Happy Land

Lew Marsh, a pharmacist in Hartfield, Iowa, learns that his son Rusty has been killed in the war. Grief overwhelms him and he neglects work and withdraws from family and town. This moment anchors the present-day story and opens the door for the spirit visitation.

The dead grandfather Gramp appears to Lew, troubled by his prolonged mourning. Lew tries to send him away, but Gramp insists on staying and guiding him. He takes Lew on a stroll through Hartfield, triggering flashbacks to Rusty's life.

The flashback shows Lew and others returning home after World War I. He learns that his former girlfriend Velma has married a Marine the previous month. The scene provides the emotional backdrop for Lew's future choices.

In another past moment, Lew meets Agnes and they fall in love, eventually marrying. The flashback underscores the family foundation forming after the war. Their union frames Rusty's upbringing.

Gramp becomes sick but stubbornly clings to life long enough to see Rusty born. The newborn brings joy to the family and shifts Lew's focus from mourning to fatherhood. The contrast between Gramp's frailty and Rusty's future shapes the journey.

Rusty grows into a lively boy who cares deeply for his friends. He helps at his father's pharmacy and gives medicine to an old man for his sick wife, even when payment isn't certain. He quietly saves money in the register for something special.

As a teen, Rusty falls in love with Gretchen Barry, but she dumps him for a younger man, as Lew and Agnes had anticipated. The heartbreak is tempered by Lew's gentle counsel and a toast to Rusty as he enters adulthood. Lenore Prentiss begins to notice Rusty as he becomes a more mature presence in town.

With Germany's rise and the invasion of Poland, the world plunges into war. Some of Rusty's friends join Canadian forces while he stays to help in the pharmacy and later studies for his certificate. The choice marks the transition from town life to the wider conflict.

Rusty ultimately leaves to join the Navy and bids farewell to his parents and Lenore. He steps into a larger conflict, carrying the memory of Hartfield with him. The departure is a pivotal moment that seals his move from a small-town life to wartime service.

Back in the present, Gramp states that Rusty had a wonderful life up to his death. He urges Lew to act, sending him to the town pharmacy that evening. The visitation uses memory to coax Lew toward healing and reconnection with life.

Tony, a young sailor Rusty mentioned in his letters, comes to explain Rusty's last hours. He recounts that a torpedo struck their ship while Rusty was carrying a wounded man, and a second blast threw Tony into the water. That moment became Rusty's final act and Tony's last memory of his friend.

Tony's account completes Rusty's life story, helping Lew and Agnes find a sense of closure. Rusty's life, told in flashbacks and memory, confirms that he lived fully despite his death in war. Gramp's presence continues to guide them toward acceptance.