The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

Synopsis: Sentimental story centers around a deaf-mute, Singer, and Mick, a teenager who lives in the house where he rents a room. Mick and Singer become friends, though they are separated by Singer's lack of communication ability and Mick's struggle with teenage problems. The lives of the people Singer touches are varied, linked only by their friendship with Singer. His friends include a deaf-mute, a drunk, and a doctor. Singer does his best to help those around him solve their problems, but who is there to help him solve his own?
Genre: Drama
Director(s): Robert Ellis Miller
Production: Warner Home Video
  Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 9 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.7
Rotten Tomatoes:
100%
G
Year:
1968
123 min
404 Views


[METAL CLANGING]

[ALARM RINGING]

[SIREN WAILING]

POLICEMAN:

Our best customer.

[ALARM STOPS]

Well...

...we got him off again.

Look, we know he doesn't mean

any harm...

...but the judge doesn't know it.

The next time

Antonapoulos gets in trouble...

...I don't think they'll let him off

with just a fine.

So for all our sakes...

...make it clear to him

he's gotta behave.

[KNOCKING]

It ain't Singer's business.

He ain't his family.

I'm his family.

I'm the only family he's got.

- And I say he gets committed.

- But why?

On account of I don't want to be

responsible...

...for whatever that dummy

takes it into his mind to do.

[SPEAKING IN GREEK]

What if Singer assumed legal custody

of Antonapoulos?

Would that satisfy you?

I guess. Only till it's all legal,

Spiros has got to stay in the hospital.

But it's a mental hospital.

What do you want from me, mister?

I got a wife and four kids

to look out for. He's only a cousin.

I tell you, I would do the same thing

even if he was my own brother.

Yeah, I'm sure you would.

[PEOPLE CHATTERING]

[PANTING]

Look.

Now, look.

Look, I've been thinking.

This custody business

is liable to drag on for some time.

But there's no reason

you gotta sit here while it does.

Now, it's just an idea, mind you.

But maybe you'd be happier moving

some place closer to the hospital.

And it's not as if you got anything

to keep you tied here, is it?

Of course, I'll hate like hell

to see you go.

I'll miss our chess games.

But I gotta admit, it'd be a lot easier

moving your friend...

...some place

where they don't know him.

BEAUDINE:
Jefferson, for instance,

that's 300 miles nearer.

If you'd be interested, I got a cousin

runs a jewelry store over at Jefferson.

I could write him about you.

I mean, even if he doesn't need

anybody himself...

...he'd be bound to know

of any openings.

Hell, Jefferson's practically a city.

They got three jewelry stores there.

[DOORBELL RINGS]

MICK:

Yeah? What do you want?

If you're selling something,

we don't want any.

MRS. KELLY:

Who is it, Mick?

Oh, there's somebody about the room,

Mama.

MRS. KELLY

Oh, I see.

Well, we do have a room,

but it's $20 a week.

Come on in then, I'll show it to you.

Hey, Papa, guess what.

BUBBER:

I give up.

You can't give up

without guessing anything.

Besides, who asked you?

I was talking to Papa.

Well, Mick, let's see,

what could it be?

There's a man up there.

- He's a deaf-mute person.

- A what?

A dummy.

Came about renting the room.

Ugh. I sure hope Mama won't let him.

I'd feel sort of creepy

having a dummy living in my room.

- it ain't your room, not anymore.

- Morally it's still my room.

How do you know this guy's

a whatchamacallit?

He's got a card says so.

It's all about how he can read lips

and please don't shout.

If he can't hear, how's he going to know

if you're shouting? I bet he's a fake.

Huh. What if I could read lips?

Hey, Bubber, now you say something.

I'm gonna cover up my ears...

...and see if I can read your lips.

- Well, I finally rented that room.

BUBBER:
To the dummy?

- Did you give him that new word?

- What'd I do?

BUBBER:

Is it, Mama, is it?

Yes, but you're not to call him that,

hear?

He's paying more than I expected

and won't be no trouble.

- So don't you trouble him.

- Can't I just go look at him?

- No, I told you not to bother him.

BUBBER:
Aw.

MRS. KELLY:
Mick, you take Ralph

and Bubber for a walk.

- Oh, Mama, do I have to?

- No arguments.

Oh, all right.

First my room, now my afternoons.

- Shut up about the room.

MICK:
Well-

- Just shut up.

- Now both of you, just stop it.

We need that money.

You won't be fit to go back to work

for close on three months.

What in God's name

are we supposed to live on?

- I'm sorry, Papa.

- It's okay, honey.

Come on, Bubber.

Mama, how can this guy

ask for something?

A glass of water or something?

Oh, he, uh, just writes a little note, see?

Better not ask me then, I can't read.

He is paying $20.

[PIANO PLAYING]

[RALPH CRYING]

BUBBER:

Hey, Mick. Ralph is crying.

Well, see what he wants

and give it to him.

Why, Mick Kelly.

What are you doing out here?

Hi, Delores.

I was just resting for a minute.

Uh, got Ralph and Bubber out for a walk.

Would you like to come inside

and have some iced tea?

No, she's taking us for a walk.

[SCOFFS]

Don't let me interrupt your playing.

Practicing, and my poor hands

are so weary.

Been at it for two whole hours.

It sure sounded real good.

Especially that last one.

What was it?

"The Rondo" from Mozart's

piano sonata in C major.

- Mozart?

- He's the man who wrote it.

Oh.

Can you play anything else by him?

DELORES:
Not now. It's time

I was getting dressed for the party.

- What party?

- Mary's.

Oh, I guess I put my foot in it.

I just took it for granted you'd be there.

Well, she didn't ask me.

I could just bite my tongue.

Well, so long, Delores.

BUBBER:

What are you doing?

I'm gonna be famous some day

and when I am...

...I don't want folks

finding these tacky little pictures...

...even if I was just a child

when I painted them.

I sure would admire to have that one

of the airplane crash...

...and all the people getting killed.

Okay.

You love me?

Of course I do.

I have to, you're my sister.

Oh, I don't mean that way.

I mean, would you love me

if I wasn't your sister?

If you wasn't my sister,

I wouldn't even know you.

Well, suppose I wasn't your sister

and suppose you did know me.

- If you wasn't my sister...

- Yeah.

- ... and I knew you...

- Yeah.

...I wouldn't love you.

Who wants you to love me?

No sense loving you.

You know less about things than I do.

Mick, is that you?

MICK:
Yes, Papa.

- What are you doing?

- Nothing.

- Well...

...come on in here and do it then.

- Are both the boys in bed?

- Yes, Mama.

[DOG BARKING OUTSIDE]

- Still working on that same watch?

- Yep.

You must be about the best

watch-fixer in the whole world.

Spread that around, will you?

I could sure use the extra business.

Oh, Papa, nobody expects you

to earn a lot of money...

- ... while your hip's still mending.

- Mm-hm.

BUBBER:

Billy.

- Papa.

BUBBER:
Billy.

Yes, honey.

You think some day,

well, after you're well and all...

...do you think maybe

we could buy a piano?

Well, Mick-

Why not make it a solid gold one

while you're wishing?

No, really, Papa, could we?

Well, Mick, I don't know.

A piano, that'd cost a lot of money.

And it ain't as if any one of us

could play it.

I could learn.

That'd take more money.

Mick, I tell you, if you're so set

on making music...

...I could carve you out a ukulele.

Oh, Papa. That's just a kid toy.

I bet you Mozart never wrote any music

for any ukulele.

Maybe when I'm better

and back on the job-

Don't go putting those kind of notions

in her head.

If and when you go back to work,

there are places to put good money...

...before we start throwing it away

on pianos and music lessons.

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Thomas C. Ryan

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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