It was the summer of 1965.
I was 15 and my life was already falling apart.
So I came back to Hungary,
where it all began.
Budapest in the '50s.
The Cold War.
Hungary was under the rule of Stalin and Rakosi.
My father used to say this was a time
when everybody he knew was either in jail or going to jail.
Or worse.
Margit.
Peter.
Margit.
Peter.
Helen.
Good morning.
How are you?
How are you? I am fine, thank you. How are you?
I am very fine. Good morning.
Good morning.
Good morning. How are you?
I am fine. Oh, she's fine!
Choose.
That.
Where do you think Zsuzsi is right now?
Here's the hotel...
Thank you. Very grateful.
Excuse me, sir. Where does one apply for the visas?
This is the right one. Inside?
No, you must go to the end of the queue. This line here?
Yes. Okay, thank you, sir, very much.
Is Zsuzsi coming today?
Tonight they are coming.
But it won't be before you go to sleep.
Won't it be nice to wake up to your little sister?
Yes.
Good day, madame. It's for you.
Thank you.
Mama?
Mama!
Hello.
Thank you.
Hoo-hoo.
Hi, Papa.
So. They needed airplane mechanics.
I raised my hand. Do you know what they gave me?
Four visas to America! Maria, did you know that your father
is the cleverest man in all Vienna?
Gita, look.
Four visas. One for each of us.
And flowers for the most beautiful woman in the world.
I believed you!
Stop! What's the matter? Gita!
You liar! What is it? Stop it! You're scaring the child. Stop it!
Get away from her. You get away from her!
You don't deserve her after what you've done! I don't understand!
Your cleverness! All your cleverness won't fix this!
We have to keep going.
The boat leaves from France in two days.
As soon as we get to America we'll send for Zsuzsi.
- At least we know she's safe. - You go.
I'm not going anywhere without her.
We have to get out of here.
Have you gone crazy? First we get her.
How, Margit?
How?
We can't go back.
They'll be watching for us everywhere in Budapest.
I'm not afraid.
How did this happen? I trusted you. I believed you!
I believed you. You believed me because you wanted to get out of Hungary.
But not without her.
Did you think there would be no danger? No risk?
We are running out of money. There is no work here.
We'll never get another chance.
You want me to leave my baby?
She's my baby, too.
* As I walked down the street
* Seems everyone I meet...
It's difficult to find a good food.
You know, they don't eat veal in this country.
Hamburgers. Hamburgers!
Be careful.
I don't mean it. Sorry.
I got a lot of girls that can do this job.
Please, I have family. And I have a business.
It was my mistake. I was clumsy. I bumped into her. I'm sorry.
Then be more careful. You're giving away all my profit.
Understand?
Yes, Mr. Woods.
- Break's over! - Yes, sir.
Half an hour for lunch!
Finish your lunch. It's the contracts the company's getting.
Come on. Everything is so fast in this country.
Nobody stops for life. Well, starting over is not easy for anyone.
For Margit and I...
Losing a child's not...
She's not lost.
Yeah, I know.
I sold two.
One to the German, believe it or not.
Soon we'll have enough to move.
Hello, my sweetheart.
From Gyuri?
Oh! Look at her.
She looks so much like you.
Look at her little arms.
I never saw her first step.
Or heard her first word.
We are doing everything we can.
We must keep faith.
All we can do is build a life here for when she does come.
When?
"Margit."
"Dag Hammarskjold, Secretary General of the United Nations.
"Dear Mr. Hammarskjold.
"My name is Margit Sandor, and I am writing to ask you to please hear my story..."
"Mr. John Singer, the American Red Cross.
"Dear Mr. Singer. This is the third time..."
"Vice President Richard Nixon. Dear Vice President.
"We are a family who recently escaped from Hungary..."
"Senator Barry Goldwater.
"US House of Representatives.
"Dear Senator Goldwater..."
Hello! Hi!
Hello?
Welcome to the neighborhood. I'm Dottie.
Hi, I'm Pattie.
Hello.
What a beautiful chandelier.
Oh, it is.
Oh, I hope you like upside-down cake.
Oh, yes, of course. Of course. Come in, please.
Thank you.
These small cups are so cute.
They're from my country.
I hear you're from behind the Iron Curtain.
Is it Poland?
Hungary. It's a neighbor with Austria.
It must be very beautiful.
It was.
Oh.
Wow. Maggie, you know Eleanor Roosevelt?
Nikita Khrushchev!
I'm just writing to them to ask for help for my family.
Help? Well, what is it, Maggie?
Maybe we can help you.
My youngest child, Zsuzsi, was left behind in Hungary. Oh, no!
She lives with a family in the country.
My husband says that the Americans will help us.
So I keep writing them. Well, they will. We will.
Mrs. Roosevelt has a very good heart.
Oh.
She's so precious. How old is she?
Five and a half years old.
Why would they want a little girl?
Wow. Mmm.
- Oh, wow! That's so cool! - Oh, nice.
Away from the grill.
"Margit."
Helen.
Zsuzsi!
Mmm-hmm.
Happy?
Tonight she will be sleeping right here.
I will be tucking her in and kissing her good night
and telling her how much I love her.
I'll come home early from the factory so we get to the airport in plenty of time. No?
Okay.
Peter.
What if she's not on the plane?
Gita. She'll be here.
What will she be like?
She'll love you.
Just as much as I do.
What's going on?
It's so early. It's early?
It's 6:00 in the morning, you lazy girl!
It's time to get up.
Attention please.
Flight two from Budapest via London is now arriving.
Came right this way.
Welcome. Zsuzsi.
Welcome home. Hi.
Smile, folks. Look at the camera.
* Tweedley, tweedley Tweedley dee
* I'm as happy as can be
* Jiminy Crickets Jiminy Jack
* You make my heart go clickety-clack
* Tweedley, tweedley Look! Here they come! Hi!
Hi!
Hi, Maggie! Ooh!
* Tweedley, tweedley tweedley dot
* How you gonna keep that honey you got *
Now can I go to the park? No.
What? Mom, that's not fair! Okay, okay, go.
This is ketchup. It's very good. All right?
Um, no, no. You eat this with your hands.
It's a hamburger.
A toast to our family.
Together at last.
Cheers. Cheers.
That's Coca-Cola. Isn't it good?
Can you say "Coca-Cola"? Coca-Cola.
Yeah! Coca-Cola.
Listen.
That's us. Come!
Welcome home, Suzanne.
The little girl who had been kept behind the Iron Curtain for six years
was reunited with a happy family today,
thanks to the help of the American Red Cross.
After years of heartbreak and struggle,
the Sandor family is together again. This is television. TV.
TV. TV.
America welcomes you, Suzanne.
This is bubble gum.
You wanna make a bubble?
You gotta flatten it out first with your tongue.
Oh! That's okay. You'll get the hang of it.
* Well, bless my soul What's wrong with me
* I'm itchin' like a man on a fuzzy tree
* My friends say I'm acting wild as a bug
* I'm in love I'm all shook up
* Ooh-ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh
* Yea, yea, yea
* Well, my hands are shaky and my knees are weak
* I can't seem to stand on my own two feet
* Who do you think of when you have such luck
* I'm in love I'm all shook up
* Ooh-ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh
* Yea, yea, yea I'll see you tomorrow.
* Well, please don't ask me what's on my mind
* I'm a little mixed up but I'm feelin' fine
* When I'm near that girl that I love best
* My heart beats so it scares me to death
* Well, she touched my hand what a chill I got
* Her lips are like a volcano that's hot
* I'm proud to say that she's my buttercup
* I'm in love I'm all shook up
* Ooh-ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh
* Yea, yea, yea
I know she wasn't out front. I'll take the car out looking for her.
I'll call the police. The police? Gita, stop. No, no, no.
Just wait, just wait. She'll be fine.
I'll find her. Just calm down, okay?
Is anything wrong?
What's your name?
See house.
I know who you are.
You're the little Communist girl from Czechoslovakia.
I saw you on the news. I'll take you home.
You like doggies? He's my doggie.
This looks just like my house, but this one's yours.
I bet your mom's been looking for you.
Oh. Here you go.
Please don't do that again.
Jeno.
Betty, this is my kid sister.
Hi. Hi.
Who said you could play with my stuff?
"Sorry! Sorry!" Mom said you have to speak in English.
Sorry.
Good.
You have to learn to talk in English or everybody's gonna think you're a creep.
Creep? Yes, creep. Jerk.
You have to learn these hip words.
Like when you say something tastes really good,
you say it tastes like shit.
Shit.
Yes, that's perfect! Yes, that was really good.
* Primrose Lane
* Life's a holiday on Primrose Lane
* Just a holiday on Primrose Lane
* With you
* Can't explain
* When we're walkin' down the Primrose Lane
* Even roses bloomin in the rain
* With you
Zsuzsi. Zsuzsi.
This would look so pretty on you.
May I help you, madam?
Yes, I want to buy some dresses for my daughter.
I like cowboy pants.
Blue jeans. Blue jeans.
I don't know why little girls in America want to look like boys. Come.
You look beautiful.
I never go to store.
My mama... Make my dress.
Zsuzsi,
I'm your mother.
I want you to call me "Mama."
Teri and Jeno took care of you, and they love you,
but I'm your mama.
Come here.
* Life would be a dream
* If I could take you up to paradise up above *
Hey! How are you, my friend?
Say "Cheese!" Cheese.
Not a bad life for a factory worker, yeah? Not bad.
Only in America. We had these things in Hungary before you Russians showed up.
Dottie, this is my friend Frank.
Oh. I've never met a Russian before.
Zsuzsi.
You look so beautiful.
I'm so proud of you, honey.
They're nice. So many of them.
Hi, Suzanne. Oh, Sheila?
Did you come say hi to Suzanne?
Say hi to Suzanne. Hi.
Hi.
How are you, Suzanne? I am fine.
You speak English so well!
Thank you.
Have you tasted all this wonderful food?
Yes. It is shit.
I'd like to make a toast,
first of all to you, our friends,
who have come here to share
in the homecoming of our youngest daughter, Zsuzsi.
We waited for her for a very long time.
And to the greatest country in the world. To America!
Zsuzsi!
Great party, huh?
Mom won't even let me go to Betty's pajama party
just because I taught you some English.
I don't know why you keep all your stuff in that old suitcase.
You're not going anywhere.
I go home.
Sorry, but you're in the good old USA
to stay.
No! Grandma said I go back for school!
Zsuzsi!
You know, you frightened your mother and me.
On the day you were born,
your grandmother Helen, she came to the hospital and she said to me,
"Peter, you mustn't worry that you didn't have a son,
"because when this child grows up,
"she's going to be able to do all the things that a man can do."
She was right, Zsuzsi.
You can do with your life anything that you want.
But not in Hungary.
I like Hungary.
So do I.
But...
There are some terrible things that happened there.
They happened to your mother, and they happened to me
and to people that we loved.
We didn't want them ever to happen to you, to your sister.
That's why we came to America.
Why did you leave me?
It was a mistake.
We never wanted to leave you.
You were our little girl.
I want to go home.
I know you do.
And I know you love Teri and Jeno.
But do you think that you could try to learn to love us, too?
I'll make you a deal.
When you're older,
if you still want to go, I'll buy you a ticket.
Okay? But for now,
try to like it here.
Will you do that for me?
And for your mother?
Is it a deal?
Okay.
* Don't let the sun
* Catch you crying
* Tonight's the time...
"I miss you more than ever.
"Summer's finally here,
"and the flowers remind me of home."
Good night. Okay.
I love you so much.
* Don't let the sun catch you crying...
Suzanne!
Hey!
Hey. Hey.
* And with them go
* All your tears
You're gonna have seven children. Seven?
Mmm. Let me see.
Your wife's name starts with an "S."
Does your mother always give you a hard time about going out?
No, it's not her fault, you know?
I mean, she just wants me to grow up as if I were in Hungary and...
She just doesn't get it, you know?
Were you born in Hungary?
You bet. That's cool.
Is that cool? Yeah.
"Yeah." Shut up.
Everybody else is going.
We're not like everybody else.
That's the problem.
You okay?
Whoo!
Hmm?
* Don't let the sun catch you crying, oh no
* Oh, oh, oh
Zsuzsanna!
Where did you and Sheila go all afternoon with those boys?
We went for a drive.
You've been drinking.
Did you let him touch you or...
I can't believe you embarrassed me in front of my friends like that!
That boy's much too old for you!
I don't want you to ruin your life!
How do you know what will ruin my life, huh?
Do you know what your father and I had to go through...
Yeah, I know! You walked 20 kilometers
and you climbed under barbed wire, right?
Yeah, I know.
You don't know anything.
Hello.
Peter, please don't leave before we talk to her.
I'll call home tonight. I'll talk to her then. Thank you.
This is not something we can talk about on the phone.
Gita, she's going to be fine.
She's growing up. It's natural.
If you want the truth, she's exactly like you were. That's ridiculous!
She's not like me. You know how children grow up here?
Drinking, driving fast and worse.
How would you know? You're always busy.
Okay. I'll call you from Dallas.
Goodbye.
Hey. SUZANNE: Hey.
Your mom says you can't come out.
Yeah, she says I have to stay in.
No! Yeah.
What are you gonna do about Paul?
I don't know. I'll figure it out.
Okay.
See ya. Bye.
* Why does the sun go on shining
* Why does the sea rush to shore *
So, what am I gonna do?
You know, she's just upset because she thinks you're gonna run away again.
No, I know, but I didn't run away. I just went out.
When's Dad coming home?
Not till the end of the week. Hmm.
But you know Mom. Just apologize, be nice
and she'll calm down.
Yeah, but it's always been easier for you.
No. No, it wasn't.
It's always been about you.
And no matter what I did, it was never enough.
That's why I can't wait to get married and get out of here.
Darling, I don't want to fight.
So I want you to make me a promise.
You want me to make you a promise?
Yes.
Good night.
Where were you all night?
Hmm?
You were with that boy again, weren't you?
Yeah. His name is Paul.
Zsuzsi, girls don't stay out all night, your age.
You understand that?
You understand that? Why would I listen to you?
I don't want you to do this again! Ever!
You never let me do anything anyway!
I hate you!
I won't let you ruin your life.
* The mountain's high and the valley's so deep
* Can't get across to the other side
* Don't you give up, baby Don't you cry
* Don't you give up till I reach the other side *
Get dressed and clean up your room, please.
When Dad calls, can I talk to him?
Oh, no.
Wha...
If you come back, I'll call the police! What are you doing?
I'm just doing what's best for you.
What are you doing? Listen to me.
How do you know what's best for me, huh? I'm your mother!
According to you. I didn't see you for the first six years of my life!
What kind of mother is that, huh? One that loves you!
What kind of mother... Get off of me!
Mom!
Mom, open the door!
Open this door!
Mom, please open the door!
Mom!
Mom, open the door!
No, no, no!
Here's your coffee. Thank you.
I wanted to say I was sorry.
This episode...
It could've ruined your life.
You might have killed someone.
I'm sorry.
Have some breakfast. We'll talk.
I think I know what I have to do.
I've been thinking about it since that night in the park and...
I think I have to go to Budapest.
To Budapest? That's ridiculous.
Mom, I can't explain why I have to go, I just have to go.
Completely out of the question.
When you finish high school
and you show us that you know how to behave, then you can go.
Mom, I can't go two years from now. I have to go now!
This is just another of your crazy ideas! You're just a child!
I am not a child! Yes, you are.
Why do you always say that?
You don't even know who I am.
What are you thinking about? You can't go to Europe by yourself.
Mom, I came from Budapest when I was a little kid.
Do you think what you went through last night was terrible?
Do you know that in Hungary people disappear for saying the wrong word?
And you shoot up your room!
I'm not going to talk about it.
I'm not going to discuss it. It's ridiculous!
Dad, do you remember when I came to America and I ran away?
Then you made that promise.
In the park.
We shook hands.
I need you to keep your promise, Dad.
Please.
Zsuzsi?
Zsuzsi.
What bridge is that?
It's the chain bridge.
Don't you remember? When you left home with your grandmother,
I tell you about it.
I remember.
Mmm.
We say "Budapesht," not "Budapest."
Budapest. "Budapesht."
"Budapesht." "Sht. Sht."
How long have you lived here for? Five years.
Really? Mmm-hmm.
It's nice. Uh...
I am back with a very grown-up young lady.
Zsuzsi. Mama.
Mama.
Zsuzsi.
Zsuzsi, my little girl.
My daughter.
Please eat.
Do you know?
This was always your favorite.
I used to hide my favorite little chicks
when I was little so they wouldn't get cooked.
I know.
Do you miss the country?
Now, that little house you grew up in
is a summer place for a government big shot.
Can they do that? I mean, just take your house away?
Hmph!
They can, and they did.
But after you were gone,
it was better for us to move away.
But now you've come home.
At last.
Good morning.
I have to go. Where are you going?
I'm going to see my grandmother.
I have to.
I have to. I'm sorry.
This is my friend Paul.
Mmm. He is very handsome.
I used to walk here with your mother
when she was a little girl.
The gypsies played their violins
while their children begged for money.
Your mother gave them all my coins.
What's wrong?
An old lady can see things in people's faces.
Mom didn't want me to come,
especially to see Teri and Jeno.
Now that I'm here, it's so hard.
They've been so good to me,
and they've been so hurt.
I guess I just make everybody unhappy.
Budapest is such a beautiful place.
Why did Mom hate it so much?
Mmm.
It was wise of you to come.
Your mother was our only child.
Your grandfather loved her so.
He was so proud of her.
One night during the war,
we were sitting in this very cafe.
There were some Russian soldiers. They were very drunk.
They shot him right in front of us.
Grandfather fell right on top of your mother,
his blood pouring onto her.
My husband was dead.
And your mother made it her goal
to get out of Hungary and go to America.
She wanted her children to live in a better world.
Do you enjoy your stay in Budapest?
I'm happy to be here with you.
Your visit has been a great gift to us.
It was good of your parents to let you come here.
I have to go.
I have to go home.
It's funny, but all these years I felt like I didn't belong anywhere.
I thought maybe I belonged in Hungary, but...
And I love being here.
I love you.
But this is no longer my home.
How many people live here now?
Mmm, 10 or 12.
A different family lives in each of our rooms.
They share the bathroom and the kitchen.
Hmm.
Was it very awful?
Prison? Mmm.
First I thought I wouldn't survive.
But one day, I began to play a game in my head.
I began make up stories for you and Maria...
Stories about princesses, castles, magic.
I hoped that I would one day tell you.
You risked everything for me.
What do I do?
I think you know.
We all made mistakes out of love.
Okay?
I could send for you.
Dad would help me. He would.
And Mom would, too.
My other mom.
Our traveling days are over.
But you are young and you must enjoy every moment of life.
Are you sure you're gonna be okay? We will be fine.
You made me very happy.
Zsuzsi, please don't forget us.
I won't.
It was an amazing trip.
I'm glad. I'm glad you went.
You are?
I'm proud of you.
You're a brave girl.
You're brave.
Why didn't you tell me?
I just wanted to leave it all behind me.
I was frightened.
I wanted to protect you.
I understand.
You know, since you left, I understood something, too.
That we are who we are because of our past.
You know, you taught me that.
Hi, Mom.
Hi, my daughter.
You're so beautiful.
My darling.
Hey.