Water for Elephants

What's the word, Charlie?

We going through, or what?

Heading back through the truck?

Come on, old timer, what are you doing?

Uh, excuse me, sir. Can we help you?

Can we help you with something?

Did I miss the Spec?

Yeah, I'm afraid so. The show was this afternoon.

Oh.

Did you come with the folks from Green Haven?

Why don't we get out of the rain, and we'll call them for you.

No, no, no, no! I came on my own.

No, it's okay. We're gonna call the home. We're gonna have them come pick you up.

I'm telling you, I didn't come with the home!

Why don't you take those rings out of your head,

and maybe you won't be deaf and dumb!

Well, it's alive.

I'm sorry, kid. I didn't mean that.

Your rings look very

pretty.

Russ, why don't you take that walker back to my trailer and finish packing up?

Sir? Man, I gotta get you out of this parking lot.

Why don't you sit down in the wheelchair? We'll go inside and make some calls.

Come on, please.

Malcolm, tell them to come through!

Yeah. Hey, how you doing?

I'm looking for a number I can't seem to find in the book.

It's for a nursing home called Green Haven.

I hope they sweat.

I walked right out of the door and nobody noticed.

Green Haven.

It's a nursing home.

Hello? Hello?

Hagenbeck-Wallace! Before the wreck.

Yeah. You know circuses?

I should. I been on two.

Hey, is there a relative maybe I can call? Or another number you have?

The first was the Benzini Brothers.

Benzini Brothers? When?

1931.

'31 for how long?

Now, you know the Benzini Brothers never saw the end of '31.

Are you telling me that you were there for...

- Right in the middle of it. - Well, that's incredible,

because after the Hartford fire and the Hagenbeck-Wallace wreck,

that's pretty much the most famous circus disaster in history.

Are you okay?

You got anything to drink around here that isn't apple juice?

Uh...

Yeah, I think so.

- There you go. - Thank you.

I remember you.

So, how long you been in that home?

Too long.

I don't know why they call it a home. You don't know anybody there.

They stuff you so full of drugs, you don't care.

Five kids and not one has a place for me since their mother died.

They take turns visiting on weekends.

My son forgot whose turn it was today, so...

I can't blame him. The kid's 71. He's starting to lose it up here.

They're not bad kids. It's not their fault I'm old.

I had a good life, you know.

A big life.

Take a seat. Yeah.

I'm sorry. You know what? My name is Charlie O'Brien III.

Jacob Jankowski, the only.

That's good.

Don't you have to call the home?

I think we should let them sweat.

But if I could, I was wondering,

you know, could you talk to me about what happened in 1931?

Gonna need another bottle of this.

It was a big day, that last day of my final exam.

I couldn't move fast enough.

My life was finally gonna start,

and I knew exactly where it was taking me.

Inside our house, there was no sign of a Depression.

My mother and father had left Poland in much worse condition.

To them, nobody could be poor in America if they had half a brain in their head.

Love you, too, Mommy.

After six years of dissections, castrations,

and shoving my arm up a cow's ass more times than I care to remember,

by the end of that day, I knew I'd be a Cornell graduate of Veterinary Science.

And by the end of that night,

I'd be the first man Catherine Hale ever invited into her bed.

She was nuts about me.

You will have two hours to complete the exam.

When you have finished the exam, close the booklet,

turn it face downwards and raise your hands.

When I have acknowledged you,

you may bring the exam up to me and leave.

You may begin.

I had a new life all planned.

Then with the opening of a door,

Every plan I had vanished.

Mr. Jankowski?

May we have a word with you?

Jacob, I'm afraid there's been a car accident.

It's right in there, son.

Is there any other family to call?

No. No, it's just me.

According to our records, there is no mistake, Mr. Jankowski.

The house and all their assets, including your father's practice,

are property of the bank in default of the loan.

I'm telling you, you're wrong. My father owned that house outright.

These documents are dated four years ago. He signed them.

Did they need money for any reason four years ago?

My tuition.

Well, there you have it.

Now, perhaps if you hadn't gone to college, you'd still have a home.

But in light of the way your father ran his business, that's unlikely.

My father was a good man.

And when people came to him for help, he gave it.

Your father was an irresponsible man

who let people pay him in chickens, and eggs,

and what ever they had instead of money.

This Depression is with us for a very long while. Believe me.

And the only people standing at the end of it

will be the ones who take what they need to survive.

Don't make the same mistakes as your father.

I remember walking out the front door

and forcing myself not to look back.

I couldn't stay where everything reminded me of the life that was gone.

And I didn't see the point in going back to school.

There were a lot of men in those days with no home, no family,

leaving small towns that were dying.

The rumor was that there were jobs in the cities,

so I got it into my head that I'd walk to Albany.

I never made it.

Hey, don't be messing with Blackie!

Throwing people off trains is one of the perks of his job.

We don't need no bums on this train.

Everybody, calm down here. Grady, put that damn pistol away.

Blackie, let him go. And I mean on the inside of the train.

I'm telling you, we don't need no trouble.

I mean, look at them clothes.

He ain't no bum.

Don't be sore, kid. It's almost a reflex with Blackie.

I'm Camel.

That there is Grady and Wade.

I'm Jacob. Jankowski.

Jankowski? Gorski!

Mmm?

You know, you're pretty young to be on the rails.

You running from something maybe?

No, no, nothing like that.

Where you headed?

I don't know.

You hungry? Out of work?

There's no shame in that. No shame in that.

Well, what can you do?

Just about anything, I guess.

We land in Deposit in the morning. We'll get you some work for the day,

and if you're still alive at the end of it, I will take you to see August,

the Lord and Master of the Known and the Unknown Universe himself!

Who's that?

Hold on, chlopak, you're in for the ride of your life.

You see that?

Wave, Olivia.

Now, I don't know if I picked that train,

or that train picked me.

But something told me my mother and my father sent it my way.

I'd like to think that, anyway.

Hello, ma'am.

Hey! What the hell are you doing in here?

Get out of there! You ain't no menagerie man.

Come on. I got you some work.

- With the animals? - Oh, you betcha!

I've never seen so much manure.

They pack them in 27 a car.

How do you stand the smell?

What smell?

Ladies and gentlemen!

Step right this way to see the most dazzling collection

of wonders, oddities and marvels of the natural world!

Step right this way...

When Cecil gives the signal, you gotta push the rubes in toward the entrance.

Without them catching on, or else there'll be a fight.

...of pudgy perfection.

All for one thin dime. And believe me, it'll be the best dime you ever spent,

I guarantee! Right this way! Hand your dime to this fella right here.

Ladies to the right. Gentlemen to the left.

Folks, just put one foot in front of the other, and the body will follow!

Take this.

Smack the sides with it

if you see any heads trying to peek in without paying.

Silver.

That's right. Good boy. Good boy.

Are you okay?

You're shaking a little bit.

Excuse me, ma'am.

Do you mind if I take a look?

Performers to the Spec line!

All performers to the Spec line!

Walk on.

Casey, move up.

Showtime! Showtime! Move it up. Let's go!

Ladies and gentlemen,

and children of all ages,

welcome to the most extravagant extravaganza