The Cider House Rules Page #6

Homer points his finger at the child's forehead like a gun.

HOMER:

Henceforth you shall be... Little

Wilbur.

LARCH:

I'm not crazy about the "Little..."

Homer is writing the name.

HOMER:

Okay, he's just a Wilbur then.

LARCH:

We haven't had a Wilbur here in a

year or so, have we? We used to have

*dozens*!

They are interrupted by Copperfield, who comes running from

the corridor.

COPPERFIELD:

They picked Hazel! The idiots chose

Hazel!

INT. GIRLS' DIVISION - DAY

Hazel is being fussed over by Edna. Hazel clutches a cardboard

suitcase and a tattered rag doll. Mary Agnes, by far the

oldest, sits on a bed.

MARY AGNES:

If people want to adopt one of us,

they should have to take the oldest

first.

EDNA:

Please, Mary Agnes! This is Hazel's

special day--don't make her feel

sad.

MARY AGNES:

Hazel's practically the youngest of

us. She should be the *last* to leave!

CLARA:

At least Hazel can talk. Usually

they take one of the stupid babies.

MARY AGNES:

They take the babies so they won't

ever have to tell them that they

were orphans!

HAZEL:

(begins to cry)

I'm not a baby!

MARY AGNES:

If you cry, Hazel, they'll just send

you back.

EDNA:

Mary Agnes, that's not true!

Hazel cries harder.

MARY AGNES:

That's what they did to me!

EDNA:

You *wanted* to come back--that's

why you cried.

(to Hazel)

You can cry if you feel like it,

Hazel. You cry as much as you want.

INT. LARCH'S OFFICE - DAY

Homer is in the corridor outside the office, overhearing

Larch's lecture to the couple adopting Hazel.

LARCH:

It is strictly for our orphans' sake

that I destroy any record of their

natural mothers. Of course they will,

one day, want to know. But orphans,

especially, should look forward to

their *futures*. Not back to their

pasts.

INT. WINDOW, CORRIDOR - DAY

Homer sees Curly standing all alone by a window in the

corridor; a suitcase is next to him.

HOMER:

Hi, Curly. You going somewhere?

Curly shakes his head.

CURLY:

I thought they might take me.

HOMER:

They wanted a girl.

CURLY:

Nobody ever wants me!

Homer embraces Curly and lifts him up, he grabs the suitcase

and continues down the corridor.

HOMER:

You're one of the best, Curly--we

couldn't let just anyone take you.

CURLY:

Dr. Larch wouldn't let just anyone

take *any* of us!

HOMER:

That's true.

CURLY:

Nobody's asked for me, have they?

HOMER:

Nobody special enough, Curly.

CURLY:

You mean somebody asked?

HOMER:

Only the right people can have you,

Curly.

Homer disappears into the boys' bunk room carrying Curly and

his suitcase, leaving the corridor empty.

INT./EXT. ORPHANAGE - DAY

Faces in the windows; the orphans watch Hazel walking across

the snowy lawn with her new parents.

INT. GIRLS' DIVISION - NIGHT

Edna (with the girls) gives her good-bye blessing to Hazel.

EDNA:

Let us be happy for Hazel. Hazel has

found a family. Good night, Hazel.

THE GIRLS:

Good night, Hazel! Good night, Hazel!

Good night, Hazel!

INT./EXT. ORPHANAGE - FRONT DOOR - DAY

The front door opens. The orphans excitedly run outside onto

the green lawn, into the warm weather of spring.

INT. DISPENSARY - MORNING

Angela is singing along with the song on the phonograph, a

more romantic song then before, which rouses Larch from his

ether. He is grumpy, but she sings the song in his ear and

won't give him back the ether cone; he rolls away from her,

but she tickles him and bites his ear, coaxing him into a

more playful mood.

LARCH:

I was dreaming about you. How

beautiful you were!

ANGELA:

You weren't dreaming about me.

LARCH:

I was!

Playfully, she slips out of his embrace.

ANGELA:

Then I wasn't beautiful.

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