funding for this program [with captioning] was provided by: additional funding is provided by: and: narrator: each video episode has three parts. watch the program, read your book, discuss the program and... rebecca: ♪ that would be enough, enough for me ♪

♪ everybody needs a dream catcher ♪ ♪ catch me! ♪ all the lights are shinin' bright down in the city, ♪ ♪ shinin' like a million dreams... ♪ ♪ sometimes i feel like i'm upside down ♪ ♪ and all those dreams are fallin' right past me... ♪

♪ everybody needs a dream catcher, ♪ ♪ someone to be there when your dreams start to fall... ♪ ♪ everybody needs a dream catcher, ♪ ♪ someone to be there ♪ when the bad dreams are all you can see... ♪ ♪ dream catcher... ♪ catch me... hello... oh, yes, alberto. and a merry christmas to you. no, rebecca isn't here. yes. she has your phone number? yes, i'll be certain to give her your message. bye.

rebecca: ♪ someone to be there when the bad dreams... ♪ "rebecca... "call alberto... important." ♪ catch me... ♪ catch me... ♪ catch me. thanks for coming in. i have to get going-- so if you don't mind... here's a copy of your performance. listen, if they like the songs, we'll call you. remember, don't call us; we'll call you. come on, you guys, let's get going.

some audition, huh? they probably won't even listen to the tapes. hmm, well, who cares. that was a beautiful song you wrote. i'd love to orchestrate it for you. really? yeah. we need some strings... and maybe some brass... don't overdo it... i mean, it's a simple song... hey, relax. leave everything to me. rebecca: nancy, you're up late. i couldn't sleep. come over here and tell me how your exams went. i think i did all right, but i have one more. when will you get your grades? they'll mail them to me in january. i could go over to school this week and find out sooner. i hope i have the strength for one more. you deserve a special treat. hmm, chocolates. caramel. mine, too. you had a phone call.

who was it? alberto. he wants you to call him. it's important. you going to call? maybe it's too late to call him back. maybe not? i guess i'll call him. i'm sorry to put my nose into your business, but that's the way i am. i think you're going to have to make up your mind about these brothers. we don't want history to repeat itself, do we? i know what i have to do. i know you do. mmm? yeah. narrator: rebecca's friend bill reflects on the story. i definitely do not belong in a library. too quiet... too serious... like rebecca. she is a serious person.

thomas: you can take incompletes and repeat your courses next semester or you could study like mad and go for it. i'd like to try to take the exams. well, i do admire your spirit. i want to get her to lighten up a little, so i asked her to come with me to the moles audition. you know, get her nose out of the books. getting out there is part of learning. ( rock music playing ) he's tied up right now. wait outside. but rebecca only has one thing on her mind-- her exams. i have a feeling she's given up a lot to be in school. there's a lot at stake for her. have a terrific life in san francisco. thanks.

i'll give it a shot. don't get me wrong. i think rebecca's very cool. she knows who she is and she knows what she wants. i have something here to cheer you up. tickets to the san francisco opera. best seats in the house. they're doing amahl and the night visitors. you know, the night visitors are the three kings and they're following the star to bethlehem. that's very nice of... i'm sure you'll enjoy it. i'm sure i would too, but i can't make any plans. i have to cram for my final exams. a ton of school work, huh? yeah, i lost so much time because of... it's going to take every waking hour just catch up. well, maybe a little diversion might help. look, if i fail my exams, i lose my scholarship. now, i would really love to, but... i'll take that as a "yes" and you can see how your studying is going later on in the week...

thank you. she has a great voice. there's real talent there. ♪ all the lights are shinin' bright down in the city... ♪ but you need more than talent to make it in this business because this is a business, you know. i mean, being a success in the music business means more than just making music. it means making money-- lots of money-- selling product, doing big tours on the road and making money. making music is all i care about. making music is like breathing. ( playing chords ) uh-oh, she's getting sappy on me. bill, i'm serious. i have to make music. i can't imagine my life without it. ♪ everybody needs a dream catcher... ♪ but that's what i want. everyone's different, i guess.

rebecca's kind of success isn't mine. still, we make a great team-- when we're making music. i bet we both make it-- each in our own way. shh... ( whispering ): sorry. rebecca ( on phone ): hi, alberto, this is rebecca. i got your phone message. what's up? i'm at school. i'll be in the sound studio for the next two days. i need to talk to you, too. bye. uh, can you tell me where the studio is? upstairs to the right. thank you. ( sighs ) hey.

hold on. hi. is everything o.k.? yes. is there some place quiet where we can talk? yeah, sure, come on. let's go in here. you can sit right there. so, have you finished your exams? yeah, thank goodness. so what's up? well, i'm leaving town for a while. i'm hitting the slopes... skiing for the holidays. oh, yeah, ramón mentioned it to me. i'm sure you'll have a great time. yeah. have you ever tried it? no... it's not my thing. yeah, that's what my brother says. ramón thinks tying boards to your feet

and then going down a hill is crazy. but one of these days, i'll get him to try it. it's been one heck of a relationship, hasn't it? i mean, you and me.... yeah. you're the best stranger i ever met in the desert. you're the prettiest. compliments and everything. thank you. you're welcome. my friends at the gallery said that you were stunning. well, it was your photography, i'm sure. no, it's you. those were good times. yeah, they were. alberto... rebecca... go ahead, you go first... o.k.

i just want to say how much i enjoy having you as a friend. and that goes for me too. and this friendship is going to last a long time, i know it. and i guess, somehow, a few things got misunderstood. but it's probably my fault. our relationship is a friendship, right? the very best friendship. friends. friends. i wanted you to have this. i remember how much you admired it... at the opening. oh, thank you. it's a beautiful photo. yeah, i guess it catches alex's innocence. and his spirit. and you can see in ramón's eyes how much he loves his son. yeah, he's a very loving person. and a great brother.

and i hope this new year brings him all the love and care he deserves. well, i've got to get going. ramón's giving me a ride to the airport. i should probably get back to rehearsal, too. let me walk you out. no, that's o.k. get back to your music. sounds like a great song. it's called "dream catcher." your gift inspired me to write it. oh, i'm glad. got to get going. um... see you. take care. o.k., bye. bye. ( piano intro to "dream catcher" playing ) ( guitar joins in )

♪ all the lights are shinin' bright down in the city ♪ ♪ shinin' like a million dreams... ♪ ♪ sometimes i feel like i'm upside down ♪ ♪ and all those dreams are fallin' right past me... ♪ ♪ everybody needs a dream catcher ♪ ♪ someone to be there when your dreams start to fall... ♪ ♪ everybody needs a dream catcher ♪ ♪ someone to be there ♪ when the bad dreams are all you can see... ♪ ♪ dream catcher...

♪ catch me. ( song winds down ) i hope you don't mind stopping on the way to the airport to pick up my skis. i really hate leaving them in the car. no problem. by the way, i picked up something you might be able to use. hey, top of the line. thanks. i can really use these goggles. now you can see the tree before you hit it on the way down. one of these days, i'm going to get you out on the slopes. huh, right. both you and rebecca. she didn't want to go with you? ( chuckles ) i had a hunch she might want to spend the holidays with someone else. besides, you know me: always on the move.

let's go. i found some more tape, rebecca. oh, thanks. i just finished my last roll. what's this? oh, it's a picture i just finished framing. what a charming photograph. did alberto take that? yeah, he gave it to me. this is ramón, and his son, alex. it is special, isn't it? alberto gave you a picture of his brother and then went off skiing? that's right. i think that young man may have been trying to tell you something. you may be right. luis... michael... suzy. happy holidays. just a little christmas bonus. of course, the restaurant will be closed on christmas day, but, you know, every year we take christmas dinners over to the community center. i'll come in and take the food over,

but i'm going to ask you to help out, too. here's the menu... we'll prepare the food the day before christmas... i always wanted to know what santa claus looked like. oh, you startled me! well, i can't lie. santa claus is a woman. i always suspected something like that... i want to help you with the dinner at the community center. i brought some canned food and an extra hand. you can be here on christmas? i can't think of any other place i'd rather be. have you talked to alex? oh, yeah, a couple times. he's having a good time but he can't wait to get back. yeah. how about your brother? i got a long letter from him. i'm going to talk to him on christmas day.

this christmas is shaping up better than i thought. ( quiet conversation ) ♪ silent night... all: ♪ holy night ♪ all is calm, all is bright ♪ round yon virgin mother and child ♪ ♪ holy infant so tender and mild ♪ ♪ sleep in heavenly peace

♪ sleep in heavenly peace. ♪ woman: yeah! merry christmas! man: merry christmas. put the trays in here. ( sighs ): it was a lot of work, but, boy, what an experience. amazing group of people, huh? in these hard times, it could be any one of us. i haven't felt this much christmas spirit since i was a kid. would you like something to drink? sure. how about some champagne? champagne? yeah, well, christmas comes only once a year. all right. o.k. get your glass ready... here, here goes!

any minute now... be careful. ahh, there. whoa. whoa... thank you. you know, i almost had tears in my eyes when you were singing and everyone joined in. here's to a very special christmas. to a very special person. to a great singer. now, to make my day complete... i'm going to call alex. let me wish him a merry christmas, too. hi, champ. it's me. merry christmas. you got what? great... what else? yeah, you have some presents here, too. you even got one from somebody who'd like to say hello. merry christmas, alex. yes, it's me. your dad and i had a terrific day.

i'll let him tell you about it. i just wanted to wisyou a merry christmas. and i can't wait until you get back so we can continue our guitar lessons... right? i will. here's your dad. yeah, you'll be back in a few days. i can't wait to see you. what? you're glad rebecca's here? ( laughs ) yeah, i'm glad she's here too. alberto comes in. he and rebecca go and they have a conversation. so, have you finished your exams? yeah, thank goodness. so what's up? well, i'm leaving town for a while. he's going skiing for christmas. skiing for the holidays. oh, yeah, ramón mentioned it to me. i'm sure you'll have a great time. yeah. alberto and rebecca agree to be just friends.

i just want to say how much i enjoy having you as a friend. and that goes for me too. and i guess, somehow, a few things got misunderstood. but it's probably my fault. our relationship is a friendship, right? the very best friendship. i think rebecca and alberto could be very good friends definitely. i think it's very difficult for a man and a woman, particularly at this age, to stay just friends. it's been one heck of a relationship, hasn't it? i mean, you and me.... i think he's seen that ramón is really seriously interested in rebecca and vice-versa and he is doing the right thing. he is trying to bring them closer together while getting out of the way himself. i wanted you to have this. i remember

how much you admired it... at the opening. oh, thank you. it's a beautiful photo. and you can see in ramón's eyes how much he loves his son. yeah, he's a very loving person. and i hope this new year brings him all the love and care he deserves. ramón and his restaurant serve a meal for homeless people for christmas. you know, every year we take christmas dinners over to the community center. and rebecca comes in to help him. all: ♪ holy infant so tender and mild ♪ ♪ sleep in heavenly peace ♪ sleep in heavenly peace. ♪

i remember back in 1975 when my father- in-law first... and his family first come to the united states. we ask him to celebrate santa claus. and he felt really out of place. however, after 20 years now, 30 years now it become almost a new tradition to our family. something that has been great living here is that we have been much more aware of other cultures. and for instance, when time comes for winter, we know then we have to be part of kwanzaa we know we have to be part of hanukkah we know we have to be part of las posadas, part of christmas. so, you know, when you got to adopt that perspective about holidays that's what is rich, is enriching us as a family. the caption center wgbh educational foundation]

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