>> you don't have to stop. >> pounding the pavement, asking people from all walks of life one simple question. >> what are you grateful for? >> but first, the "nightline" five. yoi've had it forever.o. we'll sell it on letgo. hey, i'll take it. it's time to snap, post, chat and sell. it's time to letgo. it's okay to cry, right? no more! we don't want anymore! [crying] ahhhhhhhhhh! everyday price and no extra monthly fees, unlike cable. speeds up to 45 megs, for $30 a month. ♪. . good evening, thank you for joining us. to night a three-year-old girl at the center of a heart-breaking custody battle. on one side her adopted family, on the other her biological father who was in prison when she was born and now wants her back. here is abc's steve olson sommy. >> i want to pet him. >> reporter: braelynn dalsing is like most three year olds, filled with curiosity and attached to her parents. but she has no idea about the giant legal battle swirling around her. >> it breaks our heart. braelynn is the one at the middle of this. >> reporter: braelynn is adopted. just a few days ago her parents were told they could be forced to give their baby girl to andrew meyers, her biological father. he told cbs news that braelynn belongs with him. >> i really think it is time that she came home to her real family. >> what's his name? >> reporter: this little girl is now caught in the middle, in a case that could help spell out with happens to other families in this same situation. ed and tammy dalsing first welcomed braelynn into their lives in 2013 when she was a newborn. >> brought her to our house, just a beautiful little bundle of baby. >> reporter: she was born in south carolina with cocaine in her little body. so at three weeks old, the dalsings became her foster parents. >> we honestly thought at the beginning we were working a foster care plan to help a mother get her child back. >> reporter: but then her health issues became more serious. she needed a special helmet like this one, and as foster parents the dalsings weren't allowed to make these kind of medical decisions. her birth mother, erika keisler, was struggling with addiction and had to make a difficult choice. >> probably one of the hardest choices i could imagine a mother making, and that's handing her daughter over to somebody else. >> reporter: to you? >> to us. but she knew -- >> solid trust. >> -- that we loved her and she knew it was a good placement for her. so she made a sacrifice as a mother. >> reporter: in her new home with seven brothers and sisters, braelynn and her south carolina family were clearly happy. >> can you say merry christmas? >> merry christmas. >> reporter: a year and a half later a letter came in the mail. >> that's the worst day i can ever remember, was december 15th, and my husband called me and he told me that the appellate court ruled against us. and i said, what do you mean? >> reporter: braelynn's birth father had appealed their adoption, saying only he is braelynn's daddy and the girl should now be with him in virginia. andrew meyers was in prison when she was born. according to court documents, he says he turned himself over to authorities for what were nonviolent crimes in the hope that he could serve his time and start raising his daughter. we reached out to meyers and were directed to speak with his lawyer, nathan sheldon. >> from the very beginning mr. meyers had a plan he should be university fie unified with his child and the child should be moved to virginia. >> reporter: meyers says from his prison cell he wrote to braelynn and arranged for his mother to send money. because he was in prison, had little contact with braelynn and wasn't directly paying child support. he and the girl's birth mother weren't married so he had less of a claim. >> you have to mother your worthiness, your fitness to actually be a parent, because being a father doesn't mean just a biological relationship, but the supreme court says it is biology plus action. >> reporter: meyers now says his parental rights should never have been terminated simply because he was in jail. he was released from a virginia prison in november, and now an appeals court is siding with him. >> i've got my life together and there's no reason she shouldn't be able to come home to me. >> reporter: now the dalsings could lose the baby girl they've known almost her whole life. >> hi, daddy. i love you. >> who is that? >> daddy. >> reporter: for any adoptive parent, their worst fear come true. >> i'm a 20-year marine veteran and i have never cried as much as i have over this. >> reporter: state law does say that efforts must be made to reunite children with their biological parents. >> hold your hands out like this. on top of mine, look. >> reporter: but braelynn's biological mother firmly believes that the three-year-old should stay with the dalsings. >> see the sparkles? pretty, huh? >> reporter: she has regular visits and has gotten close with the new parents. who should she stay with in your opinion? >> the dalsings. they're stable, they love her. they're financially able to do things that my family and his family put together would never be able to do. a shot at actually being something. >> reporter: the dalsings believe what is good for braelynn should matter most and say they have the means to provide her a beautiful life. >> we've been there for her. we want the children's best interests to be able to take precedence. >> reporter: they filed an appeal and lost. now they're taking their case to the state supreme court. >> we have no plans of stopping if it does not get corrected. >> reporter: you'll take it all the way to the supreme court if you have to? >> it is going to take the united states supreme court to deny us. >> reporter: even if braelynn's biological father wins, he still might not get custody. >> down low. >> reporter: there's a process he will need to get through to prove to the court that he is fit to raise the child. >> something else that we've heard is when you look at the life that this family is affording this child, it just seems that this situation is better for the child. >> we're not going to get an analysis of, you know, we can provide money versus they can't so the child should be with us. that's not the society we live in. >> are we going to look at parents and say that these parents are more worthy because they have more to support the child? this is supporting the right of poor parents to fight for and keep their children. >> reporter: but the dalsings say it is not about money. >> we want her to have a full, rich life. we've made it available to them, that if they wanted to see her they could. >> reporter: braelynn has spent some time with her biological father's mother, but the dalsings say that andrew meyers himself has never seen his daughter in person. wouldn't she have to move to a different state? >> different state, different people. she would wake up and not know anything. they don't even know her favorite color. i don't understand how a judge could say that these people deserve to raise braelynn. >> reporter: the family says that the involvement hasn't been as great as you would expect from someone who really wanted to be involved in this girl's life. >> we completely disagree with that assessment. >> reporter: so for now the case is in the courts, and all the adults who love this little girl, her father, the dalsings and braelynn's birth mother just have to wait. while it is not yet clear where she will call home, it is very clear that she will be loved. for "nightline" i'm steve olson sommy in rock hill, south carolina. >> our thanks. next, forget vampires and werewolves, the scariest thing in this horror film are rich people. this is not a screensaver. this is the destruction of a cancer cell by the body's own immune system, thanks to medicine that didn't exist until now. and today can save your life. ♪ ♪ how do you become america's best-selling brand? you make it detect what they don't. stop, stop, stop! sorry. you make it sense what's coming. watch, watch, watch! mom. relax! i'm relaxed. you make it for 16-year olds... whoa-whoa-whoa!!! and the parents who worry about them. you saw him, right? going further to help make drivers, better drivers. don't freak out on me. that's ford. and that's how you become america's best-selling brand. when you're close to the people you love, does psoriasis ever get in the way of a touching moment? if you have moderate to severe psoriasis, you can embrace the chance of completely clear skin with taltz. taltz is proven to give you a chance at completely clear skin. with taltz, up to 90% of patients had a significant improvement of their psoriasis plaques. in fact, 4 out of 10 even achieved completely clear skin. do not use if you are allergic to taltz. before starting you should be checked for tuberculosis. taltz may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you are being treated for an infection or have symptoms. or if you have received a vaccine or plan to. inflammatory bowel disease can happen with taltz. including worsening of symptoms. serious allergic reactions can occur. now's your chance at completely clear skin. just ask your doctor about taltz. now's your chance at completely clear skin. ♪ "turn around... every now and then i get a little bit hungry and there's nothing really good around. turn around... every now and then i get a little bit tired of living off the taste of the air... turn around, barry. i finally found the right snack."♪ "each with one hundred fifty calories or less, try our chocolaty brownies, tangy lemon bars, and creamy cheesecakes. fiber one, ♪ for some young men there's nothing more uncomfortable than meeting your girlfriend's parents, as it should be. in some cases it can be downright horrifying. here is abc's nick watt. >> do you smoke in front of my daughter? >> i'm going to quit. >> she can take care of that for you. >> how? >> hypnosis. >> sink into the floor. >> wait, wait, wait. >> on the face of it, "get out" is a low budget horror flick that's just grossed 30 million bucks its opening weekend, beating "the lego batman movie"". >> right now it is the nation's number one film in theaters. >> get out! >> sorry, man. >> get out! >> but that's just on the face of it. bombshells social critique shouts "variety." can a film be too inflammatory for its own good, "the new yorker." >> too many people are getting nervous. >> oh, no. >> it is a horror movie partly about ace rais. >> telling the sorry of this racial monster that lurks under the surface, and that we weren't talking about. >> written and directed by jordan pooel. >> here is the thing, i knew that this movie would work if it ever got out. so i was just waiting, i was like, are they going to let me do this? >> yeah, the very same jordan peale of key and peale fame. >> i want a piece of him! >> you got your toothbrush? >> check. >> here is the basic premise. >> do they know i'm black? >> should they? >> alison williams of "girls fame" plays rose, taking black boyfriend chris home for the first time. >> why alison williams? >> there's a familiarity. she seems like somebody we know. >> have you been through the going to the parents' house with the white girlfriend? >> yes. you know, i'm married to chelsea p peretti, a white woman. >> great stand up, brooklyn. >> i wrote it before i met her so i can't blame it on my current inlaws. she will toy with her family and imply it is them but i'm like, no, not true. >> don't come back all boozy, man. >> there was a time in the past where i met a white girlfriend's parents and i was nervous. where there's fear there's a horror movie. that's the state you want a protagonist of a horror movie to be in. >> why daniel? >> daniel just -- i mean really -- i mean you know the answer because you've seen the movie. i mean look at the guy. >> it is cool. why you not scared of this, man? >> was he actually crying? >> yes. five times in a row the guy does the scene, the tears start falling. >> it is the black people out here, too. it is like all missed the movement. >> because they probably hypnotised. >> i said everyone has an opinion on interracial relationships. >> yeah, the dude is a lymey like me. >> it is a horror film about an interracial relationship. i want to see that, what happens, how does it manifest? >> i go do my research. apparently a whole bunch of brothers been missing in this suburb. >> i had genius prurs who got it. >> among them jason blum, hailed as the new master of horror, specializes in micro budget horror flicks like "the gift." >> there were 99 ways it could be wrong. happily jordan peale got it right. >> the budget, a paltry 4 1/2 million bucks. >> with horror like comedy you don't need money to do it right. >> jordan is first time writer and director. >> i believe there are a lot of similarities between scary movies and comedies, the timing of a joke and the timing of a scare, where you put it and the rhythm. the two genres hold more in common than one would think. >> he was completely natural. i would never know it was his first time directing, and it was my first time doing a movie. i feel we were in it together for both of our firsts. >> she might make no money and ruin her career. how do you sell alison williams on "get out?" >> it helped we were friends. she loved the script. >> why horror? >> i think for me it is about facing miss own fair. the reason anybody watches -- watches horror movies is just that. >> i know exactly where we are now. >> it's success reminds me of 1999's "the blair witch project" made for 60 grand but grossed nearly $250 million. but "get out" appeals on totally another level as well. >> hello. >> not bad. hey, nelson. >> we get to look our deepest fears straight down the barrel, laugh at them, and walk away having dealt with that. >> so is it true? is it better? >> wow. >> is your deepest fear the ax murderer or casual racist? >> look, it is a little of both. >> you ever play golf? >> once, a few years ago. i wasn't very good. >> i do know tiger. >> oh, that's great. >> super. >> gordon loves tiger. >> oh, best i've ever seen, ever. hands down. >> i know tiger woods. >> and has that kind of stuff happened to you? >> oh, yeah. >> does that still happen to you? >> that's every day being black in this country. i think they're trying to say something good, but inherent in that is a disregard for the humanity of the person. you were automatically seeing color first. it doesn't enrage me, but what it represents does. >> i did think, have i ever done anything like that, the tiger woods thing? >> of course, as you shoo. you know what? you have and i have. my view on race is not that white people are bad. everyone is genetically predisposed to categorize. the way we're meant to deal with that is to be woke, is to be able to acknowledge that in ourselves. >> so how long has this been going on, this -- this thing? >> say someone is saying something to you and they're trying to be welcoming but the actual impact is that it is alienating and it makes you isolated. >> four months. >> four months? >> five months actually. >> she's right, i'm wrong. >> atta boy, better get used to say thang. >> the person, because they don't come from your perspective, they don't understand. it is a lack of understanding. >> no matter who you are, where you're from, when you step into the neattheater you are seeing world through chris's eyes. >> there are classic thriller twists, deeper themes and terrible horror that i will not give away. >> it is one of those movies i have so many questions, that now you're sitting here i don't really know what to say to you. >> you know, you look like the illegitimate child of bryan cranston and michael fasbender. >> he's not wrong. all right, all right. time to wrap things up. >> are you now jordan peale, horror movie director, that's it, who you are now? >> say it again. i love it. yes, i'm complicated. >> nick watt for "nightline" in los angeles. next, watch as we chase down a news story about what is good in life by asking a simple question. >> what are you grateful for? >> abc news "nightline," brought to you by viagra. they need it. take viagra whn ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain or adempas® for pulmonary hypertension. your blood pressure could drop to an unsafe level. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. ask your doctor about viagra single packs. (vo) nutritional needs...og's all in one. purina one. healthy energy, all in one. strong muscles, all in one. highly digestible, and a taste he loves, all in one. purina one smartblend is expertly blended... with 100% nutrition, 0% fillers, always real meat #1. lifelong smart nutrition. it's all in one. purina one. mthat stuff only lasts a few hours. or, take mucinex. one pill fights congestion for 12 hours. guess i won't be seeing you for a while. why take medicines that only last 4 hours, when just one mucinex lasts 12 hours? let's end this. with 9 lobster dishes.est is back try succulent new lobster mix & match or see how sweet a lobster lover's dream can be. there's something for everyone and everyone's invited. so come in soon. it's okay to cry, right? no more! we don't want anymore! [crying] ahhhhhhhhhh! everyday price and no extra monthly fees, unlike cable. speeds up to 45 megs, for $30 a month. has crazy low prices. do you know how we do it? - how? - bargainomics! say, if california has a bumper crop and produces too many oranges. or a winemaker in sonoma suddenly has 1000 bottles too many. we've got name-brand, top-quality groceries priced 40-70% off every day. bargainomics. that's our business model. and our business model is... delicious. ♪ grocery outlet bargain market ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ and finally tonight, we live in such divisive times, so in our new series we set out to ask, what are you grateful for? our first stop, washington d.c.'s union station, one of the prettiest train stations in all of america. good morning. >> sorry, i'm lalt for a meeting. >> good morning. >> a lot of people in d.c. in a hurry. you don't have to stop, i'll run with you. what are you grateful for, quick question? >> my family and this beautiful weather. >> what are you grateful for? >> my health. >> friends. >> to be alive. >> my cat. >> i think it is time to get on the bus. >> beautiful wife, a beautiful family. >> i'm grateful that we're able to travel the world. >> what are you grayful for? >> i'm grateful for a free press. >> i like the question you're asking. >> how long? >> 32 years. >> how does it feel? >> great. smell that air. >> i am grateful for opportunities. >> i'm also glad to be an american. >> we're very lucky that we live where we live. ♪ >> now on the campus of howard university, you're the first in your family to go to college? >> yeah. >> that's something to be grateful for. >> exactly. >> tell me a story. >> a story? >> that speaks to your gratitude. >> there was a couple beindependent us, a guy goes why don't you go back to your country, there's a muslim ban for a reason. as soon as he said that, all of these people sprang up on him and said, you can't say that. we don't know these strangers and they were ready to stand up for us like that. >> i'm grateful for music. >> tell me something you're grateful for. >> my kids. >> my family. >> the freckles. >> i am. you have some too. >> i do, i do. >> it's been nice to be reminded, right? >> thank you so much. >> for all of the complications in this world, there are still things to be grateful for. >> gratitude is like an ointment for the soul. so what are you grateful for? tell us online. our "nightline" facebook page or mmmmm psst. yoplait custard's back. the family favorite... protein. protein proteiny protein. proteiny protein? protein proteiny protein. at least 14 grams of protein. 100 calories.