Okay. I wouldn't do that.
So, what are you doing here then?
Well, I came to meet you, to be honest with you.
Why? 'Cause...
I wanted to meet you, see what you were like.
I see you're a nice person. That's all.
You're not gonna hurt me, are you?
No, I'm not gonna hurt you at all.
There's no hurting here, Danielle.
'Tween us there's no anger... nothin'.
Just a search for truth.
I mean, did you judge me, did you get angry at me...
when you caught me smokin' the grass?
Hmm? No.
But your parents, they judged you.
They got plenty angry at you, didn't they?
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
They punished you for their sins.
What did they do?
They, uh... My dad...
They just yelled a whole lot and, um...
My mom cried...
and my dad said I couldn't drive the Cherokee.
I'd say they punished you for their sins,
and you resent that, and you should resent it.
But Professor "Do-Right" has a little advice for you.
You shouldn't damn 'em.
Don't judge 'em.
Just forgive 'em, for they know not what they do.
Well, um, why do you hate my father?
I don't hate him at all. Oh, no, I pray for him.
I'm here to help him.
I mean, we all make mistakes, Danielle.
You and I have. At least we try to admit it.
Don't we?
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
But your daddy, he don't.
Every man Carries a circle of hell around his head like a halo.
Your daddy too. Every man... Every man...
has to go through hell to reach his paradise.
You know what paradise is? No.
Salvation.
'Cause your daddy's not happy.
Your mommy's not happy.
And you know what? You're not happy.
Are you?
No, I'm not.
You thought about me last night, didn't you?
[Sighs]
Um, yes, I did.
I know.
You know, I think I might have found a companion,
a companion for that long walk to the light.
Do you mind if I put my arm around you?
Um...
It's okay.
No, I don't mind.
Okay.
[Panting]
Kersek, where have you been? He came at my daughter at school.
You asked me to watch him nights, I'm watching. What happened?
My wife, Leigh, found marijuana in one of Danny's schoolbooks.
We don't know if Cady gave it to her or what,
'cause she's scared and won't talk.
This has gone far enough. It's gotta stop.
Did you phone the cops?
No, I didn't phone the cops.
What'd you call them? Slow, skeptical, pathetic.
Danny. Leigh, that's all right.
Hold on a minute.
Uh, Kersek,
I want to hire those three guys. Remember the hospital job?
Consider it done, the sooner the better.
Three men's gonna cost you a grand.
I know that's not chicken feed, but you don't want to go with less than three.
- It's better to overdo it. - You'll have money by morning.
We'll be on for tomorrow night. And, Sam,
you feel good about this.
Uh... all right.
You notice these young people?
They don't look very happy.
They're committed to their professions and ambitions, but not to each other.
[Sam] Cady, shut up and listen.
If you don't leave,
if you don't leave my family alone and get out of here,
you're gonna be hurtin' like you never dreamed.
Could you repeat that?
I said, if you don't get out of here,
you're gonna be hurtin' like you never dreamed.
A threat? Yeah.
You bet your ass that's a threat. I have thought of relocatin'...
somewhere where I'd be more appreciated... California perhaps.
I could teach earthquake preparedness.
But then it hits me. I love New Essex, Counselor.
I mean, where else could I casually confer with an old colleague?
We're not colleagues. Do you understand that? We're not colleagues.
You think you're better than me.
I don't think I'm better than you. That's not the point.
Good. 'Cause if you're not better than me then I can have what you have.
- And what do I have? - A wife, a daughter.
I'm gonna teach you the meaning of commitment.
Fourteen years ago, I was forced to make a commitment...
to an eight-by-nine cell.
Now you're gonna be forced to make a commitment.
You could say I'm here to save you.
Fine.
Check out the Bible, Counselor...
The book between "Esther" and "psalms."
[Knocking] Danny?
Danny!
You all right? What?
Is everything all right? Yeah.
This isn't gonna work, you know.
What isn't gonna work?
Locking us in, hiding us from the world.
Don't be so dramatic, Danny.
- Making me stay out of school. - You're going back tomorrow.
Put some clothes on. You're not a little kid anymore.
Why am I going back to school tomorrow? What are you gonna do?
That's none of your concern, Danny.
Dad,
he didn't force himself on me, you know.
I know you'd like to think that he did.
But I think he was...
I think he was just trying to make a connection with me.
Now, Danny, I want you to listen to me, all right?
No. You understand? No.
There will never be any connection...
between you and Max Cady.
You understand that? Huh?
Did he touch you?
What?
What are you laughing about?
Why are you smilin'? I'm asking you a question.
Did he touch you?
Wipe that smile off your face!
Did he touch you?
C'mon.
Oh, wait, Danny. I'm sorry. No.
No, I'm sorry.
Wait, honey. I'm sorry.
Get out of here! Get out of here!
[Man] Oh, Max.
[Grunting]
C'mon. C'mon.
[Cans Crashing]
Counselor?
Is that you?
Counselor?
Come out, come out, wherever you are.
I ain't no white-trash piece of shit.
I'm better than you all!
I can outlearn you.
I can out-read you.
I can outthink you.
And I can out-philosophize you.
And I'm gonna outlast you.
You think a couple whacks to my guts is gonna get me down?
It's gonna take a hell of a lot more than that, Counselor,
to prove you're better than me!
"I am like God and God like me.
"I am as large as God!
"He is as small as I!
He cannot above me nor I beneath him be."
Silesius, 17th century.
Counselor?
Could you be there?
[Whistles]
Counselor?
I wonder if you're here?
Ah, fuck it.
If you're here, what the fuck's the difference.
Fuck it!
[Secretary] I've got Mr. Kersek on one. [Sam] Good, I'll take it.
Tom. Sam, you look tired.
You get that writ? No, we've got to get into that.
Let me just grab this.
[Kersek] I'm sorry about last night.
That son-of-a-bitch could survive a nuclear strike. Hang on a second.
Tom, I'm not doin' it. I pulled a fast one.
It's come back and bit me on the ass in a major way.
What you did was dumb. What I'm asking is no big deal. This is my daughter!
It's perjury. It's bullshit and I'm not doin' it.
Now, excuse me. I'll be in my office.
Who was that top criminal lawyer?
Lee Heller. We need to talk. Kersek?
[Kersek] Word gets out how Cady bushwhacked those bastards,
it's gonna be a bitch to line up new guys. No more guys, hear me?
Mr. Heller, it's Sam Bowden from Broadbent and Denmeyer.
Tom speaks highly of you. He says you're the best and the best is what I need.
We froze our butts together in Korea. How can I help you?
It's a simple petition for a restraining order, but there's complications.
This is short notice, but I need this injunction.
There's an ex-convict, Max Cady. He's been harassing my family.
I'm sorry, Mr. Bowden. I can't continue this conversation.
Is there a more convenient time?
The damn thing is, I have a conflict. What would that be?
Mr. Cady retained my services as of yesterday. He what?
In fact, I see on my phone sheet Mr. Cady called this morning.
So, I'm sure he'll... Wait, Lee, look. This man is a psychotic.
It appears I'll be seein'ya at that hearing after all.
[Cady On Recorder] Could you repeat that?
[Sam On Recorder] I said, if you don't leave,
if you don't leave my family alone and get out of here,
you're gonna be hurtin' like you never dreamed.
[Cady] A threat?
[Sam] Yeah, you bet your ass that's a threat.
[Heller] You need only glance at my client...
to know that Mr. Bowden made good on his...
heinous and cowardly threat.
Just as God arose to judgment to save the meek of the earth,
I hope and pray you will do the same, sir.
Your honor,
Mr. Cady wouldn't have surreptitiously taped our meeting...
unless he knew that...
This court does not condone...
feuds, vendettas, or vigilantism.
Let me quote our great Negro educator,
Mr. Booker T. Washington.
"I will let no man drag me down so low...
as to make me hate him."
Yes.
I will grant the restraining order,
not to validate the malice between you,
but in the interest of Christian harmony.
You may not come...
within 500 yards of...
Mr. Maximilian Cady...
until such time as the court...
may lift the injunction.
King Solomon could not have adjudicated more wisely, Your Honor.
I am so offended...
by the Philistine tactics of Mr. Bowden,
I petitioned the A.B.A. For his disbarment...
on the grounds of moral turpitude.
Now, if you will excuse us,
my client... C'mon, son...
is due back at the hospital...
for the results of his numerous X-rays.
Kersek, I want a gun.
I need a gun. I want a gun.
You want a gun? Yeah.
You know anything about guns? No.
I don't believe in 'em. I never had them around the house.
I'll get you a gun. What kind you want? Now, calm down.
Something simple, something I can handle.
Let me see what fits you. Forty-five...
Let me see your hands. Okay.
A.38 snub-nosed special. All right, good.
I can teach you how to use it. Great.
The first lesson is: Don't think of it as shooting a man or trying to kill him.
Think of it as an extension of your fist,
reaching out and knocking a man down. Boom! Boom! All right.
Later, we'll go out and shoot some trees.
That'd be great. Good. Uh...
What is it? What?
Sam, I give you a gun, you pull it on Cady,
it's gonna dawn on you that shootin' a man is different than blowing holes in trees.
Next thing, you don't have my gun. Cady does. No, no.
I'd know how to handle a gun. He won't take it away from me.
Best-case scenario: You kill Cady dog-dead.
Fifteen years to life, do you realize that?
Oh, Jesus! It's all fucked up, Kersek!
The law considers me more of a loose cannon than Max Cady!
Some big-shit attorney's whipped the A.B.A. Ethics Committee into a frenzy.
There's an emergency session in Raleigh over the assault.
How'd they link that to you?
I went to warn Cady.
I thought it was the decent thing to do.
Maybe I'd scare him. He was wired.
Goddamn fools!
This hearing, it's real important?
Only if I want to continue to practice law. Yeah.
- Cady isn't expected there? - No, no, no, no.
Mr. Cady, he's beyond reproach.
But you're required to be there? Yeah.
When is this hearing? Thursday morning, nine o'clock.
The torture begins and lasts for two days.
Mmm. You have to fly up the night before?
Right.
Cady's an opportunist.
If he thinks you're gonna be outta town for two days,
that's gonna be as tempting to him as shit is to a fly.
If Cady breaks into your home...
he can be killed... justifiably.
But he won't show unless he's real sure you're not gonna be there.
## [Opera]
##
Have a good trip. All right. Bye-bye.
Call us tonight. All right.
I didn't miss the 9:20 to Raleigh?
I'm afraid you did. But there's a 10:20.
Oh, it's not that. I have important papers for Samuel Bowden.
Was he on the 9:20?
We can't give out that information, sir.
I just... [Sighs]
I guess I could send it to him overnight...
but he might be back, for all I know, tomorrow morning.
And l... See, my...
My wife and I have been in an accident and he's our lawyer.
If I don't get in touch with him, we could lose this case.
We've already lost our daughter, Danny.
Is...
Is there any way I can find out if he was on that flight and when he's comin' back?
It'd really, really help us.
He'll be back the day after tomorrow, sir.
Bless your heart.
Go on. Go on in.
Get down, Sam.
Leigh, give me a cigarette. [Pounding]
You better slow down. You're outpacing me 2-to-1 since you started smoking again.
Just keep track of how many I owe you.
How'd it go at the airport? We did our thing.
But we don't know if he saw us. We don't know if he was there.
Well, we'll set the trap and we'll see.
- What if we don't wanna see? - Danny!
What? Maybe he poisoned the dog.
Sam, watch out for the windows!
You're not allowed to stand up, Dad. Remember?
Didn't Cady go after her? You don't know Danny.
If she finds a palmetto bug in her bedroom,
she takes it outside.
She could never kill anything.
Even a six-foot palmetto bug? [Laughing]
Oh, God!
What is that?
It's monofilament line. Got it from Sam's fishing gear.
What I do is stretch it across the windows and doors,
and tie it to Danny's teddy bear.
If the bear moves a quarter of an inch, I know if the holy ghost is sneakin' in.
What are you reading?
Why, did Kersek quit? No.
It's just that Cady said...
You want some answers.
Me too.
I'd like to know just how strong we are...
or how weak.
But I guess the only way we're gonna find that out...
is just by going through this.
Cady said to read the book between Esther and Psalms.
Which is which one?
The book of Job.
Job was a good man. He believed in God.
And God tested his faith.
He took away everything he had,
even his children.
[Gasps]
[Barking]
[Danny] It's hideous, this plan. I mean, barbaric.
They're crazy.
My dad's turned into some kind of... I don't know what.
Barbaric. Vamos, Danny.
Ocúpate de tus propios asuntos, eh?
Listen to your father. Do what they say.
What else you can do? Leave.
We could go to the houseboat and get lost in any inlet.
Danny, come on.
Don't stay outside.
[Sam] You wanna know...
what really disturbs me?
Is killing this guy.
I mean, taking a man's life.
I don't know if I can live with that. You may have to.
Sam, just remember the plan. I know the plan.
Damn, it's premeditated. It's, uh...
It makes me an accomplice, an accessory, an abettor.
It's also excessive force.
The only thing excessive we could do to Cady...
would be to gut him and eat his liver.
Well, that might be excessive.
Jesus Christ, Kersek. I'm serious.
No, you're scared.
But that's okay.
I want you to savor that fear.
The South evolved in fear;,
fear of the Indian, fear of the slave,
fear of the damn Union.
The South has a fine tradition of savoring fear.
[Sighs] [Sam] What's the matter?
Don't look! Don't look.
She's making me nervous.
What would she normally do...
if Sam wasn't around to run her home?
- She'd stay over. - Then she stays over.
[Barking]
[Ticking]
[Banging]
[Grunting]
What? Leigh?
I know how the dog died.
- Sam, are you dreaming? - No.
I just had the weirdest feeling he was already in the house.
[Indistinct Noise]
Can't sleep, huh, Miss Graciela?
Yeah, it's hot.
I think it's the humidity. That's what makes us so thirsty.
[Burps] Excuse me.
You know, my pop was a cop... 20 years.
This was his favorite drink when he was on stakeout.
[Groaning]
- [Gunshot] - [Gasps]
I learnt that in prison. You like?
White-trash piece of shit!
Stay here, Leigh.
Kersek?
Danny!
Danny, go back to your room. Go back to your room.
Lock the door.
Kersek? [Door Slams]
Don't go down there, Sam. It's all right.
[Sam] Kersek?
Sam!
Don't look.
[Screaming]
[Sam] Danny, don't look.
Oh, my God, Graciela! Don't look. Don't look.
Oh, my God!
[Danny] Oh, my God!
[Danny Sobbing] Oh, my God!
[Sam] It's the piano wire.
Sam! Oh!
I'm gonna get this son-of-a-bitch!
Sam, no! No!
No! No, Sam! Son-of-a-bitch!
[Gunshots] [Danny] Tell him to stop!
Sam, he might be out here! He might be out here!
[Sam] I've got Kersek's gun with me...
and you're gonna find the piano wire that Cady used in the house.
Yeah, I know how this looks. I know it.
You're not supposed to flee a murder scene.
Listen, Lieutenant, you may know this and you may not.
In the law there's a thing called force majeure.
It means an unforeseeable act of God.
It cancels all promises and obligations.
Legally speaking, all bets are off.
You find Max Cady...
and we'll come back.
[Leigh] What did he say?
He said we're fugitives. What does that mean?
[Sam] That means we're doing something right.
Where's that old mongrel dog of yours, Mrs. Bowden?
Tomorrow I'll catch some fish.
You don't have to. I've got enough food to last us a week.
Well... [Clears Throat]
But it'd be nice.
Good.
[Loud Noise]
It's only rain... a sheet of rain.
[Gasps]
What was that? Just a squall.
I'll go check the anchor.
Wait, Dad. Don't go out.
Danielle, look. Everything is okay. We're on the river now.
It's just a squall kickin'.
Graciela has a brother.
I mean, she had... had a brother.
Oh, sweetie.
We'll get in touch with him right away.
Sam?
We're making some tea.
Sam!
Dad?
[Sam] Can't hear you. It's windy out.
[Grunting]
What's that?
Are we moving? Sam!
[Gasps]
Good evenin', ladies.
My husband has a gun.
- Not this gun. Is it this gun? - Where is he?
Restin' up. Had a long, difficult day.
Danielle, I told you,
you can't escape your demons just by leaving home.
I didn't.
My parents brought me here. Of course.
Where's Sexus?
Back at the house. Shame.
I had hoped we could read aloud from it together.
Well...
I, um... I memorized some for you. Did you?
Yeah. Did you?
Yeah.
Well, I'm impressed.
Which part?
The part...
You know what part. You know. Tsk, tsk, tsk.
I don't think you did your homework.
I did.
What parts was that? The good parts?
Yeah, they were... Were you a good girl?
I was. I knew you'd follow me here.
You know me pretty well, don't you, darlin'? Yeah, I do.
You gonna get to know me a lot better too.
No!
Are you offering me somethin' hot?
Let's get somethin' straight here.
I spent 14 years in an eight-by-nine cell,
surrounded by people who were less than human.
My mission at that time was to become more than human.
You see?
Grandaddy used to handle snakes in church.
Granny drank strychnine.
I guess you could say I had a leg up, genetically speakin'.
[Sobbing]
I'm gonna forgive you, Danielle, honey.
But I know that wasn't the real you, the true you.
But I would like you to wait in the hold.
Danielle? Danielle, get in the hold!
[Sobbing] Danielle.
Stop! No!
Oh, no!
Ready to be born again, Mrs. Bowden?
A few minutes alone with me, darlin'...
and you'll be speakin' in tongues.
[Groaning]
Excuse me, Mrs. B.
Please don't take umbrage, but in the plan I have formulated,
there's much more to it than just you and I makin' love.
I mean, that's just so commonplace and dreary.
You will now have an opportunity.
"What is that opportunity?" You ask.
Why, here and now, we have an opportunity...
to depict and dramatize...
Oh, no!
[Groaning]
Both the heights and the depths...
of a mama's true love of her daughter, if y'all get my meaning.
C'mon out, babe. Let's go.
Get out! Get up here.
This is between you and me. Leave them out of it.
This is my night, Counselor. Don't you step on my lines.
[Screaming] [Leigh] Stop! Stop!
Yes, Leigh?
Listen to me, Max.
Listen to me.
You know, Max, since all this started,
I've thought about you all the time.
I've tried to imagine what it must have been like for you...
all those years locked up in jail.
I've tried to imagine you,
and even your crimes,
and how you must have felt in those moments that you did them.
See...
I know about laws, Max.
I know about losing time, even losing years.
And I know it doesn't compare to jail,
but I can understand...
and I could share this with you.
Because of that, whatever it is that you've got planned,
I want you to do it just with me,
not with her.
Because...
we have this connection.
What do you think, Counselor?
No!
That was real eloquent, Leigh.
Brave too.
I wanna thank you for conveying to me your very powerfullest emotions.
'Cause...
I'm gonna enjoy this all the more.
[Screaming]
Oh, my God!
[Screaming]
[Sobbing]
The people call Samuel G. Bowden!
[Cady] Do you swear to tell the truth, so help you God?
Somebody's got to man the boat. Did you swear?
- I'll do it. - Sit, Danielle.
Don't make light of your duty. You're the jury.
[Sam] I swear to tell the truth. What do you want to know?
Was a prior sexual history ever prepared in connection with my defense?
[Sam] It's... [Screaming]
I'm sorry, Your Honor. I agree. That was argumentative.
An investigator did prepare a prior sexual history...
on the alleged victim, true?
I can ask leading questions. He is a hostile witness.
Would you care to tell the court what the gist was of this report?
It was 14 years ago. I can't remember that.
How can he answer when you're hitting him!
'Cause he's perjuring himself. He knows exactly what it said!
Don't you? It said that she was promiscuous.
It said that she had three lovers in one month.
At least three! And did you show this report to the D.A.?
- No. - No, I had to.
I only discovered it after I petitioned to represent myself.
Six years into my sentence! There it was in the court file!
But back in '77, you buried it!
Would you care to tell the jury why?
Would you care to tell the court why?
Because I know he brutally raped her and beat her.
Talk to me! I'm standing here!
Just because she was promiscuous didn't give you the right to rape her.
You bragged to me that you beat two prior aggravated rapes! You were a menace!
You were my lawyer!
That report could have saved me 14 years!
- You're probably right. - You self-righteous fuck!
I'm Vergil and I'm guiding you through the gates of hell.
We are now in the 9th Circle, the Circle of Traitors.
Traitors to country! Traitors to fellow man!
Traitors to God! You, sir...
are charged with betrayin' the principles of all three!
Quote for me the American Bar Association's Rules...
of Professional Conduct, Canon Seven.
"A lawyer should represent his client..."
"Should zealously represent his client within the bounds of the law."
I find you guilty, Counselor!
Guilty of betraying your fellow man!
Guilty of betraying your country and abrogatin' your oath!
Guilty ofjudging me and selling me out!
With the power vested in me by the kingdom of God,
I sentence you to the 9th Circle of hell!
Now you will learn about loss!
Loss of freedom! Loss of humanity!
Now you and I will truly be the same.
Get down on your knees. Both of you, take off your clothes.
- Down on your knees now! - No, no, no!
Take off your clothes! Down on you knees!
No!
Don't!
Now... take off your clothes!
You, Leigh. Take off your clothes.
Now! Now! No, no, no.
C'mon. Get it, get it!
You're gonna learn to be an animal! To live like one and die like one.
Give me your hand!
[Groaning And Yelling]
No, Dad!
Go! Go! [Screaming]
[Grunting And Groaning]
[Snarling]
Ahhh!
Aaah!
[Moaning And Laughing]
Forget about that restrainin' order, Counselor?
You're well within 500 yards!
[Laughing]
Well, here we are, Counselor. Just two lawyers...
workin'it out!
[Yelling]
[Laughing]
I'm gonna kill you!
You already sacrificed me,
Counselor!
Ahh! Ahh! Ahh!
[Speaking In Tongues]
Glory be to God. Hallelujah!
# On Jordan's stormy banks I stand #
# Oh, who will come with me #
# I'm bound for the promised land l... #
# I'm bound for the promis... #
# Land, I am #
# I'm bound for the promised land #
[Gasps]
[Groaning And Sobbing]
[Danny] We never spoke about what happened.
At least, not to each other.
Fear, I suppose... that to remember his name,
or what he did, would mean letting him into our dreams.
And me, I hardly dream about him anymore.
Still, things won't ever be the way they were before he came.
But that's all right.
Because if you hang on to the past,
you die a little every day.
And for myself,
I know I'd rather live.
The end.