A young boy whose parents have just divorced finds an unlikely friend and mentor in the misanthropic, bawdy, hedonistic war veteran who lives next door.
On the surface, my choice is the least likely candidate for sainthood. He’s not a happy person. He doesn’t like people and not many people like him. He’s grumpy, angry, mad at the world and I’m sure full of regrets. He drinks too much, smokes. He gambles, curses, lies and cheats. And he spends a lot of time with a lady of the night. That’s what you see at the first glance. If you dig deeper, you’ll see a man beyond his flaws. Mr. Vincent MacKena, growing up poor, learned all the things kids shouldn’t need to know fighting, cursing and gambling…In Vietnam, he heroically saved the lives of two wounded officers and carried them to safety. He was awarded a Bronze Star for his bravery.”
“I imagine the best way I can tell you who Mr. Vincent MacKenna is to tell you what he’s done for me. When me and my mum first moved here, we knew no one, and Mr. MacKenna took me in when he didn’t have to, and most likely didn’t want to. But he did it anyhow, ’cause that’s what saints do. We visited his wife of 40 years, who recently passed away. Vincent’s done her laundry every week for the past eight years, long after she no longer recognized him because saints never give up. He taught me how to fight, how to stand my ground and be brave, how to speak up and be bold. Because saints fight for themselves, so they might be heard… … I learned how to take risks and go for broke, because in life the odds can be staked against you… … Yes, Mr. MacKenna is flawed, seriously flawed, but just like all the other saints we studied, because after all, saints are human beings. Courage, sacrifice, compassion, humanity – these are the makings of a saint.”
Categories: Movie Speeches
Stories and Quotes from the Mind* and Keyboard of A.A.Forringer 
Witty observation, disparaging remark, question for A.A., well this is your chance.