankster.

Well, I guess, miracles can happen after all.

Yeah, but how did it happen, Gerald?

I mean, it doesn't make sense.

Don't try to make sense out of it, Arnold.

A miracle's a miracle,

and that's all there's to it.

Maybe you got a Christmas angel

looking out for you or something.

A Christmas angel? Yeah, maybe.

(WHISPERS) Merry Christmas, Arnold.