( Bird and insect noises )
( Gunshot )
We've gotta be quick!
Come on!
Pa!
Pa, wait up!
Pa?
( Child sobbing )
Woman:
Pretty here, right?
Boy: I guess.
Oh, it won't be so bad.
No rats here.
That's 'cause
the wolves eat 'em.
You ain't afraid
of no wolves, are you?
You worried you won't get to
see your girlfriend anymore?
Katie ain't my girlfriend.
I've known her
since I was seven.
I've known your pa since
I was about that age.
Where are you goin'?
We're here.
Good. I can use
the help.
Who else is workin'?
Nobody.
Y'all can get set up.
In that trailer up the hill.
Hey, Bud...
Im sorry about
the plant closing.
And I know that you
weren't plannin'
On comin' back to these parts.
I'm sorry about it, too.
Uh, I saw your pa.
About five or six years back,
Just before he died.
And he asked on you.
I told him you were doing good.
I was.
Girl:
Don't eat that one.
Unless you like eatin' bugs.
I don't like to waste.
Who are you?
Nobody.
I just moved here.
Who are you?
I live around here.
I didn't think
anybody lived out here.
Some people do.
Man: Eli!
What you doin' over there?
Nothin'.
Where'd you get that apple?
Off the tree.
That ain't your tree
and that ain't your apple.
He can have an apple.
We got plenty.
I catch you with an apple, boy,
You better bring a branch, too.
Who's this?
This is jesse.
Can I pet him?
He's friendly.
Hey, Bud.
Hiya, Buddy.
Woman: Hi, Waylon.
Ida!
Long time.
You look well.
( Laughter )
All right.
Let us pray.
Heavenly father, bless us,
As we trust not in
the works of man,
But only in your
divine providence.
Lead us not into sin and let us
not stray into the darkness.
Which surrounds us.
For the kingdom, the
power and the glory.
Are yours forever
and ever. Amen.
( Sighing )
Do you know who
used to live here?
No.
Didn't take too good
a care of it.
We'll fix it up nice.
Why'd he ever sell
off all those hogs?
I don't know.
Guess they cost more
than they made.
Guess they run out of money.
Do you know what he's gonna
do with all the buildings?
Let 'em sit, I reckon.
Don't go nosing in there.
It's dangerous.
Somebody make dinner?
There's no water.
Did you ask Waylon about it?
He don't want me
talkin' to Waylon.
Why not?
Ask him.
Aah!
You come back here!
( Rustling )
Uhh!
( Barks )
You scared the shit
out of me, boy.
Come on.
( Dog whimpering )
Come on, boy.
Come on, come on.
( Country music playing )
( Clatter )
Waylon: A bull
in a china shop.
I... I'm sorry.
What are you doin' in here?
I was using the bathroom.
In my office?
No, in the bathroom.
I'm really sorry about this.
No harm.
Where'd you get all these?
From the farm. I've been digging
them up since I was a kid.
They're still sharp.
You want it?
No.
Take it.
Really?
Where you been?
Bathroom.
What's that?
Waylon gave it to me.
You look like a damn girl.
Come on, help me with this.
( Squawks )
( Honking horn )
Who are you?
Let me see Waylon.
I asked you who you are.
Hey, Bud.
Thank you, Bud.
Hey, Waylon. How's
the pig business?
You mind if we talk in private?
This shit worth anything?
To me.
You know what's worth
something to me?
Money.
Then it's a good thing
you got so much.
Well, the reason
I got so much is,
I make sure I got what's owed me.
Know what I mean?
Yeah, I know what you mean.
So when are you gonna pay me?
I'll pay you.
Oh, I know you'll pay me.
I said, when?
When I pay you.
( Chuckles )
Don't make do something
about you, Waylon.
If you don't pay me, Im
gonna take this pretty farm.
Why don't you just sell it?
Lord knows you ain't
actually farming it.
What's keeping you
here, anyway?
History.
( Chuckles ) history.
You keep living for the past,
You ain't gonna have no future.
( Crack )
You got two weeks.
Have a good day.
Why do you hate Waylon so much?
He ain't trustworthy.
Then why are you
workin' for him?
You got any better ideas?
Were you two friends as kids?
We played.
Then what happened?
Go see if your mother
needs help.
Go on, get!
( Barking )
It's okay, it's okay.
It's okay, boy.
( Barking )
He doesn't like you too much.
I don't like him, either.
Jesse? Why not?
He kills the rabbits.
Bites their legs off.
Oh.
You wouldn't do a thing
like that, now, would you?
Where'd you get that?
Found it.
It's yours, right?
Finders keepers.
What's your name?
Amanda.
( Barking ) jesse!
( Barking )
Come here, boy.
What's this fence doing here?
Do you know what's back there?
I don't know.
Curious?
It's private property.
Ain't it Waylon's land?
No.
Whose is it, then?
I want to see.
No.
What?
Leave it alone, all right?
Why?
Just promise me.
All right. Promise.
( Country music playing )
What?
Huh?
What are you lookin' at?
Nothin'. Your shirt
has a tear in it.
I know.
Why don't you fix it?
Who am I gonna impress?
Me.
What do you think of me.
Now you know
my shirt's got a hole?
I don't know.
I like you.
You go swimming
in the lake yet?
No.
Meet me tomorrow?
Boo!
Jesus, Katie...
Ida: Eli?
How'd you get out here?
I stole the keys
after she went to bed.
Where'd you park?
Down a ways.
Nobody'll see it.
This is crazy.
What are you so worried about?
You're basically
grounded forever.
Just by living out here.
Come on.
Eli: 'm glad
to see you.
I think Ive gone
crazy out here.
No, thanks.
It'll loosen you up.
I'm plenty loose.
Yeah, right. You're about as
loose as your mom's asshole.
What have you been doing
in my mom's asshole?
( Laughs )
look, just take a sip.
It makes you happy, farm boy.
When was the last time
you could say that?
I don't like it.
But it likes you.
Come on, now.
What are you...
Pa's gonna think I got in his.
Why do you do that?
Don't get up. I'm sorry,
I didn't mean to.
You look cute when you're mad.
You don't look too cute
when Im mad, so...
( laughs ) oh!
What?
( Laughter echoes )
( Laughing )
Why don't you kiss me?
It's not a sin if Im drunk.
You're just chicken, kid.
You start believing in hell all
of a sudden, or something?
I think I might
already be there.
Nice to see you, too.
I don't mean you, okay?
( Coughs )
Morning.
Where were you?
Pissing.
Where were you?
The field.
Do you want to go for a walk?
Don't you have to get
the car back, or...
it's saturday. They won't
get up till 1:00 or 2:00.
So does anyone else
live out here?
Heh. Uh, no.
I bet a bunch of inbred
rednecks live out here.
( Sings dueling banjos )
What?
What?
What do you keep
looking around for?
Um... me? Nothin'.
Are there bears out here?
No.
Do you want to go back?
No, Im having fun.
Yeah, you're a riot.
Where are you going?
Shortcut.
Shortcut to us being lost?
We cut straight through these
woods, we'll hit the farm.
Whoa.
You see this before?
No.
Hey, what are you doing?
You chicken?
No, but what if it's
somebody's house?
Are you kidding me?
No one lives here.
Aah!
What are you doing?
It's fake.
What?
Yeah, it's straw.
It's fake.
Oh, my god.
Freakin' scarecrow.
Scared you pretty good,
old crow.
Bite me.
Some kids probably
put it up as a prank.
Can we get out of here?
Amanda: Hey.
You came.
Who else comes here?
No one.
Never?
No.
What are you doing?
I don't want to get
my clothes wet.
So you're just gonna
take 'em off?
You never seen a girl
out of her clothes before?
Heh.
Are you religious?
'Cause I don't have to.
I don't want jesus mad at me.
Jesus don't stay mad too long.
( Laughs )
You can look now.
Aren't you gonna come in?
I don't know.
You don't have to
if it's a sin.
Sinning don't bother me.
Well, what are you
waiting for, then?
Cover your eyes.
( Laughs )
Can I look now?
Yeah.
How's it feel?
Good.
You swim like this with
other boys before?
Just my brother,
when we were kids.
You have a brother?
I had one.
( Laughs )
Aah!
Are you shy?
You shouldn't be.
Why not?
I don't bite.
I don't know if I believe you.
( Chuckles )
You want to come over.
And watch a movie
sometime or something?
We don't bite, either.
My pa does a little bit,
maybe, but...
What does he do?
Nothin'.
Did he hit you?
No, no.
No, not really.
He didn't start out that way.
How do you know that?
Nobody starts out bad.
You mind turning off the
shit-Mobile for a minute?
( Turns engine off )
How's things goin'?
Fine.
You have any idea
when that tobacco crop.
Might be ready to sell?
It'll be a while yet.
We need to turn that into cash.
As soon as we can.
Can't rush nature.
Where's Eli? Shouldn't
he be helpin' out?
Eli: You think Ill
end up good or bad?
Amanda: I don't know.
It depends.
On what?
Bad things happen.
If you're weak,
it'll break you.
I'm not weak.
I'm not.
I don't get you.
You got me if you want me.
Waylon:
Come here, Eli.
You been out in the woods much?
Yeah.
Seen any trespassers?
No.
Well, you see any,
you let me know.
Okay.
What you doin' in there?
Nothin'.
Well, as long as you
ain't settin' fires.
And cuttin' up trees.
I got more respect
than that. Come on, now.
Good.
You know, there's
a lot of history.
The civil war was fought here.
Pioneers died here.
Underground railroad
even came through here.
Really?
Yeah.
Come here. Let me
show you something.
See these shoes?
Yeah.
These belonged
to a runaway slave.
By the name of barnaby.
My great-Great-
Grandfather john.
Tried to help him... Let
him sleep in a barn.
But then his father... My
great-Great-Great- Grandfather horace...
Got a hold of old barnaby.
And took him out deep,
deep into the woods.
And hung him from a tree.
Told john what he did,
But wouldn't tell him where.
Gave him the poor boy's
shoes to prove it.
Of course, now they're
both a part of the farm.
And so is he.
Of course... Heh heh...
John never did find the body.
Where did you get all the guns?
Oh, mostly collected by father.
And my grandfather
over the years.
They're worth something.
So don't you be taking
them hunting or nothin'.
You ever gonna sell
any of this stuff?
Those Im taking
with me to my grave.
Waylon, did you ever know
of anybody named Amanda?
Why do you ask?
Oh, Im just wondering.
Did you see her?
Yeah.
Where? Where did you
see her?
I don't know... Did she
say anything to you?
What'd she say?
Nothin' much.
Who is she?
Boy...
you stay away from her.
She's dangerous.
All right.
And if you see her
again, you tell me.
Okay?
Yeah.
Good.
( Country music playing )
Where'd you go?
Nowhere.
Who were you with?
No one.
So you were nowhere
with no one...
I guess doing nothin', huh?
Yeah.
Know what I was doin'?
I was workin' my ass off while
you were doing nothin'.
You were supposed
to spray the tobacco.
I can't trust you with nothin'.
Were you with that
city girl... Katie?
Are you drunk?
You won't be so smart when
you're burnin' in hell.
At least Ill have you
for some company.
( Crash )
Ida: Eli!
What are you doing out here?
He's drinking.
Yeah, I know.
What's that?
What was it?
A lamp.
Bastard can rot in the dark.
I'm sorry.
( Dog barking )
Hey, Buddy.
Hey, Bud.
You ain't so scary, huh?
Come on, let's go
for a walk, huh? Come on.
Come on, Buddy.
Must be a lot of rabbits
in there, huh, boy?
Here.
Here, jesse, boy.
Through here.
You promised.
Liar! Liar!
Jesse!
Why didn't you listen to me?
Ida: You don't have
to work today.
Bud, tell him he doesn't
have to work...
It's okay, ma.
I feel like workin'.
Bud?
If he wants to work,
let him work.
# Children
# Children see
# By strength, by will
# By stars.
( Lyrics
continue indistinctly )
Amanda?
I don't care what you are.
Amanda, come out
and talk to me.
I'm sorry!
I shouldn't have hopped
over that fence!
Please just talk to me.
Tell me what happened to you.
Mornin'.
Mornin'.
Pa, did Waylon ever have
any siblings growing up?
No.
What are you lying for?
Waylon had a sister.
What was her name?
Amanda.
She and your papa
were sweethearts.
Before we got together.
That's enough.
They were set to
run off together,
But she ran off on her own.
I said that's enough.
I don't think she ran off, pa.
I found her body.
Get your damn hand off me.
Hey.
What are you doing here?
I snuck out here.
I'm grounded.
What did you do?
I called mark a dickwad.
Well, he is a dickwad. How could
you get in trouble for that?
Right?
God, I hate them so much.
At least mark
isn't your real dad.
( Scoffs )
Let's run away.
Where do you want to go?
Dallas.
Dallas? Why?
Mark hates the cowboys.
I don't know.
I just want to leave
this goddamn place,
Go back to the city.
Where do you want to go?
Do you have any money?
You're serious?
Dead serious.
Come on.
Let's just drive.
We can go to, like, louisville,
Live in the car until
we find an apartment.
I have $257...
I can't.
Why not? Don't you
hate it here?
I can't, Katie.
What the hell
am I supposed to do?
If you have to run...
run.
You lookin' for someone?
Are you following me?
These are my woods, boy.
I go where I want.
I thought I told you
to stay away from her.
She was your sister.
I know who she was.
Well, Ill just stay
away from her, then.
( Sighs )
She's a murderer.
Ida: Bud?
It's me, ma.
Evening, Bud.
I always thought
she run out on me.
But she didn't.
Why don't you put
that pitchfork down?
What kind of demon are you,
To do that to a
harmless little girl?
I don't know what
you're talkin' about.
You know damn well
what Im talkin' about!
She was gonna leave me.
So you hung her by the neck?
Your own sister?
Did you rape her?
Did you?!
God!
( Grunting )
I loved her.
I had to protect her.
Protect her?
I kept her safe.
( Both grunting )
( Thuds )
( Grunting )
Aaaah!
( Whispers )
( Bell tolling )
Ida: That girl's been
haunting me my whole life.
Now she finally
took him from me.
He always wanted her over me.
Now he died over her.
What do I got left?
I'm sorry about your loss.
What was his last words?
He said he loved you, ma.
Don't you stand beside
your father's grave.
And lie to me.
He said, "kill him."
Why don't you, uh...
go inside and get cleaned up?
I'm gonna fix us all
some dinner.
Thank you, Waylon.
Eli, would you
take a walk with me?
I'm sure that
that service wasn't free.
And I know y'all
don't have much money.
Believe it or not,
I ain't exactly.
Too fat in the hip
myself, neither, but...
I wanted you to have this.
To help out as I could.
I'll be sure to give it to ma.
Well, you gotta
take care of her now.
You're the man.
Ain't nobody gonna protect
your family but you.
You know what happened
up there with your pa.
Was an accident, right?
Sure.
He come at me for something
he believed Id done,
And I didn't have no choice
but to protect myself.
You saying you didn't do it?
No. No, sir,
I ain't sayin' that.
But maybe I had a good reason.
That man in the hole
in the ground,
The man she killed...
That was our father.
( Inhales )
( Gasps )
I... I thought
you had gone.
No, I didn't.
Are you cold?
No.
Sorry.
Everything's going so fast.
And I just feel so left alone.
( Sobbing ) I need someone
to take care of me.
You got Eli...
and you got me.
( Groans )
You think Im ugly.
No, I don't.
You think Im pathetic.
I feel sorry for you.
Well, then...
take pity on me.
I am way...
way more pathetic
than you'll ever be, Ida.
( Door slams )
Eli.
Eli?
Eli?
Aah! Waylon, hurry!
Joe, joe, put her down.
Put her down.
Mr. Peterson wants
his money, Waylon.
Your time ran out.
He'll get it.
He wants it now.
I don't have it now.
Aaah!
Ohh!
Uhh!
You got three days until we
come back and take this farm.
And you wind up at
the bottom of the lake.
Damn! Ohh!
Eli: Amanda!
Amanda, come out
and talk to me!
You're alive.
You're not scared of me?
Should I be?
No.
( Knock on door )
Is Eli here?
No.
Know when he'll be back?
I'm sorry.
Can you tell him
Katie took off,
And if he wants to find me...
I guess tough shit.
Yeah, Ill tell him.
Who was that?
It's a friend of Eli's.
Who are those people
you owe money to?
The local bank.
They sure don't act like
any bankers I ever seen.
Well, they ain't
exactly F.D.I.C.
( Starts engine )
I have more boxes in the truck.
May I?
Go ahead.
Holy god.
You know what this is?
My great-Great-Granddaddy pulled
that off a dead union troop.
In his cornfield
before he burned him.
Of course I know what that is.
Amanda:
Did you find him?
Waylon showed me.
What'd he do to you?
Him?
Nothin'.
Waylon said he was your father.
And that you killed him.
I didn't kill my father.
He died in a hunting accident
when we were kids.
Waylon shot him.
But this isn't him.
Well, who's this?
This is barnaby.
He was a runaway slave.
Waylon has his shoes.
I thought he was hung.
He was.
On the same tree where I hang.
And he wandered the woods.
The same way I do.
Waylon made me watch.
As he cut barnaby down.
What happened to him
when Waylon cut him down?
He disappeared...
into nothin'.
Are we safe here?
I don't know.
You good at horse?
Not really.
Oh!
Mmm?
Shit.
Ha ha!
Did you ever see anybody
else out here before me?
Just hikers, mostly.
Or trespassers.
Did you ever spook anyone?
Maybe once.
What happened?
Oh, it was just some kids.
Up to no good.
That car outside...
I turned it on.
I bet they looked like
they'd seen a ghost.
( Music playing )
You know what I miss?
Dancing.
I've always thought
I wanted to run away.
Now I want to
stay here forever.
Become like you.
You can't.
Why not?
I need you to protect me.
Do you promise?
( Music turns off )
Waylon:
Where is she?
I don't know.
You were just talkin' to her.
I heard you.
I was talkin' to myself.
I will cut her down.
If she don't talk to me.
You wouldn't do that.
I will slice you like a pig,
You get in my way, boy.
Amanda: Waylon?
Can I touch you?
What do you want?
I want to tell you Im sorry.
And I want for you
to forgive me.
You did something unforgivable.
I was so young.
I was younger.
But you...
You were gonna leave.
How can I protect you
if you were gonna leave?
I wasn't yours to protect.
I'm sorry, Im sorry,
Im sorry.
I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry.
Oh, no. No!
Go.
Go on, go.
Go on, get.
( Barking )
Go, go, go!
( Barking )
Go!
( Yelps )
Stay here.
You stay here.
Waylon, I can't
let you do this.
Uhh!
God!
( Grunting )
You love her...
don't you?!
She love you, too?
Like father, like son.
He's chasing me.
Where is he?
Everywhere.
Amanda.
( Distant music playing )
( Music grows nearer )
Amanda: Eli!
Cut him down!
I can't.
He's on the same rope.
Shit.
Aah!
Aaah!
Cut him down!
If you love me...
kill me.
Please!
# Who knows the things
# Oh, one who knows?
# What are you dreaming of?
# Of opened rest?
# Girl
# Where did you stay
so long, girl? #
# Where did you stay
so long? #
# I feel strong
# The answer she gave
# Simply was
# I'll show you
# Where the lilies grow
# At the banks...
( door closes )
Where's Waylon?
Gone.
Gone where?
I don't know.
When'll he be back?
I don't think he will.
Well, did he happen to leave
anything here for me?
That's for you.
Looks like you been
in a scrape.
Am I about to get into another?
No, sir.
Y'all have a good day.
What'd they want?
Their money.
They get it?
What happened to you?
I fell down the stairs.
What's all this?
Waylon ran off.
It says he left me the farm.
I mean, why would
he just run off?
People run off all the time.
You don't sound surprised.
# I want to
# I want to know...
Ill be damned
if you don't look.
More and more like
your father every day.
As long as I don't
act like him.
He wasn't always
such a hard man, Eli.
Something bad happened to him,
And it changed him.
I won't ever let anything
bad happen to you.
I promise.
We love it here, ma'am.
The trailer's real nice.
Please... call me Ida.
Ida, this is billy...
My husband.
And I don't know where
laura ran off to.
# The last kind words
# I heard my daddy say
# Lord, the last kind words
# I heard my daddy say
# If I die, if I die
# In the german war
# I want you to send my body #
# Send it to my mother, lord #
# If I get killed,
if I get killed #
# Please don't bury my soul #
# I prefer just leave me out #
# Let the buzzards
eat me whole #
# When you see me comin'
# Look across
the rich man's field #
# And if I don't
bring you flour #
# I'll bring you bolted meal #
# I went to the depot
# I looked up at the stars
# Cried, some train
don't come #
# There'll be
some walkin 'done #
# My mama told me
# Just before she died
# Lord, precious daughter
# Don't you be so wild
# The mississippi river
# You know,
it's deep and wide #
# I can stand right here
# See my babe
from the other side #
# What you do to me, baby
# It never gets out of me
# I may not see you
# After I cross
the deep blue sea #