The Cider House Rules: The Making of an American Classic Page #4

In that case, maybe you'd

like to stay to dinner, Homer?

Another time, Mom.

You gotta meet Mr. Rose.

You used up

all the hot water!

- You're usin' my soap, ain't you?

- I ain't usin' no soap.

They're migrants.

They pick the fruit.

All kinds.

They travel up and down

the coast with the seasons.

The trick to Mr. Rose

is you have to let him be boss.

Oh, excuse me.

- The sink's backed up again, Wally.

- Not again.

- Thought you said you was

gonna get us a plumber.

- Rose, this is Homer.

- Homer, this is

Mr. Rose's daughter, Rose.

- You a plumber?

Homer's the new picker.

He's gonna stay here with you.

- He's stayin' here?

- Yeah.

Uh-oh.

This daughter of mine, she's just Miss

Hospitality, ain't she, Wally?

New picker?

You got lots of experience, I expect.

Homer's got no experience,

Arthur,

but he's smarter than I am

and he's a fast learner.

Mr. Rose is gonna teach you

the apple business.

Well, I believe

this is history.

We're makin' history,

Wally, ain't we?

We're makin' history

havin' this young man stay with us.

- Why don't you

show him around?

Your name is Rose Rose?

- Pretty, ain't it?

- Very.

- You like to read?

- I really can't read that good.

Homer, what does

this say? Here.

"I looked at the stars

and considered...

"how awful it would be for a man

to turn his face to them...

"and he froze to death

and see no help or pity...

in all

the glittering multitude."

More.

- Since you the one...

who's smart enough to read,

what's this here?

- It's a list of rules it seems.

- Whose rules?

I imagine they're for us,

I suppose.

Go on then.

Read 'em, Homer.

"One:
Please don't smoke in bed.

It's too late for that one.

Keep reading, Homer.

Two:
Please don't operate the grinder

or press if you've been drinking."

You know, they ain't

our rules, Homer.

We didn't write 'em.

I don't see no need to read 'em.

Okay.

Good night,

you Princes of Maine,

you Kings of New England.

Hoo! Remember this.

In the morning when the grass

is wet, you can make it slide.

- Feel it?

- Yeah.

It's almost like flying.

Watch out for the trees.

Trees are flak,

antiaircraft fire...

from the geeks

on the ground.

- Hey, Homer.

- Hi.

I was just showin' Homer

the orchard.

- Kind of a geography lesson.

- Really?

- Yeah.

- What's that?

- What?

- This, here. Looks like you've

been giving him flying lessons.

Ah, he loved it.

Didn't you?

Wally here thinks people

like being whacked by branches.

- Oh, I liked it.

- Really?

Yeah!

- You're unbelievable.

- Well, thank you very much.

Hey!

What's wrong with you?

Sorry.

That's Vernon. You better stay away from

him till he gets to know you better.

- Then you best stay away

from him even more.

- Homer.

Lieutenant's calling you.

You better watch your ass, Homer.

Hey, Wally.

- You gettin' along okay?

- Yeah.

- Guess what.

- What?

I'm shippin' out today.

It's a little sooner

than I expected, but...

I wanted to make sure that you're

settled and happy enough considering...

Are you bored stiff or do you think

you can stick it out a bit?

Yeah, of course.

I'm grateful for the job, Wally.

I'm grateful too. It gives me

peace of mind knowin' you're

here keepin' an eye on things.

- Well, that's good.

- You about ready, Homer?

Yeah.

- Uh, look, Wally, thanks.

I'm lucky I met you.

- I'm the lucky one.

- No, really, I'm lucky.

- Do you wanna fight about it?

- Kidding.

- Oh, okay.

- Take care of yourself.

- Okay.

Bye.

Okay, Mr. Rose.

Turn. That's right.

Turn and pull.

Turn and pull.

Just like that. Good. Good.

Okay, that's good. Right now

you're pickin' mostly cider apples.

All these drops here,

they good only for cider.

And you're picking apples with

the stem only half the time.

Golden rule, Homer. You wanna

pick the apple with the stem.

Now, see that there?

The spur right above the stem?

That's the bud for next year's apple.

That's called the "spur."

Pick the spur,

you're pickin' two years in one.

You're pickin' next year's apple

before it have a chance to grow.

So you wanna leave that.

- Okay.

- All right, let me see you work.

Yeah. That's good.

Yeah, that's much better.

That's better.

I can see you got yourself

some education.

Them good hands you got.

Them hands you got, they know

what they're doin'. Ain't that right?

- I guess so.

- All right.

- You keep on workin', Homer.

I'll be right back.

- Okay.

Wilbur? Wilbur?

Wilbur?

You should read this.

It's from the board.

Another letter.

"Merely suggesting that some new blood

might benefit you all.

Someone with new ideas in

the obstetrical and pediatric fields."

I think they're just testing some ideas

for our next meeting.

Dr. Holtz seems nice.

I think he only wants to help.

He's a goddamn psychiatrist!

Of course he wants to help.

He'd be happy to help

to commit me.

It's this Mrs. Goodhall

you have to be careful of, Wilbur.

We have to be more

than careful of Mrs. Goodhall.

She has enough Christian zeal

to start her own country.

I'd like to give her

a little ether.

- So, what are you going to do?

- Take this.

Homer Wells, born

Portland, Maine, March 2, 1915.

But Homer

was born here.

- In what was it? 1922?

- Mm-hmm.

Graduated Bowdoin College,

1935.

Harvard School of Medicine,

- That's you, Wilbur. You went there.

- An internship,

and two years of training at

the Boston Lying-In, South End Branch,

he was judged an accomplished

gynecological...

- and obstetrical surgeon...

- That's not him.

With experience

in pediatric care.

Wilbur, you're making

this up.

Angela, the board

is going to replace me.

That is what

the new blood is for.

You mean they're going to

replace you with someone

who doesn't perform abortions.

Well, we can only guess at that.

They are against the law.

These credentials

are against the law.

We all know I trained Homer, so his

credentials are as good as mine.

And don't be holy to me

about the law.

What has the law ever done

for anyone here?

So, what do you think

about my candidate?

What about school records?

Homer doesn't have any diplomas.

Come here, Edna, please.

Come here.

He will have them.

Wilbur!

I don't know...

All of these on there, okay.

- Gotta pack 'em tight now, y'all.

- I got it.

What do you think we do?

- All aboard, Mrs. Worthington.

- Thank you, Arthur.

How's this crew this year?

Got any rotten apples?

- It's a good crew, ma'am.

- Hey, Rose Rose.

- You tryin' to break my finger? Damn!

- Just an accident.

Excuse me.

Well, maybe we got one bad apple,

but it's nothing we can't handle.

I see.

How's young Homer

working out?

- Good. He's a smart young man.

- Hey, Homer.

- Wally was right about him.

Real hard worker.

- Good.

Mornin', Miss Worthington.

Why don't you come up and visit

me at the house? I know I've

got clothes that will fit you.

- Okay.

- I'm sure I can find

a ton of things to fit you.

Rose don't really need

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes