giddyup, girl.
whoo!
whoa.
what's this?
get that devil outta you, or i will!
hush up, or i'll beat it outta ya! no!
there! you won't walk for a week!
hey!
is anybody there?
whoa, poke. whoa, girl.
night, mama.
hey, daddy.where you been, ellie?
i stopped to pick a rose for mama, and poke done run off.
he almost beat me home. i'm sorry, daddy.
where's your brother? now, both you knowed bessie was fixin' supper tonight.
i been waitin' and waitin'. get me a piece of pie.
yes, sir.
hey, granny.don't you "hey, granny" me. it's about time you got home.
ooh, and just look at you!what?
now, granny wants to see you in a dress at the box lunch social this year, ellie.
don't you think that your mama's golden locket would look pretty on a dress?
i really don't want no dress, and i don't want no locket neither.
i'm not gonna make no lunch to have some boy wanna eat it with me.
i'm fine as i am.nobody's fine as they am.
♪♪
this pie looks mighty good, daddy. why don't you come in there and join me and granny?
go on and eat your dinner before you start in on any of that pie.
and now, for the national news.
today in washington, d.c.,
president roosevelt has signed the fair labor standards act,
which establishes a minimum wage of 40 cents an hour--
well, there he is.hey, hi.
hey, sammy. lisa mae said calvin martin was out there opossum huntin' last night...
and heard those hants up there at the guthries'.
he said mr. guthrie hangs dead birds up by the neck till they drop.
then he eats them raw like savages.
don't even gut them. they got a monster locked in the shed too,
and they feed him little children for breakfast.
uh-huh. i bet old man guthrie's got the skins of two dead men hangin' in his barn.
you stay away from them guthries. he'd just as soon shoot ya as look at ya.
don't you even think about trespassin' over there. you hear me, girl?
yes, sir.
you got some explainin' to do, boy.
bessie didn't come all the way out here just so you can stroll in here any time you wanna.
i'm sorry. i been to the post office, daddy.
oh, sammy, did they come?yes, they did.
let me see.what's that?
ellie, read it to me.
want me to read all of it?
if i could read, i'd read it myself. just read it to me.
jack, there's no need for all this. the boy just wants to get an education.
read it!
ellie, don't.
these here papers come from hershel hawkins college, daddy.
it's a good school, and i wanna go there.
how many times have i got to tell ya those colleges charges to go there?
they got what they call scholarships, daddy, which means you get to go for free.
no boy of mine is takin' a handout.
what'd i say? what, you don't like to work for a livin'?
where are you goin'? don't you walk away from me!
i want to educate myself, daddy. i want to be something in this world!
i ain't lookin' forward to that mill, gettin' laid off every time somebody sneezes!
i don't want to live like that.you think you so high and mighty 'cause you can read and write?
better men than you have walked this mountain without a head full of book learnin'...
to mess 'em up!
i'm just glad your mama ain't here to see you carryin' on like that.
i'm just glad mama ain't here to see you foolin' with that radio and drinkin'.
what did you say?you just quit on life, daddy.
i'm telling you i wanna go to college.
no!
i like your bike, marty.
i like your dress, bertha. sure is pretty.
oh, thank you, cletus. thank you.
hey, bertha! wait up!
sammy?yeah.
slow up. i gotta ask you something.
do you believe in ghosts in real life like lisa mae was sayin' they got up at the guthries'?
we could go up and see for sure.and get swallowed up by them savages? no, thank you.
hey, sammy. how come you like that bertha anyhow?
lisa mae says she got a bale of cotton wadded up in her chest.
i like her 'cause she's pretty and funny. for your information, i know they aren't cotton.
sammy perkins! you did not touch bertha's bosoms!
it's time you asked granny about the birds and bees, miss flat chest.
please! i got more important things to do.
hey. is anybody there?
hey?
hey.
hey! i'm your neighbor, ellie perkins.
i'm ellie. look, i won't hurt ya.
- no, don't be scared. i'm not gonna hurt ya.
see, i brung candy.
what you doin' here in this shed?
i mean, do you live here? ain't you never lived in a house?
can you hear me? maybe you can't even hear me.
can you hear me? 'cause--
here. here. i'll show ya. i'll show ya.
no, it's okay.
see now?
it's good, ain't it?
shut the hell up in there!
shh. be quiet.
shut up, or i'll shut you up!
dad gum it!
look, i'm ellie perkins. who are you?
i-- i--
i alice.
alice guthrie?
alice-- lalo.
lalo. lalo, lalo.
i gotta run, okay? no, thanks.
i'll see ya later, okay? bye.
lalo.
forever and forever, amen.
just like adam and eve in the garden of eden,
we have been blessed with the beauty of god's creation.
there's no harm in coming together once a year...
to celebrate the glory of springtime.
to reach out to your brothers and sisters with love and goodwill.
i just hate bertha.
she knows i'm claiming david, but she just bats them eyes at everything in pants.
i know. what's a boy good for?
anyhow, that bertha sure seems to know.
yeah, she knows more than she should.who cares?
if ya ask me, a boy ain't good for nothin' but totin' out the garbage.
in this life, we must find our comfort and strength in god,
the lord our father. amen.
you should've heard that old ghost carryin' on last night at guthries'.
i heard it all the way from my house. when i went out, there it was,
hoverin' up in the sky over echoing heights like to scare me to a horrifyin' death.
you better watch out, lisa mae. that ghost is gonna come down there...
and snatch the life right outta you!
are all you young folks... just kidding.
ready for the box lunch bidding-- boys?
all right.
all the pretty young gals of our congregation have made up box lunches...
that they'll share with the highest bidder.
the proceeds will, of course, go to charity.
first up we have the very lovely miss bertha langford.
what a lovely creation that is.
who would like to start the bidding?
ooh! don't be shy.
i bid five cents.thank you very much. six!
- there's another bid. - seven cents.
- eight cents. - eight cents!
- ten cent. - a whole dime for that critter face?
ten and a penny. there's ike.
twelve. i am gonna die.
- twenty cents. twenty cents!
bertha's got sammy anddavid biddin' on her! what's gonna happen to me?
twenty-five cents and a penny.twenty-seven.
twenty-seven cents. very nice bid. twenty-seven cents.
- well-- - twenty-seven cents. going once.
going twice.thirty cents.
thirty cents! a very generous bid by mr. sammy perkins.
- fifty cents. - fifty cents! i believe that's a church record.
uh, sammy, can you top that?
fifty cents, going once, going twice,
sold for 50 cents!
mr. david butler, you have a box lunch from miss bertha langford.
fifty cents.
very nice. and don't they make a lovely couple.
you reckon that david knows she ain't stuffed with cotton neither?
lalo?
lalo.
food. food.
sammy.yeah?
i gotta tell you something. don't get mad, okay?all right.
but i went to see what they got locked in that shed.what!
what'd you do that for?
well, i had to find out, didn't i?yeah, i suppose you did.
listen, sammy. it wasn't a monster at all, you know, like people been sayin'.
it's not my concern if some people can't tell the difference between a monster and a cow.
shut up, sammy. it was a girl.
uh-huh.she was real ragged and dirty, but it was a girl.
you shouldn't poke around in other people's affairs.
daddy told you to keep outta there. now i ought to tell him--sammy, you can't tell.
i ought to tell him.please. she was so pitiful.
something awful's wrong, and we're gonna do something.
we are, are we? now, there's nothin' we can do.
now, that man is dangerous. you heard daddy.
all right?yeah, i heard daddy.
hey.
ada! ada!
if you don't get out here, we're gonna miss the first fight.
i'm sick of waitin' for you! get out here now!
damn cow! get up here! you're the slowest woman this side of history!
giddap! giddap!
gettin' my book wet.ooh, that hurt.
oh, my gosh.
sammy, look.
oh, my goodness. is that her?
i think so.
come on. let's go talk to her. hey, alice!
alice!
hold on, alice!
hey, alice. this here's my brother, sammy.
good to meet ya, alice.
no, thanks. i'm not hungry.
you kinda gotta speak up. she can't hear too well.
glad to meet you, alice. glad to meet you.
alice. alice, how'd you get outta the shed?
alice. the shed. how'd you get it open?
door. door? door.
door.door.
uh, well, did they let you out?
alice.
alice, alice.
did you get out by mistake?
oh, sammy, she must've gotten out by mistake. they keep her locked in there all the time.
she's gonna be in an awful lot of trouble.
we better get her back or something.
hey, alice, when they comin' home?did you see those eyes?
yeah, i saw her eyes. what about 'em?
come on.
oh!
hey, alice. these are roses.
pretty.
smell it.
ain't that the prettiest smell?
smell. smell. yeah.
it's nice.
see how she watches your mouth? i think she reads lips.
alice? my name is sammy.
"sam-my."sammy.
sammy.sammy. sa--
sammy!
come on.alice. ellie!
ellie.come on.
you do. you do. you fix me in.
what do you want me to do?
bye-bye, sammy.she wants you to lock her inside.
i don't wanna lock her. it isn't right.you, you do. you fix me in.
bye.all right. bye-bye.
bye. bye.
hey.how many jars of peaches you reckon we can take...
before daddy'll notice?well, just take one.
he won't notice if we put the jar back.okay.
now, that shed had cracks in it, didn't it?
yeah. had lots of cracks in it. i reckon she must've froze stiff last winter during the snows.
more! more. they're all yours. slow down.
you might want some later. yeah.
ellie, come here.mm-mmm.
all right, now go out there and lock us in.
this is dumb, sammy. guthrie'll kill us if he catches us here.
just get out there. alice. alice!
be quiet.
this is really stupid. shh!
here. come here.
take this stick like this. that's it.
all right? now you try it.
you try it. that's right.
all right. shh.okay.
come on, come on.
not too bad for a dumb brother, huh? don't get too swole-headed, samuel.
let's take her somewhere. let's get outta here. ooh, i know where.
we'll take you-- don't do that. we'll take you to echoing heights.
you take me?that's right. echoing heights.
come on, let's go. let's go.we go?
well, alice. this is it.
this is echoing heights.
that big!yeah, it's big.
big.y'all wanna make this a night lisa mae won't never forget.
she's been sayin' they got ghosts up here at echoing heights,
but i'm pretty sure it's alice she's been hearin'.
so, hey, alice. can you say "lisa"?
what?can you say "lisa"?
lisa?yeah. now you gotta say it real loud, like-- lisa!
lisa!
then say it even louder. lisa!lisa!
okay, now you gotta say, "lisa, i'm comin'." "i'm comin'."
lisa, i comin'!lisa!
lisa!
whoa.
ormand.where is she? did you let her out?
i don't know nothin' about it!
yes, you do. don't lie to me! where'd she go?i haven't done it. i swear.
i'm gonna fix her. i'm gonna fix her good. real good.
oh, god.
lisa!
lisa, lisa!
alice!
shh. shh.
alice!shh.
lisa!
alice!
alice! alice!
alice!
stay. stay! alice, is that you?
you better answer me. i said is that you?
how'd you get outta there?
stop. stop.
you ever get loose outta there again, i'll choke you till you can't move!
stop it, stop it! daddy!
daddy, stop.
daddy!
where were you two last night?
uh, well we went up to echoing heights.
till 1:00 in the morning?
i was-- we went up-- uh, we was--
was what?w-we went up with--
go on, just tell me, son. plain and simple. what?
you know, you keep your young sister out late.
you got no responsibility, and you thinkin' you ready for college?
i don't know what in the hell is goin' on here, but from now on,
i don't want y'all roamin' around at night. ya hear me?
no more! all right.
all right.
cletus, i swear your mind is a ditch.
someone needs to wash your brain out with soap.
i heard lisa mae missed school today.on account of she heard ghosts?
oh, she's so pitiful. did you see what she wore to the social?
all those butterflies, and that hat! have you heard from that college yet?
well--i get goose bumps about comin' up and seein' you next year.
wouldn't that be great though?yes.
hey!
- let's see who can spit the furthest. - let me try.
well, i gotta go. bye, bertha.
well, bye, sammy.
hey.sammy!
i go out the door.alice, it isn't safe. we gotta get you home.
if your daddy catches us-- alice?
if your daddy catches us, you'll get in trouble.daddy no home.
well.you smell. smell.
that's nice. now, alice, you have to understand.
alice, you have to understand the danger we put you in.
what? d-- what?
danger."dan-juh!"
yeah.ooh.
alice, now, come on. huh?ooh. what this?
that's a book.ooh! what is this?
this here's a book. haven't you ever seen a book before?what it do?
you do something with it.you just show me.
well, all right.
let's see here. all right.
"i think that i shall never see...
"a poem lovely as a tree.
"a tree whose hungry mouth is pressed...
against the earth's sweet flowin', uh, breast."
- breast? breast? - mm-hmm. uh-huh.
go on.all right! "a tree that--" yeah, all right.
"a tree that looks at god all day--" come on.more.
"and lifts her leafy arms to pray."
"upon whose bosom snow has lain, who intimately lives with rain.
poems are made by fools like me. only god can make a tree."
again, sammy. again!alice, i read it four times through.
again!see, she don't have any schoolin' at all.
oh!alice! alice. no.
you can't do that to a book.me, sammy. me!
she wants to know all the things she don't know. it's awful big--
alice, you go ahead and keep that poem.
hop over.
come on.
what if we told granny how smart she is? maybe she'd teach her proper.
you know granny don't believe nothin' unless she sees it with her own eyes, sammy.
we'll just have to show her. you know that poem alice loves?yeah.
that's one of granny's favorites. if we can get her to memorize it--
she could never memorize that whole poem, sammy. you're dreamin'.
just 'cause she never learned before doesn't mean she can't.
she just never had anyone to help her. it could give her a chance at a normal life.
hey!
"a tree that may in summer wear."
you go ahead and say it, alice.
wear a tree. wear.
that's close.
a tree--
a tree that looks at god all day.
and-- and--and--
and lifts her leafy arms to pray!
alice! all right, come here.get back down.
come on. be careful.come on down!
it's dangerous.you be good.
alice! alice, you done it. you learned half the poem!
granny will be so proud of you.that's right. you did good.
you did a good job.
hi!
i... thinkin'--
i read--
i thinkin'-- i--alice.
come on, alice. let's go in.i shall never, never see--
i think--hey, alice. the water feels real good.
and tomorrow we're gonna go down to granny's, and you're gonna recite that poem for her.
and tonight i was gonna bring you one of mama's dresses,
and it's gonna look real pretty on you, okay?
so come on. let's go in.
no!
oh, see, that's your reflection. reflection?
reflection?yeah. look at it. see?
aah! 'flection go! i go.
no, no, no. it'll come back. don't worry about it.
see, look. don't the water--no! no.
alice. why don't you wanna bathe?
okay, look. i'm gonna show you. you just watch me.
i'm gonna show you, okay?
reflection. i done--
this... me. hey, alice. alice.
alice. i'll show you, okay? watch this. i'm gonna go now.
okay.no.
okay. now.
you see my reflection here? see it?
no, no, don't touch it. okay? watch this.
ellie! ellie, come back! no!
see, i'm still here. my reflection didn't go away and neither did i. okay?
so now you wanna come in?
cold!
oh!
that dress sure does look pretty on ya, alice.
sammy, you like? you like my dress?
yes, i like it very much. now come on out.
you no look at me.come on out.
no. no, no. come on!
i think she's kind of shy.alice, come on. you're very pretty.
you're the most beautiful girl in dilmont.
most beautiful... girl in dilmont?
yes.alice, it's time to go meet granny.
oh, no, no. i not-- no.
don't be afraid of granny.it's gonna be okay.
come on. it's really time to go.
ellie, not so fast.oh, granny.
i'll fall, and i'll break my hip. somebody as spry as you, granny? i doubt it.
i do not know why i let you do this to me.
this better be a good surprise.don't worry, granny.
i know you'll love it. okay? now, here's the couch.
ellie, i'm not a bag of groceries. sammy?
honey, take this thing off now.okay. it's comin' off, granny.
all right. here you go.
i think--
i-- i thinkin'--
i shall never see...
a poem...
as lovely as a tree.
a tree whose hungry mouth is pressed...
against the earth's sweet flowing breast.
a tree that looks at god all day, and lifts her leafy--
oh!
it's okay, alice.oh!
i'll get her.
alice! alice!
she knows it real well. we taught her.
she's just kinda nervous, that's all.
so granny, will you tutor her, please?tutor her!
child, i don't think my house would survive tutoring her.
who is she? what's wrong with her? let me ask you this.
what do her folks say about all this teaching you two been doin'?
well, they think it's fine. it's just she could really use the help...
from somebody who can teach as good as you, granny.
well, i don't know. well, all right. maybe i can tutor her--
sit down, missy.
if you bring me written permission from her folks, you hear?
oh.
okay. but will you just not mention this to daddy just yet?
alice! alice, stop!
alice! alice!
ow.alice, what? what's the matter?
i not smart! i not know poem.
course you are. you're smart as anybody else.
no.yes. yes, you are.
why? why i not like everybody else?
i wanna be.what? what you wanna be?
i wanna be-- i wanna be real girl.
i wanna be real girl.you are a real girl. you are a real girl, alice.
alice, what's wrong? alice, what's wrong? alice!
alice. alice, what's wrong?
alice, what's wrong? alice?
sammy? what?
i don't know what happened, ellie! we were talking, all calm!
run and get doc! run and get doc! go ahead, get him!
it's all right, alice. it's all right. alice, it's all right.
what's wrong? you all right?
it's all right.
doc, it was so scary. she was shakin' all over, and i thought she was gonna choke to death.
you don't suppose all that shakin' is caused by her bein' hard of hearin', do ya?
well, i don't know anything yet, ellie.come on.
all i know is i left a payin' customer up there in the parlor.
i don't suppose this is a payin' customer, now is it?
come on. she's right over here, doc.
sammy, put her head up here a little bit for me.alice, gonna sit up.
she's all right. all right.
just take it easy. yeah.
okay. now--
she seems okay, but--
that's all right.
she's a bit tired though.
as soon as she feels up to it, you try to get her home and get into bed.
what is it, doc? what happened?
from what you say, it sounds like a seizure.
could be epilepsy. epilepsy. what is that? is that bad?
well, there's no cure for it, but there is some new medicine i can give her...
so she won't have so many of 'em-- what's her name?
alice.alice?
alice! can you hear me? hear me.
alice, can you do this?
that's a good girl. can you do this?
ah.
yeah.
alice, can you hear this?
you know, i delivered everybody in this county.
i don't remember no epileptic girl who's hard of hearing.
well, her family's new in town, doc.
well, if you say so, ellie, i'm sure it's a fact.
what about her hearing, doc?well, them fits, as you call 'em...
have nothing to do with her hearing problem.
the only thing that might help is a-- a hearing aid.
but they're mighty pricey. ooh, mighty pricey.
well, come on. you two get her home and get into bed now, you hear?
all right.
thanks, doc.
excuse me, ma'am. i'm sammy perkins. can i help you with that?
no, you can't. i know who you are. i seen you comin' around here.
what you after?well, i guess you know we been takin' alice places.
we got a chance to get her some learnin'.
ain't no use. she's sick. she's borned sick.
doc says she got epilepsy, and he got some medicine to get rid of them fits.
and mrs. guthrie, she learns real good. she got a good mind.
i know she needs friends.
but my husband's mean. he says she's devil touched.
please, mrs. guthrie. we need to get written permission to get her some schooling.
you the one taught her them rhymin' words? yes, ma'am.
that's not enough. we need to help her more.
we need to get your permission so she can get taught proper.
no, no. i done told ya no. mrs. guthrie--
and you best be careful, 'cause if he catches ya, he'll kill ya.
he won't be askin' for no written permission neither.
what you got there?
made a cobbler.you been gettin' to be a regular girl, el?
nah. i just seen how hard you was workin' in the field, and i said,
"my daddy deserves something real nice."mm-mmm.
hey, daddy? yeah.
you know that locket of mama's? mm-hmm.
do you think i could get it now?
what's your hurry?
well, i just been thinkin' it might look real nice on me.
you reckon it's worth a lot?
it's been in your mama's family so long, i 'spect it's worth a sight.
i know you miss her, daddy.
you do, huh?
your mama was a good woman.
best woman that ever walked.
she loved to wear that pretty necklace around her neck.
so can i wear it, daddy?girl, you gonna pester me to a early grave.
"no," i said.
just like a rose to be faint of hearing,
sweet to the eye, close to the earth...
and livin' alone.
but she had sisters in the fields who told our curious ears...
of a rose who walks, watches and feels.
we found alice by fate,
taught her by hand and waited for our rose to dance.
sammy? how am i gonna get daddy to give me mama's locket?
sammy.
gone.
"just like a rose to be faint of hearin',
sweet to the eye, close to the earth and livin' alone."
he's so stupid sometimes.
sammy!
sammy. you bathe?
uh, no, alice. no.
oh, my goodness. sammy.
sammy! you bathe?
you put this shirt on, alice. you come in, you put this shirt on.
you bathe, sammy? no, alice, no. come here and put this shirt on.
sammy, why you not bathe?
oh, my goodness. this isn't right.
here you are. you put this shirt on, right here.
why?'cause you have to.
'cause it's about you bein' a girl and me bein' a boy.
come on, now. none of that.
it's sort of like right. you know, right and wrong?
see, uh, nice is the right thing to do.
this right?uh, well, no. uh, see--
now, have you ever seen a boy naked?
no. you?
no, uh-uh. no, alice.
because it's not nice to see a boy naked.
all right? 'cause now boys and girls are different.
uh-- boys have something different than girls.
are those your clothes over there?what?
are those your clothes, alice? you go put those clothes--
you go put those clothes on, alice! go ahead. go on. uh-huh.
oh, my goodness.
sammy!
uh, anyway, i brought you a present.
and it's a book. the one you like.
and i'm givin' it to you.ooh! book?
uh-huh.ooh.
ooh.
oh.
oh, my goodness. this isn't right.
sammy.
damn. you better not mess this truck up any more than it is, boy.
i never heard of no bookworm fixin' no truck.
daddy! sammy.ellie, honey, go on in. leave me alone with him.
that boy ain't all there lately.no, he's not.
jack, ellie's been askin' about her mama's locket that was promised to her.
girl's gone crazy about it.well, i was just thinkin'.
you know it's the first interest she's ever expressed in anything girlish or feminine.
sammy's gone plumb dumb.you been powerful hard on him, jack.
sammy, you shouldn't be workin' so hard.
well, i'm all right.
heard from hawkins college yet? uh-uh.
don't they start up pretty soon now?
well, maybe i don't need college.
sammy!
what's troublin' that boy?
i don't know. changed all of a sudden. he ain't no fun no more.
what'd daddy say?
here.thank you, daddy! thank you so much!
where'd your brother go?i don't know.
here. i'll do it.
just hold your horses.
i'm gonna wear it real close to my heart. that way i'll remember mama more.
yeah. you take care of it.i will.
your mama did.
thanks, daddy. you don't know how much it means to me.
i love you, daddy.
i'll get this pan back to you sometime next week, mrs. arrowood.
mmm. thank you.doc, i come to order that hearing aid.
well, where'd you get that kind of money?that oughta be enough, ain't it?
yeah, maybe. but i ain't no pawn broker.
well, maybe i can find somebody.
could you really?
that looks mighty old. you sure it's not an heirloom?
no. it's just a locket and chain, doc. thanks.
just a locket and chain, huh?
mmm.
sammy. why you not come?
sammy. please come.
so why is it that you can't go with me to see alice today?
i just can't. now quit asking.
but, i mean, sammy, it's been over a week,
and she keeps on askin' over an over where you're at.
besides, sammy, i thought we's doin' this together.
nah, i can't see her. all right?
i don't know.
she was down at the lake.
and i was a little tired. and she wasn't wearin' no clothes.
what?
samuel perkins, what did you do to her?
well, i don't know.
i just looked in those eyes...
and that smile.
i never seen a prettier smile.
just, uh, sweet.
well, all i can say is...
that's the prettiest girl i ever seen in my whole life.
and it was, uh-- it was just like--
- like you was an animal. is that what you mean? - no. that's not right.
you just wouldn't never do that to bertha, would you?
you know, i thought maybe you really loved alice.
but you didn't never admit it 'cause you was too ashamed of her bein' so different and all.
but you honestly think you're too good for her, don't you?
well, ellie, i'm a little mixed up, all right?
when i'm with alice, i think i love her.
she's just not like bertha, and she ain't like you.
she's more like a--
well, a little baby.
so my mind tells me i can't love her.
besides, bertha's my girl. now you understand that, don't ya?
yeah, i understand more than you think i do, sammy.
men and boys just make me sick.
i just wanted to tell you how sorry i am i done what i done.
i wouldn't never hurt you.
i don't know what got into me--
'cept seein' you like that in the water.
but it won't never happen again.
sammy, i thinkin' and thinkin'. i not knowin' boys.
and i not knowing girls too.
that thing that you do, you tell me 'bout it, huh, sammy?
that what girls are for? no. uh-uh. god, no, alice.
we-- boys and girls,
when they get older, they're supposed to-- they're supposed to love each other.
what love?
well-- well, love isn't something you can see,
and it ain't something you can tell.
it's something, well, you feel inside.
feel in here?well, yeah.
i used to feel it when my mama sung to me.
you sing to me?uh-uh. no.
no, no. i can't sing.you sing, sammy.
no, no, i can't sing.
sing?
well.
uh--
♪ at my door the leaves are fallin' ♪
♪ a cold wild wind will come
♪ sweethearts walk by together ♪
♪ and i still miss
♪ someone
♪ oh, i never got over those blue eyes ♪
♪ i see them everywhere
oh! i feelin' that feelin'.
i feelin' that feelin'. all right.
sing, sammy. do again.all right.
♪ oh, i never got over those blue eyes ♪
♪ i see them everywhere
♪ i miss those arms that held me ♪
♪ when all that love was there ♪♪
i feelin' that feelin'.all right. all right.
if you're going to the kitchen, sammy, could you get me some tabasco, please?
since when do you like tabasco?
and bring me a biscuit. one that ain't burnt.
hey, sammy, could you pass me the stew?
there you are. stew's right in front of you. why would i wanna--
just 'cause, okay? pass me the stew.
all right. all right!
here's the stew.
oh, my goodness. this here's a letter from--
see? they says you done it! they said they're gonna give you a scholarship and a job...
and a room in a dormitory too!whoo! that's a dormitory.
well, daddy, sounds like they want me. they give me a scholarship!
- ain't it wonderful, daddy? - well, daddy, i gotta go.
your work shows outstanding originality, and they look forward to you being a student.
whoo!it starts on the 14th of august.
that's in two weeks, sammy!daddy, this is my chance. i want you to be proud of me.
sammy, ellie! sammy!
my god!that bastard beat her up!
my god, who's that?
alice. alice, are you all right?alice who?
who beat this girl?daddy, this is alice guthrie. what happened? you okay?
- i told you to stay away from there! - all right!
what happened, alice? what happened? you all right?what the hell?
daddy. he catch me goin' in shed.
he hit me. he hit on my mother. he dead.
- you say your daddy's dead? - my god.
sammy, he drinkin', and he hittin' my mama.
he fallin' off of the porch. he hit his head, and blood is--
my daddy's dead. you come see my daddy's dead.
we need to get her to doc, okay?
- all right, come on, alice. - he hit on my mama on a porch.
come on. he falled off.
just go away and leave us be!what happened? is he dead?
ya done interfered a plenty, all right?
well, we'll give ya a hand gettin' him up.
watch his head.
she's pretty banged up, but nothing's broken.
where can she go to rest?in the shed, where she lives, doc.
you all right, alice?you take her on over there. you go with him, ellie.
sammy. sammy. you read me?
all right. ellie, hand me that book.
i understand my two kids been spendin' a lot of time with alice.
they all friends.
i know how bad you got it, mrs. guthrie.
if there's anything we can do to help out, you just call on us, ma'am.
i hear alice lives in a shed.
what of it?
well, she's a damn sight safer in that shed where she barely sees him...
than bein' inside there within his reach!
kids oughtn't to be treated that way.
her real daddy died, if it's any of your business.
at the time i felt-- felt right fortunate ormand would take us in.
course, a person's got a right to change their mind.
them fits she takes, they just drive him crazy.
hey, daddy.
- alice could have sammy's room. - hush up, ellie!
what? take my girl? you come here for that?
ya ain't takin' my girl! all that fancy talk!
i don't mind your young 'un bein' friends with my girl, but ain't nobody takin' her!
- mrs. guthrie-- - nothin' can help her no way.
y'all ain't havin' her live with ya!mrs. guthrie, i--
"my life closed twice before its close.
"it yet remains to see if immortality unveil...
"a third event to me.
"so huge, so hopeless to conceive...
"as these that twice befell.
"parting is all we know of heaven...
and all we need of hell."
time to get home now.we wanna get her to sleep. we'll ride back down--
you hush your mouth, boy.
we all gonna have a sit-down talk when we get home.
you hear me?yes, sir.
yes, sir.
it's all right. one more.
how bad is he hurt, doc?i don't know.
fool won't let me get him to the hospital.
can't move his leg. he's paralyzed in there right now.
so if he stays paralyzed forever maybe alice can go to school!
i'm sorry, ellie. i suspect it's only temporary.
hmm. so, sammy, ellie here's told me that you've been accepted to college.
well, congratulations. yeah, thanks, doc.
now you listen to me, you two.
that alice, she's a nice girl.
but that girl and that whole family now, they just loaded with problems. ya hear?
got somethin' here.
i suspect you better put this back where it belongs, ellie.
but doc, she needs that hearin' aid.she's gonna get it.
when i saw the way he treated her, the way he made her live!
you take this now. take it.
i'll just, uh--
i'll just overcharge mrs. dunhill and mr. o'murphy.
they can afford it.
i mean, we've gotta do what we can.
thanks, doc.easy, now.
you two been lyin' to me.
you been sneakin' out at night.but, daddy, i mean--
i don't wanna hear nothin' about that poor girl.
you saw how she lives and what he's done to her.
that is one crazy man out there!
now what if your sister got hurt?
it's not sammy's fault. i started this whole thing--
you both started it, and i'm gonna end it right here and now!
i ain't just a piece of furniture in this house, you understand?
how can i take care of my family if i don't even know where they're at?
- w-we're sorry, daddy. - sorry ain't good enough.
all this lyin' and sneakin' about, it ain't right...
even if it was for a good reason.
are you two gonna spend the night out there?
i'm very proud of you, boy.
you're going to college.
your mama'd be proud of you too.
well, uh-- um--
i don't know. maybe we can find...
a room for this alice.
you mean she can come live with us?
you saw her mama slam the door in my face, so don't get your hopes up, girl.
where's that locket you wanted so much?
uh, it's right here, daddy.
i wanna keep it real close to me...
so i remember who gave it to me...
and who i love and who i think is the best daddy in the whole world.
alice, how'd you like to live with us?mmm, i like it.
good. hey, daddy!what's that?
alice says she wants to come live with us.
well, you're gonna have to ask your mama, alice.
i bet her mama'll say yes if alice asks.i ask mama.
yeah. well, see, the way you get things from mamas--
hey, daddy, don't you have some stuff to do or somethin'?
not when i stand to learn somethin'.
anyway, the way you get things is to keep on beggin' till you drive 'em crazy.
ellie's got a locket to prove it works too. show her.
what "beg" mean?show her how to beg. come on. you're the champ.
all right. come on, dad.uh-oh.
come on. all right.what's this?
where we goin'?we're gonna show her.
uh-oh.you be mrs. guthrie.
oh, lord.all right.
okay, now. ta-da! all right. watch.
mama? mama!mm-hmm.
please, you gotta let me go live with ellie. you have to.
uh--have to.
please, mama. please.
uh--see, m-mama?
you want me to be happy, don't ya?yes. mm-hmm.
well, you do, don't ya?
i don't know.please. come on, mama.
- you have to. please? please? please? please?
mmmm. hmm?you got it?
you got it.
oh, please, mama! please, mama! please, mama!
lord, child.oh, please, mama. mama, please.
i swear you gone crazy!i gotta go live with ellie. i have to!
don't you want me to be happy, mama?just leave me be!
please, mama!
leave me be now.
you lettin' that girl go free like some wild animals.
you'll be sorry. get on over here and help me!
come on! come here!
you gonna pay for this, you hear me? you are gonna pay for this.
doesn't matter how long i'm in this bed,
when i get out, i kick, you understand?
yes.
have you told alice you're leaving yet?nope.
you better get on it. she's the only one in town doesn't know.
do me a favor and keep out of my business.
you can't go off without facin' her. that's worse than tellin' her you're leavin'.
i am gonna tell her in my own good time.
until then i'll ask you to keep your opinion to yourself.
sammy!well, here's your chance, romeo.
sammy!well, all right then. you get.
i might leave you alone if you ask real nice.
i said get!hey, sammy!
hey, ellie. how are you?just fine, alice. how are you?
right fine!good.
how are you, sammy?well, okay, i guess. go on.
ain't it-- ain't it a gorgeous day?
yes, alice, it is. and i--
hey, doc's here!here. they came.
all right! whoo!all right!
we got a real special deal on this one too.
now it's all broken in, so we know that it works real good.
now, here. you hold this.
sammy, will you help me? clip this onto her.
on the top here.
and i'll just put this battery right in here, like that.
now, this goes right up in here now.
take it easy. it's all right.
- careful, careful. - yeah, let's get that...
where we can fit that in there like that.
yeah. there.
now shh, shh.
come here, come here.
come on. come on.
alice, can you hear me?
i hearin'!
say...
"my name is alice guthrie."
say my name...
is alice guthrie!
i live on a hill.
paper make that noise? yeah!
oh, my god! you make noise with smile?
do more! make more smile noise!
what's that? what?
what's that noise? crickets!
crickets! yeah!crickets make that noise! hey!
leave her be. come on, doc. i got a cup of coffee with your name on it.
i can use it.come on.
all right.
mama?
mama, i need go live with ellie.
mama, paper make a noise. bird make a noise.
i ain't takin' no more of this. no, you ain't movin' down there!
talkin' me, not holler!don't you tell me not to holler!
lalo.
you got that thang-- that hearing thang?
it hurt your ear?it not hurt. no holler.
you can hear me?
i hearin'. please, mama?
please let me live with ellie. please, mama.
alice, you listen to me 'cause i got somethin' to say.
what? okay. well, i already know one poem. i want you to read another one.
a happy one, okay? alice.
okay? sit, sit.
you read me right here.alice, we have to talk first.
well, this is hard for me.tell me.
feet make a noise. hand make a noise.
birdie make a noise. even--alice, this is important.
i'm going to school in a few days.i go too.
uh-uh. no, i'm goin' alone.
and i wouldn't go if it wasn't important, alice.
so i won't be able to see you for a long time,
and, well, that's just best for a lot of reasons.
i go with you.no. i have to go alone.
you know your hearin' aid--
how it let's you know more things about the world?
that's what school is for me.i know. i no want you goin' off.
alice, our-- our friendship is real special,
and i'll never let go of that...
but i gotta go.
not all sounds so nice.
made these for ya, sammy.
all right. that's enough of that now.
we're gonna be late.
you always wanted this thing.
looks better on you than it does me. let's go. come on.
hi.you still want my girl?
of course. come on in.
come and get her early tomorrow then.
lalo, we go now.
ormand, no!
lalo!
that's it, woman!
daddy's not finished yet! you understand that?
you get that daughter and you get back here now, understand? get her back now!
no!come on! get up!
get up!
get outta here before he shoots ya!
hey.
ain't, uh, sammy's bed soft?
sammy bed?mmm, yeah.
sammy gone.
and lalo dead.
all books-- all books sammy's books?
yeah. these are sammy's books. all of 'em. mm-hmm.
but before he gets back for christmas,
bessie will have taught you how to read 'em.
yeah. i read.
sammy listens.mmm.
mm-hmm. hey, daddy!
daddy, come here. oh, well--
well, this old thing. this was sammy's, so...
probably like you to have it.
here.thank you.
all right.
♪♪
yee-ha!
whoo-hoo!
come on!
that's good. now can you read it to me?
"dear sammy,
"how are you?
"i am good.
i help--" help?
"... mr. perkins. i help ellie.
"i write this.
love, alice." but i still not sure i write love.
well, if you don't want to write it, don't.
i write it.
okay. l-o...
v... e.
love.
got a letter from kindergarten, sammy?
trick or treat!
boo!boo! ooh, boo!
witches. little witches.
i got somethin' for you. there's one for you. yes.
it's called mistletoe. it's a little green plant,see you later. merry christmas.
and people hang it above the door so when boys walk through...
and girls are there at the same time, they kiss--ellie! ellie!
lisa mae's been dyin' to meet you. lisa mae, this is alice guthrie.
alice, this is lisa mae mcclung.
lisa! lisa, lisa, lisa, lisa!
whoo! ellie!
sammy? you're home!hey!
how are you? oh, yeah!
how are you?hi, sammy.
hey, alice. merry christmas.you get my letter?
uh, yeah, mm-hmm.come on in!
change your clothes over. you're late for church.all right, all right.
sammy! ellie!
♪♪
merry christmas.merry christmas to you too, preacher.
you betcha.merry christmas.
merry christmas. powerful good to see you, jack.
seems like the only time we get to see you is at christmastime and easter.
yeah, don't it, though.gotta start prayin' more often, man.
yeah.merry christmas.
sammy? excuse me. sammy. hey!
hi, bertha.how are you?
hey, alice, you gonna come to our school?
sure, just as soon as my granny's done tutorin' her special.
oh, i think that's real nice. what subjects are you studyin', alice?
i learn... write words. i write letter to sammy.
and i learn... "twestion" marks and "commies" too.
well, does that letter have any "twestion" marks or "commies" in it, sammy?
"twestion" marks? "commies"?
that's real funny, huh.
some of y'all got the brains of a sparrow. are you happy now? see what you did?
you was ashamed of her, weren't you?you were embarrassed too.
i was embarrassed for her, but i wasn't ashamed of no one but you.
and what did i do that was so wrong? alice ain't like the rest of us.
you want me to pretend she is? you want me to close my eyes and make like...
she says all the right words and does all the right things?
when we started to teach alice, we thought we could undo all them years...
that crazy man mashed her mind and beat her till she was numb and afraid to pay attention.
now i think you're near as bad as him.
you hurt her, sammy. you hurt her real bad.
well...
i didn't mean to hurt her.
alice, i-i'm sorry.
you want me learnin'. granny bessie, she doin' it.
she say i doin' good,
but boys and girls still laughin'!
alice, they're just stupid.
you're doin' fine. that's the truth.
no! it's not true!yes, alice, that's the truth.
no, it's not the truth, sammy!
i learnin' readin' and writin'.
i learnin' cookin' and washin'. i doin' it all for you!
i doin' it all to be real girl,
but they still laugh and you still laugh!
you don't write me back!
alice, i-- alice, i'm real sorry about that.
please let me tell you what i-- please, alice, let me explain.
no! i not listen no more!
i not want this.
we have to go to this party? i'm not much up for a party.
don't you wanna see all our friends? you can show off the new shirt i made ya.
yeah.
i think it's real sweet what y'all doin' for that poor alice.
she's so pathetic-- can't do nothin'.
can't read or think or nothin',
but y'all bein' real sweet to her.
not everybody'd do that. i know i couldn't.
now i know what this gift is.
it ain't no other pair of socks. you think it is?
no, sir.put that down.
why is it you have to go back to college right now, sammy?
'cause the job they gave me in the library.
if i work there full-time till classes start,
i can afford to buy my books and keep 'em too.
i wish i could go back with you and daddy.
i go see mama now.
i no care if everybody in the whole world laugh...
at my "twestion" marks and my "commies."
well, i think i'll take one last walk before the drive back, daddy.
i read it for you.
"merry christmas, mama.
"i love you.
i miss you. alice."
been so long since we had christmas.
i got nothin' for you.oh, it okay.
i better get back before your daddy finds out you're here.
he been movin' around too much of late.
alice, you here?
good-bye, sammy.
dear ellie, college exams are a lot harder...
than i ever imagined.
i study and work and work and study.
seems like i don't have time for anything else.
i think about you and daddy all the time.
i miss your plum puddin'. love, sammy.
p.s. say hey to alice.hey, alice.
dear sammy, we're all gettin' ready for the founder's day dance.
daddy's teachin' alice to dance. ugh.
granny's makin' me go. ugh. ugh.
and she's makin' us both sew these fancy dresses.
ugh, ugh, ugh.
alice's dress is cut real low in the front and so her bosoms show.
love, ellie.
dear ellie, it's still everything i can do...
to keep up with the studying here.
it amazes me how simple things are back in dilmont.
it's hard to believe this is the first spring dance i won't be home for.
is granny still tryin' to throw a dress on you?
maybe if she did, you'd get a kiss out of cletus. ha, ha.
love, sammy. p.s. why is alice's dress cut so low?
dear sammy, lisa mae is madder than a wet hen...
ever since david butler's been tellin' everyone he's so hooked on alice.
he walked her all the way home yesterday and alice was just laughin' the whole time.
i wonder what'll happen at the founder's day dance.
love, ellie. p.s. it sure is a shame you can't make it.
david butler. david butler.
shoot!
david butler.
what the hell they doin' in there?
well, they're fussin'. girls fuss, you know?
we're already late, girls!
come on, ellie. your daddy's gettin' impatient.come on! quit fussin'!
ellie, time's a-wastin'! come on, now!
oh, my goodness!
alice, you look lovely. just lovely.
look at you. my, goodness.such pretty flowers.
thank you.
oh.el,
you are the picture of your mama.
i am?ain't she, huh?
oh, you are.am i really, granny?
yeah, you are. just thank your lucky stars you didn't take after your daddy.
let's move, girls, before bessie says something else she'll regret. come on now!
ada, come here!
ada!
ada, get in here right now, you hear?
now!
howdy. you goin' anywhere near dilmont?
well, not too close. i can take ya, though.
all right. thank you.
ada!
alice, you get out here right now!
you bring that girl out here!
thank you, thank you. can i have your attention now?
as you know, we're gathered here tonight for our annual...
founder's day picnic.
you gonna dance, ellie?not on your life.
i'm not interested, for your information, miss prissy.
well, that's just fine. it'll be all the more boys for me.
well, that's fine with me.excuse me.
excuse me, lisa mae, but would you care to dance?
why, thank you, harley! excuse me.excuse us.
excuse yourself.
alice, nobody'd want to dance with me.
they ask you to dance.
go on, cletus. ask her to dance. go on.
don't make me do this!
uh, hi, ellie.
um, you wanna dance?
yeah, i guess so.
c-can i get you some punch?
yes, please. thank you very much, david.
no!
shut up!
somebody help, please!
- somebody help! hey, who is that up there?
you're comin' with me! girl, you're comin' home with me!
stop! stop! stop this!what are you doing here?
you let my mama be!
i'm takin' her and i'm takin' you home!
no one's gonna mess with my family no more!
i am your daddy!
no! you're no daddy to me!
you lock me in a shed, makin' me live like an animal!
- who do you think you're talkin' to? i am your daddy! - alice?
no! you no takin' my mama and beat her!
you don't belong with no family!
i learn a family from them.
i learn livin' together. i learn love.
i learn all the things that you never teach me.
what the hell y'all gawkin' at?
a man's got a right to take his family home!
you ain't got no family here. we's her family now.
the hell with all of ya!
now, folks, abner dilmont...
would've walked ten miles to hear...
jack perkins call out the "georgia jubilee."
come on. go on!
welcome back, jack.
come on. let's all join hands. let's join hands and form a big circle now.
come on. we gonna have us a little square dance.
all right. that's right. get your partner on your right.
we gonna play some music for ya!
♪♪
oh, yeah!
♪ swing that partner round and round, big foot up and little foot down ♪
♪ chase that possum chase that squirrel ♪
♪ chase that pretty girl round the world ♪
oh, look what we're doin'.
thank you.
yeah! okay! very good! that's very good.
all right. y'all should congratulate yourselves.
not bad at all. not bad at all.
♪♪
♪ at my door
♪ the leaves are fallin'
♪ a cold wild wind
♪ will come
♪ sweethearts
♪ walk by together
♪ and i still miss
♪ someone
♪ oh, i never
♪ got over those blue eyes
♪ i see them
♪ everywhere
♪ i miss those arms
♪ that held me
♪ when all the love
♪ was there ♪