Through Grandpa's Eyes (1987)

[music] [music] [music] [music] Of all the houses that I know, I like my grandpa's best. My friend Peter has a new glass house with pebble path gardens that go nowhere. and Maggie lives next door in an old wooden house with rooms behind rooms all with carved doors and brass door knobs. Their houses are okay, but Grandpa's house is my favorite because I see it through Grandpa's eyes. [music] [music] Grandpa is blind. He doesn't see the house the way I do. He has his own way of seeing. The sun wakes [music] Grandpa differently from the way it wakes me. He says it touches him, warming him awake. >> Three. >> Morning, Johnny. Your lazy bones. Thought you were going to wake me up early so we could go fishing today. >> It is early, isn't it? >> Why, it must be at least 8:00. How do you know what time it is? >> Come stand to the window. Feel how warm the sun's getting. Those fish have gone back to bed by now. >> You sure are smart, Grandpa. Maybe we could go fishing tomorrow. Okay. But I'll wake you up tomorrow. >> Where's Nana? >> Don't you know? Close your eyes, Johnny, and look through my eyes. Nana is in the kitchen making breakfast. >> Very good. Now, let's exercise. Ready? And uh one and two and three and four. And >> wait, Grandpa. I'm still on one and two. >> Three and four. >> This is hard to do without seeing. >> I feel like I'm going to Breakfast. You two, >> come in. Nana, >> can you tell me what we're having for breakfast, Johnny? >> I smell eggs and baking fine. >> Uh-huh. >> I hear Nana buttering the toast. M. And I smell something else. >> So do I. What's our favorite? >> Hot cinnamon rolls. >> Yep. >> Let's go. >> The wooden banner on the stairway has been worn smooth from Grandpa running his fingers up and down. I like to follow his smooth path. >> I smell flowers. >> What kind of flowers? Oh, time for guessing games, huh? Well, not violas, Johnny. Not peony >> carnations. >> No, silly maragolds, right, Nana? >> That's too easy. >> It's not too easy. How can grandpa tell? All the smells are mixed together in the air. >> Oh, it is easy. My other senses became a lot sharper after I lost my sight. >> Now, let's eat before everything gets cold. >> There. Tell me where everything is, Nana. >> Two eggs at 9:00. >> Uhhuh. >> Toast at 2:00. And a dollop of jam at >> And a dollop of jam at 6:00. >> Exactly. >> I'm going to make my plate of food like a clock, too. >> Johnny, what do you say we make a little music? Okay, let me get my cello >> and I'll get my cello. Let me uh check on my tuning here. Well, that's pretty good. How have your lessons at school been coming? >> Great. I've been getting real good at playing sharps and flats. >> Oh, fine. Fine. Grandpa, did you learn how to read music before you went blind? >> Oh, yes. I took lessons just the way you do now. Listen, I'll play you a little piece that I learned when I was about your age. It It was my favorite. >> [singing] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> That was great, Grandpa. I have that on my music sheets. Is it hard for you to learn new tunes? >> No, I learn new pieces just by listening. Come on, let's do it together. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> That's fine. Fine. >> [music] [music] >> C sharp John C sharp. [music] Sit still. >> I won't. >> Grandpa, what's in your hand? >> No. A piece of my thinking wood. >> What are you thinking about? >> I was thinking about the time your nana and I met. >> When was that? >> We met in the spring of 1935. >> April 21st, 1935 to be exact. >> You've got a pretty good memory for an old woman. How did you meet? >> We met at a concert in a park. Actually, it was arranged. My friend Ed Maloney's girlfriend Ruth brought along your nana for me to meet. >> Ruth and I were best friends. She told me she had a fella she wanted me to meet. Now, I didn't want to go at first, but I had nothing else to do that day. Ed didn't tell me a thing. I thought we were just going to a concert. But when I met your nana, I couldn't take my eyes off her. She was the most beautiful girl there. I remember I didn't want to sit and stare at her the whole concert, so I kept looking at her out of the sides of my eye. After two hours of that, I had the worst headache. >> And when the concert was over, your grandpa wouldn't leave me alone until I said I'd go out on a date with him. >> Well, I couldn't help myself. I was already madly in love. >> Did you fall in love with grandpa then, Nana? >> About right away. I wasn't too sure of him at first. Your nana made me work awfully hard, Johnny. We didn't marry until four years later. But I finally caught her. >> And I'm glad you did. >> That's neat. Can I have a piece of thinking wood, too? >> Sure. Take mine. It's lucky. >> It sure is smooth. I'm going to keep this in my pocket all the time. So when I'm not here, I can think of you and Nana. >> Well, I think I'm finished. What do you think, love? >> [music] >> It does look like me. Johnny, come here. Pretend you're fingers are like running water and tell me what you think. It does look like you. >> I feel the south wind. >> How can you tell which way the wind is blowing? >> Well, how can you tell which way the wind's blowing? >> By the way, the tops of the trees lean in the wind. >> Right. But there are other ways. Use your sense of touch, John. Can you feel the meadow grass moving against you? Can you feel your hair blowing against your face? >> You sure are smart, Grandpa. [music] What kind of bird is that, Grandpa? >> That's a redwing blackbird. And somewhere behind the blackbird, I can hear a song sparrow. Those little rascals will sing even on a cold day like this. >> Grandpa, do you ever get mad because you can't see? >> Oh, yes. I I get mad and and frustrated sometimes. Mad because I bump into things or I can't find things at home. And frustrated because because I can't watch you grow. Oh, I can feel the strength of your body and and every time you come up here to visit us, your your shoulders feel broader. But but I still wish I could see you. >> When I grow up, I'm going to be a famous eye doctor that can make you see again. >> Oh, that's great, Johnny. I hope you do grow up to be an eye doctor. But it's not so bad. I I've accepted it. And uh I feel I'm much luckier than many other blind people. Some of them have been blind since birth. I can still remember the gleam of the sun on the lake and all the colors of the lilacs here in this meadow. And I know every dalia in my garden. >> I'd hate to be blind. >> Uh-huh. Always appreciate everything you have. Got it. Think of all the people who've never seen a sunset or a puffy white cloud or all the beautiful things in this forest. Why some people don't even know what the color blue looks like? How would you describe the color blue, Johnny? >> I would say it's cool like the water in the lake. >> How do you describe a cloud, Grandpa? Well, I'd give you a nice white piece of cotton ball and say that's what a cloud's like. What about the color red? >> H like a summer sun. What about the color orange? >> Orange. Orange is warm like being snuggled down in a nice warm bed on a snowy day. What about green? >> Tingly like a mint candy. >> That's a good one, Johnny. >> Time for lunch. You two >> coming. Nana, >> come on. Let's go. Nanas. made hot bread for lunch and my favorite hot chocolate. Honkers. >> No, Grandpa. Canada. >> Honkers. >> That sure was a good lunch. A >> your nana's the best cook around. Uh-oh. Here. Do this one again. >> Not another one. >> Next time I wash, you dry. [laughter] >> Tell us what's so funny. >> Yeah, read it to us, Grandpa. Mark Twain writes, "I am a man who is in love with words, and the love of my life is the word money." >> But you will be as I know I didn't give you there. Hey, you need a haircut, Yanni? >> Yeah. I sure had fun with you today, Grandpa. >> I had fun, too. I sure love you. >> I love you, too. >> Say, what do you say we go fishing tomorrow? Okay, I'll come and wake you up early. I >> I I'll wake you up early now. It's lights out to you, young fella. >> Good night, Johnny. >> Good night, Granda. Grandpa >> honkers >> go to sleep. John >> Grandpa always tells me that Nana's voice smiles to him. I test it. >> What? Nana, >> I said go to sleep. >> Grandpa's right. Her voice smiles to me. I know. Because I'm looking through Grandpa's eyes. [music] Heat. Heat. [music] [music] [music] >> [music]