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A Cowgirl's Story (2017)
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Hello, dusty. Oh, here she is. Hi. Welcome to Jefferson high. Thank you. Let me show you around. This way. So homeroom starts promptly at 7:30. You get two 10-minute breaks at 11 and 1:45. And here is your locker. And this is the combination for the lock. Nice boots. Not. It's a friendly bunch. Just give them some time. It's a good school. Come on. Samuel Langhorne Clemens? Well, maybe you've heard of mark twain. I'm sure you've heard of him. Hi, Mr. Murphy. This is our new student, dusty. Howdy, sir. Um, class? This is dusty. Hi. All right, why don't you take a seat in this row right here? Yeah. Yeehaw! Ride 'em, cowgirl! Whoever said that, try to act your age and not your IQ. Okay, back to the adventures of tom Sawyer. Sugar? Sugar. Here you are, sugar. Thank you. How about a plate? In this cupboard right here. And don't worry, you'll get the hang of it. Thank you. And thank you for letting me and dad stay here. Are you kidding me? It's a dream come true having you stationed here in my home base. You want some? Well, we're indebted to you, dad. You know that. Oh, will you be quiet? We've always been there for each other, and we always will be. Honey, are you gonna be comfortable in that room? Oh, yeah. It's perfect. Thank you. Now, you can decorate it any way you want. I've got your dad's old bug and spider collection. We can put it on the wall if you like. I'm good. Yeah. Thank you, though. Okay. Okay, don't take it all. Hey, incoming. Hey, cowgirl! Where's your horse? Maybe she doesn't have a horse. Oh, she has a horse. Yes, sir. That's right, sir. My team is ready. When you give me the word, I can travel in one hour. Yes, sir. Who was that? Lieutenant Bryant. What'd he want? Just for me to be ready. Why do both of my parents have to be in the army? That's how we met. No army, no dusty. I was at an officers' dance with my buddies, and I looked up this long staircase. And there you saw the most beautiful woman at the dance with the most beautiful legs this side of the Mississippi river. Have I told you this story before? Once or twice. She was beautiful, but I could tell that she was also tough. And we just have to remember that while she's deployed that she is one tough lady who can take care of herself. I know that. But, dad, I just... I can't stop feeling so helpless, you know? Like there's nothing that I can do. Maybe there is something you can do. Would you like to donate? Support our troops? No, thanks. This a great idea. Thanks so much for doing this. Thank you. You are going to be our first donation of the day. Excellent. Good luck. Thanks. Would you guys like to support our troops? Um, what are you doing? Raising money to buy things for our troops overseas. Why? Because it means a lot to a soldier to receive a package... Books, cookies, anything to remind them that they aren't alone. Seems to me like a lot of people don't even know there's a war going on right now. Yeah. My father, he used to be a ranger. Wait, really? My dad, he's a ranger too. Really? Yeah, my mom, she's an army helicopter pilot. She's in Afghanistan right now. I'm dusty Rhodes. Dusty Rhodes? My parents have a very questionable sense of humor. I like it. I'm Savanah Stocker. I like that too. Thanks. I... my friends are waiting for me. Yeah. Hey. Rangers lead the way? All the way. See ya. Bye, Savanah. We were walking across the grass, and it was just lying there. So we picked it up and we brought it in school, and that's when you found us. You expect me to believe this bottle doesn't belong to you? This is the third time, Savanah, and you know suspension is the next step. I've tried to go easy on you because of the loss of your father. I-I just can't ignore your behavior anymore. You are so smart and so pretty, and you're just throwing it all away. It's mine. I asked Savanah to hold it for me. Yours? Yes, ma'am. Yeah. Ahem. It's hers. I was going to tell you. Well, Ms. Rhodes, I don't know about where you come from, but here, it is illegal for a minor to drink alcohol, and it certainly doesn't belong on campus. I was just... Feeling the pressure of being new to school. And, um... It won't happen again. Because you're new and because your mother is overseas, I will give you a one-time pass. Thank you. Why'd you do that? Savanah, I'm... I'm really sorry about your dad. I don't need you or anyone else feeling sorry for me. Got it? This is not my day. You need some help? Uh... no. Yes. Heh, heh. Thank you. You know, you didn't have to do what you did for Savanah. Oh, yeah, no, I don't know what I was thinking. I must have had a brain freeze. I'm Trevor. Oh, dusty. So, uh, how are you liking Jefferson high so far? Well... It is definitely better than being eaten by cannibals. Everything's relative, right? I reckon so. Well, um, I will see you in class. Yes, you will. Thanks for the help. Yeah. Guys, this report is a big deal, okay? This is 20 percent of your grade. I don't have... I don't know who you guys are gonna choose yet. Do you know who you're gonna choose? Do you know who you're gonna choose? My pen's not working. You have two weeks left. Here. All right? I don't even know what's going on here. What about you? Take it. On the road by Kerouac. There's many books you can do. Thank you. All right? Just choose one. Oh, hey, dusty Rhodes, why don't you sit with us? Thanks. Guys, this is dusty Rhodes. Meryl, Cinda, Dale, and that's Trevor. Hello again. Hi. Like your costume. I like your costume. It's not a costume. It's my... it's my shirt. Mine too. Don't mind Dale. His mom dropped him on his head when he was a baby. Multiple times. It's not funny. Okay. Look, we're all pretty nice once you get to know us. Not that that's going to happen. Wouldn't expect it to. Why are you here? Savanah just invited me to sit here. No. Like, why are you here at Jefferson high? My father was reassigned. Well, a little advice? Please. If you want to fit in around here, you might want to lose the whole... Cowgirl thing. Oh. Well, thank you for that advice, Meryl, but, you see, I actually like the way I am. And I definitely don't want to fit in if fitting in means being a sniveling, insecure sheep, so... Baa! Would you like some ice with that burn? I like him. I guess I'll take this to go. Thank you. Later, cowgirl. Trevor. Is she saying that I'm a sniveling, insecure sheep? No. No, really... Yeah, I didn't get that. At all. Okay. Okay. Spill the secret. Is there any city Wi-Fi? No, no, no. Around here, we still do it the old-fashioned way. Our communication? Face-to-face. Goody. You still worried about your mom? I always am. Honey, she's gonna be okay. God is watching over Helen. How can you be so sure? That god is watching over her? I believe it in my heart. He is. Is there any actual proof? Well, sometimes, dusty, the only thing that can lift us up, the only thing that can see us through those difficult times, is the simple act of having faith. See, faith comes from the heart, not just from the mind. It's not mathematical. It's not rational. You just feel it. You know it. And the most important thing about faith is it's all or nothing. You can't do faith halfway. Mmm, I knew you were gonna say something like that. Well, you asked. Let's go. Okay. Thanks, Gramps. Hey. Hey, cowgirl. What are you gonna sign up for? Honestly? I'm not too excited about any of them. Yeah, me neither. Equestrian drill team? Yes, ma'am. What exactly is that? It's a horse riding team. We do drills, perform at rodeos, football games, stuff like that. Well, I don't exactly see a groundswell of demand for such a group. Do you? Before there was Starbucks, we didn't know that we needed it, right? Mrs. Preston, as you know, I am having a very tough time right now. With my mom being deployed in a combat war zone, I am just looking for something to keep me occupied. How many girls to a team? A minimum of eight. Well, if you can get eight girls to sign up, you can have your team. Yes! But there are no school funds left. So whatever the costs for this team, you'll have to cover on your own. Absolutely, of course. That is exactly what sponsors are for. I promise you will not regret this. Hmm. Hi. Would y'all like to sign up for the equestrian drill team? Um, no. Like, giddyup. Yippie Yi-yo ki-yay, whatever. Hi. Would you like to sign up for the equestrian drill team? No, thanks. Do you ride? Yeah, a little. Well, then this would be perfect for you. No, thanks. Hey. Hey. What's an equestrian drill team? Oh, it's doing maneuvers on horseback. Well, I'd kill myself. Why are you making that face? Are you trying to guilt me into joining? No. Yeah, you think I owe you just 'cause you took the blame for me the other day. I would never do that. Mm. Look, cowgirl, I do owe you, but I'm not getting on no horse. No way. Don't sign up for anything else yet, okay? So you can at least think about it. Fine. Not every girl grows up loving horses, dusty. Yeah, some girls like pigs. Thank you for that. That was fun, wasn't it? I'm gonna be honest. I think we ought to cut you down on the cookies. You're a little bit bigger. It's the truth. You know what I don't understand? Those kids. They don't get it. I don't think they understand how much fun it would be. If only they could see you and me in action. That's it. You are a genius! Yes, you are. She's always holding her glasses, like just get a pair of contacts. Look at that. You can't bring a horse on campus. This is star. He's me promotional tool. The basketball team has a basketball hoop, so we figured why not have a horse for the equestrian drill team? There is no equestrian drill team. Sign-ups are over in an hour, dusty. And so far, you're the only name on the list. And me. I'd like to sign up for the team. I'd like to sign up too. I mean, if it's okay for someone like me to join. Of course. My dad is in the army too. I mean, I don't know a ton about horses, but I could learn. I'll do it! Me too. Sure, sounds fun. We want to join the team! Giddyup! Well, good luck. You're gonna need it. We have a team! Here, guys, come meet star. You each have your own horse now, courtesy of our first official sponsor, Mr. Sage carver of the carver stables. Hello, girls. And, gentlemen. Here is Jason carver. He's his son and will be helping us out. Howdy. This is my horse, star. He knows me better than any person in the entire the world. Now, remember, a horse is pure of heart, so you gotta be the same... No agendas, no games. Respect your horse, look after your horse, and he or she will literally die for you. Okay, ladies, first things first. Let's get up beside our horses, put your reins in your hand, put your foot in your stirrup, and pull yourself straight up. Just like that. Just put it right there. Hold on, hold on, hold on. There's something wrong with my horse. The only thing wrong with that horse is you. Big pull. You ready? One, two, three, pull! Come on. You got it. Oh, big pull. I'm good. All right. Looking good, Savanah. Thanks, miss dusty. So are we even now, cowgirl? Oh, I reckon so. But let's be real... Do friends really need to keep track? I reckon not. Heh-heh-heh. I think I'm gonna have a sore butt tomorrow. Oh, you are most definitely going to have a sore butt tomorrow. Yay. This is why you're the pooper scooper and I'm the rider. Are these for that throwing game? It's a shoe for the horse. Horses wear shoes? They do. Baa! Dusty, I know you did this. You better watch your back, because one good prank deserves another. Okay, okay. I've been warned. Nicely played, Dale. Baa! So, I did some research, and I think that this place might want to sponsor us. I'm not going in there. Why not? I'm not. Savanah, you're going. It's good for the team, okay? Hello, Savanah. Hi, Mr. Janson. You two know each other? Yeah, Mr. Janson and my father used to be business partners. Oh. Uh, well, I am dusty. Mr. Janson. Pleasure to meet you. How's your mom, Savanah? She's... she's really well. Ahem. Has a job, high-paying. Give her my best, will you? I will. So, what can I do for you girls today? Uh, Savanah and I have started our very own equestrian drill team at a high school, and we're looking for a sponsor who will help pay for the feed for our horses. What does something like that cost? Not as much as you'd think, actually. Plus, it can be a tax write-off for you. And we would happy to help promote your store in any way that... Any way that we can. A thousand dollars! That was too easy. We are not cashing that check. Why not? He gave you that check out of guilt because of what he's done to my family. What has he done to your family? He stole from us. How? After my dad died, we couldn't find an old baseball card he owned. I know he left it with Mr. Janson, but he denies he ever had it. A baseball card? It's valuable. Come on. A 1914 babe Ruth. Look, I don't... I don't know what you want me to say. We really need this money, okay? It's gonna make all the difference to the team. You do what you have to do. I have my own ways of getting even. What does that mean? You need to give that back right now. No way! He owes my mom and I a hundred laptops. I don't care if he owes you 500 laptops. That is wrong. You're no fun, dusty. Has anyone ever told you that? They have now. You can't beat the Apache. It's the weapon of choice, in my opinion. Oh, my god. Dude, I fully agree with you on that. That's insane. That's what I mean. You don't see anything like it out there. Do you guys have anything better to do? Nothing better than watching the enemy die. Oh, dude, look. Dude, look. What's wrong? Oh, nothing. I, um... I'm fine. Really? I was in the cafeteria, and these guys were watching war footage like it was some sort of video game. It just freaked me out, that's all. Do you want to go on a hike this afternoon? Yeah. Uh, wait, but Savanah... She won't mind? Oh, no, she's taking her mom to the doctor. Great. Come on. It's beautiful. This is where my brothers and I would come when we needed to escape. Why did you need to escape? Uh, well, before my parents got a divorce, they had some... Pretty good fights. It was either stay and play referee, which never worked, or run for the hills. Literally. I'm sorry. I didn't get much sleep last night. Why not? I keep having this dream. What about? Nothing, it's stupid. You know that you could tell me if you wanted to. Um... I dream about my mom. She's flying her helicopter, and I'm on the ground waiting for her to pick me up. She lowers the rope, and it swings all around me, but I can't catch it. She yells, "grab the rope, dusty, grab the rope!" But I can't. All this time, the wind from the rotors are blowing me over, and I can barely stand up. Finally, she has to leave because the enemy's closing in. I watch as she flies higher and higher until she disappears. The soldiers start to close in on me, and before they can reach me, I wake up. Told you it was stupid. No. Is Savanah okay that we hang out? Yeah. Why wouldn't it be? Uh, because she's your girlfriend? Yeah, uh, people think that we're a couple because we're together all the time, but I've just known her for, like, ever. We're actually related. Oh. Yeah, third cousins. Of course. That is good to know. Yeah. What are you doing? No. I told my dad we wouldn't be welcome here. That... That is not true, okay? Look, whoever did this is narrow-minded and stupid, and... And I think I might know who did it. It blew up the entire compound. It's insane. No, it was so... I've never seen anything like it. Ha, ha! Hey. So some jerk spray-painted the side of my friend's car. Oh. Yeah. That sucks. So? Oh. Go spread your hatred somewhere else. Are you just gonna let her take it? It was empty anyways. No, it wasn't. Yes... yes... yes, it was. Hey, Trevor. Hi. Have you seen Savanah? No, she didn't come to school today. We should go see her. She doesn't really like visitors. Do I care? Come on. We should call Jason. Hey. You didn't come to school today. Uh, just dealing with things. Is everything okay? Savanah, who is it? Just some friends from school. - Well, bring 'em in! - I want to meet 'em! They don't want to come in. Bring them in! What's with all the boxes? We're moving. You know, Savanah never brings her friends around 'cause she's embarrassed by me. That's not true, mom. This is dusty and Jason. Hi. Howdy, ma'am. "Howdy, ma'am"? Oh, you must be the ones who put Savanah up to this horse nonsense. Yeah, well, Savanah needs a job, not some horse club. She's really good on a horse. And, uh... Maybe you could come and watch her sometime. That's never gonna happen. She really likes it. Just at my family ranch. Oh. How much does it pay? It doesn't pay, but it's fun. Uh, I'm sure they will also... Oh, you're going to college. I didn't realize you could get into college with your grades. I don't know how you Ace every test. You know I'm actually related to Albert Einstein? OMG, really? Uh, no. Hey! Hey, dusty. Hey! Hey. Where are you going? Where do you think, Einstein? You saw me talking to that girl. You seem totally into her. I'm not totally into her. If you want to know, she asked me to the dance. How nice for you. Dusty, dusty. Yeah. I said no. Oh. That I wanted to go with somebody else. If you're talking about me... I am. Okay, well, I don't do dances, so. Dusty... Will you go to the dance with me? I'll have to think about it. Okay. Why are you so happy? Well, if you must know, Trevor asked me to the dance next weekend. Wait, are you okay with that? I don't care. It makes me happy you guys are going. Me too. Are you going? No one's asked me. Anyway, I don't really have the money. Hey, Jason. Yeah. Savanah needs someone to take her to the dance next weekend. Dusty! What? I'll take Savanah to the dance. I mean, if you need someone to go with. She does. And she'll go. Yep, it is a done deal. Next. I didn't put her up to this, Jason. You don't have to take me. No, i... I want to. Okay. Okay. M'Kay! All right, uh, yeah, bye. Bye. I am like your fairy godmother. No one asked you to be. I don't know how I'm going to pay for a dress. Don't worry. We are going to find you the perfect dress. Oh... It's mom. Hello? Hi, mom. Hi, sweetie. Man, it's so good to see you. I miss you so much. I miss you too. How is everything? Kind of crazy, actually. My drill team's having its first performance this weekend down in Dalton, and then, later that night, I am going to the Sadie Hawkins dance. You are going to a dance? Gosh, that kid must be one special boy. He is just a friend. Well, I know you're gonna be a huge hit at the rodeo and the dance. I wish you could be here. I wish I could too, baby. But I'm there with you in spirit. Uh, hey, here, talk to dad. How's my girl? Everything okay? Oh, yeah. You know you don't have to worry about me. I can't help it. What are you doing? You know, just the usual, shuttling... Helen? Mom? Helen? Mama? She sounded good. She did. Welcome, girls. Hi, we are the rangers and we're performing today. Oh, welcome. It's so nice to have a team here from Jefferson high school. Oh, here's a form you might want to fill out. Yeah. I'll do it. Savanah? It's Mrs. Harkins. From the Johnson county juvenile center. Don't you remember? We used to talk all the time about your future. Yeah, I-i remember. But I didn't know you ride. I didn't know I did either until a month ago when this crazy girl made me do it. Well, I'm proud of you. You talked all the time about the great things you were gonna do with your future when you got out. Thank you. Excuse me. Hey. I should've told you I was in that place. What were you in for? Wait, no, let me guess. Um, could it have been for stealing? Look... I made some mistakes, but I've paid for those mistakes. What did you do? I broke into Mr. Janson's house. Twice. Anything... anything else I should know? Just... I really treasure you as a friend, dusty. And I'm trying to get my life together. But when you lose a parent... You lose yourself and... It's like you shatter into a million pieces and they get scattered in the wind. I don't know how to feel normal. I am trying, though. Every day I try. I'm sorry. Let's go ride, okay? Okay. All right, you girls, are you ready? Yeah. I can't hear you! Yeah! Are you ready? Yeah! Whoo! Rangers lead the way! All the way! Come on! Hey! To the rangers! Long may they ride! I am so proud of you guys. That was a great performance. It was! Is there a cowgirl here named dusty? There she is. No. Well, dusty, do you know a little dance called the cowgirl stomp? I'm afraid that I do not. She started an equestrian drill team, but she can't do the cowgirl stomp! Well, you know what this means? I don't. Follow me. Oh, no, I'm good. Come on, come on. Really, I don't dance. Go! Go! I don't dance! I don't dance! Was this you? I got you, cowgirl! All right, the cowgirl stomp is easy! Oh, no. It goes like this. Two steps to the left. Okay. Two steps to the right. Yeah. A shimmy and a kick. Okay. And a Kung-fu fight. Now clap your hands with a whomp-whomp-whomp. Put her in the barn with a stomp-stomp-stomp. You got that, dusty? I think so. You guys wanna try it? Yeah! Okay. Two steps to the left. Two steps to the right. A shimmy and a kick and a Kung-fu fight. Clap your hands with a whomp-whomp-whomp. Put 'em in the barn with a stomp-stomp-stomp. Heck, you're a lot smarter than you look. Mwah! Well, thank you. Let's go! Listen up, everybody. We're gonna do a little thing called the cowgirl stomp. It goes like this. Whoo! Come on, y'all. Whoo! Whoo! The cowboy stomp. Girl. It's actually the cowgirl stomp. Oh. My bad. Why does it get so cold here? Here. Really? Yeah, take it. Thanks. You know, i... I keep waiting for you to turn into a psychopath. But I'm serious. If we're going to be hanging out with each other, there should be no secrets between us. Okay. Cats or dogs? It's a real question. Yeah, um... Dogs. Okay. No, come on, if you get to ask me something, I should be able to ask you something, all right? If you want. Okay, let's think. Um... Zombies or vampires? Zombies. Summer or winter? Winter. Uh... Day or night? Night. Favorite superhero power? Flying. Although being invisible would be pretty sick too. Mine's flying too. Uh... It's my dad. Let me get this. Yeah, go ahead. Hi, dad. What? Now? Yeah, no, no, we're... We're coming home. Why tonight? We've talked about this a million times. I know that, I just don't get why both of my parents have to go. I have to do my duty, which is to fight for our country. And you have to do your duty, which is to be brave and go to school and take care of things here at home. Can you do that for your mother and me? Yes. Hooah! Plane takes off in 45 minutes. Dad... Grandpa'll take good care of you. Guys, can you gather round here just one more minute? One more minute. Father, your word says you'll never leave or forsake us. And we're claiming your word tonight because we love and trust in you. Please watch over Randall and Mike when they're in harm's way and deliver them back to us safely. We pray and believe for this in the name of our lord and savior. Amen. I love you, dusty. I'll be home before you know it. Dad. Be safe, okay? Take care of my girl, dad. Hey! So this is it. I know. It's a dump. Why do you even have to move? Because we were evicted out of our house. Couldn't make the payments. Wait, isn't the government supposed to help when a soldier dies? I mean, we got some money, but it ran out a long time ago. Middle class to white trash in three years. That's not true. Okay... So this is my room. Huh. I think I'm gonna cry. No, no, no, it is not that bad. Really. I mean, look. We put a throw rug right here and we paint the walls, and you've got a pretty cozy room. You guys will really help me paint? Of course we will. If we can paint a horse, we can paint a room. I don't know what I'd do without you guys. Well, it's a good thing you'll never have to find out. Thank you so much for all of your support towards the team. We really do appreciate it. My pleasure. It's a tax write-off. Um... just one more thing. And I hope you don't mind me asking, but there seems to be a misunderstanding between Savanah and her mom and you. Really? What kind of misunderstanding? Savanah believes that you have withheld something from them after the death of her father, lieutenant Stocker. She's wrong. This war... Has hit a lot of families very hard, Mr. Janson. But it has hit the Stockers especially cruelly. I thought her mother had some high-paying job. Her mother has no money. She has no job. They were just kicked out of their home that's been in their family for 80 years. When Savanah's father died, he owed me money, money I couldn't recover. So, what, then you just kept the baseball card? No. Of course not. Look... I feel bad about their situation. I really do. But there's nothing I can do. Well, then you have... A good day, Mr. Janson. I will. Are you really eating a moonpie? Do you have a problem with that? No. But you eat redneck food. I do not eat redneck food! Oh, okay. What... what else you got in there? I bet you anything it's redneck food. Pork rinds. You are such a hick! No. Hey, Jason! You like moonpies, now, don't you? Yeah. You know, they're pretty good deep-fried. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. - Deep fried? - Yeah. You both are total Hicks. Deep-fried country Hicks. You know, that is actually a really good name for a band. "Dusty and the deep-fried country Hicks." You know, I never thought I'd be hanging out with two real-life Hicks. Well, it is your lucky day. - Here, try a pork rind. - No, you don't. No, you have to try one. Trevor, try it! Hey. Hey. There's blood on star's nose. What? What's wrong with you, baby? Oh, my gosh. Should we call the vet? Yes, yeah. Um, wait, will you just call one? Yeah. What happened? Hey, I need to talk to you. What's going on with you and that girl? Her name's Savanah. Look, I know you like her, but do you know who she is, where she's been, what's in her past? Yes, I do, dad. She's a really good person. All right, have you taken a good, strong look at her mother? She is a mess. Apple doesn't fall very far from the tree. Now, look, I don't want to talk about her. I'm worried about you. I'm 18. I have responsibilities, dad. I understand that. I just wish you'd think about it and take your time. It's like you're just falling over her. You know, I gotta say, I'm glad we got coffee this trip. Hey. I just wanted you to know that I arrived. I miss you already. They're keeping us real busy, so you may not hear from me for a while. Dad, make sure dusty feeds the goldfish. We don't want 'em to end up like the hamster. And remember, they can't be in tap water. Has to be the special stuff next to the washer. Okay, I gotta go. I love you both a lot. Bye. Sounds good. I guess so. Let's go feed the goldfish. Love you, too, dad. It sounds like he twisted his gut. What? And seems like there might be a bacterial infection. Let's put him on a heavy regimen of antibiotics and see if that helps. Okay, but... I mean, he's gonna be okay, right? Yeah, most likely. We'll know more in 24 to 48 hours. Baby. Please get better. The eastern border with Pakistan... Thanks. I'll go save us a table. Yesterday, us army rangers began engaging the Taliban... Wanna watch, cowgirl? I think I'll pass. Suit yourself. Also known as the valley of death. Backed by Apache helicopters, the rangers are meeting fierce resistance, and early reports indicate they are taking heavy... Go home! Go home! Go home! Go home! Go home! Hey! Leave her alone! Her father is fighting Afghanistan right now! And she is more American than you'll ever be! Hey, Calhoun's dad was killed in 9/11. So? My hamster died last week, and I don't go around acting like a jerk! Look... Don't listen to them, okay? They're just bullies. So, I only have two of you who've given me the books that you're gonna do on your book report. Everybody needs to choose a book. It's not that hard. I can help you. Come see me after class. But this is a big deal, guys. This is 20 percent of your grade, so those of you who aren't doing so well, you can use this to boost your grade. And if you're already doing well, well, then, it should just only reinforce what you're doing, okay? He's selling the card. How do you know it's him? Because there's only three of that card in existence. One's in the baseball hall of fame, the other's owned by some family in Europe, and the third is in the United States. The auction is in one week and the starting bid is... Six hundred? Thousand. Oh. Yeah, we need to go. How do you know it's in there? He still uses the same safe that he and my dad used. I saw it when we were in there. And I know the combination. Don't even think about it. Come on, Savanah, you know what would happen if you were caught breaking in in there. I don't care! My father left that card for us, to take care of us if he died. And you know what? He did die. I sense him, dusty. Every day I feel his presence, and I can tell that he's sad because his wishes weren't honored and because my mom and I are struggling. You would do it if you were in my shoes. You know you would. Are you asking me to break in there with you? Savanah, if we get caught, you're definitely going back to prison, probably Alcatraz. Alcatraz is no longer a prison. It's a national park. That doesn't matter. It's still wrong. Are you gonna help me or not? If I help you... It will just be a fact-finding mission. Okay? Of course. You cannot take anything. I won't touch a thing. And if the card is in that safe, you're going to keep it there and we are going to call the cops, okay? Thank you, dusty. I see your smile. Okay, let's go. You're a lot of work. You love me. I reckon this'll make us even now. But who's keeping track anyway, right? This is crazy. We shouldn't do this, Savanah. It's fine, okay? What do you mean, it's fine? It's... it's fine. What are you doing? What? I'm lifting... I'm both impressed and extremely disappointed in you right now. - Help me. - Yeah. Go. Here, you go first. It's fine. I don't know where... Be careful. I'm sorry. I'm not a professional breaker-inner like you. It's "burglar." What? Same thing. No, it's not. Where are we supposed to go? Shh! What? I told you. Is that it? It worked. Is that it? Oh, my god. You weren't kidding. Hello, Mr. Ruth. What is that? I don't know. Dusty. What? What does it say? "Pete... Will you hold onto my babe Ruth Ba... Babe Ruth baseball card while I'm overseas? In the event that I'm killed in action, please make sure Cheryl and Savanah get this. Your friend and partner, John Stocker." Dad. He left it for us. He loved you both so much. Yeah, he did. You were right. Okay, we gotta go. We gotta go. Hey, put it back. Put it back, Savanah. No. No, this is mine. This is mine, dusty. You have to put it back, okay? You promised me. Put it back. Please. Hello, officers. I am so sorry. This is not... Not what it looks like. It's exactly what it looks like. Got a b&e, breaking and entering. Come with me right now, ladies. Of course. I didn't know "b&e" stood for "breaking and entering." I'm telling you, the man who owns the business stole a baseball card from my family, and we were just verifying he had it. Really? A baseball card. Yes, she's telling the truth. It's a rare card, and it's worth a lot of money. A 1914 babe Ruth. Don't worry about it, ladies. The judge will handle it. Go ahead and have a seat. Here? Right here. Really? I'm sorry. It's okay. Call him back. See if they're available. Oh, hello, officers. I'm a military chaplain. That's my granddaughter there. I don't know what she's here for or what you think happened, but I hope you can have some compassion for what we're doing here. She's a good girl. Go get miss Rhodes, please. Dusty Rhodes? Just me? Okay? Gramps. Dusty, sweetheart... Your mom's helicopter went down. It... it went... It went down? Yes. Like, it crashed? Yes. Is... is she alive? They think so, okay? There are search teams looking for her now. All things considered, you guys can go home now. Thank you. Let's go home and pray. Wait. Savanah. No, Savanah can't go. You know she has a prior record. She... No. No, go. Just go. I'm not leaving without you, okay? I'm okay, just go. No, you're not. Come. I can't leave without her. The property owner said that nothing is missing. You can both go, but we will follow up on the breaking and entering, so don't leave town. Thank you. Let's go, girls. Hey, Jason, wait up. What's wrong? Why haven't you returned any of my texts? Nothing's wrong. I've been busy, okay? Was I just imagining that there was something between us? No, you weren't just imagining it. Okay, fine. Then what happened? Savanah... You're so beautiful and worldly and everything. Just... After the party, I thought that you wouldn't want to have anything to do with a deep-fried country hick like me. You... you've been ignoring me 'cause I called you a hick? I was kidding. My family... They want me to start running the family business, and I'm probably gonna be in college next year. And where would that leave us, huh? Your father doesn't want you to see me, does he? Because I was in juvie. Because I'm poor. Savanah, that's... That's not it... Is that all it took for you to walk away? I would have fought for you. Because I felt something I've never felt before. You're right, though. We are different. And not because I'm city and you're country. We're different because I'm not afraid to fight for what I want. You should try that sometime. Why is that happening? Shh, it's okay. It's gonna make you better, star. It's gonna make you better. It's okay. You're the best horse ever. My best friend. I love you so much. I love you. Star was a great horse. He always whinnied when he saw me, and that's how he showed me that he loved me just like I loved him. I don't know why one horse dies and... Another one doesn't. And I don't know why one soldier dies and the other one doesn't. Life can be so beautiful at one moment and... So heartbreaking the next. I want to trust that god has a plan, but it is moments like these that... I'm just not so sure. Thank you, Jason and Mr. carver, for letting star rest in this beautiful spot. We're gonna go. Dusty, dusty, can I tell you something? Please. God loves horses. He created them. And the Bible says when Jesus comes again, he's gonna be riding on a big white horse. And I think we're gonna see star again. I hope so. Sweetheart? You okay? No. I know. Any news? Well, they have widened the search area. That's all Mike could tell me. She could be gone. I know this is the hardest thing you've ever gone through... We've ever gone through. It is. And I just keep on wondering... Where is god? You know... Where is god when we... When we really need him? Honey, I don't have all the answers. I do know... He has a plan for all of us, but I don't know what that plan is. That's why we have to have faith in his wisdom. This is not my first rodeo with god. Don't give up on him, dusty. Don't give up on him, and I promise he won't give up on you. Whatever his will is, we will carry on. We will live our lives. We'll... we'll be okay. By god's grace, we will be okay. Hey. Hey. Sorry about your horse. Thanks. What are you doing here? I'm just hanging. I... I feel... Peaceful when I sit in here. I'm surprised the walls are still standing. Yeah, I know. My whole life I've been so... Angry about my father. I... I was sure there... There couldn't be a god, because how could... How could a god let that happen to my dad? I mean, he didn't... He didn't even work in those towers. He just... he just happened to be there. I mean, it's totally random. Could have happened to anyone. After you gave me that beat-down... I ended up in here, in this church. And for some reason... Heh, heh. I... I actually prayed. And i... And I felt better. I felt lighter, like... like... Like maybe I wasn't alone. You know, maybe... Maybe I didn't have to go through life alone. You know, it... For the first time, i... I was willing to consider the possibility that... maybe there is a god. I'm really... Sorry about your dad. I'm sorry about your mom. And your hamster. I can't believe I said that. You did, but it's okay. I forgive you. Do you... Do you want to pray together? I'm sorry, but I don't... I don't really do that. But... I feel like there's a reason you walked in here today. Don't you? I could try. Hey. You're back. Uh... Not exactly. I just, um... came to get this. Well, that new stallion came in, if you want to meet him. No, thank you. How's Savanah? I don't know. Maybe you should ask her. Dusty... come on, now. She really liked you, Jason, a lot. But you messed it up. What? Oh, no, I've... I've heard about you. Jason just told me all about you. I know that you think you're cute. You are, but I'm not interested, okay? So you can go do your cute little thing for someone else. I said, someone else. I'm not... I'm not looking for another horse, okay? I know that you think that you're the only horse in the world, but you're not. Gosh. Wish me luck. Everyone's been trying to get ahold of you. I'm right here. Look, Trevor, I am so sorry that I shut you out. You mean so much to me... Dusty, your father's been wounded. How bad? The sergeant I talked to doesn't know. But it happened a few days ago. Where is he? There's a lot of confusion right now, and it sounds crazy, but he might already be at the Va. Here? Yeah. Can you take me? Yeah, yeah. Ahem, hi, um, is lieutenant Randall Rhodes a patient here? I'm his daughter. Dusty? Daddy! Daddy, you're okay. I'm okay, sweetheart. Oh, my gosh. You came home. I told you I would. It's okay, I'm here. The latest report is that her helicopter went down on the Afghani/Pakistan border. There are search teams and drones searching every square mile of that area. Thank you, Mike. Daddy, these are my friends. Thanks for looking after dusty while I was gone. She's a lot of work, that's for sure. Hey. Tell me about it. Can you imagine 17 years? - Nope, I can't. - Hey! Don't encourage her. You know, someone told me you all were riding in a rodeo this weekend. Yeah, dad, uh, we were going to, but we told them to find somebody else. Well, that's too bad. I could've used a night out. You would have been up for something like that? Yeah. I think I can handle it. Dusty, um, I'll bet they haven't found a team to replace you. I bet not. So what do you guys say? Should we do something special for my mom? I think it's meant to be. Go, rangers! Go, rangers! Yahoo! Yeah. Hey, dusty. Calhoun. She's right over there. Thank you. Um, welcome home, sir. Thank you. What's that all about? That... Is kind of a miracle... right before our eyes. What are you doing here? I convinced her to come. Took a lot of convincing. Basically, she's more stubborn than a mule. Yeah, well, this cowboy here is pretty persuasive 'cause he convinced me to get up off my butt and... come out and support my daughter. So here I am. I'm really glad you're here. Come meet my horse. Okay. Thank you. My pleasure. Hello, chaplain. Hi, Pete. I appreciated our talk yesterday. Now, you just do whatever you feel in your heart, okay? Yes, sir. Let's go. All right, you got some big hooves to fill. You see, star was a special horse, but I think there's something special about you too. So let's go out there, and let's give them one heck of a show tonight. For my mom, okay? Hey. Hey. Uh... Everything's been so crazy lately, I haven't really had a chance to talk to you. But I just wanted to tell you... good luck. Thank you. One more thing. Yeah? One more thing. So i... I'll see you later. Good luck. Thanks. What are you looking at? Mom, someone's coming. Cheryl, Savanah... I hope that someday you can forgive me for not... Not giving this to you sooner. John asked me to give that to you in the event of his death. But then I didn't. I don't know why, or how I could've done something so terrible. But you didn't deserve to lose a husband and a father and then be cheated out of something he intentionally meant for you to have. Thank you. Good man, Pete. I-I am a much better man than my actions have shown. I am, and I won't blame you if you need to press charges against me. Just know I'll cooperate fully. We won't be pressing charges, Mr. Janson. But I will be keeping that laptop I took from you. Good. I'm sure you can use it in school. Thanks. Have a good performance. It's a great day. It truly is. Thank you. Don't thank me. I just saw Mr. Janson. What was that about? Dusty. What? He gave the card back. He did? He did. He did? He did. Savanah, that... I am so happy for you. Thank you. You know... A hundred times I've sensed my father. And now the feeling is stronger than it's ever been. He's here... Watching us right now. I can feel him too. And I can tell that he's... He's finally at peace. And somehow, I feel at peace too. Like... Maybe everything is gonna be okay. Everything is going to be okay. Come on. All right, girls, this is it! I could not be more proud of you guys. Thank you, dusty. Thanks, dusty! Love you, dusty! Love you. Love you, cowgirl. All right. Rangers lead the way? All the way! Let's go! Whoo! Ladies and gentlemen, there they are, riding for Jefferson high and the United States army, the rangers! Welcome, everyone. Today we are honoring the soldiers who are fighting to protect our country and all of the men and women who have fought and given so much. Some of the brave soldiers are here with us tonight, including my father, first lieutenant Randall Rhodes. My dad was seriously injured in Afghanistan, but he never lost his faith. You know, someone once told me that you can't do faith halfway. And now, more than ever... I know that that is true. Thank you for serving this country, dad. And thank you for being the best father a girl could ever hope for. As some of you may know, my mother, lieutenant Helen Rhodes, is currently missing in Afghanistan. Please bow your heads as chaplain Rhodes recites a prayer for her and all of the brave men and women serving to keep our country safe. Grandpa? Father, I offer these words... They're your words from the Bible... As a special prayer for every man and woman in the American military now and always. The lord... Is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his namesake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me. Thy rod, thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Thou annointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the lord... Forever. Amen. Really? Okay, all right. I've got this. Thank you, chaplain Rhodes, and thank you, dusty. And how about it for our ranger cowgirls? Sometimes it seems that when the day is the darkest, when it appears that there is no hope, a shaft of light breaks through the clouds and touches us and reminds us of god's grace. Dusty, Randall, I know you've been worried sick about Helen. Well, hang on to your hats, because miracles do happen. She's being driven up right now. Mom? Mom! |
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