My Sister's Keeper Page #4

Synopsis: In Los Angeles, the eleven year old Anna Fitzgerald seeks the successful lawyer Campbell Alexander trying to hire him to earn medical emancipation from her mother Sara that wants Anna to donate her kidney to her sister. She tells the lawyer the story of her family after the discovery that her older sister Kate has had leukemia; how she was conceived by in vitro fertilization to become a donor; and the medical procedures she has been submitted since she was five years old to donate to her sister. Campbell accepts to work pro bono and the obsessed Sara decides to go to court to force Anna to help her sister.
Genre: Drama, Family
Director(s): Nick Cassavetes
Production: Warner Bros. Pictures
  4 wins & 3 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.4
Metacritic:
51
Rotten Tomatoes:
49%
PG-13
Year:
2009
109 min
$49,069,310
Website
8,207 Views


She doesn't wanna be

cut open anymore.

Yes, I read the complaint.

What is it exactly that you're after?

Limited termination of parental rights.

DE SALVO:

All right. Very smart.

Very creative.

I assume you have precedent?

Yes, Planned Parenthood v. Danforth.

Mature minor doctrine:

Smith v. Seibly. Agrello v. Florida.

And defense is moving

for summary dismissal?

SARA:

Yes. Today, if possible.

Anna's too young to make a decision

of this size on her own.

She doesn't understand

what it is she wants.

She's 11 years old.

She changes her mind every five minutes.

You know how young girls can be.

Oh, my God, I'm so sorry. I...

Mr. Alexander?

The best interests of the child,

Your Honor.

All right.

Well, I need to see Anna. Is she here?

SARA:
Yes, but I was really hoping

to keep her out of it.

Keep her out of it? Mrs. Fitzgerald,

you just told me your daughter...

...doesn't fully understand

what she wants.

If you want a decision today...

...I need to find that out. Do you

have a problem with that, counselor?

- None whatsoever.

- All right. Well, please send her in.

CAMPBELL:

Thank you, Your Honor.

And Sara?

I'm awfully sorry about Kate.

Thank you.

Hi.

Hi.

You can sit down if you like.

Want something to drink?

I've got...

...7UP, Dr. Pepper or apple juice.

- 7UP, please.

- 7UP.

Thank you.

- So you know why you're here?

- Yup.

Pretty scary stuff, huh?

Well, I don't really like everyone

being mad at me.

I meant having to

take care of your sister all the time.

No, I don't mind. I like it.

You guys get along okay?

Of course, she's my sister.

But all those operations,

it's gotta be pretty crazy, right?

KATE:
No, no, no, stop, stop, stop!

ANNA:
Okay, okay.

Quietly, girls.

This is a hospital, this is not a sorority.

- I need a urine sample.

- But I don't have to go.

- Well, drink something.

- And I'm not thirsty.

Listen to me, young lady,

I don't like a lot of back talk.

Drink, don't drink, I don't care.

But you just better fill it.

- What a b*tch.

- Right?

I'll fill it.

- Nice and warm.

- No.

[BEEPING]

- You ready?

KATE:
All set.

Oh, wait a minute.

Looks a little cloudy.

I think I should filter it again.

Much better. What do you think?

You are disgusting.

And so are you!

Look at me, crying like an idiot.

You're not an idiot.

I see idiots every day.

You're not even close.

You okay?

Where did you go?

- Can I ask you something?

- Shoot.

What was it like when she died?

Who, Dina?

Yeah, I mean, what did it feel like?

I'm sorry.

I shouldn't have said anything.

Sometimes I just think things

and then say them.

Did you know Dina?

No.

- No?

- She was older than me.

I mean, I saw her on the TV and everything,

but I didn't know her.

Yeah, you're...

Yeah.

- I'm real sorry.

- Don't be.

There's no shame in dying.

BAILIFF:

All rise.

I am going to rule against

summary dismissal.

Please clear my calendar and schedule

a hearing for first thing Friday morning.

Thank you.

Hello?

KATE:
She's usually blowing me off,

but eventually...

Girl, you need a day at the spa.

- Yeah, I don't see that happening...

- The beautician, the mani, the pedi...

...the whole thing.

- Hello, Kate. One to 10, how's your pain?

- Six.

CHANCE:
Six?

- All right, let's take care of that.

SARA:
Got a minute?

She's feeling pretty good today.

Sara, these lucid moments

are gonna get briefer and further apart.

Kate's in system failure now.

Body defenses are at zero.

The fevers Kate's been getting,

it's infection from the dialysis.

And it's not just in her arm or leg,

it's in her blood.

I wanna see how.

I'm sorry, Sara, this is it.

We're at the end.

Dr. Chance?

What is it, princess?

No good, huh?

No.

How long?

It's hard to say.

But if nothing changes...

...not too long.

SARA:

"Not too long"?

Not too long what?

- Will it hurt?

CHANCE:
No.

I'll make sure of that.

Listen, I don't wanna hear talk like that,

okay, honey?

You just stay strong enough

for surgery, okay?

Okay, Mom.

CHANCE:

Sara, let's take a walk.

Let me introduce you to someone.

This is Miss Swearingen,

our home health aide.

- Hi, how are you?

- Good, how are you?

I'm good, thank you.

Have you spoken to

the Make-A-Wish people?

What is this?

What is this, the "quality of life" speech?

Mrs. Fitzgerald, you might want to consider

taking Kate home.

- No.

- Making her comfortable...

...managing her pain.

- No hospices.

What? You think we should

take Kate home to die?

What do you want me to say, Sara?

It's an option.

Look, I know you don't listen to anybody,

but it's our job to tell you.

Death is a normal process of life.

You need to acknowledge that.

- No, I don't. Who is this broad?

- Have you spoken to Kate?

- You know what she wants?

- I don't care what anybody wants.

- We're doing the operation.

- What operation, Sara?

You have an unwilling donor.

The hospital won't even allow it

anymore without a court order.

You think we don't know

what's going on here?

Your daughter is dying,

and you might want to spend...

...some quality time with her.

- Lookit, sister...

[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]

KELLY:

I did it.

They look wonderful. Don't touch them.

I gotta go. Going to work.

- Bye.

- Bye. I'll be back.

KATE:

Hey, Mom?

Do you know that Minnesota is known

as The Land of Ten Thousand Lakes?

Well, Montana's got, like,

a million times that.

No, I didn't know that.

Hi.

Hello.

What are you here for?

The free cocktails.

KATE:

Right. Happy hour.

I'm Taylor. AML.

Kate. APL.

- A rarity.

- Yeah, right?

TAYLOR:
You're in remission?

KATE:
Today, anyway.

- Chemo?

- Yeah.

So, what do you do

when you're not here at the hospital?

KATE:

Nothing.

Just wait for something

that makes me come back.

Well, then maybe we could

hang together sometime?

Yeah.

Okay.

Can I get your phone number?

Okay.

Thanks.

Thanks, Mom.

I'm Taylor, by the way.

Sara Fitzgerald. Nice to meet you.

ALICE:

Okay, Taylor. You're out of here.

555...

...0173.

Well, I gotta go.

I'll call you, Kate.

KATE:
So, what do you think?

- Girl, that boy is fine.

I know, right?

So do you think he'll call?

I don't know, baby, I...

[PHONE RINGING]

Hello?

TAYLOR:
Okay, I just wanted to make sure

you didn't give me a bogus number.

SARA:
The radiation,

which ultimately put Kate into remission...

...worked its magic by wearing her down.

Taylor Ambrose,

a drug of an entirely different sort...

...worked his magic by building her up.

[MUTED DIALOGUE]

SARA:
I don't think that we can

actually make it tomorrow...

[PHONE RINGING]

...so do you mind picking her up?

- I can totally pick her up.

KATE:
Hi. How are you?

No, just eating dinner. You?

- Who was that?

- Oh, that's her new boyfriend, Taylor.

What? She has a boyfriend?

They go to Borders together and read books.

And it's really dorky.

- Do you wanna see a picture?

- Yes.

ANNA:

Hand me the bag, please.

SARA:

The chicken. Watch the chicken, please.

Rate this script:4.5 / 2 votes

Jeremy Leven

Jeremy Leven (born 1941) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and novelist. Born in South Bend, Indiana, Leven lives in Woodbridge, Connecticut, Paris, and New York City. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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