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Cider House Rules, The (1999)
In other parts of the world,
young men leave home and travel far and wide... in search of a promising future. Their journeys are often fueled by dreams of triumphing over evil, finding a great love... or the hope of fortunes easily made. Here in St. Cloud's, not even the decision to get off the train is easily made, for it requires an earlier, more difficult decision... add a child to your life or leave one behind. The only reason people journey here is for the orphanage. - Good morning. - We have an appointment. Yes. Come in. Welcome to St. Cloud's. We're going right upstairs to see Dr. Larch. I came as a physician to the abandoned children... and unhappily pregnant women. I had hoped to become a hero. But in St. Cloud's, there was no such position. In the lonely, sordid world of lost children, there were no heroes to be found. And so I became the caretaker of many, father of none. Well, in a way, there was one. Here he is. His name was Homer Wells. I named him after the Greek writer. You know, Homer, of course? And I made his name Wells because I could tell he was... very deep. In truth, Nurse Angela named him. Her father drilled wells, and she once owned a cat named Homer. Bye-bye, Homer. - Good night, you Princes of Maine, - Can we see the doctor? You Kings of New England. - Good night. - Doctor? Doctor? There's something wrong with him. - He never makes a sound. - He didn't cry. Orphan babies learn there's no point in it. Do you think we could have a look at someone a little different? Thus was Homer Wells returned. He was too happy a baby. - Bye, Homer. The second family to adopt him had a gift for getting sounds out of Homer. They beat him. He couldn't stop crying. Shh, shh. Shh, shh, shh. It's okay now. Nobody's gonna hurt you anymore. Here in St. Cloud's, I try to consider with each rule I make or break... that my first priority is an orphan's future. Twice adopted, twice returned. It didn't bode well. And yet it was always clear to me that he was a special boy. Near the angle of the rib. And... - It was with Homer's future in mind... - Homer? - That I began his tutorials. - If you're going to stay at St. Cloud's, I expect you to be of use. I admit that our lessons were, in part, - the simple expression of a father's love. - Homer. But in failing to withhold love... and making the orphanage his home, had I created a true and everlasting orphan? - No! - Keep breathing. You're gonna be okay. And so my excellent pupil learned to look after abandoned children... - and to deliver unwanted babies. - Relax! Long ago, I had decided that sometimes... it was the women who needed to be delivered. I chose my own path. No one would ever choose for Homer Wells. Dr. Larch! Dr. Larch! Dr. Larch? We have two new patients. - One to deliver. - Coming. - First pregnancy? - Yes, for both. I presume you'd prefer handling the delivery? All I said was, I don't wanna perform abortions. I have no argument with you performing them. You know how to help these women. How can you not feel obligated... to help them when they can't get help anywhere else? One: It's illegal. Two: I didn't ask how to do it. You just showed me. What else could I have shown you, Homer? The only thing I can teach you is what I know. In any life, you have to be of use. Of use? Of use. That was good, Carla. That was perfect. Everything's gonna be fine. - I don't wanna see it. - You don't have to see it, dear. Don't worry. I don't even wanna know what sex it is, so don't tell me! - We won't tell you. You're gonna be okay. - Your baby's gonna be okay too. - I don't wanna know! - That's a big boy. Let me see him. I wanna see him. - Would you mind joining me in the nursery? - Okay. Wilbur, the adopting couple is waiting in your office. Life is waiting. Let 'em wait. Where's the name sheet? Uh, nobody's named this one yet. Oh, it's my turn. Henceforth, you shall be Little Dorrit. Oh. No, you don't like that, do you? He's a boy, that's why. Can't a boy be a Dorrit? - I don't think so. - You do it. Okay. Henceforth, you shall be Little Wilbur. I'm not crazy about the "Little." Okay, just Wilbur then. We haven't had a Wilbur in a year or so, have we? We used to have dozens. He sniffs that ether. I've seen him do it. It's because he's too tired to sleep. He has to. He smells like he could put you to sleep. He's a doctor, Buster. Doctors smell like ether. - You're a doctor, Homer. You don't smell like ether. - I'm not a doctor. I haven't been to medical school. I haven't even been to high school. - But you've studied with the old man for years. - I'm not a doctor. I'm sorry, Homer. Fuzzy is not uncommon. There's something about the premature babies of alcoholic mothers. They seem to be susceptible to every damn thing that comes along. I haven't read that. I haven't either, but you will. Those morons who write the books ought to do some research here. Isn't Fuzzy just underdeveloped? When doesn't he have bronchitis? I wouldn't call his bronchial infection underdeveloped, would you? Come on, Fuzz. Here we go. Feet up. There you are. - What's going on here? - Sit up straight. Wilbur? Wilbur, can you come out here, please? There you go. - Hi, Homer. - Hey. What is it, Mary Agnes? Now calm down. - What is it? - Look. Oh. Uh, did you bite it? - Did you bite your tongue? - I don't remember. Uh, yeah. That looks like you bit it. You'll be fine. Well, maybe I was kissing someone and he bit me. Oh, I think you bit it. Maybe in your sleep. Story time, Fuzzy. O Lord, support us all the day long... until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes... and the busy world is hushed and the fever of life is over... and our work is done. Then in Thy mercy, - grant us a safe lodging and a holy rest... And peace at the last. - Amen. - Amen. "A dog, which had lain concealed till now... "ran backwards and forwards on the parapet... "with a dismal howl. "And collecting himself for a spring, "jumped for the dead man's shoulders. "Missing his aim, he fell into a ditch... "turning completely over as he went... "and striking his head against the stone, dashed out his brains." - And that... - Is the end of the chapter. That's it till tomorrow. Good night, you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England. Good night, Princes of Maine, Kings of New England. Whoa. John, you all right? Why does Dr. Larch say that every night? - Maybe to scare us. - No, you jerk. Dr. Larch loves us. But why does he do that? - Does it because we like it. - Do you like it, Curly? Yeah. I like it too. Watch the door. You two get Copperfield and Curly. Buster's mine. - And remember, nobody touches Fuzzy. - Attack! Hey! - Ow! - Ouch. What do you think you're doing? Children, stop it. No fighting. Share the snowballs. Fuzzy. Fuzzy. Listen to you. You've been running. Hey, over here! Look! Pick me! I know the type. They'll take one of the babies. Mary Agnes. Come here. Don't run. Fuzzy. Curly. John. Hazel. Andy. They wanted a girl, Curly. Nobody ever wants me. Oh, hey. Hey, come on. Come here. You know, you're one of the best, Curly. And we wouldn't let just anyone take you. Dr. Larch wouldn't let just anyone take any of us. Well, that's true. - Nobody's asked for me, have they? - Nobody special enough, Curly. You mean somebody has? Only the right people can have you. Now what do you say we go unpack your suitcase? - It's movie night tonight, Curly. - Okay. Look. Kong thinks she's his mother. - His mother? - He thinks she's his mother. - He doesn't think she's his mother, Fuzzy. - He does so. He loves her. - That's why he holds her. - Shh, Fuzzy. Fuzzy, how can she be his mother? He just thinks she is. They want to replace me. The board of trustees wants to replace me. They just want you to hire some new help. We don't need any more help. Some new things would be useful. - Yuck! Aw, come on. - Homer, I need you. - Happens every time. Kong, Kong, Kong, Kong, Kong, Kong! Thought you'd taken care of this. Always breaks in the same place. - It's your splice, isn't it? - No, it is your splice. You blame me for everything. Angela, we need a new movie, a new projector, a new typewriter. That's what needs replacing around here. - Wilbur, we have a delivery. - Homer, would you get this one? She's a patient, right? She should see a doctor. Homer, you are a skilled and gifted surgeon... with near perfect obstetrical and gynecological procedure. I just mean that I'd rather fix the movie tonight. Okay, sure. You splice, I'll deliver. Come on, Fuzz. Let's go. Let go. Come on. Homer, doesn't King Kong think the woman is his mother? - That's right, Fuzz. That's what Kong thinks. - That's why Kong loves her. It's your turn. I'll get this. Okay. Story time! The Personal History of David Copperfield. Chapter one. "I am born." "Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life... "or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. "I was a posthumous child. - "My father's eyes had closed upon the light of this world... Six months when mine opened on it." His father's dead, right? That's right, Fuzz. Is your father dead? Cirrhosis. It's a disease of the liver. What, a liver killed him? No, alcohol killed him. He drank himself to death. - But did you know him? - Barely. But it hardly mattered that I knew him. - Did you know your mother better? - Mm-hmm. She's dead now too. She was a nanny. What's a nanny do? She looks after other people's children. - Did she grow up around here? - No. - She was an immigrant. - What's an immigrant? Someone not from Maine. Let us be happy for Hazel. Hazel has found a family. Good night, Hazel. Good night, Hazel. I was dreaming about you. How beautiful you were. - Ah, you weren't. - I was. - And I was beautiful? - You were. You are. It was fantastic. It was just the ether, Wilbur. - Hi. - Hey, Eddie, look at this. - Homer, do you ever think about trying to find your parents? - Not really. Why not? Well, they never did the things parents are supposed to do. Dr. Larch did those things and Nurse Edna and Nurse Angela. Well, I wish I could meet mine anyway, sometimes. What for? Well, I'd like to show 'em that I could cook a little. - Mm-hmm. - And... that I could drive a truck. Mm-hmm. Sometimes I wanna meet them so I can kill them. Just sort of kill them. You know I'd never kill anyone, right? - Mm-hmm. I know. - Get away! Get the hell off of me! I think Mary Agnes could kill someone. - What the hell do you think you're doing? - I don't think so. No, she's... she's just an emotional girl. What's she so emotional about? She got left here like the rest of us, didn't she? Throw it to Copperfield. I go first. I'll be on Buster's team. Look! Her temperature is 104. Scoot down. Come on. Good girl. That's a girl. Little more. Dear child, it won't hurt when I look. I'm just gonna look. All right. Dear child, did you, uh, do something to yourself? It wasn't me. It wasn't me. - Did you go to someone else? - He said he was a doctor. - I would never have stuck that inside of me. It wasn't me. - Listen, you've been very brave. - I'm going to put you to sleep. - It wasn't me. Homer, I want you to see this. You won't feel it any more. You've been very brave. We'll make it deep. - You sure? - You bet. The fetus is unexpelled. Her uterus is punctured. She has acute peritonitis, and there's a foreign object. I think it's a crochet hook. Take this. If she had come to you four months ago and asked for a simple D&C, what would you have done? Nothing! This is what doing nothing gets you. It means that somebody else is gonna do the job, some moron who doesn't know how. I wish you'd have come to me, dear child. What did she die of? She died of secrecy. - She died of ignorance. - Oh. Homer, if you expect people to be responsible for their children, you have to give them the right to decide whether or not to have children. - Wouldn't you agree? - How about expecting people to be responsible enough... to control themselves to begin with? How about this child? You expect her to be responsible? I'm not talking about her. I'm talking about adults. You know who I mean. - What? - It's just... It's just a marvel to me... that you still have such high expectations of people. - I'm happy I amuse you. - Look at it this way. What choice does Buster have? What are his options? - Nobody will ever adopt him. - Look at it this way. Buster and I are sitting here right beside you. We could have ended up in the incinerator. Happy to be alive under any circumstances. Is that your point? Happy to be alive? Yeah, I guess so. - You're it. - Pass it over here. - So many children. Are they all orphans? - Well, it is an orphanage. - Who wants chocolate? - I want some chocolate. Hi. Okay. They're getting in the car. Watch your fingers. Hi. - Hi. - Hi. - I'm the best. - You are? Wow! The best? The best at what? - I'm the best one. - The best one, huh? - I'm the best one of all the kids. - You are? He seems like the best one. Well, let's see if we can take care of that. Can you blow? I really am the best. I just have a cold. Sorry. They're not used to seeing a car like this. Ah, it's okay. I don't mind. Come on. Come on. Let's get out. Come on now. - Oh, sure you can. Come on. - Good morning. - Morning. - Dr. Larch. - Candy. - Hi, I'm Wally. I brought some chocolates for the kids. Chocolates? How thoughtful. Come on, Curly. - So, Mrs... - Candy. Candy Kendall. Wally. Wally Worthington. How many months are you? - Uh, two. - Two. Um... Are you... Are you the... Are you doing the... Oh, no. Dr. Larch will be performing the procedure. - Oh, good. - Okay. I was... I was just curious. Excuse me. The woman you delivered last night, she's complaining of pain. Okay. I'll take a look. Couple of minutes. Thank you. Are you okay? Yeah. I think it was the ether. Oh, the... That smell must've got to me. Oh, God, this is all my fault. Homer, Steerforth got into the pantry. He's eaten all the pie dough. - He wasn't sharing it either. - He's down the hall throwing up. - He's such a pig. - Don't call him a pig. It's not nice to call people names. But he is a pig. What kind of planes do you fly in? A B- 24 Liberator. Oh. Liberator. You enlisted? They wouldn't take me. I'm Class 4. I have a heart defect. - Yeah? Is it serious? - No. No, it's not serious. I'm just not supposed to get excited. You know, no strain, no stress. I try to keep calm all the time. I can't imagine there's any strain or stress around here. Yeah. - How she's doing? - Just fine. Good. Boy or a girl? - It's all over, dear. - Yeah, it's all over, honey. I would really like to have a baby one day. - I really would. - Why, of course. You can have as many children as you want. - I'm sure you'll have very beautiful children. - Oh, yes, I'm sure. I'm sure. You'll have Princes of Maine. You'll have Kings of New England. Lieutenant, I think you should find yourself some fresh air. - I still don't feel so good. - Cut it out, children. Homer, what's a runt? Copperfield called me a runt. He was just kidding, Fuzz. - Here. - Orange is my favorite color. Should I keep the teeth orange? Homer, look. Homer, look, look. Homer, when is Halloween? - It's at the end of October. - Is that soon? That's a few months away, Fuzz. Oh, it's the best time. Homer? - What is Honolulu? - Honolulu? Hmm. It's a city. Oh. What's the moonlight like? Well, I've never been there, - but I think that it would probably be very bright. - Oh. Why do we get pumpkins only once a year? Don't get too excited, Fuzzy. Eeew, that's disgusting! He does this all the time. Stop it right now. - Hey. - Hey. How's she doin'? - Oh, she's fine. - Good. Fine. I... I was wondering if you could give me a ride? Sure. I'd be glad to. Uh, a ride where? Where you goin'? We're headin' back to Cape Kenneth. Cape Kenneth? That sounds fine. Okay. Doubtless you will let me know what immensely worthwhile... or at least useful thing that it is you find to do. I wasn't intending to leave here to be entirely useless. I expect I'll find some other way to be of use. - In other parts of the world, I suppose there are other ways. - Of course. Are you so stupid you imagine you're going to find a more gratifying life? What you will find is people like the poor people who get left here. Only nobody takes care of them half as well. You won't be able to take care of them either. There's no taking care of anybody, not out there. You know I'm grateful for everything that you've done for me. - I don't need your gratitude. - I don't need this. I know all about my condition. It's your heart. You ought to take it with you. Going where? Does he have a plan of some kind? - Will he be back soon? - I don't know. He's just leaving. You were the one who says he needs to see the world. - That's what he'll do, is see the world. - He's leaving. - He'll need clothes. He'll need some money. - Let him try to make some money. That's part of seeing the world, isn't it? Oh, Wilbur, stop it. You knew this was going to happen. He's a young man. He's still a boy. Out in the world, he's still a boy. Just find him some clothes, Wilbur. He could use some clothes. Homer. Copperfield. It'll be all right. Children, up on the porch. Up, up. Say goodbye. Wave from here. - Bye. Bye. - Bye, Homer. Bye, Homer. Come on. - I can walk. Put me down. - Nope. I wanna carry you. - No, it's okay. - Here, let me get this. Wally, put me down. Okay. Okay. Hey. Coming with us? That's good. You never know when you're gonna need a doctor. - Do you want me to put the top up? - No. - You might get cold. - I want some fresh air. She'll be just fine. Is he gonna come out? - Bye, Homer. - Bye, Curly. Sorry I have to go. It's not fair. You're too old. I couldn't find Buster. Maybe you could tell him that I... - Bye, Homer! - Don't go too far! Homer, bye! Hey, Homer! Let us be happy for Homer Wells. Homer has found a family. Aren't we all happy for Homer? - Yes. - Good night, Homer. Good night, Homer. Good night, Homer. Actually, the army's given me leave twice. First, when my father died. And now I'm on leave to help my mom with the harvest. She's no farmer. Apples were my dad's business, but with the war on she's short of pickers. - Wally thinks apples are boring. - I never said they were boring. Yes, you did. You said apples weren't exactly flying. - They aren't. - I think I would like the apple business. - You're a little overqualified, aren't you? - No. - No, not really. I need a job. - Where are you headed? - I don't know. - What are you gonna do? I don't know. Is your family in the apple business too, Candy? No. But I work there. I like it. My dad's a lobster man. - Oh, wow. - Mm-hmm. I've never actually seen a lobster. Are you serious? I've never seen the ocean either. You... You've never seen the ocean? That's not funny. That's serious. It's beautiful. Yeah. Do you have cramps? They'll ease up soon. As long as the bleeding isn't heavy, it's normal, it should taper off tomorrow. Catch! All right. - Throw it back. - Okay. All right! - Put your fingers on the laces. Here's China. Here's India. - Mm-hmm. - Seven-hour round trip flight. It's called the "Burma run." And this part's called " Flying over the hump." These are the Himalayas. How high do you fly there? Well, I have to fly 15,000 feet within the first 35 minutes. Otherwise we won't make it over the first mountain. - They got the worst air currents in the world. - Dangerous, huh? Yeah. Actually, I volunteered. Did you really? Hey, look. If you're serious about wanting a job, picking apples isn't that boring. Yeah? Oh, I would love that, Wally. - See you around, Homer. - Oh, yeah. - Thank you, for everything. - Mm-hmm. Hi, Sam. Hi, Dad! Come on. You're gonna meet my mom. By the way, I've been at a wedding, all right? If it comes up, that's where I met you, at the wedding. Wally? Wally, is that you? Mom, this is Homer Wells. - How do you do, Homer? - Oh, good. How do you do? He's the most overqualified apple picker you'll ever meet, but he's dying to learn. Really? Were you a friend of the groom's, Homer? Homer's a friend of the groom's, the bride's, everyone. Come on. In that case, maybe you'd like to stay to dinner, Homer? Another time, Mom. You gotta meet Mr. Rose. You used up all the hot water! - You're usin' my soap, ain't you? - I ain't usin' no soap. They're migrants. They pick the fruit. All kinds. They travel up and down the coast with the seasons. The trick to Mr. Rose is you have to let him be boss. Oh, excuse me. - The sink's backed up again, Wally. - Not again. - Thought you said you was gonna get us a plumber. - Rose, this is Homer. - Homer, this is Mr. Rose's daughter, Rose. - You a plumber? Homer's the new picker. He's gonna stay here with you. - He's stayin' here? - Yeah. Uh-oh. This daughter of mine, she's just Miss Hospitality, ain't she, Wally? New picker? You got lots of experience, I expect. Homer's got no experience, Arthur, but he's smarter than I am and he's a fast learner. Mr. Rose is gonna teach you the apple business. Well, I believe this is history. We're makin' history, Wally, ain't we? We're makin' history havin' this young man stay with us. - Why don't you show him around? Your name is Rose Rose? - Pretty, ain't it? - Very. - You like to read? - I really can't read that good. Homer, what does this say? Here. "I looked at the stars and considered... "how awful it would be for a man to turn his face to them... "and he froze to death and see no help or pity... in all the glittering multitude." More. - Since you the one... who's smart enough to read, what's this here? - It's a list of rules it seems. - Whose rules? I imagine they're for us, I suppose. Go on then. Read 'em, Homer. "One: Please don't smoke in bed. It's too late for that one. Keep reading, Homer. Two: Please don't operate the grinder or press if you've been drinking." You know, they ain't our rules, Homer. We didn't write 'em. I don't see no need to read 'em. Okay. Good night, you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England. Hoo! Remember this. In the morning when the grass is wet, you can make it slide. - Feel it? - Yeah. It's almost like flying. Watch out for the trees. Trees are flak, antiaircraft fire... from the geeks on the ground. - Hey, Homer. - Hi. I was just showin' Homer the orchard. - Kind of a geography lesson. - Really? - Yeah. - What's that? - What? - This, here. Looks like you've been giving him flying lessons. Ah, he loved it. Didn't you? Wally here thinks people like being whacked by branches. - Oh, I liked it. - Really? Yeah! - You're unbelievable. - Well, thank you very much. Hey! What's wrong with you? Sorry. That's Vernon. You better stay away from him till he gets to know you better. - Then you best stay away from him even more. - Homer. Lieutenant's calling you. You better watch your ass, Homer. Hey, Wally. - You gettin' along okay? - Yeah. - Guess what. - What? I'm shippin' out today. It's a little sooner than I expected, but... I wanted to make sure that you're settled and happy enough considering... Are you bored stiff or do you think you can stick it out a bit? Yeah, of course. I'm grateful for the job, Wally. I'm grateful too. It gives me peace of mind knowin' you're here keepin' an eye on things. - Well, that's good. - You about ready, Homer? Yeah. - Uh, look, Wally, thanks. I'm lucky I met you. - I'm the lucky one. - No, really, I'm lucky. - Do you wanna fight about it? - Kidding. - Oh, okay. - Take care of yourself. - Okay. Bye. Okay, Mr. Rose. Turn. That's right. Turn and pull. Turn and pull. Just like that. Good. Good. Okay, that's good. Right now you're pickin' mostly cider apples. All these drops here, they good only for cider. And you're picking apples with the stem only half the time. Golden rule, Homer. You wanna pick the apple with the stem. Now, see that there? The spur right above the stem? That's the bud for next year's apple. That's called the "spur." Pick the spur, you're pickin' two years in one. You're pickin' next year's apple before it have a chance to grow. So you wanna leave that. - Okay. - All right, let me see you work. Yeah. That's good. Yeah, that's much better. That's better. I can see you got yourself some education. Them good hands you got. Them hands you got, they know what they're doin'. Ain't that right? - I guess so. - All right. - You keep on workin', Homer. I'll be right back. - Okay. Wilbur? Wilbur? Wilbur? You should read this. It's from the board. Another letter. "Merely suggesting that some new blood might benefit you all. Someone with new ideas in the obstetrical and pediatric fields." I think they're just testing some ideas for our next meeting. Dr. Holtz seems nice. I think he only wants to help. He's a goddamn psychiatrist! Of course he wants to help. He'd be happy to help to commit me. It's this Mrs. Goodhall you have to be careful of, Wilbur. We have to be more than careful of Mrs. Goodhall. She has enough Christian zeal to start her own country. I'd like to give her a little ether. - So, what are you going to do? - Take this. Homer Wells, born Portland, Maine, March 2, 1915. But Homer was born here. - In what was it? 1922? - Mm-hmm. Graduated Bowdoin College, 1935. Harvard School of Medicine, - That's you, Wilbur. You went there. - An internship, and two years of training at the Boston Lying-In, South End Branch, he was judged an accomplished gynecological... - and obstetrical surgeon... - That's not him. With experience in pediatric care. Wilbur, you're making this up. Angela, the board is going to replace me. That is what the new blood is for. You mean they're going to replace you with someone who doesn't perform abortions. Well, we can only guess at that. They are against the law. These credentials are against the law. We all know I trained Homer, so his credentials are as good as mine. And don't be holy to me about the law. What has the law ever done for anyone here? So, what do you think about my candidate? What about school records? Homer doesn't have any diplomas. Come here, Edna, please. Come here. He will have them. Wilbur! I don't know... All of these on there, okay. - Gotta pack 'em tight now, y'all. - I got it. What do you think we do? - All aboard, Mrs. Worthington. - Thank you, Arthur. How's this crew this year? Got any rotten apples? - It's a good crew, ma'am. - Hey, Rose Rose. - You tryin' to break my finger? Damn! - Just an accident. Excuse me. Well, maybe we got one bad apple, but it's nothing we can't handle. I see. How's young Homer working out? - Good. He's a smart young man. - Hey, Homer. - Wally was right about him. Real hard worker. - Good. Mornin', Miss Worthington. Why don't you come up and visit me at the house? I know I've got clothes that will fit you. - Okay. - I'm sure I can find a ton of things to fit you. Rose don't really need any more pickin' clothes, ma'am. - Uh-huh. - Now don't be a party-pooper, Arthur. I have a beautiful blouse... - Hey, Rose Rose. - Homer. - Hey. - Hi. How you feelin'? When I'm not thinking of Wally, I'm fine. I'm not really good at being alone. Oh. Feeling much better. Thanks. Hey, listen. Maybe if you're free, you'd like to come and have dinner at my dad's place? - Okay. - You haven't seen a lobster yet, have you? - No. - Oh, good. You're hungry, right? - What is that? - It's a drive-in movie theatre. - It's a movie outside? - Yeah. - Oh, can we see it? - Okay. - It's closed now because of the blackouts. - Oh. It's so big. You smoke? You want a cigarette? Okay. Wally would kill me if he saw me doin' this. - There you go. - Thanks. So, you like movies? Yes. Seen only one, though. You've seen only one? Which one? Uh, King Kong. It's really good. Mmm. Oh. Wilbur, it's a pie apple. Here, look. See? Try one of those. So he's an apple expert now, is he? Oh, my, yes. That's a far superior taste. And crisp too. So many apples are disappointingly mealy. Wilbur, he picked these for us himself. You don't find it depressing that Homer Wells is picking apples? Or that he can't be bothered to write us a proper letter? Wilbur, it's a gift. I'll show him a gift. I'll send him a gift he can use. There goes Jimmy Stewart on his way to enlist. One of the most popular stars on the screen. Today he's Lieutenant Stewart, U.S.A. Crossing the equator, there's a lighter side, as novices are introduced... to the traditional realm of King Neptune. Boxing matches, helping relieve the monotony of long, weary days at sea. Well, it looked like you liked it. I did like it. All I said was, it's no King Kong. I mean, first she loved him, then she didn't. Then no one else could have him. No, but she did love him. How many women have you known? And what did she die of exactly? She was torn apart. She died of a broken heart. Oh. Well, I just... I need a better medical explanation. Torn apart. At least King Kong, he knew what he wanted. Hey, what you doin' with that Candy, Homer? Makin' history, I suppose. - You ain't gettin' in no trouble, I hope. - No trouble. That Candy, she's the nicest girl I know. She's about the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, but I don't know if she's the nicest. She's the nicest and most beautiful girl I've ever known. See, that sounds like you in trouble already, Homer. Sounds like big trouble to me, Homer. - I'm not in trouble. - Yeah, you is. I know when people are in trouble. You is. His name is Homer Wells, and his pathetic resume is the best I've seen. I find it hard to believe that the board would be interested in this character. But he looks like an excellent young man. A first-rate candidate. Don't you think? He looks like a bleeding heart missionary moron to me. But that would be the problem with any doctor interested in coming here. - Do you know him? - No, and I don't want to. He's doing missionary work in India. I wrote to him weeks ago, but either he's too holy or too busy to answer. Tomboy! Sorry. Okay. Come on. I fail to see how someone courageous enough... to make a commitment to a foreign mission is automatically to be dismissed. That part of the world requires precisely the kind of dedication that is needed here. Does it snow in Bombay? One winter here and we'll be shipping him south in a coffin! But Dr. Larch, he seems exceptionally qualified. I'm not talking about his medical qualifications. It's the Christian thing that bothers me. I just don't see it as being much use around here. I fail to see how a little Christianity could hurt anyone here. Anyway, I was just showing you this guy as an example... of what's available. - I didn't think you'd be interested. - We're very interested. - Oh, yes, very. - You wouldn't be opposed to meeting with him? Well, it wouldn't hurt to meet him. - What's his name again? - Dr. Homer Wells. - It's a nice name. Very New England. - Very Maine. A very local sounding name. Very. I told you. If I appear to want it, they don't want it. If I appear to hate it, they just gotta have it. - Excuse me. I just wanna ask you something. - Edna, come dance with me. Let's be foolish tonight. Come on. Does he know he's supposed to be in India? Does he even want to come back? He's a field hand! What could possibly hold him there? Homer! It's time to go! - Oh, I gotta go. - Okay. Right now, we're usin' them early Macs and Gravensteins. Cider is way too watery, man. We ain't gonna get no good cider... till we start pickin' them Golden Delicious and Winter Bananas... and Russets and Baldwins, you know. What about worms? Don't the drops have worms? Well, yeah, they got worms, Homer. That ain't nothin' but protein, man. Jack? What the hell is you doin', man? Don't you know that cigarette's gonna ruin this whole batch of cider? I can't have that. You gonna have to get that out of there. You're gonna have to go fishin', boy. - You mean swimmin'? - Swimmin' or fishin'. I ain't goin' in that vat to fish out no cigarette. Now, Jack... Come on down here, man. What business are you in, Jack? Just tell me what business you're in. Just say you're in the apple business 'cause that's the only business you wanna be in. Hey, Jack! Listen, Jack! You don't wanna go in the knife business with Mr. Rose, man. - What you wanna do? - Just tell him you're in the apple business! - What you wanna do? What you want, man? - Jack! - Tell him you in the apple business, boy! - It ain't worth it. - Shut up, Peaches! - What you want? Now, I'm in the knife business, Jack. I'm in the knife business! Let me tell ya, you don't wanna be in no kind of knife business with me. Now I think it's time for you to go fishin'. He kind of fast, ain't he, Jack? Well, the good news is, you're already half undressed for swimmin'. Shoot, that Jack too slow to get me. I was so fast I cut my own self. You really showed him, huh? You just about cut your hand off. And all you cut off him was his clothes. Now you know and I know you don't go to nobody's jail for cuttin' a guy's clothes off. Ain't that right? Rose Rose, ain't that right? - Oooh. - Ain't that right, Homer? - Easy, easy. Okay. Jus... Aaah! God... Not too much gas. There you go. You wanna go right in here. Okay, okay, okay! Slow on the gas. You really have to be gentle. That's the one. That's the one. We wanna stay right there. Got it? Slowly, slowly, slowly. Okay, okay, okay! You're a natural. You were born to drive a car like this. - You think so? - Yeah. So this is a speaker. This is where the sound for the movie comes out. Oh. I love this place. This is, uh... Have you seen a lot of movies here? Yes and no. When you come here, you don't really care about the movie. You don't care about the movie? What are you so crazy about movies for? Ah... That was my favorite night at the orphanage. Movie night. We'd all... We'd all race into the dining hall, and, of course, everyone wanted to sit in front. So we'd be packed in so tight you could feel the kid next to you breathing. You don't miss it? I miss things. I miss people. I miss reading to the boys. You had so much responsibility, huh? I didn't ask for any responsibility. Just a little privacy. Well, you're in luck. Let me show you. Because privacy is what drive-in movies are all about. So, scrunch down like this. Come on. Scrunch down. All the way. And then give me your arm. Put your arm around me. You just cuddle and hug and, you know. You don't really watch the movie. I would watch the movie. Sorry, Fuzzy. It's Homer's splice again. Fuzzy? Fuzz? If the little ones want to know what happened, tell them that Fuzzy was adopted. - Okay. - So, what happened to Fuzzy? - He was adopted. - Good. - Will they believe that, you think? - They'll believe it... because they want to believe it. - Shouldn't we tell Homer? - If Homer wanted to know what was happening here, he could pick up the telephone and call us. I think it was a nurse or a nanny who, uh, who adopted Fuzzy. Someone who could take care of him. Because they had a better breathing machine... than the one that Dr. Larch built for him. So I think we should be happy for Fuzzy, okay? He found a family. Good night, Fuzzy. Good night, Fuzzy. Homer. Morning, everybody. Mornin', Miss Olive. - Look. There's mail for you, Homer. - Oh, thank you. Rose, I brought those clothes for you. Come on. Let's go see if they fit. What's that? - Oh, ain't you gonna open it, Homer? - No. Mind your business, now, Peaches. - Sorry 'bout that, Homer. - It's okay. - Okay, okay, okay. - Oh, look. Right here. It's glass. Look at that. - Isn't that beautiful? - Mm-hmm. Give me your hand. Feel that. - Feel that? - Mm-hmm. The ocean rubs it against the sand. That's how it gets that smooth. Takes a year for it to get like that, though. Come on. Ah! You're too fast! He volunteered. Jesus. Nobody volunteers for the Burma run. He said so himself. He just leaves me here. What does he want? He wants me to wait for him? Oh, God, he knows me. He knows I'm not good at being alone. This was right. I know this was right. - You're right. This was right. - Yeah. Just tell me. Do you want me to stay? Do you want me to go? I don't know. I really don't know. I just... think we should just wait and see. Okay. - Are we all set? - Yeah, that's it. Goodbye, Arthur. Thank you again for all your hard work. - My pleasure, ma'am. - Have a safe trip, Rose. God bless. - Take care now. - Homer, you take care of yourself. - Okay. You too. Okay. - We'll see you next year. - Homer, see you later. - Bye, everyone. - Bye. - Don't freeze to death, Homer. - Don't get yourself in no trouble, Homer. - Go on and freeze to death if you want to, Homer. - Shut up, Jack. Take care of yourself, Homer. So you're staying. Olive told me. You know, you could have told me yourself. I'm just waiting and seeing, like you said. Dear Dr. Larch, Thank you for your doctor's bag, although it seems that I will not have the occasion to use it, barring some emergency, of course. I'm not a doctor. With all due respect to your profession, I'm enjoying my life here. I'm enjoying being a lobsterman and an orchardman. In fact, I've never enjoyed myself as much. The truth is, I want to stay here. I believe I'm being of some use. I've looked at so many women, and I've never... I've never felt a thing, you know. I mean, I've seen everything. Just felt nothing. With you, it, uh... To look at you, it hurts. Come here. My dear Homer: I thought you were over your adolescence... the first time in our lives when we imagine we have... something terrible to hide from those who love us. - Homer? - Do you think it's not obvious to us what's happened to you? You've fallen in love, haven't you? By the way, whatever you're up to can't be too good for your heart. Then again, it's the sort of condition that could be made worse by worrying about it, so don't worry about it. - Dear Dr. Larch: What I'm learning here may not be as important as what I learned from you, but everything is new to me. Yesterday, I learned how to poison mice. Field mice girdle an apple tree,: Pine mice kill the roots. You use poison oats and poison corn. I know what you have to do. You have to play God. Well, killing mice is as close as I want to come to playing God. Homer, here in St. Cloud's, I have been given the opportunity of playing God... or leaving practically everything up to chance. Men and women of conscience should seize those moments... when it's possible to play God. There won't be many. Do I interfere when absolutely helpless women... tell me they simply can't have an abortion... that they simply must go through with having another and yet another orphan? I do not. I do not even recommend. I just give them what they want. You are my work of art, Homer. Everything else has been just a job. I don't know if you've got a work of art in you, but I know what your job is: You're a doctor. I'm not a doctor. You're going to replace me. The board of trustees is looking for my replacement. I can't replace you. I'm sorry. "Sorry"? I'm not sorry. Not for anything I've done. I'm not even sorry that I love you. I think we may have lost him to the world. Come on, come on. Just read the label. - Come on. Come on. - Okay. Okay. You can have the book. You can have the book, but please don't tickle me. Oh. Who is it? Don't know. It's Mr. Rose. Hey! - Hey, Homer. - Hero. How ya doin'? Good. Miss Candy. - Hey, Homer. - Good to see you again. - Thank you. - Welcome back. - Hey, Muddy. - Hi, Miss Candy. - We put in new sheets for you. - I see you ain't freezed your ass off. - It's fine. I'm sure. - I was just finishing. - Hey, Mr. Rose. - Peaches, how are you? - Good to see you again. - Good to see you. - Leave it. It's good. - You sure? - Candy. Mr. Rose. Welcome back. Thank you. Don't this place feel just like home? - Nicer than home. - What you all been doin' make it feel so nice? - Hey, Rose. - Rose, Rose. Good to see you again. How are you? Where's Jack? He, uh, he just wasn't up for the trip this season. Jack didn't know what his business was. - Ain't that right, Muddy? - Mm-hmm. Muddy, Muddy, half these is bruised. This one ain't got no stem. What is this, now? That's a spur, ain't it? You're in too much of a hurry. What is wrong with you? You shakin' the tree to get these apples down? You're bruisin' all of these apples. Ain't you gonna eat with us, Rose? - She used to eat with us. - Maybe she ain't hungry this mornin'. She ain't hungry every mornin', 'cause she's sick every mornin'. Hey, Rose. How you feelin'? Guess you must like watchin' people be sick. No, I don't like watchin' anyone be sick. Rose, how many months are you? Do you know? Do you know? Rose? What do you know about it? Well, I know more than I'd like to know about it. Well, then, don't trouble yourself none, Homer. This ain't your business. Right. What am I gonna do with a baby? I can't have a baby. What am I gonna do with a baby? - Huh? - Whatever you want to do, Rose, I can help. I just mean that if you don't wanna keep the baby, I know where you can go. You think Daddy's gonna let me go anywhere? Huh? I ain't goin' nowhere. Why don't you just, uh, go back to your pickin', Homer. I can take care of it by myself, all right? What do you mean? I mean I could take care of it by myself. Okay? Don't do anything, Rose. Don't do anything to yourself, okay? Rose? Do you hear me? - Rose, do you hear me? - Go on! - Homer? I think we should take her to St. Cloud's and let her decide when she gets there. I told her. She doesn't feel she can do that. Well, we have to help her, right? We need to do something, don't we? Homer? - Hey. - Hey. I have some more clothes for you. I just keep forgetting to bring them with me. I don't need no more clothes. Thanks. I know what's goin' on, Rose. Homer told me. You don't know this, but I got pregnant about a year ago. Do you want to have this baby? No? Who's the father? Does he know? If you don't want to have this baby, Homer and I will take you to a place. It's safe. - He knows this doc... - I can't go nowhere. Why? Rose, listen to me. You can tell me. It's okay. - Mornin'. - Morning, Mr. Rose. I'm gonna be up top, okay? Mr. Rose. He's the father. - What? - He's her baby's father. Mr. Rose is her baby's father. Her baby. Mr. Rose is the father. - What? Are you sure? - I can't believe this. I knew there was something wrong. What is she gonna do? God, I can't believe it. We have to keep her away from that bastard. - Mr. Rose? - Homer. I know you ain't ready for lunch, boy. - Is it, uh, true? - What's that? Uh, are you... sleeping with your own daughter? I think you've been staying up too late at night, Homer. You're having sex with your own daughter. Ain't nobody havin' sex with my daughter! Let me just tell you that. You're lying. Aren't you ashamed of yourself? What do you care who hears? I mean, come on. They know already, don't they? - They know, Mr. Rose. - And you know what your business is, boy! I know you don't wanna be in no kind of business with me! - That's what I know. - Yeah? Go on. Cut my clothes. I've got other clothes. You gonna come here talkin' to me about lies and shame? Those people took you in, and that boy Wally is away at war! - Yeah, well, she's your daughter! - And I love her! Ain't never gonna do nothin' to harm her. She's pregnant, you know that? She's pregnant. No! No! He was over Burma when he was shot down. There were no injuries from the crash, just disease. When the plane was hit, the crew chief and the radioman jumped close together. The co-pilot jumped third, all on Captain Worthington's orders. - Come in. - The captain was still flying the plane. None of the men on the ground could see the sky. That's how thick the jungle was. They never saw the plane crash. They never heard it crash. They never saw Captain Worthington's parachute either. But he was missing for 20 days. Why? He followed the Irrawaddy River all the way to Rangoon. He managed to avoid the Japs but not the mosquitoes. So it's malaria. It's, um, encephalitis "B." What's that? Captain Worthington is paralyzed from the waist down. He... He won't walk. - I'm sorry. - When is he coming home? In about a month. By the end of October. Just tell me. I'll do whatever you wanna do. Nothing. Isn't that like waiting and seeing? No. Nothing's nothing. I want Wally to come home. I'm afraid to see him too. - I know. - Oh, don't do that, Homer. I just want to sit here and do nothing. To do nothing. It's a great idea, really. Maybe if I just wait and see long enough, then I won't have to do anything or decide anything, you know? I mean, maybe if I'm lucky enough, someone else will decide and choose and do things for me. What are you talking about? But then again, maybe I won't be that lucky. And it's not my fault. It's not your fault. And that's just it. Someone's gonna get hurt, and it's no one's fault. - I don't want to talk about this. - If we just sit here... and we wait and see a little while longer, then maybe you won't have to choose, and I won't have to do anything! What do you want from me? Wally's been shot down. He's paralyzed. What do you want me to do? Nothing. I'm sorry. You're not the one who has to do anything. Where you think you're goin'? I got to go, Daddy. You have to let me go. Wait, Rose. Just wait. I ain't gonna let you go nowhere in the middle of the night. - Hey. Hey. - I can't stay here no more, Daddy. Hey, nothin'. You just go in the house. This ain't none of your concern. - Just listen to me... - You are forgettin' yourself now. This is my daughter! Now, I believe you got your own mess you gotta deal with. - I wanna get... - Ain't that right, Homer? Ain't that right, Homer? My daughter and I done told you. This ain't your business. This ain't none of your business! Ya even know what your business is, Homer? Do ya! - What is your business? - I'm in the doctor business. I can help. That's all I'm saying. I can help. Forceps. Cervical stabilizer, vulval pads. Set of sims. Set of reinstadards. - Dakin's solution. - She my little girl, Homer. She's gonna be all right, Mr. Rose. Nothin' to worry about. You ready, Rose? Fellas... Come on, y'all. I'm staying, Homer. Okay. If you stay, you make yourself a use. Watch her breathing. You better go get some air. Oh! Oh, God! Hey. The heat will help the cramps ease up a little. The bleeding is usually a lot less within two days, but you just keep checking the pad, okay? As long as it's not heavy, it's normal. It's that Vernon. He keep askin' where you, Rose Rose and Homer is at. Tell that Vernon to mind his own business, Muddy. Told him y'all sick. You tell him whatever you want. You crew boss today. - You readin' the rules, Homer? - Mm-hmm. What are they? Uh... "Please don't smoke in bed." We already heard that one, Homer. "Two: Please don't operate the grinder or press if you've been drinking." "Three: Please don't go up to the roof to eat your lunch." That's the best place to eat lunch. "Four: Please, even if you are very hot, do not go up to the roof to sleep." What do they think, go up to the roof to sleep? - They must think we're crazy. - They think we dumb niggers, so we need some dumb rules, is what they think. The last one. "There should be no going up on the roof at night." Now, why don't they just say, "Don't go up on the roof"? - That's it? - That's it. - Hmm. - It don't mean nothin' at all. - And all this time I been wonderin' about 'em. - They outrageous, them rules. Who live in this cider house? Who grindin' up those apples, pressin' that cider, cleanin' up all this mess? Who just plain live here, just breathin' in that vinegar? Well, someone who don't live here made those rules. These rules ain't for us. We the ones supposed to make our own rules. And we do. Every single day. Ain't that right, Homer? That's right. Then why don't you burn them rules in the stove? Go 'head, Homer. Do it. Nothing is nothing, right? You know I love you. You know I do. You needed me. Now Wally's gonna need you. Homer. I'm sorry. At least there's no more waiting and seeing. At least I got to see the ocean. Homer! Rose Rose done run away. - She took off in the middle of the night. - She left on the bicycle. What? Nobody gonna find her. She long gone. I didn't try stop her. I just want to touch her hand before she go. That's all I wanna do. That's all. I swear. Where she get that knife, Muddy? Look like your knife. No gal need to be out here tryin' to hitch-hike... unless she got a good, strong knife to hold onto. Where'd she get you? Just misunderstood me. I was tryin' to give her my knife, and I reach out my hand to touch her. But see, I understand, Homer, if she don't see it like that. It's my fault. She good with that knife. She's fast. She a lot better with that knife than you is, Muddy. Who do you suppose taught her? - You taught her, I suppose. - That's right. That's right. There's more than one cut. That's 'cause I take my knife and stick it in the wound. I stick my own knife in there. I poked it all around, Homer, tryin' to find the same spot that she got. Now, look here. When you tell the police how this happened, I want you to tell it like this, hear? My daughter run off. I was so sad about that, I stabbed myself. I was so unhappy that she left that... I killed my own self. And that's the truth. Ain't that right? I wanna hear you say that. I was so unhappy that my daughter run off... That... I killed my own self. - Ain't that right, Homer? - That's right. - Huh, Muddy? - Yeah, that's what happened. You lost your only daughter, so's you killed yourself. That's what we say. That's right. That's the truth. I'm just tryin' to put things straight. Sometimes you gotta break some rules, put things straight. Ain't that right, Homer? Good. Do you think Rose will be okay? She'll be all right. She knows how to take care of herself. This is for you. Olive wanted me to bring it. Oh, thanks. I know you don't think much of being needed, or of me for that matter, but I... I'm sorry for what I said about Wally needing you. It was unnecessary. You had every right to be angry. No, you warned me. You told me you weren't any good at being alone. Wally's gonna be okay. I know he is. Yeah? Dear Homer: I am writing you to tell you about Dr. Larch. Dr. Larch? Dr. Larch? Wilbur. Oh, Wilbur. Wilbur. I can assure you that the overdose... was entirely accidental. Let us be happy for Dr. Larch. Dr. Larch has found a family. Good night, Dr. Larch. Good night, Dr. Larch. Come on, Muddy. Step on it, man! - Let's get on it. - Get on it, man. I wanna get to the sunshine. - Ha-ha-ha! - Homer! - Yeah! - You ever seen a palm tree? Oh, he ain't never been outta Maine! Ain't you sick of pine trees, Homer? - Let me tell you something about Florida, Homer. - The sun shines! Man, it's so warm down there, you can pick grapefruits... and oranges naked if you want to. - Who would want to do that? - I'm just sayin' it's warm, Hero. You used to say it was too hot. Not me. I love them peaches. I love my peaches. Homer? Hey, what you think, Homer? I'd love to go with you guys, but I have to move on. - Hey, you hear that, Muddy? - What? - Boy said he ain't movin' on with us. - Oh, Homer! Come on, Homer. Come on down with us! - I can't do it, guys. - Well, I reckon you gotta do what you gotta do. O Lord, support us all the day long... until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes... and the busy world is hushed and the fever of life is over and our work is done. Then, in Thy mercy, grant us a safe lodging and a holy rest... and peace at the last. Amen. Homer? Homer! It's Homer! Homer! Hey, Buster! Homer! - I was in Maine. - Oh, look! Here comes Jennifer! Let me see. You're welcome. You're welcome. It was my pleasure. It's gonna be chicken fricassee tonight. - What's this? - That's Homer's. You have something for me? Do I have something for you? Uh, let... You know what? I have something. I do. Here. It's from the ocean. It's for you. - What do you think? - Good. - I made a room up for you. - We thought that would be more comfortable. Oh, thank you. That would be great. - You're not staying in here? - I don't know. What do you think, Curly? What else do you have, Homer? - Do you have something else for me? - Do you know what this is? - Oh, that's my heart. - No, actually, it's Fuzzy's. There's nothing wrong with your heart. Dr. Larch wanted to keep you out of the war. That's why he told you it was yours. I think he was worried about his own heart. He said it would never stand up to Homer Wells going off to war. "Thus I began my new life... "in a new name and with everything new about me. "I felt like one in a dream. "The remembrance of my old life is fraught with so much want of hope. "Whether it lasted for a year or more or less I do not know. "I only know that it was... "and ceased to be. And there I leave it." Is that all? No, there's much more to come, Curly. Well, that's tomorrow. Let's not give the story away. Good night, you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England. |
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