- 0:01:50 Opening Credits/Introduction to St. Cloud’s (1)
- Dr. Larch: In other parts of the world, young men leave home and travel far and wide in search of a promising future. Their journeys are often fueled by dreams of triumphing over evil, finding a great love, or the hope of fortunes easily made. Here in St. Cloud's, not even the decision to get off the train is easily made, for it requires an earlier, more difficult decision: add a child to your life, or leave one behind. The only reason people journey here is for the orphanage.
- 0:02:33 Opening Credits/Introduction to St. Cloud’s (2)
- Larch: I came as a physician to the abandoned children and unhappily pregnant women. I had hoped to become a hero, but in St. Cloud's there was no such position. In the lonely sordid world of lost children, there were no heroes to be found. And so I became the caretaker of many, the father of none. Well, in a way, there was one. His name was Homer Wells.
- 0:03:16 Adopting Couple #1
- Larch: And I made his name Wells because I could tell he was…very deep.
- 0:03:46 Homer’s First Return
- Larch: He didn't cry. Orphan babies learn there's no point in it. Thus was Homer Wells returned. He was too happy a baby.
- 0:04:29 Homer’s Tutorials (1)
- Larch: Here at St. Cloud's I try to consider, with each rule I make or break, that my first priority is an orphan's future. Twice adopted, twice returned, it didn’t bode well. And yet, it was always clear to me he was a special boy.
- 0:04:59 Homer’s Tutorials (2)
- Larch: Homer, If you're going to stay at St. Cloud's, I expect you to be of use. I expect that our lessons, in part, were a simple expression of a father’s love.
- 0:05:35 Homer’s Tutorials (3)
- Larch: Long ago I had decided that sometimes it was the women who needed to be delivered.
- 0:05:48 Homer’s Tutorials (4)
- Larch: I chose my own path. No one would ever choose for Homer Wells.
- 0:07:08 Being of Use
- Larch: First pregnancy?
Homer: Yes, for both.
Larch: I presume you'd prefer handling the delivery?
Homer: All I said was I don't want to perform abortions. I have no argument with you performing them.
Larch: You know how to help these women; how can you not feel obligated to help them when they can't get help anywhere else?
Homer: One, it's illegal; two, I didn't ask how to do it, you just showed me.
Larch: What else could I have shown you? The only thing that I can teach you is what I know. In any life, you have to be of use.
- 0:07:50 Performing the Procedures
- Carla: I don’t want to see it. I don’t even want to know what sex it is. Don’t tell me! I don’t want to know.
- 0:08:15 In the Nursery
- Nurse Edna: Wilbur, the adopting couple is waiting in your office.
Larch: Life is waiting; let them wait.
- 0:09:06 “I’m Not a Doctorâ€
- Buster: He sniffs that ether, I’ve seen him do it.
Homer: It’s because he’s too tired to sleep, he has to.
Buster: He smells like he could put you to sleep.
Homer: He’s a doctor, Buster, doctors smell like ether.
Buster: You’re a doctor, Homer, and you don’t smell like ether.
Homer: I’m not a doctor, I haven’t been to medical school, I haven’t even been to high school.
- 0:12:09 Prayers and Stories
- Larch: Goodnight you princes of Maine, you kings of New England.
- 0:15:13 Goodbye to Hazel
- Homer: They wanted a girl, Curly.
Curly: Nobody ever wants me.
Homer: Oh no, hey, hey, come on, come here. You know, you're one of the best, Curly, and we wouldn't let just anyone take you.
Curly: Dr. Larch wouldn't let just anyone take any of us.
Homer: Well, that's true.
Curly: Nobody's asked for me, have they?
Homer: Nobody special enough, Curly.
Curly: You mean somebody asked?
Homer: Only the right people can have you.
- 0:17:31 Movie Night
- Nurse Edna: Wilbur, we have a delivery.
Larch: Homer, will you get this one?
Homer: She’s a patient, right? She should see a doctor.
Larch: Homer, you are a skilled and gifted surgeon with perfect obstetrical and gynecological procedure
Homer: I just mean that I’d rather fix the movie tonight.
- 0:18:06 Homer’s Story Time (1)
- Fuzzy: Homer, doesn’t King Kong think the woman is his mother?
Homer: That’s right, Fuzz, that’s what Kong thinks.
Fuzzy: That’s why Kong loves her.
- 0:18:19 Homer’s Story Time (2)
- Homer: Story time. The Personal History of David Copperfield, Chapter 1: I am born. “Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show…â€
- 0:19:27 Homer’s Story Time (3)
- Fuzzy: Did you grow up around here?
Larch: No, she was an immigrant.
Fuzzy: What's an immigrant?
Larch: Someone not from Maine.
- 0:19:45 "Goodnight Hazel"
- Nurse Edna: Let us be happy for Hazel. Hazel has found a family. Goodnight Hazel
Children: Goodnight Hazel.
- 0:21:04 Hard Being an Orphan
- Buster: Homer, did you ever think about trying to find your parents?
Homer: Not really.
Buster: Why not?
Homer: Well, they never did the things parents are supposed to do. Dr. Larch did those things, and Nurse Edna and Nurse Angela.
Buster: Well, I wish I could meet mine anyway, sometimes.
Homer: What for?
Buster: Well, like to show 'em that I could cook a little.
Homer: Mm hmm...
Buster: And that I can drive a truck...
Homer: Mm hmm...
Buster: Sometimes I wanna meet them so I can kill them--just so I can kill 'em. (he giggles and pauses) You know I'd never kill anyone, right?
Homer: Mm hmm, I know.
Buster: I think Mary Agnes could kill someone.
Homer: I don't think so--no, she's...she's just an emotional girl.
Buster: What's she so emotional about?
Homer: She got left here like the rest of us, didn't she?
- 0:23:08 Doing Nothing (1)
- Larch: Dear child, did you do something to yourself?
Girl: It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me.
Larch: Did you go to someone else?
Girl: He said he was a doctor. I would’ve never stuck that inside me
- 0:23:25 Doing Nothing (2)
- Larch: Homer, I want you to see this… (talking to the nurses) The fetus is unexpelled. The uterus is punctured. She has acute peritonitis. There is a foreign object. I think it’s a crochet hook. (to Homer) If she had come to you four months ago and asked for a simple D and C what would you have done? Nothing! This is what doing nothing gets you. It means that somebody else is gonna do the job--some moron who doesn't know how. You should have come to me, dear child.
- 0:24:34 “She Died of Ignoranceâ€
- Buster: What'd she die of?
Larch: She died of secrecy. She died of ignorance. Homer, if you expect people to be responsible for their children, you have to give them the right to decide whether or not to have children. Wouldn't you agree?
Homer: I'm not expecting people to be responsible enough to control themselves to begin with.
Larch: How about this child? Do you expect her to be responsible?
Homer: I'm not talking about her. I'm talking about adults. You know who I mean.
- 0:25:16 High Expectations
- (Larch looks back at Homer)
Homer: What?
Larch: It's just a marvel to me that you still have such high expectations of people.
Homer: Well I'm happy I amuse you.
Larch: Look at it this way--what choice does Buster have? What are his options? Nobody will ever adopt him.
Homer: Look at it this way--Buster and I are sitting here right beside you; we could've ended up in the incinerator.
Larch: Happy to be alive, under any circumstances--is that your point?
Homer: Happy to be alive? Yeah, I guess so.
- 0:32:42 Homer Leaves Home
- Homer: I was wondering if you could give me a ride.
Wally: Sure, I would be glad to. Uhh, ride where?
Homer: Where you going?
Wally: We’re heading back to Cape Kenneth.
Homer: Cape Kenneth… that sounds fine.
- 0:33:16 Homer Tells Larch
- Larch: Doubtless you will let me know what immensely worthwhile or at least useful thing that it is you find to do.
Homer: I wasn’t intending to leave here to be entirely useful. I expect I’ll find some other way of use.
Larch: in some parts of the world, I suppose, there are other ways.
Homer: Of course.
Larch: Are you so stupid you imagine you're going to find a more gratifying life? What you will find is people like the poor people who get left here only nobody takes care of them half as well, and you won't be able to take care of them either. There's no taking care of anybody--not out there.
Homer: You know I'm grateful for everything that you've done for me.
Larch: I don't need your gratitude. (hands him the x-ray of his heart)
Homer: I don't need this; I know all about my condition.
Larch. It's your heart; you ought to take it with you.
- 0:34:46 Homer’s Plans (or Lack Therof)
- Nurse Edna: Going where? Does he have a plan of some kind?
Larch: No, no, he’s just leaving. You were the one who says he needs to see the world.
- 0:40:12 Apples and the Ocean
- Wally: Where you headed?
Homer: I don’t know.
Wally: What are you gonna do?
Homer: I don’t know. Is your family in the apple business too, Candy?
Candy: No. But I work there too and I like it. My dad’s a lobsterman.
Homer: Oh wow. I’ve never actually seen a lobster.
Candy: Are you serious?
Homer: I’ve never seen the ocean either.
Wally: You’ve never seen the ocean? That’s not funny, that’s serious.
- 0:45:08 Meeting Mr. Rose
- Wally: The trick to Mr. Rose is you have to let him be boss.
- 0:47:20 First Night at the Orchard
- Homer: It’s a list of rules it seems.
Rose: Whose rules?
Muddy: I imagine they’re for us I suppose.
Jack: Read ‘em over.
Homer: One â€" don’t smoke in bed. Two â€" please don’t operate the grinder or press if you’ve been drinking…
Mr. Rose: You know they ain't our rules, Homer. We ain't a write 'em, I don't see no need to read 'em.
Homer: 'kay.
- 0:52:47 Homer has Credentials? (1)
- Nurse Edna: Wilbur, we should read this. It’s from the Board. Another letter. (reading the letter) “Merely suggesting that some new blood might benefit you all. Someone with new ideas in the obstetrical and pediatric fields.†I think they’re just testing some ideas for our next meeting.
Nurse Angela: Dr. Holt seems nice. I think he’s only trying to help.
Larch: He’s a goddamn psychiatrist. Of course he wants to help. He’d be happy to help to commit me.
Nurse Edna: It’s Mrs. Goodall you have to be careful of, Wilbur.
Larch: We have to be more than careful of Mrs. Goodall. She has enough Christian zeal to start her own country. I’d like to give her a little ether.
- 0:54:22 Homer has Credentials? (2)
- Larch: The Board is going to replace me. That is what the new blood is for.
Edna: You mean they're going to replace you with someone who doesn't perform abortions?
Larch: Well, we can only guess at that. They are against the law.
Nurse Angela: These credentials are against the law, Wilbur.
Larch: We all know that I have trained Homer, so his credentials are as good as mine are. And don't be holy to me about the law. What has the law ever done for anyone here?
- 0:58:04 A Useful Gift
- Angela: Wilbur, he picked these for us himself!
Larch: You don't find it depressing that Homer Wells is picking apples? Or that he can't be bothered to write us a proper letter?
Edna: Wilbur, it's a gift.
Larch: I'll show him a gift. I'll send him a gift he can use.
- 1:05:27 “What Business You In?â€
- Mr. Rose: What business are you in, Jack? Just tell me what business you're in.
Peaches: Just say you're in the apple business, Jack, 'cause that's the only business you wanna be in.
Muddy: Hey Jack! Listen, Jack! You don't wanna go in the knife business with Mr. Rose, man!
Mr Rose: What you wanna do?
Muddy: Just tell him you're in the apple business!
Peaches: Jack!
Mr. Rose: What you wanna do? What you want, man?
Muddy: Tell him you in the apple business, boy!
Peaches: It ain't worth it, man!
Mr. Rose: Shut up, Peaches!
Jack: What you want?
Mr. Rose: Now, I'm in the knife business, Jack. I'm in the knife business. Let me tell ya, you don't wanna be in no kinda knife business with me. Now I think it's time for you to go fishin'.
- 1:07: 55 What a Drive-In is Really For
- Candy: What are you so crazy about movies for?
Homer: Umm. It was my favorite night at the orphanage, movie night. We’d all race into the dining hall, and of course everyone wanted to sit in the front, so we’d be packed in so tight you could feel the kid next to you breathing.
Candy: You don’t miss it?
Homer: I miss things. I miss people. I miss reading to the boys.
Candy: You had so much responsibility.
Homer: I didn’t ask for any responsibility.
Candy: Just a little privacy.
- 1:17:32 Letters
- Homer: (in a letter) Dear Dr. Larch, thank you for your doctor’s bag, although it seems that I will not have the occasion to use it, barring some emergency, of course. I am not a doctor. With all due respect to your profession, I am enjoying my life here. I’m enjoying being a lobsterman, and an orchardman. In fact, I’ve never enjoyed myself as much. The truth is, I want to stay here; I believe I’m being of some use.
- 1:18:15 “It Hurtsâ€
- Homer: I've looked at so many women, and I've never...I've never felt a thing, you know. I mean, I've seen everything, just felt nothing. With you, it, uh--to look at you, it hurts.
- 1:18:57 Hiding Their Love
- Larch: (in a letter) My dear Homer, I thought you were over your adolescence, the first time in our lives when we imagine we have something terrible to hide from those who love us. Do you think it’s not obvious to us what’s happening to you? You’ve fallen in love, haven’t you? By the way, whatever you’re up to can’t be too good for your heart. Then again, it’s the sort of condition that could be made worse by worrying about it, so don’t worry about it.
- 1:19:35 Playing God
- Homer: (in a letter) Dear Dr. Larch, what I’m learning here might not be as important as what I learned from you, but everything is new to me. Yesterday, I learned how to poison mice. Field mice curdle an apple tree, pine mice kill the roots. You use poison oats and poison corn. I know what you have to do. You have to play God. Well, killing mice is as close as I want to come to playing God.
- 1:20:04 “I Know What Your Job Isâ€
- Larch: (in a letter) Homer, here in St. Cloud's, I have been given the opportunity of playing God--or leaving practically everything up to chance. Men and women of conscience should seize those moments when it's possible to play God. There won't be many. Do I interfere when absolutely helpless women tell me they simply can't have an abortion--that they simply must go through with having another and yet another orphan? I do not. I do not even recommend. I just give them what they want. You are my work of art, Homer. Everything else has been just a job. I don’t know if you’ve got a work of art in you, but I know what your job is: you’re a doctor.
- 1:21:08 Preparation for the Orchardmen (1)
- Homer: I can’t replace you, I’m sorry.
Larch: Sorry? I’m not sorry, not for anything I’ve done. I’m not even sorry that I love you.
- 1:21:27 Preparation for theOrchardmen (2)
- Larch: I think we may have lost him to the world.
- 1:25:18 A Blooming Rose
- Homer: Rose, how many months are you? Do you know? Do you know? Rose?
Rose: What do you know about it?
Homer: Well, I know more than I'd like to know about it.
Rose: Well, then, don't trouble yourself none, Homer. This ain't your business.
Homer: Right.
Rose: What am I gonna do with a baby? I can't have a baby. What am I gonna do with a baby? Huh?
Homer: Whatever you want to do, Rose, I can help. I just mean that if you don't wanna keep the baby, I know a place where you can go.
Rose: You think Daddy gon' let me go anywhere? Huh? I ain't goin' no where. Why don't you just, uh, go back to your pickin', Homer. I can take care of it myself, alright?
Homer: What do you mean?
Rose: I mean I can take care of it by myself, okay?
Homer: Don't do anything, Rose. Don't do anything to yourself, okay? Rose? Do you hear me? Rose, do you hear me?
Rose: Go on...
- 1:27:17 What to Do
- Candy: Well I think we should take her to St. Cloud’s and let her decide when she gets there.
Homer: I told her, she doesn’t feel she can do that.
Candy: Well, we have to help her, right? We need to do something, don’t we?
- 1:28:12 The Father
- Candy: I know what’s going on, Rose. Homer told me. You don’t know this, but I got pregnant about a year ago. Do you want to have this baby? (Rose shakes her head no) No. Who’s the father? Does he know? Rose, if you don’t want to have this baby, Homer and I will take you to a place, it’s safe, he knows…
Rose: I can’t go no where.
Candy: Why? Rose, listen to me. You can tell me. (they hug) It’s ok.
- 1:30:24 Homer Confronts Mr. Rose
- Homer: Is it uh, true?
Mr. Rose: What's that?
Homer: Uh, are you...sleeping with your own daughter?
Mr. Rose: I think you've been staying up too late at night, Homer.
Homer: You're having sex with your own daughter.
Mr. Rose: Ain't nobody having sex with my daughter! Let me just tell you that!
Homer: You're lying. Aren't you ashamed of yourself? What do you care who hears? I mean, come on. They know already, don't they? They know, Mr. Rose!
Mr. Rose: And you know what your business is, boy? I know you don't wanna be in no kinda business with me. That's what I know.
Homer: Yeah, go on. Cut my clothes. I've got other clothes.
Mr. Rose: You gonna come here talkin' to me about lies and shame?! Those people took you in, and that boy Wally is away at war!
Homer: Yeah, well, she's your daughter!
Mr. Rose: And I love her! Ain't nobody gonna do nothin' to harm her.
Homer: She's pregnant...you know that? She's pregnant.
- 1:34:47 Homer and Candy
- Homer: Just tell me, I'll do whatever you want me to do.
Candy: Nothing.
Homer: Isn't that like waiting and seeing?
Candy: No. Nothing's nothing. I want Wally to come home. I'm afraid to see him, too.
Homer: I know. (he hugs her)
Candy: Oh, don't do that, Homer. I just want to sit here and do nothing.
Homer: To do nothing. It's a great idea, really. Maybe if I just wait and see long enough, then I won't have to do anything or decide anything, you know? I mean, maybe if I'm lucky enough, someone else will decide and choose and do things for me.
Candy: What are you talking about?
Homer: But then again, maybe I won't be that lucky. And it's not my fault, it's not your fault. And that's just it. Someone's gonna get hurt, and it's no one's fault.
Candy: I don't want to talk about this.
Homer: If we just sit here and wait and see a little while longer, then maybe you won't have to choose, and I won't have to do anything!
Candy: What do you want from me Homer? Wally's been shot down, he's paralyzed. What do you want me to do?
Homer: Nothing, I'm sorry. You're not the one who has to do anything.
- 1:37:02 The Doctor Business
- Mr. Rose: Where you goin'? Where're you goin'?
Rose: I got to go, Daddy, you have to let me go...
Mr. Rose: Wait Rose, just wait, I ain't gonna let you go nowhere in the middle of the night...
Homer: Hey, hey!
Rose: I can't stay here no more, Daddy!
Mr. Rose: Hey nothing. You just go in the house. This ain't none of your concern.
Homer: Just listen to me.
Mr. Rose: You are forgetting yourself now. This is my daughter! Now I believe you got your own mess you gotta deal with.
Rose: I wanna get...
Mr. Rose: Ain't that right, Homer? Ain't that right, Homer? My daughter done told you, I done told you, this ain't your business! This ain't none of your business. You even know what your business is, Homer, do you? Come on man, what is your business?
Homer: I'm in the doctor business. I can help. That's all I'm saying; I can help.
- 1:38:23 The Preparation
- Mr. Rose: She my little girl, Homer.
Homer: She's gonna be alright, Mr. Rose, nothing to worry about. You ready, Rose? Fellas--
Mr. Rose: I'm staying, Homer.
Homer: Okay, if you stay, you make yourself of use.
- 1:42:01 Goodnight Dr. Larch
- Nurse Edna: Dear Homer, I am writing you to tell you about Dr. Larch. I can assure you that the overdose was entirely accidental.
Nurse Edna: Let us be happy for Dr. Larch. Dr. Larch has found a family. Goodnight, Dr. Larch.
Children: Goodnight Dr. Larch.
- 1:42:14 The Cider House Rules
- Rose: You reading the rules, are ya? What are they?
Homer: Please don’t smoke in bed. Two, please don’t operate the grinder or press if you’ve been drinking. Three, please don’t go up to the roof to eat your lunch. Four, please, even if you are very hot, do not go up to the roof to sleep.
Muddy: They think we’re dumb niggers so we need some dumb rules, that’s what they think.
Homer: This is the last one. There should be no going up on the roof at night.
Peaches: Now why don’t they just say, don’t go up on the roof?
Rose: That’s it?
Homer: That’s it.
Rose: That don’t mean nothing at all. And all this time I been wondering about it.
Mr. Rose: Who live in this cider house? Who grind up those apples? Pressing that cider? Cleaning up all this mess? We just plain live here, breathing in all that vinegar. Well someone who don’t live here made those rules. These rules ain’t for us. We supposed to make our own rules. And we do. Every single day. Ain’t that right, Homer?
Homer: That’s right.
Peaches: Well why don’t you burn them rules in the stove? Have Homer do it.
- 1:45:09 “Nothing is Nothingâ€
- Homer: Nothing is nothing, right?
Candy: You know I love you. You know I do.
Homer: You needed me. Now Wally’s gonna need you.
Candy: Homer, I’m sorry.
Homer: At least there’s no more waiting and seeing. At least I got to see the ocean.
- 1:47:29 Putting Things Straight (1)
- Homer: There’s more than one cut.
Mr. Rose: That’s cause I take my knife and stick it into my own. I stick my own knife in there, and I poked it all around, Homer. Try to find the same spot that she got. Now, look here. When you tell the police how this happened, I want you to tell it like this here: my daughter run off, and I was so sad about that, I stabbed myself. I was so unhappy that she left, that I killed my own self. And that’s the truth. Ain’t that right?
- 1:48:55 Putting Things Straight (2)
- Mr. Rose: That’s the truth. I was just trying to put things straight.
- 1:55:20 Packing Up
- Homer: I’d love to go with you guys, but I have to move on.
- 1:55:47 The Journey Home
- Nurse Edna: Oh Lord, support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then, in they mercy, grant us safe lodging and a holy rest, and peace at the last.
Children: Amen
- 1:58:53 Getting Settled
- Nurse Edna: Homer, do you know what this is? (holds up x-ray of his heart)
Homer: Oh that’s my heart.
Nurse Edna: No, actually, it’s Fuzzy’s. There’s nothing wrong with your heart.
Nurse Angela: Dr. Larch wanted to keep you out of the war. That’s why he told you it was yours.
Nurse Edna: I think he was worried about his own heart. He said it would never stand up to Homer Wells going off to war.
- 1:59:47 Leading the Way (1)
- Homer: (reading from David Copperfield) Thus I began my new life, in a new name, and with everything new about me. I felt like one in a dream. The remembrance of my old life is fraught with so much want of hope. Whether it last for a year or more or less I do not know. I only know that it was, and ceased to be. And there I leave it.
Curly: Is that all?
Homer: No, there’s much more to come, Curly.
- 2:00:38 Leading the Way (2)
- Homer: Goodnight you princes of Maine, you kings of New England.
