Prancer Returns

CHARLIE.

HEY, THERE, CHARLIE.

LET'S MOVE IT.

PARADE'S ABOUT TO START.

OYEZ!

Captioning provided by USA Networks.

OYEZ!

OYEZ-AY!

WELCOME TO THE SANTA CLAUS PARADE!

Here we go, folks.

Let's give a hand to the Three Oaks High School marching band.

[marching band playing slightly off-key]

They're county champions three years in a row.

GET UP THERE AND GET INTO LINE.

COME ON. COME ON.

FOUR ACROSS RIGHT HERE.

STAY RIGHT THERE.

ALL RIGHT, NOW, FOUR ACROSS.

TROY, OVER THERE.

FOUR ACROSS, FOUR ACROSS.

THIS IS A PARADE.

WE'RE MARCHING THIS WAY.

Fire engine.

Looks great.

The Saddle Claus.

Give him a hand, folks.

[marching band playing Jingle Bells]

And here's the Gilldercroft Furniture float.

They do such a beautiful job.

Let's show them how we appreciate

their hard work and support.

Here comes the mayor.

Hi, Mayor-y.

HI!

And here they are,

the children of the Three Oaks Elementary School.

WHAT'S SO INTERESTING?

I WAS JUST LOOKING.

THERE'S A REINDEER MISSING UP THERE.

YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT PRANCER?

PRANCER?

YEAH, IT'S A BIG LOCAL LEGEND.

LEGEND?

WHAT KIND OF LEGEND?

LISTEN; SHY BOY SPEAKS.

I LIKE YOU BETTER WHEN YOU'RE QUIET.

YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT PRANCER?

GO ASK THAT GUY OVER THERE.

HE KNOWS ALL ABOUT THE MISSING REINDEER.

Give a big hand.

Here comes our bagpipe band.

- OOF! - EXCUSE ME.

JIM.

- DENISE. - HI.

I WAS WONDERING WHEN I WAS GOING TO RUN INTO YOU.

OH, I BET YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THAT CUTE KID OF YOURS.

YEAH.

WE SHOULD HAVE COFFEE.

UM, I'D LIKE THAT.

I'LL CALL YOU.

CHARLIE!

MAMA'S BOY.

CHARLIE, WHERE'S YOUR BROTHER?

SAW HIM EARLIER.

SHOULD BE WITH THE BIG KIDS.

HE ISN'T.

YOU LOOK GREAT.

I want to see all of you right back here on Main Street

Christmas Eve for the annual Prancer ceremony.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, KID?

WELL, SOMEBODY TOLD ME

YOU KNOW WHY THIS REINDEER ISN'T UP THERE WITH THE REST OF THEM.

WELL, THE TOWN HIRES ME

TO PUT THE DECORATIONS UP EVERY CHRISTMAS.

GUESS THAT MAKES ME THE LOCAL EXPERT.

SO YOU THINK YOU COULD TELL ME ABOUT IT?

SURE.

BUT IF I TELL YOU THE PRANCER STORY, THAT MAKES YOU

THE LOCAL EXPERT FROM NOW ON... DEAL?

I LIKE STORIES.

OKAY, GOOD.

WELL, I GUESS IT WAS ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO.

THIS LITTLE GIRL ABOUT YOUR SIZE

FOUND THIS WOUNDED DEER ON THE OUTSIDE OF TOWN.

SHE THOUGHT IT WAS ONE OF SANTA'S.

HERE, HOLD THIS, WILL YOU?

WHY'D SHE THINK THAT?

I DON'T KNOW.

UH, MAYBE BECAUSE

HER AND HER FAMILY WERE GOING THROUGH A TOUGH TIME,

AND SHE PROBABLY FIGURED IF THE DEER WAS SANTA'S,

IT COULD HELP HER OUT.

ANYWAY,

SHE GETS THIS DEER HEALTHY,

TAKES IT OUT TO ANTLER RIDGE ON CHRISTMAS EVE.

THEN GUESS WHAT HAPPENS.

SANTA COMES ALONG, DEER TAKES OFF...

WSHWWEW.

FLIES UP AND JOINS HIM.

THAT REALLY HAPPENED?

THAT'S THE WORD.

SO EVERY CHRISTMAS SINCE THEN,

WHEN I PUT SANTA AND HIS REINDEER ACROSS MAIN STREET,

PRANCER'S MISSING.

THEN ON CHRISTMAS EVE, WE HAVE A BIG CEREMONY

WHERE PRANCER'S REUNITED WITH THE TEAM.

THAT'S COOL.

OH, MAYBE YOU THINK SO.

SEE, IT JUST MAKES MORE WORK FOR ME,

'CAUSE I PUT ALL THE DEER UP,

THEN THEY GOTTA PUT THIS ONE UP ON CHRISTMAS EVE,

AND IT'S A MESS.

THANKS.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

I'M TOM, BY THE WAY.

I'M CHARLIE HOLTON.

CHARLIE HOLTON,

NICE TO MEET YOU.

DON'T FORGET,

YOU'RE THE LOCAL EXPERT FROM NOW ON, ANYBODY ASKS.

I GOTTA GET GOING. MAYBE I'LL SEE YOU AROUND.

IT'S A SMALL TOWN.

EVER SINCE WE'VE MOVED HERE,

YOU'VE BEEN IN AND OUT OF TROUBLE.

NOW, WHY DID YOU SKIP OUT ON THE PARADE TODAY?

BECAUSE IT'S STUPID.

MOM!

I'M NOT GONNA MARCH IN SOME SMALL-TOWN CHRISTMAS PARADE.

THAT'S JUST ANOTHER THING I HATE

ABOUT THIS STUPID TOWN.

I WANT TO BACK TO CHICAGO.

I WANT TO GO LIVE WITH DAD.

WE HAVE DISCUSSED THIS.

YOU SAID I COULD GO BACK FOR CHRISTMAS.

WELL, I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE.

NO, NOT AFTER THIS STUPID STUNT OF YOURS.

I DON'T THINK SO.

YOU CAN'T STOP ME, MOM.

I'M GOING.

RYAN.

KIND OF QUIET, HUH?

WELL, UNTIL RYAN LEARNS TO BEHAVE,

HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO EAT HIS DINNER IN HIS BEDROOM.

I THINK HE LIKES IT THERE.

I NEED A HUG.

OH.

I'M DOING THE BEST THAT I CAN HERE, KIDDO.

CHARLIE,

I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS WHEN A PARENT LEAVES.

I'VE BEEN THERE.

BUT IF YOU EVER NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT,

I'M HERE FOR YOU.

YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT?

ARE YOU REALLY GOING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS?

I'M GOING FOR LONGER THAN THAT.

I WISH YOU WOULDN'T.

SO COME WITH ME.

I WISH IT WAS LIKE BEFORE.

DON'T YOU?

EVERYBODY WAS HAPPY.

DREAM ON, BRO.

I HOPE YOU DON'T GO.

DEAR LORD,

I PRAY FOR A GOOD CHRISTMAS FOR ME AND MY FAMILY

AND FOR EVERYONE ELSE WHO'S HAVING A BAD TIME.

AMEN.

HEY, THERE.

HI.

LOOK, WE'RE SORRY ABOUT YESTERDAY.

YOU ARE?

YEAH.

AND TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU,

WE'D LIKE YOU TO PLAY A GAME WITH US.

SEE JAMIE OVER THERE?

WEL,

THE OBJECT OF THIS GAME

IS TO BE THE FIRST TO HIT HER WITH A SNOWBALL.

DON'T WORRY.

GIRLS LIKE TO BE HIT BY SNOWBALLS.

YEAH.

IT MEANS YOU LIKE THEM.

YOU LIKE JAMIE, DON'T YOU?

SHE'S OKAY.

WE'LL EVEN LET YOU GO FIRST.

SO WHAT YOU DO,

GET THE SNOWBALL.

AND NAIL HER RIGHT IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD.

WHOA!