Original subtitles

Nothing forced.

I found a house key on the floor.

I didn't know it was him.

I thought it was a burglar.

Mr. Taylor.

Mr. Taylor.

Who are you?

I'm Sheriff Brock. I told you that.

Did your brother have a key to your house?

Yes.

Do you know why he would come over at three in the morning?

No.

No.

Ready to go, sir.

Jimmy? We'll take him if it's okay.

Go.

Okay, relax.

Yeah.

I shot Brian.

I killed my own brother.

He was there to have sex.

What are you talking about?

I'm talking about the deceased.

Just by chance, I peaked at his genitalia.

Carter! By law, I'm required to examine every organ. Here, come here. I'll show

you. No, no, no.

Just tell me. A garrotted condom.

A what?

Garrotted. Has a narrow ring bottom. It's used to maintain arousal by keeping

blood in the glands and corpora cavernosa.

He was wearing it going in?

Yes, you put it on prior to stimulation and then once aroused... Look, here,

I'll show you.

Carter, don't! It works! Carter!

Do that. That's not just rigor mortis there. That man went into that house

night swollen for action.

I don't believe this.

Please just answer us, Mrs. Taylor.

Were you having an affair with your brother -in -law?

Yes. That's why I came over.

You... In your own house.

I have insomnia.

So Leonard would never think twice about my getting up in the middle of the

night.

He wouldn't hear the two of you?

We'd go down to the basement. There's a bed.

So what happened last night?

Leonard heard him come in.

And I told him it

was a burglar because I

couldn't say.

It's your brother.

So your husband didn't know about this affair?

Oh, no.

No.

Of course I didn't know. Take it easy. My wife and my brother?

Mr. Taylor. How can this be happening?

How?

What?

You think I killed Brian on purpose?

Is that what this is?

I'm a suspect? You think I killed my own brother? I didn't say that. Then why

are you questioning me? Look, we're going to sit at this table and have a

conversation.

My wife and my brother.

How can this be?

What's happening?

Eddie!

Who are you?

Who am I?

What the hell is wrong with you?

Am I under arrest?

Then I'm leaving.

Oh, excuse me.

Honey.

You must bless you. Yeah,

yeah, yeah.

My husband is ill, Sheriff.

He can't recognize anybody.

Not even me.

He has a brain tumor. We diagnosed it three years ago. It's low grade.

It's in the parietal lobe and it's causing agnosia.

What's that?

It affects the way the brain interprets visual images.

Basically, he can't see faces. What do you mean he can't see faces?

Well, he could see a nose, eyes, even a pimple.

But sometimes he can't process the whole and see a face.

You're saying he wouldn't be able to recognize his own brother or his own

Sometimes he could look at them and not even know they're people.

Agnosia victims sometimes confuse people with inanimate objects. It happens.

He shot at me. He thought I was a chair. Doesn't make any sense, Joe.

Well, Jimmy, I know it's strange, but... Excuse me for interrupting. You know

it's not my nature to be intrusive.

But I have the mogus.

What? Well, Leonard and Brian Taylor were partners in the graphic design

business. Arlene Maylock handles their insurance. And as you know, Arlene and I

are cribbage partners.

So? Arlene says they had a key man policy, which means that if one brother

the company and the other...

than to get $1 .2 million.

So little Leonard just became a millionaire.

Now that makes sense.

Case number 62322, People versus Leonard Taylor.

Douglas, one ball for the blind man.

He's not blind.

He is when it comes to seeing faces, Your Honor. He has visual agnosia.

Visual what?

It's a case of mistaken identity.

He did not know it was his brother he was blasting.

If this means you're pleading not guilty, you can save it for trial. Which

would want immediately, tomorrow.

Tomorrow? I have a short attention span, Judge.

I'm not rushing a murder trial.

The last time I did that, you came back before me claiming inadequate counsel.

Your Honor, the prosecution is ready.

If defense stipulates to being ready, I'll go.

This is a capital case.

My client has a brain tumor.

We would like an acquittal before his head rots away.

Ignore that.

Your Honor, I'll just need time to find an expert on agnosia, then we'll be set.

20 ,000 bail. Trial date Tuesday. And you both better be ready.

Get out.

Come, come.

Three times I refused the crown. I am not ambitious.

I'm just lost.

Who are you?

Oh, Dr.

Vernon Leakey at your public service. I am looking for John Littleton.

Where is he now?

Have we met?

Sheriff Brock, Deputy Stewart, Deputy Lacos.

Splendid, splendid.

I'm in wayward search of your courthouse, sir.

And for all I know, you, sir, may be it.

You're the expert on agnosia? I am indeed, sir.

Sheriff Brock. Sheriff Brock, yes. I am also at a sufferance from this insidious

affliction. Can I trouble any of you to transport me to the courthouse?

Well... I'll take you. Oh, thanks much.

Oh,

this is Joshua,

my sidekick.

Without his help, I would never know that this Titian -haired officer is...

Deputy Stewart.

Deputy Stewart.

Oh.

I am blinded.

And who might you be?

Ginny. Aha.

And does Ginny have a last name?

Ginny's the last name you'll get until I know you better.

Ah, repartee. I love it.

Would you get him to Littleton?

It's gotten a little bigger, but I don't think it's life -threatening.

Can you recognize anybody?

Not anymore.

I've also, um... I've had a... I don't know, a convulsion.

Really? What kind of convulsion?

Three days ago, I, uh...

kind of ceased up and had a blanked out.

How long were you planning on keeping this a secret?

I don't know.

Brian and I were afraid that if people found out I had a brain tumor, we'd lose

the business.

Private investors would pull out.

Well, the word is certainly out now, Leonard.

So now what?

Well, I would recommend the surgery.

There's a very good success rate with low grades.

An operation can make me normal. If it's successful.

But it is very risky. I'm not going to kid you.

The thought of cutting into my brain. I know.

But your brain has betrayed you.

Look what you've done.

Oh, Leonard, Doug Wamba wants me to testify as your doctor. I'm going to

reveal certain privileged information. What difference does it make?

I mean, I basically shot a man in cold blood.

Even if it was a mistake, I should be punished. Leonard, you don't want to go

prison, trust me. No, I'd like to go home to my loving wife, to a... You

this disease, it doesn't just take away faces.

It takes away familiarity.

The chance to...

I don't have any real friends.

Mary Ann and Brian were the two people I was closest to.

I wonder, if I had known what was going on, maybe I would have pulled the

trigger knowing it was Brian.

Maybe I would have. You know that's not true.

I hope to God they find me not guilty.

I'll try to stay out of prison, but what is it I'm trying to save exactly? My

life? What is that?

Actually, I knew about agnosia before I ever was stricken with it.

It was part of my clinical studies.

When did it happen to you?

Thirteen years ago.

At my wife's funeral, I had a stroke.

When I woke up in the hospital, there was a nice young man telling me I was

and not to worry.

He was holding my hand.

I thought, what a caring doctor.

this fellow is he was my son

I had raised him and

I didn't even know his face it's a horrible

disease not to know your own children's eyes it's a cruelty

that should not visit anybody

courthouse.

You know, one of the things I love about being in a strange town is that you

aren't expected to recognize anybody.

Travel can be a wonderful equalizer.

Would you consider having dinner with me tonight?

Why?

I actually do recognize you.

I don't know whether it's your compassion that's a good giveaway, but

grandiose flirtations aside, I really am

attracted to you.

Rachel, I want our relationship to be out in the open.

Are you nuts?

That would undermine both of us, you more than me.

Why does it have to be a secret?

Come on, Kenny.

I've been butting heads with Jimmy for six weeks.

If he finds out that you've been sleeping with me the whole time and not

anything, do you think he'll ever trust you again?

What's going on?

Use your head.

Nothing. Just here to check out the trial.

Should be interesting, don't you think?

Hey, Max.

I'll talk to him.

The angle of entry indicates that the shooter was about 11 feet away from the

victim at the time of discharge.

And a single gunshot wound to the chest was the cause of death.

That's correct. And Dr. Pike, did you make any other findings during your

examination that were unusual?

Did I? The victim was wearing a performance -enhancing prophylactic

promote and sustain penile arousal.

These are different from other condoms?

Oh, yes.

If I may be allowed to show you.

Objection! Sustain.

Can't you ever take the stand without pulling out a banana?

It's a demonstrative aid. It's central to my testimony.

Forget it.

So, at the time the victim entered Leonard Taylor's residence, he was

wearing this prophylactic?

Yes.

We were having an affair.

And how long had this been going on?

About two years.

And you would carry this on in your own house?

Not usually.

Sometimes.

Late at night.

Sometimes we'd go down into the basement.

And when you slinked down to the basement, those vile, despicable acts of

repute, did your husband know?

No, he didn't.

He never acted in any way to suggest that he had knowledge of your affair

the brother?

No, he did not.

Mrs. Taylor, just before Leonard Taylor shot his brother in the night in

question, did you identify Brian Taylor for your husband?

No. I told him it was a burglar.

Why did you say this? Because I didn't want him to know I was involved with his

brother.

I didn't think he would go and confront him.

It's my fault.

What causes agnosia, Dr. Brock?

Well, with Leonard, he has a small lesion in his brain.

Basically, it intercepts information sent from the eyes to the brain, and it

scrambles the images.

It makes it... All but impossible to read faces.

This man has over 35 employees, and he recognizes none of them?

Probably not. He functions by learning routine, knowing which person is at

desk, voice recognition, the way a person moves or walks.

But the faces are meaningless.

Dr. Brock, was Brian Taylor, the deceased, ever a patient of yours?

Yes, about a year ago. He suffered a knee injury skiing, and I assisted at

surgery. Did he fully recover?

Almost. He was in some pain, and he walked with a slight limp, but... A

Wouldn't Leonard Taylor recognize that limp?

Objection. Overruled.

Dr. Brock, in your expert opinion, would a person who suffers from agnosia, a

person who cannot recognize faces, would that person generally be more or less

acute at recognizing something like a limp?

More acute.

He's guilty.

Leonard didn't kill his brother because of some disease.

You think I'm making this up?

I don't doubt that you believe it. I just don't believe it.

Oh, so you believe I'm sincere. I'm just medically incompetent.

I never said that. You did, Jimmy. The minute I mentioned agnosia, you rejected

it. Dr. Leakey says you're wrong. Well, you didn't wait for Dr. Leakey to form

an opinion.

With no other medical diagnosis, you arrested Leonard. You had no contrary

medical opinion, and yet you chose to reject mine. Oh, no, what about you?

Did you ask me what police evidence I had before you made your judgment? You

just declared the guy innocent.

Is that what you think?

Exactly what I think.

You have never thrown any professional presumption my way. Don't you dare!

I think that I understand police work a little better than you understand

medicine.

I think I'll go upstairs now.

Why can't you just admit that accidents happen?

You don't have to cry murder every time a gun goes off.

Admit you could be wrong.

We had a wonderful dinner.

You know, I'm normally a strict believer in extended courtships, but since I'm

only going to be in town for a day or two, perhaps we might possibly consider

gathering ye rosebuds while we may.

Nobody sniffs my buds on a first date.

You're an enchanting woman.

You know that.

You afraid to like me back?

Vernon, don't you find me somewhat diminutive?

Dear lady, the length of the stem does not define the beauty of the rose.

The truth is, I don't know whether it's your spirit or your smell,

but when I'm with you, I know it.

It's an indescribable joy.

Good night.

Why did you even have a gun, Mr. Taylor?

I bought it because I was considering taking my own life.

It's a pretty shocking answer.

Do you know what it's like to live in a world where everybody's a stranger?

I stand face to face with my wife, a woman I've been with for 15 years, and

every time I see her, I have to wonder if I've ever met her.

On the night in question, did you recognize your brother?

I thought he was a robber.

It was in the middle of the night. He had a limp?

I never saw him take a step.

He was just standing there.

He never took a step.

So you shot him?

By mistake.

Mr. Taylor, you say because of your condition, everyone at first appears to

a stranger. Is that correct?

Yes. So you of all people should be accustomed to the sight of an unfamiliar

face. It was the middle of the night. My wife said burglar. So why didn't you

say freeze?

You had the gun.

He didn't have one.

Why didn't you say stop? Get on the floor. Why did you just shoot?

I have agnosia. Did this agnosia cause you any problems at your graphic design

company? Not really.

I could still design with abstract shapes.

Your brother wanted to take the company public, didn't he?

Mr. Taylor, I asked you a question. Didn't your brother want to organize the

public offering of your graphic design company?

Yes.

And in order to bolster confidence with would -be investors, did he have any

other ideas?

He wanted me to resign as co -president.

Why?

He knew about my affliction.

He thought it would be a disincentive to potential shareholders.

And what were your feelings about this?

We disagreed. You fought?

We disagreed.

Did your brother explore methods of forcing you out of the company? He was

trying to get my attention.

He tried to take your job?

Your wife?

Perhaps even your dignity.

But you hadn't the slightest idea who he was when you put that bullet into his

chest. No, sir, I did not. If your brother's death is deemed accidental,

stand to receive over a million dollars in insurance, don't you? I don't know. I

didn't check the policy.

It's 1 .2 million.

I checked.

Sometimes this ignosia can be a convenient thing, huh?

Objection! Sustained.

I have nothing further for the witness.

Daytime while at work, this is fresh.

It's rich.

It is delicious.

It is.

What the hell is this?

I know what this must look like, Deputy Lacos, but I assure you that I am simply

fondling this woman for sexual gratification.

Nothing more. You're supposed to be in court. Littleton called looking for you.

That's exactly where I'm headed.

Good. Head there now.

I love coffee.

I love tea.

I'm not

talking about anything,

Max. You owe me an explanation.

You want explanations?

You explain to me what the hell you're doing following me around at night. I

wasn't following you. I was camped out at her house because I had a hunch. And

believe me, Kenny, the whole time I was praying that I was wrong.

But I wasn't wrong.

I saw you go into her house.

For God's sakes, Kenny.

How can you not talk to me?

It started in June.

Way before she was mayor.

We just decided to keep it quiet and that's all.

That is between you and me, Max. You tell nobody.

Oh, it's between you and me, all right.

Your little relationship comes between you and me. It comes between you and

Jimmy. No, it doesn't affect work.

You really believe that?

Yes. That's private life.

It won't affect anything here.

It already has.

You have been protecting her, defending her, leading Jimmy and me to think that

it comes from an objective place.

That's all a lie.

Maybe I have a touch of that agnosia.

Because I'm looking at your face.

But right now, I don't know who you are.

I come to bury Leonard Taylor, not to praise him.

You also have agnosia?

Oh, I do.

Mine was probably caused by a stroke. I've been afflicted for 13 years.

But could this disease, in your opinion, cause the type of mistaken identity

that we're talking about with Leonard Taylor?

Oh, I beg the premise. A person with agnosia never assumes identity.

Therefore, he never mistakes it.

The one assumption that all agnotious sufferers must make is that even if a

person appears to be a stranger, he may not be. He may be a friend. Mr.

Leakey, try to have a little less fun, if you could.

Yes. Environment is also a factor.

The fact that this man appeared in the defendant's home should have led the

defendant to consider him friend instead of foe.

His own wife called out Berglund. But he saw the man standing right in front of

him in full light. He saw his brother.

He had to know it was him. Why? He can't recognize people. How then?

I beg that premise.

Mr. Leakey, stop begging all the premises and sit down.

We do not recognize faces.

But we can and often do recognize people, particularly people that we

lot of time with.

All right, now I'm confused.

It's simple.

We pick up on posture, mannerisms, perhaps the way a person parts their

unusual features, tall or short.

The victim, Brian Taylor, had a peculiar tuft of hair on his otherwise bald

head. Leonard would have learned to identify that.

Was Brian dressed as he is ordinarily dressed? This I'd like to know.

I'll ask the questions.

Fine, then ask them.

Ask why this man can distinguish between 35 employees by dress or habit or desk

location, and he can't discern his own brother?

I have reviewed this man's life, his daily routine, and I tell you this man

gifted. He is gifted at drawing distinctions between people.

But that tumor has grown.

The disease has gotten worse.

Rubbish. You think you know what's in my head?

Objection. Mr. Taylor, sit down.

He's accusing me. I'd like to confront my accuser. You have a lawyer for that?

I'm the man on trial.

I'd like to ask the witness a question.

One question. Go ahead.

You think because you have agnosia, you know what it's like to be in my head?

Yes, sir.

A little.

Your face may not be familiar, sir, but your rage, that

I know.

He doesn't know what it's like to be in my head. Leonard. You just let him

ramble. The jury was beginning to believe him. They think I knew it was

Calm down.

Shut up!

I'm sick of people telling me to calm down.

Look at me.

Two weeks ago, I had a business, a reputation, a wife, a brother.

It's all gone.

I'm a diseased thing who was a murderer.

Everything is gone.

You should have cross -examined him much harder, so don't be telling me...

Leonard?

Leonard!

Here, sit down.

It's all right.

I'm okay.

As your lawyer, I must tell you I thought you were about to croak.

Nope. Can't say it registers.

Nothing familiar?

No.

But remember, your face is the only one that my eyes have befriended.

This is me, Vernon.

You don't see my face at all, do you?

You recognize me by my size.

Please don't lie to me.

It does not matter how I recognize you.

It's the inner you I end up adoring.

I know it's a joy for you to recognize anybody.

And you recognize me.

Because I'm an oddity.

I do not think of you as an oddity.

I can't.

I hate being rejected because of my physicality. And I don't want to be

for it.

Everything you say makes me want you.

The medical evidence is uncontroverted.

Extreme visual agnosia caused by a brain tumor.

Leonard Taylor cannot recognize faces.

That's a fact.

And there's no evidence that the victim spoke to identify himself.

Marion Taylor called out burglar.

It is the middle of the night.

A strange face.

A cry of burglar.

Scared for his life.

Leonard Taylor pulled the trigger.

It all happened in an instant. In seconds.

It was a terrible, terrible mistake.

But murder, beyond reasonable doubt, you know better.

According to the defendant, as he raised his gun, Brian Taylor stood there,

motionless, said nothing, and allowed himself to be shot.

Leonard Taylor knew who he was pointing that gun at.

It was the man trying to take away his job.

It was the man having an affair with his wife.

He knew about these middle -of -the -night rendezvous, and with his agnosia

with a gun, he committed the perfect crime.

Now, one brother is dead, and the other one is $1 .2 million richer.

Common sense, ladies and gentlemen.

Leonard Taylor is a murderer.

So why is that a problem?

Maybe it shouldn't be.

I try not to see myself as diminutive or abnormal.

I like to think I'm like everybody else.

It's the way I cope.

But, Jenny, you and I, we're not the same.

In many ways, we're special, perhaps even superior.

Maybe we don't have too many choices.

Aren't you afraid of growing old alone?

Yes.

Then why are you sending me away?

I'm willing to bond with man over a lot of things.

Desperation is not one of them.

Joshua, my knight errant, on your horse, let our travels resume.

Come, Joshua.

Glory lies ahead.

Don't you have patients to treat?

Sometimes juries come back fast. I thought that I just... What, you don't

streets to make safe?

How did we get so vested in this?

Well, I guess our... our own reputations are on trial here.

The jury knows that you think he's guilty and I think he's innocent, which

is.

I trust your professional judgment, you know that.

And you know what?

That you trust mine. Leonard!

Leonard! Get an ambulance!

Jill! What?

He's having an attack!

Take him to Thayer, get him into pre -op, and get a hold of Dr. Simon

I'll be right behind you.

It's not a trick.

This is how the dancing bandit got away.

That's not funny, Doug.

The tumor's causing uncontrolled seizures, which puts him at risk for an

aneurysm. What are you going to do? I'd like to schedule the surgery right now.

Now? There's no reason to wait, Marianne. He needs the surgery, and the

we wait, the more danger he's in. Oh, God.

We'll take good care of him.

Doug. I'll take you over. Come on, Marianne.

I want to testify again.

What? I have to tell the truth.

What do you mean, the truth?

When Leonard came out of the bedroom, I saw that he had the gun and I could have

stopped him, but I didn't.

I let him shoot his brother.

Why? Maybe I was so ashamed over the affair.

Maybe I thought that if Brian was dead, the whole thing would be erased.

It all happens in seconds. I just don't know what was going through my mind. I

just know that for that one...

Second, I hoped Leonard would shoot him.

Jury's back.

Oh, God.

Go, now.

You have to put me back on the stand.

Evidence is closed, Mary Ann.

And I don't think it would make any difference.

What you're telling me now doesn't affect what Leonard was thinking.

But I'm to blame. I should be going to jail. If I put you up there again, it

won't help Leonard, but it'll definitely hurt you. You're my lawyer.

You're supposed to do what I ask. I'm Leonard's lawyer.

And I like our chances the way they are.

Pick up.

Clamp me.

Leonard, we're keeping you conscious. We need to be able to talk to you during

the surgery, okay?

I can't feel anything.

It's okay. You're not supposed to.

Suction, here.

I can't feel anything.

Cauterize.

I can't feel anything.

50 milliliters of sodium pentothal.

We need to relax them.

Be seated.

The defendant is taken ill,

but we can nevertheless proceed.

Mr. Foreman, has the jury reached its verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

What say you?

On the count of murder in the first degree, we find the defendant, Leonard

Taylor, not guilty.

On the charge of murder in the second degree, we find the defendant, Leonard

Taylor, not guilty.

That's all.

We're done here.

The jury is excused with thanks from the court, and the defendant is free to go.

Thanks, God. Thanks, God, for that. You see?

Your husband's a free man now.

Unless, of course, he's dead.

Leonard, in a second, I'm going to ask you to count backwards from 100.

Okay.

That's 50 milliliters of sodium pentothal, Dr. McGrath.

I need new glove.

I'm going to be okay.

You're doing great.

The verdict came in and you were acquitted. Everything's great.

Really?

I did it? I got away?

Bring that scope in again while I take a look at these x -rays.

Let's open up the microsurgery instruments.

We've got to go in deeper.

Good news is we're clear of any vessel.

Leonard.

Huh?

When you fired your gun, did you know you were shooting Brian?

Of course.

He is sleeping with my wife.

What's he saying?

Nothing. He's mumbling.

Enough is enough.

Enough is enough.

Leonard, I want you to start counting backwards from 100, please.