Bold Native

What is freedom?

Are we born free or do we earn it?

And if you deny freedom to the quiet ones, those who have no voice,

can you be free yourself?

Or are you caged by your own lack of compassion?

My name is Charlie Cranehill. You'll read about me in the news,

see pictures of me with the word terrorist after my name.

They say freedom isn't free.

Absolutely goddamn right.

We spend our lives saying no.

Not me. Not my fight. Not my problem. Not tonight.

What's the difference between you and me?

A few years ago I became someone who said yes.

Me. My fight. My problem. Tonight.

THREE YEARS AGO

Shit, I forgot to tell you Nicole called. What? When?

When you were in the shower.

She's got a new number. I wrote it on the wall.

No, no, no, no, no. Don't pick it up. I have to.

Don't pick it up! It's already picked up. Hi Dad.

Charlie? Where are you? Riley's.

Goddamn it, Charlie.

If you want to blow off the rest of your life messing around with that girl, that's fine.

I'm not blowing off my life! But if I set up an appointment for you, you goddamn well better be there.

Charlie, you should be on the highway right now. - I'll be there!

That girl… - Her name's Riley!

Where are you going? Some job interview.

Some job? Friend of his. It's some business thing.

Okay, some business thing? - Holy fuck, are you serious? Can we just eat breakfast?

He makes you ugly, Charlie. He makes you mean. - This is me, Riley. If you don't like it, I'll leave.

That would be easy. Why don't you try doing something hard?

All your talk of animal liberation, and how it's like the civil rights movement…

…or women's suffrage… or slavery. It is!

Okay.

Are you willing to break the law with me?

Nicole's organized an action. What kind of action?

Breaking into the University labs, and liberating the animals… tonight.

Or, you can go to your interview for some… business thing.

You again today. I'm gonna kick your ass again.

What the hell, Charlie? I skipped the appointment.

Well, you certainly blew that one, didn't ya'?

And Charlie? If you think I'm ever gonna stick my neck out for you again.. I don't.

I love you, Dad. But you need to let go.

I have never forced anything on you.

Yeah. Have a good night.

TWO YEARS AGO

It's okay.

- Got him? - Yeah, I got him.

WE WON'T STOP UNTIL YOU DO

This is my team.

The government would call them my cell.

But cells are cages.. and we are free.

Our mission is simple.

Liberate animals from places of abuse.

Inflict economic damage on those who profit from their misery and exploitation.

Reveal those atrocities to the public.

Never harm anyone, human or nonhuman.

Follow these rules, and you are a member of the Animal Liberation Front.

What's up, Charlie? How you doing?

Good, man. Good to see you. Hey, babe! Charlie's here!

Ok, so what do you got for me? - The red tape is footage from the liberation,

and the rest are recon from our guy on the inside.

Make sure they're breathin'.

If you see that they're stopped breathing, start like givin' 'em a whack.

You better wake up!

You got 'em all?

- Yes. - Good boy.

We'll cut it together first thing in the morning and get out the communiqué.

RIGHT NOW

Yes, Toni? - There are some people here to see you, with badges.

- Badges? - Yes.

Really. Okay,

tell 'em I'll be there in just a moment.

Hello, Mr. Cranehill.

I'm Agent Tamar Burke. This is my partner, Eric Johnson.

We're here about Charlie.

What about him? Is he okay?

Do you know where he is?

Sir, have you ever heard of the Bold Native?

Bold Native is an alias for a terrorist or terrorist group

responsible for a series of attacks costing almost a million dollars. Terrorist attacks?

Medical labs, farms, all animal related businesses.

It's part of a loosely organized group called the Animal Liberation Front, or the A.L.F.

This is a letter claiming responsibility for the arson of a poultry farm in Ohio.

This is a letter from your son to one of his friends.

Some of the expressions match almost word for word.

This is a journal that we believe to be Charlie's.

And on this last page it shows a farm that was hit by arson.

Here's a photograph of your son with Jeff Breen.

Where the fuck is Jeff? They nabbed him.

Wyatt, you said one guard on break from 12 to 12:10. - It was always just one guard. Come on!

I think he's gonna talk.

Jeff Breen connected a lot of dots for us.

He does hate your guts, Charlie. What did I do?

You were with Charlie, weren't you? - Yeah, he was skullfucking me like Indiana Jones.

You shoulda been there, Jeff. I'm kidding, I'm obviously fucking around.

I just want you to answer the question, Sonja. - Jeff, Charlie's my best friend.

He's been my best friend since we were like 12 years old. You know this.

Well that's great. - You've known this since we started dating. I don't even know why it's a big deal.

Well, where were you guys?

Can you keep a secret?

You have to run. Wyatt, pull over.

What the fuck? Pull the car over, Wyatt.

What am I supposed to do without you?

You'll be fine.

Dream on, Castaneda! My head's gonna go all Chernobyl, I swear!

Hey! You brought him in!

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Jellybean! It's not your fault.

Yes it is. I'm miss bad idea.

I love you. I believe in you. Okay? I will be back.

Bold Native has been quiet for almost two years.

It's been four years or five since you last heard from Charlie?

I can't answer any more of your questions without an attorney present,

so if you would like to make an appointment.. We'd like to have a look around.

I don't think that's possible.

Mr. Cranehill, search warrant.

Thank you.

I'll start with the back.

DAD, I KNOW YOU'RE WORRIED AND HAVING ME FOLLOWED. I HAVE TO DISAPPEAR FOR A WHILE. I'M FINE. PROMISE. C.

Shit!

Nice guitar. It's a little dusty, but...

You know, you, you can take whatever you want.

I want to know what kind of research you did for the Happy Chickens ad campaign.

What?

- Happy Chickens. - Oh.

You are the Karl Hansen that designed that campaign for the egg industry?

Our, our client was the state ag Board. Same thing.

You know, I'm.. I'm, I'm sorry, I think..

Whoo! Feelin a little drunk. Wanna sit down?

Yeah, yeah.

Oomph! Okay! I just wanna talk.

- Okay. - Okay.

Alright. Okay. I'm gonna.. I cooperate here. Let's sit, have a chat. Sit on your hands.

- What? - Sit on your hands.

Okay? Comfortable?

You're an animal rights person. We're all animal rights people.

Just depends on what your definition of animal is.

For instance, I think that you have a right to get married, unlike your parents.

What do you know about my parents? I know more than Bob does.

Like the fact that they're still alive.

You are very interesting, Karl. I am?

You are.

How do you breathe, living in such a cage?

I don't know what you are talking about.

Are you an ex-gay in recovery?

Conversion therapy for unwanted same-gender attraction?

God, that must have sucked. It was fine.

No. That's not fine. You got out, you said thanks Mom and Dad for saving me...

It made them happy. It didn't hurt anyone.

Both you and I know your boyfriend wouldn't stand for that bullshit.

It was just easier to tell him that they were dead.

Hiding mail, watching the phone, lies about business trips when you're just going to go see your parents?

Almost as much work as carrying on an affair, which you also happened to pull off.

Unfortunate it was with an intern. Okay, what do you want?

I want the money that you were paid for that Happy Chickens bullshit.

Eighty-two thousand, six hundred and fifty-two dollars.

You can use that computer to transfer the money through a network we've set up.

I'm a vegetarian, you know. I do know that. Why is that?

I like animals. I don't wanna eat them.

You eat eggs? Freerange organic.

You know they kill all the male chicks?

Even with free-range hens.

They're too skinny to eat because they're different than genetically modified birds we call “broilers.”

The males are useless, so we feed them through a chipper, still chirping for their moms.

I didn't know that.

Most people would be upset by that.

Just like most people would be upset if they were forced to see the way that chickens are treated in general.

That's why Happy Chickens is a cartoon, not footage like what we're watching, which is reality and not very happy.

So what are you gonna do with the money, if I give it to you?

We break in to places like that and liberate animals.

The money buys equipment. It buys food for the animals we rescue.

They're all sick. Most of them need medical attention for the rest of their lives.

That couch cost three grand.

I was considering swallowing a bottle of Ativan and lying down on it tonight.

Okay…

Right now, I really need you to tell me that you believe that things can change.

Yeah I believe that things can change.

Okay. Then I'll give you the money. But only if you take me.

What the hell did you say to him?

It was more like what he said to me.

Listen, I think he's sincere, but he may just be drunk and I may just be hopeful.

Ah, romance. I'm serious. He goes Judas, it's your ass down the rabbit hole.

My bad call on Jeff got you where you are, so the worst case is we're even.

But I trust you, all the way to the end.

- This guy right here? - This guy.

Nice cows.

You got your earthquake kit there, pilgrim?

Terrorist attack kit, actually.

So Karl, you can call me Sonja. Is that a code name?

Yeah, it was a toss-up between that and.. Fuck you, what the hell are you doing here?

I like Sonja better. Yeah, me too. For now.

We're also encouraging you to begin frequent audits of cattle slaughterhouses as practiced by McDonalds.

That should ensure that the captive bolt gun usage is..

Rendering the animal unconscious before slaughter.

We'd like to end our protests

and as I'm sure you'd like to see them end them as well I'm hoping we can find some common ground.

Our first request is that you consider matching Burger King's commitments.

Which ones are those? Requiring seventytwo square inches per hen in battery cages.

Stopping forced molting. Forced molting?

Withholding food and water to speed the laying process.