To Dance with the White Dog

CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY HALLMARK HOME ENTERTAINMENT

MY FATHER'S NAME WAS ROBERT SAMUEL PEEK...

MR. SAM.

HE WAS A FAMOUS NURSERY MAN,

GREW THE BEST PECAN TREES IN ALL OF GEORGIA.

MY MOTHER WAS CALLED CORA.

THIS IS THEIR LOVE STORY, I GUESS,

BUT NOT LIKE ANY LOVE STORY YOU EVER HEARD BEFORE.

IN 1966,

WE HAD A BIG PARTY FOR THEIR GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY.

EVERYBODY WAS THERE--

ALL THE GRANDCHILDREN.

THAT'S BOBBY, THE OLDEST GRANDSON.

HIS MOTHER, MY SISTER KATE,

AND MY OTHER SISTER CARRIE.

THEY STILL LIVED CLOSE BY.

IT WAS LIKE MAMA AND DADDY

WERE STILL THE CENTER OF THINGS.

WE BOYS WEREN'T TOO FAR AWAY, EITHER.

MY OLDER BROTHER PAUL AND ME, JAMES.

I REMEMBER THAT DAY.

I REMEMBER THEM DANCING.

PECANS!

WHAT ELSE?

ALL RIGHT. LET'S GET ONE OF THE WHOLE FAMILY.

CHILDREN ON BOTH SIDES, SPOUSES BEHIND.

KATE, CARRIE, JAMES, PAUL.

EXCUSE ME.

I'M FAMILY.

OH, YES! COME SIT BESIDE ME, NEELIE.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S HAVE THE GRANDCHILDREN SIT ON THE GRASS IN FRONT.

JUST COME ALONG HERE. THAT'S THE WAY.

EVERYBODY. SIT DOWN THERE. THAT'S FINE.

HOW MANY ARE THERE?

9. 11.

10!

NOBODY GETS IT RIGHT BUT YOUR MAMA.

EVERYBODY HOLD STILL. BIG SMILE.

AH, GOOD. ONE MORE, NOW.

EVERYBODY SAY PEEK.

PEEK. PEEK. PEEK.

THAT'S GOOD. THANK YOU.

50 YEARS.

YEAH. A LONG TIME...

TOO LONG.

OH, DADDY!

HE'LL BE MARRYING AGAIN WHEN I GO. YOU'LL SEE.

MAMA, DON'T SAY THINGS LIKE THAT.

OH, YES. YOU'LL SEE.

THERE'LL BE SOME OTHER WOMAN IN MY KITCHEN

MAKING HIM BISCUITS IN MY BISCUIT CUTTER.

IS THAT RIGHT, DADDY?

THAT'S RIGHT.

ONLY SHE WON'T HAVE TO COOK A LICK.

I'M GOING TO FIND ME A WOMAN

FROM ONE OF THEM LEG SHOWS OUT IN ATLANTA.

AHH.

BOBBY'S LIGHT JUST WENT OUT.

HE HAD A GOOD TIME.

THEY ALL DID.

SO DID I.

TWIRR...

TWIRR.

FIRST TIME I HEARD YOU DO THAT

WAS THE DAY YOU PROPOSED.

WELL...

WE MADE IT THIS FAR.

THINK YOU'LL STAY?

I'D LIKE TO KEEP YOU...

AND YOUR BISCUITS.

I'LL BE HERE...

ALWAYS.

MY DADDY LOVED HIS PECAN TREES MORE THAN ANYTHING...

EXCEPT MY MAMA.

FOR SEVEN MORE YEARS,

HE WENT ON WORKING IN HIS ORCHARD.

COULDN'T KEEP AWAY.

BOBBY USED TO HELP HIM. HE WAS 15 BY THEN.

THAT WAS THE YEAR THEIR STORY CHANGED.

THAT WAS THE YEAR OF THE WHITE DOG.

HOLD ONTO IT SO IT DON'T BREAK OFF.

NOW, GRANDDADDY,

I BEEN CUTTING BRANCHES FOR YOU SINCE I WAS 10.

I KNOW. I KNOW.

IT'S HARD NOT BEING UP THERE WITH YOU.

I GOT A BLISTER.

SHOW ME.

SEE THIS?

SAME PLACE EXACTLY.

YOU GET TO BE MY AGE, IT'LL BE A CALLUS.

TREE MAN'S THUMB, THEY CALL IT.

NO KIDDING?

SAM.

SAM!

DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?

YOU WALKED ALL THE WAY FROM THE HOUSE?

NOW THAT'S FOOLISHNESS.

I CAME TO BRING YOU HOME TO EAT.

OUT ALL THIS TIME IN THE SUN...

YOU'RE OVERDOING IT--

LOOK WHO'S TALKING!

SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA TO ME.

WELL, COME ALONG, THEN.

I CAN CARRY IT.

YOU'RE IN THIRD GEAR, GRANDDADDY.

YOU WANT TO DRIVE?

I DON'T HAVE MY LICENSE YET.

NOR DOES YOUR GRANDFATHER.

IT'S MY TRUCK.

OH, SMELLS GREAT, NEELIE.

IT'S YOUR GRANDMAMA'S BISCUITS.

ONLY PERSON COOK AS GOOD AS NEELIE,

AND THAT'S JUST 'CAUSE I TAUGHT HER.

CORA P., YOU WENT OUT THERE

WITHOUT YOUR PILLS IN YOUR POCKET.

YOU GOT NO BUSINESS DOING THAT.

OH, NEELIE, DON'T FUSS.

I DIDN'T NEED THEM.

YOU AIN'T NEVER GOING TO NEED 'EM

TILL THE MINUTE YOU NEED 'EM BAD,

SO THEY BETTER BE WITH YOU.

AIN'T THAT RIGHT, MR. SAM?

YOU'RE RIGHT, NEELIE.

PAINS ME TO ADMIT IT,

BUT JUST FOR ONCE YOU'RE RIGHT.

WASH YOUR HANDS.

YES, MA'AM.

IN YOUR POCKET, LADY.

OH, YES, YES, YES.

OH, YES!

LOOK WHAT CAME.

THE CLASSES OF MADISON A & M

FROM 1910 THROUGH 1915

ARE INVITED TOGETHER AT MORGAN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL,

SITE OF MADISON A & M,

ON SEPTEMBER 23, 1973,

AT 12 NOON.

IT'S A REUNION!

OH, SAM,

I WOULD DEARLY LIKE TO GO.

IT'S SO LONG SINCE WE'VE BEEN BACK.

A & M?

AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL.

THAT'S WHERE WE MET.

MECHANICAL?

WHAT WERE YOU STUDYING, GRANDMAMA,

TRACTORS?

I WAS STUDYING TO BE A NURSE, WISE GUY.

BUT I MARRIED MR. SAM INSTEAD.

BIG MISTAKE.

HA!

CAN WE GO?

AFTER 60 YEARS?

I WANT TO SHOW OFF TO THAT SUSIE, UM...

ROBERTS.

AHA.

SHE ALWAYS HAD AN EYE FOR YOU.

ALL RIGHT, THEN. LET'S GO.

I'LL WEAR A CARNATION AND A BOW TIE.

WANT TO LOOK MY BEST FOR SUSIE.

GOOD EVENING, GOOD PEOPLE.

IT'S GOING TO BE A PRETTY NICE WEEKEND--

GOOD PEOPLE. ARE WE GOOD PEOPLE?

NO.

WE'RE MUCH MORE INTERESTING.

THIS FELLA'S BETTER WHEN YOU CAN'T--

WHEN YOU CAN'T HEAR HIM.

YOUR HIP BAD?

YEAH.

THAT OPERATION REALLY DIDN'T HELP MUCH, DID IT?

YOU HAVEN'T HAD A PILL TODAY.

I'LL GET YOU ONE.

HEART PILLS, PAIN PILLS...

WE'RE A REGULAR DRUGSTORE, YOU AND ME.

COME ON, COME ON, FELLA.

PACK UP YOUR WEATHER MAP AND GO HOME.

THAT'S BETTER.

YOUR SHOW IS ON.

CORA!

YOUR SHOW'S STARTING.

YOU HEAR ME?

CORA!

CORA.

CORA.

CORA. C--

OH, GOD.

PLEASE. PLEASE.

DON'T DO THIS.

DON'T. DON'T DO THIS.

DON'T DO THIS.

TRILL--

DADDY.

IT'S LATE.

THINK YOU BETTER GO TO BED.

WHAT--

WHAT TIME IS IT?

00 IN THE MORNING.

OH. THAT LATE.

PAUL AND I WILL BE HERE WITH YOU, DADDY.