Original subtitles

[music playing]

Excuse me.

Jonathan.

How do you like the sign?

Oh, that's great.

I got [inaudible].

John, what are we doing here?

We're waiting for an assignment.

Oh, so we just sit around with our feet up on the desk?

That's what all the private eyes do in the books I read.

Jonathan, we're not private a investigator.

What's the charade?

Wouldn't it be easy for us just to go out, get

to know our assignment, and get the problem

solved, like we always do?

It wouldn't work with these people.

We've got to wait for the assignment to come to us.

What if somebody just needs a detective, sees that sign,

walks in here, and tries to hire him?

We'll take the case.

It might be fun.

Are you sure these people are going to be able to find us?

No problem.

The boss hired a legman.

[inaudible]

Well, dead end.

What can we do?

I know, but to come this far and then we are so close.

But all offshore walls.

Here you go, mister.

No.

No, thank you. - A ticket.

It's free.

Throw it away.

I don't think we should.

Look.

It could be the answer to our problem.

It could be fate.

It says here that you are private investigators.

That's correct.

We are not sure that what we seek fits in your category.

Well, why don't you tell us what the problem is

and we'll help you decide?

We are from Vietnam.

10 years ago, there was trouble for many people,

and the northern invaders decided to--

To punish certain undesirable elements in society.

It was a time of great fear and agitation.

We were sure that we would be going to prison

and may be executed.

So we-- we--

We get our children away.

You did what?

We sent our children to an orphanage,

as if we were already dead, so they could be out of danger.

And were or not?

Yes.

I heard by an American family.

We were in prison back then.

How long were you in prison?

Not quite two years.

We escaped, along with the others, people in the boat.

And we landed in Malaysia, and from there, we go to Singapore.

And then I'm a doctor and I was allowed to be there.

Now during all this, did you hear

any more about your children?

At first, only that they were safe in America.

Once we settled, I was able to establish my practice again,

and we were able to save enough money to come here to America.

From what information we have gotten

from the government agencies, we believe

that they may be in this city.

But he's a stonewall.

If we want talk to authority, he says they

cannot help or they are not able to help

or they are not interested.

And soon, I think all our savings will be gone

and we will have to return to Singapore.

How old are the children now?

Dinh was eight so he would be 18 now.

Little Champ is not yet 12.

12?

He had to be a baby then.

Yes, a baby.

Well, I'll tell you, my partner

and I specialize in this type of thing.

I have a feeling we might be able to help you.

These are their papers, their birth certificates,

copies of orphanage records, school records, some pictures.

How much do you require, retainer?

That's not necessary, not yet.

We'll wait to see how the investigation goes first.

When my wife said we were running low on funds,

she didn't mean that we would require charity.

I understand.

Make the check out for $25.

But that is not enough money.

MARK: Well, it's just a retainer, you see.

That's what we always charge in cases like this.

You know, we're going to have to be smarter than my camera

to find these kids.

This is a big city.

We haven't got very much to go on.

We're not going to have any trouble finding the boys.

Oh, really?

The problem comes after we find them.

[music playing]

Hi, honey.

Hi, mom.

Here's the mail.

How was your day, son?

OK.

What's the matter?

Nothing.

You sound so down for nothing to be wrong.

If I got accepted, the University would have

contacted me by now, right?

Well, maybe the letter was lost in the mail.

Come on, mom.

I think your mother's right.

Maybe you should give them a call.

What for?

I'm only kidding myself.

Well, if it were me, I would want

to know one way or the other.

Now, either you call them or I will.

All right, I'll call them.

Whoo.

All right.

Full scholarship.

Congratulations.

You guys knew this.

[laughter]

And you were worried about getting accepted.

You get a full scholarship.

Please forgive us for opening it.

We just couldn't wait.

Way to go, bro.

I can't believe this.

This is great.

Yeah.

[doorbell ring]

Yeah.

I'll get it.

Oh, OK.

Yeah?

Mr. Hopkins?

That's right.

Look, I don't mean to be rude, but if you're selling

something, you're taking--

No, it's nothing like that.

We're private investigators.

Oh?

My wife's past started to catch up with her?

Seriously, how can I help?

It's about Dinh and Champ.

My boys haven't done anything wrong, have they?

No, no. Not at all.

Actually, it's about their parents,

their Vietnamese parents.

They're alive, Mr. Hopkins.

Alive?

That's right.

They'd like to see the boys.

MRS. HOPKINS: Howard.

DINH: Hey, dad.

I'll be right there.

Look, I know this comes as quite a shock to you.

That's putting it mildly.

They're here?

Yeah.

They've been looking for the boys quite a while.

How did you find us?

It's a long story.

The important thing is we did find you.

How do you feel about allowing our clients to see the boys?

Oh, I don't know.

Look, I want to talk this over with my wife.

I understand.

These parents, do you know what it is they want?

They just want to see the boys, you know,

that they're OK.

You sure that's all?

As far as we know.

They were the boy's parents.

Yeah, they were.

MRS. HOPKINS: Howard?

Coming.

Look, here's our card.

We won't give them your whereabouts

until we hear from you.

OK.

Goodbye, Mr. Hopkins.

Come on, Champ.

Don't make a career out of that cake.

It's your turn to wash.

Wait till I finish.

- Come on, let's go. - Mom.

Dad.

Mom's not in at the moment, and your father's

relaxing in the living room and unavailable for intercession.

I'm afraid you'll have to settle it yourselves.

Come on, let's go. You listen.

You heard. - I'm coming.

I'm coming.

Yeah, so is Christmas.

Let's go.

Come on.

[laughs]

Do carry on.

When Dinny goes off to college, it's going to be

awfully quiet around here.

Speaking of quiet, where have you been all evening?

Just thinking, I guess.

Getting a little sad now that Dinny's going away?

Yeah, I suppose.

He has turned into someone special.

They both have.

Who would have thought 10 years ago--

[phone ringing]

I'll get that.

Hello?

No, no, no.

You have the wrong number.

Howard, what's wrong?

Come on, tell me.

Today, two men came to the door, private investigators.

And?

The boys' natural parents are alive.

They're here, Barbara, and they want to see the boys.

[music playing]

[playing]

[laughter]

I hope we're doing the right thing.

We are.

Put yourself in their place, Howard.

All they want to do is see the boys, know they're all right.

You can't blame them.

You're right, I guess.

Dinny reacted so strangely when we told him.

Well, it was a shock to him.

Wouldn't it be to you?

After all these years, yeah.

[laughs] Champ could care less, that's for sure.

[laughs]

Champ.

Dinh.

You've grown so tall.

Why don't we all go into the house?

All the way from Vietnam to Malaysia?

That's 300 miles?

I'm not sure of the distance, but it took 27 days.

And you only had an open boat?

It's amazing you survived.

Some didn't, but they had been in prison longer than we

and were weaker.

It's an amazing story.

Where do you plan to go from here?

Go back to Singapore.

How soon?

MR. TRUONG: That depends on how soon

we can get all the necessary formalities arranged.

Formalities?

To take the boys back with us.

To what?

Take them back?

Wait.

Let's just back up a second here.

What makes you think that we would let them go with you?

They are our children.

The hell they are.

You didn't just give them to us for a while.

They were orphans, or at least they were supposed to be.

We adopted them.

We raised them.

What right have you to come here and ask for them back?

We are their parents.

Not anymore, you're not.

I'm going to have to ask you to leave here.

I wish we should settle this.

It is settled.

You just take us to court and see how far you get.

Look, Mr. and Mrs. Truong, why don't we go back to the hotel

and talk about this?

There is nothing to talk about.

I expect you to honor the promise that you made me.

And we will wait for your answer.

I can't believe he even thinks such a thing.

Neither can I.

Dinny, he mentioned something about a promise.

What promise?

When my father took us to the orphanage,

he made me promise that I would not let anyone separate both

Champ and I. Whoever wanted to adopt us had to take

us both or it was no-go.

Is that all?

No.

I promised that if they survived the death camp

and came back for us, both Champ and I would leave whoever

had us and go with them.

[music playing]

I expected some [inaudible] since they should be

saying goodbye to the children.

And I understand how easy it is to become

attached to young people.

However, their anger confuses me.

You don't go barging into somebody's house

and tell them you're going to take their sons away from them.

Not their sons, my sons.

Don't you understand?

They belong to the Hopkins now legally.

What you said has no bearing on this problem.

They are our sons.

And I know exactly they really want to stay with me.

Hey, I wouldn't be too sure of that,

and I know the Hopkins sure aren't

going to go along with it.

I believe [inaudible].

We engaged you how to find our son,

not to instruct us in how to handle their return,

you know that?

Come on.

We should leave now.

Assignment stinks.

Why did we get involved?

Because it was our assignment.

It was a mistake.

If we hadn't brought them in, they never

would have found those boys.

They'd have gone back home.

After all they've been through,

they deserve to see their sons.

A right to see them, yes.

A right to try to take them back, no.

Now why don't you admit it, John?

We messed up on this one.

We messed up.

Do you believe those people, come here saying our mom

aren't our mom or dad?

They aren't.

Dinh.

Come on, Chammo.

Don't turn dumb on me now.

You know we're adopted.

Well, still doesn't make those people our real parents.

But it does.

Maybe to you, but not to me.

I don't remember them, so.

- Listen to me. - No way.

I don't know those people and I'm not going

to Singapore, whatever that is.

I don't want to go, either, but we might have to.

What are you talking about?

This is where I live.

I belong here.

Legally, yes, but morally we belong to the Truongs.

What they did, they did to save our lives.

Do you understand that?

No.

My name isn't Truong.

It's Hopkins, and it's going to stay that way.

[music playing]

[knock on door]

Dinh.

Morning, Mr. Smith.

How are you feeling?

All right.

I would like to see my mother and father.

Would you please tell me where they are?

I'd be happy to take you there.

If you don't mind, I would like to go by myself.

I understand.

I would like you to release me from my promise.

No.

Impossible.

Hear me out, please.

In the 10 years that I've been here,

I've made a good life for myself, and also for Champ.

We would have expected nothing less.

But it is the life that is here in America.

I've made many friends.

I even got accepted at an excellent university

on a full scholarship, with the chance to become a doctor,

like you.

It's a life with a good future.

If I go back to Singapore, that would mean that I

will be starting over again.

You will be with your own family again.

You will be Vietnamese again, and you'll be

called by your rightful name, Dinh [non-english]..

No.

My rightful name is Hopkins, and I am an American.

You are not an American.

You are Vietnamese, with a long and proud

tradition of being Vietnamese.

I don't want to go to Singapore.

I want to stay here in America.

How about your promise?

Has becoming an American made keeping your word mean less?

Vietnamese children own their promises to their parents,

and you were born Vietnamese.

I'm going for a walk.

I need some fresh air.

I wish to be by myself.

After all these years, all that you've been through,

he is still the same--

stiff-necked, unyielding.

Be quiet.

Do you have any idea what it was like back then, back there--

all those months in that filthy prison,

when we were sure we would be executed,

almost looking forward to it because the conditions were

so awful?

But one of the things that kept us going

was knowing that some day, we would see you and Champ again.

It kept us alive.

I'm sorry, mama, but you must understand how I feel.

Back in Vietnam, when I was little,

he never picked me up, held me like a son.

I felt like a stranger, somebody he had to order around.

It doesn't matter.

He is what he is, your father.

[music playing]

Kind of dark to be shooting hoops.

Yeah.

Why don't you come on inside?

In a few minutes.

Look, son, I think I know how you feel.

I know it's not easy.

It's my father, and I made him a promise.

Come on, Dinny, you were 10 years old.

You don't have to keep that promise.

Dinh.

Hey, look at me.

You're not seriously considering going back there with him?

Oh.

Your whole life is here.

Everything that you have is here.

People that love you are here.

God, son, your mom and I love you.

I know that, and I love you, too.

But you have to try to understand, my mother

and father have lived only for us, for the day

that we would be together.

They have been through things that you

and I would not even be able to imagine, far worse than death.

And if I don't go, I don't--

I don't think I could live with that guilt.

Guilt that he put on you.

Maybe, but it's there.

I can't erase it and I can't make it disappear.

What about your mother and me?

What about us?

We have feelings.

God, don't you--

don't you think I know that?

Sorry.

But you have Champ, and they have no one.

You made your mind up about this, haven't you?

Yeah.

Tell them tomorrow.

Just don't say anything to Champ, OK?

I'd like to tell him myself.

[music playing]

Father.

Dinh.

I will be going with you to Singapore.

I never doubted that you wouldn't, and your brother.

He will stay here.

You must talk to him.

He'll listen to you.

No.

He doesn't even know you.

It's not right.

His place is here.

I don't understand.

Your promise--

Was to return with you.

I intend to honor that promise.

Champ was just a baby and he made no such promise.

He's 11 years old.

How can you know what's the best for him?

I know what's best for him, to stay with the parents he loves.

Now, I don't want to argue about this.

You get me alone or you get neither one of us.

You do not make deals with your father.

On this point I do.

Take it or leave it.

It's enough.

I'll prepare to leave.

Your work is finished.

What is my final payment?

It's nothing.

I told you, I'm in no need of your charity.

It's not charity, Mr. Truong.

I'm paid for services rendered.

What have I accomplished here?

A young man forced to leave his life

behind because of a fateful promise he made as a child?

His younger brother forced to live the rest of his life

with the older brother he loved and idolized

and a family torn apart?

No, Mr. Truong, I don't want to be paid for that.

[music playing]

Little league batting champion, 1982.

Seems like just yesterday.

Boy, you were some kind of competitor.

Still are.

It's a big difference between and your brother,

that drive you have.

I've always felt I had to prove something, to try harder

so I can be like the rest.

I know.

That's what made it easier for Champ.

You blazed the trail.

Well, he was younger.

He never really knew he was different.

What made you so special was the fact

that you are different.

The two of you have brought so much joy into our lives.

I'm glad.

I think that's why it's so difficult for us

to understand why you choose to leave.

My father needs me there.

He needs to say to his friends, oh, this is my son Dinh,

and to know that the line of Truongs will continue.

There's nothing I can do to keep you here?

You've taught me that life is about making choices.

Once I make them, I must stick by them.

It's your brother.

Would you leave us?

Hi, dad.

Hi, Champ.

Hey, bro.

Hey, Champ.

Look at that mess.

What are you doing?

Packing.

Packing?

A little anxious to get to college, aren't you?

I mean, you don't leave till September.

I'm not packing for college.

I'm going to Singapore.

No, you're not.

I am.

Dinh, that's crazy.

What are you doing?

Maybe when you get a little older, you'll understand.

Don't give me this older crap.

What you're doing is dumb and it's wrong.

Look, you're not going to understand.

And I don't have very much time, so let's not spend it arguing,

OK?

Fine.

I won't argue.

Here, I'll help you pack.

Got to take these, all your [inaudible] trophies.

You got to show them off to all your new friends.

Champ, talk to me.

Hey, there's no time to talk.

We got to pack these trophies.

They're all you care about.

Mom and dad don't mean anything.

I don't mean anything.

Let me go.

Let me go.

[crying] Dinh, don't go.

[music playing]

[knock on door]

Mr. Smith.

Can I come in?

Of course.

Did you change your mind about your fee?

No.

No, I came here to ask you to reconsider what you're doing.

There's nothing to reconsider.

We are a family, and it is very important for family

to be together.

Have you thought about the Hopkins family?

Have you thought about the way they feel?

You're splitting up their sons.

They're our sons.

A son should be with his father.

You're not thinking about your son.

You're only thinking of yourself.

You think that just because I do

not act like American father, I do not care for my children?

That is not true.

And how difficult being a buddy for my children.

You care, I know that, just as I

know you cared enough to treat wounded Americans

during the war.

What you do know about that?

I know all about it.

You treated those men, knowing that if it came out,

you'd end up in prison, or even worse.

I'm a doctor.

I have no choice.

Oh, yes you did.

And how many of your colleagues turned their backs on them?

How can you know these things?

It's not important.

Mr. Truong, what's important is that's the memory you're going

to leave for your son, the memory of a father

who was a dedicated man of medicine, who risked his life

to save others, instead of leaving him

a memory of a tyrant, demanding that he keep

a promise he made 10 years ago.

We must finish packing.

We leave in the morning.

Mrs. Truong, are you sure about this?

You sure about what you're doing to your son?

It is important for Mr Truong.

I didn't ask you that.

How do you feel?

It concerns a promise between a father and son.

But you're the boy's mother.

Doesn't the mother have any say in this?

Please go, Mr. Smith.

Goodbye.

[music playing]

Hey, dad.

I missed you so much.

Hey, you have more hair.

[laughs] Oh, mom's waiting in the car.

Come on, let's go.

Man, I missed you so much.

Bye, Dinny.

Bye, mother.

Love you.

[crying]

Dinh, don't.

Can we wait till the plane takes off?

Yeah.

You have become a very good and honorable son.

I am very proud of you.

Mr. And Mrs. Hopkins have done very well with you.

They deserve [inaudible].

Someday, when the time is right, I

want you to tell your [inaudible] child

how much we love him and you.

But--

I want you to go back to them.

I'm releasing you from the promise.

It's nothing to do [inaudible].

Thank you.

[music playing]

Hey, Champ, are you going to stand there all day?

Let's go home.

I've got to tell you, buddy, he had me worried for a while.

Me, too, buddy.

Me, too.

[music continuing]