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Richard is an
artist diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease, a terminal sickness that
has a debilitating effect on one's motor functions. Richard is
in denial about the prognosis but his wife Sally is not, and she prays
for guidance for her family. Monica arrives to help her take
care of their 3 boys; John Henry, George and Ray, while Andrew will
assist Richard with his paintings. Sally explains that Richard
is working against a deadline: he must finish more paintings if he
wishes to showcase them at a gallery. John Henry, the oldest
son, is aware that there is something wrong with his father, but
attempts to get him to play games with him. Richard is too weak
for this, and also preoccupied with finishing his work so that he can
leave his family with the revenue from his paintings. At the
same time Richard is working on "dream books" for his sons,
scrapbooks that contain sketches and mementos of all the things their
father holds dear. When Richard's legs give out, he and Sally
break down and cry as the despair of the disease overtakes them.
The next day Sally, the boys, Monica and Andrew surprise Richard with
an electric cart. He explains to the boys that he has a disease, but
when John Henry asks if he's going to die, Richard tells them
"not for a very long time." This upsets Sally since he
wasn't "truthful" with the boys. Tess, posing as an
artist's manager, agrees to represent Richard even though he only has
two paintings finished. With Andrew at his side, and using a
respirator to help him breathe, Richard begins work in earnest, but
his goal of twelve paintings is cut short when a fire breaks out in
the studio. Andrew is able to save Richard from the fire, but
all but one of the paintings is destroyed. Richard, feeling that
his life is now worth nothing, gives up hope. But Andrew sets up
a studio in the living room for Richard to finish his last painting.
Richard gets to work right away, realizing that this one painting is
going to have to go a long way. Over the next few days Richard
is hard at work with the painting. Sally explains to the boys
what's happening to their father. As much as they don't want their
father to die, they're happy he won't be in pain anymore. That
night Andrew reveals himself to Richard and tells him that he only has
a few hours left and asks him to make a choice: finish his last
painting, or finish the scrapbooks for his sons. Richard decides
to leave his sons with a piece of their father by finishing the books.
Richard works all night and finishes each book and Andrew helps him
say goodbye to the boys and Sally before he passes away. The next day
Monica and Tess reveal themselves to Sally and assure her that if she
puts her trust in God, He will provide. This is evident when
Sally finds Richard's lone painting to have been miraculously
completed. And it is clear that this won't be the last painting,
as John Henry takes up a brush and begins to paint on one of his
father's blank canvases. (JU)
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