Monkey Shines (1988) Movie Script
Linda?
- I'm gonna go run.
- OK.
- Morning.
- Good morning.
How ya doin'?
(barking)
(tyres screech)
- Is he out?
- Yup.
Good. Now we can talk about him.
Oh, my God!
Martha, his ass is hairier than yours.
- Very funny.
- No laughs, huh?
The morning team has a sense of humour.
OK.
This is an accident victim
creamed by a truck.
Injury to C5 -
anterior dislocation of the upper segment
with damage to the cord.
(PA) Dr Fletcher to ICU.
Dr Stephen Fletcher, please come to ICU.
John.
I can't tell you how much it means that
you found the time to be with us today.
Everyone! Everyone! Pay attention.
For those of you who haven't met him,
this is Dr John Wiseman -
the genius who saved my Allan's life.
Here's to the doctor.
- Dr Wiseman.
- John, this is Dr Fry.
My name is Esther Fry.
Dr Fry is one of Allan's professors
at the law school.
- We were just discussing...
- Will Allan be able to finish his studies?
Physically, yes, but will he want to?
Let's not talk about this now.
This is supposed to be a celebration.
Yeah. Some celebration, huh, Doc?
Charlie Cunningham.
- How are you?
- I'm Allan's c... I was Allan's coach.
Oh. Excuse me one second.
- How are you holding up?
- Good. I'm good.
Good.
I'd better go freshen up.
Allan'll be here any minute.
(car door slams)
- (man) He's here.
- (mother) OK, everybody quiet.
Everybody, he's here.
Let's all surprise him together. Quiet now.
- Good luck to you.
- Thanks.
Allan! Oh, Allan! You're home.
One, two, three... Surprise!
To Allan. To the start of his new life.
(applause)
Hi, babe.
- Been a long time.
- I know.
I should have come to visit you more
at the hospital, but...
I'm sorry.
Linda, would you get this gentleman
a drink? Double Scotch?
- If I'm allowed.
- Allowed? I'm prescribing it.
Not in a regular glass. We use these.
We never use ice cubes and if
we must have alcohol, we water it down.
Maryanne Hodges.
I've been hired by your mother
to stay and take care of you.
Thank you.
- Who could live that way?
- Sshh. He was looking right at us.
Hi. This is Geoffrey. I can't come to
the phone right now, but leave a message.
Wait for the beep.
Geoffrey, where the hell are you?
(bell rings)
- (animals squeak)
- Hello, babies.
Papa's got a surprise.
All right, ladies and gentlemen...
One human brain.
This sample comes from the main
association area of the temporal cortex.
The donor was a Jane Doe
with no apparent abnormalities.
Hello, number six. Come on.
That's it.
Freedom.
Save some for the old man.
Parnate incarnate.
Another night without sleep.
But sleep is just a waste of time.
Right, number six?
Double, double, toil and trouble...
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
You have got to get smart on this, sugar.
There you go. I know it hurts, baby,
but beats going back to the jungle,
doesn't it?
Let's get our messages.
Hey, don't you give me that.
Get your little hinny over here
or no midnight snack.
Good girl. That's it.
- Geoffrey, this is Dean Burbage...
- How are you doing, you psycho?
Wednesday 6th.
You forgot our appointment...
- Yes, I did.
- I'd like to see you tomorrow...
I'd like to see you dead...
Wednesday 6th?
(Linda) Geoffrey, where the hell are you?
God... Allan.
(tapping)
Hey, come in here.
How ya doin', Ace?
A lot of changes here.
I hardly recognise this place.
- Equipped for the handicapped.
- You'll get all the best parking spaces.
Ones with the pictures
of the wheelchairs on them.
- I hate to think what Mother paid for it.
- You'll pay her back. Lawyers get rich.
You look like shit. You shooting parnate?
That's one of the advantages
of working in a chem lab.
I finally figured it out. Every three days
that I stay awake, I gain 24 hours.
That's 122 days every year.
So even if I die at 50,
I will have lived 65 years.
I'm sorry I didn't make the party. Linda
called me - she sounded pretty crazed.
Linda's dumping me.
She didn't come out and say it,
but I can tell.
Allan... Linda's just not comfortable
with the change yet, that's all.
She's gonna come around.
Hey, if she walks out on you now,
fuck her.
I can't.
Oh, look! There you are
with the little Palmer children.
Patterson, Mother.
Their name was Patterson.
That's right. I'm terrible with names.
Look, there's their house.
Remember when Mr Patterson
got transferred?
I got the listing and had to sell the house.
You were so angry. You thought I had
something to do with their moving away.
(chirping)
Maryanne! I don't like birds in the house -
the flapping.
- Bogie? Bad boy.
- Bogie?
When he talks,
he sounds just like Humphrey Bogart.
- (Bogie) Sweetheart.
- See?
Look! Halloween. Oh, you just refused
to wear that costume we bought for you.
You wanted to go as that robot
from the movies. What's his name?
Robby the Robot.
I always wanted to be Robby the Robot.
Guess I finally got my wish.
Shit.
Jesus H Christ! Hey!
What do you think you're doing?
Get the hell outta here! Run, you dinks!
Shit.
- Where's security?
- Stop torturing animals!
- Murderer!
- Torturer!
Nice toss! You mentally-deficient puke.
- How're you doing?
- Late again.
Yes. Sorry. Lost track of the time.
Well... What have you got?
Samuels has given me a brain sample
from a young girl who died in surgery.
I've made a formulation based on human
memory cells and injected a monkey.
Is the monkey responding? Is it any
smarter than it was before it was injected?
It's very difficult to measure.
She was pretty smart to begin with.
(laughs)
I don't believe this.
The worm studies reincarnated.
Monkeys are more expensive than worms.
- It's not costing anything.
- It's costing time, Geoffrey.
This programme
has to start showing results.
People who write
the cheques are getting nervous.
I've seen you on three different talk shows
defending the slaughter of animals
for research.
Your work has the anti-vivisectionists
ready to firebomb the college.
That's what's making the people
who write the cheques nervous.
Our approaches are quite different.
Unfortunately for you,
I'm the head of this department.
- Why don't you just fire me then?
- I don't want to fire you, Geoffrey.
- I just want to get you to produce.
- You can't do it, can you?
You can't fire me cos you know
if anybody's gonna strike gold,
it's gonna be me.
- Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry. You'll live.
- (hissing)
My ass is on the line around here, sixer.
And yours with it.
You'd better get smart.
This has to work.
Proved out 50 different ways.
You should be playing chess
with the dosage you've been getting.
You're half human, for Christ's sake.
Why don't you show it, huh?
Why don't you show something? Up.
Maybe these other goons
are holding you back.
Maybe that's it.
Maybe I gotta get you out of here.
(Peggy Lee) d Don't cry
d There'll be another spring...
Three.
No... Four.
Five.
Seven.
Fuck! Eight!
Six.
Yo, Ace! Ace,
I'm gonna grab a brew. Do you want one?
(sirens wail)
- Tofranil. Same dosage?
- No.
Four times a day for the first two days,
twice a day after that.
So... What are your plans?
No plans.
I was going to fly home back to Illinois
next week, but...
I can't go now, not now.
- What if Allan?
- Tries this again?
You're not going to prevent it
by being here. Look at today.
I know it might be difficult
to understand,
but you might actually be aggravating
the situation.
- Aggravating?
- Go home, Dorothy. Go back to Illinois.
Go back to your business.
You'll make it easier on yourself
and on Allan.
He'll be fine.
Clinical depression syndrome.
Tryptizol I had him on was too weak.
I'm switching him to Tofranil.
Allan Mann.
This isn't unusual. Six out of ten
quadriplegics attempt suicide.
And you pump them full of Tofranil.
Have you seen Wiseman?
He's right over there.
- Geoffrey?
- It's Allan. He tried to kill himself.
Wait. You didn't know?
- Then what are you doing here?
- She came to pick me up.
Well, I'll be damned.
How do we diagnose this one, Wiseman?
Clinical asshole syndrome? Clinical rat?
Clinical snake in the grass?
- Come on, Geoffrey...
- And you? You clinical cunt.
OK, Scooter. Come on now. Drink. Drink.
OK. Put your baby to bed. Drink.
No, not for baby. Drink for me.
Good girl. Open.
Change. Good girl.
Good girl. Change. Open.
Open. Good girl. Straw.
Good girl! Good girl.
- (car horn)
- Hey, company's here.
Let's go. Cage. Good girl.
Yeah. Get in the cage. Come on, honey.
Get in the cage. Come on. Cage.
Yes. Yes. Good girl!
- Hi. I'm Melanie.
- Hi. Geoffrey Fisher. Nice to meet you.
- What a fabulous place you have here.
- Thanks. I'm lucky to have it.
- You wanna come in or stay out here?
- I'll stay out.
Although my system may go into shock -
all it ever gets is fluorescent light.
So you train monkeys?
Exclusively for quadriplegics?
There's no time for anything else -
the programme's so popular.
As I told you on the phone, I have a friend
who would be a terrific candidate for this.
There are a lot of candidates. All
my monkeys are already assigned homes.
How about if I were to donate a monkey?
One from the lab at the college?
Has to be a female.
Males are too unsanitary.
They go around peeing
to mark their territory.
I know. I've had my share of drenchings.
It's all right. This one is a female.
Well, I suppose if you're willing to supply
the animal, it comes down to my time.
- I could pay you. I don't have much...
- No. I draw a salary from a grant.
It's just squeezing them in.
Starting a monkey from scratch
is a long process.
This monkey's pretty well conditioned.
She's very bright.
She's already been through
a lot of behavioural training.
It sounds too good to be true.
She's normal? She hasn't been exposed
to anything weird in the lab?
No. She gets a med check every day.
She's 100%.
(doorbell)
Hey, Ace. I set you up with a blind date.
I hope you don't think
she's too much of a gorilla.
My God! Get away from her, you little!
I'm Melanie Parker. You're Allan? Of
course - you're the only one sitting down.
What the hell is going on here?
She's all yours, Ace. A present.
You serious? You're giving me a monkey?
- How am I supposed to take care of her?
- It's gonna take care of you.
Wait till you see what she can do.
Melanie's been training her.
Here we go. Look at this. Oh...
- Good girl.
- Thank you.
She's looking for her reward.
I'll attach a gizmo to your chair
for dispensing these.
- What's her name?
- Number six.
That's a shit name.
She's a capuchin - Cebus Apella.
I've been calling her Ella.
Ella, huh? It's a little better.
- Hi. I'm Melanie. You're Allan's nurse?
- God has given me that burden, yes.
Could you give me a hand?
I got a truck load out here.
Listen. I kinda smuggled her
out of the lab.
Officially, she's dead,
but nobody knows that - not even Melanie.
So if you could keep that quiet,
I'd appreciate it.
Hey, Ella.
I'd love to play with you. Unfortunately,
I can't, but I sure would love to.
- So what do you think?
- I think it's gonna be great.
(d "Ain't We Got Fun" by Peggy Lee)
d Don't we have fun?
d Tax collectors getting closer
- She turned it on all by herself.
- Got good taste.
She loaded the tape and turned it on.
Look at her, Maryanne. Isn't she a riot?
- Is that animal house-broken?
- Pretty much.
She'll use her cage or the toilet,
which she can flush,
but you'll probably
step in something once in a while.
That's one thing
I don't have to worry about.
A cripple joke!
He made a cripple joke. He's cured!
(d "That's the Glory of Love"
by Peggy Lee)
It's all right. Don't get up.
Nice model. White walls and a tape deck
and you could go cruising.
This baby's gonna make my job easy.
Hey. Get away from there.
- Does this bother you?
- No.
- Would you rather lie down while I work?
- I'm fine.
I'm gonna be knocking on you for a while.
- Oh, help.
- All right. A little rough?
- Kind of rough.
- OK. We'll try and work on that. Fetch.
- We're gonna do it really easy.
- That's better.
Yeah. That's me. OK. All right...
- The laser dot is the signal for Ella.
- To do what?
Whatever your heart desires.
She's your slave. Let's give it a try.
Try and direct the laser to the stick.
OK. You got it. Good.
- Bring it up.
- My mouth.
Mouth. Mouth. Good girl.
- Give her a treat. One puff.
- One puff. I know.
Yeah. Good girl.
Ella. Open the box.
Change. Change, Ella.
Good girl. OK.
Click left, puff once.
Now if you lose power, you got lights.
Thanks, Ella. Lunch is ready.
I would love some real eats.
Nachos with melted cheese, perhaps,
Chinese take-out, a Big Mac -
anything's better than the mush
I get from Nurse Ratched.
What's your all-time favourite?
All-time favourite? Pasta.
Linguine with clam sauce
And a mega dose of garlic.
- Maybe I'll make it for you some time.
- Promise?
Let's not call it a promise.
If I get the chance, I'll make it.
You don't like making promises.
- (squeaking)
- What?
Ella, fetch.
Atta girl. I know it's heavy. You can do it.
Come on. Stretch for it. Make it burn.
If I'm gonna suffer this shit,
you have to suffer with me.
Worse than having an infant.
Way to go, Ella! Double reward.
No, triple reward. That was a biggie.
Maryanne, I asked you
to keep this container loaded.
Rewards for that little pest.
When do I get my reward?
When you die, you'll go to heaven.
I could do us all a favour
and fill it with rat poison.
Where are the damn things?
I'll be.
What are you doing?
I'm trying to get some work done.
Ella.
What are you doing?
Come on.
Put the lights on, give me my stick.
I can hardly see you.
Come on. Get out of the way.
What do you want?
I'm gonna do it, darlin'.
I'm gonna go back to school.
Put my mind to it,
I oughta be able to tear up the track.
What? Don't you
want to go to school with me?
Ah, I know.
Ow! Hey. You don't like the beard?
Neither do I. It's out of here, OK?
The beard is history. That a deal? What?
I know. I love you too.
No. This is one thing
you don't know how to do.
- She just wants to play.
- You spoil her, Allan.
I want to spoil her. She's really...
- made my life...
- I know.
No. I don't think you do know, Melanie.
- I don't think you can know.
- Hold still.
She does so much for me. She seems
to want to do things just for me.
Look.
Completely different guy.
You're not gonna stop
coming around now, are you?
I mean, now that Ella's
finished her basic training.
I hate to see you disappear.
I won't disappear. I'll be around.
God, I'm sorry. I must have cut you.
- It's nothing.
- Hey! Get away from there.
Don't worry.
- Allan, hi!
- How are you guys doing?
Great.
- Who's your friend?
- This is Ella. That's my girl.
Ella's your girl?
June 12, 1984 - the Supreme Court
reversed the sixth circuit court of appeal
in a case involving the City of Memphis.
What was the ruling?
Check it out.
Well, Mr Mann,
does your friend know the answer?
Or do you?
The ruling held that courts could
not upset valid seniority systems
to protect the rights of minority workers.
Got one? Reel it in!
- Shit. My fault.
- No. It just wasn't meant to be.
At least we got one on the line.
It's not the right time of year.
We'll come back when they're running.
- Promise?
- Yeah, I promise.
- That was easy.
- It was, wasn't it?
- You getting cold?
- A little.
Let's pack it in.
- It's pretty fancy.
- Yeah. Each card dials a number.
Ella does it for me. She already
knows which cards are which.
- You're shitting me?
- The ones I use most often.
Telephone, Ella.
Come on, Ella. Telephone.
Telephone Geoffrey.
Geoffrey, Ella.
- Christ. You don't think?
- I do think.
She knows you're here
so it makes no sense to call you.
- No, no. There's no way, man.
- Go outside a minute.
- There's no way...
- Don't tell me you're not curious. Go on.
OK, Ella. He's gone. Telephone Geoffrey.
Come on. Telephone Geoffrey.
Come on back in! She did it.
She's unbelievable.
She's like a miniature person.
Hi, this is Geoffrey. I can't come
to the phone, but leave a message.
After all that,
she gets an answering machine.
Hello?
Who's that? Is that you, Burbage?
What the hell are you doing in my lab?
- What's all that about?
- It's nothing.
What's the matter?
Same old shit.
Boss messing with my work. I hate it.
- Do you mind if I help myself to a beer?
- No. Go ahead.
Ella, you wanna go grab a beer with me?
Come on.
Burbage is a schmuck, eh?
You really are getting smart, aren't you?
You must like it here. Maybe this brew
of mine is finally doing its stuff.
- What happened?
- Nothing. She cut her hand. She's fine.
Ella, come on. Sshh... Ella.
What's going on in there?
No.
Geoffrey! What are you doing to her?
- Ella...
- Geoffrey!
- Geoffrey!
- Ella, come on.
- How did you get into my laboratory?
- Your laboratory?
With those triple locks?
I know paranoia runs high
around the wing, but...
- Christ.
- One conditions -
by the carrot or by the stick.
I prefer the stick. It's closer
to what we encounter in real life.
Fear of drowning, for example,
concentrates the rodent mind wonderfully.
- You really are a sadist.
- No. A realist. Please don't smoke in here.
Let's cut the bullshit.
I just stopped by to tell you...
I was taking inventory and I discovered
that one of your monkeys died
several weeks back.
Not the one you've been injecting?
It was one of the others. Ten weeks
back and I still don't have a replacement.
And you're not going to get one until you
file a written report on your experiments.
You really kill me.
You continually ridicule my work,
but you're just dying to find out
if I'm on to something.
I should have gotten that monkey -
the one that died.
For autopsy, I know. I sent it down.
It never got here. How did you send it?
A student.
I don't have time for this bullshit.
You go slice up somebody's testicles.
You can throw away the keys to my
laboratory - I've had the locks changed.
All three of them.
Jesus!
Will you take it easy with that thing?
If you're gonna do a job, do it right.
I'm sick and tired of your insults.
I don't know what's gotten into you.
- I work my butt off around here.
- Bullshit! This place is a pigsty!
You don't change Ella's cage
or fill her food dishes.
This is our house. You have been hired
to perform certain functions.
When you don't perform them,
we get pissed off.
And just who is this "we"?
- Me and Ella.
- That's what I thought you meant.
It's unnatural - you and that monkey.
She is just a dirty,
filthy, sneaky, little beast.
You don't like the way this place looks?
She's the one that leaves it a mess.
Maryanne. Maryanne, come back here!
Maryanne!
- Maryanne!
- (agitated chattering)
Maryanne!
Maryanne! Maryanne!
Maryanne!
Maryanne! Maryanne!
God give me strength.
Get rid of that bird, Maryanne.
Get rid of that bird, or so help me, I'll...
You'll what?
Bogie?
d 12 bottles of beer on the wall
d If one of those bottles
should happen to fall
d 11 bottles of beer on the wall
d 11 bottles of beer on the wall
Science is measurement.
Precise measurement.
And measurement means... repetition.
All right. Let's see if this will make
you guys as smart as your sister.
Um... Eleven.
Allan! Darling! Nobody answered.
I thought something was wrong.
Mother, I... I wasn't expecting...
I know. I know. I should have phoned.
But I knew that you would
just tell me not to come and...
What's the difference?
I'm here. We're together.
- I'll do that, if you want.
- Not a chance. It's my pleasure.
I'll make Grandmother's potatoes.
Would you like that?
- He's selfish and ungrateful.
- Please try and find Ella. I'm worried.
I left the door open when I came in.
I hope she didn't get out.
- She's just hiding. Probably in the attic.
- Cos you're after her all the time.
You killed my Bogie!
Maryanne, you're confused.
Not with his hands.
He had his little demon do it for him.
- Ella was in her cage.
- I don't know how you did it, but you did!
The two of you together.
And now my little Bogie is gone!
Maybe it was old age, huh?
Maybe it was a rat that got it.
Maybe you crushed it when you jammed
your foot in the slipper. Who gives a shit?
It deserved to die.
It fucking deserved to die.
Allan?
Oh.
This is embarrassing.
I'd rather Maryanne do this.
What's the matter?
I've never seen you naked? Come on.
Anyway, you're stuck with me.
- Maryanne's leaving.
- Maryanne's leaving?
- Uh-huh.
- You mean while you're here?
No, she's quitting. She called me last
week and said she was looking for work.
Last week?
- Bitch.
- Allan, it's all right.
Actually, her timing couldn't be better.
Her decision helped me
reach a decision of my own -
one that I've been procrastinating about...
What is it?
Well... I hope you approve.
I've sold my business.
I'm selling the house in Lake Forest.
You're planning on moving in?
It's the only solution, Allan.
Don't worry. I'll stay out of your way.
I know you're a very private person.
At the same time, I'll be able to help.
I'll be here when you need me.
Mother... Mother, my hand moved.
- Did you see it?
- Allan, please...
Did you see my fucking hand move
or didn't you?!
No, I did not. There is nothing to see.
Your hand did not move. It cannot move.
I don't like the way you're behaving.
I don't like it at all.
(intercom) Allan, what is it?
Want anything?
Uh... No. No, Mother. I'm all right.
- Do you have to go to the bathroom?
- No, I'm all right. Just leave me alone.
Just leave me alone.
You can get out of this cage, can't you?
You can get out of this house.
Ella... you little devil, you.
Nothing. There's no way
she could be getting out.
She's coming in wet, covered with mud.
Allan, look at me. The attic is a mess.
Leaks in the roof.
It's been raining in there.
Ella is getting out of the house.
If it's not the attic, it's some other way.
And I'm getting out with her.
These dreams I've been having... They're
not dreams. It's more like experiences.
It's like I'm in Ella's body.
Running with her strength.
Seeing through her eyes.
- I'm part of her. She's part of me.
- You do know that that's impossible.
No, I don't know.
It is not impossible. It's happening.
You're talking about telepathy, Ace.
Some sort of mind meld. Come on.
I know there's a strong bond between you
and Ella, but... paranormal contact?
It's impossible. It just can't be.
Allan, are you all right?
Do I need to start worrying about you?
No, I'm fine.
Just an overactive imagination, I guess.
My hand moved - I saw it move -
but Wiseman says that's impossible.
You should always get a second opinion
with something serious.
Even with the brilliant John Wiseman.
- Do I detect a note of sarcasm?
- Wiseman's overconfident.
- Sometimes he... misses things.
- He missed something with Allan?
I don't know, but it looks to me
like you've got a congenital problem.
This injury here
was caused by the accident -
it's what Wiseman repaired
and it looks like a competent job.
But I don't think this is what's
causing your paralysis. See this?
This abnormality doesn't look
like it was caused by trauma.
If this is the culprit...
then your paralysis could have come on
crossing the street, lying in bed.
The accident could have been
a tragic coincidence.
Tragic?
Without the accident,
the docs might have looked harder.
They probably figured you got hit
by a truck, spinal damage, case closed.
So if they... he had looked harder
and he found what you found...
- Could he have fixed it?
- Can you fix it?
This is a very inexact specialty.
Let me run some more tests
before you ask me that question.
- (growling)
- (thinks) Wiseman. That motherfucker.
That self-satisfied son of a bitch.
If he did this to me...
If he put me through this for no fucking
reason other than his own incompetence.
- Allan. Don't waste your time on anger.
- That son of a bitch.
Ego-fucking-maniac. I could...
I don't understand this reaction.
You're letting bad news overshadow good.
There's hope - not false hope, real hope.
Just when things
might turn your way, you...
I don't like this change in you, Allan.
- Dr Wiseman's office.
- Is he there?
We don't expect him back until Monday.
He's taken a few days off.
I have to talk to him.
- Well, if it's an emergency...
- It is an emergency.
OK. He left a number
where he can be reached.
Let me see... It's JL-5...
- You already have that number?
- Yes. I have that number.
Hello?
Hello?
Hello?
- Hung up.
- Oh.
Hate it when that happens.
It always scares me.
Oh, my God. Both of them?
You mean they were together?
Oh, my God!
What am I gonna tell Allan?
Oh. Allan just came in.
Yes, I will. Thank you for calling.
Allan, something terrible has happened.
- There was...
- A fire.
- Take her away.
- Ace, Ella could not have done this.
I think she did do it. I think she did it
for me. Because I wanted it done.
You wanted them to die in a fit of anger.
That's a normal reaction.
These people fucked you over.
Now this thing happens - it's coincidence -
and you're blaming it on yourself.
It wasn't a fit of anger.
I thought about it - of ways of doing it.
Fire was one of those ways. I knew that
old cabin. I knew that it would burn fast.
Allan...
- Did you do that or did she?
- She did it. She acts on her own as well.
That worries me too. What she might do
when she's been exposed to...
- Exposed to what?
- Geoff...
I've been so full of anger.
I've had the most horrible thoughts lately.
It's like vomiting up
every resentment I ever had.
Every ugly, vicious, sinful...
That's what it is - it's sin.
It's the desire to sin, Geoff.
- If Ella's plugged into that...
- You did not cause that fire, nor did Ella.
Animals are instinctively terrified of fire.
They won't go near a naked flame.
Was that an instinctive reaction?
Or does she just know what fire can do?
Christ. All right...
I'll take her down to the lab
and run whatever tests I can run on her.
Though I don't expect to find sin
in a urine sample.
- Sorry, Melanie.
- That's...
- Don't bring her back.
- I'll check with you on Monday.
Why don't you stay here tonight?
You could stay for the weekend.
Different environment. Fresh air.
How could you handle it?
Just getting me in and out of bed...
I've got the practice room in the barn.
Got all the equipment.
I think it'll be warm enough.
Got plenty of blankets.
We'll try to forget it. For two days,
we will try to forget everything.
- Deal?
- I'll try.
I really will try. I just...
I can feel myself coming back to normal.
Every minute,
that rage just gets lifted away.
Every minute you're with me
or every minute you're away from Ella?
Both.
Bedtime?
I'm sorry.
I could enrol you in the college, Ella.
These other idiots
are still pissing on their feet.
They're all getting the same dosage.
The missing ingredient must be Allan.
My God. You want it?
What? No complaint?
I've turned you into a fucking junkie.
What else have I turned you into? Has this
stuff plugged you into Allan somehow?
Seven bottles of beer on the wall.
You didn't do it, did you, Ella? All that
stuff that Allan's been blaming on you?
I know that you've been getting
out of the house...
but you couldn't have committed murder.
I don't know. I just can't be sure.
You weren't trying to make
your hand move. It moved by itself.
Spinal surgery is risky business.
Without some proof, some more positive
sign, I can't recommend taking that risk.
- What kind of sign?
- A voluntary movement.
A movement you make deliberately -
even if it's only a finger or a toe.
Show me that you can do that
and I'll say, "Let's operate."
- Hello, Mother.
- Where have you been?
- At school.
- Where have you been all weekend?
I tried to call you at least a dozen times.
We decided not to answer the phone.
Mel, don't come in.
I just don't want any bullshit.
- OK. I'll see you tomorrow.
- Mel, don't.
I don't want any bullshit either.
Hi, Mrs Mann. How are you today?
Burbage.
Jesus. He's got it.
He's got the serum.
Motherfucker!
Burbage won't learn anything.
Not from you, you simple bastards.
He won't learn diddly shit.
Maybe...
Maybe I still can from you, sugar.
One bottle of beer on the wall.
One last dose. Not for you this time.
This time, it's for me.
If this shit can plug you into Allan's head,
maybe it can plug me into yours.
All right, Ella.
Come on. Let's tune in.
Let's make contact, Ella.
- (growling)
- It's only you and me now.
Let me know what's on your mind.
Come on, Ella. Show me.
Show me what you can do.
- You didn't hear from Geoffrey?
- Why would I?
- He... He has Ella.
- He can keep her for all I care.
I told him to keep her, Mother. I told him
not to bring her back. She's gone.
She did something to that girl, didn't she?
She did something to that Melanie
and she asked you to get rid of her.
You'd do anything she asks in a minute.
Mother, let's try and bury the hatchet.
Look, I know I haven't been
very pleasant to be around lately.
I'm gonna try and fix that.
Do you think you could do the same?
What am I supposed to fix, Allan?
What have I done?
What have I ever done
except worry about you?
Mother, this business about Melanie.
I need your support, not discouragement.
However things turn out medically,
with or without the use of my body,
I'm gonna try to make it work between us.
- Whatever you want is fine with me.
- Oh, bullshit!
You're so fucked up, you can't even!
Mother, she's here.
Ella's here. She's in the house.
I think you've got a serious problem.
I think you're going crazy on me.
She's here. I can feel her.
Filling me up with...
- For God's sakes...
- There's danger.
The way I've been acting, these rages -
Ella pulls them out of me.
She pulls them to the surface.
What is this? Is this some sort of game
that you're playing?
If you can't stand having me here,
just tell me, I'll go.
- You don't have to put me through this.
- Mother, please stop.
Please don't make me angry.
I can't control it. It's Ella. She...
If that's Melanie,
tell her the monkey's here.
Tell her to come here right away.
- Hello?
- Hi, Mrs Mann. It's Melanie Parker.
- Can Allan come to the phone?
- No. He's in the bath.
OK. Would you ask him
to call me when he gets out?
He's going to bed.
Call him tomorrow in the daytime.
Mother, I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have shouted at you. I'm afraid.
I'm afraid for you, Mother.
If you ever tried to understand anything,
try to understand this.
I understand. I understand the truth.
You've made it plain.
I just was never willing to accept it.
Mother...
Do you have any idea
how much you've made me cry?
Do you have any idea how worthless
you've made me feel? How alone?
- I've given up everything for you!
- Who asked you to give up anything?
You don't give a shit
about me or anybody else.
You're too wrapped up in yourself.
Your life is nothing
but an empty, greedy, black hole
and you've been trying to suck me into it
for as long as I can remember.
Well, I cannot stand it any more.
I cannot stand your bullshit.
You're a conniving,
clinging, bloodsucking bitch.
Mother...
You deserve whatever you get.
I hate you.
I hate you.
Did you hear that?
Mother. Mother!
Mother!
Mother?
Can you hear me?
Mother, can you hear me?
Mother, close your door! Lock it shut!
Mother!
Mother!
Mother, can you hear me?
- Ella?
- (tapping)
Geoff, she's here. Ella's here.
- What's with the lights?
- Check the breakers.
Something happened to Mother.
- What the hell?
- Geoff?
- Geoff, what is it?
- I don't know.
- Must be a short somewhere. You OK?
- Mother. Upstairs.
I'll be right back.
- Ella's not in here, is she?
- No.
I don't think so.
Oh, God.
It's me... I killed them.
- All of them.
- You couldn't kill anyone, Allan.
No. I got 5,000 years
of civilised behaviour bred into me.
But what if I wasn't civilised any more?
What if I was an animal?
Free to follow my instincts.
That's what the devil is, Geoff. It's instinct.
Animal instinct.
Lives in us all.
Lives by its own set of laws.
Laws of the jungle.
You didn't do any of this, Allan. I did.
Ella has been genetically altered.
I've had her on a new drug.
- Don't tell me this...
- I lost track, Allan.
- I lost track of everything but my work.
- Geoff, don't tell me this.
You said she was normal -
even after I told you what was happening.
I was just part of some experiment,
wasn't I? A guinea pig, this whole time.
No. At the beginning
I was really trying to help.
What kind of experiment was it? What did
you do to Ella? What did you do to me?
Allan...
- You see her?
- She didn't come back here.
- The attic.
- Maybe we should wait or get help.
- I can handle her.
- We should get help.
Geoffrey?
Ella, answer the telephone.
Answer the telephone, Ella.
No. Answer.
Ella, no. Stop it.
Don't! Do not... Don't do it!
- (cuts off)
- Goddamn you, you!
Geoff! She's here. She's down here!
Allan?
Allan?
Allan!
Geoff, no. Just get away. Get help!
Jesus.
She got me.
You know me and needles.
I put enough in there
to bring down King Kong!
- Geoff. The telephone. Get the phone.
- Ace...
Untangle the phone. We'll call for help.
Ace, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry.
- The telephone. We'll call the hospital.
- Hospital.
I gotta go there.
There's no time to make a round trip.
You can't possibly drive.
Unhook this phone, goddamnit!
- I gotta go...
- Geoff! Unhook the fucking phone!
Geoffrey!
Geoffrey!
d If one of those bottles
should happen to fall...
Geoff!
Seven.
Eleven! Eleven! Eleven!
Eleven!
No! God damn you!
Eleven!
Eleven!
What did you do?
Knock the breaker off? You little...
Stop it, Ella. I said, stop it! Stop it!
You can't fool me. Not with that bullshit.
You're not gonna hurt me. I'm part of you.
Oh. You wanna be the boss now. Is that it?
You wanna be the brains
as well as the brawn?
No, no. I'm the brains in this outfit.
I can beat you at this game, Ella.
Know why? Cos I'm human.
I'm the one who can cheat and lie...
and be devious.
Whatever it takes, fuckface.
Whatever it takes
to get us through the night.
Hey, Ella. Ella, I got an idea.
Let's have music. Music, Ella.
Atta girl. Music.
Oh. The lights, Ella.
You need lights to have music.
Kitchen. The switch is in the kitchen,
baby. Go ahead.
Oh, you're too savvy for that one,
aren't you? It's OK.
We'll try it again later.
How about food? Food. Mmm.
Yeah. I'm hungry. Eat, Ella. Eat.
Atta girl. Go ahead.
Hey! Hey, over here!
Hey! Over here!
Help me! Help me!
- Help me, please!
- (growling)
All right.
All right. No more tricks.
No more tricks, baby.
So you're not afraid of fire.
Thank you, Ella. No more food.
No more food, Ella.
No more food. Food, no.
Ella... Let's go outside.
Go outside. Run.
Play.
Like we used to. Come on, baby.
Go outside. Go away.
Take me away, Ella. Come on, baby.
Take me away. Yeah.
Mel, no. Go away. Go away. Don't come.
Mel, go away. Stay away.
- Are you all right? What happened?
- Mel, get away from here.
- Where's Geoffrey?
- He's not here.
- His car's outside.
- Leave us alone. I don't wanna hurt you.
I couldn't stand it if I hurt you too.
- Mel, please go. Go quickly.
- Allan, what?
Stop it!
Ella, no!
- Did you do that or did she?
- She did.
That's right. She did it. Not you.
You had nothing to do with it.
Mel?
Come on, wake up.
Come on, Melanie. Wake up.
Mel?
Ella, no! Stop. Ella! Get out of there!
Get out of there, you bitch!
Stop it! Get away from her!
Get out of there! Stop it, Ella!
Come on, Mel. Wake up.
Come on, Mel.
Melanie.
Ella, no! No! Get out of there!
No! No!
Stop it!
Get away from me.
Get away from me, you!
You slime.
You filth.
I'm gonna take you apart.
I'm gonna rip your fucking eyes out.
I'm gonna tear you open
and chew out your fucking heart.
Oh, God. Melanie.
- Oh.
- Come on, Mel. Wake up.
You gotta wake up, Mel. Ella, no.
Ella, no. Bring me that needle.
Fetch it to me. Come on, Ella.
I thought we were gonna be friends.
I thought we were gonna go run and play.
Ella.
Come on.
Come here, baby.
Nice music, huh?
Come on up here, baby. Come on, please.
Come here, Ella.
Come on next to me. I want you close.
Come on.
Don't you love me? I love you.
That's my girl. Come over.
Come on and hold me.
Hold me, baby.
Come on.
He's prepped. BP's stable.
- Aagh!
- Allan!
It's OK. It's all right. You had a dream,
that's all. Just a bad dream.
I'm here. I'm with you.
Your surgery's over. It's OK.
Melanie...
- It's over? Really?
- Yeah.
- They did the work on my spine?
- Yeah.
What did they say?
Do I get my body back?
Come on, Ace. Let's go fishing.
Thank you.
ENHOH
- I'm gonna go run.
- OK.
- Morning.
- Good morning.
How ya doin'?
(barking)
(tyres screech)
- Is he out?
- Yup.
Good. Now we can talk about him.
Oh, my God!
Martha, his ass is hairier than yours.
- Very funny.
- No laughs, huh?
The morning team has a sense of humour.
OK.
This is an accident victim
creamed by a truck.
Injury to C5 -
anterior dislocation of the upper segment
with damage to the cord.
(PA) Dr Fletcher to ICU.
Dr Stephen Fletcher, please come to ICU.
John.
I can't tell you how much it means that
you found the time to be with us today.
Everyone! Everyone! Pay attention.
For those of you who haven't met him,
this is Dr John Wiseman -
the genius who saved my Allan's life.
Here's to the doctor.
- Dr Wiseman.
- John, this is Dr Fry.
My name is Esther Fry.
Dr Fry is one of Allan's professors
at the law school.
- We were just discussing...
- Will Allan be able to finish his studies?
Physically, yes, but will he want to?
Let's not talk about this now.
This is supposed to be a celebration.
Yeah. Some celebration, huh, Doc?
Charlie Cunningham.
- How are you?
- I'm Allan's c... I was Allan's coach.
Oh. Excuse me one second.
- How are you holding up?
- Good. I'm good.
Good.
I'd better go freshen up.
Allan'll be here any minute.
(car door slams)
- (man) He's here.
- (mother) OK, everybody quiet.
Everybody, he's here.
Let's all surprise him together. Quiet now.
- Good luck to you.
- Thanks.
Allan! Oh, Allan! You're home.
One, two, three... Surprise!
To Allan. To the start of his new life.
(applause)
Hi, babe.
- Been a long time.
- I know.
I should have come to visit you more
at the hospital, but...
I'm sorry.
Linda, would you get this gentleman
a drink? Double Scotch?
- If I'm allowed.
- Allowed? I'm prescribing it.
Not in a regular glass. We use these.
We never use ice cubes and if
we must have alcohol, we water it down.
Maryanne Hodges.
I've been hired by your mother
to stay and take care of you.
Thank you.
- Who could live that way?
- Sshh. He was looking right at us.
Hi. This is Geoffrey. I can't come to
the phone right now, but leave a message.
Wait for the beep.
Geoffrey, where the hell are you?
(bell rings)
- (animals squeak)
- Hello, babies.
Papa's got a surprise.
All right, ladies and gentlemen...
One human brain.
This sample comes from the main
association area of the temporal cortex.
The donor was a Jane Doe
with no apparent abnormalities.
Hello, number six. Come on.
That's it.
Freedom.
Save some for the old man.
Parnate incarnate.
Another night without sleep.
But sleep is just a waste of time.
Right, number six?
Double, double, toil and trouble...
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
You have got to get smart on this, sugar.
There you go. I know it hurts, baby,
but beats going back to the jungle,
doesn't it?
Let's get our messages.
Hey, don't you give me that.
Get your little hinny over here
or no midnight snack.
Good girl. That's it.
- Geoffrey, this is Dean Burbage...
- How are you doing, you psycho?
Wednesday 6th.
You forgot our appointment...
- Yes, I did.
- I'd like to see you tomorrow...
I'd like to see you dead...
Wednesday 6th?
(Linda) Geoffrey, where the hell are you?
God... Allan.
(tapping)
Hey, come in here.
How ya doin', Ace?
A lot of changes here.
I hardly recognise this place.
- Equipped for the handicapped.
- You'll get all the best parking spaces.
Ones with the pictures
of the wheelchairs on them.
- I hate to think what Mother paid for it.
- You'll pay her back. Lawyers get rich.
You look like shit. You shooting parnate?
That's one of the advantages
of working in a chem lab.
I finally figured it out. Every three days
that I stay awake, I gain 24 hours.
That's 122 days every year.
So even if I die at 50,
I will have lived 65 years.
I'm sorry I didn't make the party. Linda
called me - she sounded pretty crazed.
Linda's dumping me.
She didn't come out and say it,
but I can tell.
Allan... Linda's just not comfortable
with the change yet, that's all.
She's gonna come around.
Hey, if she walks out on you now,
fuck her.
I can't.
Oh, look! There you are
with the little Palmer children.
Patterson, Mother.
Their name was Patterson.
That's right. I'm terrible with names.
Look, there's their house.
Remember when Mr Patterson
got transferred?
I got the listing and had to sell the house.
You were so angry. You thought I had
something to do with their moving away.
(chirping)
Maryanne! I don't like birds in the house -
the flapping.
- Bogie? Bad boy.
- Bogie?
When he talks,
he sounds just like Humphrey Bogart.
- (Bogie) Sweetheart.
- See?
Look! Halloween. Oh, you just refused
to wear that costume we bought for you.
You wanted to go as that robot
from the movies. What's his name?
Robby the Robot.
I always wanted to be Robby the Robot.
Guess I finally got my wish.
Shit.
Jesus H Christ! Hey!
What do you think you're doing?
Get the hell outta here! Run, you dinks!
Shit.
- Where's security?
- Stop torturing animals!
- Murderer!
- Torturer!
Nice toss! You mentally-deficient puke.
- How're you doing?
- Late again.
Yes. Sorry. Lost track of the time.
Well... What have you got?
Samuels has given me a brain sample
from a young girl who died in surgery.
I've made a formulation based on human
memory cells and injected a monkey.
Is the monkey responding? Is it any
smarter than it was before it was injected?
It's very difficult to measure.
She was pretty smart to begin with.
(laughs)
I don't believe this.
The worm studies reincarnated.
Monkeys are more expensive than worms.
- It's not costing anything.
- It's costing time, Geoffrey.
This programme
has to start showing results.
People who write
the cheques are getting nervous.
I've seen you on three different talk shows
defending the slaughter of animals
for research.
Your work has the anti-vivisectionists
ready to firebomb the college.
That's what's making the people
who write the cheques nervous.
Our approaches are quite different.
Unfortunately for you,
I'm the head of this department.
- Why don't you just fire me then?
- I don't want to fire you, Geoffrey.
- I just want to get you to produce.
- You can't do it, can you?
You can't fire me cos you know
if anybody's gonna strike gold,
it's gonna be me.
- Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry. You'll live.
- (hissing)
My ass is on the line around here, sixer.
And yours with it.
You'd better get smart.
This has to work.
Proved out 50 different ways.
You should be playing chess
with the dosage you've been getting.
You're half human, for Christ's sake.
Why don't you show it, huh?
Why don't you show something? Up.
Maybe these other goons
are holding you back.
Maybe that's it.
Maybe I gotta get you out of here.
(Peggy Lee) d Don't cry
d There'll be another spring...
Three.
No... Four.
Five.
Seven.
Fuck! Eight!
Six.
Yo, Ace! Ace,
I'm gonna grab a brew. Do you want one?
(sirens wail)
- Tofranil. Same dosage?
- No.
Four times a day for the first two days,
twice a day after that.
So... What are your plans?
No plans.
I was going to fly home back to Illinois
next week, but...
I can't go now, not now.
- What if Allan?
- Tries this again?
You're not going to prevent it
by being here. Look at today.
I know it might be difficult
to understand,
but you might actually be aggravating
the situation.
- Aggravating?
- Go home, Dorothy. Go back to Illinois.
Go back to your business.
You'll make it easier on yourself
and on Allan.
He'll be fine.
Clinical depression syndrome.
Tryptizol I had him on was too weak.
I'm switching him to Tofranil.
Allan Mann.
This isn't unusual. Six out of ten
quadriplegics attempt suicide.
And you pump them full of Tofranil.
Have you seen Wiseman?
He's right over there.
- Geoffrey?
- It's Allan. He tried to kill himself.
Wait. You didn't know?
- Then what are you doing here?
- She came to pick me up.
Well, I'll be damned.
How do we diagnose this one, Wiseman?
Clinical asshole syndrome? Clinical rat?
Clinical snake in the grass?
- Come on, Geoffrey...
- And you? You clinical cunt.
OK, Scooter. Come on now. Drink. Drink.
OK. Put your baby to bed. Drink.
No, not for baby. Drink for me.
Good girl. Open.
Change. Good girl.
Good girl. Change. Open.
Open. Good girl. Straw.
Good girl! Good girl.
- (car horn)
- Hey, company's here.
Let's go. Cage. Good girl.
Yeah. Get in the cage. Come on, honey.
Get in the cage. Come on. Cage.
Yes. Yes. Good girl!
- Hi. I'm Melanie.
- Hi. Geoffrey Fisher. Nice to meet you.
- What a fabulous place you have here.
- Thanks. I'm lucky to have it.
- You wanna come in or stay out here?
- I'll stay out.
Although my system may go into shock -
all it ever gets is fluorescent light.
So you train monkeys?
Exclusively for quadriplegics?
There's no time for anything else -
the programme's so popular.
As I told you on the phone, I have a friend
who would be a terrific candidate for this.
There are a lot of candidates. All
my monkeys are already assigned homes.
How about if I were to donate a monkey?
One from the lab at the college?
Has to be a female.
Males are too unsanitary.
They go around peeing
to mark their territory.
I know. I've had my share of drenchings.
It's all right. This one is a female.
Well, I suppose if you're willing to supply
the animal, it comes down to my time.
- I could pay you. I don't have much...
- No. I draw a salary from a grant.
It's just squeezing them in.
Starting a monkey from scratch
is a long process.
This monkey's pretty well conditioned.
She's very bright.
She's already been through
a lot of behavioural training.
It sounds too good to be true.
She's normal? She hasn't been exposed
to anything weird in the lab?
No. She gets a med check every day.
She's 100%.
(doorbell)
Hey, Ace. I set you up with a blind date.
I hope you don't think
she's too much of a gorilla.
My God! Get away from her, you little!
I'm Melanie Parker. You're Allan? Of
course - you're the only one sitting down.
What the hell is going on here?
She's all yours, Ace. A present.
You serious? You're giving me a monkey?
- How am I supposed to take care of her?
- It's gonna take care of you.
Wait till you see what she can do.
Melanie's been training her.
Here we go. Look at this. Oh...
- Good girl.
- Thank you.
She's looking for her reward.
I'll attach a gizmo to your chair
for dispensing these.
- What's her name?
- Number six.
That's a shit name.
She's a capuchin - Cebus Apella.
I've been calling her Ella.
Ella, huh? It's a little better.
- Hi. I'm Melanie. You're Allan's nurse?
- God has given me that burden, yes.
Could you give me a hand?
I got a truck load out here.
Listen. I kinda smuggled her
out of the lab.
Officially, she's dead,
but nobody knows that - not even Melanie.
So if you could keep that quiet,
I'd appreciate it.
Hey, Ella.
I'd love to play with you. Unfortunately,
I can't, but I sure would love to.
- So what do you think?
- I think it's gonna be great.
(d "Ain't We Got Fun" by Peggy Lee)
d Don't we have fun?
d Tax collectors getting closer
- She turned it on all by herself.
- Got good taste.
She loaded the tape and turned it on.
Look at her, Maryanne. Isn't she a riot?
- Is that animal house-broken?
- Pretty much.
She'll use her cage or the toilet,
which she can flush,
but you'll probably
step in something once in a while.
That's one thing
I don't have to worry about.
A cripple joke!
He made a cripple joke. He's cured!
(d "That's the Glory of Love"
by Peggy Lee)
It's all right. Don't get up.
Nice model. White walls and a tape deck
and you could go cruising.
This baby's gonna make my job easy.
Hey. Get away from there.
- Does this bother you?
- No.
- Would you rather lie down while I work?
- I'm fine.
I'm gonna be knocking on you for a while.
- Oh, help.
- All right. A little rough?
- Kind of rough.
- OK. We'll try and work on that. Fetch.
- We're gonna do it really easy.
- That's better.
Yeah. That's me. OK. All right...
- The laser dot is the signal for Ella.
- To do what?
Whatever your heart desires.
She's your slave. Let's give it a try.
Try and direct the laser to the stick.
OK. You got it. Good.
- Bring it up.
- My mouth.
Mouth. Mouth. Good girl.
- Give her a treat. One puff.
- One puff. I know.
Yeah. Good girl.
Ella. Open the box.
Change. Change, Ella.
Good girl. OK.
Click left, puff once.
Now if you lose power, you got lights.
Thanks, Ella. Lunch is ready.
I would love some real eats.
Nachos with melted cheese, perhaps,
Chinese take-out, a Big Mac -
anything's better than the mush
I get from Nurse Ratched.
What's your all-time favourite?
All-time favourite? Pasta.
Linguine with clam sauce
And a mega dose of garlic.
- Maybe I'll make it for you some time.
- Promise?
Let's not call it a promise.
If I get the chance, I'll make it.
You don't like making promises.
- (squeaking)
- What?
Ella, fetch.
Atta girl. I know it's heavy. You can do it.
Come on. Stretch for it. Make it burn.
If I'm gonna suffer this shit,
you have to suffer with me.
Worse than having an infant.
Way to go, Ella! Double reward.
No, triple reward. That was a biggie.
Maryanne, I asked you
to keep this container loaded.
Rewards for that little pest.
When do I get my reward?
When you die, you'll go to heaven.
I could do us all a favour
and fill it with rat poison.
Where are the damn things?
I'll be.
What are you doing?
I'm trying to get some work done.
Ella.
What are you doing?
Come on.
Put the lights on, give me my stick.
I can hardly see you.
Come on. Get out of the way.
What do you want?
I'm gonna do it, darlin'.
I'm gonna go back to school.
Put my mind to it,
I oughta be able to tear up the track.
What? Don't you
want to go to school with me?
Ah, I know.
Ow! Hey. You don't like the beard?
Neither do I. It's out of here, OK?
The beard is history. That a deal? What?
I know. I love you too.
No. This is one thing
you don't know how to do.
- She just wants to play.
- You spoil her, Allan.
I want to spoil her. She's really...
- made my life...
- I know.
No. I don't think you do know, Melanie.
- I don't think you can know.
- Hold still.
She does so much for me. She seems
to want to do things just for me.
Look.
Completely different guy.
You're not gonna stop
coming around now, are you?
I mean, now that Ella's
finished her basic training.
I hate to see you disappear.
I won't disappear. I'll be around.
God, I'm sorry. I must have cut you.
- It's nothing.
- Hey! Get away from there.
Don't worry.
- Allan, hi!
- How are you guys doing?
Great.
- Who's your friend?
- This is Ella. That's my girl.
Ella's your girl?
June 12, 1984 - the Supreme Court
reversed the sixth circuit court of appeal
in a case involving the City of Memphis.
What was the ruling?
Check it out.
Well, Mr Mann,
does your friend know the answer?
Or do you?
The ruling held that courts could
not upset valid seniority systems
to protect the rights of minority workers.
Got one? Reel it in!
- Shit. My fault.
- No. It just wasn't meant to be.
At least we got one on the line.
It's not the right time of year.
We'll come back when they're running.
- Promise?
- Yeah, I promise.
- That was easy.
- It was, wasn't it?
- You getting cold?
- A little.
Let's pack it in.
- It's pretty fancy.
- Yeah. Each card dials a number.
Ella does it for me. She already
knows which cards are which.
- You're shitting me?
- The ones I use most often.
Telephone, Ella.
Come on, Ella. Telephone.
Telephone Geoffrey.
Geoffrey, Ella.
- Christ. You don't think?
- I do think.
She knows you're here
so it makes no sense to call you.
- No, no. There's no way, man.
- Go outside a minute.
- There's no way...
- Don't tell me you're not curious. Go on.
OK, Ella. He's gone. Telephone Geoffrey.
Come on. Telephone Geoffrey.
Come on back in! She did it.
She's unbelievable.
She's like a miniature person.
Hi, this is Geoffrey. I can't come
to the phone, but leave a message.
After all that,
she gets an answering machine.
Hello?
Who's that? Is that you, Burbage?
What the hell are you doing in my lab?
- What's all that about?
- It's nothing.
What's the matter?
Same old shit.
Boss messing with my work. I hate it.
- Do you mind if I help myself to a beer?
- No. Go ahead.
Ella, you wanna go grab a beer with me?
Come on.
Burbage is a schmuck, eh?
You really are getting smart, aren't you?
You must like it here. Maybe this brew
of mine is finally doing its stuff.
- What happened?
- Nothing. She cut her hand. She's fine.
Ella, come on. Sshh... Ella.
What's going on in there?
No.
Geoffrey! What are you doing to her?
- Ella...
- Geoffrey!
- Geoffrey!
- Ella, come on.
- How did you get into my laboratory?
- Your laboratory?
With those triple locks?
I know paranoia runs high
around the wing, but...
- Christ.
- One conditions -
by the carrot or by the stick.
I prefer the stick. It's closer
to what we encounter in real life.
Fear of drowning, for example,
concentrates the rodent mind wonderfully.
- You really are a sadist.
- No. A realist. Please don't smoke in here.
Let's cut the bullshit.
I just stopped by to tell you...
I was taking inventory and I discovered
that one of your monkeys died
several weeks back.
Not the one you've been injecting?
It was one of the others. Ten weeks
back and I still don't have a replacement.
And you're not going to get one until you
file a written report on your experiments.
You really kill me.
You continually ridicule my work,
but you're just dying to find out
if I'm on to something.
I should have gotten that monkey -
the one that died.
For autopsy, I know. I sent it down.
It never got here. How did you send it?
A student.
I don't have time for this bullshit.
You go slice up somebody's testicles.
You can throw away the keys to my
laboratory - I've had the locks changed.
All three of them.
Jesus!
Will you take it easy with that thing?
If you're gonna do a job, do it right.
I'm sick and tired of your insults.
I don't know what's gotten into you.
- I work my butt off around here.
- Bullshit! This place is a pigsty!
You don't change Ella's cage
or fill her food dishes.
This is our house. You have been hired
to perform certain functions.
When you don't perform them,
we get pissed off.
And just who is this "we"?
- Me and Ella.
- That's what I thought you meant.
It's unnatural - you and that monkey.
She is just a dirty,
filthy, sneaky, little beast.
You don't like the way this place looks?
She's the one that leaves it a mess.
Maryanne. Maryanne, come back here!
Maryanne!
- Maryanne!
- (agitated chattering)
Maryanne!
Maryanne! Maryanne!
Maryanne!
Maryanne! Maryanne!
God give me strength.
Get rid of that bird, Maryanne.
Get rid of that bird, or so help me, I'll...
You'll what?
Bogie?
d 12 bottles of beer on the wall
d If one of those bottles
should happen to fall
d 11 bottles of beer on the wall
d 11 bottles of beer on the wall
Science is measurement.
Precise measurement.
And measurement means... repetition.
All right. Let's see if this will make
you guys as smart as your sister.
Um... Eleven.
Allan! Darling! Nobody answered.
I thought something was wrong.
Mother, I... I wasn't expecting...
I know. I know. I should have phoned.
But I knew that you would
just tell me not to come and...
What's the difference?
I'm here. We're together.
- I'll do that, if you want.
- Not a chance. It's my pleasure.
I'll make Grandmother's potatoes.
Would you like that?
- He's selfish and ungrateful.
- Please try and find Ella. I'm worried.
I left the door open when I came in.
I hope she didn't get out.
- She's just hiding. Probably in the attic.
- Cos you're after her all the time.
You killed my Bogie!
Maryanne, you're confused.
Not with his hands.
He had his little demon do it for him.
- Ella was in her cage.
- I don't know how you did it, but you did!
The two of you together.
And now my little Bogie is gone!
Maybe it was old age, huh?
Maybe it was a rat that got it.
Maybe you crushed it when you jammed
your foot in the slipper. Who gives a shit?
It deserved to die.
It fucking deserved to die.
Allan?
Oh.
This is embarrassing.
I'd rather Maryanne do this.
What's the matter?
I've never seen you naked? Come on.
Anyway, you're stuck with me.
- Maryanne's leaving.
- Maryanne's leaving?
- Uh-huh.
- You mean while you're here?
No, she's quitting. She called me last
week and said she was looking for work.
Last week?
- Bitch.
- Allan, it's all right.
Actually, her timing couldn't be better.
Her decision helped me
reach a decision of my own -
one that I've been procrastinating about...
What is it?
Well... I hope you approve.
I've sold my business.
I'm selling the house in Lake Forest.
You're planning on moving in?
It's the only solution, Allan.
Don't worry. I'll stay out of your way.
I know you're a very private person.
At the same time, I'll be able to help.
I'll be here when you need me.
Mother... Mother, my hand moved.
- Did you see it?
- Allan, please...
Did you see my fucking hand move
or didn't you?!
No, I did not. There is nothing to see.
Your hand did not move. It cannot move.
I don't like the way you're behaving.
I don't like it at all.
(intercom) Allan, what is it?
Want anything?
Uh... No. No, Mother. I'm all right.
- Do you have to go to the bathroom?
- No, I'm all right. Just leave me alone.
Just leave me alone.
You can get out of this cage, can't you?
You can get out of this house.
Ella... you little devil, you.
Nothing. There's no way
she could be getting out.
She's coming in wet, covered with mud.
Allan, look at me. The attic is a mess.
Leaks in the roof.
It's been raining in there.
Ella is getting out of the house.
If it's not the attic, it's some other way.
And I'm getting out with her.
These dreams I've been having... They're
not dreams. It's more like experiences.
It's like I'm in Ella's body.
Running with her strength.
Seeing through her eyes.
- I'm part of her. She's part of me.
- You do know that that's impossible.
No, I don't know.
It is not impossible. It's happening.
You're talking about telepathy, Ace.
Some sort of mind meld. Come on.
I know there's a strong bond between you
and Ella, but... paranormal contact?
It's impossible. It just can't be.
Allan, are you all right?
Do I need to start worrying about you?
No, I'm fine.
Just an overactive imagination, I guess.
My hand moved - I saw it move -
but Wiseman says that's impossible.
You should always get a second opinion
with something serious.
Even with the brilliant John Wiseman.
- Do I detect a note of sarcasm?
- Wiseman's overconfident.
- Sometimes he... misses things.
- He missed something with Allan?
I don't know, but it looks to me
like you've got a congenital problem.
This injury here
was caused by the accident -
it's what Wiseman repaired
and it looks like a competent job.
But I don't think this is what's
causing your paralysis. See this?
This abnormality doesn't look
like it was caused by trauma.
If this is the culprit...
then your paralysis could have come on
crossing the street, lying in bed.
The accident could have been
a tragic coincidence.
Tragic?
Without the accident,
the docs might have looked harder.
They probably figured you got hit
by a truck, spinal damage, case closed.
So if they... he had looked harder
and he found what you found...
- Could he have fixed it?
- Can you fix it?
This is a very inexact specialty.
Let me run some more tests
before you ask me that question.
- (growling)
- (thinks) Wiseman. That motherfucker.
That self-satisfied son of a bitch.
If he did this to me...
If he put me through this for no fucking
reason other than his own incompetence.
- Allan. Don't waste your time on anger.
- That son of a bitch.
Ego-fucking-maniac. I could...
I don't understand this reaction.
You're letting bad news overshadow good.
There's hope - not false hope, real hope.
Just when things
might turn your way, you...
I don't like this change in you, Allan.
- Dr Wiseman's office.
- Is he there?
We don't expect him back until Monday.
He's taken a few days off.
I have to talk to him.
- Well, if it's an emergency...
- It is an emergency.
OK. He left a number
where he can be reached.
Let me see... It's JL-5...
- You already have that number?
- Yes. I have that number.
Hello?
Hello?
Hello?
- Hung up.
- Oh.
Hate it when that happens.
It always scares me.
Oh, my God. Both of them?
You mean they were together?
Oh, my God!
What am I gonna tell Allan?
Oh. Allan just came in.
Yes, I will. Thank you for calling.
Allan, something terrible has happened.
- There was...
- A fire.
- Take her away.
- Ace, Ella could not have done this.
I think she did do it. I think she did it
for me. Because I wanted it done.
You wanted them to die in a fit of anger.
That's a normal reaction.
These people fucked you over.
Now this thing happens - it's coincidence -
and you're blaming it on yourself.
It wasn't a fit of anger.
I thought about it - of ways of doing it.
Fire was one of those ways. I knew that
old cabin. I knew that it would burn fast.
Allan...
- Did you do that or did she?
- She did it. She acts on her own as well.
That worries me too. What she might do
when she's been exposed to...
- Exposed to what?
- Geoff...
I've been so full of anger.
I've had the most horrible thoughts lately.
It's like vomiting up
every resentment I ever had.
Every ugly, vicious, sinful...
That's what it is - it's sin.
It's the desire to sin, Geoff.
- If Ella's plugged into that...
- You did not cause that fire, nor did Ella.
Animals are instinctively terrified of fire.
They won't go near a naked flame.
Was that an instinctive reaction?
Or does she just know what fire can do?
Christ. All right...
I'll take her down to the lab
and run whatever tests I can run on her.
Though I don't expect to find sin
in a urine sample.
- Sorry, Melanie.
- That's...
- Don't bring her back.
- I'll check with you on Monday.
Why don't you stay here tonight?
You could stay for the weekend.
Different environment. Fresh air.
How could you handle it?
Just getting me in and out of bed...
I've got the practice room in the barn.
Got all the equipment.
I think it'll be warm enough.
Got plenty of blankets.
We'll try to forget it. For two days,
we will try to forget everything.
- Deal?
- I'll try.
I really will try. I just...
I can feel myself coming back to normal.
Every minute,
that rage just gets lifted away.
Every minute you're with me
or every minute you're away from Ella?
Both.
Bedtime?
I'm sorry.
I could enrol you in the college, Ella.
These other idiots
are still pissing on their feet.
They're all getting the same dosage.
The missing ingredient must be Allan.
My God. You want it?
What? No complaint?
I've turned you into a fucking junkie.
What else have I turned you into? Has this
stuff plugged you into Allan somehow?
Seven bottles of beer on the wall.
You didn't do it, did you, Ella? All that
stuff that Allan's been blaming on you?
I know that you've been getting
out of the house...
but you couldn't have committed murder.
I don't know. I just can't be sure.
You weren't trying to make
your hand move. It moved by itself.
Spinal surgery is risky business.
Without some proof, some more positive
sign, I can't recommend taking that risk.
- What kind of sign?
- A voluntary movement.
A movement you make deliberately -
even if it's only a finger or a toe.
Show me that you can do that
and I'll say, "Let's operate."
- Hello, Mother.
- Where have you been?
- At school.
- Where have you been all weekend?
I tried to call you at least a dozen times.
We decided not to answer the phone.
Mel, don't come in.
I just don't want any bullshit.
- OK. I'll see you tomorrow.
- Mel, don't.
I don't want any bullshit either.
Hi, Mrs Mann. How are you today?
Burbage.
Jesus. He's got it.
He's got the serum.
Motherfucker!
Burbage won't learn anything.
Not from you, you simple bastards.
He won't learn diddly shit.
Maybe...
Maybe I still can from you, sugar.
One bottle of beer on the wall.
One last dose. Not for you this time.
This time, it's for me.
If this shit can plug you into Allan's head,
maybe it can plug me into yours.
All right, Ella.
Come on. Let's tune in.
Let's make contact, Ella.
- (growling)
- It's only you and me now.
Let me know what's on your mind.
Come on, Ella. Show me.
Show me what you can do.
- You didn't hear from Geoffrey?
- Why would I?
- He... He has Ella.
- He can keep her for all I care.
I told him to keep her, Mother. I told him
not to bring her back. She's gone.
She did something to that girl, didn't she?
She did something to that Melanie
and she asked you to get rid of her.
You'd do anything she asks in a minute.
Mother, let's try and bury the hatchet.
Look, I know I haven't been
very pleasant to be around lately.
I'm gonna try and fix that.
Do you think you could do the same?
What am I supposed to fix, Allan?
What have I done?
What have I ever done
except worry about you?
Mother, this business about Melanie.
I need your support, not discouragement.
However things turn out medically,
with or without the use of my body,
I'm gonna try to make it work between us.
- Whatever you want is fine with me.
- Oh, bullshit!
You're so fucked up, you can't even!
Mother, she's here.
Ella's here. She's in the house.
I think you've got a serious problem.
I think you're going crazy on me.
She's here. I can feel her.
Filling me up with...
- For God's sakes...
- There's danger.
The way I've been acting, these rages -
Ella pulls them out of me.
She pulls them to the surface.
What is this? Is this some sort of game
that you're playing?
If you can't stand having me here,
just tell me, I'll go.
- You don't have to put me through this.
- Mother, please stop.
Please don't make me angry.
I can't control it. It's Ella. She...
If that's Melanie,
tell her the monkey's here.
Tell her to come here right away.
- Hello?
- Hi, Mrs Mann. It's Melanie Parker.
- Can Allan come to the phone?
- No. He's in the bath.
OK. Would you ask him
to call me when he gets out?
He's going to bed.
Call him tomorrow in the daytime.
Mother, I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have shouted at you. I'm afraid.
I'm afraid for you, Mother.
If you ever tried to understand anything,
try to understand this.
I understand. I understand the truth.
You've made it plain.
I just was never willing to accept it.
Mother...
Do you have any idea
how much you've made me cry?
Do you have any idea how worthless
you've made me feel? How alone?
- I've given up everything for you!
- Who asked you to give up anything?
You don't give a shit
about me or anybody else.
You're too wrapped up in yourself.
Your life is nothing
but an empty, greedy, black hole
and you've been trying to suck me into it
for as long as I can remember.
Well, I cannot stand it any more.
I cannot stand your bullshit.
You're a conniving,
clinging, bloodsucking bitch.
Mother...
You deserve whatever you get.
I hate you.
I hate you.
Did you hear that?
Mother. Mother!
Mother!
Mother?
Can you hear me?
Mother, can you hear me?
Mother, close your door! Lock it shut!
Mother!
Mother!
Mother, can you hear me?
- Ella?
- (tapping)
Geoff, she's here. Ella's here.
- What's with the lights?
- Check the breakers.
Something happened to Mother.
- What the hell?
- Geoff?
- Geoff, what is it?
- I don't know.
- Must be a short somewhere. You OK?
- Mother. Upstairs.
I'll be right back.
- Ella's not in here, is she?
- No.
I don't think so.
Oh, God.
It's me... I killed them.
- All of them.
- You couldn't kill anyone, Allan.
No. I got 5,000 years
of civilised behaviour bred into me.
But what if I wasn't civilised any more?
What if I was an animal?
Free to follow my instincts.
That's what the devil is, Geoff. It's instinct.
Animal instinct.
Lives in us all.
Lives by its own set of laws.
Laws of the jungle.
You didn't do any of this, Allan. I did.
Ella has been genetically altered.
I've had her on a new drug.
- Don't tell me this...
- I lost track, Allan.
- I lost track of everything but my work.
- Geoff, don't tell me this.
You said she was normal -
even after I told you what was happening.
I was just part of some experiment,
wasn't I? A guinea pig, this whole time.
No. At the beginning
I was really trying to help.
What kind of experiment was it? What did
you do to Ella? What did you do to me?
Allan...
- You see her?
- She didn't come back here.
- The attic.
- Maybe we should wait or get help.
- I can handle her.
- We should get help.
Geoffrey?
Ella, answer the telephone.
Answer the telephone, Ella.
No. Answer.
Ella, no. Stop it.
Don't! Do not... Don't do it!
- (cuts off)
- Goddamn you, you!
Geoff! She's here. She's down here!
Allan?
Allan?
Allan!
Geoff, no. Just get away. Get help!
Jesus.
She got me.
You know me and needles.
I put enough in there
to bring down King Kong!
- Geoff. The telephone. Get the phone.
- Ace...
Untangle the phone. We'll call for help.
Ace, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry.
- The telephone. We'll call the hospital.
- Hospital.
I gotta go there.
There's no time to make a round trip.
You can't possibly drive.
Unhook this phone, goddamnit!
- I gotta go...
- Geoff! Unhook the fucking phone!
Geoffrey!
Geoffrey!
d If one of those bottles
should happen to fall...
Geoff!
Seven.
Eleven! Eleven! Eleven!
Eleven!
No! God damn you!
Eleven!
Eleven!
What did you do?
Knock the breaker off? You little...
Stop it, Ella. I said, stop it! Stop it!
You can't fool me. Not with that bullshit.
You're not gonna hurt me. I'm part of you.
Oh. You wanna be the boss now. Is that it?
You wanna be the brains
as well as the brawn?
No, no. I'm the brains in this outfit.
I can beat you at this game, Ella.
Know why? Cos I'm human.
I'm the one who can cheat and lie...
and be devious.
Whatever it takes, fuckface.
Whatever it takes
to get us through the night.
Hey, Ella. Ella, I got an idea.
Let's have music. Music, Ella.
Atta girl. Music.
Oh. The lights, Ella.
You need lights to have music.
Kitchen. The switch is in the kitchen,
baby. Go ahead.
Oh, you're too savvy for that one,
aren't you? It's OK.
We'll try it again later.
How about food? Food. Mmm.
Yeah. I'm hungry. Eat, Ella. Eat.
Atta girl. Go ahead.
Hey! Hey, over here!
Hey! Over here!
Help me! Help me!
- Help me, please!
- (growling)
All right.
All right. No more tricks.
No more tricks, baby.
So you're not afraid of fire.
Thank you, Ella. No more food.
No more food, Ella.
No more food. Food, no.
Ella... Let's go outside.
Go outside. Run.
Play.
Like we used to. Come on, baby.
Go outside. Go away.
Take me away, Ella. Come on, baby.
Take me away. Yeah.
Mel, no. Go away. Go away. Don't come.
Mel, go away. Stay away.
- Are you all right? What happened?
- Mel, get away from here.
- Where's Geoffrey?
- He's not here.
- His car's outside.
- Leave us alone. I don't wanna hurt you.
I couldn't stand it if I hurt you too.
- Mel, please go. Go quickly.
- Allan, what?
Stop it!
Ella, no!
- Did you do that or did she?
- She did.
That's right. She did it. Not you.
You had nothing to do with it.
Mel?
Come on, wake up.
Come on, Melanie. Wake up.
Mel?
Ella, no! Stop. Ella! Get out of there!
Get out of there, you bitch!
Stop it! Get away from her!
Get out of there! Stop it, Ella!
Come on, Mel. Wake up.
Come on, Mel.
Melanie.
Ella, no! No! Get out of there!
No! No!
Stop it!
Get away from me.
Get away from me, you!
You slime.
You filth.
I'm gonna take you apart.
I'm gonna rip your fucking eyes out.
I'm gonna tear you open
and chew out your fucking heart.
Oh, God. Melanie.
- Oh.
- Come on, Mel. Wake up.
You gotta wake up, Mel. Ella, no.
Ella, no. Bring me that needle.
Fetch it to me. Come on, Ella.
I thought we were gonna be friends.
I thought we were gonna go run and play.
Ella.
Come on.
Come here, baby.
Nice music, huh?
Come on up here, baby. Come on, please.
Come here, Ella.
Come on next to me. I want you close.
Come on.
Don't you love me? I love you.
That's my girl. Come over.
Come on and hold me.
Hold me, baby.
Come on.
He's prepped. BP's stable.
- Aagh!
- Allan!
It's OK. It's all right. You had a dream,
that's all. Just a bad dream.
I'm here. I'm with you.
Your surgery's over. It's OK.
Melanie...
- It's over? Really?
- Yeah.
- They did the work on my spine?
- Yeah.
What did they say?
Do I get my body back?
Come on, Ace. Let's go fishing.
Thank you.
ENHOH