Simon Birch Page #6

Pick on someone your own size.

- Okay.

- Oh!

- I told you this was a bad idea.

- Fight! Fight!

Oh, sh*t!

I'm gonna honk!

- Oh, no.

- Simon!

Oh, no!

Can I get down now?

Congratulations, Simon.

You've just given us our first

full-contact Christmas pageant.

Well, do you have

anything to say?

- Can I have my baseball cards back?

- No you may not!

Oh, Simon.

- What happened tonight?

- I don't know.

Sex makes people crazy.

That may be, uh... That may be true.

But, uh, that is

no kind of answer.

Simon,

you spend more time sitting

alone in a corner downstairs...

than you do

with the other children.

You, uh, frighten them

with your stories...

- about being an-an instrument of God.

- They're not stories.

And you interrupt my sermons

and you refuse to apologize.

I'm out of ideas, Simon.

I can't speak

to your parents because,

well, they don't

attend church.

And I-I can't speak

to Rebecca because...

because, uh...

Simon, what I'm trying

to say is that...

all of us around here...

Well, we need a break from you.

So, once this all simmers down,

and Marjorie Albright's father

accepts your apology,

we'll talk about

you coming back.

- What about the retreat?

- Joe will go alone.

And it's about time

I had a talk with him too.

Simon, I'm sorry.

but, as the Bible says,

"There is severe discipline...

for him who forsakes the Way."

"To impose a fine

on a righteous man is not good.

To flog a noble man

is wrong."

Proverb 17, Verse 26. That's, uh,

very good, Simon.

But perhaps you know this one

as well:
"Folly is bound up

in the heart of a child,

but the rod of discipline

drives it far from him."

- "Good sense makes a man slow to anger,

- Simon.

- and it is glory

to overlook the offense."

Simon... what do you

want me to do? Hmm?

What do you want me to say?

I want to know that

there's a reason for things.

I used to be certain,

but now I'm not so sure.

I want you to tell me

that God has a plan for me.

A plan for all of us.

Please.

Simon...

I can't.

Okay, you grabbed her b*obs

and ya pulled her into the manger.

Big deal. It could have

happened to anybody.

Well, maybe not anybody.

Who cares what

Reverend Russell says, huh?

Him and his wife, they're the two

most miserable people we know.

- You okay?

- Yeah.

Where are ya goin'?

- Home.

- Why?

It's Christmas.

I could go get the bike.

I'll walk.

Simon?

Simon?

Simon!

Simon!

Simon's sick.

- How sick?

- He's just sick, all right?

But I've gotta see him

before I leave on the retreat.

You can see him

when you get back.

But can't I just come in

and see him for a couple seconds?

Go on, now.

Simon's sick.

- I know.

- So was I when I heard

what he did last night.

The whole town's

talkin' about it.

What a little screwup.

Hey! Your son is not a screwup.

He's a hero.

What the hell

are you talking about?

I said he's a hero.

And you don't deserve him.

I want you to know that.

... six, seven,

eight, nine,

- ten, eleven,

- Thank you. And God bless you.

twelve...

Uh, is that it?

- We're one short.

- Is that

supposed to be a joke?

Have fun. Okay?

- Please tell me you're coming.

- I just came to say good-bye.

But what are you

gonna do without me?

Well, first, I'm gonna sneak

into Reverend Russell's office

and get my baseball cards back.

Sounds like trouble.

Sorry I'm gonna miss it.

Well, I bet you boys are going

to be very sad to know that...

Miss Leavey has taken

a leave of absence.

She's going to spend some time

with her mother in Connecticut.

Okay, Joe. Let's go.

Simon, you should be home resting.

You better go.

Yeah.

- So, uh, I'll see ya

in a couple days, right?

- Sure.

- Get better, okay?

- Okay.

I wish I could

remember every detail of that weekend.

Even now, I'll sometimes sit

and try to remember the colors,

the sounds, the faces.

But it only comes back to me

in bits and pieces.

If only I had known,

I would have paid closer attention.

But you're never prepared for

the moment that changes your life.

Whoa. Hey. Hey, you okay?

Yeah.

- Take it slow.

- You're very good with them, Joe.

You should see Simon.

He's the one they really listen to.

Don't tell me you miss him

already. It's only been one day.

- He's my best friend.

- Yes, I know.

Gotcha!

- Miss Wenteworth.

And how did you end up...

with Simon Birch

as your best friend?

I don't know. Maybe it's because we both

know how it feels to be an outsider.

Teased or...

whispered about.

- They tease you?

- Yeah, you know, the Wenteworth bastard,

and stuff like that.

Well, people-people can be

very unforgiving at times, Joe, uh...

I'm sorry.

- Joe!

- Looks like somebody needs me.

Joe.

You can talk to me...

anytime.

God, no wonder

she kept it such a secret.

You're sure we're doin'

the right thing, huh, Simon?

We promised him, Ben.

You promised him too, remember?

You're right. I did.

Reverend Russell?

Reverend?

Uh... I need the keys...

to the kitchen.

Reverend?

A lefty.

Just like me.

What do you mean?

I met your mother 13 years ago.

I was coming to Gravestown

to interview at the church.

- No.

- She was going to the city to

buy a present for her mother.

Stop it.

I'd never seen anyone like her, Joe.

And I fell in love.

- Right there on

the Boston and Maine.

- Joe! Joe!

Simon.

Did you hear what he said?

He's lying, right?

Joe...

Joe!

Let him go, Reverend.

Joe.

Joe.

A bastard.

I wish I never knew.

I wish I'd never found out.

- I must sound like a baby, huh?

- No.

- Big goddamn baby.

- No, you don't.

- I wish I could go home again.

- I know.

Back to the way things were.

I know, pal.

I guess Simon's gonna ride

on the bus with Joe.

- He'll be all right.

- Ben, it was a mistake.

I wanted to take care of her,

but she said she didn't need that.

- Well, that sounds

a lot like Rebecca to me.

- Yeah.

Haunts me every day

of my life.

Wish I could take it back. I...

I just wish it never happened.

Well, there's a beautiful kid over there

who wouldn't be here if it hadn't.

Ben?

... eleven,

- twelve,

- and he ranks thirteen.

- Hey, you came.

- I told you I'd be here. Come on.

Up we go.

Thanks.

You okay?

You okay?

I was thinking.

Maybe this was

your destiny.

To help me find my father.

Yeah. Maybe.

- Come on. Give it back.

- You started it!

Calm down, guys.

Watch out!

Oh, God!

- I can't... I can't stop it!

I can't stop it!

- Oh, good Lord.

- Oh, no!

- Oh, my God!

Oh, good Lord!

Reverend Russell!

I can't sw- I can't swim!

Hey, where are you going?

Come back.

Okay, everybody, just stay calm.

Okay. We're going to get out of here.

Hey, come on. Calm down.

Just listen to me.

Stop it!

I'm not going to let anything

happen to any of you. Understand?

Now, the current is very strong.

So I'll take you to Joe... one at

a time, and Joe will help you on shore.

- Go!

- Okay.

You first, now you.

You're after him.

Don't worry. It'll be okay.

Rate this script:5.0 / 2 votes