Extraordinary Measures (2010) Movie Script
(PEOPLE CHATTERING)
Hi there.
Hi.
So glad to see you.
Kathy, could you take that?
Thank you.
JOHN:
It's my job to market this drug for
Bristol-Myers, and I'm telling you,
kids won't go for it unless
it tastes like bubble gum.
Mr. Crowley, you're late.
All right.
Thank you. Bye.
AILEEN:
"Everyone just walked by.
"'Why won't anyone buy our newspaper?'
SpongeBob wondered aloud.
"'They must be rock haters,
' said Patrick."
MEGAN:
John! Give it back to me!
JOHN JR.:
She's mine now!
Give me a minute, okay?
Give it back to me, John!
You save our spot. Got it?
You better give me
back my Fiona!
Help, Mom!
Help me! She's trying to kill me!
I'm gonna get you!
You can't escape!
No! Mom, help me!
(GIGGLES)
Just give it back to me.
Mom! She's trying to kill me!
Megan Kathryn Crowley.
If you kill your brother,
you cannot have your party.
Why not? He stole Fiona.
I didn't steal her, I kidnapped her.
I'm holding her for ransom.
Release the victim.
(GRUNTS)
Time to get ready for your party.
JOHN: We've got to get
moving on the product launch.
PETE ON PHONE:
I'm just waiting on legal, John.
Damn it!
I just missed my train.
I'm gonna have to call you...
I agree.
How soon do you need it?
As soon as possible.
I'm presenting to my boss next week.
AILEEN: John, we're loading up
the van right now. Come on!
Okay, we ready to roll, Kate?
My name is Jane.
Kate was yesterday, Mom.
Oh, I am so sorry.
The way the agency
shuffles day nurses on us,
you'd think they'd, you know,
give you a number instead of a name.
Mmm-hmm.
Okay, John.
John, come on, get
your butt in the car.
John.
Are you bringing your RipStik?
Yes.
Do you have to?
Yes.
JOHN: ...a pain, that's why.
Wait, I gotta catch a cab.
Hi. Come here.
Hey, hey. Hello?
Daddy's meeting
us there, right?
AILEEN:
Absolutely.
I am sure he has
everything under control.
JOHN:
Taxi!
DRIVER:
You need a hand?
Great. I'm sorry,
I'm sorry. I'm kind of in a hurry.
Go.
Come on, come on, come on...
(KIDS CHEERING)
Yes!
KIDS:
Yes!
He totally promised
he'd be here by now.
He's on his way, baby.
He's on his way.
ALL:
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday, dear Megan
Hi, guys.
(LAUGHING)
Get in there and give her a kiss.
I know.
I don't wanna hear it...
Go, go, go.
Happy birthday.
I made it.
Yay!
ALL: Yay!
Make a wish, Megan.
(KIDS CHEERING)
Who wants cake?
KIDS:
I do!
Line up single file,
or no cake for you.
All right,
how many do we have?
I'm first!
Me first!
No, I'm the big guy.
GIRL:
Back to the end of the line.
So, where is Fiona
going, anyway?
Lollipop Land?
I'm 8, Daddy.
I'm not a baby anymore.
She's driving to Antarctica
to see the penguins.
Really?
That's pretty far away.
Why doesn't she just go
to the Portland Zoo?
They have a lot of
penguins there, too.
Haven't you ever
heard of adventure?
Yeah.
It's gonna take her years.
Oh?
Won't she need a suitcase?
It's an adventure. You don't
need a suitcase on an adventure.
Well, I don't know about you,
but if I was going on an adventure,
I would take a suitcase.
That's 'cause you're a businessman.
That's right. I am.
And you're 8 years old.
And happy birthday. And I love you.
Love you, too, Daddy.
Good night.
See you in the morning.
Good night.
Nighty-night.
Sweet dreams.
Good night, Dad.
Good night, Daddy.
Night, buddy.
(PHONE RINGING)
(TRUCKIN' PLAYING)
One of these days
they know they gotta get goin'
Out of the door and
down on the street all alone
Truckin',
like the do-dah man
Once told me
"You've got to play your hand"
Sometimes the cards
ain't worth a damn
If you don't lay 'em down
(PHONE CONTINUES RINGING)
Hello?
JOHN ON PHONE: Hello, Dr. Stonehill?
Are you there? Hello?
Yeah.
This is John Crowley.
I don't know if you've gotten
any of my messages.
Who?
John...
Jesus.
I'm interested in
speaking with you.
I understand from
many researchers...
having a conversation
with you if that's convenient.
Is this a good time to talk?
Dr. Stonehill? Hello?
Asshole.
"Asshole?"
AILEEN: The night nurse
just left.
What time is it?
I missed you.
This is pathetic.
I'm still dressed.
I could help you with that.
Oh?
(AILEEN MOANING)
Oh my...Kate!
Hi! You're early.
You're early.
Have you met...
I'm John Crowley.
John is my husband.
Glad to hear it.
JOHN:
Mmm-hmm.
(MECHANICAL BEEPING)
AILEEN: Yeah, let's up her
breathing treatments today.
What's going on?
Just a cold.
She's awfully congested.
Call the doc just to
be on the safe side?
AILEEN:
Yeah, I left word.
Sweetie? I'm gonna
go to work, okay?
Feel better.
Bye-bye.
PETE: We're already doing great
marketing the drug to physicians.
It's our direct marketing to patients
we need to beef up.
Mr. Crowley, I'm really sorry.
Aileen's on the line,
she really needs to speak to you.
Okay, thank you.
I'm just gonna... Hey.
We're at the hospital.
The doc wants Megan under observation.
Is she all right?
Just keep
your cell with you.
Okay. Can I do something?
I'll call you when I know more.
I should really get back to Megan,
so I'll call you
as soon as I
know anything, okay?
Bye. Love you.
Excuse me, please.
WOMAN: Sir?
My daughter, Megan Crowley,
was brought in for observation.
Yeah. Actually,
they're moving her to the ICU.
Where?
That way.
Aileen.
John.
Has she told you
about the trip
that Fiona's taking with her
remote-controlled car?
Yeah, yes, she did.
You're right. That's right, sweetie.
You're gonna see all the penguins,
aren't you?
She might send some postcards
or something like that.
Lots of good stuff to see along the way...
It's okay.
like icebergs and
maybe a polar bear.
How about some seals?
DR. PRESTON: As you know,
Pompe patients suffer muscle deterioration
in every part of the body,
so this sort of respiratory
complication, well,
that's just an inevitable
fact of the disease.
Mr. Crowley, Mrs. Crowley,
Megan is not
responding well.
Okay? Now, we've done everything
we can, but she's just...
There's nothing more
we can do. I'm sorry.
As you know, she was already
well past the life expectancy,
for, you know, Pompe kids.
After all, it's not
just her lungs, okay?
Her heart, her liver,
these organs have been compromised
and would've
become fatally enlarged.
Now, I wish that we had a drug
to treat Pompe,
but we simply don't.
I'm so very sorry.
Look, maybe...
Maybe you can find
some small comfort
in knowing that Megan's
suffering will be over.
Maybe you can see
this as a blessing.
(WHEEZING)
(ALARM BEEPING)
Megan?
Help!
Help! Help!
AILEEN: Megan?
JOHN:
Help! Help!
Baby girl, can you hear me?
Please, someone come help!
NURSE 1: 321!
Megan Crowley, room 321, please!
Code Blue!
Baby girl, Mama's here, all right?
Let's go! Page Dr. Heder.
NURSE 1: Asystole!
Yeah, right through here.
AILEEN: Can you hear my voice?
Can you hear Mama?
DOCTOR 1:
Starting compressions.
NURSE 2:
I'll switch her out.
Over here, please quickly.
AILEEN: Hang in there, Megan.
Hang in there, baby, okay?
I need to bag her.
JOHN: Aileen?
Some room right there.
DOCTOR 2:
Let us in, all right?
Please, Mrs. Crowley, let...
Stop it!
Let us help her!
Please... Megan!
Aileen.
DOCTOR 2: Epinephrine, 0.1 mils per kig.
NURSE 1: Got it.
DOCTOR 1:
Still no pulse. No reading.
Forget the weight, come on,
get it in there! Aileen, Aileen.
NURSE 1: 0.1 epi.
It's all right.
Come on, Megs.
Come on. Come on. IV push.
DOCTOR 1: Okay, just give
the epi a couple seconds.
NURSE 1:
Still non-responsive.
All right, charge the defib.
NURSE 3: Charging.
Your daughter
is some fighter.
She's gonna be okay.
Oh, my God.
Now, look, she's still a very
sick girl, obviously,
but her vital
signs have improved
and I'm cautiously optimistic.
So, I guess you could say
we dodged that blessing, huh?
Mrs. Crowley,
these came for Megan.
Thanks so much. Thank you.
PETE: Hey, John?
Huh?
Any time you're ready, man.
You gonna tell us
about the product launch?
John, you okay?
I have to go.
John.
Where you going?
Nebraska.
Excuse me, please.
There's a gentleman here to see you.
Best make yourself
comfortable, hon.
Oh, dear.
Sir, sir. That's Dr. Stonehill.
He just left, I'm sorry.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Dr. Stonehill!
Hey, Dr. Stonehill!
(SPORTSCASTERS
CHATTERING ON TV)
Dr. Stonehill?
Yeah?
I'm John Crowley.
Okay.
Didn't you get any of my messages?
What messages?
I left you 3 or 4 messages
in the last month,
and you even hung up
on me the night before last.
What the hell are you talking about?
I never hung up on you.
Dr. Stonehill,
Oh, Jesus.
Well, I'm sorry.
A terrible disease,
but, hell, you shouldn't have
come all this way
without talking to me.
I do research, son.
I don't see patients.
Well, it's your research
that I'm interested in.
I've read all the journal articles
on Pompe disease,
and all the researchers
out there say that
your work holds
the most promise.
Get to the point, son.
What do you want from me?
We almost lost my
daughter last week.
I need to hear
about your research.
STONEHILL: Your kids have
a genetic disease.
They're missing an enzyme
which metabolizes a certain kind
of sugar, glycogen.
It's defective
in Pompe patients.
So, this sugar builds up
in the muscle cells,
especially in the heart,
the skeletal muscles, the diaphragm,
which is why they have
a hard time breathing.
Yeah, I know.
I know a lot about that.
Everybody's making
an enzyme,
but you can infuse kids all day long
with their enzyme,
and it's not
gonna do any good
'cause it's not gonna
get into their cells.
Understand what I'm saying?
Yeah, so that means that
if you put the sugar...
Don't interrupt.
Sorry.
I'm making a different version
of this enzyme.
My enzyme has a biological marker,
mannose 6-phosphate.
I'm the only one that's cloned the gene
for phosphotransferase.
I'm the only one who's cloned the gene
for uncovering enzyme,
so I can get more mannose 6-phosphate
onto the lysosomal protein,
and I can deliver a more effective
amount of enzyme
into the cells.
That's why people
are citing my work.
That's why you read my name
in the literature.
I can get more
enzyme into the cells.
What's the matter, Sal?
Not up on your glycobiology?
I thought Doc was
just your nickname.
No, that man's a genius. He's on
the verge of a scientific breakthrough.
Wow. Who knew?
I'm not on the
verge of anything, kid.
This is a theory,
not a therapy.
I'm just an academic.
You got any idea how
shitty my funding is?
No.
University of Nebraska
pays their football coach
more money in a year
than my entire science budget.
Nobody's paying
attention to this work.
Half my grants
don't get approved.
I don't have the money to make
my theory into a useable medicine.
How old are your kids?
Look, do yourself a favor.
Go home and spend time with your kids.
Enjoy 'em while they're still here.
How much?
How much what?
How much money would it take
to prove your theory,
to create your version
of the medicine?
I'd need half a million bucks
just to fund the lab work.
That's why you need me.
I need you? Why?
Because I'm the founder of the
Pompe Foundation for Children.
I've been working on this disease
for 10 years.
I have never
heard of you guys.
That's because
we're relatively new.
We're just in
the gearing-up phase.
How soon do you
need a grant?
Now would be good.
Well, not all the money's in place,
but it will be, and soon.
This is a very
exciting time.
JOHN: Thanks.
DRIVER: Thank you, sir. Have a good day.
Hey.
You okay?
Did you get my messages?
Your messages?
You suddenly walk
out of the meeting
and fly to Nebraska
without talking to me about it,
and you think
messages make it okay?
I'm sorry.
My God, John.
I wanna find a miracle
as much as you do, okay?
But how could you put
your job in jeopardy?
Aileen.
How exactly
do we pay $40,000 a month in healthcare
if you lose your insurance?
Honey, come on.
Look, I'm not gonna lose my job.
Oh, really?
Pete called here twice last night
to ask if you were okay.
You know, mentally.
(SCOFFS)
I'll just... I'll call, and I'll
smooth that one over.
Yeah, no shit.
(SIGHS)
I'm sorry.
Something in me
just kind of snapped.
That night at the hospital, when we
thought that we were losing her,
I prayed that if it was her time,
she'd go quickly,
without so much suffering.
But morning came,
and she pulled through.
Her eyes,
so determined, so defiant.
The fight in her.
(SIGHS)
Was he worth it?
This Stonehill guy?
He's really eccentric,
but his science
is way ahead of
everybody else's.
He's definitely the one to put
our money on.
(CHUCKLES)
If we had any.
I promised him
that we'd raise some,
because he's got this conference
up here next month,
and I said I'd have
a check ready for him.
How much?
That's all?
Thousand.
Is it $500 or $1,000?
$500,000.
By next month.
(CHUCKLES)
Sweetheart, are you totally insane?
Apparently.
AILEEN: We're holding our first fundraiser
on the 23rd at the school,
and we would love if
you and Frank could join us.
Ready for your spelling test?
I'm gonna nail it.
Okay. Good luck.
My name's John Crowley.
I'm calling from Oregon,
and I got your name from the
Atlanta-area Pompe parents' group.
Yeah.
AILEEN: And I was so sorry
not to see you at the reunion
because you were one of my most
favorite people in high school.
(CHUCKLES)
Anyway, John and I
are starting this foundation.
Hey, Dad? Dad.
No, you know what I mean.
Just make it right.
Dad?
Can't you see
I'm on the phone?
Okay, well, tell me he told you.
Dad!
No, I'm gonna have
to call you back.
I can't talk. All right, bye.
Yeah, what is it?
I sold my RipStik.
Okay.
Is it enough to give to Megan
and Patrick's foundation?
Yeah, it's more than enough.
Are you John?
Yes.
Marcus Temple.
We spoke on the phone.
Right. Absolutely.
Good to see you.
All the way in from Atlanta.
Yes.
Well, this is for your foundation,
from my relatives,
friends and church group.
Oh! My goodness.
(MARCUS CHUCKLES)
JOHN:
Thank you very much.
Thanks.
Hi, Dr. Stonehill.
I'm Megan.
Hi, Megan.
I'm Dr. Stonehill.
Yeah, that's why I said,
"Hi, Dr. Stonehill."
Are you coming in or not?
Yeah, thanks.
Where's Mom and Dad?
They'll be down
in a minute.
Patrick's vent alarm is going off,
so they need to fix it.
His alarm goes off
even more than mine.
So, what's your deal?
You married?
Do you have a wife?
Uh, ex-wives. 2 of 'em.
Yeah? How come?
'Cause I'm so easy
to get along with.
Any other questions?
No. Your turn to ask one.
You're probably wondering
what grade I'm in.
What grade are you in?
I'm in 3rd.
My hobbies are video games and penguins.
How about you?
I already graduated.
No, I mean hobbies.
Oh...
Mostly I just work.
Little bass fishing
every once in a while, but...
What's your favorite subject?
I'm good at reading, but I like P.E. best,
especially the sprint races.
Sprint races?
Wanna see?
Sure.
Come on.
Is he here yet?
I don't know.
I'm gonna win!
Come on, slowpoke.
Yeah, I won!
(CHUCKLES)
I won.
Oh, yeah.
Told you I'm gonna beat you.
Hi.
Dr. Stonehill has 2 ex-wives.
I see that Megan's introduced herself.
Yeah.
How are you, Dr. Stonehill?
I'm okay, thank you.
This is Aileen, my wife.
So nice to meet you.
And John Jr.
Hello.
Here's Patrick.
Hi.
Hey, Patrick.
I think we should probably go inside.
AILEEN:
Yeah, come on inside.
Megan, we'll see you inside.
Come on.
Night, Patrick.
Good night.
Night, SpongeBob.
You gotta say good
night to Dr. Stonehill.
Kiss SpongeBob.
(SQUEAKS)
Good night.
Good night, son.
Good night, Patrick.
I'm not gonna say it again.
It is bedtime now.
It's for him.
AILEEN:
Oh.
Me?
For good luck.
For bass fishing.
Oh, thank you.
You like it?
Well, sure.
A happy-go-lucky little fellow,
lots of personality, huh?
He's a plastic toy.
I know.
JOHN:
Here's the father-daughter dance.
You haven't lived
until you've seen
Megan do the
Wheelchair Watusi.
Here you go.
Go ahead and eat
the cobbler while it's hot.
Smells great, honey.
(LAUGHS)
This was hilarious.
Bob, we went to
this dude ranch.
All right if
I call you Bob?
You got a check for
a half-million dollars,
hell, you can
call me Peggy Sue.
(CHUCKLES)
I'll just...
Well, Bob.
This is the first installment against
the promised half a million.
Tell you the truth,
that's more than I expected.
Dr. Stonehill,
we promise that...
Yeah, I know.
If... In enough time, then...
I know. I know.
You can learn a lot about a person
on the Internet these days.
Learn about a working-class kid
from New Jersey,
worked his way through
Harvard Business School,
clawing his way up the ladder
at Bristol-Myers.
But what Google
can't tell you
is that this scared, desperate,
bullshitting son of a bitch...
Wait just a minute...
Don't interrupt.
Will do and say whatever it takes
to get results.
Which is why you
and me are going
into business
together, Jersey.
Excuse me?
I'm tired of begging breadcrumbs
from the university
and giving them
the patents to my ideas.
They don't value
my work. You do,
which is why I'm
setting up my own shop.
Figure any dude
in a business suit
can help me raise venture capital
and run the company,
but who's gonna be
half as motivated as
a dad who's trying
to save his own kids?
So, this is...
So this is the shittiest offer
you're ever gonna get.
I can promise you less money,
longer hours, lousy working conditions,
plus, if we raise the money, you're
gonna have to relocate to Nebraska.
(SCOFFS)
Oh, and with
the right business plan,
I can also promise you a working
enzyme for Pompe disease.
I can't cure your kids,
you know that.
They're always
gonna be in wheelchairs,
but I think I can save their lives.
Outstanding cobbler.
AILEEN: Okay, okay.
So, we agree we can't uproot the kids.
What if Stonehill fails?
Or what if he succeeds too late
to help Megs and Patrick?
Then what?
I know.
If we're gonna
lose them young,
you want to spend every
minute you can with them.
John, that day that
you flew to Nebraska,
when you suddenly
just ditched work and...
My God, I thought you'd lost it.
You scared me.
But once we
rolled our sleeves up,
and we started fundraising and
meeting other Pompe families,
it made me feel like...
I mean, do we
just accept our fate
and do what we're told by
all the well-meaning doctors
and wait for the worst to happen,
or do we fight it?
PETE: I think you're making
a mistake. I really do.
Even if you were credible as a CEO,
which you are not,
the odds against
you are crushing.
biotechs crash and burn.
So where does that leave your kids
when their dad is flat broke
with no job and no
health insurance?
Now, if you
stay at Bristol,
the guys upstairs
are ready to put you in
the VP slot at the end of
the 3rd quarter
with a 40% salary bump.
John.
Your family's gonna need that money,
aren't they?
Pete, you're right.
This is crazy.
I'm chasing the wind.
But I can't just
sit around and wait
for my kids to die.
I can't do it.
AUTOMATED VOICE: You have
arrived at your destination.
Come on in. It's open.
Hey, there, Bob.
Hey, John.
How are you?
You have trouble finding me?
No problem.
Sit down.
Thanks.
Ex-wife. She loved cats.
Well, say, what do we...
What are we gonna do?
How about we work up a strategy
for the meeting at
Renzler next week?
We don't need to show
those guys anything.
The meeting's a formality.
George Renzler and I have known
each other since med school.
He's been telling me for years that
he'd give me the seed money
if I ever decide to make the big move
and set up my own shop.
Well, that's good.
That's good,
but, still, all the same, you know,
if we're gonna go in to pitch 'em,
we should have something tangible.
Those guys understand me.
They're real scientists.
They're not like a lot of these
big biotech moneymen.
Okay. All right, tell you what,
how about if we just talk it through,
and then that way we can just sketch up
something rough on paper?
You give it to me,
I'll make up a business plan.
JOHN:
We need to rough out a real strategy.
These guys are venture capitalists.
That rough enough for you?
Bob? Look, Renzler's
crucial to us.
Without them onboard,
we got zero credibility
with any of our investors.
That's why you're here, Jersey!
Whip up some business bullshit
by tomorrow.
I'm going fishing.
This is... This is gibberish!
Then you better get busy.
See you.
JOHN:
As you know, the market potential
for an orphan drug is enormous.
If you were still in business school,
I'd give you an A
for all these lovely
charts and graphs and...
But school is out.
Most of us here are scientists.
We need to see the science.
Bob, make us believe.
Love to, George.
(INAUDIBLE)
...the phosphotransferase and
the 2nd uncovering enzyme...
STONEHILL: At this point,
the challenge is to scale up this process
to produce kilogram
quantities of HPGAA.
And the question is
whether or not it's cost-effective
to contract this work out or to build
our own manufacturing facility.
Either way, we're gonna
eventually need
an investment on
the order of $10 million.
It's a lot of information
in a short period of time.
Does anybody
have any questions?
This is astonishing.
STONEHILL: Well, thank you, George.
This man is light years
ahead of the field.
(CHUCKLES)
Okay.
Well, why don't you have your
money guys get together with John
and work out
the business...
Sounds great.
Of course, we'll need you to explain
some of the mundane stuff, Bob,
the nuts and bolts.
Nuts and bolts? What...
RENZLER: Yeah.
You're a brilliant
theoretician,
but you've never actually
brought a new drug
to market
before, right?
No, I've never brought a drug to market.
I haven't.
(CLEARS THROAT)
I mean, for example,
how are you getting
the phosphotransferase?
I'm purifying it out of
a lactating bovine udder.
I see. And where are
you getting the udders?
From the stockyards.
Pretty straightforward stuff.
Not really.
You can't inject cow
protein into people.
I know that.
The bovine version
of the enzyme
is for lab work,
for proof of concept.
I'll make a copy of the human enzyme
for actual drug trials.
What about uncovering enzyme?
What about it?
How exactly do you plan
on making an exact replica?
I'm making it in T-293,
out of human kidney cells.
Oh, my goodness. No.
"Oh, my goodness. No?"
No. The FDA will
never allow that.
Hey, Bob, just...
Wait a second.
For Christ's sake, we will change
the cell line before clinical trials.
You've gotta have
that process locked down
long, long before
you think about...
Bob, why don't we just
take a coffee break...
Why are you
talking to me this way?
I don't want any goddamn coffee.
Bob, can you just tell us
how you're planning to make
the 3 enzymes under
FDA-approved GMP in...
I'm not here to cross every "t"
and dot every "i", George.
And I'm not here to
be poked and prodded
like a 1st-year med student.
This is ridiculous.
Bob.
This is bullshit.
RENZLER:
Bob.
Bob, if you can't
answer a question,
you say you're
working out the details.
You don't storm out
on these guys
like some sort of
spoiled child, okay?
Now, we're gonna
go back in there.
No, I'm not going
back in there.
We're going back in there.
This is business, Bob. It's not personal.
That was personal.
Stonehill goes and completely
sabotages the meeting.
Thank you.
I mean, he completely blew my plan,
right out of the gate.
Okay, I get that
he's a loose cannon,
but do you still
believe in his science?
Honey, if I don't raise
$10 million in capital,
his science doesn't
matter. At all.
What's going on
with his arm?
Hey, buddy, you okay?
You all right?
I can't throw them anymore.
When did this happen?
I don't know.
You should help him, Daddy.
That's a good idea.
Okay, here we go. You ready?
Into the water.
That was a good shot.
We can do better than that.
Try again.
Let's make, like, a little pellet.
Here, ducky, ducky.
(ALL LAUGHING)
Let's do it again.
Ready? 1, 2, 3.
Give me another piece, John.
(CHUCKLING)
Oh.
I can just throw them.
And you do all the laughing,
and I'll do all the throwing.
JOHN:
That's good, the ducky shared.
Did you see that?
PATRICK: Yeah.
John?
We're out of time.
I know.
He doesn't have the strength to
throw a piece of bread to a duck.
It scares the hell out of me.
Me, too.
John, what are you doing?
I'm offering Renzler
a deal he can't turn down.
Excuse me.
Morning. Dr. Renzler?
Dr. Renzler?
Sir, good morning.
John Crowley.
Crowley?
Yes, sir.
What are you doing here?
Good morning.
Good morning.
I understand from
your secretary that
you're going to be
leaving for France
for a month.
That's right.
I have a proposal for you,
and I was hopeful
that you could
take a look at it.
We're running
late for a flight.
I appreciate that. It'll only take a second,
just to have a quick read.
Fine. I'll read it in the car.
It might interest you.
Good, thank you.
Does Stonehill know about this?
Of course.
And he's okay with these terms?
All I need is your signature.
Hello?
I just need some place
Where I can lay my head
Bob.
Bob.
(KNOCKING ON WINDOW)
JOHN:
Bob!
Over here.
Bob.
Ow!
Bob!
(THE WEIGHT PLAYING)
Hi. Bob.
What'd you do to yourself?
I got the investment from Renzler.
You what?
Listen, I want you to
think about something
before you read that.
What the hell is this?
Under the circumstances, this is
the best deal that we could ever get.
This isn't a deal.
This is the terms of our surrender, for...
Renzler comes in for
a couple million now,
and you give him the option
of jumping in as a full partner later?
Well, after sabotaging our meeting,
I had to do something dramatic.
And you promise him we'll be
in clinical trials in a year?
We can do this, Bob.
All right?
We work harder, we push ourselves,
we work around the clock.
I already work around the clock!
Why don't you just give 'em
my balls in a jelly jar?
There's no other way I could get
them to come back to the table.
Who needs the bastards anyway!
Without Renzler,
there's no reason for us
to even think about
other venture groups.
Fine! Then I won't think about
other venture groups!
Great!
Spend the rest of
your life dreaming up
great ideas that
don't get funded.
Draw brilliant diagrams on the wall
that cure diseases in theory,
but never help a single
human being in reality.
What'd you do?
Let me see it.
It's just barely...
Let me see.
Put pressure on it.
Got your blood
all over this thing.
Want me to add a drop of mine,
make it official?
Or would a
signature suffice?
Bob?
(THE WEIGHT CONTINUES PLAYING)
I picked up my bag
I went lookin' for
a place to hide
When I saw Carmen and
the Devil walkin' side by side
I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on,
let's go downtown."
She said, "I gotta go,
but my friend can stick around"
Take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free
I'm not paying a dollar more
than 22,000 a unit, okay?
I'm not doing it.
Hi, Bob.
These guys
make me feel old.
Scientists get all sensible and
careful when they get old.
Young ones like risk,
not afraid of new ideas,
and you can pay 'em less.
We all believe in Bob Stonehill's
bold vision, otherwise
you wouldn't be here.
But to reach clinical
trials inside of a year,
I'm gonna have to ask you
to commit to a brutal schedule.
Ladies and gentlemen,
reset your watches to Priozyme Time.
How long?
Well, if you can get it any quicker,
that'd be good.
NILES:
I'll try.
MAN:
Come on.
STONEHILL: Vinh, check the breakers.
VINH: Got it.
(SWITCH CLICKING)
VINH:
No, the whole building's out.
Well, get the backup
generator going.
We...
Wait, wait, wait.
STONEHILL: You never bothered
to buy a backup generator?
We're in the middle
of tornado country,
for Christ's sake!
Yeah, so I'm a meteorologist?
If I don't have my
refrigeration back
in 45 minutes,
I lose the whole cell line.
It was never in the budget.
We never had the money for it.
I'm sorry, sir.
Your card, it's been denied.
What?
It got maxed out. I bought
the roller bottle unit for the lab.
Shit, I...
Just pay me back by the end of the month,
or I lose my apartment.
Hi, here you go. Thanks.
Yes!
Yes!
DRIVER:
Sir.
Thank you.
Fiona's in Mexico this week.
They've got pyramids there.
Mmm-hmm.
She's still got lots of things to see
before she gets to Antarctica.
Yeah.
She's gonna chop up all the
penguins with an ax.
And feed their bloody remains
to the walruses.
I see.
What?
Every time you come home for the weekend,
you don't even listen to me.
Megs.
You know what,
you're right. I'm sorry.
It's just that
I've been so busy
trying to make the special medicine
for you and Patrick.
I want it pink.
You want what?
The special medicine.
I want it to be pink.
Okay. I guess I can
ask Dr. Stonehill.
Tell him dark pink,
like this.
Not light pink.
That's for babies.
Okay.
SCIENTIST:
Here you go.
Dr. Renzler, be reasonable.
The company is only 6 months old,
and we are making great progress
towards in vivo testing.
I don't know.
The way the company is burning money...
Well, we've got to get
a leg up on the competition.
You know that Zymagen has far
more spending power than we do.
So, what you're saying,
I should have invested in Zymagen.
No, what I'm saying is, is that
we've got to beat 'em to the punch.
Either that, or scare
them into buying us out.
Well, you're scaring us investors
a hell of a lot more than
you're scaring Zymagen.
You sell the company
to Zymagen,
you're in clinical trials
by the end of the fiscal year,
or we pull the plug and cut our losses.
Goodbye.
Hello?
This construct's
looking pretty good,
but we gotta get
better cleavage
between the alpha
and the beta subunits.
Well, what if we
add a furin site
like the one in
uncovering enzyme?
Why would you wanna do that?
Doesn't it have its own...
We need to talk.
I'm busy.
You're always busy.
You always wanna talk.
Yeah, we could add furin and try
and cleave it before purification.
(CLEARS THROAT)
What are you doing?
Giving you a preview...
Guys, would you
excuse us for a minute?
of what's going to happen if we
are not in clinical trials in 4 months.
Our investors will
turn out the lights.
Science takes time, Jersey.
Don't they understand?
Yeah, they do.
They can read the Wall Street Journal.
They see that Zymagen is testing
They're testing 3 'cause they don't
know what the hell they're doing.
I'm testing one 'cause it's the right one!
I know. I believe you, Bob.
Why else do you think
I put up with all your shit?
Look.
I want you to go toe-to-toe
with Zymagen's scientists.
Prove to them that
your enzyme is best.
I can do that.
That's the reason I've entered
into conversations with them
to buy our company.
You're telling me?
You're not asking me?
Oh, come on, Bob.
I am just being fiscally responsible.
Nobody is gonna tell me
how to run my lab!
If I can engineer a deal,
and that is a really big "if,"
you're going to
have to forgive me
for all the money
I'm gonna make you.
I don't care about money.
I'm a scientist. I care about
more important things than that.
Don't you tell me about more
important things to care about.
Do the math.
Either we sell the company
and get a huge cash infusion,
or the investors
will shut us down.
Where you going?
I'm gonna go take a crap,
if that meets with your fiscal approval.
What, they can't drive from
the airport like ordinary people?
Bob, we need to
make this happen.
They're gonna ask us
some tough questions.
Don't take 'em personally, all right?
All right?
STONEHILL: These lab results confirm
what I've been preaching for years,
that phosphorylation is key
to enzyme absorption.
My theory works for Pompe,
and eventually it'll work for
enzyme replacement therapies
for other lysosomal
storage disorders.
Is it too complicated?
Too complicated?
The number of
variables built into
your approach
are mind-boggling.
I mean, Jesus,
if you get even one piece wrong
in the synthesis,
just one carbohydrate
ends up in the wrong position...
Well, it's gotta be done right,
like anything worth doing.
You've never actually gotten
a drug approved.
Isn't it naive to
think you can solve
these kinds of
manufacturing challenges?
(MOUTHING)
You're right, I'm a theory guy.
My head is in the clouds.
Which is why we need you.
Unless, of course,
your reputation for solving
protein-manufacturing
problems is undeserved.
(CHUCKLES)
Nice one.
I still need to hear
about profitability.
JOHN:
Certainly, certainly.
As you know, this is not a one-time
treatment. It's a lifelong therapy.
And these patients,
they are going to
generate revenue
over the span of
their lifetime that is...
But even if you
make a usable enzyme,
clearly it won't work for all patients.
So, what survival rate do we need
to achieve a robust profit?
What rate of patient death
can be defined as acceptable loss?
Acceptable loss?
I understand the question.
Because the profit margins
on this orphan drug
are so incredibly high, the...
Even with
a mortality rate of,
say, 25% over 5 years still indicates
that there is a highly lucrative
revenue source to be realized.
Gentlemen, we have a deal.
Dr. Robert Stonehill
to see Barry Renee.
GUARD: I have a Dr. Robert Stonehill
to see Dr. Renee.
Sir, you need to be cleared.
I'm just gonna use the restroom.
You need to be cleared to do that, sir.
Just need to...
You need a security badge.
Jesus.
Well, can I have a security badge
so I can go take a pee?
Yes, sir.
He will give that to you.
Hey, Bob.
Hey, John.
You getting comfortable?
Define "comfortable."
You haven't cashed it yet?
I haven't earned it yet.
I'll cash it when we
have a usable enzyme.
Well, it sure is beautiful.
(KIDS SHOUTING)
It sure is big.
The kids love it.
Seize the day.
Okay.
(SPEAKING IN FRENCH)
I'm stuck on this call.
Just wanted to let
you know how thrilled
we are to have
you onboard, John.
It's an honor.
You remember Dr. Kent Webber.
Of course.
It's good to see you again.
Good to see you, too.
I'll let the 2 of you get into it.
I'm expecting great things.
Yes, sir.
(SPEAKING IN FRENCH)
I've got some pretty good ideas
about how to help
the flow of information
between the 4 core enzyme groups.
Whoa, John, slow down.
That's not our established procedure.
Pardon me?
The 4 core teams are essentially
in competition with each other.
It's an entrepreneurial
model. It works.
I'm all for competition,
but surely there must be some channel
for allowing sharing
scientific insights
that can help develop
all 4 enzymes.
John, in the interest of saving us time,
let me be blunt.
Most of the scientists
here don't like the idea
of having a non-scientist
as senior VP of the Pompe program.
Especially one whose objectivity
might be clouded by having children
with the disease.
I'm telling you this in your own
best interests.
Erich wanted to buy
Stonehill's ideas,
and he couldn't do
that without also
swallowing you as
part of the pill.
My advice to you, John,
is to keep your head down.
Thank you for that wisdom.
You're very welcome.
SCIENTIST: All of your lab notebooks must
be submitted to the review committee!
STONEHILL:
This is my lab now! Get out!
I'm just trying to
explain the protocol!
STONEHILL:
You're wasting my time.
Dr. Stonehill...
Shoo!
Fine.
Shoo.
What do you want?
I just dropped by
to say that I think
that we might be
missing an opportunity
to open a dialogue with
the other 3 core teams.
The other core teams?
Core teams.
Core bullshit.
I'll come back another time.
DR. WALDMAN: The decline in muscle
strength is very troubling, of course,
but it's really,
in both kids,
the organ enlargement, the liver,
and especially the heart,
that's the real
threat to their lives.
We'll continue to monitor
the rate of cardiac enlargement.
We'll keep tabs on
their other organs...
How long?
I don't like to predict.
JOHN: Please.
Dr. Waldman,
we won't hold you to it.
We just need to
know something.
John.
How much more time do we have?
How long?
Well,
if there's another respiratory crisis,
all bets are off,
but otherwise,
Megan, maybe a year.
Patrick, less.
Thank you.
(PHONE RINGING)
WENDY: Marcus.
Hmm?
Get the phone.
What?
The phone.
Who is it?
MARCUS:
Hello?
Hi. Is that Marcus?
Yeah, yeah.
What time is it?
Yeah, I'm sorry. It's late.
It's John Crowley.
John, what you doin'?
You okay?
(SIGHS)
Hey, look,
I gotta ask you a favor.
Morning, Gavin.
Morning, sir.
Is my 11:00 with
Henessey confirmed?
Yes, and there's the breakfast
meeting down in the cafeteria.
Breakfast meeting?
There was an e-mail that
came in over the weekend.
Everyone on the Pompe
project was invited.
Who called the meeting?
Mr. Crowley, I believe, sir.
What?
AILEEN: Um, something
that people ask me all the time
is how we have 2 kids with Pompe.
By the time we realized
that Megan had Pompe,
I was already pregnant
with Patrick.
I mean, I can't tell you
how many doctors we saw,
and the message
was always the same,
that there is no drug
to treat Pompe.
But thanks to you, all of you,
that message is changing.
What you've given us,
and a lot of other families, is hope.
So, thank you.
Good job, Aileen.
Now I'd like to
welcome the Temple family,
who've come all the way from Georgia
to be with us here today.
Thanks, John.
Hi.
I'm Marcus.
This is my wife, Wendy.
Our daughter Lauren,
our oldest daughter,
Lauren wanted to come today
and say hi to all you guys.
She's a little weak,
but she wanted us to show
you guys her picture
and to send you her love.
And this is our daughter, Megan.
The most beautiful
girls are named Megan.
Megan is 4 months old,
and you can't see it yet,
but she has Pompe, too.
I...
I can't tell you what it means to us
to have all of you working on
a medicine for our children.
Thank you.
Thanks so much.
Hey, Kent.
John.
JOHN:
So what did you think of the event?
In medical research, John,
objectivity is key.
If researchers get all emotional,
all desperate to help suffering patients,
they'll cut corners.
It's counterproductive.
Counterproductive is having
working together
on the same disease,
but not talking to each other.
Most of these guys have never even
seen a kid with Pompe before.
I don't see how
that's relevant.
Did you see Erich? That's the kind
of motivation that we need.
I'm gonna ask him
to get the core team
to stop competing,
start working together.
Create a leadership team.
Well, if you hope to sell
this leadership team idea,
there's only one
way to convince Erich.
And what's that?
Keep your guy,
Stonehill, off the team.
In his short tenure here,
he's managed to alienate
a remarkable number
of colleagues.
You can't put him on a team that's
supposed to build cooperation.
So, decide how badly
you want your leadership team,
then do what you have to do.
(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
That's it.
Dr. Stonehill, please.
Turn it down. Yes.
Yes, the music.
(VOLUME INCREASES)
I said down!
This guy's impossible.
I like that song.
JOHN:
Hey.
What's up, John?
Everything all right at home?
Yeah.
Have you heard that Erich Loring
has agreed to put together
a leadership team?
Yeah, I heard some rumor about it.
What bullshit.
Now I'm gonna have to spend
a couple of hours a week
jawin' with Zymagen guys?
No.
No. No, you won't, 'cause
I'm not putting you on the team.
What'd you say?
I really wanted to.
You're not putting me on the team?
Is that what you said?
What are you,
some varsity track coach?
They didn't buy our company
'cause they like your
Ivy League charm, Jersey.
It's me they wanted.
You can't bench me.
It's against the laws of nature.
You're still gonna be able to
prove that your theory is right.
Yeah, but other
scientists are gonna
evaluate my results,
right? Not me.
Everyone here
reveres your science.
This is about
interpersonal issues.
Who put you up to this?
The decision was mine.
It's for the overall
good of the program.
"For the overall
good of the program."
Wow, John, you really got
the corporate lingo down good.
What's next, "Acceptable loss?"
JOHN JR.:
No.
JOHN: Does anybody really
know how to do this?
Except for us.
But wait, who's going?
MEGAN:
It's John's turn still.
(KIDS EXCLAIMING)
Nice one.
(PHONE RINGING)
Okay. I'll get it.
Nice one, Megs.
Hello? Marcus, hi.
Oh, my God.
PATRICK:
Aw, man. I almost got 'em down.
You guys sit tight, okay?
Here, John, grab him.
If there is anything we can do,
anything at all,
will you call?
Okay. We love
you guys so much.
Okay, bye-bye.
Aileen.
That was Marcus Temple.
Lauren...
She...
He said she went in her sleep,
that it was peaceful.
JOHN JR.:
How old is she?
How old was Lauren?
Lauren was 9 years old.
Come here.
JOHN: That way, we can be certain that
we're developing the correct one.
Forget certainty,
and let's try and figure out
which enzyme has
the better odds.
If we develop
only one enzyme,
what would happen
if we guessed the wrong one?
Mr. Crowley, I've asked Kent
to set up a testing protocol
to help us guess right.
We'll do an exhaustive
range of tests.
I'm calling it
"The Mother of All Experiments."
(ALL CHUCKLING)
The 4 enzymes
will be color-coded,
yellow, blue,
green and magenta,
and known only by
those color codes
so no researcher will know
which one he's testing.
Only after we pick a winner,
the secret identity will be revealed.
GIRL:
Come on, Megan!
GIRL:
But I want to!
JOHN:
Just roll your wrist.
I can't.
It's okay. It's all right.
Let's try another one.
Okay. Let's try again. Ready?
Ready?
(KIDS CHEERING)
Big winner!
Yay!
Here you go, look at that.
You got a penguin.
(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
JOHN:
Hey, Bob. Bob.
How you doin'?
I brought you some ribs.
Not as good as the ones
from The Corner Saloon,
but if you're hungry...
(MUSIC STOPS)
What do you want?
The results.
"Mother of All Experiments."
Well,
which enzyme did they choose?
The leadership team spent
the whole afternoon arguing.
are ahead of the others,
but it's too close to call.
Tomorrow, we spend
the day hashing it out
to decide which one to choose.
Bob. I'm asking you to read this.
I value your opinion more than
anyone else in the world.
Well, maybe you should have valued
my opinion a little sooner,
instead of playing hatchet man
for the bean counters.
Get the hell out of my lab.
It's in your interest
to know about this, Bob.
Get out.
Wouldn't it benefit you...
Get out.
The green enzyme's the best.
Show 'em my analysis, they'll understand.
Hey, wait up, Bob.
Is the green enzyme yours?
I recognize patterns
in the results.
I'd know my baby
a mile away.
So the green one is yours?
No.
No, it's not.
My theory is still the best,
but it's not ready for manufacture.
Theirs is crude and uninspired,
but it's ready.
Bob, I don't even know
the words to say thank you.
Don't bother.
I didn't do it for you.
JOHN JR.:
Yes, it is!
Oh, my gosh.
Do you see the kite up there?
Yeah.
That's so cool!
JOHN:
Annie, careful!
Building a bastion.
AILEEN:
Right there. Yeah.
(PHONE RINGING)
Okay!
Dad, like...
Ready?
Dad, you promised
no more phone calls.
I know. I know I did, but...
What's in there?
We can take turns burying
the phone when I get back.
Okay! I'll start digging a hole.
You hold that for a sec.
John Crowley.
John, it's Kent Weber.
Kent, hey. Did you get my suggested
protocol for the clinical trials?
Yeah.
You made some pretty
optimistic assumptions
about where our
enzyme supply will be.
I see.
Well, what do you think
that a more realistic...
John, I'll give to you straight.
The clinical trial
will be for infants only.
(EXCLAIMS)
Infants need so
much less enzyme,
and, as you know,
our initial supply will be so limited.
And the drug has much higher
odds of being effective
with infants than
with older children.
We have to consult Erich on this.
We have to consult Erich.
I already did. He confirmed
the decision. Infants only.
I understand your
personal reasons for...
(SIGHS)
These decisions have to be
made objectively, rationally.
I'm sorry. I...
I really am.
(ENGINE STARTING)
(ELECTRONIC WHIRRING)
GUARD:
Hold it, pal.
Mr. Crowley, what are you
doin' in here?
I was just...
You're not authorized.
No... I can
explain everything.
What's the matter, Chuck?
Is there a problem?
Yeah, there's a problem. I got
Mr. Crowley in here without clearance.
That's my fault, now.
I got busy in the lab,
I sent Jersey boy here
to get me a couple
jugs of enzyme.
Sorry.
Thanks, Chuck.
Thanks for saving my ass.
It's really big of you,
especially after what
went down between us.
You mean your ruthless,
cold-hearted betrayal?
Yeah, well, when I thought
about it from your point of view...
Shit, if it was my
kids dying, I wouldn't
have hesitated to
crush you like a bug.
Do you remember
when we first met,
and you told me that
I should stop chasing miracles
and should go home
and enjoy my kids,
while they're still here?
Yeah. I made the wrong choice.
Jersey, you know
what a sibling study is?
No.
It's a drug trial with just 2 patients
with the same genetic inheritance.
Siblings, with the same disease.
Megs and Patrick.
Well, would Zymagen
go for something like this?
There's real research value in it.
And with just two patients,
it wouldn't take much enzyme.
But Webber would
have to sign off on it.
Well, let's not tell him till
we've got our ducks in a row.
I could draw up a protocol
and see if I can find
a hospital willing
to administer it.
Bob.
Well, don't get your hopes up, kid.
It's a Hail Mary.
(READING)
Ducks in a row.
"Stonehill, careful review,
protocol, Sibling Trial, 146,
"are pleased to inform you
Megan Crowley and Patrick
"have been accepted
into the trial!"
I just got it.
Quack, quack, quack.
Have you talked to him yet?
No. I did the science.
You make the sale.
Thank you.
Good luck.
Right.
Does he have about 5?
RECEPTIONIST: He does, yeah.
Thanks.
No problem, Mr. Crowley.
Hey, Kent? Knock-knock.
Got a minute?
Kent?
Do you have any idea what you've done?
Excuse me?
We got a call this morning from
Portland Rose Hospital,
about sending them
enzyme for your kids?
Right. Yeah, I know.
That's what I'm here to talk to you about.
You and Stonehill set this up behind
my back. Now you come to me.
It's all tentative.
You want this company
to sponsor a drug study,
for 2 children whose father
is an executive of this company?
Have you never heard the term
"conflict of interest?"
It has nothing to do with a...
Do you know what the FDA
would do if they found out?
There is strong scientific justification
for this study.
There is great research value.
I'm a doctor, John.
I know the research value!
But you guys just can't go off
half-cocked without consulting us!
And I'm sure that if we just go
and talk to Erich, we can...
Erich already knows.
He's furious about
being blindsided.
I didn't try to
blindside anyone.
This is the reason why
we have a reporting structure,
why we have established procedure,
why there is protocol.
You heartless,
bloodless machine.
You just have to fight me every step
of the way! Don't you?
You just hated it
when I brought
the kids with Pompe
to the doorstep!
You weren't thinking
about those kids
when you put your
children into that program
and jeopardized
a decade's worth of
research investment
made by this company!
This is not about
a return on an investment!
It's about kids,
kids with names, dreams,
families that love them.
You've jeopardized
your chances
of ever getting
your kids treated.
(SLAMMING)
(SHOUTING)
I'm not arguing
science with you!
On every level!
On every level, you've stood...
(TAPPING ON DOOR)
I was just drafting a letter of
apology for senior management,
but I guess we're
past that point.
I just spoke to Erich, and we are
terminating your employment.
Okay, I'll pack
up my stuff.
Just one thing, John.
I may well be a tight-ass
pencil-pushing company man,
but I resent being
called heartless.
Look...
Just let me finish.
The reason we're terminating
your employment,
is to eliminate the
conflict of interest.
This strategy was
brought to my attention
by our colleague,
Dr. Stonehill,
in rather crude terms.
This will allow the sibling trial
to proceed
for its purely
scientific value.
Ah.
Have your desk cleared out
by the end of the day.
Kent, what's with the...
Oh...
I wanted to make
sure you didn't
punch me out before
I could tell you.
Well, um...
...thank you very
much for firing me.
My pleasure.
I never liked you.
Likewise.
Hey, you guys,
bring anything you want extra...
Mom! Mom!
What?
Can I bring the bow and arrow?
Yes, yes.
Hey!
(CHUCKLES)
John, what...
What?
We have a usable enzyme
that's ready for clinical trials.
When? When will it be ready?
Megs and Patrick start their infusions
before the end of this month.
Oh, my God.
Yeah.
Oh, my God.
John.
Hey, John, Daddy's here.
Oh, hi, guys.
JOHN JR.: Hey, Dad.
Why is Mommy sad?
Not sad, baby, so happy.
So happy.
Why is Mommy being so weird?
Well, it's because
we got the special medicine
for you, Megs,
and for you, Patrick,
and you're gonna
get it really soon.
(GASPS) JOHN JR.:
That's great!
So, who wants to
push the button?
JOHN:
Megs, Patrick, you ready?
When will we know if it's working?
It'll be a while, honey.
It's not pink.
Excuse me?
Your Uncle Bobby is here.
Huh?
I don't know.
You can go back if you like.
Okay.
John.
Uncle Bobby.
They wouldn't let me in
unless I was family.
Some things for the kids.
Thanks.
Sleeping, huh?
Hey, thanks for coming.
I'm a scientist.
Gotta track the experiment.
JOHN: I wish your enzyme was
the one that passed the test.
But the one the kids are getting,
it's the right one, right? I mean...
It's gonna help them.
Yeah, you guys have done
everything humanly possible.
We just have to see
what the tests show.
JOHN:
You and I have had our differences,
and I just want you
to know something.
I want you to know that...
Yeah.
Don't interrupt.
Okay.
I want you to know
that I appreciate everything
that you've done
for Megs and Patrick,
and I'm never gonna forget it
for the rest of my life.
Not gonna kiss me, is he?
I will restrain him.
Don't tempt me.
PATRICK: Daddy loves SpongeBob,
Daddy loves SpongeBob.
(BOTH LAUGHING)
MEGAN: Stop!
PATRICK: Daddy loves SpongeBob.
Guys?
(CHUCKLES)
What's going on?
What's so funny?
(CHUCKLES)
What are you laughing at?
What are you laughing at?
Sugar.
It's a sugar high.
The enzyme's breaking down
the sugar in their muscles.
The medicine's working?
Yeah.
John.
Megs!
Hi.
(KIDS CONTINUE LAUGHING)
(CHUCKLING)
(CHANGE THE WORLD PLAYING)
AILEEN: John, drive safe!
JOHN JR.: Enjoy the ride!
Rock and roll!
Bye! Have fun.
Bye!
So you could see the truth
That this love I have inside
Is everything it seems
But for now I find
It's only in my dreams
That I can change the world
I would be the sunlight
in your universe
You would think my love
was really something good
Yes!
Yeah! Yeah!
Change the world
Baby, if I could change
The world
Hi there.
Hi.
So glad to see you.
Kathy, could you take that?
Thank you.
JOHN:
It's my job to market this drug for
Bristol-Myers, and I'm telling you,
kids won't go for it unless
it tastes like bubble gum.
Mr. Crowley, you're late.
All right.
Thank you. Bye.
AILEEN:
"Everyone just walked by.
"'Why won't anyone buy our newspaper?'
SpongeBob wondered aloud.
"'They must be rock haters,
' said Patrick."
MEGAN:
John! Give it back to me!
JOHN JR.:
She's mine now!
Give me a minute, okay?
Give it back to me, John!
You save our spot. Got it?
You better give me
back my Fiona!
Help, Mom!
Help me! She's trying to kill me!
I'm gonna get you!
You can't escape!
No! Mom, help me!
(GIGGLES)
Just give it back to me.
Mom! She's trying to kill me!
Megan Kathryn Crowley.
If you kill your brother,
you cannot have your party.
Why not? He stole Fiona.
I didn't steal her, I kidnapped her.
I'm holding her for ransom.
Release the victim.
(GRUNTS)
Time to get ready for your party.
JOHN: We've got to get
moving on the product launch.
PETE ON PHONE:
I'm just waiting on legal, John.
Damn it!
I just missed my train.
I'm gonna have to call you...
I agree.
How soon do you need it?
As soon as possible.
I'm presenting to my boss next week.
AILEEN: John, we're loading up
the van right now. Come on!
Okay, we ready to roll, Kate?
My name is Jane.
Kate was yesterday, Mom.
Oh, I am so sorry.
The way the agency
shuffles day nurses on us,
you'd think they'd, you know,
give you a number instead of a name.
Mmm-hmm.
Okay, John.
John, come on, get
your butt in the car.
John.
Are you bringing your RipStik?
Yes.
Do you have to?
Yes.
JOHN: ...a pain, that's why.
Wait, I gotta catch a cab.
Hi. Come here.
Hey, hey. Hello?
Daddy's meeting
us there, right?
AILEEN:
Absolutely.
I am sure he has
everything under control.
JOHN:
Taxi!
DRIVER:
You need a hand?
Great. I'm sorry,
I'm sorry. I'm kind of in a hurry.
Go.
Come on, come on, come on...
(KIDS CHEERING)
Yes!
KIDS:
Yes!
He totally promised
he'd be here by now.
He's on his way, baby.
He's on his way.
ALL:
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday, dear Megan
Hi, guys.
(LAUGHING)
Get in there and give her a kiss.
I know.
I don't wanna hear it...
Go, go, go.
Happy birthday.
I made it.
Yay!
ALL: Yay!
Make a wish, Megan.
(KIDS CHEERING)
Who wants cake?
KIDS:
I do!
Line up single file,
or no cake for you.
All right,
how many do we have?
I'm first!
Me first!
No, I'm the big guy.
GIRL:
Back to the end of the line.
So, where is Fiona
going, anyway?
Lollipop Land?
I'm 8, Daddy.
I'm not a baby anymore.
She's driving to Antarctica
to see the penguins.
Really?
That's pretty far away.
Why doesn't she just go
to the Portland Zoo?
They have a lot of
penguins there, too.
Haven't you ever
heard of adventure?
Yeah.
It's gonna take her years.
Oh?
Won't she need a suitcase?
It's an adventure. You don't
need a suitcase on an adventure.
Well, I don't know about you,
but if I was going on an adventure,
I would take a suitcase.
That's 'cause you're a businessman.
That's right. I am.
And you're 8 years old.
And happy birthday. And I love you.
Love you, too, Daddy.
Good night.
See you in the morning.
Good night.
Nighty-night.
Sweet dreams.
Good night, Dad.
Good night, Daddy.
Night, buddy.
(PHONE RINGING)
(TRUCKIN' PLAYING)
One of these days
they know they gotta get goin'
Out of the door and
down on the street all alone
Truckin',
like the do-dah man
Once told me
"You've got to play your hand"
Sometimes the cards
ain't worth a damn
If you don't lay 'em down
(PHONE CONTINUES RINGING)
Hello?
JOHN ON PHONE: Hello, Dr. Stonehill?
Are you there? Hello?
Yeah.
This is John Crowley.
I don't know if you've gotten
any of my messages.
Who?
John...
Jesus.
I'm interested in
speaking with you.
I understand from
many researchers...
having a conversation
with you if that's convenient.
Is this a good time to talk?
Dr. Stonehill? Hello?
Asshole.
"Asshole?"
AILEEN: The night nurse
just left.
What time is it?
I missed you.
This is pathetic.
I'm still dressed.
I could help you with that.
Oh?
(AILEEN MOANING)
Oh my...Kate!
Hi! You're early.
You're early.
Have you met...
I'm John Crowley.
John is my husband.
Glad to hear it.
JOHN:
Mmm-hmm.
(MECHANICAL BEEPING)
AILEEN: Yeah, let's up her
breathing treatments today.
What's going on?
Just a cold.
She's awfully congested.
Call the doc just to
be on the safe side?
AILEEN:
Yeah, I left word.
Sweetie? I'm gonna
go to work, okay?
Feel better.
Bye-bye.
PETE: We're already doing great
marketing the drug to physicians.
It's our direct marketing to patients
we need to beef up.
Mr. Crowley, I'm really sorry.
Aileen's on the line,
she really needs to speak to you.
Okay, thank you.
I'm just gonna... Hey.
We're at the hospital.
The doc wants Megan under observation.
Is she all right?
Just keep
your cell with you.
Okay. Can I do something?
I'll call you when I know more.
I should really get back to Megan,
so I'll call you
as soon as I
know anything, okay?
Bye. Love you.
Excuse me, please.
WOMAN: Sir?
My daughter, Megan Crowley,
was brought in for observation.
Yeah. Actually,
they're moving her to the ICU.
Where?
That way.
Aileen.
John.
Has she told you
about the trip
that Fiona's taking with her
remote-controlled car?
Yeah, yes, she did.
You're right. That's right, sweetie.
You're gonna see all the penguins,
aren't you?
She might send some postcards
or something like that.
Lots of good stuff to see along the way...
It's okay.
like icebergs and
maybe a polar bear.
How about some seals?
DR. PRESTON: As you know,
Pompe patients suffer muscle deterioration
in every part of the body,
so this sort of respiratory
complication, well,
that's just an inevitable
fact of the disease.
Mr. Crowley, Mrs. Crowley,
Megan is not
responding well.
Okay? Now, we've done everything
we can, but she's just...
There's nothing more
we can do. I'm sorry.
As you know, she was already
well past the life expectancy,
for, you know, Pompe kids.
After all, it's not
just her lungs, okay?
Her heart, her liver,
these organs have been compromised
and would've
become fatally enlarged.
Now, I wish that we had a drug
to treat Pompe,
but we simply don't.
I'm so very sorry.
Look, maybe...
Maybe you can find
some small comfort
in knowing that Megan's
suffering will be over.
Maybe you can see
this as a blessing.
(WHEEZING)
(ALARM BEEPING)
Megan?
Help!
Help! Help!
AILEEN: Megan?
JOHN:
Help! Help!
Baby girl, can you hear me?
Please, someone come help!
NURSE 1: 321!
Megan Crowley, room 321, please!
Code Blue!
Baby girl, Mama's here, all right?
Let's go! Page Dr. Heder.
NURSE 1: Asystole!
Yeah, right through here.
AILEEN: Can you hear my voice?
Can you hear Mama?
DOCTOR 1:
Starting compressions.
NURSE 2:
I'll switch her out.
Over here, please quickly.
AILEEN: Hang in there, Megan.
Hang in there, baby, okay?
I need to bag her.
JOHN: Aileen?
Some room right there.
DOCTOR 2:
Let us in, all right?
Please, Mrs. Crowley, let...
Stop it!
Let us help her!
Please... Megan!
Aileen.
DOCTOR 2: Epinephrine, 0.1 mils per kig.
NURSE 1: Got it.
DOCTOR 1:
Still no pulse. No reading.
Forget the weight, come on,
get it in there! Aileen, Aileen.
NURSE 1: 0.1 epi.
It's all right.
Come on, Megs.
Come on. Come on. IV push.
DOCTOR 1: Okay, just give
the epi a couple seconds.
NURSE 1:
Still non-responsive.
All right, charge the defib.
NURSE 3: Charging.
Your daughter
is some fighter.
She's gonna be okay.
Oh, my God.
Now, look, she's still a very
sick girl, obviously,
but her vital
signs have improved
and I'm cautiously optimistic.
So, I guess you could say
we dodged that blessing, huh?
Mrs. Crowley,
these came for Megan.
Thanks so much. Thank you.
PETE: Hey, John?
Huh?
Any time you're ready, man.
You gonna tell us
about the product launch?
John, you okay?
I have to go.
John.
Where you going?
Nebraska.
Excuse me, please.
There's a gentleman here to see you.
Best make yourself
comfortable, hon.
Oh, dear.
Sir, sir. That's Dr. Stonehill.
He just left, I'm sorry.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Dr. Stonehill!
Hey, Dr. Stonehill!
(SPORTSCASTERS
CHATTERING ON TV)
Dr. Stonehill?
Yeah?
I'm John Crowley.
Okay.
Didn't you get any of my messages?
What messages?
I left you 3 or 4 messages
in the last month,
and you even hung up
on me the night before last.
What the hell are you talking about?
I never hung up on you.
Dr. Stonehill,
Oh, Jesus.
Well, I'm sorry.
A terrible disease,
but, hell, you shouldn't have
come all this way
without talking to me.
I do research, son.
I don't see patients.
Well, it's your research
that I'm interested in.
I've read all the journal articles
on Pompe disease,
and all the researchers
out there say that
your work holds
the most promise.
Get to the point, son.
What do you want from me?
We almost lost my
daughter last week.
I need to hear
about your research.
STONEHILL: Your kids have
a genetic disease.
They're missing an enzyme
which metabolizes a certain kind
of sugar, glycogen.
It's defective
in Pompe patients.
So, this sugar builds up
in the muscle cells,
especially in the heart,
the skeletal muscles, the diaphragm,
which is why they have
a hard time breathing.
Yeah, I know.
I know a lot about that.
Everybody's making
an enzyme,
but you can infuse kids all day long
with their enzyme,
and it's not
gonna do any good
'cause it's not gonna
get into their cells.
Understand what I'm saying?
Yeah, so that means that
if you put the sugar...
Don't interrupt.
Sorry.
I'm making a different version
of this enzyme.
My enzyme has a biological marker,
mannose 6-phosphate.
I'm the only one that's cloned the gene
for phosphotransferase.
I'm the only one who's cloned the gene
for uncovering enzyme,
so I can get more mannose 6-phosphate
onto the lysosomal protein,
and I can deliver a more effective
amount of enzyme
into the cells.
That's why people
are citing my work.
That's why you read my name
in the literature.
I can get more
enzyme into the cells.
What's the matter, Sal?
Not up on your glycobiology?
I thought Doc was
just your nickname.
No, that man's a genius. He's on
the verge of a scientific breakthrough.
Wow. Who knew?
I'm not on the
verge of anything, kid.
This is a theory,
not a therapy.
I'm just an academic.
You got any idea how
shitty my funding is?
No.
University of Nebraska
pays their football coach
more money in a year
than my entire science budget.
Nobody's paying
attention to this work.
Half my grants
don't get approved.
I don't have the money to make
my theory into a useable medicine.
How old are your kids?
Look, do yourself a favor.
Go home and spend time with your kids.
Enjoy 'em while they're still here.
How much?
How much what?
How much money would it take
to prove your theory,
to create your version
of the medicine?
I'd need half a million bucks
just to fund the lab work.
That's why you need me.
I need you? Why?
Because I'm the founder of the
Pompe Foundation for Children.
I've been working on this disease
for 10 years.
I have never
heard of you guys.
That's because
we're relatively new.
We're just in
the gearing-up phase.
How soon do you
need a grant?
Now would be good.
Well, not all the money's in place,
but it will be, and soon.
This is a very
exciting time.
JOHN: Thanks.
DRIVER: Thank you, sir. Have a good day.
Hey.
You okay?
Did you get my messages?
Your messages?
You suddenly walk
out of the meeting
and fly to Nebraska
without talking to me about it,
and you think
messages make it okay?
I'm sorry.
My God, John.
I wanna find a miracle
as much as you do, okay?
But how could you put
your job in jeopardy?
Aileen.
How exactly
do we pay $40,000 a month in healthcare
if you lose your insurance?
Honey, come on.
Look, I'm not gonna lose my job.
Oh, really?
Pete called here twice last night
to ask if you were okay.
You know, mentally.
(SCOFFS)
I'll just... I'll call, and I'll
smooth that one over.
Yeah, no shit.
(SIGHS)
I'm sorry.
Something in me
just kind of snapped.
That night at the hospital, when we
thought that we were losing her,
I prayed that if it was her time,
she'd go quickly,
without so much suffering.
But morning came,
and she pulled through.
Her eyes,
so determined, so defiant.
The fight in her.
(SIGHS)
Was he worth it?
This Stonehill guy?
He's really eccentric,
but his science
is way ahead of
everybody else's.
He's definitely the one to put
our money on.
(CHUCKLES)
If we had any.
I promised him
that we'd raise some,
because he's got this conference
up here next month,
and I said I'd have
a check ready for him.
How much?
That's all?
Thousand.
Is it $500 or $1,000?
$500,000.
By next month.
(CHUCKLES)
Sweetheart, are you totally insane?
Apparently.
AILEEN: We're holding our first fundraiser
on the 23rd at the school,
and we would love if
you and Frank could join us.
Ready for your spelling test?
I'm gonna nail it.
Okay. Good luck.
My name's John Crowley.
I'm calling from Oregon,
and I got your name from the
Atlanta-area Pompe parents' group.
Yeah.
AILEEN: And I was so sorry
not to see you at the reunion
because you were one of my most
favorite people in high school.
(CHUCKLES)
Anyway, John and I
are starting this foundation.
Hey, Dad? Dad.
No, you know what I mean.
Just make it right.
Dad?
Can't you see
I'm on the phone?
Okay, well, tell me he told you.
Dad!
No, I'm gonna have
to call you back.
I can't talk. All right, bye.
Yeah, what is it?
I sold my RipStik.
Okay.
Is it enough to give to Megan
and Patrick's foundation?
Yeah, it's more than enough.
Are you John?
Yes.
Marcus Temple.
We spoke on the phone.
Right. Absolutely.
Good to see you.
All the way in from Atlanta.
Yes.
Well, this is for your foundation,
from my relatives,
friends and church group.
Oh! My goodness.
(MARCUS CHUCKLES)
JOHN:
Thank you very much.
Thanks.
Hi, Dr. Stonehill.
I'm Megan.
Hi, Megan.
I'm Dr. Stonehill.
Yeah, that's why I said,
"Hi, Dr. Stonehill."
Are you coming in or not?
Yeah, thanks.
Where's Mom and Dad?
They'll be down
in a minute.
Patrick's vent alarm is going off,
so they need to fix it.
His alarm goes off
even more than mine.
So, what's your deal?
You married?
Do you have a wife?
Uh, ex-wives. 2 of 'em.
Yeah? How come?
'Cause I'm so easy
to get along with.
Any other questions?
No. Your turn to ask one.
You're probably wondering
what grade I'm in.
What grade are you in?
I'm in 3rd.
My hobbies are video games and penguins.
How about you?
I already graduated.
No, I mean hobbies.
Oh...
Mostly I just work.
Little bass fishing
every once in a while, but...
What's your favorite subject?
I'm good at reading, but I like P.E. best,
especially the sprint races.
Sprint races?
Wanna see?
Sure.
Come on.
Is he here yet?
I don't know.
I'm gonna win!
Come on, slowpoke.
Yeah, I won!
(CHUCKLES)
I won.
Oh, yeah.
Told you I'm gonna beat you.
Hi.
Dr. Stonehill has 2 ex-wives.
I see that Megan's introduced herself.
Yeah.
How are you, Dr. Stonehill?
I'm okay, thank you.
This is Aileen, my wife.
So nice to meet you.
And John Jr.
Hello.
Here's Patrick.
Hi.
Hey, Patrick.
I think we should probably go inside.
AILEEN:
Yeah, come on inside.
Megan, we'll see you inside.
Come on.
Night, Patrick.
Good night.
Night, SpongeBob.
You gotta say good
night to Dr. Stonehill.
Kiss SpongeBob.
(SQUEAKS)
Good night.
Good night, son.
Good night, Patrick.
I'm not gonna say it again.
It is bedtime now.
It's for him.
AILEEN:
Oh.
Me?
For good luck.
For bass fishing.
Oh, thank you.
You like it?
Well, sure.
A happy-go-lucky little fellow,
lots of personality, huh?
He's a plastic toy.
I know.
JOHN:
Here's the father-daughter dance.
You haven't lived
until you've seen
Megan do the
Wheelchair Watusi.
Here you go.
Go ahead and eat
the cobbler while it's hot.
Smells great, honey.
(LAUGHS)
This was hilarious.
Bob, we went to
this dude ranch.
All right if
I call you Bob?
You got a check for
a half-million dollars,
hell, you can
call me Peggy Sue.
(CHUCKLES)
I'll just...
Well, Bob.
This is the first installment against
the promised half a million.
Tell you the truth,
that's more than I expected.
Dr. Stonehill,
we promise that...
Yeah, I know.
If... In enough time, then...
I know. I know.
You can learn a lot about a person
on the Internet these days.
Learn about a working-class kid
from New Jersey,
worked his way through
Harvard Business School,
clawing his way up the ladder
at Bristol-Myers.
But what Google
can't tell you
is that this scared, desperate,
bullshitting son of a bitch...
Wait just a minute...
Don't interrupt.
Will do and say whatever it takes
to get results.
Which is why you
and me are going
into business
together, Jersey.
Excuse me?
I'm tired of begging breadcrumbs
from the university
and giving them
the patents to my ideas.
They don't value
my work. You do,
which is why I'm
setting up my own shop.
Figure any dude
in a business suit
can help me raise venture capital
and run the company,
but who's gonna be
half as motivated as
a dad who's trying
to save his own kids?
So, this is...
So this is the shittiest offer
you're ever gonna get.
I can promise you less money,
longer hours, lousy working conditions,
plus, if we raise the money, you're
gonna have to relocate to Nebraska.
(SCOFFS)
Oh, and with
the right business plan,
I can also promise you a working
enzyme for Pompe disease.
I can't cure your kids,
you know that.
They're always
gonna be in wheelchairs,
but I think I can save their lives.
Outstanding cobbler.
AILEEN: Okay, okay.
So, we agree we can't uproot the kids.
What if Stonehill fails?
Or what if he succeeds too late
to help Megs and Patrick?
Then what?
I know.
If we're gonna
lose them young,
you want to spend every
minute you can with them.
John, that day that
you flew to Nebraska,
when you suddenly
just ditched work and...
My God, I thought you'd lost it.
You scared me.
But once we
rolled our sleeves up,
and we started fundraising and
meeting other Pompe families,
it made me feel like...
I mean, do we
just accept our fate
and do what we're told by
all the well-meaning doctors
and wait for the worst to happen,
or do we fight it?
PETE: I think you're making
a mistake. I really do.
Even if you were credible as a CEO,
which you are not,
the odds against
you are crushing.
biotechs crash and burn.
So where does that leave your kids
when their dad is flat broke
with no job and no
health insurance?
Now, if you
stay at Bristol,
the guys upstairs
are ready to put you in
the VP slot at the end of
the 3rd quarter
with a 40% salary bump.
John.
Your family's gonna need that money,
aren't they?
Pete, you're right.
This is crazy.
I'm chasing the wind.
But I can't just
sit around and wait
for my kids to die.
I can't do it.
AUTOMATED VOICE: You have
arrived at your destination.
Come on in. It's open.
Hey, there, Bob.
Hey, John.
How are you?
You have trouble finding me?
No problem.
Sit down.
Thanks.
Ex-wife. She loved cats.
Well, say, what do we...
What are we gonna do?
How about we work up a strategy
for the meeting at
Renzler next week?
We don't need to show
those guys anything.
The meeting's a formality.
George Renzler and I have known
each other since med school.
He's been telling me for years that
he'd give me the seed money
if I ever decide to make the big move
and set up my own shop.
Well, that's good.
That's good,
but, still, all the same, you know,
if we're gonna go in to pitch 'em,
we should have something tangible.
Those guys understand me.
They're real scientists.
They're not like a lot of these
big biotech moneymen.
Okay. All right, tell you what,
how about if we just talk it through,
and then that way we can just sketch up
something rough on paper?
You give it to me,
I'll make up a business plan.
JOHN:
We need to rough out a real strategy.
These guys are venture capitalists.
That rough enough for you?
Bob? Look, Renzler's
crucial to us.
Without them onboard,
we got zero credibility
with any of our investors.
That's why you're here, Jersey!
Whip up some business bullshit
by tomorrow.
I'm going fishing.
This is... This is gibberish!
Then you better get busy.
See you.
JOHN:
As you know, the market potential
for an orphan drug is enormous.
If you were still in business school,
I'd give you an A
for all these lovely
charts and graphs and...
But school is out.
Most of us here are scientists.
We need to see the science.
Bob, make us believe.
Love to, George.
(INAUDIBLE)
...the phosphotransferase and
the 2nd uncovering enzyme...
STONEHILL: At this point,
the challenge is to scale up this process
to produce kilogram
quantities of HPGAA.
And the question is
whether or not it's cost-effective
to contract this work out or to build
our own manufacturing facility.
Either way, we're gonna
eventually need
an investment on
the order of $10 million.
It's a lot of information
in a short period of time.
Does anybody
have any questions?
This is astonishing.
STONEHILL: Well, thank you, George.
This man is light years
ahead of the field.
(CHUCKLES)
Okay.
Well, why don't you have your
money guys get together with John
and work out
the business...
Sounds great.
Of course, we'll need you to explain
some of the mundane stuff, Bob,
the nuts and bolts.
Nuts and bolts? What...
RENZLER: Yeah.
You're a brilliant
theoretician,
but you've never actually
brought a new drug
to market
before, right?
No, I've never brought a drug to market.
I haven't.
(CLEARS THROAT)
I mean, for example,
how are you getting
the phosphotransferase?
I'm purifying it out of
a lactating bovine udder.
I see. And where are
you getting the udders?
From the stockyards.
Pretty straightforward stuff.
Not really.
You can't inject cow
protein into people.
I know that.
The bovine version
of the enzyme
is for lab work,
for proof of concept.
I'll make a copy of the human enzyme
for actual drug trials.
What about uncovering enzyme?
What about it?
How exactly do you plan
on making an exact replica?
I'm making it in T-293,
out of human kidney cells.
Oh, my goodness. No.
"Oh, my goodness. No?"
No. The FDA will
never allow that.
Hey, Bob, just...
Wait a second.
For Christ's sake, we will change
the cell line before clinical trials.
You've gotta have
that process locked down
long, long before
you think about...
Bob, why don't we just
take a coffee break...
Why are you
talking to me this way?
I don't want any goddamn coffee.
Bob, can you just tell us
how you're planning to make
the 3 enzymes under
FDA-approved GMP in...
I'm not here to cross every "t"
and dot every "i", George.
And I'm not here to
be poked and prodded
like a 1st-year med student.
This is ridiculous.
Bob.
This is bullshit.
RENZLER:
Bob.
Bob, if you can't
answer a question,
you say you're
working out the details.
You don't storm out
on these guys
like some sort of
spoiled child, okay?
Now, we're gonna
go back in there.
No, I'm not going
back in there.
We're going back in there.
This is business, Bob. It's not personal.
That was personal.
Stonehill goes and completely
sabotages the meeting.
Thank you.
I mean, he completely blew my plan,
right out of the gate.
Okay, I get that
he's a loose cannon,
but do you still
believe in his science?
Honey, if I don't raise
$10 million in capital,
his science doesn't
matter. At all.
What's going on
with his arm?
Hey, buddy, you okay?
You all right?
I can't throw them anymore.
When did this happen?
I don't know.
You should help him, Daddy.
That's a good idea.
Okay, here we go. You ready?
Into the water.
That was a good shot.
We can do better than that.
Try again.
Let's make, like, a little pellet.
Here, ducky, ducky.
(ALL LAUGHING)
Let's do it again.
Ready? 1, 2, 3.
Give me another piece, John.
(CHUCKLING)
Oh.
I can just throw them.
And you do all the laughing,
and I'll do all the throwing.
JOHN:
That's good, the ducky shared.
Did you see that?
PATRICK: Yeah.
John?
We're out of time.
I know.
He doesn't have the strength to
throw a piece of bread to a duck.
It scares the hell out of me.
Me, too.
John, what are you doing?
I'm offering Renzler
a deal he can't turn down.
Excuse me.
Morning. Dr. Renzler?
Dr. Renzler?
Sir, good morning.
John Crowley.
Crowley?
Yes, sir.
What are you doing here?
Good morning.
Good morning.
I understand from
your secretary that
you're going to be
leaving for France
for a month.
That's right.
I have a proposal for you,
and I was hopeful
that you could
take a look at it.
We're running
late for a flight.
I appreciate that. It'll only take a second,
just to have a quick read.
Fine. I'll read it in the car.
It might interest you.
Good, thank you.
Does Stonehill know about this?
Of course.
And he's okay with these terms?
All I need is your signature.
Hello?
I just need some place
Where I can lay my head
Bob.
Bob.
(KNOCKING ON WINDOW)
JOHN:
Bob!
Over here.
Bob.
Ow!
Bob!
(THE WEIGHT PLAYING)
Hi. Bob.
What'd you do to yourself?
I got the investment from Renzler.
You what?
Listen, I want you to
think about something
before you read that.
What the hell is this?
Under the circumstances, this is
the best deal that we could ever get.
This isn't a deal.
This is the terms of our surrender, for...
Renzler comes in for
a couple million now,
and you give him the option
of jumping in as a full partner later?
Well, after sabotaging our meeting,
I had to do something dramatic.
And you promise him we'll be
in clinical trials in a year?
We can do this, Bob.
All right?
We work harder, we push ourselves,
we work around the clock.
I already work around the clock!
Why don't you just give 'em
my balls in a jelly jar?
There's no other way I could get
them to come back to the table.
Who needs the bastards anyway!
Without Renzler,
there's no reason for us
to even think about
other venture groups.
Fine! Then I won't think about
other venture groups!
Great!
Spend the rest of
your life dreaming up
great ideas that
don't get funded.
Draw brilliant diagrams on the wall
that cure diseases in theory,
but never help a single
human being in reality.
What'd you do?
Let me see it.
It's just barely...
Let me see.
Put pressure on it.
Got your blood
all over this thing.
Want me to add a drop of mine,
make it official?
Or would a
signature suffice?
Bob?
(THE WEIGHT CONTINUES PLAYING)
I picked up my bag
I went lookin' for
a place to hide
When I saw Carmen and
the Devil walkin' side by side
I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on,
let's go downtown."
She said, "I gotta go,
but my friend can stick around"
Take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free
I'm not paying a dollar more
than 22,000 a unit, okay?
I'm not doing it.
Hi, Bob.
These guys
make me feel old.
Scientists get all sensible and
careful when they get old.
Young ones like risk,
not afraid of new ideas,
and you can pay 'em less.
We all believe in Bob Stonehill's
bold vision, otherwise
you wouldn't be here.
But to reach clinical
trials inside of a year,
I'm gonna have to ask you
to commit to a brutal schedule.
Ladies and gentlemen,
reset your watches to Priozyme Time.
How long?
Well, if you can get it any quicker,
that'd be good.
NILES:
I'll try.
MAN:
Come on.
STONEHILL: Vinh, check the breakers.
VINH: Got it.
(SWITCH CLICKING)
VINH:
No, the whole building's out.
Well, get the backup
generator going.
We...
Wait, wait, wait.
STONEHILL: You never bothered
to buy a backup generator?
We're in the middle
of tornado country,
for Christ's sake!
Yeah, so I'm a meteorologist?
If I don't have my
refrigeration back
in 45 minutes,
I lose the whole cell line.
It was never in the budget.
We never had the money for it.
I'm sorry, sir.
Your card, it's been denied.
What?
It got maxed out. I bought
the roller bottle unit for the lab.
Shit, I...
Just pay me back by the end of the month,
or I lose my apartment.
Hi, here you go. Thanks.
Yes!
Yes!
DRIVER:
Sir.
Thank you.
Fiona's in Mexico this week.
They've got pyramids there.
Mmm-hmm.
She's still got lots of things to see
before she gets to Antarctica.
Yeah.
She's gonna chop up all the
penguins with an ax.
And feed their bloody remains
to the walruses.
I see.
What?
Every time you come home for the weekend,
you don't even listen to me.
Megs.
You know what,
you're right. I'm sorry.
It's just that
I've been so busy
trying to make the special medicine
for you and Patrick.
I want it pink.
You want what?
The special medicine.
I want it to be pink.
Okay. I guess I can
ask Dr. Stonehill.
Tell him dark pink,
like this.
Not light pink.
That's for babies.
Okay.
SCIENTIST:
Here you go.
Dr. Renzler, be reasonable.
The company is only 6 months old,
and we are making great progress
towards in vivo testing.
I don't know.
The way the company is burning money...
Well, we've got to get
a leg up on the competition.
You know that Zymagen has far
more spending power than we do.
So, what you're saying,
I should have invested in Zymagen.
No, what I'm saying is, is that
we've got to beat 'em to the punch.
Either that, or scare
them into buying us out.
Well, you're scaring us investors
a hell of a lot more than
you're scaring Zymagen.
You sell the company
to Zymagen,
you're in clinical trials
by the end of the fiscal year,
or we pull the plug and cut our losses.
Goodbye.
Hello?
This construct's
looking pretty good,
but we gotta get
better cleavage
between the alpha
and the beta subunits.
Well, what if we
add a furin site
like the one in
uncovering enzyme?
Why would you wanna do that?
Doesn't it have its own...
We need to talk.
I'm busy.
You're always busy.
You always wanna talk.
Yeah, we could add furin and try
and cleave it before purification.
(CLEARS THROAT)
What are you doing?
Giving you a preview...
Guys, would you
excuse us for a minute?
of what's going to happen if we
are not in clinical trials in 4 months.
Our investors will
turn out the lights.
Science takes time, Jersey.
Don't they understand?
Yeah, they do.
They can read the Wall Street Journal.
They see that Zymagen is testing
They're testing 3 'cause they don't
know what the hell they're doing.
I'm testing one 'cause it's the right one!
I know. I believe you, Bob.
Why else do you think
I put up with all your shit?
Look.
I want you to go toe-to-toe
with Zymagen's scientists.
Prove to them that
your enzyme is best.
I can do that.
That's the reason I've entered
into conversations with them
to buy our company.
You're telling me?
You're not asking me?
Oh, come on, Bob.
I am just being fiscally responsible.
Nobody is gonna tell me
how to run my lab!
If I can engineer a deal,
and that is a really big "if,"
you're going to
have to forgive me
for all the money
I'm gonna make you.
I don't care about money.
I'm a scientist. I care about
more important things than that.
Don't you tell me about more
important things to care about.
Do the math.
Either we sell the company
and get a huge cash infusion,
or the investors
will shut us down.
Where you going?
I'm gonna go take a crap,
if that meets with your fiscal approval.
What, they can't drive from
the airport like ordinary people?
Bob, we need to
make this happen.
They're gonna ask us
some tough questions.
Don't take 'em personally, all right?
All right?
STONEHILL: These lab results confirm
what I've been preaching for years,
that phosphorylation is key
to enzyme absorption.
My theory works for Pompe,
and eventually it'll work for
enzyme replacement therapies
for other lysosomal
storage disorders.
Is it too complicated?
Too complicated?
The number of
variables built into
your approach
are mind-boggling.
I mean, Jesus,
if you get even one piece wrong
in the synthesis,
just one carbohydrate
ends up in the wrong position...
Well, it's gotta be done right,
like anything worth doing.
You've never actually gotten
a drug approved.
Isn't it naive to
think you can solve
these kinds of
manufacturing challenges?
(MOUTHING)
You're right, I'm a theory guy.
My head is in the clouds.
Which is why we need you.
Unless, of course,
your reputation for solving
protein-manufacturing
problems is undeserved.
(CHUCKLES)
Nice one.
I still need to hear
about profitability.
JOHN:
Certainly, certainly.
As you know, this is not a one-time
treatment. It's a lifelong therapy.
And these patients,
they are going to
generate revenue
over the span of
their lifetime that is...
But even if you
make a usable enzyme,
clearly it won't work for all patients.
So, what survival rate do we need
to achieve a robust profit?
What rate of patient death
can be defined as acceptable loss?
Acceptable loss?
I understand the question.
Because the profit margins
on this orphan drug
are so incredibly high, the...
Even with
a mortality rate of,
say, 25% over 5 years still indicates
that there is a highly lucrative
revenue source to be realized.
Gentlemen, we have a deal.
Dr. Robert Stonehill
to see Barry Renee.
GUARD: I have a Dr. Robert Stonehill
to see Dr. Renee.
Sir, you need to be cleared.
I'm just gonna use the restroom.
You need to be cleared to do that, sir.
Just need to...
You need a security badge.
Jesus.
Well, can I have a security badge
so I can go take a pee?
Yes, sir.
He will give that to you.
Hey, Bob.
Hey, John.
You getting comfortable?
Define "comfortable."
You haven't cashed it yet?
I haven't earned it yet.
I'll cash it when we
have a usable enzyme.
Well, it sure is beautiful.
(KIDS SHOUTING)
It sure is big.
The kids love it.
Seize the day.
Okay.
(SPEAKING IN FRENCH)
I'm stuck on this call.
Just wanted to let
you know how thrilled
we are to have
you onboard, John.
It's an honor.
You remember Dr. Kent Webber.
Of course.
It's good to see you again.
Good to see you, too.
I'll let the 2 of you get into it.
I'm expecting great things.
Yes, sir.
(SPEAKING IN FRENCH)
I've got some pretty good ideas
about how to help
the flow of information
between the 4 core enzyme groups.
Whoa, John, slow down.
That's not our established procedure.
Pardon me?
The 4 core teams are essentially
in competition with each other.
It's an entrepreneurial
model. It works.
I'm all for competition,
but surely there must be some channel
for allowing sharing
scientific insights
that can help develop
all 4 enzymes.
John, in the interest of saving us time,
let me be blunt.
Most of the scientists
here don't like the idea
of having a non-scientist
as senior VP of the Pompe program.
Especially one whose objectivity
might be clouded by having children
with the disease.
I'm telling you this in your own
best interests.
Erich wanted to buy
Stonehill's ideas,
and he couldn't do
that without also
swallowing you as
part of the pill.
My advice to you, John,
is to keep your head down.
Thank you for that wisdom.
You're very welcome.
SCIENTIST: All of your lab notebooks must
be submitted to the review committee!
STONEHILL:
This is my lab now! Get out!
I'm just trying to
explain the protocol!
STONEHILL:
You're wasting my time.
Dr. Stonehill...
Shoo!
Fine.
Shoo.
What do you want?
I just dropped by
to say that I think
that we might be
missing an opportunity
to open a dialogue with
the other 3 core teams.
The other core teams?
Core teams.
Core bullshit.
I'll come back another time.
DR. WALDMAN: The decline in muscle
strength is very troubling, of course,
but it's really,
in both kids,
the organ enlargement, the liver,
and especially the heart,
that's the real
threat to their lives.
We'll continue to monitor
the rate of cardiac enlargement.
We'll keep tabs on
their other organs...
How long?
I don't like to predict.
JOHN: Please.
Dr. Waldman,
we won't hold you to it.
We just need to
know something.
John.
How much more time do we have?
How long?
Well,
if there's another respiratory crisis,
all bets are off,
but otherwise,
Megan, maybe a year.
Patrick, less.
Thank you.
(PHONE RINGING)
WENDY: Marcus.
Hmm?
Get the phone.
What?
The phone.
Who is it?
MARCUS:
Hello?
Hi. Is that Marcus?
Yeah, yeah.
What time is it?
Yeah, I'm sorry. It's late.
It's John Crowley.
John, what you doin'?
You okay?
(SIGHS)
Hey, look,
I gotta ask you a favor.
Morning, Gavin.
Morning, sir.
Is my 11:00 with
Henessey confirmed?
Yes, and there's the breakfast
meeting down in the cafeteria.
Breakfast meeting?
There was an e-mail that
came in over the weekend.
Everyone on the Pompe
project was invited.
Who called the meeting?
Mr. Crowley, I believe, sir.
What?
AILEEN: Um, something
that people ask me all the time
is how we have 2 kids with Pompe.
By the time we realized
that Megan had Pompe,
I was already pregnant
with Patrick.
I mean, I can't tell you
how many doctors we saw,
and the message
was always the same,
that there is no drug
to treat Pompe.
But thanks to you, all of you,
that message is changing.
What you've given us,
and a lot of other families, is hope.
So, thank you.
Good job, Aileen.
Now I'd like to
welcome the Temple family,
who've come all the way from Georgia
to be with us here today.
Thanks, John.
Hi.
I'm Marcus.
This is my wife, Wendy.
Our daughter Lauren,
our oldest daughter,
Lauren wanted to come today
and say hi to all you guys.
She's a little weak,
but she wanted us to show
you guys her picture
and to send you her love.
And this is our daughter, Megan.
The most beautiful
girls are named Megan.
Megan is 4 months old,
and you can't see it yet,
but she has Pompe, too.
I...
I can't tell you what it means to us
to have all of you working on
a medicine for our children.
Thank you.
Thanks so much.
Hey, Kent.
John.
JOHN:
So what did you think of the event?
In medical research, John,
objectivity is key.
If researchers get all emotional,
all desperate to help suffering patients,
they'll cut corners.
It's counterproductive.
Counterproductive is having
working together
on the same disease,
but not talking to each other.
Most of these guys have never even
seen a kid with Pompe before.
I don't see how
that's relevant.
Did you see Erich? That's the kind
of motivation that we need.
I'm gonna ask him
to get the core team
to stop competing,
start working together.
Create a leadership team.
Well, if you hope to sell
this leadership team idea,
there's only one
way to convince Erich.
And what's that?
Keep your guy,
Stonehill, off the team.
In his short tenure here,
he's managed to alienate
a remarkable number
of colleagues.
You can't put him on a team that's
supposed to build cooperation.
So, decide how badly
you want your leadership team,
then do what you have to do.
(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
That's it.
Dr. Stonehill, please.
Turn it down. Yes.
Yes, the music.
(VOLUME INCREASES)
I said down!
This guy's impossible.
I like that song.
JOHN:
Hey.
What's up, John?
Everything all right at home?
Yeah.
Have you heard that Erich Loring
has agreed to put together
a leadership team?
Yeah, I heard some rumor about it.
What bullshit.
Now I'm gonna have to spend
a couple of hours a week
jawin' with Zymagen guys?
No.
No. No, you won't, 'cause
I'm not putting you on the team.
What'd you say?
I really wanted to.
You're not putting me on the team?
Is that what you said?
What are you,
some varsity track coach?
They didn't buy our company
'cause they like your
Ivy League charm, Jersey.
It's me they wanted.
You can't bench me.
It's against the laws of nature.
You're still gonna be able to
prove that your theory is right.
Yeah, but other
scientists are gonna
evaluate my results,
right? Not me.
Everyone here
reveres your science.
This is about
interpersonal issues.
Who put you up to this?
The decision was mine.
It's for the overall
good of the program.
"For the overall
good of the program."
Wow, John, you really got
the corporate lingo down good.
What's next, "Acceptable loss?"
JOHN JR.:
No.
JOHN: Does anybody really
know how to do this?
Except for us.
But wait, who's going?
MEGAN:
It's John's turn still.
(KIDS EXCLAIMING)
Nice one.
(PHONE RINGING)
Okay. I'll get it.
Nice one, Megs.
Hello? Marcus, hi.
Oh, my God.
PATRICK:
Aw, man. I almost got 'em down.
You guys sit tight, okay?
Here, John, grab him.
If there is anything we can do,
anything at all,
will you call?
Okay. We love
you guys so much.
Okay, bye-bye.
Aileen.
That was Marcus Temple.
Lauren...
She...
He said she went in her sleep,
that it was peaceful.
JOHN JR.:
How old is she?
How old was Lauren?
Lauren was 9 years old.
Come here.
JOHN: That way, we can be certain that
we're developing the correct one.
Forget certainty,
and let's try and figure out
which enzyme has
the better odds.
If we develop
only one enzyme,
what would happen
if we guessed the wrong one?
Mr. Crowley, I've asked Kent
to set up a testing protocol
to help us guess right.
We'll do an exhaustive
range of tests.
I'm calling it
"The Mother of All Experiments."
(ALL CHUCKLING)
The 4 enzymes
will be color-coded,
yellow, blue,
green and magenta,
and known only by
those color codes
so no researcher will know
which one he's testing.
Only after we pick a winner,
the secret identity will be revealed.
GIRL:
Come on, Megan!
GIRL:
But I want to!
JOHN:
Just roll your wrist.
I can't.
It's okay. It's all right.
Let's try another one.
Okay. Let's try again. Ready?
Ready?
(KIDS CHEERING)
Big winner!
Yay!
Here you go, look at that.
You got a penguin.
(ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)
JOHN:
Hey, Bob. Bob.
How you doin'?
I brought you some ribs.
Not as good as the ones
from The Corner Saloon,
but if you're hungry...
(MUSIC STOPS)
What do you want?
The results.
"Mother of All Experiments."
Well,
which enzyme did they choose?
The leadership team spent
the whole afternoon arguing.
are ahead of the others,
but it's too close to call.
Tomorrow, we spend
the day hashing it out
to decide which one to choose.
Bob. I'm asking you to read this.
I value your opinion more than
anyone else in the world.
Well, maybe you should have valued
my opinion a little sooner,
instead of playing hatchet man
for the bean counters.
Get the hell out of my lab.
It's in your interest
to know about this, Bob.
Get out.
Wouldn't it benefit you...
Get out.
The green enzyme's the best.
Show 'em my analysis, they'll understand.
Hey, wait up, Bob.
Is the green enzyme yours?
I recognize patterns
in the results.
I'd know my baby
a mile away.
So the green one is yours?
No.
No, it's not.
My theory is still the best,
but it's not ready for manufacture.
Theirs is crude and uninspired,
but it's ready.
Bob, I don't even know
the words to say thank you.
Don't bother.
I didn't do it for you.
JOHN JR.:
Yes, it is!
Oh, my gosh.
Do you see the kite up there?
Yeah.
That's so cool!
JOHN:
Annie, careful!
Building a bastion.
AILEEN:
Right there. Yeah.
(PHONE RINGING)
Okay!
Dad, like...
Ready?
Dad, you promised
no more phone calls.
I know. I know I did, but...
What's in there?
We can take turns burying
the phone when I get back.
Okay! I'll start digging a hole.
You hold that for a sec.
John Crowley.
John, it's Kent Weber.
Kent, hey. Did you get my suggested
protocol for the clinical trials?
Yeah.
You made some pretty
optimistic assumptions
about where our
enzyme supply will be.
I see.
Well, what do you think
that a more realistic...
John, I'll give to you straight.
The clinical trial
will be for infants only.
(EXCLAIMS)
Infants need so
much less enzyme,
and, as you know,
our initial supply will be so limited.
And the drug has much higher
odds of being effective
with infants than
with older children.
We have to consult Erich on this.
We have to consult Erich.
I already did. He confirmed
the decision. Infants only.
I understand your
personal reasons for...
(SIGHS)
These decisions have to be
made objectively, rationally.
I'm sorry. I...
I really am.
(ENGINE STARTING)
(ELECTRONIC WHIRRING)
GUARD:
Hold it, pal.
Mr. Crowley, what are you
doin' in here?
I was just...
You're not authorized.
No... I can
explain everything.
What's the matter, Chuck?
Is there a problem?
Yeah, there's a problem. I got
Mr. Crowley in here without clearance.
That's my fault, now.
I got busy in the lab,
I sent Jersey boy here
to get me a couple
jugs of enzyme.
Sorry.
Thanks, Chuck.
Thanks for saving my ass.
It's really big of you,
especially after what
went down between us.
You mean your ruthless,
cold-hearted betrayal?
Yeah, well, when I thought
about it from your point of view...
Shit, if it was my
kids dying, I wouldn't
have hesitated to
crush you like a bug.
Do you remember
when we first met,
and you told me that
I should stop chasing miracles
and should go home
and enjoy my kids,
while they're still here?
Yeah. I made the wrong choice.
Jersey, you know
what a sibling study is?
No.
It's a drug trial with just 2 patients
with the same genetic inheritance.
Siblings, with the same disease.
Megs and Patrick.
Well, would Zymagen
go for something like this?
There's real research value in it.
And with just two patients,
it wouldn't take much enzyme.
But Webber would
have to sign off on it.
Well, let's not tell him till
we've got our ducks in a row.
I could draw up a protocol
and see if I can find
a hospital willing
to administer it.
Bob.
Well, don't get your hopes up, kid.
It's a Hail Mary.
(READING)
Ducks in a row.
"Stonehill, careful review,
protocol, Sibling Trial, 146,
"are pleased to inform you
Megan Crowley and Patrick
"have been accepted
into the trial!"
I just got it.
Quack, quack, quack.
Have you talked to him yet?
No. I did the science.
You make the sale.
Thank you.
Good luck.
Right.
Does he have about 5?
RECEPTIONIST: He does, yeah.
Thanks.
No problem, Mr. Crowley.
Hey, Kent? Knock-knock.
Got a minute?
Kent?
Do you have any idea what you've done?
Excuse me?
We got a call this morning from
Portland Rose Hospital,
about sending them
enzyme for your kids?
Right. Yeah, I know.
That's what I'm here to talk to you about.
You and Stonehill set this up behind
my back. Now you come to me.
It's all tentative.
You want this company
to sponsor a drug study,
for 2 children whose father
is an executive of this company?
Have you never heard the term
"conflict of interest?"
It has nothing to do with a...
Do you know what the FDA
would do if they found out?
There is strong scientific justification
for this study.
There is great research value.
I'm a doctor, John.
I know the research value!
But you guys just can't go off
half-cocked without consulting us!
And I'm sure that if we just go
and talk to Erich, we can...
Erich already knows.
He's furious about
being blindsided.
I didn't try to
blindside anyone.
This is the reason why
we have a reporting structure,
why we have established procedure,
why there is protocol.
You heartless,
bloodless machine.
You just have to fight me every step
of the way! Don't you?
You just hated it
when I brought
the kids with Pompe
to the doorstep!
You weren't thinking
about those kids
when you put your
children into that program
and jeopardized
a decade's worth of
research investment
made by this company!
This is not about
a return on an investment!
It's about kids,
kids with names, dreams,
families that love them.
You've jeopardized
your chances
of ever getting
your kids treated.
(SLAMMING)
(SHOUTING)
I'm not arguing
science with you!
On every level!
On every level, you've stood...
(TAPPING ON DOOR)
I was just drafting a letter of
apology for senior management,
but I guess we're
past that point.
I just spoke to Erich, and we are
terminating your employment.
Okay, I'll pack
up my stuff.
Just one thing, John.
I may well be a tight-ass
pencil-pushing company man,
but I resent being
called heartless.
Look...
Just let me finish.
The reason we're terminating
your employment,
is to eliminate the
conflict of interest.
This strategy was
brought to my attention
by our colleague,
Dr. Stonehill,
in rather crude terms.
This will allow the sibling trial
to proceed
for its purely
scientific value.
Ah.
Have your desk cleared out
by the end of the day.
Kent, what's with the...
Oh...
I wanted to make
sure you didn't
punch me out before
I could tell you.
Well, um...
...thank you very
much for firing me.
My pleasure.
I never liked you.
Likewise.
Hey, you guys,
bring anything you want extra...
Mom! Mom!
What?
Can I bring the bow and arrow?
Yes, yes.
Hey!
(CHUCKLES)
John, what...
What?
We have a usable enzyme
that's ready for clinical trials.
When? When will it be ready?
Megs and Patrick start their infusions
before the end of this month.
Oh, my God.
Yeah.
Oh, my God.
John.
Hey, John, Daddy's here.
Oh, hi, guys.
JOHN JR.: Hey, Dad.
Why is Mommy sad?
Not sad, baby, so happy.
So happy.
Why is Mommy being so weird?
Well, it's because
we got the special medicine
for you, Megs,
and for you, Patrick,
and you're gonna
get it really soon.
(GASPS) JOHN JR.:
That's great!
So, who wants to
push the button?
JOHN:
Megs, Patrick, you ready?
When will we know if it's working?
It'll be a while, honey.
It's not pink.
Excuse me?
Your Uncle Bobby is here.
Huh?
I don't know.
You can go back if you like.
Okay.
John.
Uncle Bobby.
They wouldn't let me in
unless I was family.
Some things for the kids.
Thanks.
Sleeping, huh?
Hey, thanks for coming.
I'm a scientist.
Gotta track the experiment.
JOHN: I wish your enzyme was
the one that passed the test.
But the one the kids are getting,
it's the right one, right? I mean...
It's gonna help them.
Yeah, you guys have done
everything humanly possible.
We just have to see
what the tests show.
JOHN:
You and I have had our differences,
and I just want you
to know something.
I want you to know that...
Yeah.
Don't interrupt.
Okay.
I want you to know
that I appreciate everything
that you've done
for Megs and Patrick,
and I'm never gonna forget it
for the rest of my life.
Not gonna kiss me, is he?
I will restrain him.
Don't tempt me.
PATRICK: Daddy loves SpongeBob,
Daddy loves SpongeBob.
(BOTH LAUGHING)
MEGAN: Stop!
PATRICK: Daddy loves SpongeBob.
Guys?
(CHUCKLES)
What's going on?
What's so funny?
(CHUCKLES)
What are you laughing at?
What are you laughing at?
Sugar.
It's a sugar high.
The enzyme's breaking down
the sugar in their muscles.
The medicine's working?
Yeah.
John.
Megs!
Hi.
(KIDS CONTINUE LAUGHING)
(CHUCKLING)
(CHANGE THE WORLD PLAYING)
AILEEN: John, drive safe!
JOHN JR.: Enjoy the ride!
Rock and roll!
Bye! Have fun.
Bye!
So you could see the truth
That this love I have inside
Is everything it seems
But for now I find
It's only in my dreams
That I can change the world
I would be the sunlight
in your universe
You would think my love
was really something good
Yes!
Yeah! Yeah!
Change the world
Baby, if I could change
The world