(Father) "Alright." It's a video camera."
(Son - Daniel) "Dad!"
(Father) "Just like the one you wanted! Wait, that is the one you wanted, right?"
(Daniel) "Uh, yeah."
(Father) "Great! That's awesome! Well, enjoy it; you get your present early this year!"
(Daniel) "Well, I didn't mean to.."
(Father) "Oh, save it!"
(Daniel) "What's your problem?"
(Father) "What's my problem? My problem is coming home from a crappy day at work to find
my son stealing his own Christmas gift!"
(Daniel) "Look, I didn't even mean to find this stupid thing! Here, take it!"
(Father) "Oh, no! It's yours! Your mother looked all over town for that thing, the least
you can do is make good use of it!"
(Daniel) "Fine, whatever!"
(Father) "Merry Christmas!"
Scene change
(Mother) "Hi honey."
(Daniel) "I'm going out to meet Jesse."
(Mother) "Okay."
(Daniel) "Thanks for the camera."
(Sister) "Why does he get his present early? It's so unfair!"
Scene change
(Jesse) "What about that one?"
(Daniel) "Too cutesie!"
(Jesse) "This camera's pretty cool."
(Daniel) "Yeah, probably not worth the hassle though!"
(Jesse) "So, what's up with your Dad anyway?"
(Daniel) "I don't know; I guess he just hates his own life so much that we all have to hate
ours too!"
(Jesse) "Have you ever talked to him about it?"
(Daniel) "Yeah, right! It's like I don't even exist unless I'm in trouble, and especially
now that I've ruined Christmas, I really don't exist."
(Jesse) "At least they got you what you wanted! I don't even know if my Dad will show up!......What
about that one?"
(Daniel) "Eh."
(Jesse) "So, I was reading the Christmas Story in the Bible the other day.."
(Daniel) "Really?"
(Jesse) "Yes, really! So, there was this part where the Magi shows up to King Herod's and
tells him about the Messiah being born, and the King was all like, 'Tell me where He's
at!' Because he wants to kill Him, right? But, word spreads all over that the Messiah,
this guy they've been waiting their whole lives for, is here! But, the only people who
go visit Him are the Magi and some shepherds. Can you imagine? The Son of God is born in
your own backyard and you don't even go visit?"
(Daniel) "Yeah, imagine if He was born today!"
(Jesse) "I know, right! There would be all of these talking heads on TV arguing whether
he is the real thing or just a PR stunt; like that balloon boy! There it is...I knew I could
get a smile out of you! 'Jesse Coulson here with KBSI News! Mr. Meriweather, what are
your thoughts on the alleged birth of the alleged Christ Child?'"
(Daniel) "Well, I might go see it; but, the game is on tonight, and I have got soccer
practice. So, I'll probably just wait for the DVD."
(Jesse) "And what are your thoughts on the alleged Magi? Wise man, Magi, or terrorist
threat?"
(Daniel) "I'm not sure."
(Mother) "Hi honey."
(Daniel) "Hey, I'm going to bed."
(Mother) "Listen Daniel...about this afternoon; I know your Dad kind of blew up at you, but,
I think you need to apologize to him."
(Daniel) "Apologize? For what? I didn't even do anything, I wasn't even looking for the
stupid camera!"
(Mother) "Then what were you doing in there?"
(Daniel) "I was looking for...."
(Mother) "Are you going to answer me?"
(Daniel) "Look, I was looking for the camera alright? I wanted to make sure you got me
exactly what I wanted! Is that what you wanted to hear?"
(Mother) "Daniel, come on! You know I don't think that!"
(Daniel) "Dad does."
(Mother) "Your Dad has been under a lot of pressure lately."
(Daniel) "Who hasn't been under a lot of pressure? You've been under a lot of pressure, I don't
seeing you being a complete jerk to everyone in the room!"
(Mother) "Do not talk about your Father like that!"
(Daniel) "Then tell him to stop accusing me of things I didn't do!"
(Mother) "Look, can you guys just try and get along for a little while? It's Christmas,
honey!"
(Daniel) "Yea well, you could have fooled me."
Scene change
(Father) "He hates me!"
(Mother) "He's a teenager, he hates everything."
(Father) "I just want a little respect; is that so much to ask?"
(Mother) "Who knows, maybe he just wants the same thing."
Scene change
(Mother) "Daniel, hurry and eat your breakfast, your going to be late for school."
(Daniel) "It's Christmas break Mom."
(Mother) "Oh okay, good! You can help me decorate the tree!"
Scene change
(Daniel) "Whatever happened to the old decorations that we used to have?"
(Mother) "Which decorations, honey?"
(Daniel) "You know, the ones that used to be at Grandma's."
(Mother) "Oh, I am sure we threw those out a long time ago. They were so beat up, they
made everything look cheap. New decorations are so much nicer, don't you think?"
(Sister) "I think so!"
(Daniel) "Oh, shut up!"
(Sister) "You shut up! I think he needs a time out Mom!"
Scene change
(Jesse) "They really threw it out?"
(Daniel) "Yep; stockings, the ornaments, even the little manger scene."
(Jesse) "That's just wrong!"
(Daniel) "Yeah, my Grandma made a lot of that by hand. Now, it's all gone just like that,
and I am the only one who thinks it's a big deal."
(Jesse) "Give me your phone!"
(Daniel) "What for?"
(Jesse) "I am going to send a text message to God! Dear God, please help my friend Daniel,
who has lost something important to him. I know you are busy, but this one thing will
mean a lot. Love, Jesse...Amen!"
(Daniel) "You're crazy!"
(Jesse) "You watch, it will be a Christmas miracle. So, my Dad's coming to visit this
weekend."
(Daniel) "Well, how do you feel about that?"
(Jesse) "I'm happy, I guess; it's been awhile. I think as there is no beer involved it will
be okay."
(Daniel) "Seems simple enough. You want me to send a text message for you?"
(Jesse) "If you don't mind."
Scene change
(Father) "You know, you may not like being a part of this family, but you are. That means
that you have a certain level of responsibility."
(Daniel) "Oh, the Christmas party!"
(Father) "Yeah! We we are 45 minutes late, and you are not even dressed!"
(Daniel) "Look, I am sorry, I forgot!"
(Father) "I am so sick of I am sorry!"
(Daniel) "Look, just go without me, I didn't even want to go anyways!"
(Father) "Oh, you are going!"
(Daniel) "Why? So I can play secret Santa with a bunch of people I don't even know?"
(Mother) "We've gone to church with them since you were a baby."
(Daniel) "Church? When is the last time you went to church?"
(Mother) "Come on Daniel, it's just a Christmas party!"
(Father) "Just go upstairs and get dressed right now!"
(Daniel) "No!"
(Father) "No! Why, you little punk!"
(Sister) "Stop yelling, please!"
(Mother) "Please!"
(Father) "No! I am sick of this! I work 60 hours a week so this family has a roof, food
on the table, and all the little toys you want! And you don't show one bit of gratitude!"
(Daniel) "What chance do I get? All you do is ride me! I don't even want any of the stuff
anyway!"
(Father) "Oh, well fine! I just won't get you anything else ever again! How about that?"
(Daniel) "Fine with me! Here! (He threw his video camera towards his father.) Merry Christmas!"
(Father) "If you go up there, don't bother coming back down! You're grounded, my friend!"
(Sister) Crying.
Scene change
Phone rings. Daniel picks up the phone (from sleeping).
(Daniel) "Hello."
(Jesse) "Daniel! Please come over, please! My Dad's completely drunk and there's fighting
and yelling and....I'm scared! Please come help me!"
(Daniel) "Okay, I will be right there!"
Scene change
(Mother coming into their house) "Daniel! We're home Daniel!"
(Sister) "He's not in his room!"
(Father) "He's gone! I am going to kick his little...."
(Mother) "Calm down, Robert! Daniel?"
(Father) "How do you expect me to show him an ounce of sympathy, when as soon as I turn
my back, he goes and does something like this?"
(Mother) "You know, if you would just stop for a moment, and give everyone a chance to
breathe, you might realize that not everyone is out to get you! I will talk to him when
he gets home!"
Scene change
(Father views contents of the video from Jesse and Daniel's recordings of them looking at
manger scenes and talking about the birth of Christ.....
(Daniel) "It's a bunch of pieces made out of plaster. There were donkeys and wise men
and you know, even little baby Jesus. My Dad and his brothers made them when they were
kids."
(Jesse) "Sounds cool!"
(Daniel) "Yeah, wasn't even really well-made, but that was kind of the charm of it. My job
was to lay out all the pieces on Christmas and I just thought, you know, that's what
Christmas used to be about."
(Jesse) "I thought Christmas was about Jesus' birthday?"
(Daniel) "Yeah, but you know, I don't know. Christmas used to be just holy, and I thought
if I could find that one thing, then maybe it would remind me about how Christmas used
to be and not how things got all messed up."
(Dad sitting in amazement, with a smile and tears. He proceeds to go out to the boxes
where Daniel had been searching when he found the video camera, and he found the pieces
of the manger scene.)
(Mother comes with phone) "Robert, it's the police!"
Scene change...driving in the car together.
They arrive at Jesse's house where there are police cars with lights flashing. They get
Daniel and leave.
(Daniel) "Look Dad, I am sorry, she needed my help! I had to come! I had to come!"
Father hugs Daniel and says with tears, "Let's go home!"
They drove home.
Scene change
Showing Father and Daniel together in front of the manger pieces.
(Father) "I was going to set this all up myself, but I thought maybe you'd like to do the honors."
(Father, in tears) "I've been so empty for so long, and so angry for so long! I don't
want to be like that anymore! So, I was thinking that maybe, if you can forgive me for being
a jerk, and maybe I can forgive you for being a punk; and maybe we can see where we go from
there. Sound like a plan?"
(Daniel nodding...shows him set the Baby Jesus in the manger scene.)
Music...."Come and behold him, born the King of Angels, Oh come let us adore him, o come
let us adore him, oh come let us adore him, Christ the Lord."