This is O'Hare, California.
Back then, it was nothing more than a sleepy fishing village
with a hill at the end of Main Street.
Like you see in postcards.
- My story takes place on the home front,
in the midst of World War II.
That's me...
the little fella.
Closer?
Stop causing trouble, you midget.
Nobody in that town liked me much.
One, two, three.
I was eight years old.
But the story really starts the day I met my dad.
My only friend.
My partner.
- He's a boy. - Wow.
- He's so-- - What? Little?
Well, he'll grow. Right?
I got you covered, okay?
'Cause we're partners.
I wanted to be just like him.
And do everything he did.
And everything we did became a great adventure.
Very proud of you, partner.
You handled the pain like a true hero.
Actually, you remind me of another hero--
"Ben Eagle, The Magician."
Ben Eagle said to his sidekick, "Do you believe you can do this?"
"Do you believe you can do this?"
That became our motto.
- Do you believe we can do this? - Yes, I believe we can do this.
Let's go, partner.
The mast is broken.
Partner, do you believe you can do this?
Yes, I believe I can do this.
- - This is the police.
Partner, do you believe we can do this?
Yes, partner.
Pepper. Pepper Flynt Busbee,
I've been yelling for 20 minutes.
That's my mom.
Come on, we're in the middle of a great story.
Always there to snap us back to reality.
It's time to go to bed.
Come on.
And that's my brother, London.
Finally old enough to sign up for the fight.
- Bye, Mom. - All was good in the old Busbee home.
Or so I thought.
The new "Ben Eagle"!
You gotta bring your quarter for a look-see.
- What are you having, your usual today? - Yeah, give me the usual.
Me too.
The war was still raging.
The enemy has infiltrated the USA.
Stupid American, you know not what Tokyo do.
- Not on my watch, little fella.
Everyone was pitching in, doing their part.
Uncle Sam had all the teens lining up,
ready to fight.
Busbee, London.
Sorry, son. 4F.
Hoffman, William.
Sergeant, sir?
With all due respect,
what do flat feet have to do with killing Japs?
That's just the way it is, kid.
Thanks.
Welcome to the US Army.
Landry, Gene.
How's the weather down there, "Midget"?
Two vanillas.
Hey, the world looks bigger from down here.
He sure is small.
Hey, where's your cane, "Tiny Tim"?
You think you're gonna buy 'em this time?
No, not today.
Piece of junk!
4F. Stupid war.
I can't let you do this, Dad. This is my fight.
But you always knew one of us had to go.
It was supposed to be me.
Come on, Lon. Aren't you gonna eat anything?
London's not going to war, right?
Does that mean that... you're going instead?
Yes.
He'll be back before you know it.
Why can't we stay together?
Partner, I have to go.
I don't want you to go.
Time's up, privates.
You have nothing to blame yourself about.
- You take care of yourself, okay? - All right.
I'm not a midget, right?
We shouldn't use that word.
"Midget" is a mean word for people with dwarfism.
I'm afraid your son had something to do with the nickname.
- Mom! - That's okay, Pepper.
I will make sure Freddy makes things right.
Any news from James?
He should be here on the 15th. He said his tour would end by summer.
That's what he said in his last letter.
Do I have dwarfism or what?
You know what? Let's just keep an eye on you.
You know, it's really too soon to make any type of diagnosis.
I will, however, suggest
we see each other regularly.
But for now, Pepper, let's just say you're a...
little boy.
- Teacup!
Come on, get up.
Mr. Jones yelled at me yesterday.
He really blew a fuse about his car.
He said you were a--
- you want to know what he called you? No, I don't.
Let's hear this baby hum.
Why is this thing not working?
The old one works fine. Your dad was happy with it.
What do you know?
He's gonna love this.
Now mind your own and get the lousy Packard ready.
- Can I go? - Yeah, go.
Don't need your pestering, either.
- And what about my money? - I don't have any.
- But mom told you. - "But mom told you."
This ain't time to be spending money like that.
What a waste.
Dad's been eyeing these boots for a long time, hasn't he?
Yes, he has.
Thank you.
Hi, Jenny. Can I have two tickets for the "Ben Eagle Show"?
Does this mean your father's coming back?
Yeah, he should be here soon. Bye, Jenny. Thank you.
Good morning, Mrs. Busbee.
On March 11th, your husband,
James L. Busbee
was part of a tactical operation.
His platoon was sent to secure Malabang,
a village in the Philippines.
I can't wait to see him. He's the best.
Hey, look. It's the midget who ratted on me.
- Come on, let's get him! - Get him!
Fight!
Midget! Midget!
Stop! We can't call him "midget."
- It could traumatize him.
Gimme that.
In the name of the freakiest thing alive,
I baptize you, "Little Boy."
- - Okay. Okay.
Is my husband dead or alive?
We don't know, ma'am. His body wasn't located at the scene.
We believe he's been taken as a prisoner of war.
Good luck getting out.
What's wrong?
He's barely eaten all week.
Just take him, would you?
He got the extra ticket for your dad.
Fine.
Elegant in his top hat and floating cane,
Ben Eagle, the magician...
...is in reality...
a super crime fighter!
- - In today's episode,
is Tyra finally safe from the clutches of Sir Pent?
Hey! Going for a drink.
But the live show is next.
This is what happens
to Ben Eagle's precious interest.
You'll never get away with it.
What are we gonna do? There are too many.
Interpretation, Kid Falcon.
I hope this works.
Ben Eagle!
And now, the moment of truth.
I am searching.
Searching for the one who the High Lama of Tibet told me
would be in this very room.
The chosen one.
Me! Me!
You.
Look who's here.
London. My boy.
- Hey, Sam. - Hey, London. The usual?
What you are about to see is not an illusion.
You will bear witness to a profound experience.
The movement of an inanimate object
through inner power.
But I'm not gonna perform it.
My new colleague will.
Now you have the power.
It's up to you
to achieve the impossible.
But they're gonna make fun of me.
Not if you move the bottle, they won't. You just do as I say.
Raise your hands and point them at the bottle.
There.
Get off the stage, runt!
Ignore the world. Ignore the world.
- Focus. - Stand up, little boy.
- He is standing. - Get him a step stool.
Do you believe you can do this?
Partner, do you believe you can do this?
Do you believe you can move it, yes or no?
Yes, I believe I can move the bottle.
- I don't believe you. - Yes, I believe I can move it!
- Louder. - Yes! I can move the bottle!
That's the kind of faith that Moses had
when he parted the Red Sea--
the kind of faith that little David had
when he defeated Goliath with a little stone.
That's what we need, my friends, in these difficult times.
So like Father Oliver used to ask,
"What can we do?
What can we do for our relatives at war?
What can we do if we are here
and they are there?
And the answer is...
if we have faith the size of a mustard seed,
we can move a mountain.
If we can move a mountain,
then nothing will be impossible for us.
Not even ending this war
and having our loved ones back.
I already knew someone who could move a mountain.
I wondered if the source of his powers
was the mustard seed.
This was a source of unlimited powers?
So if this was true, this was all I needed to--
And there he was--
the enemy.
- London! - What?
There's a Jap at Gilliam's.
I couldn't understand how one of them was free in O'Hare.
After Pearl Harbor, they put them all in camps.
After years of internment, the Army, in its wisdom,
has decided to release those of Japanese ancestry
who have proven loyal to the US.
They seem harmless, don't they? But can we trust them?
Well, I for one, remember Pearl Harbor,
so I say, "Remain vigilant."
Store doesn't serve Japs.
Everything okay here?
You forgot the onions, Hashimoto.
- Put these on my tab. - Father, with all due respect--
Now, Gilliam.
- These too. - Of course, Father.
I'm getting sick and tired of hearing again and again and again
about Pearl Harbor and about how my son "gave his life for his country."
Because he didn't.
Those Japs took his life.
And they did it in the most cowardly way you can imagine.
We need to do something about that Jap.
If I could, I would smash every Jap with my bare hands.
That's the rat's dump.
You want to smash him with your bare hands, huh?
Here you go. Have at him.
Go on.
There he is!
Take that, dirty Jap!
Maybe this'll let him know
that "slants" ain't welcome--
I finally understood why they don't let flat feet
into the Army.
Five groups of 10 "Hail Marys" and five "Our Fathers."
In Latin.
Amen. Now you.
In Latin?
Thank God nothing happened to Hashimoto.
- I've finished. - Very good.
Something else?
The seed itself doesn't do anything.
What I said is, "If you have faith,
- the invisible power"-- - Like Ben Eagle's powers?
"Ben Eagle"?
Well, no, that's just fantasy.
How can you say that?
I met Ben Eagle and he showed me
how to move a bottle.
He can also move a mountain, just like you said.
No, no, no. That's not the same thing.
That's not faith. Let's see.
If you have faith, "fides" in Latin--
Crispin, I'll take it from here.
I understand.
Take a seat.
Why don't you show me how you moved the bottle?
- You want to see? - Yes, I do.
I guess that was stupid of me.
Why don't you try again?
Again.
There, it moved.
No, you moved it.
Yes, because you moved me to move it.
See, I moved it because
you wanted the bottle to move so much.
And that, you could say, is how faith works.
At least some of the time.
And this is as much as I need to move a mountain?
In theory, yes.
But it's up to Him.
He's the mover.
How could I get bigger faith?
The list, the ancient list.
For centuries, people believed that if you do this list,
it'll make your faith powerful.
This is what you have to do.
"Feed the hungry,
shelter the homeless,
visit those in prison,
- clothe the naked." - Naked?
How is that supposed to--
"Visit the sick,
bury the dead."
Oh, just one more thing.
In order to make this list work for you,
I'm gonna add
one essential item.
"Befriend Hashimoto"?! Are you crazy?
It's your choice, Pepper.
What does that Jap have to do with anything?
Everything.
Your faith won't work
if you have even the slightest bit of hatred in you.
Fine. I'll do it
if that's what it takes to bring my dad back.
- Come again? - Bring my dad back.
Yes, but only if it's God's will.
Why wouldn't God want to bring my dad back?
I don't know.
But if I get enough faith, nothing's impossible, right?
Yeah.
What do you want?
I'm sorry about the other day.
So, were you nice to him?
Yeah. How can anyone be friends with a Jap?
Take him a gift, as a peace offering.
Hey, Jap.
Want a soda?
And all he did was throw it in the trash.
Oh, I think you'll be okay.
- Hang out with him. - Hang out?
Yep. Just get to know him.
Ollie, why are you getting me involved in this?
I just don't see how this helps anyone.
Yes, yes, he did,
but I don't even drink soda.
Jeez. Just tell the kid to stop.
Oh, no, he's back again.
Hey!
What are you doing monkeying around my house?
I want to hang out.
Go hang out somewhere else.
I meant with you.
Okay. Let's "hang out."
Come on, get in, "Little Boy."
Bad nicknames travel fast in this town.
My family knows where I am.
Especially London.
Okay, let's hang out.
Go ahead, I'll meet you inside.
No, no.
Okay.
What's he doing here?
Come.
What can I get you?
I'll have a chocolate sundae with--
Hey, I ain't talking to you, Nip.
What do you want, Little Boy?
Two scoops of vanilla.
I haven't had ice cream in years.
Why are you eating my ice cream?
You can get ice cream anytime.
Next time, try chocolate.
- Now are we finished hanging out? - Mm-hmm.
Then can I scratch you from my list?
- What list? - Father Oliver's "ancient list."
No, Ollie.
You told the boy that if he waves a magic wand,
he can bring his father back. You don't believe that, do you?
Maybe. Maybe not.
If it's God's will, yes. He can do anything.
He could turn you into a rabbit if He wanted to.
Have faith, Hashimoto. You should try it.
Oh, not again.
I do have faith.
Faith in oneself.
Not in your imaginary friend in the sky.
Let's hope this little game of yours
doesn't mess with the boy's mind.
Two weeks? But what about the list?
I already finished with the Jap.
Really?
We're friends now.
You continue with Mr. Hashimoto
till I can't see the hate in your eyes anymore.
Go and visit a prisoner. You already know one.
I'll help you with the list when I get back.
I promise.
Befriend that rat in order to get dad back?
By doing this stupid list?
By befriending him, all you're doing is betraying Dad.
- - Hey!
Where do you think you're going, Little Boy?
Come on.
Jap lover!
You can drop me off here.
I don't have anyone to help me with my list.
Hmm. Okay.
First things first--
my name is not "Jap."
It's Hashimoto.
Hmm?
All right, come in.
Okay, come.
Show me what you got.
Oh. Where do we start?
"Visit those in prison."
Why is this crossed out?
My brother.
Well... at least that schmuck was good for something.
"Visit the sick."
I can help you with that one.
Okay, just wait for me over here.
I'm here for my monthly check-up.
Who's your friend?
- He's not my friend. - Thank you.
Pepper. Come on.
He's "not his friend."
Hi.
I was just visiting.
You can keep it.
Thanks, kid.
"Shelter the homeless."
Is that one-eared oaf still working at the shop?
- Teacup? - Hmm.
Yeah, he sleeps there.
Not quite a home, right?
What about London's vacant bed?
Hey, they fit.
I've never worn one of these before.
It feels... nice.
Then I guess you can keep 'em, Teacup.
The next one...
"Clothe the naked."
Hmm, "spider ladies."
They "knit and bite" all day.
Shouldn't you be somewhere,
playing with sticks or something,
with your friends?
He has no friend.
You put these two...
I think the baby's gonna like it.
Thank you.
With Hashimoto's help,
I'd finished the list in no time.
And maybe he wasn't so bad after all.
- Things were looking up.
Good afternoon, Mrs. Busbee.
I took the liberty of stopping by today because I...
I heard about your husband
and--
get your hat off.
Mrs. Busbee, I want you to know if you need anything,
you can count on me.
Thank you, Dr. Fox.
Yeah.
Boy, it smells good in here.
Is that a casserole I smell?
It is.
Yeah, I thought I could...
Would you like to join us?
Yeah.
Seems Dr. Fox always gets what he wants.
Dr. Fox?
This is great. Thank you so much.
Here we go.
Mmm.
Emma... Freddy and I
haven't eaten like this since,
well, Clarice passed.
Um...
thank you for getting me out of jail.
No trouble at all, son.
I would do anything for your mother.
That's my dad's seat, you know.
I can see why.
Best view in the house.
May I be excused?
Yes, you may.
Hey! What are you doing--
- I heard about your stupid "magic list."
And if you want it back,
you're gonna have to get it from me.
But that was the list-- the ancient list.
I need that one.
If you need it so bad, take it back from him.
How? He's bigger than me.
Everybody's bigger than me.
Okay, stand up.
Let's see how small you are.
Hmm, right.
You're a very small boy, indeed.
Toothpick arms, cricket legs--
size of Masao Kume.
- Who's Masao-- - Kume.
- Samurai. - What's that?
You don't know what a samurai is?
Oh, these are samurai--
Japanese warriors.
What one's Masao Kume?
Hmm. This is Masao Kume.
- He doesn't look like a warrior. - He wasn't.
Not yet.
Masao Kume was small.
Powerless.
Nothing but a servant.
But in every man's life,
there comes a day of truth.
And that day came
when the Mongols invaded Japan.
Who are the Mongols?
They were bullies.
Samurai tried to defend their land,
but Mongols had "Bukha the Immense."
The Mongols issued a challenge.
If anyone could defeat Bukha in battle,
they would leave Japan, never to return.
Masao Kume believed
that nothing was more powerful than the will.
The will to face one's fear...
and to act.
Stand.
Now don't measure yourself from here to the floor.
Measure yourself from here to the sky.
That makes you the tallest boy in town.
Hey, Freddy.
- Huh? - Look. Someone's giving you the stink eye.
Looking for something...
Little Boy?
Maybe this. It's a magic list, right?
Give it back.
Please?
You fat motherless pig!
Ugh! Freddy, Freddy, Freddy!
This'll teach you to never mess with me.
Freddy, Freddy, Freddy!
Freddy, Freddy, Freddy, Freddy...
Freddy, Freddy!
I'm finishing you this time.
"Invite a friend over."
Feed the hungry also means inviting a friend to eat.
...box and whacked him so hard.
I'll get it.
Good day, Mrs. Busbee.
I seem to have made a mistake.
Would you wait there a moment?
Yes.
I said for you to invite a friend.
He is my friend.
There's been no mistake.
Please come in, Mr. Hashimoto.
Thank you, Mrs. Busbee.
Do you have hot dogs in Japan, Mr. Hashimoto?
No, Mrs. Busbee.
It's been 42 years since I've been in Japan.
Seems like a lifetime ago.
And do you still have relatives over there?
All I have left of all my relatives
is a photo of my two nephews
Takeshi and Koji.
They probably live in my hometown still.
Haven't heard from them since--
The war changed everything.
Yes, it has.
For everyone.
And did they send you away to the camps?
Pepper, that is not the kind of question you ask.
No, no, Mrs. Busbee, it's okay.
It's simple.
I have the face of the enemy.
Doesn't matter if this is my home.
Doesn't matter if I love this land, this country--
Mom, where's that other set of keys?
That lamebrain Teacup forgot--
- Maybe we should-- - Yes, I'll help you clean up.
Thank you. - Mm-hmm.
Sorry.
London?
London, what are you doing? Put that down right now.
London, put it down right now. Please?
London, think about your dad.
Get out.
London, think about what you're doing.
Please stop. Stop.
Mrs. Busbee.
Pepper.
Get out now.
Or I'll shoot you where you stand.
Get out!
A Jap will not eat at my father's table.
This is all your fault!
Dad had to go to war because you couldn't!
Listen to me. If I see you hanging out with that rat,
- I will smack you in front of everyone-- - Enough!
You need to stop this nonsense.
Stop what? Stop an eight-year-old boy
from thinking that he can do something to help his dad?
Tell me, London, what is so wrong with that?
Nothing.
Except for when the day comes to tell him the Japs killed his father.
Stop saying your dad is dead.
- Mom, I'm just trying to be prepared. - Oh, shut up.
Look at that.
You should go home now.
Is this man bothering you?
No.
He's my friend.
Look, I have no business here with you.
All due respect, I'm going my way.
With all due respect, you're not going anywhere just yet.
Am I a joke to you?
Listen to me, if I see you around my brother again,
I will put a bullet in your head. Do you understand me?
That won't be needed. I think "Mr. Buddha-head" here understands.
You got one week to pack your crap and get your yellow hide out of here.
What, you don't believe me?
You stay and find out.
Hey, listen to me. You want to do something for Dad,
then you stop palling around with this rat.
Stupid priest filling your head with a bunch of fairy tales.
What if I can? What if I can bring Dad back?
Dad back? How?
How are you gonna bring Dad back, you idiot?
Like-- like, with the mustard seed.
You can "move a mountain."
Fine.
You want to move a mountain? There's one. Go ahead.
Move it. Move it!
Move it for everyone!
You don't have to do it.
He's just trying to humiliate you.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!
Not now. No.
Calm down.
That's it.
Get clear! Get clear!
Do you know when Father Oliver's coming back?
- That's the little boy. - Right.
- This was much more than just an earthquake. - What was it?
It's a miracle.
Let people believe what they want.
They need crap like this to believe that there's something bigger than them.
Truth is, that earthquake would have happened whether that boy was there or not.
I've been walking to work for 35 years
and I'm telling you, that mountain
was definitely...
more to the right. Right?
Father Oliver?
What? What? Yes, I heard about it on the--
No, a boy moved a mountain.
- He moved a what?
I figured it out!
Hashimoto!
Japan is practically straight in front of us.
Now if you point to where the sun touches the sea,
you'd be pointing directly at Japan.
- Why the sudden interest? - I need to end the war.
My dad can't come back until it's over.
You mean doing this?
Yes.
All right, maybe it's time I'm honest with you.
I don't believe that you moved any mountain
or you had anything to do with the earthquake.
You were there. How could you say that?
I just don't believe that anyone in the world
could do such a thing.
Then are you saying I should stop?
I would say do what makes sense for you.
It's just a loan, for goodness' sake.
A loan from that Fox has enough strings
- to start a puppet factory. - And what do you suggest, then, huh?
Lose your father's shop?
We can pay him back when your dad gets home.
I think Dr. Fox is counting on Dad never coming home.
And his loan required you to get all dolled up, huh?
Today is me and your dad's wedding anniversary.
I'm sorry.
What's Little Boy doing?
I do believe men can move mountains, Ollie.
- With dynamite.
I believe that what happened to the mountain
can't be reduced to a game of chance.
Much of life is a gamble, Ollie.
You're advising a desperate child
who's ready to believe anything that he is told.
- So tell me, Ollie...
...what happens when your imaginary friend
works in His mysterious ways
and his father dies?
Then my "imaginary friend"
will also help him through it.
Tell the kid to stop.
If he doesn't, could lose faith in himself.
That's what you should be worrying about.
- Said it in the papers. - Little Boy.
That's Little Boy!
There he is!
Little Boy's here.
- You did it! - You did it, son.
- Yes, you did. - He has no idea.
Go on, go on, read it to him.
Give me that. Listen to this, Little Boy.
"The greatest power known to man has been unleashed.
Yesterday at 5:15 our time,
Hiroshima was destroyed by the force of the atomic bomb,
codename..."
"Little Boy."
- You did it. - You did it.
I did it!
My daddy's coming home!
I did it!
- You did it, Little Boy. - My daddy's coming home.
I did it!
My daddy's coming home.
Did they say when Dad's coming back?
I wish things were that simple.
Colonel Bob said that
the bomb may not be good for American prisoners.
What do you mean?
It means that the Japanese may try to harm your dad
in revenge for the bomb.
It wiped out an entire city.
Hello, Hashimoto.
I warned you. But you dared stay.
And looking on the bright side,
I ended up doing you a favor.
It's imprudent
to keep all these traitorous Japanese souvenirs.
Since we are at war against Japan.
It was evil rats just like you
who cowardly murdered my son.
The yellow fella don't take a hint, does he?
Doing this
won't bring back your son.
Sam. Sam, that's enough, Sam!
Let's get outta here. Now!
Sam.
Sam, we can't-- we can't just leave him in there. He's gonna die.
If we're caught here and he dies, we rot in jail. Do you understand me?
Get in the truck. Get in the truck now!
Okay, you wanna play the hero? That's your choice.
But you better be man enough to face the consequences on your own.
How is he?
His heart is very weak.
But he's gonna be okay, right?
I don't know.
You have to let one die.
Make your choice.
Hashimoto.
Hashimoto...?
Pepper.
Nurse!
- Get the doctor. - Dr. Foley!
- I need oxygen. - Right away.
Mr. Hashimoto, can you hear me? Can you hear me?
- He's stopped breathing.
Please don't die.
You're free. The Jap dropped the charges.
Says you saved his life.
Whatever that means.
Ma'am.
It's time.
We were told my father was laid to rest in the Philippines.
My mother still chose to have a memorial for him back home.
Let us commit James L. Busbee's body to the ground,
earth to earth, ashes to ashes,
dust to dust,
in the sure and certain hope
of the resurrection to eternal life.
In the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
You're my only partner.
Do you mind if I sit here?
You know, I...
never got to say goodbye to my wife.
By the time I got to the hospital,
she was already in a coma.
She died the next morning.
I think it was stupid of me to believe
that a midget like me could bring my dad back
with some stupid list.
It was not stupid.
It takes courage to believe.
Your father would be more than proud of you.
All the love you have for him was contained in that list.
I did this for you.
- 39 inches. - Same as before.
I'm afraid I still don't have a diagnosis
for his irregular development,
but I do have some theories.
Maybe I could come over the house later
and we could discuss them.
Perhaps tonight?
I really appreciate the help you've given us.
I really do,
but right now,
my family needs some time alone.
Maybe after some time--
You're a good man, Dr. Fox.
But I will always be Mrs. James Busbee.
Come on.
- I need more bandages! - What's the name on this one?
- I got him, I got him. - Get that on his head!
"James L. Busbee...
39627771."
You did it, you little runt. You did it.
London!
Father Oliver said God was responsible
for bringing my dad back.
Hashimoto said it was my father's will to live.
He survived an extremely severe trauma.
Me?
Oh, I was holding on to my mustard seed...
because the journey was not over yet.
Partner...?
I got the boots you really wanted.
It's me, partner.
Partner.