Monday 20 May 2024

An Inciting Incident

The Miracle Worker (1962): Opening scene


Quack-Physician :
She'll Live. I can tell you now
I thought she wouldn't


Captain Bollocks :
I've brought up two of them
This is my wife's first
She isn't battle-scarred yet. 

Doctor? Will my girl be all right

Quack-Physician :
By morning she'll be knockin' 
down Captain Keller's fences again. 

Is there nothing we should do? 

Captain Bollocks :
Put up stronger fencin'. Hm? 

Quack-Physician :
Just let her get well. She knows how better than we do.
 These things come and go in infants. Never know why. Call it, 
acute congestion of the stomach and brain

Captain Bollocks :
I'll see you to your buggy, Doctor. 

Main thing is the fever's gone. 
I never saw a baby with more 
vitality. That's The Truth. 

(baby cries

Hush... Don't you cry now. 
You've been Trouble enough
"Call it a cute congestion" indeed! 
I don't see what's so cute about 
a congestion just cos it's yours. 

We'll have your father run an editorial in his paper. 
"The wonders of modern medicine." They don't know 
what they're curing even when they cure it. 

Men! Men and their battle scars. 
We women have... Helen? 
(clicks fingersHelen! Cap'n! 

(screaming) Cap'n! Will you come

Katie! What is it? What's happened? - (screaming) - 

Katie! What is it? What's wrong?

Look! She can't see. Look at her eyes. She can't see

Helen! 

Or hear. When I screamed  she 
didn't blink.Not an eyelash!

Helen!

She can't hear you!

Helen! Helen!

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