Cape Fear (1991) - full transcript

My reminiscence.

I always thought that
for such a lovely river,

the name was mystifying,
Cape Fear.

When the only thing to fear on
those enchanted summer nights

was that the magic would end

and real life would
come crashing in.

Okay, Cady, the moment
you've been waiting for.

Any people coming for you, Cady?

What about your books?

Already read them.

Hi. How are you?



This ropa limpia?

No, no, that means
"clean." These are dirty.

The idea is to
resolve the tension.

I need to find a motif
that's about movement.

Not the most mind-blowing
concept for a travel agency,

but what the hey?

Like an arrow, maybe?

Yeah, like an arrow.

Maybe.

But, see, then the other
aspect is stability,

a company that you can trust.

So if you can
balance those ideas

in a way that's pleasing to
the eye, then you got a logo.

Okay, movement, stability,



and an arrow.

Okay, I'll think of
something for that one.

Benjamin! Yes.

They switched babies on me at
the hospital, didn't they, huh?

So, how'd you do in there?

Well, I got the
judge to postpone

the alimony hearing
for another 21 days.

Great.

Well, I've got till Monday to find out
which S and L and which municipality

my son-in-law
stashed all that money.

Right. Right.

But, anyway, I thank you and
my daughter thanks you.

Oh, you're welcome, Tom.

Here's Daddy!

Good-bye, Junior!

Yes, that's very
creative, Junior.

He liked me.

All this time,
he actually liked me.

WOMAN: You can't go in.
Your father's making

a television appearance
for his campaign.

Dad! Dad, I've got
to talk to you.

Oh, what the hell
are you doing here?

I'm about to go on the air.

What is this smoke?

Excuse me.
Excuse me.

Come on, let's move our seats.

BEN: Okay, then I
quit as your son.

So, do you believe
that annoying loser guy?

Dad, you should have
just punched him out.

What?
Just punched him out?

Yeah.

What do you mean?
You boxed.

You could've shoved him around,

shut him up.
Yeah. Yeah.

I could take you.
Careful.

That's who I could take.

You could've even
kicked him in the face.

Kicked him in the face?

You know how to fight dirty.
You do that for a living.

Oh, real cute, Leigh.

Let's sit outside. How
much do I owe you?

It's taken care of.

Taken care of? Who?

There.

Girls, girls, come on,
let's sit inside.

Yeah, let's sit inside.

Whoa, Mr. Perfect Form.

No, no, I don't. You've got to...
What?

Look.
What?

You got to snap your
wrist on the backhand.

Usually I like a little
music at this point, Sam.

Sam, I want to play
in this lifetime.

All right, all right, all right.

You got to snap your wrist.

Tag.

You know, we should stop
doing this for a while.

Doing... Doing what?
We're not doing anything.

Yeah, I know that.
Yet.

Okay. No, fine, fine.
Maybe you're right.

Why?
Does your wife mind?

Well, my wife doesn't
even know you exist,

which, most certainly,
is for the best, you know.

Why's that?

God, you know, Lori, you know why
you have to ask that question?

'Cause you've never been married.
Why?

Is marriage synonymous
with deception?

No, no, no.

It's just that, you know,
when two people...

When two people get married

and they live together for
a long time, you know...

I like hanging out with
you, you know, so sue me.

You're funny, and you're
cute, and, I don't know...

We talk about the courts
and which judge is senile

and which one wears a gun
under his robe and...

Oh, God.
You know, Lori,

another time, another place,
and who knows, you know?

Tomorrow?

Yeah, it's a light docket.

No, no, no, no,
I won two out of three.

Let's make it
the best out of five.

All right, well,
that's good, actually,

because today I let you win.

Sure you did.

See you.
Sure you did.

Hey.

Free as a bird, apparently.

You go everywhere
you want with whomever.

That much freedom could maybe
get a fellow into trouble.

What do you think?

I'd like my keys.

Could it be
you don't remember me?

Oh, yeah, sure, I remember you.

You were at the movie
house the other night.

Oh, I'm disappointed.
I'm hurt.

I would like my keys.

Max Cady.

You look the same.

Maybe 15 pounds heavier.

But they say the average man

gains a pound a year
till he's about...

Come on.

Gains a pound a year
till he's about 60.

Me? I dropped a pound every
year of my sentence.

Atlanta, '77.
You got it. July.

Fourteen years since
I held a set of keys.

Well, you look good, healthy.

Thank you. 'Cause it's a struggle
to stay healthy in the joint.

But you wouldn't know
about that, would you?

If you were me, they would stick
you with the white trash.

They don't strike
a lick of work all day.

In fact, this little old
cigar is my only vice

'cause I needed a vice in the
joint to remind me I was human.

So, what brings you
to New Essex?

Oh, the climate.

Boy, the South.

I'm thinking of settling right
down here in New Essex, Counselor.

Have you been following me?

It's a small town.
Everywhere you turn,

I guess, we're gonna run into each other.
(STARTS ENGINE)

Well, take care,
Mr. Cady.

You, too.

You're gonna learn about loss.

What?

Dad, could you...

Hmm?

Oh, I'm sorry, Dani.

What're you working on?
It's English.

We're supposed to read
Look Homeward, Angel,

which is a kind of reminiscence,

and we have to attempt
something in the same style.

What's it about,
your reminiscence?

The houseboat.

Oh, the houseboat.

It's not even July 3rd yet.

Yeah.

Yeah. I was thinking
we ought to take

two weeks off and
go up to Wilmington

like the old times,
dock the houseboat.

I wanted to in early June.

Remember you said you didn't
have time this summer.

I probably don't.

Yeah, well, now I don't, either.

Besides, Dani's got summer
school till Labor Day.

Is it really that critical

that she can't
miss two damn weeks?

Well, you know, the
alternative was to expel her.

Besides, maybe this Drama
teacher from the college

will get her excited about
something, you know?

Yeah, about him, probably.

I mean, why'd they have
to make such a stink,

like she was on heroin,
or something?

I mean, marijuana,
what's marijuana?

You and I smoked a
little dope in our time.

Yeah.

You know, in some cultures,

it's considered
almost a sacrament.

Of course, I realize in
ours, it's forbidden.

Right up there with incest and
necrophilia and bestiality.

Honey. Honey. Honey.

Worship of idols, cannibalism.

Do that again.

What?

Do that again.

Sam. Sam, somebody's out there!
What?

No, leave the light off.
Leave it off.

I saw him when
the fireworks went off.

What?

I think I talked to him this afternoon.
You know him?

I want you the hell
off my property!

He's gone.

He said, "I'm gonna make
you think about loss."

Or, "I'm gonna make you learn
about loss." Something like that.

That's very poetic.

So, who is he?
Where did he come from?

Well, he's from...

Come on, Leigh, get the dog off.
Ben, get down.

He doesn't mind me at all.

Leigh, he's your dog.
Come on.

No, he shouldn't
be up on the table.

You're gonna have dog hairs
in the tea and everything.

Get down.
So where's he from?

Oh, he's from the hills,
Pentecostal crackers, you know.

What was he in prison for?

I think it was battery.

You think it was battery? Yeah.

I mean, well, who did he batter?

Did he batter a man? Did
he batter a woman? What?

I don't know.

It was 14 years ago.
You know, it's kind of...

I really don't remember.

What does he want with you?

He's just trying to bug
us, just messing around.

You know, he's an
ex-con, so he's just...

You know, he's probably
upset at the lawyer.

Yeah, your clientele.

Yeah.

Bye, Dad.
Bye, Dani.

You look tired.

Thanks.
I needed that. Leigh.

Leigh, I don't
want to alarm her,

but I'd rather Dani
didn't wander out alone

on her soul-searching
walks in the woods

at least till I've
started a few things,

maybe even talked to the boss.

What if she takes
Benjamin with her?

What? Big Ben,
our guard dog?

What's he gonna do,
lick him to death?

- Just tell her.
- Tell her what?

I hardly know anything
about the man.

I don't mean his biography.

Just there's some creep around.

And if you see him again, call
the cops and then call me.

What about a weapon, you know?

In case things get
exciting around here.

Look, Leigh, would you
really feel more secure

with a loaded gun in the house?

We'd probably end up
using it on each other.

Or Dani would.

He's not gonna do anything.
He just got out of prison.

He doesn't want to go right back.
All right?

Call Lee Heller.

Lee is a colorful character,

but he's still the best
criminal lawyer in the state.

Good. Bonnie, get me Lee Heller.

Sam, you defended
this guy, right?

Right.

So, what makes you think
he wants to harm you?

Yesterday I was
getting in my car.

The guy comes up, we have
a little conversation.

He says to me, "You're
gonna learn about loss."

That'd hardly qualify under the
terrorist threat statutes.

Oh, come on, Tom, for Christ's
sake, the guy's an ex-con.

You know as well as I
do what that means.

I mean, last night, there he
was, he was behind our house.

Ah. Attempted B and E.

No, not exactly.

I mean, he was sitting on a
wall that bounds our property.

That's not
even trespassing, Sam.

I mean, come on.
What can I say?

I mean, get a restraining order.

I did. I filed one this morning.
The hearing's in 10 days.

Good. Good. I mean, you
know, anything I can do.

Tom, 14 years ago

in this case I had a
report on the victim.

It was a rape case.
That's right.

Rape and
aggravated sexual battery.

Anyway, I had a
report on this victim

and it came back that
she was promiscuous.

And...

I buried it.

Whew.

Anybody else know about this?

No, no, no, I buried it.

I mean, I didn't show
it to the client,

I didn't show it
to the prosecution.

But if you had seen what this
guy had done to this girl...

"In every criminal prosecution,
the accused shall have"

"the Assistance of
Counsel for his defense."

I know the Sixth Amendment.

I believe in
the Sixth Amendment.

I mean, that's why I left
the Public Defender's Office.

There was no way to serve
the law in that capacity.

Some folks just
don't have the right

to the best defense, huh, Sam?

No! Of course they deserve
the best defense!

But, I mean, if you had seen
what he did to this girl...

You buried the report.

I mean, if it was
your own daughter, Tom.

Yeah, I mean...
Buried the report.

Jesus, Sam.

Oh, God.

But I don't see how
he could know that.

I mean, he was illiterate.

I mean, I had to
read everything to him,

the probable cause affidavit,

the arrest reports, everything.

There's no way
he could know that.

Hey, Dani, it's so quiet out here,
and the light's so perfect,

why don't you get your book
and come out here and read?

Why?

I told you why.

Well, is it because he's like
a flasher or just a peeper?

What do you know about that?
A flasher?

Oh, you don't think I've
been flashed before?

Oh, well, I certainly
didn't mean to insult you.

I'm sure you've
been flashed before.

Look, if you want to come out, come on out.
If you don't, go on.

Do whatever you want.

Oh, but don't go outside.

Afternoon, Counselor.

What do you want,
Mr. Cady?

They're great at
that age, ain't they?

All those discoveries
ahead of them.

You're lucky, Counselor.

My own daughter,
she don't even know me.

After I went inside, her
mama told her I was dead,

which, in a way, I was.

Look, Mr. Cady, I realize
that you suffered.

I mean, I understand your
problem, but, I mean, why me?

I was your lawyer.
I defended you.

I mean, why not badger the D.A.
Or the judge?

"Badger."

Yeah. Why not them?

Yeah. Why not them?
"Badger."

Best I remember, they was just
doing right by their jobs.

Oh, I didn't do my job?
Is that right?

Look, I pleaded you out to
a lesser occluded offense.

You could've gotten rape
instead of battery.

Oh, I'd have been up for parole
either way in seven years

according to the
Georgia penal code.

Rape is a capital offense.

I mean, you could've gotten
life, you could've done death.

You could be sitting
on death row right now.

I learned to read
during my stretch.

First, Spot Goes to the Farm,

then Runaway Bunny,
then law books, mostly.

Did you know that
after I discharged you,

I acted as my own attorney?

Applied several times
for an appeal.

No, I didn't know that.

Mmm-hmm.

So, here we are,

two lawyers, for all practical
purposes, talking shop.

All right. How much
do you want, Mr. Cady?

How much do I want what?

How much money do you want?

Money? Counselor, do I
look destitute to you?

Well, I'm open to discussion,
within reasonable limits.

You ever been a woman?

A what?

A woman.

Some fat, hairy, ugly
hillbilly's wet dream?

Look, I realize that
you suffered in prison.

Suffered.

There's no question about that.
"Suffered."

You don't know what
suffering is, Counselor.

Like it says in Galatians 3,

"Have ye suffered
so many things in vain?"

Yeah.

I learned from the get-go in
the joint to get in touch

with the soft nurturing side
of myself, the feminine side.

Well, I'm open to some sort of
discussion on compensation.

What shall be
my compensation, sir,

for being held down and
sodomized by four white guys

or four black guys?

Shall my compensation
be the same?

What is the formula
for compensation, sir?

How about $10,000 in cash?

Do I...

Well, let's just break that down.
No.

Now, wait, wait, wait a minute.
Let's just break it down.

You see, that figure just
came to the top of my head.

Well, let's just say,
for argument's sake,

let's say $20,000,
let's say $30,000.

Say... I'll tell you what.
Let's say $50,000.

$50,000 into 14 years.

Fourteen years times
365 days is about...

I say about 5,000 days.

Now, you divide that by $50,000,
and that's like $10 a day.

That's not even minimum wage.

To say nothing about the family that
I lost, the respect that I lost.

I don't think you really,
really understand

what we're talking about here.

Fourteen years.

Whoops. Uh-oh.

Gotta git.

I'm late for
another appointment.

Sam, my man,
I got some good news.

I got the bank,
I got the account number.

Great. I'll call your
son-in-law's lawyer,

tell him we're going to court.

Mr. Bowden, your
wife's on line one.

Ask her to hold. I got
to make a quick call.

I wouldn't make that call, Sam.
The way I'd...

Mr. Bowden,
she says it's urgent.

Yeah?

...these kind of horrible,
high-pitched howls.

They sounded like
he was screaming,

and then Dani came running in,

and I...

I called the vet.

Then it was so weird because

it was like he was winding down,

just winding down
like an old clock.

And then, all of a
sudden, he just stopped.

He had this kind of...

His eyes just wide open,
and this kind of

surprised look.

And then...

And then he died.

He just died, before
the vet even got here.

What did the vet say?

That he was poisoned.

Poisoned?

What kind of a poison?

I don't know
what kind of poison.

Oh, Jesus!

Leigh, I told you not
to let him out.

I didn't let him out!

Well, then how...

I didn't let him out!
Stop!

I've got
an English Setter myself,

so I don't cotton
to dog killers.

Trouble is, poisoning
a dog is just a fine.

But if he's unemployed,
he got to have money

or we'll bust him for vagrancy.

We'll give him
a full-body strip search.

Jerk a knot in his tail.

All right.

They got so many ways on the
books to lean on an undesirable.

He'll feel about
as welcome around here

as a case of yellow fever.

Hands against the wall.

Spread them.
Spread them.

- That him?
- Face the wall.

One-way mirror,
Mr. Bowden.

He doesn't know you're here.

Yeah. Yeah, that's him.

Get the shirt off.

Come on, hurry up.

Let's go. Just pass
it over to him.

Hand it to me.

All right.
Knock off the shoes.

Hand them to the other officer.

Pass them to him.
Come on, come on.

All right.
Let's put the arms out.

Put your arms out straight.

- Roll your palms.
- Do what he says.

Turn around, slow.

I don't know whether to
look at him or read him.

Stand still.

One more step for you.
You know the routine.

Against the wall.

We searched his apartment. His car
registration and everything's in order.

There's no guns or any other weapons.
But we found these.

Cady's savings account.

$30,000?

Yeah, well, see, his mother
died while he was serving

and the farm got sold off.
He got the proceeds.

Well, he's got money.
Where does that leave us?

Well, at the very least,
we nail him for the dog.

Now, what happened?

You let the dog out.
Cady abducted him.

No.

We didn't let the dog out.

Cady came into your house?

That's illegal entry
with intent.

Yeah. But he didn't
come in the house.

Look, I'm not a cop. I don't
know exactly how he did it.

I just know that
he did it somehow.

That's not good enough,
Mr. Bowden.

Now, you're a lawyer.
You damn well know that.

Get off the pants.

Sooner or later,
he's gonna screw up.

I mean, the sheriff assured me

that they always do.
He's an ex-con.

And then he's going to get the
message in no uncertain terms.

I'd still like to kill him.

Now, Dani, how come you didn't
join up with them? You can tap.

Yeah, you can do that.
You can tap dance.

I wanted to once,
but I don't know...

Son of a bitch.

What?

He's staring at you.

What are you talking about?

What the hell are you doing?

Hot as a firecracker
on the 4th of July.

You're damn lucky
to have her, boy.

You son of a bitch.

Where did he go?

Son of a...

Watch my arm. Watch my arm.
It might be broke.

What's with you, buddy?

You have no right to be
pushing me around like that.

I was just watching the parade.

I wasn't pranking on nobody.

You son of a bitch!

What are you getting
so upset about?

You're lucky I don't sue you.

All right.
All right.

Settle down.

I am. I am.
I am settled down.

Sam, what are you doing?

Oh, it's nothing.

Who was that?
It's no one.

Who was that?
No one. Come on.

The fellow with the tie,
his wife took him away.

I think he really hurt his arm.

Mom!

That's an awfully strong drink
you've got there, mister.

You said it, boy.

You just put a little goldfish
in it, and you'll be fine.

You seem to be
having a good time.

I've been practicing.

Practicing for what?

How to fall on the floor?

A life of debauchery.

"Debauch," what?

Debauchery. It's a
three-syllable word. Yeah.

Making fun of me?
That's okay. No problem.

No, I'm not. I'm not.

I made you blush.

Blush?

Yes. You're now the color
of your shirt, scarlet.

I had no business getting stuck
on a guy who was married.

You certainly did not.

I don't know
what I was thinking.

God only knows.

Now aren't I the bozo
on this bus?

Oh, God. Lest you think that
I slept with this particular

married guy... That's your business.
Not mine.

I don't want to
make it sound like

I've been through
a busload of them.

That's the way it sounded to me.

He was the first.

Oh, yeah.

He was, I swear.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, boy.
Tell it to the judge.

Actually the rat
stood me up today.

Did he?

Yes!
What a shame.

I know.

So, now it's my turn.
Where are you from?

Where am I from?
Yes.

You're gonna love this.
Yes.

I'm from the Georgia State
Correctional Facility.

Now you think I'm joking?
That's the truth.

I just got released from prison.

Oh, my God. This is the way
my day has been turning out.

Actually, it reminds
me of a joke.

Do you want to hear it? Tell me.

Liven up the night.
All right.

An unmarried woman...

Wait a minute, that's not it.
An unmarried woman...

Come on, get the joke
straight, darling.

Shut up. Shut up.
Let me do it.

An unmarried woman,
she meets a guy

and he tells her he
just got out of prison.

"What did you do?"
She asks.

"I hacked my wife into 52
pieces with a chain saw."

She says,
"So, you're single?"

That's even funnier.
Thank you.

Could I ask you something? What?

What did you do? I knew you
were going to ask that.

I hacked my wife into 52 pieces.

I was afraid you were
gonna say that.

Well, I'm a very small
person, so maybe...

Maybe I can hack you
into 40 pieces.

What did you do, really?

"No, really,
but what did you do?"

No, I just... There was this protest
march on this nuclear power plant,

and so when they came
to arrest us,

this macho sheriff got a tad
rough with the lady behind me,

so, I popped the little bastard,

so they gave me
a little time for it.

I'm drinking a Sea Breeze.
I hope you can afford them.

But you gotta stay sober.

If you ain't sober, then
you're taking your chances.

Because I'm just
one hell of an animal.

Yeah? Do tell.

Get you on this side, doll.
Let's do this.

Who is Loretta anyway?

That's the love of my life.
She's no longer with us.

I thought I was the
love of your life.

Chopped her up into 52 pieces.

He hurt you like this,
that married guy?

No.

He hurt you like this?

I told you,
we never did anything.

He hurt you like this?

Oh, scandal.

He's a rough one.

How's this feel?

Oh, my God.
Am I under arrest?

Not quite, darling.

Officer, I swear,
it's all a mistake.

That married guy
hurt you like this?

Because what he did to me
hurt a lot worse than this!

No!

I've got you now, bitch!

Dani, when did
this key stop working?

What? Oh, I don't know.

No wonder.
A wire's missing.

A piano wire is missing.

Was somebody fooling
around with the piano?

What?

- Yeah?
- Mr. Bowden.

I think we might could
have a little break here.

Good. Good.

I can be there in a half hour.

All right, fine.
Thank you.

Who was that?

Cady raped another girl.

Rape? I thought
you said it was battery.

Well, yeah, the case was wobbly.
I got it reduced.

Oh, I remember those
days, old slippery Sam.

I'm sorry, Leigh. I just didn't
want to alarm you or Dani.

Why? How old
was that girl?

Sixteen.

Sixteen, what?

Well, my birthday is coming up.

Neighbors heard screams
and called us.

When the perp drove off,
somebody made his plate.

Max Cady.
Good. Great.

We got one bitty problem.
The girl is scared.

She's claiming she
fell down some stairs.

Sam.

Don't...
Don't look at me.

Oh, my God.

You two know each other?

Yeah, we work together.

I'll be outside.

I'm so stupid.

Oh, Lori, don't.

You stood me up at the
club the other day.

And then you didn't call.

And by last night, I was
feeling pretty reckless.

I thought about what
you said, you know,

that your wife, she
didn't know I existed.

And I felt like I was
going to show you.

I guess I showed you,
all right, didn't I?

I guess I really showed you.

Lori, listen to me, okay?

Now, look, this guy Cady, he's
done this kind of thing before.

Now, he's going to do
this over and over again

unless you testify and
we take him to court...

No. No. No.

And press charges and testify.

Lori.
Sam.

Sam, I know, I know how it works.
I see it every day.

Only this time,
I'm on the other side.

I don't want to explain
why I was in a bar

and how much I had to drink
and what I was wearing.

Not by the people I work with.

Not by the guys that I see cross-examine
other people on the stand,

just crucify them and just
laugh about it later.

They'll even ask about you.

Lori, listen to me.
I don't care about that.

Well, I care about that.

I'm sure you do, too.

I'm...

I'm terribly sorry, Lori.
I'm just terribly sorry.

Look.

If all this is
something personal

between you and
the girl and Cady...

Personal? I mean...

All right, come on, Lieutenant.

All right.
What are you implying?

Only that there are some things

that are better handled quietly.

Not by the police.

This Cady guy is planning
to rape my wife,

but it's not
your problem anymore?

I can't bust someone for
planning to rape your wife.

You're a lawyer, Mr. Bowden.
You know that damn well.

Thanks all the same.
The way I'd handle it...

What, file a restraining order?
I already did.

Just think of this
fellow Cady as a tiger.

The trick is to get
him out of the brush.

Now how do we do that?

You stake out a couple of your
goats and hide in a tree.

What are you suggesting,
Lieutenant?

That I use my family as bait?
And then what?

What? I'm gonna hope
that this psychopath

attacks my wife and child?

And then what?
Blow his head off?

I'm a law officer.

It would be unethical of
me to advise a citizen

to take the law
into his own hands.

So, I suppose you must've
misunderstood me.

Oh, I guess I must've.

Well, pardon me
all over the place.

And he's been harassing my
family, but he's clever.

I mean, cleverly, so that
the law can't touch him.

Also I believe
that he's able to slip

into the house
and out undetected.

Although, is he out?
I can't tell.

He's either out or he's in.
I'm not sure.

Well, I can't see through
walls, Mr. Bowden.

I'm not asking you to see through walls.
That's fine.

I mean, why can't anybody
do anything for me?

What good are cops and laws...

Sam, Sam, Sam, calm down.

Let me explain something to you.

See, the system is set up to
handle generalized problems

like burglary and robbery.

But if some lone creep out there
targets you for some obscure reason,

the system is slow and skeptical.
It's pathetic even.

What's your connection
with this fellow?

I was his lawyer,
his public defender.

But you shafted him somehow, right?
(LAUGHS)

Well, at least that's the way
he perceives it. Sam, Sam.

I don't care what you did.
What did he do?

He raped
a 16-year-old girl.

Do you have a daughter
around sixteen?

She's fifteen.

All right.
Here's the deal.

I'll do a background check
on him,

follow him for about a week and
write you up a risk assessment.

All right, good.
Great, great.

Now, the cops...

I can find him.

His name's Max Cady.
You already told me.

Just take it easy.
Stay calm.

Now, Dani, you can
just relax because

your daddy has a private
investigator on the payroll.

Isn't that right?

What's your feeling about him?
What, Sam Spade?

Mickey Spillane?
Peter Gunn?

Dirty Harry?
Perry Mason?

No, no, no, no.
Perry Mason...

Perry Mason was a lawyer.

No, the minute I walked
in this guy's office,

I felt totally relaxed.

I mean, this guy is
totally in charge.

Kersek deals with these
types for a living.

He looked like he was
going to enjoy...

Yes?
Yeah, it's me.

After you left, I had this
interesting conversation

with a C.O. Over at
Statesboro prison.

Mmm-hmm. Seems our man Cady
had a job in the kitchen.

Right.

There was this other inmate
working in there with him,

he was an obstinate S.O.B.
Right.

He hated Cady's cigar smoke

and he was always bitching
and moaning about it.

Well, one day, they found him

with his neck broke
and his tongue bit off.

Oh, Jesus.
Yeah.

They never could place Cady
near the scene of the accident,

if you want to call it that,
at least not out loud.

But the parole board, they kept
him in for another seven years.

Uh-oh. The subject is on the move.
Get a good night's sleep.

Who was that?
Our private eye.

I thought we were relaxed now.

New Essex County Hospital.

Yes, room 5036, please.

One minute, please.

All right.

Hello?

Hi, Lori, it's me, Sam.

Lori, I just
feel God-awful

you got dragged into this thing.

It's not your fault.

If I had any idea
that Cady would hurt you

to get at me,
I would have warned you.

Yeah, I know. I know.
I'm glad you called.

Yeah. Yeah, well.

I'm so sorry about this.

I feel the same way.

So, are you really determined

about moving back
to Connecticut?

Well, I've thought
about it a lot.

I just think it's
probably the best thing.

I thought that maybe I
could go back to school.

I'm really going
to miss you, though.

Right.
Excuse me, Lori.

You know, that sounds real good.
Yeah.

That's gonna work out fine.
I'll get right back to you.

Okay. Bye.
All right, bye.

Well, I just don't know
what I hate more,

that insipid tone or your stupid,
sophomoric infidelities.

Who was that? Huh?

The girl that got beat up?

Yes, it was the girl
that got beat up.

Lori Davis.
I already told you.

She works at the county courthouse.
She's a clerk.

And what?
You're fucking her?

Interesting choice, Sam.

Calling from our bedroom phone.

You know, Leigh, why is it that

whenever I have a private
phone conversation,

you assume that I'm fucking someone, huh?
Why is that?

That's why that psychopath
chose her, right?

Yes, yes, that's why
he chose her.

But I'm not fucking
her in any way.

Well, you sleazy son of a bitch!

You son of a bitch!
You son of a bitch!

Goddamn you!
You son of a bitch!

Stop it! Leigh!

Dani is right downstairs.

Oh. Oh, honey, there's
nothing the matter.

Yeah, I can see, Dad.

I thought you promised to leave
all that shit behind in Atlanta.

SAM: What shit?

Christ, what a waste!

The humiliation we went through

confessing all our
dirty little secrets

in those horrible sessions
with Dr. Hackett.

Yeah. We talked that one damn
incident to death, didn't we?

Yeah.
Why did you bother?

Because you asked me to go.

I mean, why did you bother?

Why did you bother?

Why did you bother with you and me?
With the marriage?

Uprooting me and Dani?
Moving?

Because that's
what we decided to do!

You said that you wanted to get out!
You don't get it, do you, Sam?

All right, Leigh.
What is it I don't get?

You just don't get it.

What...
What don't I get?

Why put us through all of that!
Why?

Nadine?

It's Dani.

Nothing.

I'm just losing my mind here.

You don't have
the balls to walk out,

if that's what you wanted.
Oh, what I wanted?

Like I was going to split, with
you acting the way you acted.

Acting?
Yeah.

You did some acting. I don't
remember doing any acting.

Oh, you don't remember
doing any acting?

Well, hey, let me
refresh your memory.

Do you remember not taking
any work for three months?

Do you remember that? You
remember not fixing any meals?

I'm not on fucking trial here!

Do you remember crying every goddamn
morning, afternoon, every evening?

Do you remember that?

I scared you, huh?

What did you think, Sam?

What did you think? You thought
maybe I was going to kill myself?

Over you?
Who else?

You pompous ass.

Oh, God damn it, Leigh, who
knew what you were gonna do?

You wouldn't leave the bedroom!

Yeah. I wish you
could say the same.

Now, look, isn't this what
Dr. Hackett talked about?

Digging up the past.

I mean, the relevant issue here

is whether I've been messing
around in New Essex.

And I have not been.

As far as this girl goes,
Lori, she's just a kid.

Well, that shouldn't stop you.

She's a baby.

I mean, you know when
you gravitate to people

in the same world as you...

You gravitate to women.

Oh, come on, Leigh,
for Christ sake,

I'm a lawyer, she's a clerk.
She looks up to me.

She's just infatuated.
I can't help that.

Look, Leigh, I'm scared.

I think this whole thing has...

I keep feeling that there is some
animal out there stalking us.

I think he wants to hurt
us in the worst way

and that's got me
frightened to death.

You really are scared,
aren't you?

Yeah.

Somebody finally got to you.

Look, Leigh, I think...

I think that this guy
beat and raped her

because he knew that
she wouldn't testify,

that she wouldn't press charges,

because she knows the system.

I mean, she works in it.

She knows that
she'd be on trial.

And then, because she wouldn't
testify, you would assume that

there was something
going on between us

and it would cause a rift.

That we'd be much more
vulnerable to him.

I'm glad we talked about this,

because now
we can work together.

We can beat that son of a bitch,

the two of us together,
working as a team.

Jesus Christ.

Oh, yeah, this is great.
This is something else.

Oh. Oh.

Oh, shit!

Here you go.

I'm sorry,
I haven't ordered yet.

That fellow over there sent
this over, paid for and all.

Who?

Which one?

That guy who is just leaving.

Excuse me.

Hey. Cady, come here.

Wait up a second.

I've been in a real bad mood lately.
Shame, ain't it?

You know what you can do
to brighten my mood?

No. Get the hell out of here.

I don't mean just
this whole town,

I mean the whole goddamn state.

I don't want to see you,
I don't want to hear you

and I don't want to smell you.
Now, leave.

I like...
Are you my friend?

No, I'm not your friend.

Oh. 'Cause I thought
maybe you were my friend

because I like to plan my comings
and goings with friends.

But if you're not my friend,

and you're planning
my comings and goings,

I'd call that presumptuous.

In fact, I'd call it
downright rude,

because I ain't
your porch-baby, buddy.

Gee golly gosh. I sure
am sorry I offended you,

you white trash piece of shit.

Ooh-ooh. I got the all-over
fidgets on that one.

You've really shaken me up.
I'm shivering all over.

Ooh.

It's not necessary to lay a
foul tongue on me, my friend.

I could get upset. Things
could get out of hand.

And then, in self-defense,
I could do something to you

that you would not like,
right here.

Anytime you feel
squirrelly, you just jump.

You threatening me?

You catch on fast.

'Cause I'm well within my rights

to be here and you know it.

If I stay here,
what you going to do?

I don't give a rat's ass
about your rights.

You just watch your step, and you
know what I'm talking about.

What are you gonna do?
Arrest me?

You a cop?
Or were you a cop?

Or were you not good enough
to remain on the force?

'Cause, you know that's the
feeling I'm getting here.

Hope you enjoyed your breakfast.

Ma'am, this belong to you?

Can I help you?

I just found it.

I thought you
might need it back.

Not to frighten you,
but if a dogcatcher

comes across a dog
without a license,

he's liable to
think he's a stray

and do God knows what to it.

You know, our dog is...

He passed away.

Oh, what a shame.
Yeah.

Man's best friend and all.
Woman's, too.

Even without closing my
eyes, I can picture him,

big, friendly, shaggy,
asleep at your feet,

keeping you company
while you're trying

to finish up those
pesky little sketches.

Oh, you're Max Cady, aren't you?

You know, you better get the hell out
of here before I call the police.

I'm not doing nothing.

Just giving you back
your dog collar.

I'm not on your property.

Oh, what'd you come out here
for, you want to look around?

Go ahead, Mr. Cady,
take a good look.

Nice house.
Yeah.

It is a nice house. You
satisfied now you've seen it?

Or is there more? Huh?

Is that it?

There is going to be more,
isn't there, Mr. Cady? Huh?

You won't stop
until you're happy.

How can I be happy, Leigh,
when you're not happy?

You don't know
anything about me.

I know what I see, ma'am.

Yeah?
Mmm-hmm.

I wanted to know
what you looked like.

I've been waiting
to see your face,

but you know now that I see you,

you are just repulsive.

I understand.
Yeah.

I'm not your type.
No.

All that prison time
made me coarse.

Guess I'm covered in
too many tattoos, huh?

But, you see, there's not
a whole hell of a lot

to do in prison but
desecrate your flesh.

Of course it didn't have to
be that way for either of us

if your husband
hadn't betrayed us both.

Who knows? We might have
been different people.

We might have been happy, Leigh.

Mom, someone's on the phone!

Dani!

Don't come out here!

Sam. Hey, Sam.
Yo, Sam.

Sam, I thought
I'd catch you here.

Well, that little
smart aleck made me.

He what?

Well, it wasn't my fault.

He was looking to be covered.

You're right. There is
a lot of cutsie-cutsie

in that little prick,
isn't there?

Yeah, I told you.

You know where he was today?

At the public library reading
Thus Spake Zarathustra

by Friedrich Nietzsche,
he's this German philosopher.

He said that God is dead.

God is dead. Right.

Look, we can keep
going this way,

but it's going to get
awful expensive, Sam.

Well, look, I'm not so
concerned about days.

Just stay on him a few
more nights, will you?

Look, do you really want
to resolve this situation?

Yes, I'd love to resolve it.

Then I got a suggestion.

There's men that
can be hired, by me,

to do a little job on Cady,
a little hospital job.

What are we talking about here?

Two pieces of pipe
and a bicycle chain.

Sam.

He won't be so scary after that.

I'm a lawyer, right?

We agree that I'm a lawyer?
Yeah.

You know, maybe 2,000 years ago,

we'd have taken this guy out
and stoned him to death.

I can't operate outside the law.
The law is my business.

Hi, I'm home!
Where is everybody?

In here.

Evening, ladies.
Oh, chicken.

How is everything?
Is everything okay?

Yeah.
Good. Good.

He was here today.

Hello?

Hello, Danielle?

Is this Miss Danielle Bowden?

Yeah.

This is your
new teacher calling.

From English or Drama?

Drama.

So how you doing?

Fine.

Well, I'm just
going down the list,

greeting my summer students.

You sound kind of down.

No.

There's just been stuff going
on around here, that's all.

I see.
Anything I can do?

I doubt it.

I mean, shit happens, you
know, like the T-shirt says.

Yeah.

Well, you know, Danielle, all that
negativity, you can use that.

What do you mean?

Well, I'm the kind
of teacher that takes

a very personal interest
in his kids.

And don't mind me if
I tell you everything

you're going through,
it's okay, go with it.

The awkwardness you feel, say,

when you're walking
down the street

and some leering fool is
making fun of your sexuality,

the turmoil you feel,
extra bad when

that particular time of
the month comes around,

the anger you feel
that your mom and dad

won't let you just grow up

and be yourself, be a woman.

Go with it. Don't
suppress or deny it.

Use it in your life
and your work.

Okay. I mean...

That's... I'll have to
think about all that.

So, class is tomorrow
in Room 110, right?

No, it's been changed
to the theater.

I mean, what better place
for drama, right?

Yeah.

And remember, Danielle,

you can use all those fears
to draw upon and learn.

You know this little tune?

If you want a

Do-right-all-day woman

Woman

You've got to be
a do-right-all-night man

Man

Now, you can trust in me, because
I'm a do-right man, okay?

Okay, 'night now.

Okay. Good night.

You know, honey, I think
maybe I should walk you in.

No, it's okay, Mom. There's
a lot of people here.

I'll be right here
at 4:00 to pick you up.

Okay. Bye.
Bye.

I didn't think summer session
was gonna be so crowded.

It's not. They're just
having a big meeting

about next fall's
chorus program.

I have to go downstairs
for Drama. Bye.

Okay, bye.

Hello.

Nadine?

I'm here for the Drama class.

Hi.

Oops.

Am I busted?

No.
I hope not.

You can't smoke grass in school.

Privilege of the profession.

Eases inhibitions.
You down here for Drama?

Yeah.

Are you the Drama teacher?

And you're, let me guess.

Cecile James?

No, I'm Danielle Bowden.

Danielle.
Oh, we spoke last night.

Yeah.

Oh, I'm sorry.
How rude.

It's okay.

Um...

I think we're alone now...

Okay.

Thanks. Here.

I'm going to give this to you.

Ow.

Little trick I learned.
Take it.

You know when we spoke
on the phone last night?

Mmm-hmm.

You really made sense to me

and I thought a lot.

Those are human truths, darling.

That's what it's all about.

And that's what
we deal with here.

See the book you have,
Thomas Wolfe?

It's all about self-discovery,
the inner voyage.

I like the end

where Eugene's journey... It
was really mystical, you know,

and it was almost
like a pilgrimage.

Almost like a cop-out,
if you ask me.

Although those were
the facts of Wolfe's life.

The novel is what you would
call a roman à clef.

You know what that is?

Sure.

Well, nonetheless,
you can't escape

your demons just
by leaving home.

Although writers do find new
freedom when they relocate abroad.

Take Henry Miller. Have
you read his trilogy?

Plexus, Nexus and Sexus?

No. No. You haven't read that?

You're missing something.

Well, you know what? I did
read Tropic of Cancer.

Just parts of it, though,

because I had to sneak it off
my parents' shelf, you know?

But his descriptions are
pretty vivid, I would say.

In one of the novels,
I don't recall which,

he describes an erection as a
piece of lead with wings on it.

I didn't read that part.

Of course not.
You're not allowed.

Your parents don't want
you to achieve adulthood.

That's natural.

They know the pitfalls of
adulthood, all that freedom.

They know it only too well.

Temptation to stray, deflecting
their guilt and anger onto you

for a crime that's not even
a crime, for smoking grass.

Wait a second.

Where are you from?

Where am I from?

Yeah. Where do you
think I'm from?

I don't know, but...

If I told you, you going
to get mad at me?

No.

I'm from the black forest.

That's funny.

You're not the Drama
teacher, are you?

Maybe I'm the big bad wolf.

Umm...

So you're that guy that's been
hanging around the house?

You're the one that
killed my mom's dog?

Your mom's dog was killed?

Yeah.

I didn't even know
anything about that.

That's a shame.

That's a damn shame.

Yes, it was.

What kind of dog was it?

I don't know.
He was just...

He was fluffy, and...

Fluffy?

Mmm-hmm.

So you didn't do that?

Of course I didn't do that.

Okay.

I wouldn't do that.

So why... What are
you doing here, then?

Well, I came to meet you,
to be honest with you.

Why? I mean...

Because

I wanted to meet you,
see what you're like.

I see you're a nice person.
That's all.

You're not going
to hurt me, are you?

I'm not going to
hurt you at all.

There's no
hurting here, Danielle.

Between us, there's
no anger, nothing.

Just a search for truth.

I mean, did you judge me,
did you get angry at me

when you caught me
smoking the grass?

Hmm?

No.

But your parents,
they judged you.

They got plenty angry
at you, didn't they?

Yeah.
Mmm-hmm.

They punished you
for their sins.

What did they do?

They...

My dad... They just
yelled a whole lot

and my mom cried

and my dad said I couldn't
drive the Cherokee.

I would 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 them.

Don't judge them.
Just forgive them,

for they know not what they do.

Oh...
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. But at
least we try to admit it.

Don't we?

Yeah.

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?

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.

Kersek, where the hell have
you been, for Christ sake?

He came at my daughter
at school.

You asked me to
watch him nights.

I'm watching him nights.
What happened?

My wife, Leigh,
she found some marijuana

in one of Dani's schoolbooks.

We don't know if Cady gave it to
her or exactly what happened,

but she's scared and
she won't talk about it.

But now this has gone far enough.
It's got to stop!

You phone the cops?

No, I didn't phone the cops.

I mean, what did you call them?

You call them "Slow,
skeptical, pathetic, even."

Dani. No, Leigh,
that's all right.

Just hold on a minute.

Kersek, look, I want to
hire those three guys,

you remember, the hospital job.

Consider it done,
the sooner the better.

Three men's going
to cost you a grand.

Now I know that's
not chicken feed,

but you don't wanna go
with less than three.

It's better to overdo it.

Okay. You'll have the
money in the morning.

All right. Then we'll be
on for tomorrow night.

And Sam, you'll feel
good about this.

All right.

Do you notice
these young people?

They don't look very happy.

They're committed to their
professions and to their ambitions,

but they're not
committed to each other.

Cady, shut up and listen.

If you don't leave...

If you don't
leave my family alone

and if you don't
get out of here,

you're going to be hurting
like you never dreamed.

Could you repeat that?

I said,

if you don't get out of here,

you're going to be hurting
like you never dreamed.

A threat?
Yeah.

You bet your ass
that's a threat.

Well, I have thought
of relocating

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 just casually confer

with an old colleague?

We're not colleagues. Do you
understand that? We're not colleagues.

Still think you're
better than me.

No, I don't think
I'm better than you.

That's not the goddamned point.

Good. 'Cause if
you're not better than me,

then I can have what you have.

What do I have?

A wife, a daughter.

I'm going to teach you
the meaning of commitment.

Fourteen years ago,
I was forced to make

a commitment to
an eight-by-nine cell

and now you're going to 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.

Dani? Dani?

You all right?

What? Is everything all right?

Yeah.

This isn't going
to work, you know.

What isn't going to work?

Locking us in,
hiding us from the world.

Oh, don't be so dramatic, Dani.

Making me stay out of school.

You're going back
to school tomorrow.

And put some clothes on.

You're not a little kid anymore.

Yeah? Then why am I going
back to school tomorrow?

What are you going to do?

That's none of
your concern, Dani.

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.

You know?
Now, Dani,

I want you to listen to me.

All right? No.
Do you understand?

No. There will never
be any connection

between you and Max Cady.

You understand that?

Did he touch you?

What are you laughing about?
Why are you smiling?

I'm asking you a question.
Did he touch you?

Dani, wipe that
smile off your face!

I'm asking you,
did he touch you?

No, no, no, wait, Dani.
I'm sorry.

No, I'm sorry.

Wait, honey.
I'm sorry.

Get out of here!
Get out of here!

Max?

Come on.
Come on. Come on.

Come on.

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 out-learn you.

I can out-read you.

I can out-think you, and I
can out-philosophize you.

And I'm going to outlast you.

You think a couple of whacks

to my good-old-boy gut's
gonna get me down?

It's going to 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?

Counselor?

I wonder if you're here.

Fuck it.

If you're here, what the
fuck's the difference?

Fuck it!

I've got
Mr. Kersek on one.

Good.
I'll take it.

Tom.

Sam, you look tired.
You get that writ?

No, no, we got to get into that.
Let me just grab this.

Kersek. Look, I'm damn
sorry about last night.

That son of a bitch
could survive

a preemptive nuclear strike.

All right. Hang on a second.
Hang on a second.

Tom, I'm not doing it.
I pulled a fast one

and it's come back and it's bit
me on the ass in a major way.

What you did was dumb.

What I'm asking here is no big deal, Sam.
This is my daughter!

No, Tom, it's perjury
and it's bullshit

and I'm not doing it!
Now, excuse me.

All right? All right.
I'll be in my office.

Tom, who was that
top criminal lawyer?

Lee Heller.
Kersek.

- We need to talk.
- Trouble is

if word gets out how Cady
bushwhacked those poor bastards,

it's gonna be a bitch to
line up three new guys.

I don't want three new guys.
No more guys, you hear me?

Mr. Heller,
it's Sam Bowden

from Broadbent and Denmeyer.

Tom speaks very highly of you.

In fact,
he says you're the best,

and the best is
what I need right now.

We froze our butts
together in Korea.

How can I help you, Sam?

Well, it's a simple petition
for a restraining order,

but there's been
some complications.

Now, I know this
is short notice,

but look,
I need this injunction.

You see, there's an ex-convict
by the name of Max Cady,

he's been harassing my family.

I'm sorry, Mr. Bowden. I can't
continue this conversation.

Well, is there
a more convenient time?

No, no. The damn thing
is I have a conflict.

Now, what would that be?
Well, you see,

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 fill me in...

But wait a minute, Lee. Now,
look, this man is a psychotic.

It appears I'll be seeing you
at that hearing after all.

Could you repeat that?

I said if you don't leave...

If you don't
leave my family alone

and if you don't
get out of here,

you're gonna be hurting
like you never dreamed.

A threat?

Yeah, you bet your ass
that's a threat.

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 all 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 he'd...

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...

Come on, 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, I need a gun.

Know anything about guns? No.

No, I don't believe in them.

I never had them around
the house or anything.

All right, I'll get you a gun.

What kind of gun you want?
Now, calm down.

Well, just something simple,
something I can handle.

Let me see
what fits you. A.45...

Let me see your hands.
Okay.

A.38 snub-nosed special.
Yeah. All right. Good.

That'll do. I can even
teach you how to use it.

All right. Great. The
first lesson is this.

Don't think of it as shooting
a man or trying to kill him.

Right. Think of it as an
extension of your fist.

You're just reaching out
and knocking the man down.

All right.

Later on we can go out to the
woods and shoot some trees, okay?

That'd be great.
That'd be great. Good.

What is it? What?

Well, Sam...
Yeah?

I give you a gun.
You pull it on Cady,

and it's gonna dawn on you

that shooting a man is different

than blowing holes in some tree.

Next thing, you know, you
don't have my gun, Cady does.

No, no, no.
You're gonna teach me.

I 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, Counselor?

Oh, Jesus! It's all
fucked up, Kersek!

I mean, the law considers me

more of a loose cannon
than Max Cady!

Some big-shit attorney
has whipped

the A.B.A.'s ethics
committee into a frenzy.

There's an emergency session
in Raleigh over the assault.

How did they link that to you?

I went to warn Cady. I thought
it was the decent thing to do.

Maybe I'd scare him.
And 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, is he?

Oh, no, no, no. Mr. Cady,
he's beyond reproach.

But you're required to be there.
Yeah.

When is this hearing?

It's Thursday morning,
9:00.

The torture begins
and lasts for two days.

You have to fly up
the night before?

Right.

Cady's an opportunist.

If he thinks you're gonna be
out of town for two days,

that's going to 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.

Have a good trip.

All right. Bye-bye.

Call us tonight, okay?

All right.

I didn't miss
the 9:20 to Raleigh?

I'm afraid you did, sir.
But there's a 10:20.

Oh, it's not that.

I just have some very, very
important papers for Samuel Bowden.

Was he on the 9:20?

We can't give out
that information, sir.

Well, it's just...

I guess I could send it
to him overnight,

but he might be back, for all I
know, tomorrow morning, and I...

See, I...

My wife and I have been in an
accident, and he's our lawyer.

And if I don't get in touch with
him, we could lose this case.

We've already lost
our little daughter, Dani.

Is...

Is there any way I can find out

if he was on that flight
and when he's coming 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. Leigh,
give me a cigarette.

You better slow down, Sam.

You're outpacing me two-to-one
since you started smoking.

Just keep track of
how many I owe you.

So, how'd it go at the airport?

Well, we did our thing,

but we don't know if he saw us,

we don't even know
if he was there.

Set the trap and we'll see.

What if we don't want to see?

- Dani!
- What?

Maybe he poisoned the dog.

Dani... Sam, watch
out for the windows.

Yeah, you're not allowed to
stand up, Dad, remember?

Didn't Cady go after her?

You don't know Dani.

If she finds a palmetto
bug in her bedroom,

she takes it outside.

You know, she could
never kill anything.

Even a six-foot
palmetto bug?

Oh, God.

What is that?

It's a monofilament line. I got
it from Sam's fishing gear.

See, what I do is I stretch it
across the windows and the doors

and tie it to
Dani's teddy bear here.

If the bear moves
a quarter of an inch,

I'll know if the holy
ghost is sneaking 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 going to find that out

is just by going through this.

It's just that 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.

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.

Listen to your father. Do what they say.
What else you can do?

Leave. We could go to the
houseboat, you know,

and get lost in any inlet.

Dani, come on.

Don't stay outside.

You wanna know what really disturbs me?
It's 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...

It makes me an accomplice,
an accessory, an abettor.

It's also excessive force.

Sam, the only thing excessive
we could do to Cady

would be to gut him
and eat his liver.

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.

You know,
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.

What's the matter?

Don't look over!
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...
SAM: She'd stay over.

Well, then, she stays over.

Leigh?

What?
Leigh.

I know how the dog died.

Sam, are you dreaming?
No. No.

I just had the weirdest feeling

he was already in the house.

Can't sleep, huh, Miss Graciela?

Yeah. It's hot.

You know,
I think it's the humidity

that makes us all so thirsty.

Excuse me.

My pop was a cop.

Twenty years.

This was his favorite drink
when he was on a stakeout.

I learned that
in prison. You like?

White trash piece of shit.

Stay here, Leigh.

Kersek?

Dani, Dani, go back to your room.
Go back to your room.

Lock the door.

Kersek?

Don't go down there, Sam.

No, it's all right.

Kersek?

Sam?

SAM: Dani, don't look.

Oh, my God, Graciela!

Dani, don't look.
Don't look, Dani.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God!

Oh, my God!

It's the piano wire.

Sam!

I'm going to get
this son of a bitch!

Sam!

No! No! No!

No!

I'm gonna slit
that son of a bitch!

Tell him to stop!

God, he might be out here!
He might be out here!

Now, listen, 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, now, you
may know this and you may not,

but in the law, there's a
thing called force majeure.

It means
an unforeseeable act of God

and it cancels all
promises and obligations.

So, legally speaking,
all bets are off.

You find Max Cady
and we'll come back.

What did he say?

He said we're fugitives.

What's that mean?

That means we're
doing something right.

Where's that old mongrel
dog of yours, Mrs. Bowden?

Tomorrow, I'll catch some fish.

Oh, you know, you don't have to.

I've got enough food
here to last us a week.

But it'd be nice.

Good.

It's only rain.
A sheet of rain.

What was that?

It's just a squall.

I'll go check the anchor.

Wait, Dad.
Don't go out.

No, Dani. Now, look, everything is okay.
All right?

Yeah. We're on
the river now, baby.

It's just a squall kicking up.

Graciela has a brother.

I mean, she had...

Oh, sweetie.

We'll get in touch
with him right away.

Sam?

We're making some tea.

Sam?

Dad?

SAM: I can't hear you.
It's windy out.

What's that?

Are we moving?

Sam?

Evening, ladies.

You know my husband has a gun?

Not this gun?

Is it this gun?

Where is he?

Resting up. He 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 memorized some for you.

Did you?

Yeah.
Did you?

Yeah.

Well, I'm impressed.

Which part?

The part...

You know what part, you know.

I don't think
you did your homework.

I did.

What parts were they?

The good parts?

Yeah. They were...

Were you a good girl?

I was.

I knew you'd
follow me here and...

You know me pretty well,
don't you, darling?

Yeah. I do.

You're gonna get to know
me a lot better, too.

Are you offering me
something hot?

Let's get
something straight here.

I spent 14 years in
an eight-by-nine cell

surrounded by people
who were less than human.

My mission in that time

was to become more than human.

You see?

Granddaddy used to
handle snakes in church.

Granny drank strychnine.

I guess you could say I had a
leg-up, genetically speaking.

I'm gonna forgive you,
Danielle, honey.

'Cause 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.

Danielle!

Stop!
No!

No!

Ready to be born again,
Mrs. Bowden?

A few minutes alone
with me, darling,

and you will be
speaking in tongues.

Excuse me, Mrs. B.

Please don't take umbrage,

but in the plan
that I have formulated,

there's much more to it than
just you and I just making love.

I mean, that's just so
commonplace and dreary.

Here and now,
we have an opportunity.

"What is that opportunity?"
You ask.

Why, here and now,
we have an opportunity

to depict and dramatize...

No!

...both the heights
and the depths

of a mama's true love of her
daughter, if you all get my meaning.

Come on out, babe. Come on, darling.
Let's go.

Get out.
Get up here.

Cady, listen to me.
This is between

you and me.
Leave them out of it.

This is my night, Counselor.
Don't you step on my lines.

No! 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 loss, 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 powerful emotions

because

I'm gonna enjoy this
all the more.

Oh, my God!

Oh, God!

The people call
Samuel J. Bowden!

Do you swear to tell the truth

and nothing but the truth,
so help you, God?

Cady, somebody's
got to man the boat.

We're heading into
unprotected water.

Do you swear?
I'll do it, Dad.

You sit, Danielle!
Don't you make light

of your civic duty,
darling. You're the jury.

SAM: All right,
all right, okay,

I swear to tell the truth.
What do you wanna know?

Was a prior sexual
history ever prepared

in connection with my defense?

Was a prior sexual
history ever prepared

in connection with my defense?

It's...

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, Your Honor.

He is a hostile witness.

Would you care to tell the court

what the gist was
of this report?

Cady, it was 14 years ago.
I can't remember that.

How can he answer when you're
hitting him like that?

Because he's perjuring
himself, Your Honor.

He knows damn well
exactly what it said.

Don't you?

It said that
she was promiscuous.

It said that she had three
different lovers in one month.

At least three!
At least three!

And did you show
this report to the D. A?

No, no!

I only discovered it by chance
when I started representing myself

six years into my sentence!

But there it was
in the court file.

But back in '77, you
buried it, Counselor.

Would you care to
tell the jury why?

Would you care to
tell the court why?

Because I know he brutally
raped her and he 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!
You were my lawyer!

That report could
have saved me 14 years.

You're probably right.

You self-righteous fuck!

I'm Virgil, Counselor, 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 betraying the
principles of all three!

Can you please 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."

And I find you guilty,
Counselor,

guilty of betraying
your fellow man,

guilty of
betraying your country,

guilty of abrogating your oath,

guilty of judging me
and selling me out!

And 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, Counselor.

Danielle,
get down on your knees.

Both of you
take off your clothes!

Down on your knees now!

No, no, no.

Down on your knees!

Take off your clothes!
Get down on your knees!

No! Don't!

Now, take off your clothes!
Off with your clothes!

You, Leigh, take off
your clothes. Now!

No!

Come on!
Git! Git!

No!
Git!

Tonight, you're gonna
learn to be an animal,

to live like an animal
and to die like one.

Give me your hand!

No!

Go! Go!

Did you forget about that
restraining order, Counselor?

You're well within 500 yards!

Well, here we are, Counselor,

just two lawyers working it out!

I'm going to kill you!

You already sacrificed
me, Counselor.

On Jordan's stormy banks I stand

Oh who will come with me?

I am bound for the promised land

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 onto the past,
you die a little every day.

And for myself,

I know I'd rather live.

The end.