Original subtitles

(Drumroll)

(Soft Music)

they need a teacher, i need a job. i told them yes. why is it such a big deal to you teaching a bunch

of farmers kids? yes i guess it is you're doing it again you're running. no i'm not not from you

you're afraid of me you're afraid of everybody

(Soft Music)

(Bus Door Opening)

uh sir are you sure we're in the right place? yeah sure

they said somebody would meet me here

well i guess they will

(Bus Door Closing)

(Bus Leaves)

do you think it'll change anything? you'll be nowhere you'll be in the middle of nowhere

but that's what I want. it's perfect for me it'll be quieter. i have time to figure me out.

there's something weird about those people you said yourself they can't keep a teacher

well maybe there's something weird about me

i guess you want your things back Nah the harmonica? keep it. i'm sorry dave

sure goodbye melody

i'm sorry you had to wait. the truck kept boiling over scared me

what's these mountains sometimes you can't hear the thunder and it's right on top of you

i'm karen hi we'll have to make two trips with your bags my truck won't make it down the hill

oh well um this one's pretty heavy i think we managed

there really isn't much of a road we sort of make it up as we go along

is that to keep the people in or out oh yes you've heard about us yes i was told um i

warned there's nothing so awful about them though we're a long way from everything no movies or tv

mostly we're just quiet people that's fine with me i could use a little peace and quiet

your luggage looks well traveled i envy that kind of freedom sometimes

it's exciting for a while i may be leaving vendo someday at least that's what valencia says and

she's an old one what would you like to do i don't know there's a lot of things we don't know yet

there's your schoolhouse oh it's beautiful

used to be a church we hauled it piece by piece from jethro that's an old ghost

town up north away there's lots of ghost towns around here bendo's the only one that survived

that's my friend jeremy he wants to go to college to study about the earth how it was made now

i'll just be a minute what a lovely place to live mrs redden loves these trees

she puts up the best branded peaches in the valley he'll have some tonight he'll taste joy

so

miss emerson this is my grandmother and my father soldiers

oh yes you're head of the school committee we'll be working together i'll be happy

you're in charge of the school do whatever you think is right oh you mean there's no pta

the law says to school them nothing else you have a very pretty room

with a feather bed and a bath all of your own and my mother is a very good cook

i'm afraid not today chickens cooked so long i expect it's tough oh that's all

right i'm i'm not hungry uh these are from mrs redden they look delicious wow

yes anything from her kitchen is very special she has a real gift for

anything she does well karen i expect miss emerson would like to see her room and get settled

um i'm afraid there's a very heavy trunk outside i'll bring it up oh you needn't do that um

actually as for the school if you could just bring it in for the night i'd appreciate it thank you

karen are you still up

yes you need something oh i i left my magazine downstairs did you see it

no it isn't here we must have left it at the bus stop oh that's all right

it's um just some of my frivolous reading good night good night

hello

got a few minutes before the bell

came to get a look at the new teacher huh

i thought you'd be another old bat

no i'm just a young bat who you

i'm the frontier kid is that your first name that's my name

okay adventure listen why don't you take off your hat and you can uh you can ring the bell

i suppose you parents would like to know something about me

i'm i'm not what you would call a by the book school teacher

i believe in allowing the children as much freedom as possible so they can learn to

well explore and experiment with the world around them

and within them

not that i'm permissive because i'm not that either

it's just that i believe a teacher's job is to help a child discover his

inner potentials

she's pretty hush up

hello melody i'm so glad you come to bender

i'm balancing

may i stay miss emerson i'd like to watch sure if you want to

thank you i guess i got off on the wrong foot you feel very eager don't you

yes and not that it isn't my first job of course it's just kind of a new beginning for me it is for

us too the way karen talked about you i somehow pictured you sort of well that i'd be older

in bendo age and years don't necessarily mean the same thing can i give you some friendly advice

yes of course the people in bendo listen very deeply it's best not to speak in the shallows

when i was a little girl i used to imagine that i could drink a magic drink and

turn into an animal let's just suppose that your apple juice is some of my magic drink

well let's take a sip

and i don't drink it all because you're gonna have to leave some so you can change

back into yourselves and i'd like to know your name and how old you are and

what kind of an animal you changed into

and what kind of an animal are you

a kitty cause kitties are soft and nice to pet and you should let a kitty do what it wants

matt fifteen

you can stand being a good horse i reckon

i'm i'm ken and i'd like to be an otter because they can have fun

yeah well i'm frencher almost 13. i'd like to be a bird a warbler oh really why

they can make music happen i'm kaya i'm nine i'm a liar why do you like lions

lions are neat they roar and they get to be kings and kings get to make up the rules

and i got big teeth okay who's next we're not supposed to be tamed i don't think it'll hurt

listen i think there's uh something that we all better understand

and that there's one teacher in this classroom and that teaches me

hey jeremy haven't seen you in a while how you been just fine dr curtis how about you oh

i just got over a case of the flu my uh patients are so healthy i have to get sick every once in a

while just to make myself feel useful scrap a few pills for myself take my temperature

a lot feel better right away so here you are working on a weekend to make up for lost time

someone sick inside no that's not a not a house call starting a

research project today gonna collect water from all the wells and vendo eventually you

think there's something wrong with our water no no no i think there might be something very

right with it something that might explain the immunity to certain diseases around here

well maybe it's just that we don't travel outside the valley much might be one factor

but uh illnesses crop up in even the most isolated communities

the only thing that gets sick and bendo are the animals

i might as well be a full-time veterinarian instead of a part-time one hey can i can i

can i look your horse over for you checking for gout or something oh no thanks he's in fine shape

well good luck with your research i'm late for my chores over clarence give them a regard man i will

bye

okay is everybody ready okay here we go

old macdonald had a farm e-i-e-i-o and on his farm he had some pigs e e-i-e-i-o

let's try again old macdonald had a farm e-i-e-i-o and on his farm he had some pigs e-i-e-i-o

i can't hear you

let's try it again i hate to sing alone okay

old macdonald had a farm e-i-e-i-o and on his farm he had some pigs

baseball

badminton

tetherball

this box contains the bendel school band and i've got instruments for everyone

all right karen

what is it it's just it's against our ways miss emerson music too yes

are these religious convictions no not exactly

talitha for having sex can't you pick up your feet when you walk we're not supposed to

i'll go home all of you classes dismissed

barn saul howdy doc

had your dinner thanks

glad to stop by

you can pick up some ribbon and stay fair don't like to take them out of the valley

no competition this year black lake spread all over the state animal suffers with that

i'm surprised that hasn't hit you it did in the spring it's all made up of mash not stopped it

you mean you got a cure i think it just stopped well it doesn't just stop saw until the sheep

are dead can't do anything about it what do you mean you couldn't do anything about it

you go to the agriculture commission you can shoot

something wrong

there's knees over at the clarence place bethes hurt van

i heard her scream she was just doing her chores i think it's be wrong

he's coming to your gift i think you're sensitive i'll sort you

and you'll remember and it won't ever hurt again

do you know what she's condemning this child too she's the oldest not me not you

breath is not hurt it's brown

rams creating the hill over yonder he's had an accident

take care of him and she'll be all right but please hurry this body is in great pain

get a shovel hold on

his arm has a bad break but he'll be up and around in a few days

homer see you later barn

so

can i give you a lift somewhere didn't have a chance to introduce ourselves in the middle of the

crisis but i assumed you were the school teacher i guess it's pretty obvious what i do around here

doug curtis uh melody emerson i've after the children talk about you

what do you think of bethy symptoms i don't know

it's the kind of thing that fascinates me about these people

maybe it's kind of a sympathetic reaction i've read about identical

twins feeling each other's pain but she and bram aren't even blood relatives

i i missed a lot about uh what they were whispering

but i heard valencia say that it was a gift

anything that puts a child through that much pain is not my idea of a gift

don't you find these people a little unnerving

i guess depends what you expect from them i came to this area because i was

interested in folk medicine i never expected to find a place like bended

well i wish i could find vendors intriguing as you do

but when it comes to children i find some of their customs just plain um cool

well don't don't give up too soon i've learned to respect these people even though i didn't have a

foggiest idea what they were doing or why

i'm not like that i have to have reasons for respecting people or their customs and

i haven't found any reasons yet

she's too young the others were too old too sad

your grandmother thinks we ought to send her back you won't get another teacher so

the children will have to be sent outside for their schooling you know what that means

valencia says miss melody will help us valence is wrong she's an old one now father your

grandmother is still the oldest this teacher is too young and bright the young ones might

get to like her well what would be the harm in that makes it that much easier for them to slip

in the name of the present soul they're children

a young frencher just yesterday i found him in the woods with bethe and they were remembering oh no

maybe it's time father

your grandmother decision this time not valencia not you you be sure to stay in that classroom

rancher

i want to talk to you a minute

i don't want to get you in any trouble but i'll teach you how to read music if you like

well i reckon if nobody knew can you make music you mean compose no make it oh that that's what

it's called composing now i can't do that you think people who do that are okay huh

of course they are that's a that's a wonderful thing to do it's a very rare and special gift

i reckon you're right what's your gift i don't really have one well everybody has a gift

i guess mine's teaching i guess i have a knack for it i think

anyway i know i'd love to do it

rancher i have something for you it's sort of a present

wow

for keeps only if you play it if not i want it back

see you tomorrow morning at school

brancher what's valency's gift i reckon she's got them all ma'am

me

ah

stop it please stop it but i could remember to lisa i could remember the home you can't

you never saw it you don't have to it's bad it is not the home was beautiful

like the music it was awful then you saw it too so she's scared somebody's coming

i heard the music it was beautiful

don't stop because of me

please

fracture's gonna get in trouble oh no he won't not with me he won't we gotta go now

i wanna talk to you for a minute i gotta go too just stay here for a minute

sit down

remember when i gave you the harmonica and we talked about gifts

and you said valencia has all of them one of them was sorting and that you wanted to sort bethy

yeah obla won't matter what does a disorder do oh you know they fix you when you're mixed up

like a psychiatrist no swords go into you

mind reading yeah kind of prancer i can help you i think i think i can help everyone

you can apprentice you must understand all of that is superstition what is

mind reading all of it rancher people can't read other people's minds yeah what about that guy

the harmonica guy you had a big fight who told you about that nobody who told you

i got it from you you couldn't have and from the music it was all twisted and hurt who knows

hmm

foreign

so

don't be afraid

please stay

stay

do you know what happened to me back there i know do you i was hypnotized

i felt paralyzed it was terrible it won't ever happen again i promise please don't leave us

if that's what you teach your children here i can't stay cause i can't take it if you leave

they'll have to go over the hill to school maybe that's what they need to get out of the cemetery

or are you afraid they might learn how to laugh or to

sing or to simply walk like a normal child

they never can be normal are you making them sound deformed

can't you see that it's your fear and superstition is deforming them

can't you see that the time of fear is ending that's why you were sent

but you must have patience and you must face your own fears before you can help us

is there something wrong in being afraid of that no

you've been afraid of many things

very afraid of failure and of wonder and of anything that you couldn't explain away

what you're going through is a test of us and of yourself

we need you more than ever now i can't teach with my hands time

when everything i tell those children is contradicted by care i agree

karen should leave but i'll have to convince the others

you've shown me what i needed to know what was that that you love teaching more than you fear us

a-l-l-i-g-a-t-o-r

that's very good marnie now here's a word for everybody to see

alligator

now here's a very hard word for the red team galaxy franchise would you like to try that one

who would like to try galaxy i think i know be very careful before you try it now think

uh matt would you keep score for a while

i found it on my desk this morning

why don't you want to make music anymore because then everybody will think you're different

different people are what make the world interesting

have you ever heard of a man by the name of

henry david thoreau

well

he was a a a very different sort of man

well it's very beautiful what he wrote and someday you should read it for yourself

but he said

if a man does not keep pace with his companions perhaps it's because he hears a different drummer

let him step to the music which he hears however measured or far away

did you understand that at all yes ma'am

i think so

but i don't hear drums much rancher if you knew how many people

never feel or hear music in their whole life and you do and you should be very proud of that

and you should march to it

it's in here

me

what are you doing here i snuck off it's fun bethe nothing bad happens but you mustn't all

other kids do outsider kids and grown-ups and everybody you want to too i can tell

it is fun it is come on let's go up to the middle

ah

i think we better go back no not yet i got more stuff to find out

miss anderson says that i'm special i'll tell you you're special too but i'm not you

can remember can't you when you make music i can okay i'll make music and you remember

i remembered i remembered

give it back go faster make it slow down

oh rancher go after it yes i don't know if i can

oh francia you did it you're missing come on too

foreign

good morning

i'm sorry i was late

today we're gonna start an important school project paper monitor

five sheets of drawing paper for everyone

matt will you pass out the crayons and betty will you close the door

now this project is going to be a book a drawing book a picture book

and the title of the book is going to be

i know there are many wondrous things about the home

and i want you to try to draw what you remember but we can it's wrong children my job is to teach

you what i think is necessary and today i'm going to teach you that remembering the home is a good

thing that is forbidden no not in here and here it's required now everybody get busy all right

something wrong aren't you no

just don't try like drawing much

well i can excuse you on the assignment on one condition

and that is if you take your harmonica to the law and provide

musical inspiration for everybody else that's drawing just don't go to sleep

me uh

hmm

i needed more than five pages everybody did thank you peppy thank you miss melody

you can go now too francia

all right later

you know i know what i've seen i know what it implies but i don't know anything else not anymore

will you tell me these tell it best

these flowers are flowing they bloom just one day a year a big day for us when lovers start to hit

and that's a twillow and his friend is a son and they speak he called this a tula these were

planted on the paths and you could see them at night they lit up and they were good to eat too

we were thousands of generations past war serene and fulfilled the home was sweet then

before we knew that year the slamman didn't bloom and a ten year old boy

received his gift the gift of seeing that's only given when there's need our planet was dying

the oldest ones gathered from all over the home and the boy told them what they must do

ancient knowledge had to be remembered and the people had to work together as one quickly

because there was so little time

we were refugees then each ship going in different directions hoping to find another home

what happened to the rest of your people

there must have been hundreds on those ships thousands come

but something went wrong

we came into your atmosphere too fast those that could guard away in the live ships

but we don't know how many their descendants are scattered still all over the earth

you see it was a new land for them too and we thought our gifts would be of service but instead

they were looked on with hatred and fear and our people were called miracle workers and witches

and when we had our first gathering thanksgiving you might call it the outsiders were invited to

share with us the people had known about envy and anger and fear but it had been forgotten

i could have been one of those people no not you

maybe not in the same way but just as ignorant

just as frightened to see

no wonder you hit

that's why they shuffle

they're afraid of lifting

it's kind of a protection it was needed

i'll go now

what do i do now whatever feels right

well we've had a very interesting morning and i know that we're gonna have a very interesting

afternoon can we draw more pictures no we're not gonna do any more pictures

but i want to thank you because they really are the most beautiful pictures i've ever seen

fan would you please give me the dictionary without

leaving your seat he's too little to do something like that no i'm not watch this

that's a very good try fan

all right everybody just contain yourselves everybody will get a turn

marnie will you come to me please without walking

just lift

come on

i'm scared yes i know

but it's all right

brancher you're pretty good with the harmonica think you can play the kazoo

hmm

oh

food

yes

well be still

she's merged with furniture i can't separate her unless i can sort her

get dr curtis the fastest way you know how

there's not not much i can say

he's got a broken neck that's a ruptured vertebrae he's losing spinal fluid

even if a hospital were available it wouldn't do any good

he can't be moved without severing nerves there's no time

betty exhibits uh same symptoms as francis but i can't find any physical damage at all

when the boy dies i'm afraid she will too

and there's nothing i can do

there's something you can do valencia valencia can help bethe

even if there's no chance for franchise franchi does have a chance if bethe can be sorted she

can act as a guide for the doctor old one it is time you must let it be so

don't let your fear kill one that is ours one

i'm coming into your mind

ah there is rest for you

valencia's the oldest one now we missed hurry

betsy

bethe i'm coming in to you

listen to me

i will help you to remember remember

remember

remember

you will separate yourself from the pain

stand away from the pain you see it but you do not feel it

stand away from the pain you see the pain but you don't feel it can you hold it by yourself now

that's right

no no betsy easy i don't know if i can yes you can i'll be here

betsy is sorted the operation is possible now

so we must have a gathering of the people there is need for their power

in the name of the presence

we need your help too come join us melody

in the name of the presence the people are gathered

it started

this is the strength of the people what about edema swelling that's what makes it hurt so much

the strength

of unity unity of purpose

unity of mind we are one we are one people how's that is the pain going away yes yes one thought

about his heart tell me about his heart one spirit i can breathe tell me about his breathing one love

keep him breathing one life and a girl release more light one good

it's done

(Dramatic Music)

hey dr curtis watch me... pretty good huh? yeah, terrific

didn't think i'd find you here they've got a gathering today didn't you know yes

yes i heard about it

i don't feel i belong there why

what's the matter i feel more like an outsider now than i did before now that i know their

whole story but think of the possibilities beyond the levitation act and the mind reading tricks

these people have a wisdom and experience beyond anything we can imagine

what do you think the outside world will do with that

probably turn bendo into a tourist attraction flying kids on television

or maybe they'll massacre them all this time just out of

out of fear and jealousy well there are other ways to share that knowledge

saldemus made that secret mash of his that mixture cured his sheep

he gave me a barrel to take over the hill on condition i wouldn't tell them where it came from

i want to get to know these people as best i can

to know as much as i can from them and then help them share it without endangering them

it really is

and they feel a lot of it is because of you

do you want to reconsider that invitation yes

i can find a dress

so

you two have been

of great service to us... we're obliged

(Soft Music)

in the name of the presence

the people are gathered

it has been a long time since we were gathered in joy since our last thanksgiving the wounds

from that time were deep but they've had long enough to heal we've learned now

this planet can be a place of love as well as a fear we've learned that we need this earth

and its people as much as they need us

and most of all we have found what we thought would last forever

a home

(Soft Music)