The Earthling (1980) - full transcript

Continental Airlines,
flight number one...

now arriving from Los Angeles,
gate number 33.

Next, please.

Now, what's the purpose of your visit?

Ah, passing through.

I remember you.

Place is changed.

Yeah?

You won't recognize it.

Probably not.

Red, got the ring fixed, eh?



Was the blowplate on
the axle, wasn't it?

Yeah, yeah.

- Got my battery?
- Yeah, here in the truck.

I thought you wasn't
back here till tomorrow.

Who's that you
got with you out there?

I need a beer.

Hiya, Parnell!
What's up?

Hey!
He's getting down! He's getting down!

My old man used to talk
about him all the time.

He said Foley was a
commander in the war.

- Yeah and I heard he ran cattle
in Colorado. - That was later.

After the war he and
Chris built roads in Peru.

Peru?

And they tell that
he saved Chris's life once.



Carried on his back to 50 miles
to get him to a doctor.

What? Our Christian?

The very same!

Hey, you got a payin' customer!

Dawn, get it!

I got it. I got it.

Oh, Dawn! How many times I told you
not to get on that counter!

What do you think
we got that door for?

Hi folks! Fill her up?

Yeah, sure.

Come on, let's get
somethin' to eat.

There's a lot of land with timber
that might never been cut.

His old man didn't believe it.

"Never take it what you can't give back."
His father used to say.

And he was right too.

All those who sold their timber
went broke anyway.

What would you like to eat?

I don't know yet, honey.

Besides if he's anything like his old man
he weren't be here in labour.

He did anything himself.

Old man Foley didn't believe
in two classes of people.

One to work and the other to pay.

No. You know he cut out that place up
on the mountains all by himself?

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

Shawn...Shawn!

Where are you?

Shawn, come in.

Christian!

Christian!

Christian!

Hello?

Goddamn!

Yeah.

You've come home!

Goin' up to my dad's farm.

Well, I'll be goddamned!

Got to lay the ghosts.

What the hell you doin' down there?

Ah...cutting it just...
gotta get to scrap.

I told they'll run out of trees.

How long do you stay?

I'm not.

You mean you goin' up right away?

Yep.

So...

I'll see you when?
In a month?

I love you Christian.

But you don't hear.

You just don't listen.

I'm not comin' back this way.

What do you say?

But then...

There's nothing up there.

Here you have friends.

People who care.
And that's the comfort that is!

I'm not into...

hanging around.
You've got to understand that.

But...we're waiting around together, ha?

You and I have plans, remember?

Our ashes'll into the sea.

We swore it by God!

You were always a damned stubborn!

Is it pride or you just
trying to live something down?

- Chris!
- And you're ornery, I say!

Who the hell ever knows
what you're thinking?

- Time to go.
- Oh, sure...sure!

30-40 years passed.

Just a holiday for you.
Just passing through.

Slumming!

Well if you wanna go, you go!

The truth is I can't stop you.

So this is how it ends?

In this stinking hands-on.

Well, no.
By God, no!

You're a coward, Foley.

You're running out.

Not on me, but on yourself!

Men has a duty to take
care of himself and his friends.

Foley, why don't you stay here with me?
Be good.

Because it isn't me.

Oh Goddamn!

Because you're not me
and this thing is in me!

You're shouting again.

There she is.

Meg Metres, the finest dancer
south of the Equator.

How are you?

Tell me...

Do you ever marry him
to make it legal?

Hog piss!

Patrick just got here.
Now he says he's leaving.

Well, he's old enough to know
what he's doing.

Young enough to try it again.

You don't understand.

He's not well.

Ease off, Christian,
Ease off!

He looks okay to me.

That's not the point.

Are you taking medicine?

You crazy, old goat!

Leave it!
Leave it!

No, goddamit!
It ain't right!

Neilson!
What the hell is eating you?

Morphine.

I'm not stand out that
and let him do it! No!

- Stop it!
- No, no!

I'm not gonna let you do it!

Stop! Stop it!

I'm not let you leave
to that valley to die alone!

I break his bloody leg first.

That look like much is changed.

That's you?

Or am I gone blind as well?

I lived here under a walkabout.

But my strenght is gone.

I was mayor of a town population 35.

And I loved it.
Medicine keeps it.

Oh, just about going very crazy.

But the bush goes on
forever out there so...

I've come back
here to the trees.

Same as you, I reckon.

My dancin' days are done and...

my shoes aren't fit no more.

So I...

I feed, I care and talk
to the animals and...

I'm not even gonna
ask why you're here.

My brother Rodney died.

The bastard's going on 14 years, now I...

neither thought I'd get a...

- Bobby...
- Come and get this.

I've got a present for you.

Oh, what it is either.
Wouldn't know.

You know, Selma was a lux as you.

Thirty hand tied flies.

Pretty bag.

The indian who gave it to me,
said it keeps the evil spirits away.

Maybe...maybe it's fishing and roam time.

Thanks for the hat!

Wish I could go.

With that goddamn gummy leg
what I had a duty you?

My head got a stroke, not you.

Why don't you take a horse?

Didn't you hear me?

- I've been trying to tell you...
- So I hear ya!

But what I going to give you
I don't want back. You get that?

Stud's real old but
his heart's big.

Looks like Cerabus.

No. That's his colt.
He's more than 25.

You take him to the river then...

turn him loose...

out there.

He'll go on my place.

- Good morning!
- Yeah, good luck!

I hope you'll find the place
you're looking for.

Oh, we've found it, alright.

Spotted it last night.
Marked off on an old logging map.

- Ross, we need more coffee.
- Relax, dear.

You can fishing around here, you know.

It's a fine country for this.

What's your name, son?

Shawn...Shawn Daley.

Took a fancy to this thing, didn't you?

Yeah.
What is it?

It's a genuine american indian
magic medicine bag.

No!

Yes, sir!

Indian.

Gave it to me by the son of
big chief red feather himself.

Yeah?

Wow!

What if I lend this to you, he?

Yeah.

'Cause it keeps the
evil spirits from you.

Shawn, come on!

Might be a good idea
to take a shortcut.

Yeah.

Wow!
We're sure in the middle of nowhere!

Ross.

Are you sure we're not lost?

The map hasn't been
wrong so far, has it?

Well, what do you think so far, darling?

- Isn't it something?
- Beautiful.

It makes you wonder
what if we shouldn't be here.

It's almost too beautiful.

Yee-haw!

Hey, it's too cold!

Oh, Ross!

What are we come for
if it wasn't to have fun?

Come on!

- Come on in!
- It's too cold!

Not too cold.
Hey, come on! It's important.

It's freezing!

I know it's cold.

- Hey, come on! You can do it.
- No!

I know it's cold.
Mountain water is cold.

It's great. Look!

Sweetheart, go easy on the boy.
He's only ten.

Ain't little company?

May will a shortcut.

Sweetheart, is there anywhere
we can get another station?

I think we're too far out
to take anything.

Shawn, stop eating those fritos.
You're gonna spoil your dinner.

Wow!
Look at that view!

- Shawn!
- Alright!

- Shawn!
- Mom, dad! Look at this!

Please get away from that edge!

Do you have any idea how
dangerous that is, Shawn? Please!

Honey, why don't you relax?

There's no harm done.

Only he did is throw a rock.

Look, why don't you let me
talk to the boy...

while you go in and start dinner?

Look son, your mother's right.

It's dangerous.

You go get some firewood.

I'll move the camp away
from the edge.

Right, dad.

Ross, what are you doing?

Ross!

Oh my god!

Ross!

I can't stop that!

I can't hold it!

Oh, no!

Mommy!

Mommy!

Mommy!

Mommy!

Mom?

Mommy!

Daddy!

Mommy!

Mommy!

Daddy!

I'm coming, Mom!

Ma?

Mommy, can you hear me?

Ma?

Mommy!

Daddy, can you hear me?

Mom!

I'm gonna get you, Ma!

Daddy!

Mommy!

Mommy, can you hear me?

Mommy!

Mommy!

Mommy!

No sense.

No damn sense at all!

You make too much noise!

Couldn't stock a butterfly.

I want chocolate chip cookies...

and ice cream...

and they're so good.

I want warm clothes...

or at least to get a lot of toys.

Mommy's took care of everything
for me and dad.

A Pot-roast.

Backed potatoes.

A chocolate cake.

Dad and I used to go
to basketball games.

And used to go to Rams games.

I don't know where they are.

I'm alone.

I want my Dad!

I want Mommy!

Mommy!

Mommy!

What the hell can I do?

Can't take him back.

Not enough time.

Couldn't make it.

Can't teach him.

Can't take him with me.

What the hell good with it do?

He's passed pain.

He has only his head already.

God.

I'm better off.

You wanna share the fire
you fetch your own wood.

Your own!

You're half dead.

Together that makes one of us.

There is no more.
Nothing.

Unless you bringin' in.

Yeah.

I saw.

They're gone.

They're gone and you're not.

Alright.
What's your name, child?

I said, what's your name?

Alright, alright.

Now, look!

I want you to listen to me...

and I want you to listen to me good...

'cause I'm gonna tell you about this thing.

Because it acts like a compass.

Now, in the morning time...

you point this right hands tub to the sun.

But you walk the way this tab points.

Okay?

Now on the afternoon...

you point this tab to the sun.

But you're keep on walking
the way this tab points.

Are you got that?

And at night time put the stick
on the ground...

with the handle points
toward the Southern Cross.

But in the morning...

the middle one points
the way you gotta go.

The middle one points north.

North, kid. North.

Oh, shit!

Why are you out here
all alone and so helpless?

Dammit to hell, youngster!
You're on your own!

Look, I tell you what you do.

You just follow that stream.

You just follow the water
down the stream.

And you run into other streams
but you just keep on goin'...

and follow the water downhill.

And then you come to a railroad track.

And you take those tracks to the left.
To the north!

And in a couple of days...

you'll find someone or...

somebody will find you.

Like I said, what's your name?

You're gonna make it,
you're gonna try.

My name is...

My name...

My name is...

My name...

My...my name...

My...my...my name...

...is...

Wait!

Wait!

My...my...my...

My name...

Here!

Here!

S-Sir!

Sir.

Where the devil did you get that?

- Did I gave it to belong...
- Red feather.

Red feather.

It keeps away evil spirits.

That's right.

I know the bag.

You keep it.

Well...well...I...I...I'm hungry.

I...I...

Can you give me some food?

Please?

Our caravan ran over the cliff.

It had all the food.

A little bit?
Please!

I...I...

Wait.

Wait, please.

Tired...

Gotta rest.

Please.

Food...food...

Hungry...

Why don't you go back?

Just follow the stream down.

You've got just as much chance to
make it as you did before.

I...I...

want...I wanna go back...
back to my Ma...

and...my Pa.

Your mamma's dead...

and your pappa's dead.
And that's the hard truth.

Just like my folks are dead.

And someday you're gonna die.

Just like someday I'm going to die.

But until then you fight like
hell to stay alive!

You get that?

And you're on your own.

'Cause I'm not even here to help you.

You're in my way.

Bothers some sissy kid.

And I don't even know
who you are!

Shawn Daley...

Shawn...Daley.

I'm Shawn Daley!

Me!
I'm Shawn Daley!

Ah.

Well, my name is Foley.

Patrick Foley.

If I had my fish pole
then I eat you.

Then I catch you.

I wouldn't be staring at you right now.

If I had one of my hook.

It would be so good.

You're not only a whining kid
who wastes his time.

You're also deaf and half-blind.

Sure you can hear me now.

But you listen to that water?

Can you hear those birds back there?

Can you hear the insects?

And the wind?

And the trees creaking and rubbing?

You're deaf to those frogs down there...

and the sun pinging off these rocks.

You're deaf to your own heartbeat...

and me coming up behind you.

My god, boy!

There's a whole symphony going on here
and you can't here a thing.

Don't talk to those fish.
Catch him!

You're mean!

Not even nice!

My dad was nice.

And he was the best fisherman
in the whole world.

If I had his fishing pole right now...

I'd get that fish.
And I wouldn't even give you any!

I get them.
I don't talk to them.

I see where they're laying.

Big fat ones.

Down there in the cool.
Out of the sun.

Just waiting for a bug to drift by.

So I move like a lazy driftwood log.

Then I wait.

Then I move.

Then I wait.

Then real slow.

And wait.

Then now...

That's how I outsmart
these wonderful creatures.

I...I saw this little animal.
He was eating this by those tree.

Well, boy, that's usually nutlet.

Here.

Now, I want you to climb up
on my shoulders.

Come on, just put your foot right here.
No, the other foot.

Left hand here.

Okay.
Come on, try it again.

Here we go.

That's a boy!

Now step up.

That's okay.
I got you.

Now step up.

Okay, now take that hat off and fill it up.

This trap needs a little adjustment.

Yeah.

Now, give me some of those berries
you've been hiding in your pocket.

Come on, I know you've been hiding them.

And out here's got only
one thing to think of.

That's staying alive.

If one here isn't think of
ways to stay alive...

he's dying.

Slow but sure he's loosing ground.

I hear something.

Why don't you go out there
and check around?

It's dark out there.

It's scary out there.

Well, there's nothing to be scared of.

Use your nose and your ears.

Anybody can tell you,
you don't use your eyes to see in the dark.

It was a rabbit.

What makes you think so?

Rabbits don't make any noise.

So it was a rabbit.

You had looked with your ears, ha?

And you didn't see anything.
Good!

I get to where I'm going in a few days.

And a nice hot bath's
waiting for me there.

And so all's there.

Under that peak.

At the end of the valley.

Foley!

Foley!

Foley?

Foley!

Foley!

Foley!

Foley!

Foley!

Foley!

Foley!

Foley!

- A mon...a monster...
- Easy now.

- He grabbed my arm!
- Quiet, quiet, quiet.

No...He took my rabbit!

It's an aboriginee man.

- No...monster!
- No, no, no.

Now listen to me.

You shared your food...

with the people that
the white man is driving out.

You're to be proud and honoured.

Foley?

Foley, where are you?

Foley!

Hello?

Hello!
Where do you are?

Probably he wants to ditch me.

But god will punish him.
Would you, god?

Anyway, I have his rabbit.

I have your rabbit, Patrick Foley!

And this!

And your spear!

You...bastard!

You want to know something?

You smell!

You stink!

You should take a bath!

A nice hot bath!

A nice hot bath till you drown!

You know something?
I can see your footprints.

Well, that's dumb.

I mean dumb.

I mean really dumb.

You're tracking the sun.

That's what you're doing.

Why are you so mad at me?

You wanna know my name?

It's god!

G-O-D, god!

I'm not gonna give up, Foley.

You can climb all you want.

You're not gonna
get away from me!

I can see you, Foley.

You're on your own!

- We're all on our own.
- You can't fool me!

You've got your life to live
and I've got mine!

I don't want you!

Good!

Why are you trying
to get away from me?

Wild dogs.

Alright, if you're coming with me...

you better move it fast!

Look behind you!

Help!
Foley!

Hey!

You've got nothing to worry about!
Just start climbing.

Those dogs can't get you there.

Foley!

Help me!

Are you coming or not?

Help me!

You've got to help yourself.

Those dogs will get me!

No reason for me
to climb back down there.

I can't fly me either!

You gonna have to help yourself.

- I can't!
- Well, you can just go on back.

'Cause I sure as hell don't need you.

Like I said:

- You're gonna stay down there all day?
- I can't move!

Those animals will kill me!

Yeah, they might eat you up.

Poop you out in cute little piles
that make the flowers grow.

But that doesn't matter.

What matters is that rabbit.

Now I've got a fire going and
if you get up here I cook it for you.

This is my rabbit!

- Okay, I give you a piece.
- I want half!

Alright.

But you get up here in a few minutes otherwise I'm gonna piss on the fire and go.

Use your legs.

The strongest muscle you got.

Put the power to them!

Foley, I'm afraid!

Foley, I can't make it!

Foley!

Help me, please!

You're the one it's making
a nightmare out of it.

So why don't you try a little harder?

First thing you'll know be
right up here next to the fire.

Where is the fire?

I lied.

Anyway you're know should've
told you I was lied.

Well, come on.

Bring your rabbit.
I build a fire.

Probably want the biggest piece,
I suppose.

I'm scared those animals
gonna come up here.

If you're worried about those wild dogs why
don't you going to do something about it?

Stayin' guard.
Or better yet:

Get down it and see
if you can smell them.

That's how they found the dead rabbit.

It wasn't you that
they were after.

Just close your eyes and picture 'em.

Wonderful beasts.

Tell 'em that we needed that rabbit and
they can go and get their own.

But...

Tell 'em!

Go on, tell 'em!

You can go and find your own!

How come you're always hurting?

Because I smoke too much
when I was young.

Because I thought it was...

when I was a kid it was
smart to be dumb and stubborn.

Aren't you glad I went back
and got your spear?

Why? What for?
You've dropped it.

You wanna know how I found you?

I remembered the sun.

I saw your footprints.

You know that was just dumb to
leave them around.

Maybe I'm growing old.

Got white hairs?

Like I said:

If you forget to ask your mind
what it's thinking...

you grow old.

You know, my dad had three white hairs.

Yeah.
But my mom always kept him fool around.

Got to get meat.

- Wait a minute, you know...
- Not to see me through.

You know, we got to go back there.

- You know...
- Can't you hear?

But they're all alone!

- You know, they're loose.
- Wanna do it to my valley.

We just can't leave them there.

You know?

Man can die eatin' nothing but rabbit.

Gotta have fat.
That's why I wanted the wombat.

You recognize the cravings.

Your body will tell you what it wants.

What do you think those
little white things were...

I cooked up with the fish?

Rice?

Where I am gonna get rice?

It was almost pure fat.

- Where did you get 'em?
- From under a log.

What were they?

Worms.

Grub worms.

Well, what are you looking for?

- Sign.
- What sign?

Spoor, signs, tracks, droppings.

Animals are a lot like people.

You can tell a lot about them
from what they leave behind.

And if you're hungry enough
you look for sign.

What's this?

That's kangaroo sign.

Looks a lot like large rabbit poop to me.

Are we gonna get there today?

Tomorrow.

How come?

Something I swore
I'd never do on the other side...

in my valley.

Gettin' a rock up is hard
but settin' a trigger is a bitch.

Hey, get the hell out of there.
You're gonna smell the place up.

You got it!
You got it!

You got a kangaroo!

- You got a...
- That's a wallaby.

I'm glad it wasn't any bigger.
We don't want what we can't use.

- How come you put the fish down there?
- We needed meat.

We didn't want that wallaby warned
about that deadfall trap.

Those fish were for
that eagle up there.

You see the eagle and
the kangaroo are friends.

And those fish told the eagle...

that I had ask for permission
to do what I did.

Otherwise he would have told
the kangaroo to go the other way.

It's maybe an old
aboriginee superstition.

But if it is...

Then why was that eagle up there...

just at the time when
I wanted to trap a kangaroo.

If you're not leaving this valley,
how come you're climbing out of it?

It's a valley within a valley.

There isn't easy to find
and get into.

Never been put on a map.

Except once but...

But that was just
an old logging map.

I made that map...

about forty years ago.

This was the place
we're going to.

This must be the valley
the old man told us about.

It was on the map.
The finest place anyone lived.

I've never seen anything like this.

The old man said it was
beautiful and special.

Yeah.

That's who I think it is.
He'd know better than most.

What place is this?

This is a magic place.

When I was about your age...

my father carved this out
of the wilderness.

This is where I thought
all the heroes in the world...

come to walk,
talk with each other.

This looks like a broken-down,
old house to me.

Now maybe.
But not then.

But so far away from everything.

Where did you go to school?

Or church?

Never went to school.

This was my school.

The land...

...and god.

My father tried to teach me...

to take only from
the earth and people...

what I could give.

I could learn more
in a week here than...

But I was a young men then.

Full of angry apples.

Didn't understand.

So I left.

Always expecting more.

Always wanting more.

I thought I didn't need them.

How long can we stay here?

Oh, for a while.

What'll you doing?

I'm gonna bury this
man-made junk I brought in.

Stuff doesn't belong here.

Nothing belongs here...

that wasn't born here.

Get your own fish!

Please.

Just a little while longer.

Please.

I thought you might be hungry.

There's something I'd been
needing to ask you.

- Have you ever get married?
- I loved once.

Only once.

She loved to dance.

And I loved to sing.

We were wild horses.

But then Christian and I were...

soldiers of fortune.

Had to win the world.

I thought I could never come back here
unless I had the world in my pocket.

It's almost like...
someone else's dream.

All those wasted years.

Trying to find out who I was.

You're Foley.

Patrick Foley.

Yeah.

Thanks.

And you're Daley.

Shawn Daley.

- Foley?
- Yeah?

My clothes stink.

Wash 'em.

You wanna go there?

Got you.

You're a nice pip.
Don't peck me.

Why, you there.

- Now I...
- Listen.

Listen to me.

You're here because
your folks died too fast.

And I couldn't take you out
because it wasn't time.

We'd never made it.

So when you leave
this valley tomorrow...

I want you to take a good look...

from the top of that
rocky crag we passed.

I want you to take me.

I want you to show me the way.

You don't need me, son.

Just remember:
Go north.

You'll make it.

Anything you need it'll be in
a pack that I fixed up for you.

I don't know why my parents
aren't anymore.

They're in your heart.

People only die
if you forget them.

If you'll leave me,
I'm going to die!

- You said!
- I said nothing!

I promised you nothing!

I didn't ask you to come along.

You came along on your own
as it should be.

And you leave on your own
as it should be.

I don't want to leave!

You can't make me leave!

Please, don't make me leave!

- Please, don't...
- You've got to!

I hate you.

I really hate you.

I know.

I know you do.

Shawn...

You lost your folks.

And a lifetime ago I lost mine.

And buried them here.

But I always made the mistake of...

thinking that today was...

some sort of a rehearsal for tomorrow.

Don't ever do that.

I'm...I'm afraid.

Afraid...

There's nothing to be afraid of
except the cold wind...

that kill you if
you just stand around...

looking dumb.

I love you.

I love you.

I never told my father.

I couldn't touch him.

Don't ever be ashamed of love, boy.

Show it.

Always show it.

Listen to what I say, child.
And remember it.

Sleep on soft leaves
in shelter of fallen tree.

And eat whatever looks
and tastes and smells good.

Look to the creeks for food.

The waterplants,
the young plants are tender.

Catch frogs.

Eat flowers.

Peel away bark and eat roots,
not too bitter.

And seeds.

And berries not too red.

Except raspberries and blackberries.

Go north, boy.

You'll make it.

This'll keep away only evil spirits.

#The road seems so long#

#I hope I'll be strong#

#Afraid on my own#

#I think of you,
I'm half-way home#

#Two lives worlds apart#

#You reached for me
and touched my heart#

#And, oh, how I've grown#

#Alone again, but half-way home#

#Who am I without you there#

#Will my dream be worth the dream#

#If you can't share it#

#I was lost until you came#

#Now you're gone, but like you said#

#I'm not the same#

#I'm not sure what will be#

#A part of you I take with me#

#Afraid, but not alone#

#'Cause you're part of me#

#I'm half-way home#

#I'm not sure what will be#

#A part of you I take with me#

#Afraid, but not alone#

#'Cause you're part of me#

#I'm half-way home#