Emails From Heaven

Synopsis: Christmas and Hannukah will fall on the same day this year. Scientists also predict a sun storm. Josh is an 11-year-old boy who lives in New Jersey and loves the cosmos, computers, and Edison. His deceased dad comes to him in a dream. On his computer is an article from 1923—Thomas Edison tried to build a device to speak with the dead. Curious, Josh goes to the attic and finds the old laptop that he built with his dad, and an original Edison phonograph. After manipulating wires and chips and connecting the laptop to the phonograph, something sparks, and Josh receives an email from his dad. But it won’t open. Hundreds of emails download and Josh realizes his dad’s email won’t open until he first delivers the other messages to their loved ones left on earth, the first being from the grandmother of his best friend, tomboy Meilin. Meilin doesn’t believe Josh until he tells her the first message, a secret about Meilin’s family that no one knew. “It’s a Christmas miracle! Josh Turtletaub gets emails from heaven!” Izzy, Josh’s bossy seventeen-year-old sister, is suspicious of the contraption and resentful of Josh who was close with their dad. Meanwhile, Josh’s mom, Nora, is too busy to notice as she focuses on building her network marketing skin care business. A cryptic email is flagged by the FBI. They want the laptop, but Josh needs to complete his mission delivering emails before he can see the one from his dad. Now Izzy is a believer and she and Josh escape the FBI. A chase ensues, complete with Izzy driving their mom’s bright green minivan, a gift to Nora from the Kathy Shine Skin Care company. Josh and Izzy drive to DC to the Kathy Shine convention in search of their mom, while ditching police and FBI agents. At the convention center is also an Ink Show for tattoo artists. Josh hides in a booth and borrows the artist’s fancy printer. Hundreds of messages from loved ones spits out of the printer. The FBI and police descend on the convention center, pushing aside the throngs of tattoo artists and women and men dressed in lime green. Izzy finds Nora and they search for Josh. Just as they spot him, so does law enforcement. As Josh tries to escape, he trips over a table-- the stack of messages fly in the air and the laptop contraption is seized by an FBI agent. Josh cries out as he has not yet seen his dad’s email. Josh suddenly loses use of his arms and legs and collapses. Josh has Arnold Chiari Malformation—migraines and vomiting being symptoms-- and is rushed into surgery. Because of this ailment, news programs report that the malformation is what caused Josh’s delusions and that there were no emails from heaven. Once home and recovered, Izzy and Nora prepare a Menorah and Christmas tree while Josh watches the night sky, waiting for the sun storm. As their electricity and neighboring houses flicker, Josh realizes the mysterious message was a clue and delivering the emails prepared the world for something much bigger than an internet connection. Light rains from the sky dissipating into rooftops. The lights are souls. For one night, spirits from heaven will return to earth to visit with their family and friends. Josh’s dad returns and while Nora and Izzy sob, Josh beams and asks his dad what his email said. It was a quote from Izzy’s favorite book. “Be comforted, dear soul! There is always light behind the clouds.” The email was for Izzy.