Clara's Heart

Synopsis: David is a teenager whose parents are in a deteriorating marriage after their infant daughter dies. Clara is a chambermaid at a Jamaican resort who's hired to be a housekeeper. She and David develop a close bond, opening his eyes and heart to new experiences, and eventually leading to a disturbing secret in Clara's past.
Genre: Drama
Director(s): Robert Mulligan
Production: Warner Home Video
  Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.3
Rotten Tomatoes:
38%
PG-13
Year:
1988
108 min
509 Views


CLACK, CLACK, STEP

ABOUT, THE MAID IS HERE.

MAID IS HERE.

COME BACK LATER.

THERE'S NOTHING

FOR YOU TO DO.

BUT YOU GOT YOUR

"DO NOT DISTURB" SIGN

ON THE DOOR:

FROM MORNING TILL NIGHT.

AT LEAST LET ME:

DRAW THE CURTAINS.

PLEASE DON'T.

JUST LEAVE THEM.

YOU DON'T LIKE

OUR ISLAND?

HAVEN'T SEEN IT.

EXCUSE ME.

ARE YOU STILL HERE?

YES, MISS.

I HAVE A RAZOR:

ON THE TABLE BY THE BED.

COULD YOU BRING I TO ME?

YES, MISS.

[HUMMING]

WE FINALLY:

MEET FACE TO FACE

WITH YOU:

IN THE BATHTUB:

WHERE YOU APPEAR

TO HAVE BEEN DEAD.

I DON'T SEE

WHAT DIFFERENCE IT MAKE

IF YOU MISSED:

A SPOT OR NOT.

YOU DON' LEAVE THE ROOM.

I TELL YOU TRUE,

MISSUS.

YOU GOT TO BUST UP

THE GLOOMY.

THANK YOU.

I ASKED YOU NOT TO OPEN

THE CURTAINS.

SOMETIME I THINK

I KNOW WHAT'S BES FOR OTHER PEOPLE.

IT'S A FLAW I'VE

LEARNED TO LIVE WITH.

I'M HUNGRY.

ARE YOU?

YES. I HAVEN'T EATEN

A THING ALL DAY.

HOW ABOUT I ORDER YOU UP

SOMETHIN' TO EAT?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

ALL RIGHT.

YES. THIS IS CLARA MAYFIELD

IN BUNGALOW B.

COULD YOU SEND ME UP

A TRADITIONAL PLATTER

WITH A SIDE:

OF CHO CHO?

I GOT A LADY HERE

GREW UP IN JAMAICA

LONGIN' FOR THE TASTE.

CHA, MAN.

THANK YOU.

COME IN NOW.

FOOD IS READY.

IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT,

WE'LL THROW IT AWAY.

YOU'RE ON VACATION.

YOU'RE ALLOWED

A LITTLE CAPRICE.

THAT LOOKS LIKE:

SCRAMBLED EGGS.

NO. YOU MUST TASTE IT FIRS BEFORE YOU SAY THAT.

THAT'S WONDERFUL.

GOOD CIGAR.

YOU CAN GET IT FRESH

IN PORT ANTONIO.

MAYBE I'LL HIRE A DRIVER

AND SEE THE TOWN.

DON'T HIRE A DRIVER.

JUST TAKE THE BUS.

IT RUNS BY THE HOTEL

EVERY DAY.

YOU NEED YOUR FEE AND A FEW CENTS.

I HAVE TO GO.

THANK YOU, CLARA.

YOU'VE BEEN VERY KIND.

IT'S NOT DIFFICUL TO BE KIND.

NOW TAKE YOURSELF OU AND BUST UP THE GLOOMY.

EXCUSE ME.

YEAH?

DO YOU KNOW:

CLARA MAYFIELD?

SHE LOOKING:

FOR CLARA MAYFIELD.

SHUT YOUR MOUTH.

WHERE DID YOU:

GET HER NAME?

I MET HER:

AT MY HOTEL.

MAMA,

THIS LADY DON' KNOW THE SONG.

IN JAMAICA, REMEMBER

WHEN THE ANGELS FALL

I AS BABYLON,

BUT MISS CLARA--

DON'T BE RUDE.

WHAT'S HAPPENED

TO MISS CLARA:

ISN'T THIS

LADY'S BUSINESS.

IF YOU MUST ASK:

FOR HER,

IT'S BEST TO ASK

ELSEWHERE.

I WISH I'D KNOWN YOU'D

BE IN TOWN YESTERDAY.

I WOULD HAVE MET YOU.

NO, REALLY?

HOW MUCH TROUBLE

COULD IT BE?

WHAT DID YOU DO:

YESTERDAY?

I WENT TO CHURCH.

THEN I CAME HOME,

WROTE LETTERS:

TO MY FRIENDS:

IN BALTIMORE.

WE LIVE JUST OUTSIDE

BALTIMORE.

NO, REALLY?

MY BEST FRIEND OWNS

A BEAUTY SALON THERE,

AND OTHER FRIENDS

WORK FOR HER.

SHALL WE HAVE:

OUR TEA?

YOU DON'T MIND

IF THEY SEE YOU?

THEY COULD:

DISCHARGE ME.

I'VE LIVED

THROUGH WORSE.

YOU'RE MARRIED,

AREN'T YOU, CLARA?

YES.

DOES YOUR HUSBAND

WORK IN TOWN?

I'M SORRY. I'M BEING

TOO INQUISITIVE.

NO, NO. HE WORKS

OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY

JUST NOW.

SO YOU'RE ALONE

RIGHT NOW?

BY CIRCUMSTANCE.

I NEVER ALLOW MYSELF

TO GET TOO REGRETFUL.

NOBODY WANTS TO BE

AROUND SOMEONE:

WHO SPREADS:

BLACK CLOUDS AND DOOM.

YOU UNDERSTAND:

WHAT I MEAN.

YES, BUT YOU SEE,

MY BABY DIED:

IN HER CRIB RECENTLY.

DIDN'T KNOW

THE FACT,

BUT I KNEW:

THE SUBSTANCE.

I HAVEN'T BEEN

TERRIBLY RESILIENT.

THAT'LL COME IN TIME.

THANK YOU.

IT'S A FUNNY THING

ABOUT BEING ALONE.

YOU START TO TALK

TO YOURSELF.

THEN YOU STOP:

LISTENING,

AND THEN YOU FORGE THAT YOU'RE THERE.

I FIND THAT I GE INTO SUCH DULLNESS,

BUT YOU LET SOMEBODY

CALL ME ON THE PHONE

AND TELL ME:

THEIR TROUBLES--

I CAN SAY:

SUCH MARVELOUS THINGS.

THINGS I DON'T KNOW

WHERE THEY COME FROM

FALL FROM MY LIPS

LIKE PIECES OF FRUIT,

AND I MUST PAUSE

TO WONDER:

WHO IS I INSIDE OF ME

I DON'T EVEN

KNOW IS THERE?

LEE?

OH, BILL.

COME MEET THE MOS WONDERFUL PERSON.

MOM! DAD!

HI. HI.

HOW:

YOU DOING?

GREAT. I'M GLAD

YOU'RE BACK.

OLD GLENDA--

SHE'S THE PITS.

WELL, WE'RE

LETTING HER GO.

REALLY?

YOU GREW.

HOW MANY BAR-UPS

YOU DOING?

ABOUT FIVE.

LOOKIN' GOOD.

WHO'S THAT?

DAVID,

THIS IS CLARA.

CLARA'S GOING TO

BE LIVING WITH US

FROM NOW ON.

HELLO, DAVID.

YOU DON'T GOT TO

BE AFRAID OF ME.

ME NOT GONNA BITE YOU...

UNLESS YOU DON'T BEHAVE.

HERE, CLARA.

NO, THANK YOU.

I GOT IT.

OK, BIG GUY.

CARRY THIS.

DAD! WHAT'S SHE

DOING HERE?

SHH!

YOU DIDN'T SAY

ANYTHING!

YOUR MOTHER JUST NEEDS

SOME HELP, DAVID.

YOU'LL HAVE STRANGERS

TAKE CARE OF ME NOW

SO YOU DON' HAVE TO!

WHAT IS THIS?

JUST TAKE I EASY, DAVID.

I UNDERSTAND:

THE LITTLE BOY.

YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND.

I'LL MAKE YOU LEAVE.

STOP IT!

IT'S ALL RIGHT.

LISTEN.

NOBODY MAKES ME DO

NOTHIN' I DON'T WANT TO,

SO AIM THAT MEANNESS

AND NASTY TALK ELSEWHERE.

YOU GOT ANOTHER:

THING COMING:

IF YOU THINK YOU'LL AC SO DREADFUL AROUND CLARA.

COME THIS WAY,

CLARA.

WHERE ARE YOU:

TAKING HER?

LEE?

WELL, COME UP

IF YOU MUST.

DON'T STAND DOWN THERE

MARAUDING LIKE A SPY.

YOU'RE OUR MAID.

THIS IS A GUEST ROOM--

A ROOM FOR GUESTS.

PERHAPS YOUR MOTHER

WANT ME CLOSE TO YOU

SO I CAN CHANGE:

YOUR DIAPERS.

VERY FUNNY.

HOW COME YOU TALK

SO WEIRD?

YOU AIN'T HEARD WEIRD

TALKIN' YET, CHILD.

I TALK SO BAD YOU'LL

THINK IT'S A NIGHTMARE.

WHAT'S THAT MEAN?

DON'T ACT PROPER, I'LL

TURN YOU INTO A TOAD.

OOH. YOU'RE SOME KIND

OF WITCH, OR WHAT?

SOMETHING LIKE THAT,

YEAH.

YOU'RE NOT IN CHARGE.

I WANT YOU TO KNOW

AT THE START.

THAT IS OBVIOUS,

SO WE MOVE ON:

TO OTHER THINGS.

SHE'S NOT WELL--

MY MOTHER.

YOU DON'T SEEM

TOO HEALTHY YOURSELF.

YOU'RE A JERK.

WELL, IF I'M A JERK,

YOU'RE A BOBO.

THEN YOU'RE

A SUPER-DWEEB.

IF I AM A SUPER-DWEEB,

YOU ARE A BUBU-YAGA.

DON'T SAY

ANYTHING ELSE.

BEST YOU AND ME,

WE LEARN TO BECOME

PART OF ONE ANOTHER.

PERHAPS THEN THERE

IS SOME HOPE FOR US.

LISTEN,

WHAT CAN I SAY?

I'M SORRY, BUT YOU'RE

NOT WINNING ME OVER.

THAT'S THE BES I CAN DO FOR TODAY,

SO JUST TAKE YOURSELF

OUT OF HERE. GOOD-BYE.

GET YOUR DIRTY HANDS

OUT OF THERE.

I HOPE THEY LIKE

HIYAKI:

AS MUCH AS I DO.

IT STRONGLY RESEMBLES

BABY PUKE.

IT'S GOT SOME OF THA IN IT, ABSOLUTELY.

MY, BUT YOU'RE

OBSERVANT.

I LEFT SOME TOTOS

IN THE OVEN:

FOR THE LITTLE BOY.

I'M NO A LITTLE BOY.

YOU ACT LIKE ONE.

I GOT ALL CONFUSED.

SHIRTS.

I NEED SHIRTS.

WHAT DO YOU:

CALL THOSE?

WHERE ARE YOU:

GOING?

VANCOUVER.

HOW COME?

TO SETTLE THE WORLD'S

MARITIME CRISES.

THEY'RE NOT STARCHED.

NO, OF COURSE NOT.

LEONA, DIDN' YOU TELL HER

I LIKE MY SHIRTS

LIGHTLY STARCHED?

SHE DELIVERED ME

THE LIS OF EVERYBODY'S

FAKEY-FAKEY HABITS.

I EXPLAINED STARCH

RUINS YOUR SHIRTS.

IT DOESN'T.

IF IT DOES,

I'LL GET NEW ONES.

MR. HART, YOU LET ME

SHOW YOU A GOOD IRONING

GIVES THE FEEL:

OF STARCH.

THE MONEY YOU SAVE

ON THOSE NICE SHIRTS

YOU CAN SPEND:

ON GOLF BALLS.

FINE.

TASTE?

NO, THANKS.

[HUMMING]

AND WHAT ARE THOSE?

TOTOS. COCONU RAISIN COOKIES.

I MADE THEM:

FOR YOU.

THAT'S VERY KIND

OF YOU,

BUT I RARELY:

EAT SWEETS,

AND DAVID SHOULDN' HAVE ANY.

HE'S TRAINING

FOR THE SWIM TEAM.

LOOK AT HIM.

HE'LL MAKE IT THIS YEAR.

I COULD'VE MADE I LAST YEAR.

YEAH? SO WHY

DIDN'T YOU?

BECAUSE I WAS:

TOO NERVOUS.

THAT'S PRECISELY WHA IT'S ABOUT, KIDDO.

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Mark Medoff

Mark Medoff is an American playwright, screenwriter, film and theatre director, actor, and professor. His play Children of a Lesser God received both the Tony Award and the Olivier Award. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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