Original subtitles

I love Christmas.

Hello? Dr. Avison?

Yes? Oh, thank God it's you. I was hoping you could find it in your heart

take a new patient tonight.

This is my private home. How did you get this address?

Do you not take walk -ins?

It's Christmas Eve.

I know.

It's a difficult night for so many, especially the lonely.

I just need someone to talk to.

I'm sorry I can't.

Is that because it's Christmas Eve, or because you have another patient?

Because I can assure you, whatever is going on with this other guy, I've got

way worse.

Look, I'm trying to be patient with you. No, I'm trying to be a patient with

you. Get it?

Good night.

Teresa, wait!

Oh, my God, it's you.

I miss you so much. Nobody believes like they used to.

Oh, oh, good. You're calling Nick to cancel, huh? It's fine. He's a new

No, you're an intruder. I'm calling the police.

How did you know all that?

Okay. Okay. Okay. You got me.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I lied. But there's a very good explanation, okay?

It's just the holidays.

They're so... Wait.

What is... What is that?

What?

On your face.

What? Where?

No, no, no. It's on the other side. It's right here.

Oh, that's a nice holiday sweater.

Hello?

Dr. Avison?

Yes?

It's me, Nick Green.

We spoke on the phone earlier about an emergency new patient appointment.

Yes! Yes! Of course! Of course! I'm so glad you're here.

I just need a moment. I'm wrapping up one last... Okay, thank you so much for

seeing me tonight.

You're a lifesaver.

To pop it all off. I'm totally fucking broke.

I have nothing.

I have no friends.

I'm just so sad.

Yeah.

So sad all the time.

Well, Nick.

I'm really proud of you.

Thanks. I can't believe you're still alive.

What? I mean, you're not listening to yourself?

Dead mom, divorce, money issues, about to spend your first Christmas Eve alone?

I've had patients kill themselves for much less. I mean, I gotta be honest, I

don't know what to do with you, Nick.

I mean, I guess there's one thing we could try. It's a little dangerous,

though.

Scoot over, okay?

It's okay. It's okay.

It's okay. All right.

Nick, are you a believer?

In what?

You have not once mentioned the big guy in this entire conversation.

You mean like God?

I don't believe I'm going to do this, but I'm working on an experimental new

therapy. Very dangerous.

It's called Come to Santa.

Um, I don't... It's just like Gremlins, okay? Look, you're about my age.

Remember, we saw Gremlins as young boys, right?

And remember when Phoebe Cade, she gives that beautiful monologue.

Her dad comes down the chimney dressed as Santa Claus, and he dies!

And it messed us up!

Because... We stopped believing in Santa way too young, and we associate that

trauma with him and with our dads.

That horrific trauma.

I'm telling you, you give me one night, and I can fix you, Nick.

Oh. But I do need to film it.

I'm going to waive your fee. I'm going to pay you $1 ,000 for your time.

Look, man, I'm pretty skeptical about all this. Oh, you're skeptical?

Oh, oh, Santa.

Santa, he's skeptical. He's skeptical. You want to know why he's skeptical?

Because you don't believe anymore. You don't believe in anything.

That's why we have to go all the way back.

All the way back to Santa.

Because if you can believe in him, Nick, you can believe in anything.

Even that you can be happy again.

Come on, what are you going to do? You're going to go home, you're going to

both of your wrists and bleed out in the bathtub?

That's lose -lose for both of us.

How you doing there, buddy?

Sweetheart, look at you.

How do you feel?

Honestly, I've always wanted Christmas jammies.

Me too.

My mom worked all the time. She didn't have any money. We didn't have any

There was hardly any presents.

Yeah, I mean, that's what happens when...

Dads leave their sons when they're seven years old and they never come back.

I never told you when my dad left.

How do you know that?

You know, Nick, this

is not your fault.

Yeah, I know. It's not your fault, Nick. I know. It's not your fault. I never

thought it was.

A lot of other people had it way worse.

No! Jesus.

Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you, but that is a hard no, Nick.

Okay.

Trauma is relative, and this is your trauma.

Your daddy left you, baby. He left you with nothing to believe in. Not even

Santa. Okay?

Congratulations, Nicholas.

You just passed step one.

Merry Christmas.

Is it absolutely necessary?

Yeah, it's absolutely necessary. Come on in. Close the door.

And sit on Santa's lap.

What happens in Santa's workshop stays in Santa's workshop. Come on.

Come on. Okay, come on.

All right, now, tell Santa what you want for Christmas.

Um, I... I want to be happy.

That doesn't work. That's not a thing, okay? I need something specific. What do

you want?

You mean like a toy car or something?

No, Nick, I don't mean a toy car, because...

You're a grown man. I can feel your fully descended testicles on my leg

now. Something specific. What is at the root of your trauma?

I don't know. I don't know what's at the root of my trauma.

Yes, you do. We've been talking about this all night. Come on. It's your...

Your... Dad.

My dad?

Yes, Captain Obvious. You want your dad to come back on Christmas morning. And

Santa can help bring him to you, but you have to ask.

Listen, I appreciate what you're trying to do here, but I don't think this is

for me. Oh, so the love of Frosty. All right, get the camera. Come on.

I wasn't planning on doing this until much later in the process, but you

my hand, you doubting Thomas.

You want proof Santa's real?

Come on.

Come on.

You ready?

Yeah.

Took this picture when I was 10 years old.

In a room, not unlike this one, except it was much darker.

Had my Polaroid camera hidden under my pillow.

I heard the footsteps coming down the hall, the creak of the door.

Saw the white beard peeking in.

He said, shh, don't tell anyone.

And then I snapped the picture.

I know, I know. It's a shock when you see him in the flesh for the first time.

I mean, I myself, I can barely remember anything from that night.

How do you know that wasn't just some guy in a Santa suit that came into your

room? What are you talking about?

I mean, that could have been anyone.

I don't think so.

No.

He brought presents, and there was the celery and the carrots. Oh, and he left

note.

Yeah, the parents do all that.

No.

No, don't you project your daddy trauma onto me. What are you trying to say

here? That it wasn't Santa that came into my room, but just some random guy?

And the reason I can't remember it is because, what, because he raped me?

Oh.

Shane, where'd you get a crazy idea like that from?

Look, man, this has been super helpful, but here.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Don't turn this around on me.

I think you've got some things you've got to process. This is your trauma, not

mine.

We're working on you tonight. I am fine.

I am fine. I am fine!

I'm for caroling an eggnog. Here, here.

No, look, thank you.

But I got to go.

No, no, no. We're almost done with the program.

Come on, have some nog. No, no, maybe you mentioned earlier $1 ,000. I was

thinking maybe I could just take half.

Maybe.

Could we do that?

You want half of the money because you finished half of the program?

Yeah.

You feel good about that?

I feel pretty good about it.

So if you went to the blood bank and you gave them half a bag of blood, you'd

ask for half? That's not how it works. You've got to give the full bag of

Nick. Come on. I think you're just nervous. Have some nog. Let's finish

thing. I don't have nog. Well, that's part of the problem. You need to get in

the Christmas spirit.

But I'm lactose intolerant. Well, this is soy nog, so it's okay.

I just don't like the taste. Drink the nog, Nick!

Yes!

Okay. Down the hatch.

Come on.

Then, like, yes.

Absolutely. Absolutely.

Yes!

Now all we have left is the grand finale, Nick.

Grand finale?

Yes, tomorrow morning, when Santa comes down that chimney right there, and we

get final proof that he's real, when you finally come to Santa!

Tomorrow? No, man, I gotta get home. What are you gonna do at home? Oh, Nick,

what are you going to watch Looney Tunes cartoons on a TV in your sad trailer

where you put a gun in your mouth looking at pictures of your dead ex

don't know what that is. What is that, Gremlins? No, that is Mel Gibson in

Lethal Weapon Gremlins is when the guy falls down and breaks his neck. Come on.

Look, man, I don't want any more nog, man. Look, I'm trying to be nice, okay,

but you clearly have issues with your dad, okay?

Stop saying my dad raped me. That's not cool, especially on Christmas Eve.

Come on. I'm sorry. Where's my bag?

My bag.

Your bag? Yeah.

I don't know.

Where'd you leave it?

I left it... I left it down.

Wait, are you okay, Nick?

I'm fine.

Wait a minute.

Did you have too much eggnog?

What?

Oh, no.

It was the night before Christmas and all through the house that a creature

stirring.

Good night, sweetheart.

I filmed it. I got proof.

Come see. Come see.

And the best part is, I don't think anybody got raped.

Okay, sit.

Sit. Sit. Come on.

Sit. Look.

Look.

Oh, no, that's, uh, that's, that's, that's somebody else.

Oh, shh, wait, he's right here. Look, look, look, look, look, look.

Oh,

what's that?

Oh, it's your present!

Nick, it's your present!

Come on, don't you know where your present, come on!

Oh, where am I?

Okay, all right, come on.

Sounds like a good one, Nick.

Sounds like a good one. Come on.

Open it. Come on.

Where's my bag?

Your bag?

Nick, who cares about your bag?

It's Christmas and Santa came. Come on.

Yes, it's your bag. Go get it.

Dad? Yes!

Yes! 39 years ago, he left you. And this whole time, he's been living two towns

away. And Santa brought him to you on Christmas morning.

Nick!

Wait. No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

It's okay.

You don't need to run away.

I'm not gonna hurt you.

Oh!

Somebody's taking a tummy?

Who are you?

Seriously.

Nick?

It's like gremlins.